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Episode 12: The Villainess Returns (XI)
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At the general store, I picked out things without hesitation.
The maid looked confused as she took the stomach medicine and candy I handed over.
“Princess, what the hell is all this…”
“Pay for it now. I’ve been at Joshua’s house longer than I thought, so I’m running out of time.”
The sun had already risen to the middle of the sky, almost time for my grandfather to wake up.
The reunion with my grandfather was strangely nerve-wracking, perhaps because of the guilt of running away from home after an accident.
But if I fix Hou, my grandfather would look at me a little differently.
More than anything, I felt like I would be a little more confident whenever I said something to my grandfather.
In my mind, my grandfather and older brothers were a bit different.
First of all, there was a belief that since my brothers and I had the same mother, we must have a similar mix of blood. So there was no embarrassment when facing them.
But my grandfather was a little different.
No matter how well my grandfather treated me, throughout my childhood I thought, ‘Maybe I’m not his granddaughter…’ and kept my distance, secretly sniffing when no one knew.
And I wasn’t a child anymore.
So, I was able to make a new resolution.
‘Even if I’m not really blood related to my grandfather and even if he thinks so, I just need to be recognized for my usefulness in other ways.’
In the past, I was just awkward with my grandfather. It was because I thought that only by summoning a beast could I proudly stand in front of him as a granddaughter.
But now I was a worn-out adult who had already risen to the rank of professor.
‘It’s enough to just show my usefulness. Even if I’m not a summoner, I’m good for now!’
It was one good that the academy had done. Even if there wasn’t a drop of blood involved, everyone believed in me when I achieved this or that.
Since I was 16, most of my human relationships have been at the academy. So the experience at that time still had a lot of influence on my values.
The less confident I was in my lineage, the more I wanted to show my grandfather my usefulness.
It was when I was about to leave the general store with everything I needed to buy.
The door opened with the sound of a bell.
My eyes, which normally did not wander toward the surroundings, suddenly moved unlike usual. So, it was almost a reflective gaze.
A young man with dark hair and golden eyes had just entered the general store.
“…Huh?”
I was a little bewildered.
‘I’m sure there wasn’t a person like that in the capital six years ago.’
I thought that I would not be easily bewitched by one’s appearance because of my two older brothers who had handsome shells and were in good shape. However, as if mocking that thought, my eyes followed the man’s movements.
‘The shape of his straight legs is pretty, his broad back looks solid, and the high nose and sharp jawline that holds the center of his face firmly are just perfect.’
But actually, the invisible things were the most beautiful. He was a natural-born cutie.
‘How can the dressing be so perfect, how can every movement of the body be so classy and neat…’
Without even realizing it, I had been staring at him blankly for a while.
‘Hm… The more I look at him, the more I don’t think he is that handsome? Looking at it, it’s kinda normal.’
It was then. With another ring of the bell, a squid came into the store. And the squid spoke to me.
(TL/N: ‘squid’ is a slang for ‘ugly guy’)
“Here you are, Kiana.”
Oh my goodness.
“Certainly, I thought you’d come to Duke Purves’ residence first. I’m a bit disappointed.”
‘It’s really amazing, can a squid talk?’
‘…It’s not.’
When I swiftly returned to my senses, I realized that the squid was someone very familiar to me. It was Rodrigo Purves, whom I chased so hard as a child.
Rodrigo, with light brown hair and deep red eyes, was quite tall, but having just looked at a very handsome man for a long time made him look relatively ugly.
When I didn’t answer, he called my name carefully.
“Kiana?”
At that moment, all the customers in the general store turned to us.
“Oh, sorry.”
I rubbed my eyes once and politely apologized.
“My reaction was a bit slow as my eyes had to adjust to normalcy. Think of it like dark adaptation.”
“…Yes?”
Oh God, he didn’t know dark adaptation.
Well, it was a scientific term that the general public might not know.
I kindly began to explain.
“If you are in a bright place and suddenly go to a dark place, you cannot see well for a while. Like that.”
“…….”
Judging from his speechless expression, he didn’t seem to understand.
I tried to explain the scientific principles of light adaptation and dark adaptation, but gave up and just said the conclusion.
“It just means that I’m late at responding because you don’t look good.”
At those words, the people who had been whispering behind us softly giggled and quickly disappeared. There weren’t many people in the capital who could easily laugh at the second son of the Duchy of Purves.
Just like that, about a third of the customers in the general store disappeared.
Rodrigo looked at me silently and smiled.
“It seems that you are very disappointed with me, Kiana. The wedding talk with Melissa, is that why you don’t even greet me properly?”
“What?”
“But you have to understand. You said you like me, when you suddenly left for the academy one day. The wedding talk with Melissa… I did it out of anger, not with sincerity.”
Slowly, Rodrigo took a step nearer to me and continued.
“Of course, you… You must have gone to the academy in a fit of rage to get my attention. So we both acted out. Will that end the past calculations?”
Honestly, it was all nonsense from start to finish. Still, thinking of the past, I listened meticulously. The extent to which I listened was enough to seriously analyze the bullshit and ask further questions.
“Calculation? Do you know how to calculate transcendental functions?”
“Yes… what? What function?”
“You’re obviously not good at it. It seems that there is too much difference in skill to calculate together. Aren’t you at the level where you gave up on math when someone ripped up the calendar?”
“Who do you think I am!”
Rodrigo got angry.
I asked, tilting my head.
“Then was it when the question of Mary and Charles running in different directions came up?”
“It was fine until then!”
“Then… when someone kept mixing salt water?”
“…….”
“To say you gave up at that time is beyond my expectations. Anyway, you have the courage to talk about calculations in front of a magic engineering major.”
I added with a light sigh.
“Whatever…”
Then, holding the hem of my dress, I gave a proper greeting.
Even if I didn’t want to look good, there was such a thing as noble etiquette, and I was a polite person.
Besides, wasn’t he my first love? It was a little late, but I pretended to have met him again in a nice and friendly manner.
“If you want to say hello, I will do it right now. How have you been? I thought you would be a good chef by now.”
“…A chef?”
“Since you were very young, you’ve been diligently trying to measure between me and Melissa.”
Once again, with a stifled laugh, about a third of the original store patrons suddenly disappeared.
“Kiana, what is that…”
“Well, I understand. It’s also commendable that you did the groundwork saying that you would marry the lady of the Duchy of Prelai, in order not to be pushed back by your older brother.”
‘Kiana, who is a direct descendant but unable to command summons, and Melissa, who is not a direct descendant but is able to command summons…’
Apparently, he didn’t know which one to choose, so he thought hard about it.
I thought of our old friendship and gave him sincere advice.
“But Rodrigo, in situations like that, you usually have to pick just one. Okay?”
There was no reason to criticize as I no longer have any interest in him. And, befitting a former professor, I did not forget to give constructive advice for the future.
“Of course, now it would be better to develop masculine charm first before choosing anyone.”
“…What?”
“Melissa bounced off to the monastery ahead of the engagement. Doesn’t that mean she would rather serve the poor all over the world than serve you?”
Once again, there was a suppressed chuckle, and almost all the other customers hurriedly disappeared.
I still had something to say, so I was about to continue, but someone quickly appeared in front of me.
“Princess, my apologies!”
It was the general store owner.
“Please… Please go out and have a private conversation… There’s a lot of disruption to business…”
“Oh, sorry.”
I blinked and said,
“When Prince Rodrigo was talking to me earlier, you laughed and said there’s a good show, so I thought you liked that we’re conversing here.”
Apparently, the owner of the general store was very happy when the customers who were about to leave earlier stayed to watch and whisper. He even helped out by saying, ‘Isn’t this interesting?’ among people.
Anyway, if he told me to leave, I should leave. Because I was a good person who respects other people’s opinions.
“Kiana!”
But my wrist was caught.
And just like that, my body was staggering.
Ame: Kiana almost became a simp LOL As for Dr. Kiana, she is threatening my non-existent braincells >_> Thankfully, my math is better than Sir Squid~