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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: The Reluctant Playboy
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The next day, about an hour after lunch.
A young lady named Cecil, one of Yuriana's handmaidens, came to see Lellia.
She couldn't meet Lellia's gaze, her eyes cast down shyly as she spoke.
“Princess Yuriana would like to invite Sir Raymond to a tea party. Could you please come to the princess's palace in about an hour?”
“Ah… a tea party…”
Seeing Lellia's hesitation, the handmaiden grew anxious, fearing a refusal.
“I understand. Ah, would it be possible to go with Sir Lute?”
At Lellia's question, the handmaiden looked relieved but quickly shook her head.
“I'm afraid not. Today's tea party is a very private, small affair. We would prefer if only Sir Raymond came.”
“…I understand.”
As Lellia reluctantly nodded, the handmaiden gave a small smile and left.
*A private, small tea party.*
Just the thought of it was daunting. But it was also an opportunity.
She had already been worn out by Lute, who had visited earlier that morning.
He had come early in the morning and handed Lellia several books.
Looking at the titles, she saw *How to Capture a Woman's Heart*, *The Art of Conversation to Win a Woman's Affection*, and *Women Hate Men Like This*.
They were all similar books.
Lute had pressed the books on her with a warning.
“Sir Raymond, you must capture the hearts of Princess Yuriana's handmaidens. Like a very, very lighthearted playboy.”
“…I understand.”
“Oh! But don't you dare cross the line. If you harass a lady or deeply wound her heart, I won't let you get away with it!”
Lute suddenly glared at Lellia with eyes full of righteous indignation, as if she were a scoundrel.
*What is with him…?*
Lellia was so flabbergasted she was at a loss for words.
“…”
“Of course, Sir Raymond, you don't seem like the type. I'm just saying, just in case.”
Lellia wanted to unleash a torrent of curses, but she held her tongue.
If she had her way, she would have used one of the 'Alchemy Lottery' item recipes to brew a potion that caused baldness and fed it to him. The thought of a bald Lute being abandoned by Princess Yuriana brought her a small sense of satisfaction.
In any case… Lellia had no real intention of seducing the young ladies.
*But I can pretend to be a playboy.*
All she had to do was bluff about having dated many women in the past.
*As long as I don't get caught.*
This was an opportunity. A small tea party would provide plenty of time to talk with Princess Yuriana.
If she sang Lute's praises, Princess Yuriana would surely come to like him even more.
After the tea party, she just had to egg Lute on.
*I'll tell him, 'I sang your praises to the princess today, so go confess to her right now. This is your chance.'*
Her resolve hardened, Lellia started toward her wardrobe. But just then, there was another knock on the door.
When she opened it, she found Romeo and Calix.
Judging by their attire, the two seemed to be on their way out.
“Are you going somewhere?”
“We have some business to attend to. We just wanted to let you know in case you were looking for us.”
Lellia nodded at Romeo's words, then exclaimed, “Ah!”
“Could you help me for a moment? Princess Yuriana has invited me to a small tea party… I need help picking out an outfit.”
“What kind of outfit? Something for a playboy?”
Calix asked, suppressing a chuckle, and Lellia shot him a glare.
“Alright, fine. I'll pick something out for you.”
Romeo walked confidently toward the wardrobe and chose an outfit.
The clothes he picked were neat and elegant.
When Lellia emerged after changing, Romeo even tied her cravat for her.
Calix leaned casually against the doorframe, watching them. As he did, his eyes narrowed.
No matter how he looked at her, Lellia had so many features that resembled Leo from his childhood, the two images overlapping in his mind.
The way she set her mouth in a firm line, or the tense look in her eyes.
*Are cousins normally this similar?*
Calix thought of his uncle's children from his memories, then quickly dismissed the thought.
It probably varied from person to person, but he, for one, bore no resemblance to his cousins.
Not in looks, nor in personality.
Besides, he wasn't on good terms with them like Leo and Lellia were. Calix's relationship with his cousins was worse than that of enemies.
*They're probably thrilled that I've gone blind.*
He scoffed inwardly.
“How do I look?”
Just then, Lellia, now fully dressed, asked with a nervous expression.
“Like a playboy who charms noble ladies.”
At Calix's remark, Lellia's eyes widened.
She looked just like an angry squirrel. Calix stifled a laugh.
Lellia seemed to swallow her anger for a moment, then thanked Romeo. As the two were about to leave her quarters, she asked them one last thing.
“You two are popular with the ladies, right? How can I look like someone with a lot of dating experience?”
She asked because she had to put on such an act at the tea party. After all, the two were popular enough with women to be featured in gossip magazines.
“We're popular, yes, but…”
Romeo trailed off.
Calix looked indifferent.
“Unfortunately, I wouldn't know, since I've never dated anyone. And this guy here is actually a little scared of women—”
“Hey!”
Calix snapped. His cheeks began to turn red.
As Romeo laughed like a villain, Calix grabbed him by the scruff of the neck in irritation and dragged him away.
Watching the two of them retreat, Lellia swallowed a laugh.
She'd heard that many people had fallen for each other, knowingly or not, while enduring hardships together during the war with the Mad Dragon.
It seemed her friends were an exception to that.
*So Calix is still afraid of women.*
*That explains it.*
Since she had started dressing as a man, Calix seemed to treat her a little more comfortably than before.
