Chapter 40
2054 Words
Chapter 40
“Oh my, so rude. I, am not really the type of person who finds murdering others fun. I wanted to quickly deal with Your Highness so I could head back to the buffet, but I was in trouble because you just wouldn’t sink..........really, what would I have done if I had missed out on the limited cheesecake?”
“Aren’t your priorities a little mixed up!?”
“I don’t want to hear that from Your Highness who can’t prioritize his job.”
Rachel deflected Elliott’s words with an uncaring air, and so the King asked him once again.
“So, what will you do? Will you obediently retire? Or will you once again challenge Miss Rachel?”
“..........I, no...........I will.........”¹
Elliott’s mind was a mess, memories of long ago torment and all of his efforts over the past three months swirling together.
And so he finally stood up from his wheelchair, only to pitch forward and fall to his hands and knees in anguish........
“.........I shall become the Earl of Reefren.........”
and his heart finally broke.
“Well then, now that Elliott’s situation has been settled...........”
The King turned his gaze on Margaret. The baron’s daughter squirmed like a worm on the floor. Early on she had tried going right up to the King and Queen’s carriage to try and speak about Elliott’s righteousness, and she was was subsequently assaulted and tied up. She still tried to raise her objections even while gagged despite this mess.
A servant who was standing behind Margaret finally removed her gag after receiving the King’s signal.
“Fuah!? Just a minute King, this isn’t right!? No matter how you put it..........”
“If you don’t keep quiet I’ll cover your mouth with a horse harness.”
“I’ll keep quiet.”
The young lady who had been bouncing around since earlier quieted down immediately, and so the King was able to ask her a question.
“Well then, the noble daughter of Baron Poisson. The requirements to being a prince.......what do you think they are?”
Margaret tilted her head to the side while twirling around her twintails.
“Umm.........a good face?”
“............anything else?”
“Hmm..........money?”
“..............and?”
“More!? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm...............ah, his horse should be white.”
The King turned his gaze back towards everyone else.
“As you can see, since this girl grew up as a commoner for the most part, she is lacking a bit in aristocratic knowledge.”
“It sounds like there’s a more fundamental problem...........”
Ignoring the Prime Minister’s doubts, the King pointed down at Margaret.
“We can’t just leave the person responsible for all this turmoil alone. And so you shall be forced to take on an apprenticeship² for an indefinite amount of time to an influential noble family.”
“Fue!? That’s all?”
Margaret was shocked. After seeing Elliott tossed aside like that, she was wondering what would become of a half-commoner like her.........even an airheaded girl like her understood that much.
“Mhm. We’ve already confirmed everything with Duke Ferguson. It seems his daughter has already become quite attached to you.”
Everyone in attendance took a moment to think about the meaning behind the King’s words.
Reality suddenly struck Margaret.
“Isn’t that Rachel!? You’re just using pretty words to say I’m going to be Rachel’s toy!?”
“What are you saying? They’ve expressed a willingness to teach you some proper manners.”
“You’re still just using pretty words!? My main job will be acting as Rachel’s toy!”
The King sighed.
“That’s right..........it’s better to just come out and say these kinds of things.”
“What is it?”
“Mm. Miss Rachel’s feelings can’t be settled down after this mess that Elliott made just by abusing him you know? So we’re offering you up to her as a human sacrifice instead.”
“Is it fine to just come out and say that!? And to begin with, I’m a minor. You need parental permission whether it be an apprenticeship or a human sacrifice! And Mama will never give out permission for this!”
After listening to Margaret’s cries, the King gave a signal.
“Pardon my rudeness, but I am obliged as a vassal.”
Rachel’s personal maid, Sofia walked in.
“Baron Poisson, he and his wife have already given their permission for the young lady’s apprenticeship.”
“That’s stupid!? Mama isn’t so stupid as to not understand the meaning of this!”
But Papa is?
“Yes, and for that reason I’ve been entrusted with this letter.”
Sofia withdrew an envelope.
“Ehem. My beloved Margaret. I traveled to Duke Ferguson’s mansion where I heard from His Majesty about your apprenticeship. I hesitated at first, but finally I gave my approval.”
“A lie!? That’s a lie!”
“After all, they said they would give us three days worth of platinum tickets for premium box seats to Adam’s stage if I were to sign the consent forms. I couldn’t possibly pass that up right? Ciao, and do your best studying manners..............is all she wrote.”
Margaret listened to the whole story, but instead of wriggling around like before, this time she started bashing her head against the floor.
“She decided to accept after those were taken out!? Adam’s stage!? Even I would have been happy to sell two, maybe three daughters for something like that! I mean they’re my rights, so let me sell them for those tickeeeeeeeeeeeets!! Please let me go just for one daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!”
“Then, you understand you’ll be taking part in this apprenticeship?”
“Yeah, but I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaate it! I understand her reasoning, but I don’t want to goooooooooooo!”
Margaret suddenly stopped and glanced over at Rachel. Right now Rachel was making a never before seen radiant smile with her arms spread wide open in greeting.
“Welcome~!”
“Just like I thoughttttttttttttttttttttttttt!!”
Archduke Vivaldi breathed a sigh of relief.
“So it’s finally finished?”
The Prime Minister had all of his built up tension leave his body all at once.
“That’s right..............”
“No more Enriques being eaten?”
“That’s right”
“No more monkeys eating apples?”
“That’s right!”
The two men embraced each other crying tears of joy.
“............Uncle, what happened?”
Not everything had found its way into the King’s report.
“Hmm, with this everything is finished.”
The King spoke his satisfaction............not noticing the evil that lurked behind him.
“Robert”
“?”
The King turned around............and found Duchess Somerset and Countess Marlborough there waiting for him.
“If it isn’t Auntie. Sorry for the delay in greeting............”
“I don’t care about that.”
Duchess Somerset was holding a literal teaching cane in her hands.
“Robert. During this incident I’m sure there is a story behind why your judgement, instructions, and communications skills were so lacking.”
“No Auntie!? That’s why............!?”
“Let’s hear it. Back!”
The Duchess took a swing, her cane cutting through the air like a sharpened blade.
“Or perhaps...........you’d like to take your pants off here and now?”
Although the King’s judgement had been handed down, the small hall was still bustling with activity..........and Rachel watched all of it with a fleeting smile.
Would the engagement cancellation be over with this?
As long as the current punishment is followed through, then the situation should return to normal. So now it was just a matter of what was to come.
Rachel quietly backed away from all the rest of the preoccupied gathered people.
“My role here, it too, is done.”
And so..........
Quietly making her way out onto the terrace, Rachel gave one more quick glance back at everyone while smiling.
Everyone, I already.............it’s fine now for me to go back to the one I love now right?
“Ah, good grief..........hey Rachel, let’s head out from here and go home.............Rachel?”
Fed up with all the noise inside the hall, the Duke thought it was about time to call his daughter and head home. This would be the first time in three months that Rachel’s been out of prison as well. She’s probably homesick.
...........or so he thought.
“Rachel?”
When the Duke turned towards Rachel, he found nobody standing where she had been..........only a pair of large curtains swaying in the wind from an opened window.
“RACHEL!”
“Nn~”
Rachel happily turned over in bed while ignoring her father’s shouts.
“Hey, Rachel! Wake up!”
“Nnn........what is it, even though somebody is sleeping so comfortably............”
“No ‘what is it’! Wake up Rachel!”
Duke Ferguson started shaking the iron bars of the prison cell.
Even though everyone else was still embroiled in the uproar of everything ending, the noble girl who was supposed to be at the center of this story suddenly disappeared.
There was a quick search..........and she was found sleeping back in her cell. What was this girl thinking? The Duke didn’t know, but seeing Rachel’s happy sleeping face brought out a bit of anger.
“Everything’s been taken care of, so why are you back in the dungeon!? Get out of there already!”
“Don’t wanna.”
“Wha............”
The Father’s angry voice was completely blocked by his foolish daughter.
Rachel lifted up her comforter, disappearing further down into its hold while enjoying the soft, velvety feel of her bed.
“Right now, I just want to avoid all the hindrances and enjoy my tryst with the one I love. And you’re being a boorish hindrance..............”
“Tryst?”
The Duke tilted his head to the side as his daughter started saying something strange, but Sofia having been quiet up until now stepped forward and calmly asked.
“My Lady, the one that you love............perhaps, is it your bed?”
“That’s right.........we love each other so deeply............Zzz”
“You and your bed love each other, don’t come out and say such stupid things!”
“I’m not lying though~”
Rachel lifted her comforter completely over her head, and you could just barely make out her muffled voice.
“When everything started I was just sleeping on a cushion...........but I realized after switching to a bed. Ah, this is so much more comfortable.”
“That’s obvious! Of course it is!”
“When I thought about it.........my bed has been warmly supporting me ever since I was born.”
“That’s what they’re made for!”
“During both sleepy times and sad times, my bed always gently held me without saying anything...........”
“I can’t even say anything anymore.......”
Even with her Father unable to tsukkomi anymore, Rachel rolled over in her bed and went on having not been paying him any attention to begin with.
“And so, I reaffirmed by appreciation for my bed over these long three months. I already no longer need something like a queen’s education. So please do not disturb this lovey dovey time between two people.”
“So in short, you’re just skipping out on your classes again!? Oi Sofia. You too, say something to this stupid girl!”
On the Duke’s orders, Sofia looked into the bed covers.
“My Lady, are you happy?”
“Un.”
For a short while Sofia thought about something while staring off into space,
“I see. Then best regards.”
and then stopped thinking about it entirely.
“Why are you just going with it!? Aren’t you going to try convincing her at least a little!?”
“My Lady’s happiness is my happiness.”
“All of you look like you’re capable, buy aren’t you all just worthless junk!? Oi Rachel, get up!”
“Zzz.”
The Duke turned back to the Prison Guard who was trying to keep his distance.
“Oi, you forcibly drag her out! Use the key and open it up!”
“Um...........”
Hearing the Duke’s order, the Prison Guard scratched his head.
“That is..........”
“What?”
- Writer
