READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 50 - News (10)
Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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There were various ways to deal with the Second Prince who insulted Elsie.
The position of being the Grand Duke’s daughter was slightly less significant than that of the Grand Duke’s son, but it didn’t lack authority. Moreover, thanks to the knowledge I possessed, I had been considered smart since childhood. My father had diligently educated me, and I maintained a good relationship with my younger sibling—who, in the original story, would have become estranged from me.
Thus, my position was far superior to that of Amelia, the Grand Duke’s daughter in the original work.
My father listened to me well. My brother was still young, but in a few years, he would grow into a fine man who would inherit the Grand Duke’s title.
One way to handle the matter was to emphasize to my father once more that *my* guard had been insulted and lodge a direct or indirect protest against the royal family. Alternatively, I could confront the prince myself later and refute his words point by point.
Or perhaps I could pass my complaint to the future Crown Prince, whose personality seemed to have taken a carefree turn for some reason.
Such thoughts circled my mind until Elsie said she would “handle it herself.” After hearing her words, I cooled down momentarily and felt a slight sense of doubt.
The current Prince Allen was a bratty prince, but in the original story, I had thought quite highly of him. His tale, where he cast out the manipulative vassals controlling him and rose to become the rightful Crown Prince thanks to the heroine’s comfort, was the kind I liked.
But… now, whenever I thought about Prince Allen, all I felt was irritation.
It wasn’t just because he insulted Elsie. It was something more… something connected to the depths of my thoughts.
…That’s right.
Elsie became my guard because I brought her here.
At the time, it seemed like a good idea. I thought it better to keep the friend I cherished by my side rather than leave her in Delkis, which would become embroiled in endless battles in the future.
But was it really that simple?
After realizing what kind of world this was and who I was in it, I had resolved to avoid the ruin that awaited me in the future.
And yet, the idea of me standing against the future male protagonists now felt a bit strange.
Why was that?
Was it because I liked Elsie so much?
No matter how much I pondered, an answer didn’t come easily.
*
In the North, unless there was a special reason, the direct family members would gather for meals. It wasn’t unheard of for meals to be brought to someone’s room, but this only happened if the person couldn’t make it to the dining room due to work or illness.
The Grand Duchy wasn’t exactly a small place, but it didn’t have an overabundance of manpower either. This custom likely originated long ago, during a time when every individual was considered a precious source of labor, and it had been passed down ever since.
Well, it wasn’t unusual for families who lived together to share meals. Still, given the grand scale of the castle, gathering for every scheduled meal could feel a bit inconvenient.
I’d heard that nobles living in the grand cities of the South sometimes ate separately.
Perhaps because I still retained a Korean spirit or maybe because of my Northern blood, I preferred the Northern way.
And naturally, when the family gathered for meals, guests would join as well.
Elsie did so, and so did the two visiting princes. Since it wasn’t a banquet, the retainers who accompanied the princes, as well as our family’s retainers, did not join.
“I’ll come out a bit later. Don’t worry too much; I’ll make it before the meal starts.”
As I prepared to head for breakfast, Elsie said that to me.
“…Is it really a good idea?”
I asked her again to confirm.
“Of course. I’ll make sure to show just how strong Delkis is.”
Though Elsie answered confidently with her hands on her hips, I still felt a bit uneasy. However, I decided to trust her.
After all, Elsie was here because of me. Interfering too much in what she was trying to do wasn’t ideal.
Even so, I couldn’t help feeling a little worried.
The hallway felt… a bit awkward as I walked in silence.
It was a corridor I walked through every day, and even though a maid accompanied me instead of Elsie, the silence seemed unusual.
Now that I thought about it, Elsie and I had been together almost all the time for the past five years, except when we slept. It made sense, as Elsie was here to serve as my guard.
Was it because that guard was absent? Was it because I had come to rely on Elsie’s skills more than I realized?
Of course, I did trust her, but still…
My maid, usually chatty, remained silent today. Perhaps she was reading the mood.
What sort of plan was Elsie devising?
Feeling a bit tense, I entered the dining room.
*
And soon, I found out exactly what Elsie had been thinking.
The First Prince, Evan, who had arrived earlier, Prince Allen, who came after him, my father, and my mother were already seated.
Though there was still some time before the meal, it was considered bad manners in noble society to make someone of higher rank wait.
I glanced at Prince Allen’s expression as I nervously waited. Then, the dining room door burst open.
“Apologies!”
Elsie stormed in, apologizing the moment she entered—
—so urgently that she perfectly demonstrated her “excellent” physical abilities.
“Ah!”
Just as she approached the dining table, she tripped herself with her left foot and stumbled forward awkwardly.
**Thud!**
“Elsie!?”
The sound of Elsie’s forehead colliding with the table was so loud that I shot to my feet in shock.
It wasn’t just the sound.
Though not as sturdy as the banquet tables, the dining table, built to hold the weight of multiple meals, cracked with a loud snap.
Not only the tabletop, but even the central supporting legs broke cleanly in half under the impact.
To put it simply, the table caved in at the spot where Elsie had slammed her forehead, forming a V-shape.
“Ah, my apologies—”
Elsie seemed to rise as if nothing had happened, but the problem lay with what was on the table.
The candles had extinguished when the table collapsed, so there was no fire hazard. However, the table held more than just candles.
Silver goblets filled with drinks rolled down the sloping surface, spilling their contents everywhere.
The drinks at the edges of the table were the worst. As the table bent, the edges catapulted the goblets into the air like siege weapons.
Moments later, the goblets landed squarely on Elsie’s head.
“Ugh.”
By the time Elsie noticed, it was too late. The wine and water inside spilled all over her, soaking her completely.
Her snow-white hair turned a bright red.
It looked like I should have been worried about Elsie in that situation—
But—
“Hmph!”
Watching Elsie stand up, seemingly unharmed, with an annoyed expression as she looked down at her clothes, I found myself suppressing laughter.
It wasn’t just me.
Prince Allen, who had been raising a cup to drink, froze in place, his eyes wide.
Perhaps he hadn’t mastered aura perfectly yet?
Not that it would have mattered.
I remembered the lament of the Swordmasters who had trained Elsie.
“Skill is unnecessary before overwhelming strength.”
They had come, thrilled at the chance to teach a Delkis warrior. But after witnessing Elsie split training dummies with her raw strength, they lost their enthusiasm.
With such power, they concluded, swordsmanship wasn’t necessary.
I couldn’t help but laugh, realizing how absurd it had been to think Elsie might lose to the Second Prince in a fight.
“Haha!”
The only one who failed to hold back their laughter was Prince Evan.
Fortunately, he was laughing at his brother’s expression rather than Elsie.
If not… well, what could I have done?
As I stifled my laughter, feeling my ribs ache, I stood and approached Elsie.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah, well, my clothes…”
“Don’t worry. We can always get new clothes.”
Even in this situation, Elsie worrying about the clothes I had gifted her felt a bit endearing.