Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 153

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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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“Evan, stop jabbing my shoulder like that.”
“I can’t exactly stab your chest.”
“And cut out the sexual harassment.”
She seemed genuinely hurt, continuing to grumble under her breath. I tilted my head at Eugene’s stated desire to interact with General Department students during this opportunity. Didn’t we already know people from the General Department?
“The Royal Family doesn’t count as General Department.”
“Hmm.”
So our war-loving great noble wanted to have ordinary friends besides the Royal Family and mages. Since she’d dominated the Combat Techniques Department as a first-year, she’d become somewhat idealized there, which made her stand out a bit awkwardly.
Even I could see that befriending a mage came with risks, so if there was someone from the General Department worth introducing…
“There is one person who’d jump at my call.”
“Someone you met while working as a work-study student?”
“No. The Emperor’s Twelfth Cousin.”
“Oh, that person.”
Every time I saw him, I’d recommend he get dermatological treatment, and he eventually got his acne cleared up, his face brightening considerably. After experiencing defeat several times when he tried to pick fights with me, his personality had mellowed out, and recently he’d even gotten a girlfriend. These days when we passed each other, we’d exchange pleasantries. Reflecting on the past and mentioning that despite being the Emperor’s Twelfth Cousin, he was practically a stranger, I asked if I should introduce them. Eugene readily agreed.
“A twelfth cousin is basically an outsider.”
“I know his address, so I’ll send a letter.”
When I was volunteering at the Cafeteria, he’d asked me what to do about a girl he liked, so I advised him to fix his face first. He threw his lunch tray at me for that. After a few more consultations, he suddenly showed up with a girlfriend, shouting that if I needed anything I could contact him or not, then threw down his mother’s business card with their home address and left. Turns out his mother was a lawyer.
I opened my precious business card holder and flipped through it like turning pages in a book, rustling through the cards.
“Found it. Now for a friend’s mother’s card—not the toad’s.”
“Wow, I’m always jealous when I see that.”
It was thanks to walking around so much. I pulled out the card, planning to write the letter right at the Studio. Actually, after class ended, where we were heading was the recording studio Sunbird had secured for us.
“Eugene, Evan, you’re here early.”
And there was Sunbird, who’d arrived even earlier and was already preparing. After exchanging greetings with Sunbird upon entering the Studio, I glanced around restlessly. If Sunbird was here, then Seian Crowell should naturally be here too.
“Stop looking around like that. It’s tacky.”
That irritating voice belonged to Seian Crowell! I snapped my head toward his voice. For some reason, he wasn’t wearing his school uniform.
“Your neck made a really loud sound. You okay?”
Given the questionable quality, it didn’t seem like Sera had bought it for him. Where on earth did he get that outfit? The loose-fitting short-sleeved shirt had a bizarre design—the gaps between the fabric panels were stitched together with thick thread, leaving his skin visible underneath. It looked incredibly breathable, but as a design choice, it was questionable because it had the effect of making people viewing it act impulsively.
“That…”
“Don’t you dare say it.”
Seian tried to stop me, sensing where this was going, but it was already too late. I was absolutely going to say this.
“I want to put my hand through the holes.”
“I told you to shut up!”
Seian got angry. That was fine with me. So when would he let me put my hand through those holes?
I successfully wrote a letter to the Emperor’s Twelfth Cousin, who’d gotten his acne treated, and waited obediently for Seian’s permission. It was good that I’d been carrying around pink rabbit stationery lately so Cecilia could counterattack whenever she wanted to write.
“Hey, what’s that?”
“I’m writing a letter.”
“Ugh. Who are you sending such childish stationery to?”
“The Emperor’s Twelfth Cousin.”
“Why are you writing to that toad?!”
Seian Crowell shrieked and snatched the stationery from my hands. I could have resisted, but something told me he’d tear it to shreds if I didn’t let go, so I handed it over. Sure enough, unable to contain himself, Seian Crowell ripped the paper to pieces—and I seized the moment perfectly.
“That single sheet costs one thousand crowns.”
“D-don’t scam me! What kind of stationery costs a thousand crowns per sheet?!”
“Design fees. High-grade paper, and if you look closely, there are cubic zirconia crystals embedded in it.”
The character licensing fees were steep. I held out my hand calmly, demanding payment, and Seian Crowell huffed indignantly before fishing out the wallet he always carried in his back pocket—a black fabric pouch with velcro fasteners.
Every time he counted out money, the velcro made that distinctive ripping sound as he pulled it open, and it suited him so perfectly that I had to fight back laughter. Truth be told, I’d been egging him on just to see this.
“Here! One thousand crowns!”
“Thanks for the swift payment.”
I deliberately cleared my throat to hide my amusement and pulled out the next sheet of stationery. I was glad I’d prepared extras.
“So why are you writing letters to that toad in the first place?!”
“Eugene wants to have a commoner friend, so I’m helping bridge that gap.”
“Don’t lie—why would that murderer need friends? Why are you using such beautiful paper for this? Can’t you just say what you mean?!”
“The stationery is to counter-attack Cecilia.”
Cecilia had recently become obsessed with shiny black rabbits, so I was indulging her. My quick response made Seian Crowell’s expression shift to understanding. That woman really does have a weakness for bizarre things.
“Your Highness, I am not a murderer. My desire to have friends other than mages and royalty is sincere.”
“Uh… oh.”
He was cornered. Seian Crowell broke into a cold sweat and fumbled through an excuse that he’d misspoken about the murderer comment. This is why people should mind their words.
“Even I can be hurt by such words.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. Eugene! I’m sorry, really!”
But this was clearly teasing. Eugene had heard the “murderer” jab countless times before, and the fact that he was dwelling on it now made his intentions obvious. Besides, Eugene’s face had been grinning ever since he saw that velcro wallet earlier.
“Stop teasing him. Seian has reflected enough.”
When I interjected, Seian Crowell’s eyes widened like a startled ferret. It was adorable. No wonder Eugene wanted to tease him.
“My apologies, Your Highness. You’re just too cute, so I couldn’t help myself.”
“Ugh! Are you two trying to disrespect the royal family?!”
Eugene burst into laughter, and I couldn’t help but join in. This is why I love messing with Seian Crowell. I was thoroughly satisfied.
“So… when are you going to let me put my hand in that hole?”
“Are you going to keep bringing that up forever?”
“Is there a reason you came out wearing such shabby clothes?”
If it were simply a matter of Seian Crowell’s fashion sense being atrocious, I’d feel sorry for him—but something told me there was a reason. I asked Sunbird, and the man sighed before answering.
“His Highness seemed unlikely to ever wear such clothing, so I selected it deliberately.”
Why would Seian Crowell do something so ridiculous, like some popular idol? He doesn’t even have a fanbase.
“Well, school break started, and Her Highness Cecilia…”
Ah, I see. She wanted to keep both Sera and Seian Crowell within the Imperial Palace under her watch, so she’d summoned a family gathering or some such thing. But usually, wouldn’t the parents be the ones to say this? Cecilia’s acting as the head of household.
Anyway, Sera had already been summoned and was in the middle of family playtime, while Seian Crowell was stubbornly refusing to go.
“Still, you can’t avoid it forever.”
“Hmph! If it weren’t for you lot, I could have avoided it!”
He said he’d managed to dodge her wrath throughout the break by locking himself in his room and refusing to leave. That’s so like Seian Crowell. But now that Sera had caused such a commotion, I doubted Cecilia would let him hide at home. Such gatherings also served to demonstrate that her influence remained intact.
“Hmm…”
If you’re scared of Cecilia, should I come with you? My casual suggestion made Sunbird, Eugene, and Seian Crowell all jump and stare at me. Being stared at by three people simultaneously made me flinch slightly.
“I’m Cecilia’s retainer now. There’s nothing strange about me serving as her attendant.”
“Absolutely not. I won’t allow it.”
“Your concern for Seian Crowell is admirable, but you need to protect yourself first, Evan.”
“It seems Miss Evan doesn’t grasp how serious this situation is. You’ve completely fallen into Her Highness Cecilia’s favor.”
Well, if I’d fallen into her favor, I’d naturally be getting my hair grabbed and working as a maid, wouldn’t I? I shot back with a tone that suggested I understood perfectly well, but Sunbird shook his head.
“Your Highness has shown this level of interest in very few people—only Her Highness Sera and His Highness Seian Crowell before you, Miss Evan. It wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.”
Is that so? Come to think of it, during the Mitchell era I’d certainly fawned over Seian Crowell quite a bit, but I’d never had a private audience with Cecilia. The fact that I’d had private meetings with Evan and even struck her personally did suggest I was showing particular interest.
“Don’t you dare think strange thoughts! I can handle this just fine on my own!”
I knew that well enough. Despite all the friction between us, in the original story you were someone who participated in the succession struggle and even fought Cecilia. That tenacious survival instinct of yours—it reminded me of that old saying about how a cockroach’s IQ jumps to 300 when cornered. You were truly impressive back then.
“Right. Seian’s like a cockroach.”
“Who are you calling a cockroach!”
I tuned the classical guitar using Seian Crowell’s high-pitched shriek as a reference pitch. Once Zibenstein arrived, we’d run through rehearsals a few times to sync up, then go straight into recording. As I pondered the schedule ahead with that thought, Seian Crowell pointed out something about the lyrics.
“But wait… is this song even okay to release to the market? It feels like we’d get arrested.”
That Dr. Bruno—I’d told him to fix the lyrics, but he’d done it half-heartedly. If Seian Crowell could catch it, then all fifty million citizens of the Empire would notice too. We decided to postpone recording until the lyrics were corrected and called it a day. Seian Crowell was absolutely furious.

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Today was the party where Cecilia would introduce me. I rushed to dress in formal attire and headed to the Imperial Palace, worried that Zibenstein might actually show up pulling a real pumpkin carriage. Eugene said he’d arrive later on time, so at least I felt reassured on that front.
“Come in.”
Oh, the Bachelor was dressed in formal attire today too. He looked exactly like me—it was almost like matching couple outfits. I tried to speak before the opportunity slipped away, but the Bachelor quickly handed me something and walked ahead.

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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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