Chapter 66: Change
The work at the hunting competition was completed. All the tents except the central barracks were burned down. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. Fortunately, everyone considered the burned tents as the price for their lives and decided to move on. My reputation seemed to remain intact, as people sent gifts to express their thanks.
After the incident, it appeared that some scholars would be sent out with the subjugation squad to investigate the dead land. The capital had not been attacked by monsters for a long time, so the existing information was outdated.
There’s a saying that humans only become serious when a problem affects them personally. This was why people were only now taking measures against the monsters. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that, before this incident, only Arrendt had shown any real interest in monsters. However, after what happened, everyone’s attitude was likely to have changed.
In summary, according to Abel,
“What heavy asses they have. They only start moving when something is right in front of their faces.”
“But it will change now.”
“Well…,”
If someone were to look closely at Abel’s face, they would see a rather pessimistic expression. I shrugged lightly.
After expending so much energy during the hunting competition, I collapsed. Even after waking up, I stayed in bed for a few extra days to recover. Now, Abel had come by to update me on the aftermath of the monster incident. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“How’s your body?”
“It’s okay now.”
“Rest as much as you can.” Abel glanced at the pile of invitations on my desk and continued, “Because I don’t think there will be many more days like this in the future.”
“Ha, ha…”
The social season had truly begun for me. Perhaps it was due to the story about the bet spread by Duke Ernest, or maybe because of my role in the hunting contest, but many people had become interested in me, resulting in the pile of invitations on my desk, all addressed to me.
“I’m honestly not confident in socializing…” I muttered with a troubled expression.
“Well, you just have to be careful with the ladies on the empress’s side.”
The Empress was the mother of the crown prince, so naturally, she paid close attention to the faction supporting Sigren.
I grinned. “I wish it were that easy.”
Even Abel looked slightly troubled this time. “It’s hard for me to get involved in the ladies’ social world.”
“I know. I’m not a kid; I can handle it on my own, right?”
Abel looked at me with a bemused expression. “You don’t seem confident. You were so excited during the hunting competition and even burned down almost the entire headquarters. Do you lose your confidence in weird situations sometimes? I’ve been with you for years, but sometimes there are things about you that I still don’t understand.”
“This and that are a bit different.”
The social world was a battle of words. If I didn’t like someone, I couldn’t just burn my opponent like I did with the monsters. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com. Doing that would be a completely psycho move.
Moreover, it seemed the previous agreement with Livya had become irrelevant since the hunting competition was interrupted. I was really standing alone now, wasn’t I?
“Come to think of it, what will happen to my bet with Duke Ernest?”
“Well, if I had to pick one option, I’d say the bet was invalidated.” Abel chuckled. “But that person’s pride must have taken a hit. He crossed the line to beat a girl, lost his subordinates, and even injured himself. By now, I’m sure he must be ashamed and doesn’t know what to do. I’ll have to laugh at his face later.”
“…”
Somehow, I could understand why Abel and Duke Ernest had a bad relationship. First of all, neither side was particularly mature.
“You’re not a kid anymore; you’ll be forty soon. Be polite.”
Abel was now in his late thirties. Although he looked like he was in his early thirties, looking younger didn’t mean he should act younger than his actual age. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
“I’m decent. He’s the one acting like a jerk.”
Yeah, using that kind of language in private was also considered decent.
Abel grinned as he noticed the hint that I might nag him and then patted my head. “Well, anyway, take it easy for a little while longer. There are only a few days left to do that.”
“Honestly, isn’t the Duke the one who contributed a lot to my busy schedule?”
It was true. The reason I was so busy was because I was the heir of the Heilon family!
But Abel pretended not to understand my grumbling. “Anyway, I’ll have to go.”
“….”
I watched Abel’s retreating back with dissatisfaction as he left. Read the translation only on itsladygrey.com.
Check out my Patreon to read advanced chapters!
