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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Penelope Swanson
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"...A warlock. You're saying a warlock is after us?"
Isaac's expression turned strange. He stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, before finally blurting out what he couldn't hold back.
"Can't you guys recognize your own kind?"
*Smack!*
Yulia couldn't take it anymore and smacked Isaac on the head.
"You have no filter!"
"Ugh. It doesn't... hurt, but hey, it's a valid question! Aren't you curious whether they know Emily is a warlock or not?"
"Shut your mouth before I hit you again."
At Yulia's threat, Isaac grumbled but didn't say anything more. I could see Yulia and Edmond subtly glancing at me.
"I'm fine. Hmm, and I'm not entirely sure, but... I think I'm pretty good at hiding the fact that I'm a warlock. They probably don't know."
That's what Lev said, anyway. And when I encountered that suspicious person on the street, I didn't sense anything different about them either.
"That's a relief. The fewer people who know, the better. For now, it's best we pretend to cooperate with the Crown Prince and see how things play out."
"Yeah. That's the plan. The Saint will be staying at the palace for a while, too, so be careful."
"Ugh, yeah. I figured. I could feel him all the way from the training grounds."
Isaac said, horrified. The Saint's divine presence felt weaker than the day we first met, but it seemed it was still too much for Isaac.
"Honestly. Why are those two even working together? Did a warlock run off with their money or something?"
Yulia pouted. My thoughts exactly. As I nodded enthusiastically in agreement, another thought suddenly crossed my mind.
That's right, there was something I wanted to ask Yulia.
"Yulia. Do you remember the daughter of Count Swanson from our academy days?"
"Huh? Oh... right. I vaguely remember. Why her?"
"Didn't she... die?"
It just seemed so strange. I wanted to double-check in case I was misremembering, since it was so long ago.
Yulia rolled her eyes in thought before speaking.
"I think so? I didn't go to her funeral, but you did."
"Right?"
"Why the sudden question?"
"...Something strange happened."
I held back from mentioning that Natalie had befriended a dead girl. Nothing was certain yet.
"What is it?"
"Hmm, I'll tell you after I look into it a bit more."
Perhaps it was just a baseless fear.
It would be more logical to assume a con artist impersonating the Swanson family had latched onto Natalie.
"I'll be seeing her again soon anyway..."
I muttered to myself, thinking about the letter the head butler had given me after I got home from work.
The contents were a simple tea party invitation, but the postscript at the end bothered me immensely.
「P.S. I'll introduce you to my friend this time! Can you believe she had to go home early on the Crown Prince's birthday because something urgent came up?
-With love, Natalie.」
Something urgent came up? What kind of convenient excuse was that?
'She probably got scared of being found out if she stayed too long and used that as an excuse to run away.'
Whoever it was, it seemed Natalie had gotten tangled up with a real con artist.
'I need to see for myself what kind of person has the nerve to pull something like this.'
***
Wavy blonde hair shimmered beautifully in the sunlight. Her skin, so thin that faint veins were visible, was as pale as if dusted with flour.
Her red eyes, full of amusement, curved into a gentle smile.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Walker. My name is Penelope Swanson."
I knew the moment our eyes met.
'This person... is a warlock.'
It was my first time meeting one of my own kind.
Lev said a warlock's magic caused discomfort in humans, but perhaps because I wasn't an ordinary human, I felt something completely different.
I felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity toward the woman who introduced herself as Penelope Swanson.
Despite it being our first meeting, and despite my perception of her as a con artist deceiving my friend.
"Ah... A pleasure. I'm Emily Walker."
I took her outstretched hand and shook it.
As I did, I subtly tried to read her expression. Just as I had recognized her, had she recognized me?
'Lev definitely said I was good at hiding my magic. I wasn't even discovered in front of the Saint. Would it be different for another warlock?'
I studied her intensely. Penelope didn't stop smiling until our hands had completely parted.
'It seems she doesn't know.'
If she had noticed I was one of her kind, that subtly condescending look in her eyes would have changed. But there was no sign of it.
Penelope smiled brightly and stepped aside.
"Shall we go inside?"
Looking at that chilling smile, my goal for this tea party became clear.
'...Don't get caught. No matter what.'
*Gulp.* My throat felt dry without me realizing it.
"Emily~!"
Natalie was waving from the garden not far away.
"Over here!"
The setup looked no different from an ordinary tea party.
On the tea table set up in the garden were teapots filled with fragrant tea and an assortment of simple snacks.
There were quite a few maids and servants attending, and the manor itself was rather large.
'It's believable that people would think this is the Swanson family's villa.'
Moreover, this was the most affluent district in the capital; a location like this would be quite expensive...
There were many aspects that were hard to attribute to a typical con artist.
"Everyone, Lady Emily has finally arrived! Please give her a warm welcome!"
"Welcome."
"It's been a while, Lady Walker."
Led by Penelope, I entered to find five or six young ladies already seated. Natalie was among them, looking no different than usual.
At a glance, it looked like a normal social gathering.
"Wow, the tea smells wonderful. Where is it from?"
"Thank you for noticing, Lady Marie. It's actually an herb I've been growing myself recently..."
Except for the fact that the party's host was a warlock.
I took a seat at one of the tables, trying not to look awkward. I had almost shown a surprised expression when we first met, but I managed to act natural.
'Now I know why she had something "urgent" come up on the Crown Prince's birthday.'
She had fled early to avoid encountering the Saint. Thinking about it that way, everything clicked into place.
'Even the teacups are engraved with the Swanson family crest.'
That's difficult to forge. How on earth did she manage it?
Furthermore, some of the attendees were fellow academy graduates. Like Natalie, they didn't seem to question the death of the Swanson daughter at all.
'Did she manipulate all these people's memories...?'
The thought sent a chill down my spine.
"I was starting to forget your face! What brings you to a tea party? I sent the invitation, but I honestly didn't think you'd actually come."
Natalie, sitting next to me, chattered away.
"Hmm. I just thought I'd get some fresh air for a change."
'I was worried you'd gotten involved with some strange con artist. Turns out it's someone worse than a con artist.'
What should I do? For now, it seemed best to act like I hadn't noticed anything.
"Right, right. People need to get out and about sometimes. You know? Penelope has been saying she wanted to meet you for a while now."
"...The daughter of Count Swanson?"
"Please, just call me Penelope."
As if she had been listening, Penelope suddenly interjected. A shiver ran down my spine.
"Is that all right? I'd like for us to become friends."
The way she spoke with that bright smile made her seem just like a naive noble lady.
It was as if her face sparkled just from smiling; even I, with my high standards for beauty thanks to my brothers, had to admit she was stunning.
"Of course. By all means."
As I forced a smile and replied, Natalie chimed in playfully.
"Isn't fate a funny thing? I don't think you two ever spoke during our academy days. Right?"
"I don't think so."
"It's strange. My head turns for anyone pretty, so I can't believe I didn't notice such a beauty back at the academy."
Talk of the academy. I snuck a glance at Penelope, curious to see how she would react, but she was surprisingly composed.
Her relaxed demeanor didn't falter in the slightest.
"I was frail back then, so I kept to myself. I was recuperating in the countryside and only came up to the capital now that my health has improved. I was worried since I don't know anyone in high society, so I'm incredibly fortunate to have made such a wonderful friend."
"I'm glad you're healthy now. So, how did you two first meet?"
How did you manage to win Natalie over?
"Ah~. How did that happen again...? I stepped out for some air at Viscountess Iliya's party, and on the terrace, by chance... ... "
Natalie suddenly went silent. It wasn't just that she was at a loss for words; her eyes were vacant.
"...Natalie?"
"... ... By chance, how did we meet?"
*How did we meet, how did we meet...* Natalie muttered ceaselessly.
