67-Second princess couderia




 
 The verbal assault ceased for a moment as I politely denied the words thrown at me along with Alecia's black smile.

 That's when I was breathing a sigh of relief.

 The sound of the music group decorating the hall grew louder.

 The wooden stringed instruments produced a pleasant sound, and then a voice was called out from the entrance door.

''Your Highness Princess Couderia's entrance!

 With that voice, the door is opened by two attendants and a girl enters.

 She has blonde hair that reaches to her waist and curls into curls when it reaches the ends of her hair.

 Her long, silky blonde hair flutters as she walks, drawing multiple trails in the air.

 Her eyes are the color of a clear, sky-like blue. Her face seems to be somewhere between a girl and a woman, and she's more pretty than beautiful.

 She wears a dress based on red on her body, and the place of the ruffle is pink. The embroidery and ribbons that look like roses make her even more gorgeous.

 The movement is different from Alecia's steps, full of grace and dignity.

 So that's the Second Princess of Couderia that Father Nord was talking about. I'm not sure if she looks like a tomboy from the looks of it, though.

 As I watched, Princess Couderia shook her head and her face lit up as she spotted a certain person.

 The princess suddenly ran out to meet him, but the female knight in his escort followed him as if she was expecting him.

 In other words, she's probably the kind of woman who does that kind of thing out of the blue.

''Nordo!''

This is Her Royal Highness Princess Coupélia. Good morning, Your Highness.

'Oh, don't be so uptight! I'd be tired of you acting like that, even to Nord.

 Father Nord was about to say a few words of greeting in a condescending manner, but it was interrupted by Princess Cudelia's fed up voice.

''No, that being said,''

Moo!

Then I'll take the opportunity to talk to Princess Coudera.

Well, I could really use a coup d'état, but...

Your Highness.

 I put my hands on my hips and muttered that to myself, and the female knight who was standing behind me said in a chiding tone.

''You'll get mad at me like this, so that's fine.

 It's shattered at one point, but they say she's a good listener in her own right.

 Well, I still think it's too light for a princess.

''Anyway, Nord! Tell me another story! I hear the territory is doing better these days.

'....Your Highness. Greetings to the other nobles....

'Ah! I know! I'll do it for you later, I promise.

 Princess Couderia waved her hand noisily at the woman knight's words.

 When I looked at Alecia, who was still near us, she smiled bitterly.

 Apparently this is always the case.

''Hey, you guys are in the way.

 When Princess Couderia said that with a single glance, the nobleman's children who were around Father Nord quickly retreated. It looks like the men of the village, who are in the Celia dining hall, are being chased out by Celia-san.

 What a queen. No, it was the princess.

 Even the nobles, as expected, seemingly unable to break into the princess' place, they casually watch from a little distance or give up and disperse.

 After that, Princess Couderia and her Nordic father started chatting happily.


''That's the second princess...''

Well, it's always the same.

Is he always like that?

 As Eric and I are casually chatting with each other, Alecia interrupts us.

'It's a lot better today because Nord-san is here. Normally he's more selfish and bored.'

Wow, you know your stuff.

'Well, I'm a duke and I'm close in age, so we have tea together.

 I see. When it comes to the daughter of a duke's family, even a princess would be able to talk to her easily.


'..........but still, she doesn't look like that even when she's with me.

 Alecia says with a wry smile to supplement my thoughts.

 Indeed, when I look at them, they really seem to be enjoying talking. I mean, isn't it a bit close to the distance? It looks like it's trying to singe me.

 I wonder if Mother Erna will be angry with me for this.

 I thought to myself as I looked at Erna's mother, and sure enough, she was looking at me coldly.

 Ah, I'll have to try to curry favor with Erna when I get back to the inn today, Nord, I guess. I'm sure Mother Erna didn't think well of Princess Coupélia because of her sticky hands on Father Nord.

 The bomb drops while I'm looking at it swallowingly.

'Nord! Then why don't my wife switch to me? I'm younger than you, you know?

 Palin.

'Are you hurt?!

 The sound of something cracking and the maid's panicked voice comes from Mother Erna's direction.

'Yes, it's okay, it's okay. It's still new.''

 Mother Erna was muttering about that with a broken glass in her hand.

 That glass was pretty thick at the bottom of the grip, wasn't it? If you hold it, or even if you're a normal woman, it's impossible to crush it with the force of a pluck....

 It seems that Elinora's sister's iron claw was inherited from her mother Erna.

 I've got to be careful not to let that happen to my head as well.

 Some time later, when Princess Couderia went to greet the other nobles, Nord Dad was desperately trying to make excuses to Mother Erna.

 What kind of conversation would bring out words like that? No, I had a similar thing yesterday.... I wonder if I was like that yesterday, too.

 I looked away, unable to look at it any longer.



 × X X X



 A short time later, a voice was suddenly thrown at Eric. Yes, to Eric. Not to me.

'Hey!' You dumb-faced country aristocrat over there!

Hey, Eric, they're calling you.

"......................

 Me and Eric glare at each other in silence.

'Hey Eric, I've been told I look like a dumbass. That must be you.

'No, there's no one else in this hall who looks dumber than you. Alfried.

 Me and Eric stare at each other from super close range.

'Hey! Don't ignore it! Someone called Alfried or something.

You misspoke! If you're going to correct me, do it now! It's really Eric, isn't it?

 I finally see the face of the guy who came to me for the first time here.

 What is this pompous guy? That was my first image of the boy looking down at me in front of me. He has brown hair and a black suit. He would be around ten years old. He has eyes that look high in self-esteem.

''Haha. Well, it's only natural.''

 I don't have a stupid face, okay? I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this.

 At the side, Alecia was also shaking her shoulders as if she couldn't bear it.

''........You bastard! And who are you? It's rude to call someone a dumb face all of a sudden!

'You have heard me well. My name is Bram-Baamlal. I am of the proud House of Baamlal!

'What? Who's that?

 Bram, who came forward in high spirits, but unfortunately, there is no such nobleman in my memory. I'm sure he wasn't even there yesterday when I made the greeting call.

''I don't know you, Bram.

 I asked Eric with my gaze, but he had the same reaction.

 On the other hand, Alecia, who seems to know that, is still shaking her shoulders, as if the incident just now has gotten to the point. It sounds like a dumbass. Isn't that too much?

 Bram shrugs when he hears our words.

''This is why the country nobles are so annoying. ''You don't know the Countess Baamlal, who governs a city near King's Landing.''

 You should have said Countess from the beginning. I don't know if I've ever heard of it.

So, what is the Countess Baumrall's business here?

 I proceed to talk to this troublesome guy, who looks like he's very aristocratic, in order to turn him away.

 I've learned to the point of being disgusted by yesterday's meet and greet that this kind of guy, if left unchecked, will boast about his territory without permission.

''You really don't know the truth, do you!

I don't know.

 For some reason, Bram got impatient when he saw my firmness. But I really don't know, so I answered once and for all.

'You haven't heard anything from Elinora or anything?'

 Bram's words, which asked me as if something horrifying and unexpected had just happened, almost made me hold my head up. Why did the name of Elinora's sister come up from this guy?

 --I have a very bad feeling about it.

''Well, I haven't heard anything from my sister, sir?''

 I replied, and Bram said, "What? Seriously? I muttered to myself.

 Then Bram cleared his throat as if to start over, and his narrow eyes narrowed even more before he said, "I'll be frank with you.

'I'll be frank with you. Have a duel with me.'

No.

'Good, then, now--why? Elinora took it in two words!

Why, I have no reason to fight a duel!

"You may not have it, but I have it. If I don't defeat you, I'll never be able to compete with Elinora! If I can't do that, I won't be able to get engaged to that guy!

 I didn't understand the first half of his words, but the last one convinced me.

'Ah! Now I remember! You're the man who made a pass at Sister Elinora and got turned back!

'Don't talk to me like that, whoa, whoa, whoa!