Celebrity Lady - Chapter 151

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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 151
“Meow.”
When I turned slowly, Rubetria’s face was right in front of me, wearing an enigmatic smile.
Her narrowed eyes curved with laughter in a way that was decidedly dangerous.
Gulp.
The sound of a dry swallow.
When Rubetria turned back toward me and linked her arm around my neck with a low chuckle, I instinctively stepped back.
“A cat… you said we were going to see a cat? Was the cat a noble lady?”
“Mm.”
“Wait a moment.”
Despite the completely unanticipated turn of events, my body responded with alarming reliability.
In a panic, I pushed Rubetria away and then—
—Meoooow.
‘…What?’
This time it was a real cat’s cry.
I spun around and saw a three-colored cat trotting down the stairs.
“Hey, what? You should be sleeping right now! There’s a stranger here—why’d you come out?”
Rubetria clicked her tongue in mock frustration, then picked up the cat and approached.
“…So there really was one?”
“Say hello. She’s female, approximately four months old. Her name is Mango.”
“That’s… an unusual name. Hello there.”
—Meoooow.
With a befuddled feeling, I reached out and stroked the cat’s head. She purred and rubbed her cheek against my palm.
“Wow, unbelievable.”
“What is?”
“I found her wandering behind our house a week ago and brought her in. But while she’s fine with my hands, she’s wary of everyone else—extremely so.”
“Is that so?”
I took the cat from her, and she settled right into my arms. There wasn’t a trace of caution.
“I gave the servants and attendants time off to help her adjust. The women are fine enough, but whenever she sees a big man, she trembles terribly. She saw Victor and hid for the whole day without coming out.”
Watching the purring cat in my arms, Rubetria added with exasperation.
“Looks like it depends on the person. So you like handsome men too, do you?”
“Ha. That’s cute.”
The cat suddenly bounded down and rubbed her head against my leg.
“Is this how you do it?”
The fishing rod toy sat on the living room sofa.
Recognizing it, I picked it up and waved it, and the cat happily chased after it.
“Mmmrow…”
“Hahahaha! My goodness, she’s adorable. I was just singing about a three-colored cat, and here you’ve found one. How’s that for fate?”
“I know, I was surprised myself.”
“Maybe it’s destiny? Don’t you think?”
“…”
“Mango, this way! Hahahaha!”
“…”
“She’s so cute. Come here!”
—Meoooow!
“…”
Rubetria smacked her lips and settled onto the sofa.
“Say…”
“That little thing is quite fierce, isn’t she?”
“Your Highness.”
“Over here this time.”
“Darling.”
“…”
I was pretending not to notice as I swung the fishing rod when Rubetria suddenly came up from behind and wrapped her arms around my waist. I froze.
As my hands stiffened, Rubetria snatched the toy rod from my grip and tossed it. The cat bolted after it.
“There’s no one home.”
“…But the cat’s here?”
“I mean no people.”
Yes, hadn’t I suspected as much from the moment she purred “meow” against my ear?
I turned slowly to face her.
“Noble lady.”
“Could you stop calling me that? You use my name just fine in the middle of things, so why?”
“Fine, Ruby.”
Holding my waist, Rubetria smiled and began slowly pushing me backward.
“Let’s go upstairs and play.”
“Ugh.”
Cold sweat broke out across my skin.
Still in that position, I let myself be led to the second-floor bedroom.
With nowhere left to retreat, my back against the door, I gripped Rubetria’s shoulders tightly.
“What do you want to play in the bedroom? Let’s just go downstairs and wave around the toy.”
“You don’t need to ask what kind of play I want, do you?”
“…”
Rubetria gazed up at me with narrowed eyes, a sly smile on her lips.
I’d have to be an idiot not to understand, but…
“This wasn’t part of my plan.”
“What kind of boring thing is that to say?”
“If the Duke finds out, I won’t escape with my bones intact, that’s for certain.”
“How would Father find out?”
“Well… even if not the Duke. My plan was—ugh. Not now, but…”
“Not until after we’re married?”
“That’s right…”
“We’re doing it in May, remember? So after kissing, I have to wait three more months for the next step? That means you’ll only let me kiss you until then?”
I found myself thinking back to the carriage ride home.
My healthy body responding immediately to the lingering warmth of a kiss.
In truth… I was the one most reluctant to stop at just a kiss each time.
And yet.
“Still, I have a plan for everything. This situation I genuinely didn’t anticipate.”
“Right, I know. I know you’re the type who does everything strictly by plan… You said it yourself, didn’t you?”
Rubetria smiled wickedly and lowered her voice in mockery.
“…You do this to me. You make me something I’m not.”
“Ah.”
“So be a bad person just once and break your plan, all right?”
Standing on tiptoe, Rubetria gave my chin a brief kiss.
“Damn it… I’m losing my mind.”
“Don’t you like me?”
“No, of course I do. I do like you.”
But I felt like some kind of dissolute scoundrel doing something wrong…
Could this be right? I haven’t even received a Proposal Letter from the Duke yet.
I screwed my eyes shut, caught in doubt.
—Meoooow.
The cat’s cry, having somehow followed us upstairs.
“Meow.”
Rubetria’s voice teased at my ear.
“Ruby.”
I made my decision and spoke.
“Yes?”
“Once you cross this line, there’s no turning back.”
“How frightening.”
“You have to marry me. For real.”
“Of course.”
“All right.”
“Oh my!”
I suddenly yanked the door open, grabbed Rubetria’s arm, and pulled her into the room.
Bang—the door shut firmly behind us.
And one minute later.
A hand emerged through the cracked-open door.
The cat, who had followed us in, was being held in it.
“Wait outside.”
—Meoooow.
Bang.
The door closed securely again.
For quite some time afterward, the cat scratched and cried at the gap, demanding to be let back in.
—Meoooow!
* * *
A week later.
The trial of the Second Prince and Molga Diolus, the Duchess Dowager, took place.
Molga Diolus and her younger brother Gale Bert, who had slaughtered the entire Diolus family, along with their physician Benjamin.
All of their crimes laid bare, the public recoiled in horror, and the scandal soon became known as the Diolus Tragedy, filling the Imperial Court with endless gossip.
“They say the nation’s luck has turned. Look at all this chaos among the royal family.”
“True. I heard something went wrong with Spiritist abilities?”
“Not everyone, but… well, apparently a princess appeared at court recently, and they say her eye color has actually changed.”
On a lazy afternoon at the Diolus Duchy Mansion.
Biego, climbing the stairs toward the third-floor study, paused at the sound of servants’ chatter from above.
“They said the blessing of spirits vanished, and it seems they were right. With eyes that obviously different, there’s no hiding the fact that she’s lost her spirit. Poor thing must be in quite the predicament.”
“Hey, but did you see the young lady’s eyes?”
“…Of course I did.”
At the hushed continuation of the conversation, Biego’s eyes narrowed.
“But the young lady never had a spirit to begin with. If that’s the case, shouldn’t she be more at ease? She’s had to listen to people call her half-blood her whole life.”
“That’s true. Now she and the other royals aren’t any different, are they?”
“I suppose… eek!”
One of the servants cleaning the window frame started at the sight of Biego coming up the stairs.
Both servants immediately stiffened and bowed their heads, trembling.
“…”
Gazing down at them, Biego’s mind turned to Rubetria.
As luck would have it, he—along with his father Leonard and his younger brother Victor—retained their Spiritist abilities.
The brilliant golden eyes that mark a Spiritist remained unchanged…
But what weighed on Biego’s heart was his younger sister Rubetria.
“Watch your tongues.”
“I-I’m sorry, young master.”
“My apologies…”
Having warned the servants, Biego entered the study and swallowed a sigh.
Rubetria…
She had lost her golden eyes, just like some of the other royals.
It wasn’t unusual in itself, since she had never had a spirit in the first place, but the fact that her appearance had changed in others’ eyes was an altogether different matter.
She had already suffered in silence, the subject of gossip because she couldn’t contract with a spirit…
“Brother?”
I glanced up absently and started.
Rubetria stood between the bookshelves, holding a single volume.
‘She must have been in the study the whole time.’
Now I understood why the servants had been talking about her just now…
“What brings you here?”
“What do you mean? Aren’t I allowed to be here?”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
Clearing my throat awkwardly, Biego crossed through the gap between shelves to avoid her.
He remained guilty toward his younger sister, and she remained awkward with him.
When they were alone together, things were invariably uncomfortable.
‘Let me just find what I need and leave.’
Biego looked about for the book, scanning the shelves for some time.
“What book are you looking for?”
With one bookshelf between us, Rubetria asked. Her bright brown eyes could be seen through the gaps between the haphazardly arranged volumes.
“Ah, I need… Land Tax Organization by Kellen Orgo.”
“Where would that be? It looks like the study hasn’t been properly maintained in quite a while.”
“…You’re right. I’ll find it myself. You go on with what you were doing.”
Though I said it was fine, Rubetria diligently scanned the shelves up and down.
“Really, it’s okay.”
Feeling awkward, I busied myself with straightening random books.
How much time had passed? As I glanced across the bookshelf at Rubetria’s face, I suddenly froze.
‘…What?’
Just for a moment, Rubetria’s eyes had…
At that same instant,
Thunk.
A book fell from the opposite shelf with a soft noise.
Rubetria, as if she had been waiting, twisted her body and rushed toward it, then returned to me with a volume in hand.
“This is it, right? Land Tax Organization.”
“Ah, yes…”
I took the book from her with a bewildered expression.
Yet my gaze wasn’t on the book at all—it was fixed on Rubetria’s eyes.
There was nothing amiss. Where the golden eyes had vanished, bright brown eyes now settled in their place.
“Well then, I should go. Father’s back now, so make sure you rest a bit. Don’t read dreary books like this.”
“…”
“Romance novels are quite enjoyable, you know.”
Rubetria held up two volumes tucked under her arm, smiled knowingly, and left the study.
Left standing alone, staring at the study door where she had exited, Biego muttered softly with narrowed eyes.
“…Did I imagine it?”
For just one instant, Rubetria’s brown eyes had seemed to flash gold…

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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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