Translator: Elisia
Editor/Proofreader: TempWane
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Somehow, I couldn’t help but react sensitively when it came to matters involving Elsie.
In the original story, Amelia never married. After committing all kinds of heinous acts, her family eventually sent her off to the North.
From Delkis’ perspective, it was an extremely inconsiderate decision… but for Amelia’s father, who loved his daughter like any father would, there likely was no other choice. He probably couldn’t bring himself to kill her.
Moreover, Amelia pretended to repent for her actions while living in the North.
…Well, I wasn’t that Amelia, so I’d be able to marry properly.
And being able to marry properly meant I didn’t have that much time left. I was already seventeen. Elsie was the same.
Assuming both of us would marry in our early twenties, we didn’t have much time left.
So, I wanted to make the most of the time we had left.
Honestly, I don’t care much about bad endings anymore. I’ve lived diligently so far, and since my relationships with the Crown Prince and the future Emperor aren’t bad, there’s no reason for them to target my life. My relationship with the Archmage isn’t great, but it’s not at a level of open hostility.
So, the two of us should just enjoy what was left of our youth.
“Hah, hah, hah…!”
“I’ve heard the swordsmanship of House Hoover is remarkable, but perhaps it’s all just a tale?
…Why must there be so many obstacles?
I understood Elsie’s intentions.
She had likely called Diane here under the guise of a swordsmanship match to correct her bad habits.
Indeed, Diane had been openly rude, sneering when she first arrived at Adele’s house, but once the match with Elsie began, she seemed incapable of such thoughts.
She wasn’t entirely incompetent either. Even though she snatched Adele’s teacher, that teacher never particularly described her as “untalented.” In the original story, there was no mention of her being significantly lacking in ability.
However—
“Urgh…!”
Perhaps it was a matter of pride as a noble.
No, it made sense. Even in the original story, Diane’s relentless harassment of Adele stemmed from that very pride.
“Hiya!”
And because Elsie was gradually provoking that pride, Diane kept charging at her over and over.
Both Adele and I quietly watched the scene.
Of course, our reasons for watching were different.
Adele had an expression of mild admiration.
Diane and Adele had been entangled in a bad relationship even before the main story. Diane had pressured their shared teacher to stop training Adele after hearing him praise her. To Adele, Diane was someone she naturally disliked.
Yet here was Diane, drenched in sweat, throwing herself at someone she couldn’t defeat with all her might.
As a daughter of a knightly family through and through, Adele couldn’t help but acknowledge that determination.
And I—
I was surprised at how unexpectedly attractive Diane’s appearance was.
Oh, of course, her usual appearance was pretty too. Objectively, she might not measure up to the heroine, Adele; the unfortunate villainess of the second part, Elsie; or my own overtly rival-like appearance. Plus, her tightly coiled bun hairstyle didn’t help.
But now…
Perhaps because of the sweat pouring down her face, her bangs had fallen loose. Her neatly coiled golden hair clung damply to her head.
And with her infinitely serious expression…
Ironically, Diane looked far more attractive now than usual.
Clack, clack!
The sound of wooden swords colliding filled the air, and sweat flew.
Elsie effortlessly deflected the swordsmanship of the count’s family that Diane wielded.
“Lady Carlins lasted longer than this.”
“…Tch!”
Provoked by Elsie, Diane lunged at her with all her strength.
A display of pure determination rarely seen in Diane.
“……”
While Adele seriously observed Diane’s earnest struggle, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
*
The sight of a haughty noble sprawled out on the ground like a wrung-out rag was both satisfying and pitiful.
Diane lay face-down, completely exhausted, as if she had poured out every ounce of strength.
It was an unimaginable sight from her usual demeanor.
“Lady Hoover.”
“Yes…?”
At Adele’s call, Diane barely managed a response.
She looked at the glass bottle of water extended in front of her.
“……”
Both drenched in sweat, Adele was still standing, while Diane remained collapsed on the ground.
And she had no excuse. She had just witnessed how much effort Adele had put into crossing swords with Elsie.
“…I’ll take it, thank you.”
Diane finally propped herself up and accepted the water bottle Adele offered.
After downing its contents in one gulp, Diane avoided Adele’s gaze.
“You were impressive today.”
Adele’s words made Diane’s shoulders flinch.
“……”
However, Diane bit her lip, seemingly unable to respond to Adele in the same manner.
“You were all remarkable.”
Elsie, who had approached at some point, said so.
A single bead of sweat trickled down Elsie’s face, but she was in far better condition than the three of us, who were soaked from head to toe.
…To be honest, I was the least skilled among the three.
It couldn’t be helped when compared to Adele.
But even compared to Diane, whom I had quietly looked down on before, my swordsmanship was inferior.
Was it because I relied too much on Elsie? At some point, I had distanced myself from the swordsmanship I used to practice diligently as a child.
“Next time.”
“Huh?”
When Diane suddenly spoke, Adele widened her eyes in slight surprise.
“The next time, I’ll be the one still standing.”
“……”
Watching Diane speak as if stubbornly forcing her words, Adele smiled.
“That could be true. After all, this is only my second time. If you keep practicing repeatedly, Lady Hoover, you might also be able to stand until the end, just like me.”
…Would I be able to do that?
In the end, I couldn’t interject until their conversation had concluded.
*
“They say there’s a ball in a few days.”
After returning home and washing up, I spoke.
“…Really?”
Elsie grimaced, looking reluctant.
“Yeah. I think we have to attend this time. I’m part of the Grand Ducal House, after all. I should make regular appearances in social circles.”
In truth, it wasn’t strictly necessary.
I was the Grand Duke’s daughter.
Even without making a significant impression in social circles, my name already carried immense weight.
Just as there were many eager to marry the Crown Prince or the Emperor’s son without them needing to put in any extra effort, there would be plenty seeking me out if I wanted them to.
However—
“Do you think it’s okay if it’s just the two of us again this time?”
Elsie spoke, looking somewhat worried.
That statement made me a little happy.
Elsie hadn’t even consider having anyone else as her partner.
Maybe it was because I had held onto Elsie for so long…
But if she truly hated me, would she still agree to dance with me?
“It should be fine. If anything, it might be better from the men’s perspective. It shows that I don’t have a fiancé yet.”
“That’s… true. Yeah.”
Elsie nodded somewhat awkwardly.
“Then, I suppose we should practice dancing again?”
…
Yes, to be honest, that was the reason I brought it up.
Until now, we had never naturally embraced each other. Perhaps it was because we were both raised with noble sensibilities, but we never casually touched each other like we had in our childhood.
However, if there was a reason like this…
…
It’s strange.
The other person is obviously a woman.
A woman younger than me, yet thinking like this feels strange.
Is it strange for me to have these thoughts?
Do I really see Elsie as just a friend?
“Then, could you teach me how to dance?”
“Of course.”
And yes, there was this, too.
The reason I brought this up on a day when I had trained in swordsmanship—
—was because this was one of the few things I was better at than Elsie.
One of the rare instances where I could completely assert superiority over her.
How pathetic of me.
“This time, could you teach me how to lead as the man?”
“Huh?”
“You escorted me last time, so this time, I want to be the one to escort you.”
Elsie naturally took my hand as she said this, and I silently looked up at her.
“You said you’d let me protect you.”
Elsie spoke with a small smile on her lips.
“So, I hope you’ll let me protect you at the ball, too. I want to always be able to protect you when I’m by your side. Even if it is just symbolic.”
“……”
It’s not just symbolic.
Elsie pulled me closer.
She placed her hand on my waist.
Elsie’s body was always warm.
Elsie looked down at me.
I looked up at Elsie.
My face was reflected fully in her ruby-like red eyes.