CHAPTER~19
“Me, Mela……?”
Appearing before me was none other than Mela. She stood there with her arms crossed, her face firmly set in anger. So she was the one who called Arno’s words “nonsense”?
I couldn’t help but stare, forgetting my initial delight, wondering how someone with such a cute face could speak so harshly. Arno looked utterly bewildered.
“Me, you’re talking to me?”
<p“Then who else could it be but some dog-like person other than you, sir! Huh? Wait! Now that I look closely, not a dog… more like a mossy rock!”
Then Mela spoke in an unnecessarily loud voice.
Her words drew the attention of everyone around, all eyes turning to Arno.
“Puhuh.”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter at the comparison to a mossy rock. How could anyone resemble a mossy rock? And on what grounds? I couldn’t even imagine it. Laughter erupted around me, and Arno’s face turned red.
He glanced around and then snapped angrily.
“To say someone resembles a mossy rock to a stranger! What kind of rudeness is this? Clearly a commoner, and you barely recognize people……”
“Oh my. I’m terribly sorry.”
A deep, commanding voice followed. Arno, puffing with indignation, spun around.
“Apologies.”
Frezen Decart appeared, hiding Mela behind him, nodding lightly with a face that didn’t look the slightest bit apologetic.
“Children have vivid imaginations, don’t they? As an adult, you must be lenient.”
His tone and fierce expression suggested something terrible might happen if the warning was ignored.
Even with Frezen present, the situation didn’t calm down. Then came an unbelievable remark.
“And who are you? Her father? Is that how you apologize? Commoners aren’t even supposed to enter places like this… tsk.”
Wait a second. Could it be that this person didn’t recognize Frezen? How could someone not recognize the Duke of Decart, a war hero and knighted figure? Could it be?
Sure, his eye color was different today—blue instead of usual—but his appearance clearly marked him as Duke Decart. Hearing all the insults calling him a commoner, I felt both anger and genuine pity for Arno.
Sure enough, Frezen’s glance, though smiling, wasn’t pleasant at all.
I carefully tried to intervene.
“Sir Arno……, it would be best to restrain your words here.”
If this continued, Frezen might draw his sword at his waist, and things would turn serious. Though he wasn’t wearing his usual weapon today.
Regardless, it didn’t matter—this was Frezen. Anything in his hands could be a weapon.
Even as I tried to restrain him, Arno persisted. His overly dramatic tone and condescending manner grated on me.
“No, Count. Even if commoners must be respected, I will give a proper lesson.”
One could be decapitated without anyone noticing if things went on like this.
“Seems my daughter wasn’t wrong after all, judging by his attitude.”
Frezen, silently watching, added fuel to the fire. I was left aghast.
“Attitude? Hey! Then is it right to approach a stranger and say they resemble a mossy rock? Good grief!”
Arno stood abruptly, trying to assert himself. He wasn’t like this before…… the growing gap was almost comical.
“Oh my, how dreadful…….”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t have stood.”
The onlookers sighed in disbelief as Arno stood. He still fell far short of Frezen’s presence. Truly a world apart.
“Ha! So this is how it’s done.”
“I did nothing.”
Arno, undeterred, rolled up his sleeves. He seemed ready to rely on brute force, knowing words wouldn’t suffice.
“How cute…….”
“Ugh, I’d rather not watch.”
Even with his muscles flexing, his arms were puny compared to Frezen’s. I felt the same frustration. I wanted to escape—the entire café’s attention was on Arno and Frezen. If this scene became public? And if people realized the man in front of Arno was Frezen……
‘Another newspaper front page.’
Mela and I would surely appear in the news too. My face had already been “exposed” once, but Mela’s hadn’t. I wanted to avoid any association with the villainous parties.
Oh, somewhere, God must be watching. Why give me such a situation? Is this punishment for meddling with the original story before it began?
Deciding it was best to leave before things got worse, I rose from my seat. Frezen and Mela’s gazes immediately followed. Mela stuck close behind Frezen, her bright eyes staring at me.
My heart felt pierced by sharp arrows. I tried to ignore it and focused on separating Arno from them.
Ignoring the hot, piercing gazes, I gently grabbed Arno’s arm and pulled him along.
“……It’s better to move to another spot, Sir Arno. Causing a scene isn’t good.”
The intense gaze felt like fire. I desperately pretended not to notice and led Arno away.
“Ahem! I would love to teach you what manners are, but since the lady is waiting, I will relent.”
Arno spoke as if granting mercy, escorting me with great confidence.
I would explain everything to Mela later, trying to draw her attention away. Then Mela, hiding behind Frezen, peeked out and delivered one last remark in a determined voice.
“Sir, you’ve been so rude to this lady! Cutting off words, constantly trying to teach! Apologize to her immediately!”
So that’s why Mela had called it nonsense earlier. She was taking my side. I felt both grateful and touched.
Even scolding a grown adult without fear—Mela really was herself. But then, her next words twisted her face into displeasure as usual.
“You little ill-mannered brat!”
Arno, unable to restrain himself, stepped toward Mela. At that moment…
“Begging to come here and daring to teach an adult……! Ugh! Ack!”
Clatter, as tables and chairs toppled, and Arno tripped over something forward.
And.
“C-Count Leella?”
The culprit was me.
* * *
I stood before the stunned Arno and said firmly.
“That was indeed nonsense.”
Having experienced the newspaper front page once, I wanted to let it slide this time. Even if the condescending attitude annoyed me or the mood was unpleasant, I stayed steadfast.
But I could not tolerate him speaking rudely to Mela. So, as I passed, I deliberately tripped him.
Seeing him fall so comically made me feel relieved.
“Turns out, not only dogs can bark, but humans too.”
I let out a deep sigh and asked in a scolding tone.
“C-Count. Are you doing this to me?”
Arno let out an incredulous snicker and glared. How quickly he went back to pretending nothing happened, his facade clear.
“Yes, you there. Who else would be spouting nonsense here? No matter what, treating a child like this is something only a fool would do, Sir Arno. Apologize to her immediately.”
“Why should I apologize, Count! How dare this commoner girl barges in and acts disrespectfully…….”
Arno, still unaware of his wrongdoing, made my anger rise to its peak. I looked at Mela. She was sniffing, looking hurt.
‘You keep being rude to this lady! Cutting her off, trying to teach her! Apologize!’
It’s not easy to challenge an adult for someone else’s sake.
“Sigh……, constantly belittling her as a commoner! This girl isn’t just a commoner or a girl……”
So I took courage. At least to protect someone who trusts me. I shouted with all my strength.
“She’s my precious daughter!”
