The Lady Hides a Zombie [Novel] Chapter 21

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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: A Misunderstood Courtship
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The creature simply leaped over Edmond and Yulia and passed them by!
Thanks to that, Edmond, who had heroically shielded Yulia, ready to face death, was left feeling a bit awkward.
*Ah! Because we’re the same kind…!*
That's right. Creatures of the same kind don't usually attack each other. A monster born of demonic energy and a warlock's familiar have a similar feel to them.
The creature had mistaken Edmond and Yulia for its own kind and simply passed them by!
*Was that why it hesitated in front of me earlier?*
Thinking about it that way, it made sense.
In any case, having survived the crisis, Edmond released Yulia with his usual expressionless face. Others might not have noticed, but the signs of his extreme embarrassment were obvious.
Yulia also had a look of disbelief on her face.
“Werner!”
“Yes, I'll buy some time!”
Werner intercepted the monster before it could reach the others. Without a sword imbued with divine power, he could do little more than stall for time.
*Slice!*
Soon after, Tristan arrived and separated the creature's head from its body, bringing the incident to a close.
As Tristan, drenched in the monster's blood, held up its head, the tense atmosphere eased slightly.
Parents rushed to find their children, and the area quickly became chaotic as the kids burst into tears.
I, too, clutched my throbbing arm and barely managed to move my aching, creaking body. Severe muscle pain always followed after strengthening my body with demonic energy.
“Andrea.”
Andrea, who had obediently hidden under the desk as I'd told him, looked up at me with teary eyes.
“It's all over. Come here.”
“…Waaaaah!”
Andrea threw himself into my arms, tears and snot running down his face. The child hugged my neck tightly.
“Sisteeeer....”
“Yes.”
“From now on, I'll listen to my big brother and sisters.”
It was as if his life had flashed before his eyes in that brief moment. The child mumbled in a tear-choked voice.
“I won't sneak into the kitchen to steal candy at night anymore, and I won't secretly play in the fountain without telling my brother and sisters....”
*You were doing that?*
“And, and, I'll also return the jewel I secretly took from Sister Yulia.”
*Our little one's sleight of hand has improved quite a bit without me knowing.*
“I'm also sorry for secretly giving meat to Lev behind your back, Sister Emily....”
*No wonder Lev seemed to be getting chubbier.*
“And....”
Before Andrea could finish his heartfelt confession, a loud rumble echoed from his stomach.
*Growl!*
Andrea's face flushed bright red.
“Were you hungry? You haven't been eating properly lately. Why is that?”
“Well....”
Andrea mumbled in a barely audible voice.
“Lately, Brother Isaac hasn't been hugging me much. I thought maybe it was because I got fat....”
My goodness. Our youngest was on a diet? The reason was so unexpected that my mind went blank.
“That's not it. Andrea, you look perfect just the way you are.”
“But lately, my sisters and brothers don't lift me up high like they used to! And when I ask for a hug after you come back, you just avoid me!”
“That's....”
I couldn't exactly say, *It's because your sisters and brothers turned into zombies.*
I came up with another excuse.
“It's because when you get to our age, your wrists start to act up. It's not because you're heavy, Andrea.”
With that one sentence, his siblings were suddenly reduced to people worrying about their joints in their twenties, but it would probably be fine.
“Really?”
“Of course~. It's true. You'll understand when you get older, Andrea.”
But to a young child, all adult ages are more or less the same. Andrea took it quite seriously.
“Are you okay now, sister?”
He even worried about me, who was holding him.
“Yes. This is a secret, but....”
I whispered secretly in Andrea's ear.
“Actually, unlike your other brothers and sisters, I eat everything without being picky, so I'm perfectly fine.”
“Gasp.”
“It's a secret from your brothers and Sister Yulia. Only you know, okay?”
“Okay!”
Andrea covered his mouth with both hands and nodded.
Just then, I sensed a presence beside me. As I turned to look at the long shadow cast beside me, a brilliant red filled my vision.
“Excuse me, Lady Walker.”
It was the eldest son of House Arcmone whom I had seen earlier. His name was, I believe, Hereis Arcmone.
“I came to express my gratitude. You saved my younger sister.”
I could see Juri hiding behind his back. She was peeking her head out to look at me.
“It was the natural thing to do. Anyone would have done the same.”
“No. You showed tremendous courage.”
“You're too kind....”
“I had many reservations. But after seeing you in person today, I am finally convinced.”
Hereis politely knelt on one knee, took my hand, and pressed a light, soundless kiss to the back of it.
As I stared blankly, wondering what he was doing, he spouted nonsense.
“Please grant me your formal permission to begin our courtship.”
*Excuse me?*
I fumbled, unable to find a proper response. What did this man just say? A courtship, what?
While I stood there dazedly, my hand still in his, a response came from another direction.
“By whose permission!”
Yulia shouted, stepping between Hereis and me.
“That last statement seems highly problematic, young Lord Arcmone.”
Edmond also stepped in front of me with a frosty expression. Hereis, who was suddenly being treated like a ruffian who had threatened me, stood up.
“I did not say this lightly, Duke Walker. I have thought about it hundreds, thousands of times.”
“No, I mean, by whose permission? And how? You just met our girl today!”
*Who's 'our girl'? Surely not me?*
“Of course, we only just met today! But your unwavering courage amidst the chaos was deeply impressive.”
“Are you making a formal marriage proposal right now?”
“A marriage proposal would be a bit premature, but isn't it proper to seek both families' permission for a courtship?”
“So it isn't a marriage proposal, yet you're committing such an impertinence toward a noble lady of marriageable age?”
Edmond pressed with an exceedingly sharp tone.
“It is not a lighthearted matter...! Just a moment.”
He seemed to have a sudden realization.
“...A noble lady of marriageable age. What do you mean by that?”
“You just asked Emily for permission to begin a formal courtship!!”
“What? No, that's not what I meant...!”
Hereis waved his arms and hastily explained.
“I was asking for formal permission for our Juri to court your fifth son, Andrea Walker!”
*Aha. So that's what it was.*
“I never imagined you would misunderstand like that...! O-of course, you are a very charming lady, but you are a little different from my ideal type.”
*What is this? A rejection without a confession?*
“What's wrong with our Emily!”
Yulia erupted again.
“Huh? She's pretty, she's gentle, she's kind! She's far better than the obnoxious Arcmone family, who live off their own self-importance!”
Her rudeness was starting to cross the line. Fearing this could cause a major rift with House Arcmone, I sent Edmond a signal to stop Yulia.
He nodded as if he understood.
“I still don't understand. There's no reason my sister should be disqualified.”
I almost slapped my forehead in front of everyone.
Since Hereis looked bewildered, I finally stepped in. It's not proper for the person in question to get involved in such a debate, but I had no choice.
“I apologize, my siblings and I are quite close. It seems there was a slight misunderstanding.”
“Ah, no, not at all.”
“I was aware of their courtship, but I don't think it's something the adults need to get involved in.”
I guided the conversation with a gentle smile. Hereis was still reeling from the shock, so it was easy to take control of the conversation.
“Of course, I understand your desire to be mindful of their friendships, as children are easily influenced at a young age. But how can we micromanage every aspect of our children's relationships?”
Perhaps Hereis's interference had been excessive, as Juri was nodding in agreement behind him.
Hereis's jaw dropped, whether in shock or not.
“Meeting and parting are natural things, so I think it would be best for our families to keep involvement to a minimum. And of course, there's no need for them to seek permission to be friends.”
There was no need for the adults of both families to intervene in the cute puppy love of eleven-year-olds.
“So that's how you see it.... This has been a great lesson.”
Hereis nodded his head. He was likely more accustomed to a life of strict management from a young age, so my words might have sounded fresh to him.
*Our parents were the unusual ones.*
And after they passed away, Edmond filled their shoes, but he was so busy. He didn't have the capacity to worry about such trivial matters. That's why we grew up much more freely compared to other noble families.
Hereis bent down to meet the eyes of Andrea, who was still in my arms.
“Thank you for protecting my sister.”
Andrea's eyes widened, and Hereis extended his hand. The two shared a firm handshake before parting.
“Well then, I shall see you again.”
Hereis gave a polite bow and left with Juri. Seeing him get a kick in the shin from Juri on their way out, I guessed he was in for a scolding.
“Hmph. How obnoxious.”
It seemed he had left a bad impression on Yulia.
But the children were safe, and Andrea and Juri were on good terms. For me, that was enough.
“Brother Ed, Sister Yulia. Are you two okay?”
Andrea belatedly asked after them. Yulia and Edmond glanced at each other, then looked away.
“I'm fine.”
“To a slightly embarrassing degree.”
*Mm, definitely.*
For someone who had so dramatically braced for sacrifice.
How absurd it was when the monster just hopped over them.
“That's a relief....”
Andrea mumbled in relief, then his eyes began to droop as he started to doze off.
It seemed the exhaustion was setting in after the commotion. The child fell sound asleep in my arms.
We watched the sleeping Andrea for a moment before lowering our voices to a whisper.
“Anyway, what was all that about? A monster in the middle of the academy....”
Yulia muttered blankly. The sudden chaos still felt unreal.
“They say monsters can appear anywhere on land corrupted by warlocks, but this is near the capital. The barrier has never been breached.”
She was right. For a monster to appear here was truly strange. No, it was more than strange; it was practically impossible.
“Yes. It's unnatural.”
Just then, a voice suddenly cut in from behind. Tristan, wiping blood from his sleeve, was approaching us.
*Don't come over here!* If I could, I would have screamed it.