Chapter 13

Viviana’s palm was soft and smooth, but the medicine at the tip of her fingers stung quite a bit.

“Ouch… Princess, could you be a little gentler…?”

“…”

“Ah! It, it’s hot…”

“Lady, do you really have to make such a noise?”

“Huh? But it hurts…”

“…Alright.”

Viviana narrowed her eyes, took a deep breath, and applied the medicine below my waist again. Her expression, which had been stoic until now, showed traces of being slightly ruffled.

…Is she really that uncomfortable?

I told her it was fine not to do this, but she insisted it was okay and told me to lift my skirt. So why is she making such an uncomfortable face now?

I was lying on Viviana’s lap, using her cloak as a mat. Viviana slowly lifted my skirt and carefully applied the medicine.

It was a rather embarrassing position, but there was no other choice as the pain was too severe otherwise. Since this was a one-time encounter, I could endure the shame. Thankfully, Viviana was applying the medicine with a surprisingly gentle touch, unlike her usual demeanor.

“Are you that Pet Lady?”

She asked me while applying the medicine. Given the nickname, few people called me Pet Lady upon first meeting. Our protagonist didn’t seem to mind such things.

“…Yes. But why do you ask?”

“I was curious. Calling someone a pet, is it okay for you to hear such things?”

This question, both rude and not, was puzzling. It felt like she was concerned, but also like she was mocking me for having no self-respect.

It’s useless, Viviana.

I’ve faced countless thorny words and gazes before. As always, I answered her with a bright smile.

“Why wouldn’t it be okay? It means they see me as cute.”

“They probably see you as a cute ‘animal.'”

“That’s better than being seen as a girl from a declining family.”

“…Indeed.”

Viviana raised an eyebrow and nodded with an understanding expression. As she applied the remaining medicine to my buttocks, she smiled mischievously and asked again.

“But wouldn’t it be better to be careful? If you act so naively, what will you do if you get ‘this kind’ of injury again?”

Her voice was quite teasing.

Hmm, is she teasing me?

Given Viviana’s personality, she would usually avoid long conversations out of boredom, but it seems the title of Pet Lady has piqued her interest.

I didn’t particularly want to gain Viviana’s favor, but habits are scary. Without realizing it, I smiled warmly and flattered her, a habit ingrained over a year.

“Of course, but thanks to that, I get to receive Princess Viviana’s care. I don’t know how happy I am right now.”

“…”

There was no response.

Strange.

Normally, she would show a touched gesture or at least smile by now. But what Viviana returned was neither a smile nor an expression of emotion, but a stinging grip.

*Slap-!*

“Ahhh?!”

A high-pitched voice escaped my lips from the stinging pain on my buttocks. When I looked at Viviana in disbelief, she stared blankly at her palm and muttered softly.

“…Did I lose my mind?”

“Huh…?”

“…No, I’m sorry, Lady.”

What was that?

Viviana’s ambiguous attitude left me bewildered, but all I could do was smile and nod.

“Lady, where did you learn to smile like that?”

“Huh? Is, is it strange?”

“…No, it looks dangerous.”

“Huh?”

I couldn’t understand what she meant by dangerous, so I asked again, but Viviana remained silent. An awkward silence fell between us once more.

“I’ve applied it all. Can you get up?”

“Ah, yes…”

Viviana lowered my skirt and carefully helped me up. As I moved my legs, I felt a stinging pain in my lower body, but it was much better than before. The high-quality ointment seemed to have an excellent effect.

“Thank you for your kindness, Viviana.”

Viviana looked at me intently, then gave a cold smile and extended her hand to me.

“I’ll escort you to the hall.”

“Huh? Ah, no. I’ll go back alone. You go ahead, Viviana.”

Viviana was the second most noble lady in the empire after the princess. If I attended the banquet with her, I couldn’t predict the uproar it would cause. I needed the affection of my patrons to sustain my life, but I wanted to avoid unnecessary attention.

“It’s a cold night, isn’t it? Let’s go together, Lady.”

“I like the cold. I’ll take a little walk and then go in. You go ahead, Princess.”

“…”

Was it my imagination? Viviana’s poker face seemed to slightly frown. Perhaps she was annoyed that a girl from a declining baronial family had rejected her offer.

…Probably not.

Viviana was arrogant but not discriminatory. At least, she wouldn’t look down on someone based on their status.

“Alright. It was nice meeting you, ‘Pet Lady.’ As the rumors say, you obediently follow others’ lead.”

Viviana emphasized the word “Pet Lady” with a sarcastic tone. Seeing her mischievous smile, it seemed like she was trying to provoke me for some reason, but I maintained a bright smile.

“Thank you for thinking so highly of me. It was an honor to spend time with someone as great as you, Princess.”

“…Indeed. Well then, goodbye.”

Not getting the reaction she expected, Viviana gave a cold look and turned to walk out of the garden. I kept a smile on my face until she completely disappeared from sight. After waiting alone for a long time, I finally let out a deep sigh.

Looking up at the sky, only the thick darkness of the deep night was visible. It was time to head back home.

“…Tonight’s banquet is a bust.”

I was hoping to get at least one jewel.

Tsk.

Oh well.

*

The grand mansion of the great Merdelia Duchy.

As Viviana opened the entrance to the massive mansion, numerous servants bowed their heads in welcome.

“Welcome back, Princess.”

A dignified old man stepped forward and bowed. Viviana naturally handed him her coat and headed to her office.

“Banquets are tiring and bothersome, as expected.”

“Did you greet the Princess well?”

“Yes. She’s definitely on our side now. No need to worry.”

With things going according to plan, she would soon gain the royal family’s active support. Then, the Merdelia Duchy would gain even more immense power.

“You’ve worked hard.”

The old man smiled warmly and expressed his respect. Viviana sat in her chair and lit a cigarette as soon as she arrived in her office.

Through the haze of smoke, the old man named Alphonse asked with curiosity.

“How was the banquet? Was the information I provided helpful?”

“All wrong, Alphonse. I heard white chocolate went out of fashion a while ago, and dark chocolate is in now.”

The fact that his information was wrong seemed quite shocking, as Alphonse’s face filled with a sense of loss.

“Th-that can’t be… I’m sure it was fresh information I got recently.”

“And the trending color code wasn’t pink, but pink-violet pink. Thanks to that, I became a princess out of fashion?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Viviana smirked mischievously and took another puff of her cigarette. As she watched the white smoke rise, the image of fluffy white hair glowing in the night came to mind.

“Ah, and I met the Pet Lady.”

“Oh, really?”

“As the rumors say, she’s lovely and obedient. Of course, whether she’s really like that or just hiding her true self remains to be seen.”

“Haha, if it’s an act, she must be quite a scary lady.”

Indeed.

No matter how excellent the act, without sincerity, one cannot move people’s hearts. A fake relationship for mutual benefit can be formed, but nothing more.

But that woman, from the renowned count’s daughter to the sharp queen of the social circle, charmed everyone with her charm alone, making them offer her benefits.

If all her actions were an act, it would mean she possessed the ability to truly move hearts.

That would be akin to hypnosis.

‘Well, even so…’

But that’s all.

There’s nothing much to worry about.

I was just curious about the dissonant term “Pet Lady” and approached her. After a few conversations, she was indeed lovely enough to earn such a nickname, but what does that have to do with me?

Now that my curiosity is satisfied, there’s no reason to pay attention to her. If we meet again, a simple greeting would be the extent of it.

“Was there anything else?”

“Ah, and she was plump.”

“…Huh? Plump?”

Recalling the memory, she clenched and unclenched her palm. The red wound on the white snowfield revealed quite a pleasant sight.

A white, plump buttocks like glutinous rice cake.

I wonder what it would taste like to bite it.