Celebrity Lady - Chapter 46

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

Celebrity Lady
Chapter 46
“That’s unfair.”
As I tried to pull my hand free, Larque gripped it firmly.
“Let go.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I said let go since you understand now.”
“No, your anger isn’t resolved yet.”
“I’m going to hit you two more times and then I’ll forgive you, so let go.”
“Okay, okay, fine.”
Larque hastily released me, and I struck his chest twice more with solid thuds, then let my arm fall limp.
“Is that enough?”
……
“Hit me more, come on.”
“No.”
I let my hand drop and heaved a sigh deep enough to make the ground cave in.
“Strictly speaking, it’s not your fault. I’m the fool for misunderstanding, and Kedrick’s the swindler for lying.”
“No.”
Larque shook his head, his eyes somewhat confused.
“Kedrick Raizer is a swindler, that much is true, but you’re no fool. The fault is mine. I admit it.”
……
“To be honest, I thought you’d forgotten about that day.”
“How could I forget it? And you—you’ve been remembering all this time?”
“Well, we made a promise that day. Promises are meant to be kept, aren’t they?”
“Exactly. So is this it? You’ve been waiting seven years until I grew up, and now you’ve finally come to meet me? Because of that silly childhood promise about getting married?”
“Wow, calling a childhood promise silly—does that hurt my feelings? Even if it was just play, I meant to keep it.”
“Of course I did too. Because of that promise, I ended up liking only Kedrick for the rest of my life.”
“You mean you actually marry Kedrick Raizer in the future?”
“No. He marries Lillia.”
“What? Then why do you—”
Larque suddenly went hot, then smiled and corrected himself.
“Why that swindler?”
“I know. I must be the romantic type by nature. In the future, you won’t be around to explain anything, and that swindler keeps toying with me my whole life.”
“Well, at least you can see the future—otherwise you’d have been hung up on that swindler forever. What a disaster that would’ve been.”
I forced a laugh before Larque’s furrowed brow. “Yeah, really.”
‘The truth is, I’m not seeing the future—I’m just living through time I’ve already experienced.’
Unable to reveal the truth, I simply swallowed a sigh.
‘Ah, a whole lifetime of devotion wasted on the wrong person…….’
Watching me deflate, Larque spoke with firm conviction.
“Don’t associate with that swindler anymore.”
“Obviously not. Do you think I’ve lost my mind?”
“But the more I think about it, the angrier I get. If that swindler hadn’t lied, you’d never have liked him in the first place, right?”
“That’s true. Without that memory, I never would’ve followed some swindler with narrow shoulders and a weak frame.”
“Exactly. A man is defined by his shoulders.”
Larque nodded in agreement, then his eyes gleamed with a shrewd glint.
“So then, what about me, right now?”
I let out an exasperated laugh and pushed his shoulder away.
“That ship has sailed. It’s far too late.”
“Shame.”
Watching Larque shrug with feigned regret, I murmured to myself.
Rubet, are you watching?
‘……I’m sorry, but Kedrick’s a swindler so that’s a no-go, and Larque’s the crown prince so that’s also a no-go. I’ll have to find another good man for myself, slowly.’
I resolved this and began walking through the clearing again.
Larque hurried after me, calling out.
“Hey, hey, Rubet! We should go together!”
“Hurry up and come on!”
* * *
Crown Prince Larque van Rashmach Deckard had been in a foul mood ever since meeting Rubet the day before and throughout the next day.
He made a point of laughing and talking to cheer up the downcast Rubet, but internally he’d indulged in every curse word he could muster.
‘Is that guy actually insane?’
Kedrick Raizer…….
It was already infuriating that he’d deceived the innocent Rubet all this time, but his villainy didn’t end there.
Even after becoming a married man, he’d keep giving Rubet false hope and act ambiguously, making her devoted to him forever? Such a future?
The more he thought about it, the more his anger surged beyond mere exasperation. It was unlike him, someone usually unmoved by emotion.
‘Narrow-shouldered bastard…….’
Finally finishing the documents he’d had to review this morning, Larque left his office clenching his teeth.
‘I’d feel better if I could hit him. But how do I run into him?’
It was then that Larque’s footsteps halted abruptly in the corridor.
Duke Raizer.
A familiar face he saw at every imperial conference, and Kedrick’s father.
And beside the duke was a boy with a face that bore a striking resemblance to him.
“Your Highness!”
“Duke Raizer? It’s not a conference day—what brings you to the palace?”
“Indeed, my eldest son has been granted the title of Young Duke and as of yesterday has become the official heir of our house. I’ve come to present my respects to all the imperial family.”
“Ah, was that supposed to be tomorrow morning? Now that I think of it, didn’t you request an audience with me?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I had planned to call upon you tomorrow, but since we’ve met here like this…….”
The duke patted Kedrick’s shoulder warmly with a pleased expression.
“Go on, pay your respects.”
Kedrick bowed deeply to Larque with a somewhat nervous expression.
“The Empire’s small sun, I have the honor of meeting Crown Prince Larque van Rashmach Deckard. I am Young Duke Kedrick Raizer.”
“……Yes, I see.”
Enemies do meet on a narrow bridge, they say. And here was the very person who’d been irritating him all day yesterday, appearing right before his eyes.
Larque forced his lips into a smile and regarded Kedrick.
“As heir to House Raizer, I pledge to serve the Empire without shame and to remain loyal to the throne.”
“Right, do that.”
Larque replied dismissively, watching Kedrick’s eager face.
……?
Something in Larque’s cold gaze and casual tone made Kedrick pause for a moment.
Larque spoke flatly.
“Anyway, I’m busy right now. Get out of the way, would you?”
“Y-yes? Yes, Your Highness…….”
“Excuse us.”
The duke and Kedrick hastily cleared the path.
Larque moved forward with a single broad stride, his eyes fixed on Kedrick with obvious disdain.
Smack!—
“Oof!”
“K-Kedrick!”
And deliberately, he drove his shoulder hard into Kedrick’s shoulder, knocking him aside.
Caught completely off-guard, Kedrick stumbled and barely managed to stay on his feet.
“Oops, my mistake. My shoulders are just too broad, I’m afraid.”
……
“You alright?”
Kedrick stared up at Larque in a daze as he pouted his lips sympathetically.
He was certain of it now.
‘What? What is this? Why does the crown prince have it out for me? We’ve never even met before!’
As Kedrick stood there stuttering, Larque asked again.
“I said, are you alright?”
“Ah, yes! I-I’m fine.”
“Good, well…….”
Larque continued walking briskly as he spoke.
“Duke Raizer, have your son do some strength training. A man with shoulders like that—what kind of shoulders are those? So weak you can barely touch him before he stumbles.”
“……Yes, I understand.”
“Then I’ll be going. Thank you for your time.”
With that parting remark, Larque walked away with quick strides.
“You little…….”
The duke stared blankly at his retreating figure and muttered.
“Dad, listen to me.”
“What in blazes have you been up to that such a good-natured crown prince would take a dislike to you? Huh?”
“I didn’t. It’s a misunderstanding. I didn’t do anything. No incident—”
“You little fool! You little fool!”
The duke clenched his teeth, looked around, then smacked Kedrick’s back repeatedly.
“Ow! Dad, this is the palace! Stop!”
Kedrick grimaced as he took the hits without understanding why.
* * *
Early September, when the summer heat had finally broken.
Boutique Street in the Commercial District Renten.
This place, which thronged with extravagant nobles every day, was now experiencing even greater crowds and suffering under the influx.
The reason was a boutique that had appeared like a comet: <Blanc de Ruby>.
Sara Wigo, a great actress from Je-do, and the actors of the Roland Theater Troupe she belonged to had boldly launched new dress designs that naturally set trends.
Quick-witted noble ladies flocked en masse to Sara Wigo’s boutique <Blanc de Ruby>.
<Blanc de Ruby>
– Operates exclusively on a Prepayment Reservation System.
– Does not accept individual orders. (NO INQUIRIES)
Just from the signboard in front of the building, one could feel the arrogance of the suddenly famous proprietress—the boutique <Blanc de Ruby>.
Once young ladies who ordered dresses here began to stroll the streets of Je-do, the fashion landscape shifted completely.
In just one month, at that.
“Listen here, Madame. Do you know who I am and yet you treat me this way?”
And here, in this shop.
Nora Pelcan, a fourteen-year-old noblewoman and the only daughter of Earl Pelcan, was thoroughly enraged.
“I wouldn’t know, I’m afraid.”
“Ha!”
Arms crossed defiantly and legs folded with arrogant elegance, the posture showed no deference even before a celebrated noblewoman.
Becky, the proprietress of <Blanc de Ruby>, seemed well aware of her own sudden fame and maintained an extremely haughty demeanor.
“I’m Nora Pelcan! The only daughter of Earl Pelcan’s house!”
“Yes, Lady Nora. And what brings you here?”
“To have a dress made, of course. How many times must I say it?”
“I’ve mentioned it quite a few times myself, but our shop operates exclusively on a Prepayment Reservation System. If you place an order today…….”
Becky flipped through the ledger she was holding with a flutter and smiled.
“We can have it ready for you in August of next year.”
“Are you serious? I, Nora Pelcan, have to wait nearly a year just for one dress?”
Bang!
Nora, furious, slammed the table with her small fist.
“Take my order right now! I’ll pay whatever you want!”

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