Transmigrated Into A Tragic Romance Fantasy – Chapter 27

  Sparkle, Snap

  The atmosphere in the parlor, which had suddenly become noisy at the mention of the Third Duchess’s name, settled down once again.

  Ariel sat down with an awkward smile.

  “Did I, did I talk too much by myself? I’m sorry.”

  “…It’s fine.”

  “I’ve read the novel where the Duchess is the protagonist five times. She’s one of my favorite characters, so I got a bit carried away….”

  Scratch.

  Ariel, who had scratched the back of her head, was hoping Remian would ask about the title of the book. Unfortunately, the fantasy of a self-biographical novel didn’t catch Remian’s interest at all.

  Eventually, Ariel had to return to the main topic she had momentarily forgotten.

  “But… what message does the Duchess have for me?”

  What could the Third Duchess, who presumably doesn’t even know of her existence, possibly want to convey? And that too, through the cover of night.

  Ariel’s face tensed slightly as she wrapped both hands around her teacup, seeking warmth. But, like the atmosphere in the parlor, the tea had already gone cold.

  A moment later.

  Another name came from Erinysia’s lips, and Ariel could faintly guess why the Duchess had sent her person.

  “You’ve been reading together with Lord Elden Rapellion recently, haven’t you?”

  It must be for reasons similar to why the maid had expressed concern about a candidate of the engagement battle dining together.

  But Elden was an abstainer, and since she had not intervened in his declaration of abstention, there was no reason for her to be scolded by the Duchess, nor was there any need to confiscate her books.

  An academy classmate reunited by chance.

  A classmate with whom she shared a common hobby.

  A classmate who simply had no one else to eat with.

  A classmate who was just beginning to open their eyes to a new world through reading.

  To Ariel, Elden was such a presence.

  Of course, the time spent together was too enjoyable for her smile to fade, and her gaze kept returning to him as he enjoyed the books she recommended, but that was merely a smile of joy for having found a reading friend, nothing more.

  Her anticipation for their reading time, the feeling that such moments were too short, and the sense of regret at parting—all were for the same reason.

  It was a relationship that began with a common interest in pure literature, a relationship that would not have started otherwise.

  Since Elden showed no romantic interest or affection towards her, this wholesome reading group was not at risk of being punished.

  Therefore.

  “Yes.”

  Ariel answered comfortably.

  At the same time, Remian’s gaze sharpened.

  It was a look that suggested the real verification of the [Love] hypothesis was about to begin.

  “And you dine together too.”

  “Yes. Why?”

  “Then, you must have heard about Lord Elden Rapellion’s declaration of abstention?”

  “Yes. But I also heard it was rejected.”

  “Did he talk about the reason?”

  “He said it was because he felt unqualified.”

  Remian slightly nodded at the reason she had heard.

  She had not expected to achieve what she wanted right from the start.

  She would persistently, subtly dig for the answer to Elden’s abstention.

  “…Is that so? No other words on that?”

  “Other words?”

  “I mean, wondering if there was another reason for his abstention.”

  “There wasn’t.”

  “Then, did he not talk about his future plans?”

  It was yesterday at lunch.

  The topic that suddenly came up during their conversation about reading was about future plans.

  Assuming that an abstainer wouldn’t win, she had asked what he planned to do after the engagement battle ended.

  Elden had answered without a moment’s hesitation, as if he had already executed that plan, with a happy face.

  “He said he’s going on a gourmet tour?”

  “…What?”

  Remian’s brows furrowed.

  At the same time, the index finger of her right hand, holding the teacup, started to twitch.

  It was a habit she unknowingly exhibited when she first met Elden.

  A habit that came out when observing an interesting topic, and the idea of Elden planning a [gourmet tour] was intriguing to Remian, who had never imagined such a thing.

  “A gourmet tour…”

  “Yes. So he asked if I could recommend any books related to monster cuisine. Unfortunately, I don’t have an interest in that area, so I couldn’t help.”

  “…Monster cuisine?”

  Monster cuisine.

  The moment those words joined the conversation, Remian’s mind flashed with the image of Elden deliciously tearing into the leg of a disgusting red longear.

  The image of him biting off a chunk of meat and even sucking the grease off his fingers came to mind.

  Could it be that her attempt to share the horror of culinary torture she endured inadvertently opened his eyes to new flavors?

  ‘Somehow… he really seemed to enjoy it.’

  The one bite he promised to eat because he was an abstainer, the hand that reluctantly put down the leg of the red longear, seemed genuinely regretful.

  The grip on her teacup involuntarily tightened.

  Her molars clenched tightly.

  The feeling that she had inadvertently done ‘something good’ for Elden, who sneakily escaped her plans, was no different from the disgust she felt when chewing on bugs.

  It was revolting.

  Her teeth began to grind.

  Yet, in front of Ariel, she had to maintain her composure, so she let out all her frustrations with a single sigh.

  “Hah…”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Did he mention anything about retracting his abstention?”

  “Doesn’t seem like it?”

  “…Not even a tiny bit?”

  “From what I see, no.”

  “…”

  The frustration felt like eating dry potatoes without water.

  Questions thrown at her seemed to bounce off as if a mana barrier had been erected.

  As the situation flowed contrary to what Remian had expected, she decided to bring up the main point.

  “…Do you, by any chance, suspect another reason for his abstention? For example, falling in love with someone else?”

  But Ariel pursed her lips.

  Not as cold as the night air, but a chill settled in her hazel eyes.

  The feeling of being interrogated, which was always pleasant for Ariel, brought an uncomfortable sense to her eyes, revealing that even she could harbor discomfort.

  “So, did you come to deliver the Duchess’s message, or to interrogate me?”

  “Ah… I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. These were all questions the Duchess wanted answers to.”

  Ideally, she wanted to reveal that she was Remian Winterfell, the Third Duchess, and demand the correct answers, but she didn’t want to do that to Lady Ariel, who was merely a third party.

  For a righteous person who doesn’t associate with villains, it’s more appropriate to request than to demand.

  Today’s meeting was solely to request

 persuasion and to secure the credibility of the hypothesis.

  Remian sincerely apologized and took a step back, and Ariel also retreated, dispelling her discomfort.

  “Well, it doesn’t seem like he’s involved in any scandals with anyone?”

  “Is that so…”

  Remian observed Ariel’s expression, breathing, gestures, and reactions carefully.

  She was searching for the slightest trace of perjury or falsehood, but unfortunately, nothing caught her eye.

  Just like when she had a private talk with Elden, everything seemed genuine.

  Frustratingly so.

  “But why are you asking me all this?”

  Instead, Ariel, who had deflected all questions, asked Remian.

  Given the situation she had hoped for, Remian did not hesitate to give an answer.

  “The Duchess believes that you would not disclose it, Lady, hence the message.”

  “What is it…?”

  “The Duchess hopes that Lord Elden will retract his declaration of abstention.”

  “Why?”

  “Furthermore, the Duchess hopes that Lord Elden will devote all his efforts to the engagement battle.”

  “…Why?”

  Until now, it was merely a preparatory stage for verifying the hypothesis.

  Once the preparation was complete, it was time to move on to the next stage.

  Remian smiled and prepared to open the next stage.

  “Because the Duchess is in love with Lord Elden.”

  [Love]

  The hypothesis began with it and was to be verified through it.

  If Elden was enjoying a secret romance or even exchanging similar emotions, he would have shown a subtle reaction.

  No one would welcome the emergence of a strong competitor looking to sabotage their efforts.

  As expected, Ariel’s face stiffened with shock.

  It was the first good reaction since Elden’s declaration of abstention.

  “What…? The Duchess… loves him..?”

  Remian hid her smile.

  The verified hypothesis was on the verge of being proven.

  If there was hostility or competition after the shock subsided, then Elden’s abstention was indeed due to [Love].

  If it was an emotion strong enough to abandon the reconstruction of a family, it surely wasn’t just a shallow crush but a deep love.

  They were finally about to be freed from the worst unsolvable problem.

  “Yes. It was love at first sight…”

  Regrettably.

  “Wow! So, if Elden retracts his abstention, could he become the Duke’s son-in-law? Become a part of the great Winterfell Ducal family?”

  It was a pleasant matter for a book lover who was simply happy with their reading time with Elden, simply enjoying sharing thoughts with him.

  Everyone would be pleased to return joy to those who bring them happiness.

  “So, the Duchess wants me to encourage Elden to retract his abstention!”

  Sparkle~Sparkle.

  Ariel’s eyes sparkled with the expectation of being able to help the protagonist of her favorite novel, The Woman of the Secret Snowfield, clenching her fists in determination.

  Planning to stop by Elden’s annex before the library the next morning.

  “……….”

  Snap.

  The captain of a ship that was stranded just before landing, with the only lamp that could dispel the dense fog extinguished and the hypothesis that could have solved the problem shattered, clenched her fists in frustration.

  In the end, she learned nothing.

  In the end, the failure of the hypothesis was repeated.

  A thousand fires began to rage within her, engulfed by an unquenchable thirst, just like when her thirst for knowledge had not been quenched, like when her obsession for inquiry had dried up.

  “Please tell the Duchess to trust in me, Ariel!”

  Thus, the last evaluation battle before the face-to-face meeting was approaching.