Side Story - Chapter 6

He put his hand on one side of his chest and bowed his head to her. It was an aristocratic etiquette that Ben learned because he was smart. Of course it was still an unfamiliar manner for Ralph, but he was able to imitate him in a plausible way.

“It’s all right.”

Ralph trembled with joy at hearing her voice for the first time. He never thought about what kind of voice it would be, but at least it wasn’t a strange voice that would cause disappointment. Her calm voice seemed to instigate his strange obsession.

Prillance didn’t want to be with a man she didn’t know for long, so she tried to get out of there in a hurry.

“As a gentleman, I would like to apologize for disturbing Lady’s time.”

When he noticed, he quickly apologized and held her. He didn’t take a step closer to her, but in his mind, he wanted to wrap her up and lock her away.

“No, it’s not my personal property, so you didn’t bother me, and you don’t have to apologize.”

Then she tried to get out of there again. Ralph stopped such an exit. He didn’t touch her, but he was only a short distance away. Neither she nor he stepped back.

“Sorry. It’s my first time meeting a beautiful woman like Lady, so I keep making mistakes.”

Ralph replied quickly, reading the reluctance left on Prillance’s face when she turned her head. She didn’t look at him even though he said it playfully.

Ralph saw her long, voluminous eyelashes, looking down slightly as she waited for an answer. Then, her light brown eyes met his for a moment, when she glanced up.

She seemed to seduce him like a siren. The slender neck and collarbone from the raised head were as if he was tempted by knowing her beautiful appearance.

He clenched his fists small and gulped. I really want to have it all.

“I’m not a weirdo. I’m going to be the one who will be in charge of the Minipi region.”

He said, thinking that her pretty lips would open if he told her the power and wealth he would have. This was possible because he had no idea that Prillance is the Marquis’ Young Lady.

It was his calculation that she would be a pretty but low-ranking aristocrat. In his head, when Ben had asked him to ‘be careful’ had already disappeared.

“Once upon a time, it was the estate of the Marquis Grant.”

He spoke without taking a single glance away from her, and he deliberately pronounced ‘Marquis Grant’ with an emphasis. It was famous as a beautiful city among the nobles.

And Ralph’s estimates seemed to hit it’s mark. Prillance looked back at him with a slightly firm look. He smiled again.

“They saw my ability and gave me a great estate.”

When Prillance couldn’t take her eyes off Ralph, he spoke in a voice full of confidence. He decided to express his gratitude to Ben for the first time. Until he met her, what Ben had given him was nothing more than a job, and now he was proud of himself.

“Then…”

Even with the short words of Prillance, Ralph listened to her intently.

“Do you know much about the place?”

It was not a question about himself, which was a little disappointing, but it was a satisfying result since it attracted her attention anyway.

“Yes. That is why it was left to me.”

To Ralph it didn’t matter if what he was saying was true. He was just giving the answer she wanted, to get Prillance’s attention and make her his. The rebuttal reminded Prillance of his expression.

“You must be aware of what happened there.”

It was true that Prillance was a little excited by Ralph’s answer. There was little information about where the Marquis Grant’s incident took place. It was because when the emperor disposed of the Marquis of Grant, he announced that he would not talk about him in the future.

“Absolutely,”

Ralph said, willing to give the answer she wanted. He didn’t know why she was asking about the Minipi area, but there’s a fact that he knew, so he replied, thinking it wasn’t false. And if he did not know, he decided to buy her conversion by lying, so his answer was fixed anyway.

“What’s your name, again?”

Asked Prillance, who was pondering over Ralph’s answer.

“My name is Baron Ralph Jennett.”

Ralph replied, feeling joy in his heart.

“I’m the Young Lady of Baron Friennes.”

Prillance eventually made up a name and lied. She thought she didn’t have to tell him because him asking her name in the first place meant he didn’t know her.
And the Marquis’ Young Lady, herself, cares about the Grant case. It was because she thought that it would not be good if the fact was known. The thoughts of each of the two lingered in their heads.