Celebrity Lady - Chapter 132

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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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Celebrity Lady
Episode 132
The blood in his veins ran cold.
“What are you doing here, brother?”
Lilia loitered around Victor without seeming to notice—or perhaps not caring—that he was wound tight as a spring.
‘Damn it, Victor! If it weren’t for her, Rubetria would’ve felt closer to you, wouldn’t she? Because of her scheming, Rubetria probably thinks you and your father are just the same!’
The other Victor that clawed its way up whenever anger took hold was goading him again, testing his resolve.
‘And Rubetria’s stress about her appearance—you weren’t completely blameless in that either, were you? Every time she asked you to teach her exercises, you’d talk her out of it, saying she didn’t need to lose weight.’
“Brother! Aren’t you listening to me?”
‘And because of her, you’ve become the pathetic older brother who complains about Rubetria behind her back and compares her to this girl, haven’t you?’
Victor swallowed hard and clenched his teeth.
“You.”
At the terrible twist of Victor’s expression, Lilia’s chattering stopped short.
At the same time, Rubetria’s voice—one she’d repeated so many times this morning—echoed in his mind, but…….
“You didn’t forget what I told you this morning, did you?”
What had Rubetria said? What were her words from this morning?
Before he could even trace back his memory, Victor’s hand already shot up.
‘Yeah, just smack this demonic brat’s head once and for all! No matter what she’s done to Rubetria, that fool of an older brother is going to keep her by his side for life anyway! If you’re any kind of brother, you should repay Rubetria this way!’
Lilia flinched in sudden alarm.
“When you’re about to say or do something, you should always stop and think it through once more, in your heart, before you act.”
Ah. Now he remembered what Rubetria had said this morning.
“I’m grateful that you’d get angry for my sake, but please—really think about whether that would truly make me happy. Understood?”
Victor froze and lifted his eyes.
This was his sister’s workplace. And everyone was watching him.
Her colleagues, the noble ladies surrounding Lilia…….
‘Why hesitate? Just hit her! I can’t even stand to look at her face!’
Victor’s hand came down gently and settled softly on Lilia’s head.
“……?”
Lilia’s eyes went wide with surprise at the affectionate touch, and she blinked rapidly.
“It’s been a while.”
“Huh?”
Victor withdrew his hand quickly and added, “We live in the same house, but it’s hard to see you. Isn’t that right?”
He spoke with a faint smile, and the young ladies beside Lilia flushed and tittered among themselves.
“Oh my, Lady Lilia. You’re so lucky. We’ve heard all your brothers are handsome and kind, but…….”
“Could you introduce us to them too?”
“But what are you doing here? We understood you worked for the Imperial House…….”
Lilia felt proud thanks to Victor.
Her handsome, affectionate brother, and friends gazing at her with envious eyes…….
Lilia stuck out her lip and quickly hooked her arm through Victor’s.
“My brother’s just too busy, so we don’t see each other often!”
“…….”
Stiff and tense, Victor didn’t correct her misunderstanding, and Lilia continued her prattle.
“So what are you really doing here?”
“I work here.”
Lilia was taken aback by the immediate response.
‘What? Rubetria, you madwoman. Don’t tell me you’re trying to use someone from the Imperial House as a shop display piece? Why does Victor keep agreeing to such absurd requests?’
Noticing the confused expressions of the young ladies, Lilia quickly covered.
“Ah, I see. My brother and Madam seem to know each other quite well, so he’s just helping out for a bit.”
Lilia winked at Victor and led her friends away.
“Let’s go look at some dresses. We were going to check out the new design catalog anyway.”
“Yes, let’s.”
“We can chat more later.”
The young ladies reluctantly followed Lilia and drifted off. While they were browsing the dresses and catalogs on display in the shop for a while……
“Lady Lilia.”
One of the young ladies who’d come with them approached.
Her name was Rose Tayla.
At eighteen years old, Rose was the second daughter of the distinguished Marquis Tayla Family and quite a well-known young lady in High Society.
“Yes, Miss Rose?”
“About the dinner we planned for tonight—do you think Sir Victor could join us as well?”
“I beg your pardon?”
From her expression, it was clear Rose had taken quite a fancy to Victor.
“I’d like to get to know him better.”
All the young ladies who’d come with her today were well-born daughters of houses of considerable standing.
Rose, already firmly established in High Society, was among the most important to maintain relations with.
“Well…….”
Lilia hesitated.
Unlike Biego, Victor wasn’t the sort of older brother to nod along with every word she said.
He did seem pleased to see his sister after so long, though…….
“Your brothers all eat out of your hand once you ask them, or so they say. Won’t you put in a good word for me? Please?”
Rose coaxed her in a pleading tone, and the other two young ladies who’d gathered nearby were already wide-eyed with excitement.
Lilia glanced back at Victor, standing at a distance.
“Then I’ll ask him.”
“Yay!”
Lilia headed toward Victor with her nose in the air, and the young ladies trailed after her.
At that moment, Victor Diolus was…….
Maintaining an expressionless face while inwardly experiencing the excruciating limits of his patience.
Lilia was literally walking around before his eyes, and Rubetria’s diary wouldn’t stop circling in his head.
He endured. And endured. And endured some more.
For one reason alone.
“This is my chance to get my temper under control.”
“If I cause a scene in the shop, I’ll really catch it.”
Because Rubetria had made a point of warning him!
“Brother, when do you finish work? You’re finishing soon, right? We were the last customers anyway.”
But this utterly oblivious little demon kept bouncing right back into his line of sight, methodically shredding what was left of his restraint.
“Yeah.”
“Great. This is Rose from the Marquis Tayla Family. We’re all having dinner together tonight, so come with us.”
“I—”
“It’s wonderful to meet you, Sir Victor. I’ve always hoped we’d meet someday, and now we have! I’m Rose Tayla.”
“Oh my, Lady Lilia. Shouldn’t we introduce ourselves too? Sir Victor, I’m——”
“Really. Me too. —— — ——.”
“—— — ——.”
Victor’s head ached and his vision swam white. The chattering voices were barely audible.
“Tee-hee, you’ll come, won’t you?”
Lilia clung to him.
“It’s been so long since I got to see your pretty little sister!”
“Oh my, look at Lady Lilia’s charm. How adorable! Sir Victor, you must be delighted.”
“Our brother doesn’t show it. It’s really such a shame.”
Enough…….
Please, just back away.
‘Victor! This time, we’re really going to give her one! You’ve endured long enough!’
She has no conscience. It wasn’t enough to torment Rubetria—she even drove a wedge between brothers, and yet that mouth of hers keeps saying “brother” so smoothly.
“Ge——.”
——t away, you demonic girl. If you were a boy, you’d have gotten beaten down by me long ago.
Just as the words were about to burst free——.
Ting.
A savior appeared.
Silver hair, mask, small handbag in hand—our proprietress walked into the shop.
It was Rubetria.
“Haa.”
Victor let out the breath he’d been holding.
The heat that had risen to his scalp cooled instantly, as if ice water had been thrown over him.
“Is that—is that not Madam Rubetria?”
“Oh my!”
For a moment, Rubetria stood taking in the situation.
Victor’s flushed face, the young ladies surrounding him, Lilia in their midst.
‘Oh, merciful heavens.’
She’d thought that once the girls knew who Madam Rubetria really was, they’d never set foot in this shop again…….
‘This girl really does have the nerve.’
Seeing Lilia quickly avert her gaze with a pale face, Rubetria approached swiftly.
“Lovely ladies, have you been enjoying yourselves?”
“Of course. This winter’s new dress designs turned out so beautifully.”
“Thank you.”
The young ladies’ eyes lit up at the sight of the renowned Madam Rubetria, brightest celebrity of the Capital, marveling at her elegant presence.
“One moment.”
Rubetria parted through them and pulled at Victor’s arm, drawing him out.
With a tender touch, she smoothed his clothes into order.
“How did things go today?”
“……Yes, Manager.”
The young ladies’ eyes widened.
Rubetria removed the name tag fastened to Victor’s left chest and tucked it neatly into his jacket pocket.
Then she smiled at the speechless group and spoke.
“I’m afraid I have an appointment with this gentleman, so I’ll have to take my leave. Have a pleasant evening.”
She linked her arm with Victor’s and left the shop.
“My……my goodness.”
The young ladies stared after the pair, their mouths hanging open.
“Sir Victor and the Madam didn’t seem like mere acquaintances…….”
“They seemed to be in that kind of relationship?”
So much for trying to impress her friends by introducing Victor!
Lilia watched through the shop window as Rubetria—who’d just snatched her brother away—grew distant, and she ground her teeth.
“That’s not what’s happening…….”
* * *
“Come, follow my lead. Breathe out!”
“Breathe out!”
“Now breathe in.”
“Breathe in…….”
I’d hurriedly moved the human time-bomb to the carriage and managed to defuse him before he exploded.
I felt like the protagonist of a spy thriller who’d narrowly escaped an imminent disaster.
I’d never felt this tense even during actual film shoots…….
“Are you okay?”
“Haaa.”
Victor kept his hand on his chest and continued taking deep breaths on his own.
I sighed in relief as I watched him gradually calm his expression.
“Wow, you held it together well. I didn’t expect her to show up.”
If I’d been even a minute late, there’s no telling what disaster would have unfolded…….
I was gently patting my brother’s back, proud of his restraint, when——
“Rubetria.”
“Hmm?”
“But…….”
Victor straightened up from his hunched posture, his head snapping up with a bright smile as he pointed across the carriage.
“Why is he here?”
“……Well, that’s——”
I laughed awkwardly and glanced at Lark, who was waiting.
He spoke at once, his voice grave as a confession.
“I’ve come to collect you, Sir Victor.”
“Huh.”
“Come back to me.”
“My.”
What was with this romantic line? Unlike Victor, who looked decidedly unimpressed, I felt a flutter in my chest.
* * *
The drinking session that had started on the second floor of my home from early evening continued well past midnight.
Feeling the lack of the Deputy Knight Commander more acutely than expected, Lark had come not only to settle lingering feelings between himself and Victor, but also to persuade him to return.
“To be honest, I’ve been really disappointed in you, Your Highness~~”
“I know, I know. I understand your feelings. Come on, have another drink.”
Lark kept refilling the beer glass, which had been emptied so many times he’d lost count, gently coaxing Victor along.
The sight of them exchanging drinks was so amusing that I sat beside Victor, plucking peanuts from the bowl and giggling.
“I know I’m not much of an older brother, but really~~ no matter what, shouldn’t I at least know more about my own sister’s affairs than some complete stranger, the Crown Prince? Huh?”
“That’s true. I understand your disappointment.”
“I really thought I’d built quite a bond with you over the years~~”
“There, there.”
A moderate amount of alcohol had rendered Victor surprisingly honest and gentle.
Lark’s claim that conversation flowed more easily with a bit of drinking in him was proving true.
“And those endless Training Grounds rotations! Couldn’t you maybe—just maybe—stop?! The 2nd Knight Unit alone would be more than enough, but why do you always make me do the 4th Knight Unit too~?”
“Is that really true?”
I raised an eyebrow, and Lark froze before offering an apologetic smile.
“I was hard on you? I only thought that since Sir Victor has such excellent skill and stamina…….”
“I get tired too~?!”
“I’m sorry. That was my fault.”
“You’re right. It was my fault.”
Once I agreed with him, Victor seemed pleased, his lips twitching as he refilled Lark’s glass.
“Here you go.”
“Whew. You can drink.”
Lark, seeming just as intoxicated, gave his head a large shake and brought the refilled glass to his lips.
“But, um……. When I see you two getting all……like that…….”
Victor suddenly grew teary.
“……I feel quite a bit upset, you know?”
“Huh?”
“Actually, for a while now…… I’ve been imagining it a lot, on my own……. What it would be like if I married you, Your Highness…….”
My jaw went rigid as the peanut I’d been chewing stopped.
“I imagined it…… and I realized…… if I had to choose someone to spend my whole life with, there’s no one quite like you, Your Highness…….”
“Brother?”
“Prince, are you very drunk? What are you suddenly saying?”
Lark furrowed his brow and asked.
“If I married you…… I could finally let go of one burden, right? I’d be better off than with that father and brother I can’t stand to look at…… wouldn’t you treat me better? Since we’d be married, you wouldn’t make me do those endless Training Grounds rotations anymore…….”
At Victor’s slurred, mumbled words, both Lark and I were confused.
“And if I had children, they’d be incredibly beautiful, wouldn’t they? It’s strange to say it myself, but…… Sir Victor and you eat the beauty rankings of the Knight Order at positions one and two, don’t you…….”
“Prince, are you speaking seriously right now?”
We were astounded.
Bang.
Victor had dropped this bombshell confession and now his head hit the table with a thud.
And then he drove the nail home, crying.
“I like you, Your Highness……. So…… let’s just get married……. If I have to choose someone and entrust my whole life to them…… it’s you…….”
Tap.
A peanut fell from my hand.
Victor remained face-down on the table, his wet eyes fixed on me as he sniffled.

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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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