***T/N: Interrupting y’all to insert my fanart of ONE of my favorite moment in ch. 20!!! <I’ve put it in said Ch. 20 itself (the audacity of this Translator), too. Go re-read it again, you guys, we all know you can’t get enough of Leonarcisshit getting owned>

“Wh, wh, what are you all doing—!? Are you saying that you believe in this bastard’s words—!?”

Amidst the tense atmosphere.

Edward’s shoulders trembled, his lips quivered. Try as much as he could, he couldn’t find his next word—nor receive his intended responses.

“It’s, it’s just… damn!”

No one tried to refute Riol’s claims. He immediately sank to the floor.

“Ah…”

She was told to ‘keep quiet’, which was what she did—but she finally could stand it no longer, and opened her mouth. Her shoulders shook.

“—Encore—!!”

She clasped her hands together with excitement. Then, she clapped wildly.

“Riol—! Riol—! You’re really, really awesome—! Encore! Please encore! ‘Are you saying that either I lose or win, I’ll be killed?’—please repeat it from that point—!”

“Don’t say something so unreasonable.”

She was denied instantly.

—such a scene unfolded before her eyes.

A red-haired girl wiped tears from the corner of her eyes amidst the noisy crowds.

If she listened to the stage, she could hear the indifferent voice of a boy, talking to her close friend, who asked for something insensible.

Just like the time the three of us sat around the table.

“Aren’t you two great, Riol-kun, Shari…!”

The boy who couldn’t use magic since he started school and could only rely on his wits.

No matter what, she just couldn’t imagine Riol winning. The moment the stormy wind was about to hit Riol, it was as if life had been drained out of her.

But now, the boy sat calmly, having dominated the storm.

As that attendant said earlier—it was over the moment they turned the future King into their enemy. It was solely their own mistake.

He was the one mistaken instead—it was the future King’s end the moment he turned this boy into his enemy.

“I fell in love the moment I met Riol—!”

Her best friend said the moment someone knew about Riol, they would without a doubt fall for him. Back then, she thought it was ridiculous—but now, it felt a little understandable.

“…well, I’d still choose our friendship over anything, though.”

Love and friendship.

Angelica shrugged, thinking of her heartless childhood friend of ten years, who said that she would choose love without a moment’s hesitation.

“You’re… lying…”

Rosalind mumbled. She was stunned, although her posture remained perfect.

Even though the result was obvious, she still had to watch the duel no matter what. After all, Leonardo did declare that every students shall be his witness.

Or so she thought—but, what was it that just unfolded before her very sight…?

Rather than a flawless victory that ended in a second, Leonardo was undoubtedly the losing side there. All the while, the strawberry blonde girl happily snuggled up to the black-haired boy who stood still.

Just like what they did on the terrace—staring at each other, holding hands, and basically getting along well.

No matter from which perspective, those two truly thought about each other.

“But… but that’s just preposterous, this thing… this kind of thing…!”

Impossible. Impossible—!

Because, if such was indeed the truth…

…the girl she thought was both frivolous and foolishly shallow, who had stolen Leonardo and also the seat of the Queen…

…Rosalind was hoping that soon, the girl would ditch the Queen education.

Then, finally, Leonardo would open his eyes.

Then, finally, Rosalind’s words of advice would prove to be correct.

But, the way the things unfolded, the only thing that was proven was her own thoughtlessness.

Wasn’t she the shallow one?

If the strawberry blonde girl truly only had eyes for the black haired boy all along—then what would that make me?

…Am I not the one who’s shallow? Who was foolish enough to think that every woman would be pleased if they were pampered by the Prince?

The pieces of advice I gave out were just to support my own delusions of being the tragic heroine… because I couldn’t accept that all my efforts up to now were worthless…

“U, uuuh…”

When Rosalind was advising Sharina, she kept interjecting Sharina’s words on purpose. The reason was because she was convinced that whatever would come out of the girl’s mouth next would just be shameless excuses—an equivalent of admitting to one’s guilt.

At that time, the strawberry blonde girl never tried to apologize. As such, it only incited Rosalind’s wrath even more—‘why doesn’t she try to understand a fragment of my advice—!? Is she seriously thinking she’s the right one here—!? How dumb—! What a stupid, foolish, girl—!’

Even though the position of the ‘foolish girl who wouldn’t listen to others’ rightfully belonged to Rosalind herself.

Now how was she going to face her parents, who had been in tune with her until now, and scorned that girl together, and also her maid? Rosalind clutched her head.

“Don’t, don’t kid me—! Why do all of you just believe in anything he says—!? T, that’s right, Sharina Clydea, do you realize what’s going on—!? If His Highness is defeated, your chance to become Queen will vanish like bubbles—!? Why, how could you not stop Riol Glen—!?”

The evil woman who approached his master, ignorant of her own status, and tried to attain the seat of the Queen through any means possible—

—if Leonardo was no longer the crown prince, this woman should also be agonizing.

Edward, who couldn’t refute Riol, turned to Sharina instead, and challenged her in anger.

“Because I don’t want to be a princess.”

“That’s enough—! No matter what manners you use, I can see through you—you totally don’t mean that at all—!”

Sharina was too angry at this point, that rather than further explaining, she would rather talk using her fist, instead.

“I think it’s your behavior that is enough, Mr. Servant.”

Her fist was stopped—she turned to the boy who delivered those sharp words.

At first glance, it would seem like the evil woman, who was aiming for the throne, was firmly holding hands with the third son of the poor Baron who resided in the countryside.

“Eh? Huh?”

…it’s as if they love each other?

“B, but, up until now—!?”

“Up until now, what, exactly?”

The girl answered, still holding the boy’s hand.

“Cut it out—! Up until now, didn’t you pretend to be uninterested in His Highness just to attract his attention—!? You pretended to humbly reject the princess seat, while secretly triumphing in your heart—! Even now, after said opportunity vanished into bubbles… you are… willingly accepting such an outcome… and appear to be happy… huh—???”

As he continued speaking, Edward realized his mistake.

No woman didn’t love the Kingdom Prince. No woman wasn’t bedazzled by the throne.

That was why… this girl, who kept attempting to escape from the Prince, was just trying to attract him… she said she didn’t want to be a Princess just to appear humble, but in her heart, she was secretly laughing…

…but, after Leonardo had lost his right to the throne, and she lost her chance to become Queen… why was she unexpectedly calm?

…on the contrary, why did she appear to be happy?

“Cut it out, what? On appearing happy? But from the bottom of my heart, I’m happy, that’s just what I’m feeling.”

“Eh? Eh?”

Again, Edward tried to tell her to stop lying… after all, she was a conniving woman who was eyeing the throne… now that said woman lost her chance completely and utterly—she was happy?

In retrospect, this girl, Sharina Clydea, was always beside Riol Glen ever since the first time Edward saw her…

…did she attempt to attract Leonardo by doing that? No, on the contrary, it was Leonardo who got attracted to her first. There was no evidence the girl was scheming anything…

…Edward realized this simple thing for the first time.

“The only person I like, the only person I love—is this person. From the moment I met him for the first time, now, and in the future, I will only love Riol.”

“I—it is exactly as she said. Do you still think she’s lying?”

His previous prejudice shook along with his vision. The world that he believed in was crumbling.

Unable to hide his agitation due to being mercilessly cornered, Edward fell to his knees without being able to retort this time.

“That’s… impossible—!”

Instead of her being the villainess who deceived his Master, it was his Master instead, that antagonized these two, who loved each other.

He recalled how idiotic and uncalled for his Master’s actions were up until now. As he remembered, he felt ashamed and humiliated.

---

***T/N: Edward, are you done yet, my man? The exit is over there. HNGGG SHARINA YOUR LOVE POWER IS MAXIMUM AS USUAL.

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