Chapter 43
Elysia looked carefully at the window floating before her eyes once more.
Choices:
Yes, Father. I really won’t leave the house anymore.
(Warning: If selected, the system will forcibly prevent you from leaving the house for one week.)Warning, my foot. Why should I?
(Shoots a rebellious glare.)Absolutely not! I’m going to live my own life!
(Clenches her fist dramatically.)
‘Do I really have to pick one of these?’
But no matter how much she grumbled, there was nothing she could change. Elysia quickly set her mind to work.
First, Option 1:
Yes, Father. I really won’t leave the house anymore.
It was the most reasonable response. Elysia did feel a little sorry for the Duke, who had gone through so much to find her. Maybe he really had been worried sick because of her running away.
But she couldn’t easily pick that option—because of the warning attached.
Being forcibly confined to the mansion for a whole week.
That wasn’t just the Duke grounding her—it was a system-enforced restriction. No matter how many windows she broke or walls she smashed, she wouldn’t be able to leave. It was terrifying.
‘It can’t be helped… really, there’s no other way…’
Elysia, offering her condolences to the Duke in her heart, made her choice.
She picked Option 3!
Ding!
“Absolutely not! I’m going to live my own life!”
“……!”
“……!!!”
The Duke and Howell flinched at her bold declaration. The Duke turned to her with a look of disbelief, while Howell instinctively grabbed onto the carriage handle.
‘Why is he grabbing the handle? Is he… scared?’
Whatever. Elysia pressed on confidently.
“Locking me up in the house is unjust! I can’t agree to that.”
“Elysia, what are you talking about!”
The Duke’s disappointment has increased!
+30%!
Disappointment: 390% → 410%!
⚠ Warning: Excessive disappointment may lead to cardiovascular disease!
Everyone, watch your blood pressure~~^^
“……”
What’s with this warning?
If it gets too high, is the Duke going to clutch his chest and collapse?
Elysia bit her lip as she saw the Duke’s face turn red and blue with rage. Then came his furious voice.
“You should be on your knees apologizing! You lied to us, went to the ball on your own, caused another scene, partnered with His Highness—how dare you speak like that after ignoring your house arrest!”
A flood of angry scolding, too fast and furious to follow. Elysia calmly listened and nodded.
“I sincerely apologize for causing deep hurt to your heart, Father.”
The Duke cried out in disbelief.
“Hurt? Ha! Do I look like someone who’d be wounded over something so trivial? I’m not hurt—I’m angry.”
‘…Glad to hear you’re not hurt.’
That’s actually better.
Elysia decided to look on the bright side. If he wasn’t someone who got emotionally wounded, then maybe she could push a bit more.
She began, her expression serious.
“Father, please reconsider. If you think about it, all the outcomes of my actions turned out fine. I did nothing wrong.”
She continued firmly.
“First, I stopped the magical beasts that appeared at the Ducal estate. No one was hurt thanks to me.”
“But you—…”
The Duke tried to argue but trailed off. It seemed he couldn’t refute that point.
“Second, I didn’t go to the ball intending to cause a scene. People kept pestering me to show them magic, and I just gave in.”
“……”
“Third, I really did refuse to partner with the Crown Prince. I had no idea what would happen today.”
Her expression was serious. Despite the gravity of her words, the Duke asked suspiciously,
“And how am I supposed to believe that?”
“I refused His Highness when he asked to partner again.”
“R-Really?”
Howell blurted out without thinking, then shut his mouth. Elysia firmly added the finishing blow.
“Yes. I will absolutely not attend the next ball with His Highness. I left for a moment to make that point very clear and come to an agreement.”
(Of course, she had already chosen Finn as her next partner.)
“…Is that so?”
Not knowing the full story, the Duke seemed to find her firm attitude oddly convincing. His expression softened slightly, and Elysia seized the moment to push further.
“Even if I’m grounded, surely I should be able to leave for important reasons! Father, if the house were on fire, would you just sit inside because you were grounded?”
“The Sempherion estate does not burn.”
“Oh, come on!”
Frustrated with the Duke’s completely unyielding logic, Elysia turned her head sharply. This time, she addressed Howell.
“What if magical beasts invaded the house? I’d have to go out and fight them, right? Right?”
“Well…”
“Right, or wrong?!”
Howell flinched, glancing back and forth between the Duke and Elysia. Then, seeing her fierce eyes, he gulped.
“Y-Yeah, I guess? If there were magical beasts, then… yeah…”
“See?!”
Backed by Howell’s support, Elysia was fired up.
“I had a fair and reasonable reason to leave the house!”
“…But Elysia, that’s just sophistry.”
The Duke, who had remained silent, now spoke in a cold voice.
“Fine, let’s say there were beasts. That still doesn’t explain why you attended the ball. There was no reason to go to such lengths, was there?”
“……”
“And knocking out Lady Lunsen was too much.”
Elysia bit her lip. This wasn’t something she could spin or justify with clever words—it was the truth. Even if she had reasons, the Duke’s strict standards would view her actions as wrong.
Thinking it over silently, Elysia let out a sigh. At times like this, excuses weren’t the answer—maybe the truth was what mattered most.
“Father, I attended this ball as a mage.”
“……”
“It was my first time attending a ball as a mage.”
If it were the old Elysia, she might have dreamed of this day for a different reason. The day she could return to the ballroom not as a laughingstock, but with power and pride, her dream realized.
“Did you really not know, Father?”
She looked at the Duke’s expression. His eyes widened slightly in surprise.
“People like Lady Lunsen have been mocking me behind my back.”
“And I’ve always told you to behave properly—!”
“No matter how I behave!”
Elysia clenched her hand inside her skirts.
“That doesn’t give anyone the right to treat me like an idiot or a spectacle. Being ignored and mocked is wrong. Lady Lunsen fainted because she underestimated me and got shocked. If you blame me for that, I’ll be really disappointed.”
Her voice trembled with emotion toward the end. Then, Elysia fell silent.
‘Maybe I got too carried away.’
It wasn’t something worth getting this worked up over.
Honestly, she hadn’t thought she was hurt at the ball. The insults were aimed at “Elysia,” the character—not her, the person possessing her. She even used it as content for her broadcast, and it helped with her quest. It felt like a resolved incident.
Or so she thought.
Maybe it wasn’t.
She didn’t even know what she hoped to gain from that emotional outburst. Just as Elysia resigned herself and decided to end the conversation—
“…Fine.”
A sighing voice responded.
“I suppose the grounding has gone on long enough. And clearly, it’s not something I can enforce anyway.”
The tone was more resignation than concession. Elysia looked up. The Duke had turned to the window, so she couldn’t read his expression.
“Fine. Your house arrest is lifted as of today.”
“…!”
“But. You must ask for permission every time you go out. And take a servant with you.”
“Yes!”
Elysia eagerly nodded, completely forgetting how downcast she’d been moments ago.
‘What the—really?’
She didn’t think she’d get through to him! Or maybe… he just gave up? Figured if he couldn’t stop her, he might as well keep watch?
Maybe it was a smart decision.
Elysia smiled in satisfaction—until the Duke looked at her and said firmly,
“But to prove your sincerity, you’ll enter the next ball with me.”
“…Excuse me?”
Her pupils visibly trembled.
“What? Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s just… um…”
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t go with the Crown Prince?”
“I did, but… I agreed to go with someone else instead.”
“What?”
“What?!”
The Duke and Howell shouted in disbelief.
“When did you even get asked?! Who is it? Who?!”
“You already found a new partner? That fast?!”
“…I could find one, you know…”
“Then who is it?!”
