<<Previous Chapter | The Mellow and Mysterious Life of an Exiled Villainess and a Reincarnated Baron (Happy Marriage) | Next Chapter>>
Translator: Nonon
Proofreader: Silavin
“Wow, amazing… I can tell by a single glance that each knife is different…!”
“Are you interested in things like these, Lady Nephrite?”
“Yeah, it’s fun to look at things like this, after all… also, can you please stop calling me Lady Nephrite?”
“How may I address you?”
“Hmm, you can call me just by my name or a more familiar title maybe, like Miss Nephrite or simply Nephy?”
“I understand it, Miss Lady Nephy”
“Yeah, you didn’t really understand it.”
There was still time until the investigation began, so Ms. Nephrite was taking another look at the weapons and the cutlery, like knives, used in everyday life, that were made by Mr. Bligh while talking with Gray.
As someone who can use alchemy, in other words, as someone who’s on the side of creating, she seems to be interested in the culmination of such techniques.
Come to think of it, I wonder how skilled she is at alchemy magic. It’s a little difficult to judge, because her skills differ depending on the route. Right now… she might not be as good as her master, but she should be at the level when she’s starting to attract attention.
“Baron. The blacksmith is preoccupied… with your secretary, and Nephrite also seems to be involved in the conversation, so there’s something I want to say to you.
“Something you want to say?”
“Yeah.”
That must have been his biggest effort at describing the current situation in a roundabout way.
After confirming that the three a little further away couldn’t hear us, he urged me to go outside.
I had a feeling that it would be a hassle, but I gave a small nod and quietly went outside.
Neither of the three people seemed to have noticed us.
After I went outside and closed the door, Chartreuse turned to face me with his usual sour expression, showing no signs of the previous agitation.
“Baron, I would like to think that you are a good person, based on your behavior yesterday and the fact that you negotiated weapons for me.”
“Uh, thank you very much?”
‘Would like to think’ means that he doesn’t think so.
Long story short, we just met so he can’t judge my character, but he’d like to believe that I’m a good person. Either way, couldn’t he have chosen a better way to say it?
“That’s why I find it unforgivable that you have been bewitched by that woman.”
… I see. I fully understand what Chartreuse is trying to say. In other words, it’s something like this, right?
“Violet Valentine. Do not let her inside your heart. She will — only bring you ruin.”
Okay, he’s picking a fight with me. It’ll cost you a lot, you bastard.
“Why do you think so, Sir Chartreuse?”
As I interacted with him with nothing but a smile, Chartreuse didn’t let it show on his face, but he put his hand on the handle of the sword that hung from his waist and gripped it tightly with anger.
As if he was remembering something in his past that he couldn’t forgive.
“Her actions are too flagrant. Since you are married to a woman from the ducal family who was engaged to His Highness, you must be aware of her circumstances.”
“To some extent.”
“But I’m sure you don’t know the details. She’s a cancer that was infecting His Highness.”
He didn’t mention the specifics of her actions, but Chartreuse briefly recited Lady Violet’s deeds. I don’t intend to say that somebody who’s aiming to become a knight shouldn’t be gossiping behind somebody’s back… but he probably hates Lady Violet enough to talk like this.
There are several reasons why one person can hate another.
For example, their trust was betrayed. They were harassed. It was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. It had to do with their aesthetic values. Physiological dislike.
… Or somebody they liked was insulted.
“Thank you for your consideration, Sir Chartreuse. However, like I mentioned yesterday, I am quite fond of Lady Violet.”
“Are you saying that you were telling the truth yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“Even though you know about that woman’s past, you still accept her…?!”
“I don’t necessarily have a clean past either. In fact, I am the one who’s worried whether she’ll accept me or not.”
At my words Chartreuse looked at me in disbelief —or rather, he looked at me with pity you would have for somebody ignorant.
Unfortunately there is no reason why he should be looking at me like that. No, but I guess I don’t mind if he feels sorry for me when the idiot squad from Shiki causes damage in the outside world.
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
“You must have a reason to think so. Why do you like that woman?”
Why?
Why, huh… at the beginning, even though I got married suddenly, I didn’t have a good image of marriage due to my previous life and my current parents so I admit that I went with the tide for a bit. And it’s also true that I wasn’t looking at Lady Violet properly.
‘What should I do? … I don’t know…what to do anymore…’
But it’s also true that when I saw that expression on her face, I didn’t want to leave her alone.
There was also a time when I noticed small goodness in her that I hadn’t noticed before.
That should’ve been enough for a trigger.
“I have no intentions of telling you. I’m not mature enough to tell a person who hates her all the reasons why I love her.”
That’s why I clearly showed my hostility towards Chartreuse.
I can understand that he’s warning me out of courtesy and because he’s worried that I don’t know anything. I also know that despite his clumsiness, his hate towards evil isn’t a lie.
However, even if he can’t forgive what Lady Violet has done in the past, she’s still an important person to me now. I cannot concede on that.
“Oh, here you are. I panicked because you two suddenly disappeared.”
Before Chartreuse could say anything back, Ms. Nephrite, who had finished looking at the items, appeared from the smithy and interrupted our conversation.
Perhaps thinking that we shouldn’t talk about this in front of Ms. Nephrite, Chartreuse didn’t pursue the matter further and turned his back to me.
“… Did anything happen?”
“No, nothing.”
Ms. Nephrite seemed to have some doubts, but she didn’t pursue it any further, instead looking at us alternatively with an anxious expression on her face.
I thought that I shouldn’t stay here any longer and was about to urge them to return to the church, when Ms. Nephrite spoke to me.
“Oh yes, Lord-Lord Heartfield About yesterday.”
“Sorry?”
“Can I meet Vi?”
… SHIT, I forgot about that.
What should I do? Chartreuse has obviously not forgiven Ms. Violet and he’s hostile towards her. Probably the same goes for Ash too.
If Lady Violet and Ms. Nephrite were to meet under such circumstances, the other two would likely come along as bodyguards and they won’t even try to hide their hostility. Chartreuse even reacted to those words without turning back towards me.
Besides, I’d like to avoid letting them meet even one-on-one. I can’t even imagine what kind of situation it’ll end up as.
“At the moment, Lady Violet is attending to her duties. Meeting her would be difficult.”
So, as the last resort, I’ll tell her that meeting Lady Violet would be difficult. I know that Ms. Nephrite wouldn’t give up just because of that, but… oh, that thing I see at the end of my vision is-
“I understand that I’m asking for the impossible. But I want to meet her during this investigation. Is there really no chance I could meet her?”
“It’s impossible today, at the very least. Today… she is scheduled to patrol from the sky.”
“… What? No, don’t make weird excuses… please. She’s can’t fly in the sky unless she’s on airship or riding a monster-“
After I said that, my target approached us, so I decided to take the opportunity and introduce her.
It looks like she’s here to deliver new materials to Ms. Bligh. She glided down from the sky and slowly landed in front of us.
“Hello. Good. Morning. Mr. Clo. What. A. Fine. Weather. We. Have Today.”
Robot, the culmination of the humanoid Lost Technology, greeted us cheerfully.
Yeah, good morning. The weather is sure nice today. She’s still living in the future as usual.
“Please meet Robot. Today Lady Violet is planning to ride Robot to fly. She hasn’t ridden het yet, so I thought we’d let her get used to it.”
“What? Well. For. the. time. being. Pleased. to. meet. you. Here’s. A. Financier. to. Commemorate. Our. Meeting “
Why financier? And her pronunciation was unnecessarily good.
“… Ahaha, the world sure is wide.”
Looking at Robot, Ms. Nephrite seemed to have a slightly distant look on her face.
Chartreuse held his weapon ready, as if he didn’t understand what was going on.
TL/N: Until now Robot’s gender was left ambiguous but later chapters confirmed that she is in fact a ‘she’ so she will be referred to thusly from now on.
<<Previous Chapter | The Mellow and Mysterious Life of an Exiled Villainess and a Reincarnated Baron (Happy Marriage) | Next Chapter>>
