CHAPTER 51……………………
“Uh….”
“W-what in the world…!”
Startled by the sudden dousing of alcohol, the three young ladies glanced at one another in confusion.
When they finally saw their smeared makeup and dripping hair, they gasped in horror.
One of them, clenching her teeth, turned her head toward the direction the alcohol had flown from. She froze, then stammered out a question.
“S-Sir Seran, is that you?”
“Oh? You know me, then.”
Seran smiled. A bold, innocent smile—impossible to imagine from the very person who had just splashed them.
The smile robbed them of words. Their lips moved silently before they cried out in protest.
“Sir Seran! Why would you do such a—!”
Clang!
Before she could even finish, the glass in Seran’s hand shattered with a sharp crack.
“Seran?”
His voice, which a moment ago had been slow and almost gentle, suddenly changed.
Now it was cold enough to raise goosebumps along the arms.
“Who gave you permission to call my name?”
His blue eyes gleamed with menace, the slitted pupils glaring at them as if to tear them apart.
“Ah—ahhh….”
The young lady on the far right collapsed to the floor, her complexion deathly pale.
“W-we’re sorry, Divine Beast… We dared to be disrespectful….”
The murderous aura spilling from Seran made my skin prickle. He clearly had no intention of suppressing his divine power.
If I could feel it this strongly from so far back, I couldn’t imagine what it was like for the girls standing right before him.
“Do you know how heavy the sin of insulting a Divine Beast is? What were you thinking, doing something so foolish?”
“B-but we didn’t insult the Divine Beast of the Drekiye clan—”
“Oh? Then what. Was it Rihwiela you meant to insult?”
A voice laced with thorns cut in.
It was Ibnis.
He approached together with Raykis, who remained silent but grim-faced.
“You insulted my clan, and my vassal, and my benefactor. All right in front of me. Unless this is your way of begging for death, what do you call this?”
“L-Lord Ibnis….”
Flustered, the young ladies turned their eyes to Raykis at his side. But he, too, looked angry. He did not attempt to mediate Ibnis’s harsh words—only watched them quietly, as though their fate was sealed.
“W-we didn’t mean to insult you, Divine Beasts! Please believe us!”
“Yes, that’s right! We only… we only…!”
“Go on, keep yapping. That filthy mouth of yours—I’ll rip it apart myself.”
It was no empty threat. His sharpened nails glowed with surging blue divine power, ready to strike if they dared another word.
“H-hic…”
One of the women clamped her lips shut, trying to stifle her sobs, only for hiccups to break through. Her soaked figure trembled pitifully.
But Ibnis showed not an ounce of pity. He gazed down at her with open contempt.
“Wretched humans. You gossip behind others’ backs, too cowardly to speak to their faces. How vile. How base.”
“W-we’re sorry, Divine Beast! Please, mercy….”
“Forgive us! We were foolish!”
They clasped their hands together in prayer, begging desperately. But the crease in Ibnis’s brow showed no sign of easing. He stared down at them for a long time before spitting his words.
“Still don’t get it, do you?”
“D-Divine Beast, what do you mean…?”
Tsk. His tongue clicked against his teeth. Unable to watch any longer, Seran finally offered a hint.
“You still don’t realize why Ibnis is furious? Apologize to that girl. Stupid child.”
This, from the same man who’d splashed them with wine. Truly, like giving poison and antidote at once.
But when they followed Seran’s gaze, they finally spotted me—standing there awkwardly. Their faces went pale.
“W-we’re sorry, Lady Feahil! I… I only did it out of jealousy…! That you’re close with the Divine Beasts! That you have the ability to earn Lord Nilson’s trust…! I was just so envious…!”
One of them grabbed my hand with trembling fingers, pouring out words with a terrified expression. She looked at me as though I were the only lifeline she could cling to.
I sighed as I looked at their faces, makeup ruined by wine and tears.
“From now on, please don’t speak carelessly about me. That’s enough. Ibnis, please stop.”
Ibnis tilted his head at my plea. His blue hair slipped forward.
“Why? They dared to badmouth you. I could punish them until I’m satisfied.”
“Everyone’s watching. I don’t want them talking about you.”
The moment my words ended, the sinister divine power swirling around Ibnis vanished.
“You heard her. You begged forgiveness—now get lost. And don’t even think about setting foot in the palace again.”
“Y-yes! Thank you, Divine Beast!”
“Thank you, Lady Feahil…!”
Barely supporting their trembling legs, the girls helped their collapsed friend up and fled the banquet hall as if chased by death.
I sighed, watching the sudden commotion swirling around Seran and Ibnis.
“Rinne?”
A voice called my name at the worst possible timing—the Crown Prince of the Empire, Helion Dale Lionel himself.
But Helion should have been far across the hall! I’d deliberately come to this terrace to avoid him.
No. This ruins our whole agreement! Don’t act like you know me!
“Are you all right? Rinne—”
Of course, I didn’t wait for him to finish.
Narrowing my eyes, I mouthed the words at him:
Don’t acknowledge me. Remember the promise.
Helion, catching my lips, flinched awkwardly and cleared his throat again and again.
“Lady Rinnegrim of House Feahil greets the Crown Prince.”
After the formal greeting, I lowered my voice.
“Zhnrhh. Ghhnng zhhnchzzhss (Your Highness. Just pass me by).”
“But you— I heard you were doused with alcohol—”
“It wasn’t me. It was the young ladies in front of me.”
“And I heard you were injured when the glass shattered—”
“The glass did shatter, yes.”
Though I wasn’t the one who broke it, nor was I hurt.
I glanced sidelong at Seran and Ibnis.
Helion thought for a moment, then stepped back.
“…It seems the story was distorted in the retelling. Forgive me. Hearing you were injured, I ended up breaking our promise.”
He gave another awkward cough.
Well, technically, I was hurt—just not in body, only in spirit, after overhearing all that gossip. But Ibnis’s overblown retaliation had already wiped that sting away.
“Ibnis, that was too much. What if Rinnegrim had been harmed?”
“It wasn’t me—it was that damned snake—”
“Mind your tongue. There are children here.”
No sooner had Helion spoken than a tearful chorus cried out:
“Rinne!”
“Rinne!”
“Waaah! Rinne!”
The three little ones had come rushing over, clearly alarmed by some exaggerated rumor. They clung to my skirts, faces scrunched up with tears.
“Rinne, you hurt?”
“Let me see! Let me see!”
“Who did it?!”
Kinya and Hina fussed over my nonexistent wounds, while Luka stomped his feet.
“I’m fine, calm down. Not hurt at all.”
“Sniffle. Really?”
“Yes, really. See? Not a scratch.”
“Mmm….”
“The ones who bullied Rinne—your big brother punished them. Children.”
“Big brother Ib?”
“Did Ibnis oppa punish them?”
“Yes, Ibnis did.”
…Though a bit too harshly.
“Ibnis oppa! Good job!”
“Big brother, you’re amazing!”
“So cool.”
“Hmph. It was nothing.”
Now surrounded by the Crown Prince and the Divine Beasts, I felt everyone’s eyes on me. Helion, ignoring our agreement entirely, stayed to chat with Ibnis, catching up on what they hadn’t spoken about yet.
“My goodness. The rumor was true—Lady Feahil really is close with the Divine Beasts.”
“Indeed. She must be highly favored.”
As expected, the murmurs about me began again.
“…Your Highness. Forgive me, but aren’t you busy?”
Clenching my teeth, I glanced up at Helion, forcing my eyes wide and lips into an awkward smile, silently pressing him to remember our pact.
“Ah.”
He let out a small exclamation, then said in a flat, formal tone:
“…My apologies, Lady Feahil. In the joy of reuniting with an old friend, I’ve been discourteous. I shall take my leave.”
Wow. What a terrible actor. He was trying to pretend we weren’t close, but anyone could see how fake it was. For Helion’s sake, I hoped he’d stick to honesty from now on—lying was just too obvious and embarrassing to watch.
As I was lamenting his dreadful acting skills, I spotted Seran heading toward the terrace. Without hesitation, I shoved the three kids into Helion’s arms.
“Your Highness, thank you so much for looking after the Divine Beasts as well!”
“Huh? When did I—”
“Thank you!”
And off I went, hurrying after Seran.
“Rinne, are you all right? Dizzy? Want me to take you to your room?”
Ibnis followed after me onto the terrace.
“No, I’m fine. More importantly… I’d like to speak with Seran.”
The moment I spoke Seran’s name, Ibnis’s expression hardened.
“How do you know that snake?”
“He’s not a snake—he’s a dragon.”
A clear voice rang across the terrace. Seran stood there, smiling as if he’d been waiting for us.
“Dragon, snake—what’s the difference?”
“If that’s how you see it, aren’t you just a chicken-head yourself?”
“You little—! Just be honest. When did you come to the palace? How do you know Rinne—”
“Rinnegrim really is kind~. If it were me, I’d have had them kneel at the very least.”
Cutting Ibnis off, Seran spoke to me instead. I patted Ibnis’s trembling shoulder before answering.
“They already apologized. Forcing more out of them would only worsen my reputation. Still… thank you. Both of you. Thanks to you, I got an apology more easily.”
Without the Divine Beasts’ intervention, I doubted those girls would ever have apologized sincerely.
They would carry the memory for life. I glanced down at them scrambling into their carriages in panic beyond the terrace.
I had no sympathy to spare for them—not after they insulted the Divine Beasts.
Pitiful as their figures were, their wrongs were far from light.
“Yet you don’t look satisfied, even after the apology.”
Seran’s long, pale fingers tilted my chin upward.
