Beguiling the Enemy’s Patriarch - Chapter 17

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 17
Ch 2. Plan C: Let the Supporting Characters Win-Win
From the moment I arrived at Bellirook Palace, I slept like the dead for nearly a full day. I glared daggers at Auredhian as he receded beyond the window, and only when his silver form vanished did I collapse onto the bed—and judging by the blank void that followed, I fell asleep instantly. When I opened my eyes, the sun hung high in the midday sky.
“…?”
I blinked slowly, my eyelids heavy as lead. There was no reason for them to have gained weight, so this was simply lingering drowsiness. I savored the soft texture of the blanket and burrowed deeper into its embrace.
There was something wonderfully comforting about waking to find myself still nestled in bed. Pure bliss.
Knock, knock.
Had it not been for that knock, I would have drifted back into dreams without hesitation. I rubbed my eyes open and poked my head out from beneath the covers. I listened intently, but silence greeted me from beyond the door. Who could it be? Had I imagined it?
Knock, knock.
No, I had not imagined it. A polite knock sounded twice more. I startled and blurted out without thinking.
“P-please come in?”
The moment the words left my lips, the door opened. A woman with bright brown hair and a round face, brown eyes, and a neat maid’s dress entered with her hands clasped respectfully.
Oh, it was Marienne.
“You’ve awakened, Princess.”
“Y-yes.”
“I am Marienne, and I shall be attending to you most closely from now on.”
I regarded her from beneath my pile of blankets in an ungainly posture. She appeared to be in her mid-to-late twenties. While not a striking beauty, her neat and modest features inspired affection. Just as the original work suggested, the maid assigned to care for Lebovni’s hostage was indeed Marienne.
I quickly sat up and bowed my head respectfully.
“I’m Yerenika of Lebovni. I look forward to working with you.”
“My goodness, Princess.”
Marienne’s expression shifted to one of bewilderment, and she hastily spoke up.
“There is no need for you to speak so formally to me. How could a person of your station use such language with a mere servant…?”
“Ah, I simply find this more comfortable.”
I rubbed my eyes and smiled warmly. One of the things I had struggled most to adapt to in this world was using casual speech with people older than myself. Tezebia was an exception since she was my sister. I still could not bring myself to speak casually even to my own maid, let alone to Fernandis, my direct escort knight.
Those around me found my sudden change in demeanor quite strange, but there was nothing I could do about it. Old habits die hard.
“Still, Princess….”
Marienne trailed off uncertainly. And I suddenly realized my mistake. This was not Lebovni, after all. Back in Lebovni, they would have indulged my formal speech and other eccentricities with doting affection, calling me their precious youngest princess. But here in Belgot, a measure of pragmatism was sometimes necessary.
I winked.
“When we’re being observed, I’ll speak more casually, Marienne. Promise!”
Yerenika’s radiant smile proved irresistible, and Marienne eventually nodded in acceptance. Ha. My victory.
Marienne approached the bed with a gentle smile.
“Will you be getting up? You must have been quite exhausted from your long journey. You’ve slept nearly the entire day.”
“A full day…?”
“Yes. I was just beginning to wonder if I should wake you.”
I glanced at the wall clock. By rough calculation, I had slept for nearly twenty hours. It seemed I had grown rather indolent since arriving in this world. I was once known for dividing every one of my twenty-four hours with meticulous precision. Clearly, wealth and status were the ultimate catalysts for laziness.
Still, twenty hours was more than sufficient rest. It was time to rise. I unwound the blanket coiled around me and pulled my upper body free. Then I felt a slight unease.
“Hmm….”
After sleeping so long, my body should have felt light and refreshed. Yet I felt no such invigoration. If anything, my limbs felt heavier than before I had gone to bed.
Now that I thought about it, sleeping for nearly twenty-four hours without waking once was rather odd. My condition had returned to normal when I faced Auredhian earlier.
…Well, I must have been more exhausted than I realized. I had spent nearly three days riding hard on horseback, after all. I simply dismissed the matter.
Marienne pulled me out from the pile of blankets where I was thrashing about and asked, “Would you prefer to bathe first or eat?”
“Would you like to take a bath or eat first?”
“A bath, please.”
After sleeping for so long and waking, my throat felt parched and my body ached all over. Only then did I begin to worry about my appearance. This was my first meeting with Marienne, a supporting character from the original work, and I looked absolutely dreadful.
I ran my fingers through my hair and was relieved to find it wasn’t matted down.
And the fact that I discovered a large amount of eye crust dangling from my eyes in the bathroom mirror and felt utterly mortified is something I’ll keep to myself. Sob.
* * *
After bathing and eating a somewhat late lunch, my mind cleared completely. I sat on the edge of the bed, swinging my legs, and listened obediently to what Marienne had to say.
“I’ve heard that the Princess requires special care. They say you’re sensitive to mana?”
“Yes. Quite severely.”
As Marienne spoke, she seemed to be studying my expression carefully. I recalled Rosel mentioning that mana-incompatible individuals were born perhaps once every ten years. It was essentially an incurable disease with a predetermined end.
“Ah, but it’s alright. Please don’t worry.”
I smiled brightly. It’s fine, truly fine! After all, the human cure is the ruler of this nation!
“Your Highness…”
However, my smile must have appeared terribly sorrowful to Marienne’s eyes. She trailed off. It seemed as though she was thinking of me as some terminally ill princess trying desperately to live brightly and courageously in this world.
I was about to quickly tell her there was no need for such thoughts, but Marienne beat me to it.
“So first, all the mana stones within Bellirook Palace have been removed. Not only inside the palace but within a 500-meter radius, everything is safe. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about.”
“Ah.”
A 500-meter radius? Even with that explanation, I couldn’t gauge it since I knew nothing of the Imperial Palace’s geography. Marienne, reading my expression, smiled and added, “Would you like to go out and take a walk around? Beyond the 500-meter boundary, we’ve marked the perimeter, so it shouldn’t be difficult to recognize.”
“Would you like to go out and take a look around? I’ve marked the places beyond 500 meters, so it shouldn’t be hard to recognize them.”
Marked? What kind of marking?
“I’ll go take a look!”
Seeing is believing. I immediately got to my feet. It was better to familiarize myself with the Imperial Palace’s layout as soon as possible.
After all, I would need to remain here at least until next spring, when Auredhian married Soleia in the original work. Whether I seduced Auredhian and claimed him for myself, or kicked Soleia out entirely, something had to be resolved.
And within minutes of leaving Bellirook Palace, I understood what that “marking” meant. Far ahead, beyond what looked like a wide courtyard resembling a garden, something white was fluttering in the breeze.
As I drew closer, I saw dozens of white handkerchiefs tied along the fence in a row. From a distance, they looked like white ribbons. The claim that they wouldn’t be difficult to recognize was true. Marienne, who had followed me, explained.
“To the east, this Imperial Central Garden; to the west, the path leading to Chierta Palace. To the north, the Imperial Palace’s north gate; and to the south, the front of the Imperial Training Grounds. That’s the 500-meter radius centered on Bellirook.”
“I see…”
“Within this boundary, you can move about with peace of mind. However, if you cross that perimeter…”
I didn’t need to hear the rest. It would be dangerous since we couldn’t know where mana stones might be in use. I let out a small sigh. Of course, this treatment was far better than what a typical “hostage” would receive, but still… A gloomy murmur escaped my lips.
“In the end, I’m still confined…”
Yes. In the end, wasn’t I confined? My movable space had been limited to a 500-meter radius around Bellirook Palace.
But I couldn’t really complain, because the problem lay with me. Damn this body! Besides, if I thought about it, Auredhian had shown me consideration that didn’t exist in the original work.
Belgot is a nation that devotes itself to magic to such an extent that it imports enormous quantities of mana stones from Azekien every year. For the Imperial Palace of such an empire to remove even a portion of its mana stones because of one person like me… I was in no position to grumble. Sigh. Yes, being able to step outside Bellirook Palace was already a blessing.
Interpreting my gloomy expression somehow, Marienne quickly added, “His Majesty has directly instructed that whenever you absolutely must cross the boundary, you must send word first.”
“His Majesty directly ordered that whenever it becomes necessary to go beyond the boundaries, you must always send word.”
“Really?”
And at those words, my eyes widened. Oh? Could it be that he meant he would come himself on such occasions?
At that thought, my heart began to race. Perhaps that strange, impenetrable aura from yesterday was merely an illusion? After all, he truly is a kind and considerate father…!
Without a second thought, I immediately acted on the idea that had just occurred to me.
“P-Princess?”
I opened my eyes wide and clung to Marienne, who called out to me in bewilderment. Her height towered over mine, making it effortless to wrap myself around her.
I embraced Marienne’s waist tightly and cried out.
“I want to go beyond the garden over there!”
—And the result was disastrous.
“Where shall I escort you, Princess?”
“Who are you…?”
The man before me was not a handsome youth with silver hair and crimson eyes.
I stared up at the man in white priestly robes with a vacant expression. He had black hair and gentle golden eyes that radiated kindness. He smiled virtuously.
“Diego Schmart. I serve as a priest of Raulus Temple.”
“Ah…”
“I have received orders from His Majesty. Should you wish to go anywhere, Princess, I am to attend you at any time and place.”
A priest of the temple. One who possessed Raulus’s divine power… My mouth fell open. Auredhian Belgot, this man truly!

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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