Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 208

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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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#Long meetings are a sign that a company is heading toward ruin.

Crown Princess Cecilia and I handed the gloves to Seian, who had waited patiently until I finished knitting, and on our way back from seeing him to his room, we discussed the Mecala Count’s House. According to the Bachelor’s investigation, the Mecala Count’s House was a wealthy farming family with extensive lands, and they rarely came to the Capital because they were so busy with agricultural work.
Perhaps they had proposed to Seian on a whim, riding the mood of the moment, and happened to get caught. There were no signs of them trying to use Seian for anything, and while they could have hosted a party at the Townhouse to build their influence during this opportunity, they only attended the Imperial Palace banquets that Seian invited them to.
“This seems like someone who grabbed the rope but doesn’t know what to do with it.”
“Then it makes sense that when Seian said he wanted to cancel the engagement, they didn’t make any specific demands.”
Seian was just as hapless as they were, so the other party is in an equally hapless state. This is a combination where it’s hard to tell whether their luck was good or bad.
“Did they accidentally win first prize in a lottery draw, and now they don’t know how to use it, think it’s a waste to sell it, and just keep it?”
“To know for certain, it would be better to go there directly.”
So she’s telling me to go find the Mecala Count’s House and handle it. I was also curious to see that silver-haired, blue-eyed fiancée’s friend again, so I might as well pay them a visit.
“From now on, if you want to do anything to Seian, consult with me first.”
“Why should I do that?”
“You won’t feel it, but I’m damn strong. I could grab Seian right now and lock them away somewhere you don’t know about. I’m confident I could win against the entire world’s militaries.”
“Hmm.”
I added that the reason I don’t grab and lock away Seian is because I respect their human rights. Cecilia thought about it for a moment, then said she would also consider Seian’s human rights.
That was remarkable progress. Good and admirable, Cecilia.
“How good you are. How admirable you are.”
Delighted, I pulled Cecilia into an embrace and patted her back firmly. From far away, the Bachelor came running, cursing at me. Cecilia was stiff at first, but as I continued praising her for being good and pretty, she gently raised her arms and hugged me back.
“What does this action mean?”
“It’s just something to do.”
“Hmm.”
Finding that embracing and cuddling each other wasn’t so bad, Cecilia ended our cuddle time and suddenly pulled the Bachelor into an embrace. I heard something like his dying words. I told them to have a good time, then flew toward the Mecala Count’s House.

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With a whirring sound, I descended before the gates of the Mecala Estate. The guards questioned my identity, but I simply waved my hand, scattering ice to drive them back. I had no time for those who didn’t recognize my face on sight. The dormitory curfew was midnight, after all.
“The Neftis Duke’s Daughter!”
The first to greet me was the hamster-like girl who had trembled beside Seian before. Small and adorable as a rodent, she scolded me for scattering ice around, warning that all the garden trees would freeze to death.
I’d wondered how someone so seemingly normal had gotten entangled with Seian, but it appeared she wasn’t in her right mind after all.
“Oh my, oh my, Neftis Duke’s Daughter! Not a single member of the Mecala Count’s House harbors any intention of becoming enemies with House Neftis!”
Then Count Mecala, presumably the girl’s mother, burst forth. Both of them dropped to their knees on the bare ground and bowed, begging me not to be angry. I had to command them to rise like a monarch. The Mecala family were said to be serious farmers, and indeed, both their hands were rough from labor.
“Let’s discuss this inside.”
At my words, the mother and daughter gratefully stood and led me to the Reception Room. I took the seat of honor and gave them time to prepare tea, when an elderly woman arrived trembling, her hands shaking as she brought peaches sliced on a silver platter.
“Mother! I told you to stay inside!”
“Why, child? A pretty young lady has come. Let grandmother have a look too.”
“No, the Duke’s Daughter is not a spectacle!”
Seeing the hamster girl in such a fuss, this must be the family’s grandmother. I took the platter before she could drop it and set it on the table, piercing the flesh with a fork. It wasn’t a white peach, but surprisingly firm.
“That’s a Mystery Peach—we’ve cultivated the variety ourselves. It’s delicious, isn’t it?”
“Delicious indeed. I usually prefer yellow peaches, but these are just as sweet.”
“Not a grain of sugar added. The peaches are just that sweet this year.”
This Mecala family was truly serious about farming. They even conducted their own selective breeding. I’d heard they received their count title from the previous emperor simply for excelling at agriculture. There was certainly investment value in cultivated produce.
“Child, when will you return to our estate? Even with a townhouse, in this weather the trees will all freeze to death if left unattended.”
So they’d come to the Capital during the off-season. I became certain the engagement with Seian was unplanned.
“That’s what I came to discuss today.”
Since the grandmother seemed eager to return home quickly, I spoke bluntly. Count Mecala’s face went pale, and the hamster girl began hiccupping.
“No, wait, Duke’s Daughter, please listen. We weren’t trying to be brazen.”
“Hic, we don’t, hic, know what we’re, hic, supposed to do.”
Watching the mother and daughter beg for mercy, saying they’d just arrived from the countryside and knew nothing of Crownpolis’s ways, I felt a pang of sympathy. More than that, I felt like a cobra standing before a pair of hamsters. Wasn’t I exactly like a cobra bullying them?
“I’ll teach you the ways of the world. First, if you maintain the current situation as is, you’ll have a firm grip on Crown Princess Cecilia’s faction.”
Keeping him in an engaged state would at least reduce the risk of harmful people trying to exploit the real Seian. If a well-behaved retainer protected Seian, both I and Cecilia could rest easy. Yes, it was better not to cancel the engagement. For Seian’s safety, it was advantageous to appear taken.
“Seian currently lives in Princess Sera’s Palace, but his actual protector is Cecilia. Go directly to Cecilia and swear your loyalty. Then the Bachelor, her aide, will handle everything.”
“Is that so! Then, could we return to our territory tomorrow and prepare for this year’s farming!”
“Your daughter must stay behind to continue shielding Seian in society.”
This was a condition I couldn’t compromise on. It was an agreement where Cecilia would protect the Mecala family in exchange for Mecala’s eldest daughter protecting Seian.
“Waaahhhhh! Waaaaahhh!”
The hamster girl wept bitterly, saying she’d joined in the courting games everyone else was playing out of competitive spirit, never expecting it would come to this. She’d acted tough so they wouldn’t look down on her for coming from the countryside, but she hadn’t foreseen such consequences.
“I like hardworking men! That Crown Prince fellow, he seems so useless, totally not my type!”
“Life rarely goes as one wishes.”
And I did like muscular builds. It was something I said to empathize with the hamster girl, but the girl’s tastes seemed somewhat different from mine. She preferred firm muscles built from regular labor, not soft flesh, while my thoughts drifted to a certain person.
“You’d like Gram from Laga.”
“General Gram from Laga?! I know of him, I do!”
The hamster girl brightened, saying she’d heard of the famous general who drove tractors across those vast plains after introducing cutting-edge agricultural machinery. Well, this could be useful.
“If you protect Seian well, I’ll arrange for you to meet Gram.”
“Duke’s Daughter, loyalty, loyalty, loyalty!”
Whether they merged their farmland or their households was their concern. I added one more reward I could offer and took my leave. The curfew was now perilously close.
“Miss! Beautiful Miss! Please take this with you!”
I waved goodbye to the Count and his mother who had come to see me off, and was about to soar into the sky when Grandmother arrived carrying a honey jar and pressed it into my arms. Strangely enough, it carried a subtle fragrance of peaches.
“We keep our beekeeping small, so we usually only eat what we make ourselves, but I’m giving this to you because you’re such a lovely girl. The bees collected only peach blossom honey, you see.”
“Is it really alright for me to accept something so precious?”
“Of course. Since we don’t sell it, there’s no way to find it anywhere else. Just keep it somewhere safe and enjoy it by yourself.”
“Thank you. I’ll share it with my future husband and enjoy it together.”
Gerth is going to absolutely love this. I cradled the honey jar carefully, bid Grandmother farewell, and soared toward the Academy.
Judging by the changing of the guard at the school gates, curfew had already passed. I folded my ice wings slightly to reduce the noise and climbed over the wall, only to lock eyes with the Dormitory Manager.
The Female Informant flipped open her notebook with a snap and picked up her pen, checking off my name.
“Evan Laef, one demerit point added.”
And so I became Evan Laef with four demerit points. One more point and I’d be sent to the Homeless Settlement. A chill ran down my spine.

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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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