Thanks to Suzy for the big ko-fi! 🥰🥰🥰 I’m glad to hear that reading this makes you smile 😁😁😁
Characters in this chapter:
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Sapphiras Perfectio, 2nd son of the Earl of Aldridge
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Percival Belisario, 3rd son of Margrave of Vanderwall on the Eastern Frontier
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Dylan, 4th year student, Percival’s paternal cousin and childhood friend
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Flavia, Evelyn’s 2nd daughter, Percival’s maternal cousin
Dylan-san moved quickly and discreetly in front of me.
Ah, I see. The reason I was let into the venue first was so that I wouldn’t meet Flavia. I moved to avoid the encounter earlier as well, but in spite of that, I was found by Flavia.
Guessing her intentions, I made myself as small as possible and hid in Dylan-san’s shadow. Unlike the tea party last time, today I’m completely wearing matching outfits with Percival. If I showed this to Flavia, she might die of indignation. It would be fine if she could do it all by herself, but if something happened to a guest, it would be a problem. So this is a strategic withdrawal. In order to finish this party peacefully, I’ll stay quiet.
Percival, I’m really sorry I couldn’t help you. I apologise from the bottom of my heart.
Flavia clung to Percival’s arm, probably because of comfort from being related, but the person himself had a blank expression. I know. That was the same response as when redhead was persistently forcing him to participate in the swordsmanship tournament.
The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that the two are not the same! I was looking forward to meeting Percy!”
“Thank you for inviting me today! I was looking forward to meeting Percy!”
“……No, it was Oji-ue1伯父 (Oji): Uncle. 上 (Ue): honorific title who invited, not Percy. And look at Percy’s face. He doesn’t look the least bit happy.”
Dylan-san muttered in a whisper.
Even if that’s true, for Flavia, it’s probably the same as being invited by Percival. For a maiden who is in love with a beautiful knight, such differences no longer matter.
“I really wanted to wear a dress in the colour of Percy’s eyes, but mother said I couldn’t. So I at least matched the accessories to the colour of Percy’s eyes. How do you like it? Does it suit me?”
“Aah, it matches the dress well.”
“……It has less emotion than any third-rate actor’s lines.”
Once again, Dylan-san muttered softly, I can’t help but feel that I was about to burst out laughing.
“Isn’t that right! I think this colour suits me well!”
Flavia is leaning more and more on Percival’s arm. She’s clinging so hard that I’m afraid his arm will come off. I held back the feeling of wanting to run away right now. If I leave here, Percival’s patience will be wasted.
“Next year I can go to the same academy as Percy! I’ll be able to see Percy anytime in the spring! I’m really happy! I was really worried that some people might have a strange misunderstanding because Percy is so nice. But now that I’m going to the academy, I won’t have to worry about that anymore!”
“……It’s Flavia who has a weird misunderstanding. Just realise that for goodness sake.”
……Dylan-san is merciless.
I see. Flavia will be enrolling next year? We will rarely see each other if we’re in different grades, but we can meet in the cafeteria or after school if we want to. She would definitely charge at Percival. Percival is kind, though, so I’m sure he won’t say anything. If her behaviour is too much, I’ll have to help him to avoid Flavia.
Flavia shouted ‘Percy, Percy’ in a loud voice that everyone around her could hear. Her voice drew the attention of those around her, and just as I thought it was time to rescue Percival, Flavia’s mother, Countess Miller, comes over in a hurry.
“Fl-Flavia! You, what are you doing? Come here. You haven’t made your greetings yet.”
“Yes, I finally met Percy……”
“Did you forget your promise in order to join the party?”
“……Oh, all right. See you later, Percy!”
“I’m sorry, Percival-san.”
The madam bows her head and quickly leaves, taking Flavia with her. After confirming that the two are completely separated, I thank Percival.
“Good work, Percival. Is your arm okay?”
“Aah, it’s fine.”
The party has only just begun, but Percival looks completely exhausted. The other party is a girl, so he can’t be too impertinent, and it’s hard to deal with her.
“Actually, they shouldn’t have been invited. But as expected, you can’t not invite the family where Oba-ue’s sister married, can you? Flavia aside, Juluth is an extremely decent daughter, and she’s about the age to decide on her fiancé. She needs to attend these kinds of occasions and sell her face. Having said that, just leave Flavia behind. At the very least, Earl Miller’s family won’t be able to welcome the new year safely.”
Not being able to welcome the new year safely, it’s like raising a magical beast, isn’t it?
There must have been some behaviour that raised Flavia’s eyebrows before. But it wasn’t enough to attack someone with magic. Flavia did it because I was with Percival in misleading clothes. If that’s the case, my outfit today is touching her reverse scales2this is an expression which means to ‘incur imperial wrath’. Legends say that a dragon’s scales grew along with them from birth, never shedding. There was only one exception: that is a scale that grew in reverse. It is located under their necks, and that was where all the dragon’s heart blood converges. It is also their weak point..
“As I thought, wouldn’t it be better if I didn’t join the party?”
“No, in a way, Sapphiras is also a gimmick on this stage. Oba-ue3叔母 (Oba): Aunt, take note that the kanji is different. 叔 refers to a younger sibling of one’s parents. I think author might’ve made a mistake because based on the next paragraph where Flavia is ‘her niece’, he should be referring to Madam Adeline. The title of the chapter also only makes sense if it’s Madam Adeline thinking about her niece. But then, in the next sentence, it mentions the promise which was between Flavia and her mother but Madam Adeline could’ve also asked for the promise behind the scenes. Idk anymore lol.doesn’t hate Flavia, either. If she remains a daughter who causes problems there, she herself will be in trouble after going to the academy. Her selfish behaviour doesn’t necessarily lead to problems between families, so she decided to make Flavia join today’s party with the promise that she would never cause any trouble, so that she could learn to put up with it now. It’s an old woman’s heart that wants her to reflect on her actions even a little and learn to have a sensible attitude.”
She’s her niece after all? That must be worrying. And it seems that Madame Adeline and Countess Miller are close sisters. Nevertheless.
“……Dylan-san seems to know a lot about the inner workings of the family.”
“Well, yeah. Today is an important day for the families associated with Vanderwall. I think it’s imperative that we share information.”
At least three houses are keeping an eye on Flavia, or rather watching over her. I hope she understands that properly and can be mature at today’s party. Looking at that situation earlier, it seems that she doesn’t understand anything about it.
“You’re rude, you!”
A screeching voice suddenly rises in the hall where calm music is playing.
What’s going on? By the time I thought that, it was too late. Flavia is waving her hand up in the air at one of the ladies.
So soon! I’m sure everyone thought that. I quickly transferred between Flavia and the young lady and caught the hand that was about to be swung down.
“Na!”
Flavia’s eyes widened in surprise, and the next moment an expression of indignation appeared on her face.
Ah……everyone had gone to such great lengths to hide it from Flavia’s eyes. All that hard work has gone down the drain. But after this hand is swung down, it will be too late for anything.
“Y-you……”
“I don’t know what happened, but didn’t you promise Countess Miller that you wouldn’t cause any problems at this party?”
“Wh-what! Why are you at the party? And that hair ornament! That’s mine!”
“Ha?”
As soon as she said it, Flavia jumped at me to snatch the dragon hair ornament from my head. She was moving as fast as a wild monkey and I couldn’t react quickly enough.
“Uwah! Ouch! Ouch ouch!”
My hair was torn to shreds as she tried to forcibly take the hair ornament from me. The fact that it was fastened tightly so that it wouldn’t fall out was a setback.
The other party is younger than me, albeit by only one year, and she’s a girl. I can’t shake her off too roughly. I’ve never been treated like this by a girl, not even in my previous life!
“Stop it, Flavia!”
Someone pulls me and Flavia apart, and the hand that was holding my hair finally leaves. I almost went bald. I’m not a fan of baldness, no matter how much I don’t care about my hair.
“I-I’m saved……”
“Are you okay, Sapphiras?”
It was Percival who pulled Flavia away from me. I nodded because I was spoken to in a caring manner. I’ve lost a few hairs, but it’s not much damage.
“Yeah, I was surprised, but I’m fine.”
“You’ve got a scratch on your face……”
“,”
When Percival’s finger gently stroked my cheek, there was a sharp pain, so Flavia’s claws must have scratched me. But if it’s just a scratch, just apply some ointment and it will heal quickly.
“Percy, why is he wearing the dragon hair ornament? Wasn’t that supposed to be given to me?”
Percival’s firm arm gripped my shoulder and we lost the distance between us. The twin wings of the costume are being emphasised, but won’t this make Flavia even angrier?
“No.”
“Wh-why not? Percy is going to make me his spouse, right? You just complimented me on my accessories that matched Percy’s eye-colour, saying it looks good on me!”
“Not ‘me’, but for the dress.”
I heard a muttering voice behind me. Dylan-san, even at a time like this……it’s not a good situation to laugh, so I desperately tighten my face.
“I don’t know what on earth made you think that, but I will never take you as my spouse.”
“…… Eh?”
Flavia, who was clearly denied by Percival, made a desperate face, and she immediately glared at me as if she was going to shoot me dead. Now that this has happened, it seems impossible for her to calm down. We should call her family and change places. There are too many people here. I wasn’t the only one who thought so.
“Flavia, don’t make a fuss here anymore. For the time being, we’ll change places.”
Dylan-san, who had been behind us until now, stepped in front of us. Her face became more and more flushed and full of anger.
“Dylan who has nothing to do with this, shut up! Even though he’s a commoner, he’s self-assertive4this word can also mean intrusive, meddling, pushy, show-off, I just chose the one that I felt fits the context better! He doesn’t deserve Percy at all! He’s an eyesore! Disappear!”
Before Flavia could say all that, a dry ‘pan!’ resounded.
“Enough!”
“……O-Okaa5mother, I kept it as is cos I also wanted to show that she uses the ‘sama’ honorific ‘mother-sama’ would sound ridiculous. 😂-sama?”
Flavia’s puffed cheek, it was the grim-faced Countess Miller who severely reprimanded her.
melon: I really can’t wait for this spoilt brat to make her exit from the story. 😒😒😒
But on the other hand, Dylan’s commentary really cracked me up 🤣
