-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: A Line Crossed
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone’s gaze landed on me. Leonhart was no exception.
“……What did you say?”
“I said I object. I simply cannot approve this motion.”
“State your reason.”
“First, the budget is far too high. It’s an unbelievable amount for the cost of a statue.”
“Look at the documents. This is no ordinary statue.”
“Exactly. Why on earth would you make a statue out of jewels? It’s a terribly inefficient choice.”
“Inefficient. Is that your only reason for objecting?”
His tone was frigid. He must be in a bad mood.
“Of course not. There’s more.”
“What is it?”
“The choice of subject seems inappropriate. If you truly wish to build a statue, it would be better to find a subject that offers more aesthetic or artistic value.”
“……!”
The nobles gasped, their faces filled with horror.
*Why are they so surprised? I’m right.*
Leonhart narrowed his eyes and asked.
“I’d like to hear what kind of subject the Duchess considers appropriate.”
“A place like the grand plaza has a lot of foot traffic. I believe it would be far more effective to install several moderately sized sculptures here and there to inspire artistic inspiration or curiosity. Oh, placing some cleverly designed benches would be nice too.”
“……Are you implying that Adela Helsington is an unsuitable subject for a statue?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Who would appreciate something that would just be an eyesore? It would only obstruct traffic.”
Leonhart tore his gaze from me and swept it over the room.
“Does anyone else object?”
As if on cue, the nobles all shook their heads.
*What is with these people? Are they seriously approving this?*
“So Duchess Ivrante is the only one who objects. Is that correct?”
“……”
Not even the sound of breathing could be heard in the conference room. The nobles couldn't even meet Leonhart’s eyes.
*Like mice before a cat...*
I could see why the nobles were afraid of Leonhart.
It was because of his overwhelmingly intimidating aura.
So much so that one would be crushed by his presence before even recognizing his beauty.
*Ah, what a shame. If you just smiled once, everyone would like you.*
“Then, with a majority vote, the motion is passed.”
*Huh?*
I quickly raised my hand.
“Just a moment!”
“……Now what is it?”
“The documents clearly state that a motion can only be passed with a unanimous vote. Are you allowed to just ignore the rules like this……”
This time, all the nobles turned to look at me at once.
If before they looked horrified, now they seemed to be begging me to stop.
“……I was just wondering.”
I fell silent, yielding to the nobles’ desperate gazes.
The more I spoke, the more it felt like I was tormenting them, leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
*Thwack!*
Leonhart dropped the documents on the table as if throwing them.
“Duchess Ivrante.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“A word with me.”
“……Yes?”
“Follow me.”
Without another word, Leonhart left the conference room.
I watched the violently swinging door for a moment before turning my gaze away.
The nobles were looking at me with pity.
*...Did I make a mistake?*
***
Leaving the nobles’ gazes behind, I stepped out of the conference room, where an attendant guided me to the rear garden.
It was a secluded space, a small garden surrounded by hedges, with a white tea table set in the middle.
Leonhart was standing there, smoking a cigarette.
His profile, as he held the cigarette and gazed into the distance, radiated a deep sense of fatigue and weariness.
*Is he overworked?* I felt a surge of both pity and anger.
*Has he lost his mind? What if his asthma comes back!*
Leonhart had suffered from asthma as a child and had weak bronchial tubes.
I’d been so careful with him. Undine had been his personal humidifier, and Sylph his air purifier.
I was the one who made the entire expedition party go smoke-free.
*And now he’s smoking with his own hands?*
If I had my way, I would have snatched that cigarette from him right now.
*But that would be out of character for Adrian...*
I stood at a reasonable distance from Leonhart and covered my nose.
“Your Highness, would you please put out your cigarette? The smell is nauseating.”
“That’s not something I’d expect to hear from a chain-smoker, is it?”
*So Adrian was a heavy smoker.*
“I-I heard that smoking for a long time can cause asthma. So I quit. Isn’t asthma a terribly painful disease?”
*So you should quit too, you brat.*
Leonhart slid one hand into his suit pocket and slowly approached.
The cigarette still between his lips.
Was it because my body was smaller now, while Leonhart had grown? Or was it because his aura had become so powerful?
It felt as if a colossal beast were prowling toward me.
The pressure was so intense my shoulders ached.
*Hoo—*
“……*Cough*.”
Standing right in front of me, Leonhart deliberately blew a cloud of smoke.
The acrid smoke dispersed over my face.
I was truly shocked.
I had expected him to put out the cigarette, not to act so rudely.
“To hear such words from the very person who would be most delighted if I had an asthma attack. How unexpected.”
*Were they on such bad terms? But the nobles said Adrian hadn’t attended meetings for the past five years.*
If so, she wouldn't have had enough contact with Leonhart—who had returned around that time after subjugating the Demon King—for their relationship to sour.
*Then why does he hate her so much?*
“Your Highness, did we, by any chance, have some……”
“Cut the nonsense and get to the point.”
“Yes……”
“Why did you attend the meeting?”
[Level 3: (Stare at Leonhart with a haughty expression) How rude. Do you dare disrespect the authority of a Duchess?]
“I asked why you suddenly crawled out of the woodwork to be a nuisance, Duchess Ivrante.”
I stared at Leonhart’s lips, lost in thought.
*What on earth happened in the five years I was gone to make that sweet boy so prickly, like a hedgehog?*
*Don’t tell me he’s still being bullied by those princes?*
It seemed plausible. His appearance had changed, but he was likely still soft on the inside.
Those bastards must be using it as a weakness to exploit him.
That must be why Leonhart has become so abrasive.
I pictured the hazy faces of those princes in my mind as I read the prompt.
“How rude. Do you dare disrespect the authority of a Duchess?”
“I’m telling you to stay holed up in your estate, just as you’ve been doing. You’re an eyesore.”
[Level 1: (As if finding him pathetic) You should watch what you say. Your Highness cannot become the Crown Prince without my help.]
To become Crown Prince, the support of the nobility was crucial.
Therefore, Leonhart would be in a much more advantageous position if he could win over the Duchess, a representative of the nobility.
Of course, now that I was in Adrian’s body, I planned to support Leonhart unconditionally, but...
Regardless, my mood was steadily worsening.
*But why is he taking it out on me?*
*Did I do something to anger him? If you’re a prince, I’m a duchess! Isn’t a duchess a position that not even the emperor can ignore?*
But arguing about it here would just be picking a fight.
I exercised my patience and adapted the prompt to be as gentle as possible.
“You should watch what you say. That way, I can help Your Highness become the Crown Prince.”
“Stop with the empty words. I will achieve what I desire with my own hands. Without any help from a duchess.”
*That’s right. If you want something, you should achieve it yourself.*
*But it would be so much easier if I helped.*
Choosing the hard path when an easy one is available is foolish.
Naturally, I intended to persuade Leonhart.
That was, until the next prompt appeared.
[Level 3: (Clicking her tongue as if he's pathetic) Did Adela Helsington leave you a will before she died? Telling you to stand on your own two feet? Truly, the thoughts of a commoner are so trivial.]
The nobility generally looked down on commoners, but Adrian took it to an extreme.
An arrogant noble, steeped in a sense of entitlement.
The exact type of character I despise, and unfortunately, a perfect match for Adrian.
Contrary to my inner thoughts, my lips spat out the words of the prompt exactly as written.
After all, Level 3 only allows for 5% freedom.
“Did Adela Helsington leave you a will before she died? Telling you to stand on your own two feet? Truly, the thoughts of a commoner are so trivial.”
Even though they were my own words, they were utterly repulsive.
My cold voice was filled with entitlement and disdain for commoners.
“Ha……”
Leonhart gave a soft laugh and swept his hair back.
It was such a sensual gesture that it was hard to look away.
*Oh, he smiled! See, you look so much better when you... Ugh!*
My breath caught in my throat.
Because Leonhart had seized my neck with one hand.
