Duke Partlan was not pleased with the presence of Benedict, who was brimming with momentum before him.
How could he be pleased when he had put his daughter in a predicament right in front of a man who loved her more than himself?
“Well then, why don’t you make your excuses?”
Excuses? For a duke of the Partlan family, that was quite a harsh way to speak.
Though Duke Partlan thought this, he didn’t voice it out loud. The person standing before him was not someone he could crush with power.
Even if he could have suppressed him with authority, the duke would have only grumbled inwardly.
“First, understand one thing. The situation has escalated beyond my intention.”
“Are you saying that after calling Tabol to this place?”
“She is a benefactor who saved our daughter’s life twice. Do I seem like such a shameless man that I would throw her into a pit?”
Since Lucy Alrn had saved Joy’s life during the academy entrance exam, Duke Partlan had a very favorable impression of her.
Although his tone was harsh, his actions could be described as benevolent.
She had the talent to take first place in the Soul Academy, a battleground for skills.
Moreover, she was someone his daughter admired greatly.
“Then why plan something like this?”
“Because Joy cherishes your daughter too much.”
If it were merely to build a friendship, he wouldn’t have minded. Lucy was someone who had nothing to lose by being close.
However, it had gone too far. Joy regarded Lucy Alrn, the daughter of a count, as a benefactor or lifelong friend.
If harm were to come to Lucy, she would abandon her duties as a noble and help her.
“With such a debt of gratitude, how could I tell her to fall? That’s something that shouldn’t be commanded.”
Thus, Duke Partlan had intended to create a crisis during this party, to evaluate how Lucy would respond to it.
However.
“Too many unexpected events have occurred.”
The sudden appearance of the First Prince, who rarely left the capital.
The tension between Lucy and the First Prince.
The festival, which unexpectedly turned into a place for a duel, ended with Lucy emerging victorious against the First Prince.
As a result, the animosity directed toward Lucy had intensified.
Up to this point was manageable. It was an error that could be controlled.
Amidst all these variables, Duke Partlan had succeeded in setting the stage.
It was evident that Joy would intervene during the crisis, so he planned to discreetly bind her with magic.
He had also asked the First and Third Princes for their understanding, requesting that they not intervene.
Benedict would hold the duke accountable.
All of this was to create a stage for Lucy Alrn to resolve the crisis on her own.
“Do you understand? My intention was to present her with an appropriate crisis.”
Back when Benedict was dashing on the front lines, Tabol held deep inferiority and animosity toward him for losing in every contest against him.
The only solace he found was that his son was better than Benedict’s daughter.
Naturally, Tabol didn’t look favorably on the recent rising evaluation of Lucy.
Thus, Duke Partlan anticipated that if he encountered Lucy, he would try to undermine her in some way, and he wanted to see how she would handle it.
He wanted to see how the child, who only knew how to bring others down in the past, had grown.
His expectations were accurate, but ultimately they were wrong.
Tabol’s animosity toward the Alrn family was beyond imagination.
“How could a captain of the kingdom’s knights, experienced in politics, do something so insane?”
Suppressing Lucy’s reputation through suspicions was indeed the most certain way to tarnish her image.
However, it could hardly be considered a good strategy.
It would invite criticism toward the House of Partlan that decided on the award.
It would provoke the Alrn family.
Moreover, it would dig up the wounds of the First Prince, who had been defeated by Lucy Alrn.
If he had lost his mind, he wouldn’t be able to avoid making such a choice, but Tabol had indeed lost his mind.
“That was the turning point. After that, countless unexpected variables emerged.”
The saint’s intervention. The movement of the First Prince. Joy’s release of the duke’s magic. When he regained his senses, he realized the stage was already slipping out of his grasp.
“The fortunate thing is that I could achieve my original goal.”
The light that the divine being Lucy Alrn possessed was real.
Even amidst the countless accusations directed at her, she stood firm without wavering.
Despite the immense crisis, she smiled as if she were enjoying it.
Her overwhelming talent was proven through the testimonies of many, including the Third Prince.
“What was particularly impressive was the conversation between the mercenary captain and Lady Alrn.”
The dialogue that began to prove Lucy’s knowledge of numerous dungeons.
Though Duke Partlan, as a leader of his house, had considerable knowledge of many dungeons, the dungeons mentioned in that dialogue were entirely unfamiliar to him.
Even names he had never heard before emerged.
Yet Lucy knew all those dungeons.
Not only did she know them; she had memorized the layouts of all those dungeons, the monsters that appeared within, the traps that existed, and the strategies to conquer them.
Even the captain of the mercenary corps, standing at the forefront of dungeon raids, had to wrack her brain to recall the contents Lucy listed!
“Wasn’t there a case where the mercenary captain even asked for advice?”
“Yes. That happened.”
The sight of the mercenary captain, aghast at how such strategies could be possible, was etched into the minds of everyone present at the party.
“She proved everything she possessed in the face of crisis. Her own abilities and worth.”
In the past, she had hidden her light behind the veil of the night sky.
But not anymore.
The star that unveiled itself shone so brightly that it overshadowed all the stars around it.
Those watching that radiance would surely wish to claim that star for themselves.
“Your love for your daughter has borne fruit, Benedict. Congratulations.”
“I appreciate the praise for my daughter, Duke Partlan. However, that’s that, and this is something else.”
“Hm? Did I not explain my situation clearly?”
“Nevertheless, it is true that you intentionally placed my daughter in a crisis.”
As Benedict's expression suggested that he could freeze hearts with his smile, Duke Partlan hurriedly began discussing the various gifts he had prepared for Lucy to quell his anger.
However, the suggestion to introduce Jeff was immediately shot down.
Having successfully evaded the speech, I intended to stick to my original plan of hiding in a corner.
I had initially planned to quietly ride out this time in a spot where no one would notice me.
Unfortunately, my plans had been shattered from the very beginning.
Many people deliberately sought me out in the corner, showing interest.
“I have received a great favor from Sir Benedict in the past. I attempted to repay it in some way, but instead, I only received a lot of information.”
The one who broke the ice was the head of the Claw Mercenary Corps.
When a great crisis had struck her mercenary group in the past, Benedict had helped them, and she mentioned that if she ever needed a mercenary again, she would tell him.
Though I didn’t know what exactly Benedict had done, it seemed that the favor had indeed been substantial. She was trying hard not to raise her voice even when referring to him as a lackey.
Once the head of the Claw Mercenary Corps finished her conversation without any issues, many more people began approaching me.
At first, it was okay. The few who showed interest in me, who might have drawn the ire of the First Prince, were likely oddballs or politically indifferent.
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Among them, the latter couldn’t stand the Mesugaki tone and fled, while the former expressed their opinions regardless of what I said.
One prominent example was the apostle of the goddess of beauty and art.
“Oh! Lady Alrn, who possesses the beauty of the goddess! Would you grant me permission to speak with you, as I have been asked to inquire?!”
The moment I met his gaze, he began to spout such nonsense; he was akin to a foolish fox.
“Could you shut up?♡ Just being in the same space makes me feel nauseous!♡”
“Oh! Your voice is so beautiful!”
No, this guy was worse than a foolish fox.
Even after I openly insulted him, his praise for my voice genuinely startled me.
I knew he was a character of some significance in the game, and I was aware that he was far from normal, but there is a significant difference between seeing him on a monitor and meeting him in real life.
The only fortunate thing was that this guy’s purpose was not to hit on me.
Unlike the foolish fox, the apostle of beauty and art didn’t want me to act pervertedly toward him.
Instead, he merely wanted to know if it would be acceptable for him to praise my beauty while wandering around.
Not wanting to engage in a lengthy conversation with a crazy pervert, I casually granted permission and sent him away.
After the group, which was mostly harmless except for one person, passed by, the next to approach me was someone with political intentions.
He introduced himself as someone from the Serlan family and spoke of how impressive my display at this festival was. He praised my recent conduct against Tabol and mentioned that he had heard I was rewriting the history of the academy.
However, the intention behind all his words was singular.
To draw me into his faction.
This man was considerably more clingy than the first group.
He whispered sweet words in my ear, enduring the insults from the Mesugaki skill.
‘Why is he trying so hard?!’
I couldn’t comprehend it. Even when he was turning red with anger, he still tried to win me over.
Yet, from my grandfather's perspective, this was entirely natural.
<Think about it, dear girl. Even though you have proven your capabilities, you are still a burden to bear. You have far too many enemies.
The First Prince, the Captain of the Kingdom's Knights, and those harboring various hostilities within this very place—do you think anyone would dare to engage with you?
This guy falls into one of three categories. Either he believes you are worth the trouble of carrying the animosity, or you have no choice but to handle it, or he’s too stupid to detect the hostility.>
My grandfather advised me to observe how this man was regarded by those around him.
Pity. Contempt. Mockery. Those feelings were similar to what I had faced.
<Looking at him, it seems he falls into the latter category.>
‘What should I do?’
<Just let it go in one ear and out the other. It’s all nonsense that isn’t worth considering.>
‘Is there no way to chase him away?!’
<You could tell him to just leave. It shouldn’t be a problem.>
You should have told me that in advance! I wasted my time!
Just as I was preparing to unleash my insults on the perverted creep showing interest in a little girl, I heard a voice behind me.
“Lord Serlan. What business do you have with my friend?”
Joy revealed her displeasure through the fan that covered her face.