Chapter 22
When I brought up the festival first, Emma brightened up as if she had been waiting for that very topic.
“You’re interested in the festival, my lady?”
“I doubt there are many people in the world who dislike festivals.”
“But since you’re from the capital, my lady. The festivals there must be splendid and full of spectacles, no? Compared to that, the festival held in Erelle is quite modest.”
“Festivals are fun by nature. Besides, right now, I feel like if I don’t find *something* to enjoy, I might just burst and die.”
I let out a sigh, recalling the Frost Knight Order’s training session I had witnessed that morning.
As expected, Lionel was the worst. I had anticipated that much. But the real problem was that the others, whom I thought at least looked the part of knights, weren’t much better off than Lionel.
‘Right. The ability scores of extra characters who aren’t even supporting roles would be just about that level. Just like my magic skills are barely a passing grade.’
Watching the knights train with no visible progress, my own dreams and future seemed to vanish along with them.
‘Why… is it only people like that around me…?’
Isn’t the infrastructure difference between Catherine, who could fall backwards and have a capable person appear to save her, and me just too severe?
‘Thinking about it now, it really is unfair.’
What a filthy world where only the main characters get to eat well and live well.
“Today, I’m going to forget all about this filthy world and have a blast.”
I sprang up from my seat and looked at Emma.
“Emma, you said you’re a native of Erelle, right?”
“Yes. I was born and raised here.”
“Then you must know better than anyone how to enjoy the festival. You’ll be my excellent companion.”
“Huh?”
At my words, Emma’s eyes widened.
“You’re planning to go out with me?”
“That was the idea. Do you have plans to go to the festival with someone else?”
“Of course not. It’s work hours.”
“Then there’s no problem. You can guide me.”
“Well… but…”
Emma tilted her head, looking puzzled.
“Won’t you be going with His Highness the Prince?”
“…His Highness? Rideon? Why would I go festival sightseeing with him?”
“My lady!”
Emma exclaimed, startled by the casual use of his name.
“They say people even insult the King behind his back, and you’re worried about me just saying a name?”
“Even so…”
“You probably complain about me with your colleagues behind my back too, right, Emma?”
“Absolutely not!”
Emma jumped and shook her head vehemently. She looked genuinely wronged, but isn’t complaining about superiors with colleagues a way to build camaraderie?
“Eh, it’s fine. I’m not the type to get angry over that sort of thing. Just don’t do it in front of me.”
“I would never do that! Not in front of you, of course, and never behind your back either!”
Emma bit her lip tightly, looking as if she might cry at any moment.
“How much do I like you, my lady!”
At this sudden confession, I was taken aback and tilted my head.
“Uh… thank you?”
“Don’t pay any mind to those who speak ill of you behind your back. They endured the cold with the firewood you distributed… They’re truly ungrateful children.”
“It’s probably because my reputation is so bad…”
“You’re too soft, my lady!”
“…Me?”
Good heavens. There was someone calling Ivria Oberon ‘soft’.
“Those brats who insult their master just based on bad rumors need to be taught a proper lesson. You’re too soft and let them all be, but originally, such a thing would be unthinkable.”
Emma, who usually seemed so kind, was excited and let out a scornful laugh. I could only stare at her in bewilderment. Sensing my gaze, my mouth agape, Emma finally cleared her throat and returned to her calm demeanor.
“Anyway, that was my way of saying I like you, my lady.”
“Yes. I understand fully.”
*’This feeling that if she liked me just a bit more, I’d be in big trouble.’*
It felt a bit strange to receive someone’s favor in Ivria’s body for the first time.
*’Everyone always glared at me, pointed fingers, hurled abuse, things like that.’*
Seeing my discomfort, Emma grabbed my hands with a determined expression.
“That’s why today, you must go festival sightseeing with His Highness the Prince, not with me!”
*’No, why is that the conclusion…?’*
Leaving me bewildered, Emma let out a sigh as if frustrated.
“I too would love to go to the festival with you, my lady, but today we need to flatten the noses of those nasty brats whispering behind your back.”
“Flatten their noses?”
“Yes! You need to make them realize that you are a noble person they wouldn’t even dare to look up to.”
I was starting to understand what Emma was getting at.
“So, you’re saying I should show off my status by associating with the great Prince?”
“Of course, you shine on your own, my lady, but those fools who only gossip behind your back won’t understand unless it’s shown to them directly.”
“Hmm. I don’t really like that sort of thing. It implies my value increases because I was chosen by someone.”
The method of elevating myself using someone else’s reflected glory. I felt a sense of rejection towards that.
“My lady, think of it this way. His Highness the Prince is, well, just an accessory. Like a necklace or earrings.”
“Emma, is it okay to disparage a Prince by calling him an accessory?”
“You said people even insult the King behind his back, and you’re worried about me calling him an accessory?”
“You learn fast, Emma.”
“I hear that often.”
Emma nodded proudly and continued.
“How could an accessory choose you, my lady? *You* are the one choosing the accessory that will complement your brilliance. Men are originally just that kind of accessory.”
“Whose doctrine is that?”
“Madame Louise’s.”
“Who is she?”
“She’s an author. She wrote incredibly sensual novels. Would you like to read one?”
“Emma, are you learning life’s doctrines from sensual novels?”
“They’re surprisingly quite useful. They help in various ways.”
“…I don’t think I want to know in *which* ways they help.”
I sighed and shook my head.
“That doctrine is quite appealing, but I really have no intention of going to the festival with His Highness.”
Going out for fun with that guy, whom I find bothersome even just sitting face-to-face with?
*’Why would I volunteer for such torture?’*
“But it’s a rare festival…”
Just as Emma was refuting me discontentedly, a knocking sound came from outside.
“My lady, a guest has arrived. Shall I escort them to the drawing room?”
“A guest?”
It was unlikely for a guest to visit me at this hour.
“Who is it?”
“Sir Roytz of the Royal Knight Order.”
“Sir Roytz?”
*’Why on earth is El here?’*
We hadn’t made any plans, and we certainly weren’t close enough to meet without an appointment on such short notice. Unlike my puzzled self, Emma’s face lit up brightly.
“Oh my, my lady! It’s not the Prince, but a Knight? A Knight is also an excellent choice.”
“Choice for what?”
“For a date partner!”
“Huh?”
Emma’s misunderstanding was heading in a strange direction.
“It’s not like that…”
I hurriedly began to protest, but the excited Emma let my words go in one ear and out the other.
“Escort him to the drawing room and serve tea. My lady will go out after finishing her preparations.”
“Yes.”
At Emma’s instruction, the maid bowed deeply and went out.
“Emma, I told you it’s not like that. I don’t need to get ready.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make you look comfortably beautiful, perfect for enjoying the festival.”
“Emma, you’re not listening to a word I’m saying, are you?”
“Now, come this way!”
“You’re really not listening at all.”
With a sense of resignation, I let myself be led by Emma’s hands.
*’Since I was planning to go see the festival anyway, it’s good to get dressed up regardless of who I go with.’*
I felt sorry for making El wait long, but if he came without an appointment, he should be able to tolerate that much.
But contrary to my worries that it would take a long time, Emma’s busy hands adorned me in an instant. Ivria’s face had a strong sharp impression, but my reflection in the mirror now seemed about half less intimidating. It seemed like she had softened the impression with makeup.
*’It’s still a face like an angry cat…’*
But it was surprising she had toned down the fierceness this much.
“Emma, you’re really good at makeup.”
“This is my job.”
Emma didn’t hide her pride and smiled brightly.
“What color would you like for the dress?”
“I’d prefer something that doesn’t stand out too much.”
“In that case, let’s go with dark tones. We have blue, purple, and teal.”
“Purple would be nice.”
“An excellent decision.”
Only after getting dressed in the chosen outfit was I finally freed from Emma.
“Well then, have a good date, my lady.”
“I told you, it’s not a date.”
Unable to clear up Emma’s misunderstanding until the end, I opened the door to the drawing room. El, who had been sitting and drinking tea, rose at the sound, but upon seeing my perfectly adorned appearance, he pressed his lips together tightly.
*’That look says “Did you make me wait so long just to get dressed up like this?”‘*
Feeling embarrassed, I put on an exaggerated smile.
“Sir Roytz. You must have waited a long time? The maids got the wrong idea. No matter how much I tried to stop them, they wouldn’t listen.”
“I didn’t wait long.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
Fortunately, he didn’t seem too upset despite the long wait. I let out a sigh of relief and sat down. El, who had been examining my appearance for a while, asked,
“Were you on your way out? Did I interrupt?”
“Ah. After my conversation with you is over, I plan to go see the festival. You didn’t interrupt, so don’t worry.”
As I said that, I suddenly realized that my conversation with El was flowing continuously.
“I’m not hearing things, am I?”
I looked around and fiddled with my ears. There was no way El could speak this well, so I must have been hearing things.
“Did you hear a strange sound?”
But this time too, El naturally responded to my words. I stared at him, my mouth hanging open, still in the pose of touching my ears.
“…You speak quite well now.”
*’Will the sun rise from the west tomorrow?’*
Under my dazed gaze, El’s face flushed slightly. I somehow got the feeling he was embarrassed.
“You said it wasn’t particularly strange. My voice.”
“That’s right. I did say that…”
*’Didn’t you forget that? And you didn’t take it as sarcasm either?’*
I could almost hear the sound of the touching episode between El and Catherine shattering into pieces.
*’If his voice complex has already disappeared because of what I said, then that episode loses its significance.’*
Among Catherine’s fish (suitors), El had relatively little screen time, so there weren’t many episodes with her. The episode about El’s voice was the most impactful and meaningful event among those few. And I had blown it away.
*’What should I do? I feel so sorry.’*
As I was inwardly horrified, El calmly explained the purpose of his visit.
“While watching the Knight Order’s training this morning, I suddenly remembered something. Since we return to the capital tomorrow, I wanted to tell you before that, so I’ve committed the rudeness of visiting abruptly without an appointment.”
“It’s fine. Is that even considered rude compared to other things?”
Compared to me blowing away his precious episode, visiting without an appointment was no issue at all.
“What is it you wanted to tell me?”
“A book.”
El pushed a book that was on the table towards me. It wasn’t a very thick book.
“May I read it now?”
El nodded. As soon as I picked up the book, the title caught my eye.
“Barding Catalog?”
When I read the title aloud, El added an explanation.
“It’s a book compiling various types of armor for horses. It also explains stirrups and saddles.”
“Looking at the title, I can guess that much. But why are you giving this to me…?”
“What if we put such armor, a saddle, and stirrups on a wyvern as well?”
I lifted my gaze from the book and looked at El.
“Armor for a wyvern?”
“Yes. Even when riding a horse, many people can’t properly balance without a saddle and stirrups. Riding on the bare back of a wyvern, which is larger and moves more drastically, must be even more difficult. So I thought, what if we put a saddle on a wyvern’s back too?”
“Can a saddle be placed on a wyvern’s back?”
“It would be difficult to place it alone. So we should armor it and place an integrated saddle on top of that.”
“Won’t the armor restrict the wyvern’s movement?”
“It would have to be crafted that way. Moreover, for combat purposes, wyverns probably need armor to block arrows as well.”
Listening to El’s explanation, I turned my gaze back to the book. Each page had detailed explanations alongside drawings of various bardings. The armored horses certainly looked more stable.
“It seems like a good idea. But it probably won’t be easy to make.”
The problem was that barding was made with a more intricate structure than I thought.
*’Making it won’t be an ordinary task.’*
Moreover, wyverns were several times larger than horses. An ordinary blacksmith wouldn’t even dare attempt to make one.
“Will there be any blacksmith willing to take on making this?”
“I’ll have to inquire around, but…”
El, who had been speaking with certainty, hesitated for the first time. It meant he wasn’t sure either.
[Only dwarves would be able to make something like that.]
Then, Harry, who had been looking at the book with me, spoke nonchalantly.
[Dwarves?]
[Yes. They’re skilled craftsmen. If you just get them the materials, they’ll whip it up in no time.]
[Really?]
It seemed the problem might be solved more easily than I thought. Of course, that thought didn’t last long.
[But finding dwarves won’t be easy. Dwarves live in villages deep in the mountains and live secluded lives. They don’t particularly like humans either.]
[Hmm. Is there no way?]
[If we can just find where they live, we can try coercion or persuasion.]
Then, inquiring about the dwarf village was the top priority.
“Sir Roytz, do you happen to know about dwarves?”
“I know the dwarf race exists. I’ve heard they are a race with exceedingly fine craftsmanship. But they have never once interacted with humans until now.”
“I see. That’s not easy either.”
“It seems I’ve only given you a difficult problem to ponder.”
“It’s a happy problem. At least we’ve found a way to seat the knights on the wyverns’ backs.”
The situation was better than having no countermeasures at all.
“Then, may I borrow this book for a while? I’d like to talk to the blacksmiths, just in case.”
“Of course.”
“Thank you. Later, when the barding, no, the wyvern armor is completed, I’ll repay you.”
“Repayment isn’t necessary. I’ve already received it.”
“Huh? What did I give you?”
I couldn’t remember at all. If I had given El something, there’s no way I would have forgotten. But El just smiled faintly.
“Then I shall take my leave now.”
“Ah, alright.”
I also stood up to see him out.
“Oh my, have you finished your conversation already?”
Emma, who had belatedly brought my portion of tea, opened her eyes wide in surprise. It seemed that by skipping the trivial talk and getting straight to the point, the conversation had ended before the tea was even prepared.
“So, are the two of you going out to see the festival now?”
“The two of you?”
At Emma’s words, El furrowed his brow. His gaze towards me seemed to ask what on earth she was talking about.
“This is the misunderstanding I mentioned earlier. My maid mistakenly thought we were going to the festival together.”
“Did you not come here for a date?”
Emma rephrased my deliberately softened words into a direct question. As soon as the word ‘date’ came out, El’s ears turned bright red.
*’Right. How annoying must it be? To be misunderstood as being on a date with Ivria Oberon.’*
For the upright knight El Roytz, receiving such a misunderstanding alone was surely unpleasant.
“I thought you had other plans.”
El said to me with a gaze that seemed reproachful. I avoided his gaze slightly and looked at Emma.
“Yes. I was planning to go out with Emma.”
But Emma had no intention of helping me.
“What are you talking about, my lady? Going to the festival with just me on this wonderful day?!”
Emma looked at El with pleading eyes. Ask her out on a date! Hurry! Under Emma’s desperate gaze, which seemed to be saying just that, El’s mouth trembled slightly.
“No, Sir Roytz. You can just go back…”
“Would you like to go to the festival together?”
“Huh?”
“If you don’t have prior plans, that is.”
Hearing that, I marveled at his chivalry, which exceeded my expectations.
*’Unable to ignore Emma’s desperation, he’s asking me out on a date. Truly El Roytz, who treats ladies like goddesses.’*
If I refused El’s date proposal here, he would look quite ridiculous.
*’And I feel sorry for many things…’*
I had no choice but to nod.
“Thank you for the offer. I’d be happy to join you.”
