What!! This is an Otome game? But I’m going to be a magician so I won’t go after the game capture targets - Chapter 4
- Aaron Ras Hyland
Even though there were only children at the table, it was indeed nerve-wracking to be sitting right next to the prince.
Furthermore, the envious glances of the other ladies were boring holes into her skin.
Lucinda was surprised to see that the girl sitting on the other side of the prince had an expression of superiority and was blatantly wearing a winning smile on her face.
The other ladies were smiling as well, but for some reason their eyes didn’t seem to be smiling.
‘Yes, ……they are all still children, but the feeling of a war between women is amazing regardless of their age.’
The girls continued to talk happily about their hobbies and the latest trends, sometimes letting out charming laughter, but it was obvious that they were trying to step on each other to win the prince’s interest.
“I enjoy embroidery, and I often give handmade gifts to my family members. If you would like, I could give one to Your Highness…”
“Oh, such a simple gift is not appropriate for His Highness. My family’s territory is famous for its silk textiles, and I would be delighted to make a scarf for Your Highness…”
“I’m worried about your sense of fashion. Actually, there is an emerging designer who is very popular in other countries, and he is very close to our family. I could introduce him to Your Highness next time…”
It was supposed to be a warm and sunny day, but somehow it felt as if Lucinda’s body was freezing cold.
‘I should drink some tea to warm myself up…….Waah! It’s delicious!’
When she took a sip from her teacup, she felt healed by the floral aroma and refreshing taste on her tongue and thought she could drink any number of cups of this tea if she wanted.
‘This would be absolutely delicious with sweets, too.’
Up until now, she was so taken aback by the terrifying nature of the carnivorous ladies that she hadn’t even touched any of the confections. However, she had come here today with the purpose of enjoying the tea and sweets. Besides, if she didn’t participate in the conversation, she wouldn’t have to worry about attracting the prince’s attention.
‘I’ll leave the battle for the prince to the other ladies! I’ll just enjoy the cake!’
Lucinda quickly withdrew from the mounting battle that was supposed to be a friendly chat and took a bite from the slice of cheesecake that had been served on her plate.
‘What is this? Oh my god! It’s too good!’
The texture was thicker than she had expected, and the rich cream cheese flavor was so irresistible that she finished the whole slice in a matter of seconds.
‘Which cake should I try next~’
As she was studying the other cakes on the table with a serious face, she sensed that someone was looking at her from the side.
Lucinada had a bad feeling but had no choice but to turn her head. Sure enough, Aaron, with an angelic smile on his face, was getting ready to speak to her.
“And what kind of hobbies do you have?”
‘Oh shoot, …….His Highness, being a kind person, must have thought I was having trouble joining the conversation, so now he’s trying to talk to me.’
She thought that if she didn’t participate in the conversation, she wouldn’t stand out, but it seems that the prince’s thoughtfulness made her plan backfire.
‘It’s rude to say “nothing” or “nothing in particular” to royalty. That being said, I don’t want to say anything that might be considered appropriate for a potential fiancée.’
Although Lucinda didn’t think it was possible for an ex-orphan to become the Crown Princess anyway, she didn’t want to leave any possibility open. Even if the possibility was only 0.01%, she can’t risk it.
Because if she were to be selected as a fiancée, then she wouldn’t be able to go on a journey in the future.
‘This is where I have to put on an attitude of [I’m not interested in the Crown Princess position].’
After quickly shifting to her new strategy, Lucinda smiled and replied confidently.
“I’ve been studying a little bit of magic, if you can call it a hobby.”
“You’re studying magic?”
When Aaron replied with another question, one of the girls interrupted him.
“Oh my, are you confident in your magical abilities?”
“Yes, fortunately my magic seems to be very strong.”
When Lucinda answered, the young girls’ expressions grew serious.
In this world, the strength of one’s magical power is usually based on one’s status, so they were probably on guard.
However, Lucinda’s next words made the girls’ eyes brighten with hope.
“I want to become a magician and go on a journey in the future.”
“Journey……⁉︎”
This was so far out of the norm for a noblewoman that the girls were in a state of shock.
Only then did Aaron reply with the same calm expression.
“It’s a wonderful goal, ……Are you studying under an instructor?”
“No, I’m just reading books and learning on my own.”
“I see. I know a magic instructor who is very good at teaching. Her name is Flora Trevor. If you want to become a magician, you should learn from her while you still can. Would you like me to introduce you to her?”
“Oh, is that okay?”
“Of course. It’s the least I can do, but I’ll support your dream of becoming a magician.”
“Thank you very much.”
The other daughters looked dumbfounded at the exchange between the two of them. But, perhaps realizing that this way they had one less rival for the position of Crown Princess, they started smiling and saying things like, “I’m rooting for you, too,” and, “Please do your best”.
‘Thank God! It seems I won’t get into any trouble now. And I was lucky enough to get an introduction to a magic instructor.’
The rest of the conversation proceeded in a relatively relaxed atmosphere, and the tea party ended when Lucinda, feeling relieved and happy, had eaten five slices of cake.
Her mother was also in a good mood, probably because she was happy to have talked to the Queen.
“Did you get to talk to His Highness Aaron?”
“Yes. I was sitting next to him and he listened to me with great interest. He was very nice to me.”
“I see, the search for a fiancée will not start officially any time soon, so it’s enough to have made an impression on him today.”
“In that case, I should be fine.”
‘I was promised that he would introduce me to a magic instructor, so I’m sure I made an impression.’
‘Although I am sure that I am off the list of potential fiancées.’
‘Hmm, I’ll have to come up with a good excuse later……..I will talk to my brother about it.’
◇◇◇
After the tea party was over, Aaron Ras Hyland was looking up at the clear blue sky in the royal garden, which was finally quiet again.
As he looked up, a pure white wild bird flew across the sky, spreading its large wings.
“Lady Lucinda, hmmm……..”
He recalled the pretty little girl who was munching on cake throughout the tea party with a happy look on her face.
Despite the fact that her family’s honor was at stake, she hadn’t joined in on any of the conversations between the ladies, which were quite annoying to listen to. He couldn’t help but talk to her out of curiosity and found her to be a surprisingly interesting girl.
She had happily told everyone that she was going to become a magician and planned on going on a journey in the future.
Unlike the other girls, she didn’t seem to have the slightest interest in becoming the fiancée of the prince, and the way she talked about her dreams and future plans was very liberating and dazzling.
Aaron hoped that she would continue to fly freely, without becoming trapped like him. He wished that he could be there to watch her accomplish her dreams.
The look in his eyes as he watched the bird grow smaller and smaller before disappearing beyond the horizon was gentle, yet somehow sad.