Between the gathered Young Ladies, numerous stories circulated. Gossip about the Young Ladies they found displeasing, or tales of boasting about their fiancés arose several times, but the focus of conversation always shifted back to Sharione.
“What are your thoughts, Lady Sharione?”
“Hehe, I think it’s fine.”
“Oh my, I share the same opinion as Lady Sharione.”
At Sharione’s words, the other Young Ladies showed endless agreement. Watching their reactions, Sharione felt a sense of satisfaction. Among this group, she was the king and ruler. With just a word, the atmosphere shifted, and she became more assured as she saw the expressions on the Young Ladies’ faces change.
Even among Counts, reputations varied immensely. Sharione’s family had been a loyal founding house since the establishment of the Empire. Thanks to this background, Sharione could naturally enjoy all rights in high society.
However, this only applied within her own kingdom.
“Hello, Lady Sharione.”
A sweet voice flowed into her ear.
Curious, she turned her head.
A woman was smiling at her.
The presence of a woman with beautifully glowing amethyst-colored eyes made Sharione’s complexion pale. In her presence, Sharione was no different from any other Young Lady.
“Y-Y-Young Lady Viviana.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Sharione responded extremely politely. Viviana regained her poise with an elegant posture, a thin smile gracing her lips as she looked at Sharione with curious eyes.
“I’m sorry for the interruption. I have a question to ask.”
“U-Of course.”
“Is there perhaps someone referred to as the pet Young Lady here?”
Sharione’s eyes jolted. She had thought Viviana’s personality indifferent to anything other than swords, never imagining that even she would take an interest in Tina.
“Ah, you mean ‘our’ Tina, right? She isn’t here right now.”
“Oh, is that so?”
At that moment, a chill ran down Sharione’s spine from the cold voice. While she tried to put up her defenses, immense regret soon followed. This was not someone with whom she could assert her pride.
“I-I can call her if you’re searching for her. I believe she went towards the garden….”
“Um, no. There’s really no need for that. I’m not that eager to see her; it’s just mild curiosity.”
“What kind of curiosity do you have…?”
“It’s fascinating, isn’t it? How does ‘pet’ attach itself to ‘Young Lady’? Hehe.”
“Ah, ahaha….”
As Viviana laughed, Sharione immediately returned her smile. Her reaction wasn’t from humor; just as the other Young Ladies forced out laughs at Sharione’s words, her laughter seemed like a bowing submission to the strength before her.
Before Viviana, even the renowned Sharione was no different from an ordinary Young Lady.
“Thank you. I’ll take a look at the garden and if she’s not around, I suppose I should just leave. Until then.”
Viviana offered a concise farewell and turned away. If it were another noble, that might seem rude, yet Viviana’s actions only accentuated her presence more vividly.
Sharione desperately wished, as she watched Viviana’s back fade away.
‘Tina… please don’t catch the eye of Young Lady Viviana.’
If the princess took an interest in Tina,
then Tina would no longer belong to them.
—
*Slap!*
“Ugh..!”
A stinging pain shot from my backside. Enduring the searing heat of the pain was already a challenge. But it seemed like Mardian was oblivious to my discomfort as she raised her hand high again.
*Slap!*
“Ah! Mardian! It hurts!”
“Tina, you should call me ‘sister’!”
*Slap!*
“Ugh! U—Sister, please, just a bit slower…”
“Heh, what a pathetic girl.”
That wasn’t something a noble should say. If Mardian’s rudeness became public, it would damage her reputation greatly. Yet, Mardian was the one who understood better than anyone that she would not spread rumors.
“Damn, just thinking about it infuriates me. You were smiling and winking at other girls in such a cute manner. You should keep your flirting to a minimum, Tina.”
“B-but, Mardian… I—”
“I told you to call me ‘sister’!”
*Slap!*
“Ah!!! It hurts!”
For a brief moment, the pain exceeded what I could tolerate, and my vision spun. Mardian, showing no mercy, had finally made my tears stream uncontrollably.
“I-I hate this, it hurts so much, please stop….”
The tears ran down my cheeks despite my inability to control them. However, my distress only fueled Mardian’s sadistic enjoyment.
“Tina, your cries are sweeter than any instrument. So, please, cry for me.”
“Ugh, ugh… please, enough, just stop….”
Damn villainess…!
Damn sadist…!
Damn perverted girl…!
If I had been born as royalty, I would have crushed a villainess like you beneath my heel! I could have struck you thousands of times begging for forgiveness!
Swallowing my harsh curses inside, I cried out. Though countless emotions boiled within me, all I could do was plead for her to ease off just a little more.
As a macho man, I didn’t want to cry like this.
But there was no other choice.
What could I do about Tina’s fragile body?
Even the slightest scrape left a red mark, and even light friction brought on sharp pain. If it were my previous life, no matter what Marianne did, I would have whistled and moved on, but all this was because Tina’s body was woefully weak!
“Tina… my Tina.”
Mardian used her blurry gaze to insert her thumb into my mouth. As her slender thumb touched the back of my throat while probing my tongue, I nearly gagged.
“U-Sister, I really can’t take anymore… please forgive me….”
Looking up at Mardian with tearful eyes, I pleaded. Perhaps she sensed my desperate heart, as she sighed softly after looking down at me for some time and swept her hair back.
“*Sigh* Okay, since you’re asking like this, I guess I should give in.”
“Th-thank you, sister….”
“Hehe… meeting you, Tina, must be the greatest fortune of my life.”
While stroking my head, Mardian handed me a small paper envelope. Inside were luxurious treats and a small container made of silver. Upon opening the container, I found a fragrant yet bitter potion.
“This is top-tier ointment. Make sure to use it so no scars remain. And eat some of the sweets to replenish your sugar.”
“…Thank you.”
Is this what it means to give with one hand while taking with the other?
Experiencing it firsthand feels awful.
“Hehe, I’ll head in first. Apply the ointment and take your time coming in.”
Mardian offered a cheerful smile and left. Left alone deep in the garden, I spent some time patting my sore backside while wiping away my tears.
“That horrible girl….”
How long had it been?
After unleashing my cries for a while, I finally decided I should head back, letting out a short sigh as I stood up.
“Oof…!”
A sharp pain from my lower half made me slump back onto the ground again. The pain was far worse than anticipated, clouding my mind and making me want to check how my backside had fared, but fear of worsening the pain left me frozen.
How many times did she hit me, really?
What an irritating game character I play as.
I lacked the courage to even return to the banquet hall due to the lingering pain. Though I wanted to apply the ointment Mardian had given, I couldn’t see my backside and didn’t even know where the injury lay. Moreover, if I were to pull down my skirt again, the pain would surely hit me once more, so I had no desire to voluntarily endure more agony.
“…What should I do?”
Should I wait until the pain subsides? But if I delay, it will only get later and I can’t just sit around. Besides, being left alone in this deep garden sent chills down my spine.
I gulped anxiously, looking around.
The quiet silence made me tense up without realizing it.
‘It’s… not really scary or anything.’
As a macho man, I shouldn’t feel fear towards this.
Ghosts or things like that don’t scare me at all.
It’s just that, there’s no sound of people.
Perhaps a wicked criminal might appear.
I just worry about my own safety.
*Hoo- Hoo-*
The sound of an owl echoed through the still night. Under normal circumstances, that sound would seem calming, but now it sent shivers down my spine for some reason.
Growing more anxious, I glanced around. I swallowed once and spoke as carefully as I could.
“U-Um, is anyone there…?”
“Pet Young Lady?”
“Yikes!?”
An unexpected reply sent goosebumps all over my body. In my shock, I instinctively screamed. Looking up in a hurry, I met a pair of eyes watching me from the thick darkness.
“U-Um…?”
I gazed blankly at the woman who had appeared before me. It was surprising enough to see someone here, but what shocked me even more was the identity of the woman.
With amethyst eyes shining like jewels, she seemed captivating, as if endowed with magical power. Contrasting her pure white skin, her pitch-black hair only accentuated her elegance.
Viviana Merdellia.
One of the main characters of this world.
Why is she here?
Viviana isn’t the type to venture this deep into a garden out of curiosity, is she?
“Y-Young Lady Viviana?”
“The ground is cold, so you should get up quickly, Young Lady.”
Viviana flashed a brief smile and extended her hand toward me. In a daze, I took her hand. Viviana attempted to lift me up, but as my folded legs straightened, the pain I had forgotten struck me hard.
“Ugh!”
I let out a pained groan and sank back down.
Viviana looked at me with a surprised expression.
“Young Lady? Did you get hurt somewhere?”
Viviana seemed genuinely concerned, but as someone who had played this game, I knew.
It was all an act.
Does she think I don’t know what kind of personality she has? Perhaps she already knows I’m hurt but is waiting to see my reaction.
But even knowing, I had no choice but to pretend to be deceived. If I draw her ire like I did with Mardian, I could face unfathomable consequences.
In the end, I gazed up at her with the helpless and trembling eyes of a powerless victim and spoke in a feeble voice.
“I, I fell into a thorn bush by mistake… and got quite scraped on my backside….”
“…Hmm, a thorn bush, you say.”
Viviana looked down at me with a smile that held an unrecognizable meaning. The awkward silence that followed thickened between us.
Viviana regarded me with an interested gaze, as if observing a rare creature. A mix of embarrassment and discomfort rose within me, but I stifled it and steeled my resolve.
Well, it is what it is now.
I was in no position to return alone. Rather, it would be better to swallow my embarrassment for this one time and accept Viviana’s aid. Knowing her indifference toward others, she would likely lose interest soon. After a day, today’s incident would be forgotten.
“Y-Young Lady. Would it be rude to ask just one favor?”
“Go ahead, feel free to ask.”
Viviana responded with a dazzling smile and an encouraging nod. Knowing she was enjoying my reaction with that beautiful grin sent chills down my spine.
“Could you, um, apply some ointment for me? I want to do it myself, but I can’t see where the injuries are….”
“Ointment?”
“Yes… if you could just apply a bit on my backside….”
Viviana’s eyebrows twitched slightly, which surprised me since she had been unmoving. The smile that graced her face disappeared, and her amethyst eyes shone brightly.
“…What did you say?”
“I-Is it not possible…? I’ll repay you for this, just applying a little on my backside….”
“….”
Silence reigned in response.
Was I having a panic attack and provoking her mood? Upon reconsideration, I realized that I was being reckless. How would a young lady of her stature view me, the daughter of a declining baron?
From her standpoint, she might find it disgusting. The thought rushed through me as I hastily extended my hand towards Viviana, my voice trembling as I spoke.
“Ah, I-I’m sorry! I understand it might be dirty from your perspective! If you could tell me where the injuries are, I can apply it myself… could I ask that instead? A-Also, I wouldn’t mind if you leave me to my own devices! It would be a great sin for someone of no importance like me to steal precious time from a Young Lady like you…!”
“….”
“W-What? Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Um…?”
Why the silence now?
It’s making me nervous.
