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Chapter 118:Ā A Rival Declaration, No Way!
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The border city was located in between the southern country and middle country.
This place that faced the ocean was also developed as the base of trade.
The bright sunshine peculiar to southern country and the slightly mixed up atmosphere made us feel at ease.
Even if my weight rebounded again due to the confectionaries.
When we arrived at our destination, we got off from the carriages.
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[Good. U-n, as I thought, this body is heavy.]
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Alighting down behind me, Merrill smiled at me brightly like a sun.
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[Itās alright, youāre not fat enough to worry about it! Arenāt you cute the way you are?]
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In this society, when girls say ācute~ā to other girls, the comment was entirely unreliable.
Merrillās line was on that level.
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[Besides, they say that girls who are slightly plumper are cute! I think so too!]
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I didnāt want to be told so by a beautiful girl with a forever slim body.
I kept my silence and had a fake smile.
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(I understand that sheās not a bad girl but⦠sheās lacking in delicacy.)
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The crown prince who got off from the next carriage was in a great mood.
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[Britney! You look healthier today more than ever!]
[ā¦ā¦Gufu.]
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Emirya had a surprised expression when he looked at me who became chubby at a short period of time.
Ryuze pointed to Marlow āplease donāt give sweets to Britney anymoreā, itās like being stabbed by a nail. Seeing Marlow frivolously laughing, the comment didnāt stick to him at all.
Ricardo cared about me gently as unchangingly as always.
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[It was a long trip, are you okay?]
[Un, thank you. Ricardo, how about you?]
[Iām sturdy, so thereās no problem.]
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While we were talking, Merrill ran up to Ricardo and began to ask questions about the things she saw along the way.
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(ā¦Why is she asking Ricardo instead of Marlow-sama?)
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Ricardo politely and honestly answered her questions.
It was me who had complicated feelings again.
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Our place of residence in this border town was one of the houses owned by the governor of this area, including this town.
Since the crown prince and a princess were accompanying us, the warm reception was amazing.
For now, Merrill was not running around recklessly and calmly entered the mansion.
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When I settled in my prepared room, I secretly started my diet.
It only took a moment to get fat, but strict effort was necessary to lose weight. That was the human body.
One could easily lose weight simply by āā⦠if thereās truly something like that, humanity would have the bodies of models. Incidentally, there were no foul skills like liposuction in this world.
TN: Liposuction, or simply lipo, is a type of cosmetic surgery that removes fat from the human body in an attempt to change its shape. Evidence does not support an effect on weight beyond a couple of months and it does not appear to affect obesity related problems. So itās actually useless for Britney even if it exists.
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(Uu, I wonder how I can become chubby so fastā¦)
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Itās probably the fate of a chubby character, but itās really painful for a young lady.
Merrill then came into my room for some reason. I didnāt have any plans until tonight so I was free.
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[Hey, Britney, letās talk together!]
[Ye, yesā¦]
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It was also the same case for Angela, I couldnāt refuse a direct invitation from a princess for no reason.
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[A, the thing isā¦]
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Merrill whose doll-like long eyelashes were trembling a little laid it down.
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[I want Britney to be my friend. I, I donāt have any female friendā¦]
(ā¦No wonder.)
[Unlike other people, you donāt gaze at me with strange eyes, and we also chatted normally in the carriage.]
(Maa, thatās true. Other girls loathe Merrill after all.)
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When Merrill entered the room, my maid Maria began preparing tea.
We guided the princess to a sofa, and I sat down on an opposite sofa.
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(However, what should I talk about?)
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If I handled it poorly, Merrillās fighting spirit would catch fire and the daunting incident at make-up association would repeat again.
Then, Merrill cheerfully started a topic.
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[Hey, Britney, have you fallen in love?]
[Buufā¦!]
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Hearing that, I spat out the tea in my mouth.
What was she saying so abruptly, this princess.
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[Lo, love is it�]
[Thatās right. My engagement partner has been decided, but Iām in love.]
[Ee!?]
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Suddenly, I was surprised by what Merrill had said, and a bad feeling arose in my heart.
I wished that she would shut her mouth, but Merrill kept talking with a smile.
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[I, that⦠on this trip, I came to like Ricardo.]
[ā¦!? Is, is that so.]
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During the trip, I had such a feeling for some reason.
That Merrill liking Ricardo was obvious.
However, if people were to know about this, her feelings wouldnāt be accepted.
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(How does she feel about Lucas?)
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I waited for Merrillās next words.
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[Lucas is kind to me but, what to say⦠it feels like a blind devotion. I donāt know what heās thinking and I still feel like he doesnāt really understand me.]
[I see.]
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Certainly, Lucas had that part.
Clearly, right now heās just intoxicated by Merrillās appearance.
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[So, why donāt you try to have a mutual understanding with Lucas-sama?]
[Well, love is not that simple. I wonder what to say⦠first of all, itās instinct! Itās impossible to reason.]
[ā¦Is Princess Merrill intending to put that love into action?]
[I would like to do so, but when I think about my surroundings, I feel troubled.]
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I was concerned about the friendship between Lucas and Ricardo.
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(But, I guess this means that I canāt say anything about others.)
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I replaced Merrillās situation with myself.
Currently, Ryuze wanted to be engaged with me, and objectively, heās the best candidate to be my husband.
Still, I couldnāt give up my feelings on Ricardo, and the current trip was due to my lingering affection.
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(After all, I canāt criticize Merrill.)
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Itās certainly easier to choose Ryuze, and I would be lucky to have such a handsome partner, but⦠to me, heās a family.
[Thatās right, Britney! Can you support my love during this trip?]
[Ee?]
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I looked at Merrill.
I knew itās better to follow the princessā proposal.
The aristocracy was the royaltyās retainer, and itās better to avoid any bad situations by rejecting the request of the second princess.
However, by all means I couldnāt agree with her, I didnāt want to.
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(ā¦I canāt afford for Merrill to have a relationship with Ricardo.)
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While watching the beautiful girl in front of me, I timidly opened my mouth.
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[Ano, Princess Merrill, Iām afraid I cannot do so.]
[Why? Because itās against the engagement decided by the country?]
[Thereās also that⦠but itās because I donāt want to do so.]
[What do you mean?]
[I, I like him too, so I canāt support your loveā¦!]
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I declared so while blushing, Merrill then gazed at me quietly.
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[Maa! Maa, maa!]
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Her rose coloured eyes that were framed by long eye-lashes were opened wide.
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[Oh, so thatās how it is! Iām really sorry, Britney!]
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I thought that there was a better way to say it, but I couldnāt stay calm when Ricardo was involved.
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(Spontaneously, I told her the fact honestly⦠I wonder if itās okay.)
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Merrill continued to say a series of āmaa, maa, maa!ā, she seemed excited.
After a while, she settled down, her thin hands enveloped in white gloves then grasped my thick hands.
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[I understand your feelings. From now on, we are rivals! Letās work hard and fight fair and square!]
[ā¦Ha, haa.]
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I was puzzled from being unilaterally declared as a love rival.
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(Merrill is my love rival, I wonāt lose to her!)
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For the beautiful Merrill, surely she had more suitors than others, but it became like this for some reason.
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(Thatās right, Ricardo is gentle, and heās really nice.)
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I didnāt think that the sincere Ricardo would betray me easily, but my opponent was a beautiful heroine.
Moreover, sheās a royalty.
I felt insecure just a little bit.
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TN: Fight, Britney! Ricardo has loved you for many years, so at least you have the upper hand (for now at least, who know what will happen in the future). What a typical shoujou manga development.