TMDO 39

Chapter 39

“Really, I just tried a new magic stone on Odin’s teacup. No need to get that mad, right?”

“No, it’s Your Highness’s fault.”

Chris and I were on our way to check on Deriksha in Odin’s room, since Odin was too embarrassed to move. At my firm words, Chris slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

“What kind of magic makes Deriksha confess all of a sudden?”

“It was actually set a while ago, so my memory is fuzzy. It’s a magic stone from last year, and I don’t even know why it activated now… Maybe the sages who made it didn’t anticipate side effects.”

Chris spoke so casually that I nearly lost my patience. Side effects? You shouldn’t have even brought it! I held back the urge to yell at him.

Just a few more years. Once my name is cleared and I become a proper lady, I’m grabbing this guy by the collar…

“Deriksha!”

I shouted as soon as I opened Odin’s room door. Deriksha sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the floor. I hurriedly sat next to him to check on him.

“You okay?”

Deriksha looked up at me at my worried tone. When our eyes met, he immediately smiled and hugged me.

He held me tight for a long while, not saying a single word. This was the first time Deriksha had been so physically affectionate toward me.

I froze for a moment, then managed to gather myself and called his name.

“…Deriksha?”

“Lily.”

His low, gentle voice brushed against my ears, and for some reason, I felt my cheeks warm. Still holding me, Deriksha softly stroked my hair.

“You have no idea how precious you are to me.”

“…?”

I looked at Chris with a confused expression. Chris, realizing something, made a small “ah” sound.

“This is it. It’s a magic stone for drinking games.”

“…Excuse me?”

“For a truth-telling game.”

“Uh… what?”

These crazy empire sages really made magic even for party drinking games.

I quickly pulled away from Deriksha. He still smiled at me, but the unfamiliar tenderness made my heart pound loudly.

I stood up, still confused. So this is why Odin ran away.

“How do we undo this?”

“The sages made it, so the effect doesn’t last long. Maybe an hour…”

Bang!

Something crashed behind us, cutting Chris off. We looked back. Deriksha had collapsed asleep on the sofa.

“It’s off!”

“….”

I silently pitied the citizens of the Dern Empire, who were about to merge with this empire.

After about ten minutes, Deriksha woke up, looking as exhausted as someone with a hangover.

“…Lily?”

“…Do you remember what just happened?”

I asked while looking into his eyes. He frowned, thinking it over, then widened his eyes.

Seems like he remembers… poor thing.

I gazed at him with a sympathetic look.

“…It wasn’t a dream, right?”

“It was real!”

Chris cheerfully confirmed from behind. Deriksha, too flustered to care about the prince or anything else, collapsed back onto the sofa.

“I’m gonna die…”

“He actually confessed…”

“Please kill me, Lily…”

Deriksha groaned, face flushed like Odin before. I gently patted him.

“It’s all that guy’s fault, so direct your resentment there.”

Deriksha looked at Chris, who was grinning at us.

“Deriksha, as someone who’s experienced unrequited love, I can say this: the sooner you confess, the better.”

Deriksha let out a dry laugh at Chris’s shameless words. They clearly already knew each other; Deriksha didn’t look surprised at all. Instead, he glared at Chris with a look that said he was even more annoyed than I was.

“…What about Young Master Odin?”

“He’s in Lou’s room!”

Hearing Chris’s answer, Deriksha looked at me.

“…Lily, should we switch maid duties again?”

“Hmm… no.”

Deriksha buried his face in my shoulder, whining. I felt a little sorry but also relieved.

Honestly, you two wasted too much time…

Why did you like each other for so long without confessing? Watching from the side was frustrating, but now that he confessed, I felt oddly satisfied.

I patted Deriksha and sneaked a small smile.

After leaving the exhausted Deriksha in the lodgings, I went back to Odin. As soon as I opened Lou’s room door, I saw Odin sitting in the chair with a miserable expression.

“Ah, Chris. Please take him away.”

Lou, who had appeared without my noticing, pointed at Odin. I approached him.

“Deriksha was so embarrassed, I sent him home early.”

“Well done…”

Odin faintly smiled. Compared to his usual self, he looked pitifully weak. Love really does change people, huh?

“You already heard the confession. What’s the problem?”

“Exactly.”

Lou agreed with Chris. It seemed they already knew Odin liked Deriksha.

Well, Odin didn’t exactly hide his feelings. He sighed shortly.

“You wouldn’t understand, since you’ll never inherit a title.”

“Then give me a fief if you’re annoyed.”

“Shut your mouth.”

Even drained, Odin snapped at Lou. I asked Lou a question that came to mind.

“Sir, even if a knight marries a commoner, no one complains?”

“What does it matter? My parents would allow it even if I married a man.”

“What about Damian then?”

“…I’m not seriously planning to marry a man.”

I clicked my tongue in disappointment. I was trying to raise Damian’s status. Lou looked at me in disbelief.

Chris ignored our chatter and asked Odin,

“So what will you do?”

“…What can I do? The one who’ll struggle is Deriksha, not me.”

I thought there would be no more obstacles between them, but Odin was still troubled.

The struggle isn’t over—it’s only just beginning.

“Give some advice. You were engaged before, right?”

Lou asked Chris. Chris folded his arms, thought for a moment, then spoke.

“My fiancée was noble enough, so I really have no advice to give…”

Of course. Garnet was a lady.

Among unmarried women outside the royal family, she was practically the highest rank. Able was also a lady, but unlike Able, Garnet was the first in line for the minor dukedom. That explained how she could even get engaged to a prince.

I spoke to Chris quietly.

“Then give advice on how to handle conflicts with a fiancée, at least.”

“Why would there be conflicts? There wasn’t even time to love them properly.”

Chris smiled brightly. The moment Garnet was mentioned, he brightened, making both Lou and me scowl.

Lou seemed to give up talking with Chris and turned to Odin.

“Brother, there are lots of romance novels in Able’s room. Borrow one and read.”

“…I just want everyone to leave.”

Odin said quietly, smiling faintly. Right now, it seemed more like teasing him than advice.

“Lily, can you tell Deriksha not to go to work tomorrow and rest?”

“…What?”

I stared at Odin in disbelief.

He’s avoiding meeting entirely? Why complicate things further?

Only protagonists in novels could create such conflicts and misunderstandings so perfectly.

“No, don’t avoid it. We should talk to him immediately instead of dodging.”

“Well said, Lily!”

Chris chimed in. I wished he’d leave.

“Lily. It’s not that simple. Soon we’ll integrate with the Dern Empire, whose nobles are even more conservative. They’ll definitely look down on Deriksha.”

Odin remembered the duchess well. His words weren’t wrong—the Dern nobles were incredibly rigid.

A duchess couldn’t withstand social rumors from such nobles, and it wasn’t her fault. Anyone would collapse facing such unfamiliar criticism.

But Deriksha was different.

“Do Deriksha look like someone who’d be hurt by those nobles?”

The strong woman I knew wouldn’t be brought down by mere glares or finger-pointing. Deriksha the protagonist aside, my friend was a strong person. That’s who I knew.

Odin looked at me.

“Deriksha is even stronger than you think, Young Master. He won’t give up on you that easily.”

I said, a bit annoyed.

“Don’t underestimate our Deriksha.”

Odin looked dazed, then burst out laughing. He brushed back his long hair, still smiling.

“…I’ve been foolish.”

“I’m glad you realized it, at least.”

Lou supported Odin’s words. I smiled.

“Go meet Deriksha quickly.”

Odin nodded and stood. I pulled the chair he had been sitting in and sat down.

I wiped off my previous smile and said seriously.

“…I didn’t expect words like that to convince me.”