206: The Battle Maiden is at the Crossroads of Marriage (23)
Apparently built for guests, the Saber family’s villa had a lot of recreational areas, one of them being the lake near the villa. The structure was well-maintained so guests could stroll around the area while the walkways were lit to keep them safe at night.
From the dining room, it would take a few minutes of walking to reach the balcony that was located at the back of the villa.
The prince of Kratos hadn’t uttered another word, as if to convey his displeasure towards the situation. The stillness of the moon and the tranquility of the lake’s surface were starting to affect Natalie. There was nothing enjoyable about that situation.
Hadn’t the same thing happened when her older brother forced her to guide him?
This prince barely speaks.
Since he was rumored to be a genius, he must’ve suspected what Natalie was up to. At the same time, he did nothing about it, so Natalie couldn’t even attempt any counterattack of the sorts.
Well, she could see why he might be annoyed and wary, but in the first place, wasn’t the one who invited her the prince himself?
“Can’t you give me a break, Mr. Antisocial?”
“…What did you just say?”
“Nothing. Do you perhaps have something to say to me?”
Taking advantage of his reaction, she gracefully responded.
Geraldo didn’t even turn around to acknowledge her.
If you think that your curt demeanor and brief explanations will turn me away, you’re sorely underestimating me!
She snorted.
“You just wanted to separate me from the Dragon Princess so that I wouldn’t notice anything unnecessary.”
His expression faltered ever so slightly, yet he still hadn’t turned around.
“That can’t be, is the Dragon Emperor still anxious? Even though I have explained many times to her I have no objections against her marrying into the Rave Empire?”
“Apparently, he’s distancing himself from everyone. That is what I heard from my brother. I wonder if he’s heartbroken.”
“I would appreciate you taking all that into consideration and make him understand this.”
He also doesn’t respond to provocation. What a difficult guy.
“—If I were to jump into this lake right now and scream that you attempted to kill me, which of us would the Dragon Princess believe?”
Geraldo froze and stared at her in suspicion.
“What? If you’re trying to get my attention by spouting nonsenses, it’s a bad move.”
“But isn’t that what you are trying to do to the Dragon Princess? People tend to let their guard down when treated well. Not only that, her family is also complicit. I feel sorry for my brother.”
Geraldo turned to face her. Natalie saw her own reflection in his eyes.
He’s alert. Did I hit the mark with that one?
Natalie’s smile deepened.
Let’s use this as a starting point.
“What do you think I came here for?”
“—To obtain the role of the Crown Princess of Kratos.”
How concise and accurate. He’s quick-witted.
“Let me tell you up front, I have no intention of accepting. I recommend that you go home before you embarrass yourself.”
“You’re not very popular, are you?”
“Hm?”
His eyebrows rose. His voice betrayed a hint of displeasure.
“—Could you please refrain from saying anything irrelevant?”
He was no longer speaking formally.
Okay, so he’s quick-tempered.
“Hey, it’s actually quite relevant. What a relief. I guess only women who care about status and appearance flock to you.”
“Are you provoking me?”
“That’s probably why you only show interest in women don’t fall for you, like the Dragon Princess and myself.”
Geraldo was startled. Perhaps, he didn’t even realize it. Natalie had objectively asserted that he had an adorable side as well.
His was a tendency that people with status, skills, and good appearances tend to fall into. He was the complete opposite of Natalie, who’d been treated as an outcast princess. Nevertheless, it was clear to her.
Everyone only took things at face value. Therefore, even though they grew up completely different, the root cause was the same.
“Also, the answer you gave me earlier was incorrect. My purpose isn’t to become the crown princess of Kratos.”
Time to wait and see.
Geraldo’s reaction would serve as a clue.
“I came to aid my hopeless brother.”
For a moment, vigilance vanished from Geraldo’s jet-black eyes. He seemed surprised.
Natalie playfully shrugged her shoulders.
“Is it really that surprising?”
“…I heard that the relationship between the siblings of the Rave royal family isn’t very good.”
“Rather than not good, we were simply indifferent to each other. But… Well, if it wasn’t for the Dragon Princess, there’d have been a lot of misunderstandings, especially with Brother Hades. It might’ve been a disaster. Honestly, I was wary of Brother Hadith and Brother Vissel.”
“What made you stop being wary of them?”
It sounded more like a genuine question than an attempt to inquire about their internal affairs.
This is a good flow.
As such, she thought carefully about her next answer.
While calmly calculating, Natalie answered honestly.
“Even now, we aren’t on good terms. Brother Vissel gets angry all the time. Even Brother Hades remains an enigma to me. But I thought to myself, ‘it can’t be helped, they’re still my brothers.’ That’s all.”
“…’It can’t be helped’ as in, do you think they’ll need your help?”
“That’s right.”
Geraldo raised an eyebrow at Natalie’s straight forward declaration.
“…It may sound rude of me, but someone like you, who has neither magical power nor backing, won’t be of any help.”
“There’s a difference between can’t and won’t.”
“Even if it means being taken advantage of?”
“I am Natalie Theos Rave, the younger sister of the Dragon Emperor, Hades Theos Rave. Is it really that strange that a younger sister would want to do something for her brother?”
Geraldo averted his gaze, as if flinching at Natalie’s puffed-out chest.
“…I feel sorry for you who has to help her incompetent brother.”
His fleeting murmurs were blown away by the night breeze.
Come to think of it, he also has a younger sister.
Geraldo turned away, probably because he sensed he had spoken too much.
He’s quick to withdraw. Yet, he wasn’t so rude as to ignore Natalie.
Natalie let out a faint sigh of relief. Apparently, he was nervous.
…It’s tough. To think that Brother Hades is going to the extent of using me to uncover his true intentions.
Geraldo was the prince of the Land of Love. Of course, her task wouldn’t be easy. Nevertheless, she was able to break past both his formalities and impregnable expression.
I’m doing well so far.
A powerful love that overturned everything was dangerous. What was important was not to lose one’s reason.
Don’t let love cloud your eyes, for I’m the princess of the Land of Reason.
***T/N: The Princess of the Land of Reason who definitely doesn’t have the hots for Geraldo from their very first meeting, be it in this timeline or the previous one.
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