Chapter 54
Don’t piss me off, you say?
This is the first time I’ve heard such a low-class word. Maybe I misheard?
Brysa gaped and looked at the red-haired child, then looked at Daphne.
But Daphne was calm. It even seemed like she was watching how Briasa would behave from now on.
Yes. She’s testing me!
Brysa suddenly stood up. And after wiping the cold sweat and tidying her hair, she put strength in her eyes. If it’s the red-haired child of the Akion family, there’s only that person.
“Hello, Lord Arius. I’m Briasa Finch.”
“What. You know me?”
“Of course. I have to know, obviously. I’m Daphne’s first subordinate after all!”
“……Subordinate?”
Arius’s eye twitched. Arius turned his head sharply and glared at Daphne.
“Hey, Daphne. Isn’t subordinate number 1 me? I thought it was obviously me?”
However, the answer came not from Daphne but from Brysa.
“No way. Honestly, my stats are higher than Lord Arius’s, so isn’t it right that I’m subordinate number 1?”
“Wha, what’s higher? Whaaat?”
“Stats.”
“You, yooou……!”
Arius felt his neck stiffen and ground his teeth.
“Daphne. Throw away this dog bone and take only me as subordinate?”
“Oh my. If I’m a dog bone, then Lord Arius is a rat bone.”
“Hey! Don’t butt in!”
Hissing heavily, Arius tightly gripped the
wooden sword leaning on his shoulder.
“Just let’s fight one round. Let’s see who wins.”
“That’s what I wanted.”
This too must be Daphne’s test. Thinking that, Brysa sparkled her eyes and gathered mana in her palm.
And Daphne,
“Why are you fighting…….”
Was somewhat bewildered.
I didn’t say anything, why are they fighting among themselves. Even over subordinate number 1 or whatever.
Should I stop them now? Daphne slightly pondered while looking at Briasa and Arius who were excitedly rampaging. It was then.
“Oh my, when did the young master arrive?”
At some point, Anne had come to Daphne’s side. Anne smiled brightly while swinging the picnic basket.
“It seems like you’ll have lunch here, so I packed simply. How about eating together with the young master and his friend?”
“Hm.”
Instead of answering, Daphne pointed to the middle of the training ground.
“Iyaaak! Die! Diiie!”
“Oh my, you’re really barbaric. You’re lacking as the young lady’s subordinate.”
“Aoo! Shut that mouth!”
“You can’t fight properly, and you can’t argue properly, so it’s hard to take as subordinate.”
Arius and Briasa who were really fighting like a mess.
Seeing them, Anne’s eyes slightly shook.
“Your friend is quite…… aggressive.”
Daphne shrugged her shoulders and took out a sandwich from the picnic basket.
And asked towards Anne.
“Why do you keep calling Brysa a friend since earlier?”
“Yes?”
“Not a friend.”
“Yes?”
“I don’t have things like friends.”
“…….”
Anne held her breath for a moment and stared at Daphne, then soon burst into laughter and said softly.
“Our young lady, you’re saying that because you’re shy!”
“……What?”
“You can say friend. You two are clearly friends!”
“I don’t have things like friends?”
“Aww, our young lady, you’re really cute.”
“…….”
Really not.
To begin with, for Daphne, the concept of friend was unfamiliar. Because in that long life, the only one she could call a friend was Bertio.
Excluding Bertio, I have no friends. My friend is only Bertio.
Because there’s no one else besides Bertio who is enjoyable to be with, or who I miss while reminiscing.
Thinking that, Daphne glared while munching the sandwich, but Anne continued speaking with a smile as if knowing Daphne’s heart completely.
“This is the first time, the young lady having a friend.”
“Not a frien…….”
“How about going out with your friend? You’ve been only in the mansion all along.”
“……Going out?”
Didn’t you say no because of health recovery or whatever?
As Daphne showed clear interest, Anne
whispered softly.
“If you say you’re going out to play with a newly made friend, permission will come.”
“…….”
Bertio, sorry.
“Maybe a friend. Come on, now let’s prepare to go out.”
I ended up having one more friend.
***
Brysa, who was growling and fighting with Arius, stopped the fight right away when Daphne said let’s go out together and came running while wagging her tail.
-I sweated a lot and my clothes are dirty too, so I’ll go back, wash, dress up, and come! Please wait a bit!
Daphne was in a similar state as Briasa, so she washed and changed clothes. But since she didn’t do excessive dressing, even after finishing preparation, she had to wait a long time for Briasa’s arrival.
So Daphne decided to go out first.
Actually, it’s more comfortable without Briasa. To begin with, the purpose was going out, and moving alone would allow finding out more things.
Anyway, Daphne came out of the mansion first, and was sitting in the rattling carriage.
Daphne leaned her forehead on the window and looked outside.
“Why did you follow.”
And says towards Lloyd who is riding a horse right next to her. Lloyd burst into a hearty laugh.
“It’s the young lady’s outing, so of course there should be an escort. You weren’t thinking of going alone, right?”
“…….”
I was.
Daphne snorted and glared.
“So I mean why you. There are many other guys.”
“The other guys haven’t finished training yet. Same for Lord Arius.”
Daphne recalled Arius who was throwing a tantrum saying he wants to go out too and was dragged by another knight. Hm, as expected, that guy skipped training.
“But.”
Not long after, Daphne’s mouth opened again.
“Why suddenly permit going out? Until yesterday, you were threatening that I absolutely can’t go out.”
“Because the master’s order came. To be precise, he said to show Daphne the outside.”
“The hero?”
Daphne tilted her head. Why does the hero come up here?
All this time, Daphne couldn’t leave the mansion because of Heros’s suspicion that Daphne might continue contact with black mages, and after meeting the emperor, realizing that’s not the case, outing was permitted, but Daphne couldn’t know up to here.
“Hm. That guy seems to at least watch my mood.”
Daphne murmured with a smirk. And glances down at the slightly unfamiliar dress she’s wearing.
Now Daphne’s hair is half-tied and puffed up like a bun, and she’s wearing a light green dress that matches her eye color exactly. The dress is full of frills and lace flowing down, but it doesn’t feel excessive.
Because Daphne’s luscious blonde hair and sparkling eyes stand out much more.
‘Not bad.’
Daphne slightly smiled and shook her skirt.
When she was Celus, she never tried such dressing even once, so every time she wears pretty clothes and does cute hairstyles like this, getting a bit excited is unavoidable.
“Where did you agree to meet Lady Brysa?”
Lloyd, who was looking at such Daphne fondly, asked.
“I told her to come to the library.”
“Oh, will you read books?”
“……Then go to the library to eat?”
Looking at Daphne who asked back absurdly, Lloyd burst into laughter.
Books. Young lady and books.
The young lady who only knew throwing when it comes to books, when did she grow this much.
Not only physical training and sword practice, but even trying to accumulate knowledge…….
‘She really changed.’
Lloyd accepted Daphne’s change positively, and therefore wished even more that nothing happens to Daphne.
At least until the curse manifests, I hope she lives happily.
Lloyd smiled bitterly and tightly gripped the reins.
“I’ll protect you by your side for life.”
Daphne blinked slowly.
And thought.
Who protects whom…….
***
“Ooh.”
This ‘Imperial Library’ built on the yolk land in the middle of the capital is special.
Originally, books are expensive luxuries and also essentials that are not easily obtainable, so ordinary libraries do not allow entry below nobles.
However, the ‘Imperial Library’ is open to all.
Commoners, even children from slums can enter. Because of the emperor’s firm policy that learning should be common to all.
That said, are there no books, no. Befitting the grand name ‘Imperial Library’, hundreds of thousands of books are packed tightly.
The grand ducal family also has plenty of books, but not comparable to here. Because here bookshelves soar up to the ceiling.
Daphne slightly smiled while smelling the book scent full in the air.
‘The emperor guy. Ordering to kill me arbitrarily is something to beat the crap out of, but this much is praiseworthy.’
If I meet later, I have to subtract one from the hundred hits.
Daphne giggled and poked the leg of Lloyd who was standing bewildered.
“You wait here.”
“Yes? No! I have to protect Daphne by the
side…….”
“It’s fine. Carrying blades in the library is barbaric. Such barbaric guys won’t be here.”
“But.”
“Did you forget the body search earlier. And magic is prohibited here. The librarians here are also capable ones, so there won’t be dangerous things.”
Lloyd frowned.
The place where Daphne and Lloyd are standing is the entrance of the library. Meaning the librarians are pricking up their ears.
If he refuses Daphne’s words and chooses to stay by the side, it becomes no different from saying ‘There are barbaric people in the library’, ‘Can’t trust the librarians’. Then the librarians won’t stay still.
‘Did she predict this and say it.’
……No. Daphne doesn’t have that level of eloquence. She must have said it thoughtlessly.
“Then if anything happens, ring this signal flare.”
Lloyd stepped back one step and handed an artifact to Daphne. Daphne made a displeased expression but since there was no pretext to refuse even this, she took the artifact.
“I’ll be back.”
Leaving a short greeting and entering the library, Daphne entrusted her body to the flood of books.
But entrusting to the flood doesn’t mean staggering. Because what Daphne is looking for is clear.
‘Records about black mages.’
The reason for coming to the library is only this.
To properly learn about black mages.
In the past when she was Celus, they were merely annoying flies, but now to Daphne, they became not flies but crows. Meaning highly annoying, but ability to remove is still lacking. So she decided to properly learn.
I have to dig properly.
By doing so,
‘Beat them properly.’
Huhuhu.
Daphne let out a sinister laugh and turned her steps towards the records section.
Spirit rampage, dragon’s heavenly punishment, dark elf rebellion, dwarf strike…… Numerous records appeared and disappeared in Daphne’s eyes.
“Oh. There it is.”
Daphne, who was examining for a while, discovered the title ‘Birth of Black Mages’ in the record above.
Daphne reached her hand towards the record. Intending to pull it out using telekinesis.
But someone else’s movement was faster than Daphne. Daphne frowned while seeing the record pulled out limply flying behind her.
“Dare to snatch mine…… Huh?”
Daphne’s eyes widened as she turned her body following the flying record.
“Long time no see, Lord Celus.”
Because a completely unexpected person was standing right in front.
“You were waiting for me, right?”
It was the great sage, Shiosen.
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
By Anna 💓
