Chapter 69………………
Zikren looked at me with a face that practically said Huh?
And then…
“No!”
He answered immediately. A clean and decisive reply.
I flinched.
Ah, so that’s how it is.
Before asking, I had run through a few scenarios in my head.
Knowing Zikren’s personality, if he did like me, he’d probably jump up and yell, “Are you crazy?” Or he might shout with all his might, “Absolutely not!” Or maybe even pretend to gag, “Ugh!”
Or perhaps his face would turn red, his eyes darting all over the place, and he’d stammer, “W-what are you talking about?” Or he might scream, “T-there’s no way I like you!” and then run away.
Or—
True to his simple personality, he might just say, “Yep! I like you!” and go ahead with a straightforward confession.
Those were the scenarios I’d prepared for.
If he had even the slightest feelings for me, I thought his reaction would fall somewhere among them.
But he didn’t match a single one. There wasn’t even a hint of fluster or panic. He denied it, clearly and calmly.
So he really doesn’t like me.
And not only that—far from blushing, Zikren just stared straight at me.
“Why would you ask something like that? You don’t have ‘axe disease,’ do you?”
“What?”
“You know, the thing you told my brother about? That delusion where someone believes everyone’s in love with them. You said it was called ‘axe disease.’”
“Hmph!”
I hadn’t expected that to come back to me.
Honestly, I felt a little awkward and embarrassed, but I kept a straight face and answered shamelessly.
“You’re wrong. ‘Axe disease’ is when someone’s completely out of touch with reality.”
“Oh, so you’re saying you’re not?”
“Of course! With this face and this personality, isn’t it strange if people don’t fall for me? That’s why I ask the people around me from time to time—checking their reactions helps maintain popularity.”
I declared it proudly.
“I see.”
Zikren nodded, then added once more:
“But still, I’m not one of them.”
“Yeah, okay. Got it.”
“Actually, I, um…”
He glanced around, then lowered his voice and whispered:
“There is someone I like.”
“Who is it?”
“Count Peres’s daughter.”
As soon as he said it, Zikren jumped up from the bench, embarrassed.
“Well then, back to work. See you on the day of your succession exam and ball.”
Without waiting for my reply, he disappeared like the wind.
Left alone on the bench, I muttered:
“Count Peres’s daughter…?”
I had no memory of anyone like that. She must be a very quiet young lady. The complete opposite of Aristina.
So his taste has changed, huh.
I thought for a moment, then shook my head.
Well, as long as I didn’t get entangled with Zikren, that was fine by me.
In any case, that wasn’t the important matter right now. I sprang up from the bench.
Aldensis and Zikren have both promised to attend my ball. They even said they’d cooperate to make it a success. Given their positions, they won’t go back on their word.
Duke Canel wanted to announce that three of the Empire’s most famous figures would be present. Which meant next, I had to invite Serene.
Whether she’ll actually come is another story.
Thinking back on what Aldensis had told me earlier left me conflicted.
As far as I knew, Serene loved him. But since she had been revealed not to be a dragon’s mate, the engagement had fallen through.
Still, I think there’s a good chance those two will eventually get their happy ending.
And now, I was standing right in the middle of the main heroine’s conflict.
For Serene, this was a critical moment. Even if she declined the invitation because of her feelings, I still wanted to meet her in person and listen.
If she wanted to vent, I’d listen. If she wanted to badmouth Aldensis, I’d chime in. I just wanted to help her get through this difficult time, even if only a little.
Of course, I couldn’t overstep.
She was the heroine, after all. Unlike with Aldensis, if I messed this up, I could end up planting a real, irreversible death flag.
So I need to be careful and read the room.
Luckily, I had just the thing for situations like this. I rummaged through my handbag and pulled out a slip of paper.
Serenity Salon
It was the voucher Serene had given me for her tea salon.
The corner was a little crumpled, but it was still perfectly usable.
First, I’ll use this to visit her salon and find out how she’s doing. Guests are bound to talk about the owner, so I might even get a sense of her current state of mind.
When it came to taking action, I was second to none. I immediately headed to Serene’s tea salon, Serenity.
“You can tell right away once you step into the street. The building is unmistakable—it’s Lady Serene Hyperion’s salon.”
And indeed, as soon as I entered the street, I spotted it.
A refined building of pure ivory and refreshing sky blue.
That was Serenity Salon.
At the entrance, I presented my voucher. The silver-haired manager bowed deeply.
“Welcome, Lady Aristina. We are honored by your first visit to Serenity Salon. Shall I announce to the other guests that you’ve arrived?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Understood.”
Pulling the brim of my wide hat low to hide my face, I stepped inside.
I settled into a booth with a partition and had just ordered tea and tea food when a loud voice rang out from across the room.
“Hm? Doesn’t it smell exactly like the perfume that villainess uses?”
My hand, which had been lifting the lid of the sugar bowl, froze.
“Really? Oh my. Whoever made that daring mistake, I hope she has plenty of hair—because if she runs into that villainess, she’ll have it all ripped out.”
“Ugh, just hearing about her stresses me out. I still remember the champagne we popped when we heard about her Inquisition trial!”
Every salon had one table like that—the noisy one.
And unfortunately, that table had someone with the nose of a bloodhound, so the conversation naturally turned to me.
So that’s why the manager offered to announce my arrival. He was worried people might start badmouthing me.
Well, whatever. It wasn’t the story about Serene I’d wanted to hear, but I decided to listen for now.
“They say that villainess is about to take her succession exam. The very same one where she embarrassed herself so badly three years ago.”
“And she’s been so arrogant lately! If she actually passes this time, she’ll think she rules the world.”
“Ha! They say she’s throwing a lavish party with tons of support from her family. What’s her secret? Did she sell her soul to the devil?”
“Not exactly…”
Someone lowered their voice.
“Did you hear? Today that villainess was summoned to the Crown Prince’s palace. Isn’t it strange? He keeps saying he hates her, but he’s always calling for her.”
“Yes, very strange.”
“In fact, I know the secret. The trick is some kind of charm. It can reverse the heart of a man who hates you. A fortune teller under the Hadas Bridge made it with eight mysterious ingredients…”
My face twisted as I listened.
What nonsense. Who’s out there peddling scams in my name?
Only I had the right to use myself for business!
I’ll have to shut this down.
I started to rise—but someone beat me to it.
“What on earth are you all saying?”
A voice rang out.
“A charm to change the heart of a man who dislikes you? Even if money is all you care about, how can you spout lies so childish a ten-year-old wouldn’t believe them? Lady Aristina doesn’t need such things—she can do it all on her own!”
The one who fired off those sharp words was…
Serene?
My jaw dropped.
What on earth was this situation? Why was Serene secretly defending me?
“My salon is not a place for spreading such vulgar rumors about Lady Aristina! Lady Basset, you are permanently banned! And don’t you dare let such slander pass your lips again!”
Her pale face flushed as she scolded. Then she stopped, sensing something, and turned to look at the manager.
His eyes rolled toward the booth where I was sitting.
Uh-oh.
I tried to duck back behind the partition, but it was too late. Serene and all the other guests were staring this way.
And then—
“…?”
Thud.
The sound of Serene collapsing in shock echoed through the entire salon.
