The Terminally-Ill Rejects the Approach - Chapter 21

I briefly considered telling the knights that I had picked up this at the scene.

However, I soon shook my head.

Even if I handed them an item that had already lost its effect, they would not be able to figure out the correlation between the horn and the demons.

‘In the original work, the revelation that there was a horn that summoned demons came in the latter half of the story.’

As I quietly mulled over my thoughts, I suddenly widened my eyes and turned to Anselot.

“How do you know about the horn?”

“How did you know, Lady?”

Anselot looked down at me with an arrogant expression and asked back.

“Well, what would you not know……”

I shook my head instead of answering, as it would be more surprising if there was something he didn’t know at this point.

The sky was gradually getting dark. The time for the ball was approaching.

As Anselot and I walked towards the ballroom, I abruptly asked him.

“You’re not trying to persuade me to proceed with the scenario today.”

“Would you do it if I persuaded you?”

“No.”

When I answered swiftly, he chuckled.

“See.”

I couldn’t help but tilt my head at his attitude of giving up too easily.

“Didn’t you want to get rid of the Bright Dragon?”

I was sure his gentle coaxing to go and kill the Bright Dragon had such a purpose……

“If you don’t want to, Lady, there’s nothing I can do. I can only wait for you to change your mind.”

“You’re speaking like a normal person for once.”

I snorted at the extremely normal answer from a man who seemed like he wouldn’t be picky about the means to achieve his goal.

Then Anselot laughed and said in a plain voice.

“I’m also frighteningly good at waiting.”

[This is the timeline separator]

The ballroom where Mother’s birthday celebration was being held.

“Wow……”

I admired the tremendous number of people gathered there.

Originally, I had no intention of coming here today. It was only a few days ago that Hezen had been threatening my life.

But now I was no longer on a time limit.

【Glorious Swordmaster】 Lv.17 Luibel Azester

I looked up at the golden window above my head.

The word [Time limit] that used to scare me and the [Remaining lifespan] that decreased every moment had long disappeared.

Instead, the terribly named 【Glorious Swordmaster】 accompanied me.

‘It would have been nice if that golden window had disappeared along with it.’

Back when I was in the heyday of my school days, reading it in the story, I thought the name ‘Glorious Swordmaster’ sounded really cool.

But when that actually became my name, my hands and feet curled up, making me feel dizzy.

The only consolation was that no one other than Anselot could see that cringeworthy naming.

“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!”

The attendant guarding the door announced Mother’s arrival.

Mother entered with her majestic gait as always.

“Even though there was an unpleasant incident in the Imperial Palace not long ago, everyone responded calmly to prevent major damage.”

As Mother looked around at the gathered people, her gaze suddenly lingered on me.

“Luibel Azester.”

Mother suddenly called my name.

Startled by my name being called out of the blue, I stepped forward, hiding my surprise.

“Luibel Azester, the 3rd Princess, greets Your Majesty the Emperor, the brightest sun of the Azester Empire.”

I carefully greeted and raised my head, meeting Mother’s eyes.

Mother looked down at me with her usual indifferent gaze.

At this moment, the head attendant brought a large scabbard at Mother’s gesture.

“You contributed the most to resolving this situation. I bestow upon you the Emperor’s sword in recognition of this.”

“……!”

I opened my eyes wide in surprise.

This was the very sword that Mother herself had used long ago when she rode horses and cut down enemies.

It was also the sword Hezen carried in the early to middle parts of the original work.

My hand trembled as I received Mother’s sword.

[SYSTEM] You have acquired the item .

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

When our eyes met, the corners of Mother’s eyes curved slightly.

My heart pounded at the feeling of being acknowledged by Mother.

I saw people’s favorability above their heads change in various ways along with the attention pouring in from all around.

The people who genuinely liked me and those who didn’t were clearly differentiated by the numbers.

As I retreated to a corner to avoid people’s gazes, it happened.

[Wow! That’s so cool, Player! Don’t you want to just swing around such an amazing sword you got? (งᐛ)ว (งᐖ)ว]

This darn system window was desperate to strike up a conversation at the slightest opening.

[Riding on this momentum, let’s start the scenario and go defeat the Bright Dragon!!!|•’−’•)و✧ How about it? Isn’t it great? Aren’t you excited?]

“No. Not at all.”

When I replied nonchalantly, the system window started sniffling.

[That’s mean ｡°(っ°´o`°ｃ)°｡ Can’t you answer a bit more kindly? I’m a system window with a tender heart (~♡’ㅅ’)~♡⁼³₌₃]

“What the. It’s like it has its own ego or something.”

As I muttered to myself with such thoughts, it happened.

[Of course I have my own ego! Why would you think I don’t? ◥(⃔*`꒳´* )⃕◤]

“Oh. Really?”

I let out a short snort.

“So are you the system?”

[Gasp, no! How could I dare!]

The system window was startled.

I inwardly admired the clean sentence without a single messy emoticon, amazed at how shocked it was.

“Then what are you?”

[I am a messenger!]

“Messenger?”

[Yes! The most brave and diligent messenger who conveys His words! And the one who helps you, Player, not to lose your way in the scenario……]

“Who is He?”

[Eek! T-that, even if it’s you, Player, I can’t tell you that!]

“Okay, well, whatever.”

So there was a separate entity of the system.

If it called it ‘He’, did that mean it had a human form?

“But, you. You seem to have an ego but not much intelligence. I’m not a player. So please disappear.”

I thought it would whine about how I could say such harsh words.

However, the answer that came back was much more resolute and confident than I expected.

[No. You’re right, Player.]

‘……?’

I was about to ask why it was so sure.

“Lady.”

Anselot, who had approached at some point, tapped my shoulder and gestured with his eyes to where Mother was.

Mother was looking at me. Not only Mother, but everyone in the ballroom.

‘I hope it doesn’t look strange to people that I’m talking to the system window.’

In the past few days, I learned that my conversations with the system window didn’t seem strange at all to others.

Just like how no one found it strange when Hezen tried to kill me due to the effect of .

Just like how the death of Roana, a maid in the 3rd Princess Palace, was naturally handled.

Still, I was a bit worried and glanced around, and at that moment.

Anselot whispered the situation in my ear.

“Her Majesty has given you the first dance, Lady.”

“What? To me……”

Mother was known to have not danced for nearly 20 years.

As much as this year’s birthday celebration was being held grandly, I heard there were people hoping she would dance the first dance at the ball.

Especially Duke Lawrence and Duke Hamilton in the front, who were the fathers of my elder sister Gloria and elder brother Orent respectively.

They were looking my way with evident disappointment and displeasure.

It made sense.

The two men who had children with the Emperor but failed to gain the official position of her husband must have been eagerly anticipating the first dance with Mother at this event.

I felt my throat burning from the gathered gazes of various colors.

As I hesitated and didn’t move right away, Mother gave me a look.

Usually at a ball, it was customary for the man to ask the woman to dance.

However, it was a bit different for the first dance, and when the protagonist of that first dance was a woman.

The protagonist had the right to choose a partner to share the first dance with.

Since Mother, the protagonist, had given me the first dance, it was now my turn to designate a partner.

The young ladies I had tea parties with by the lake not long ago were looking at me and Anselot with sparkling eyes.

I turned to Anselot again.

‘To think I have to invite Salto to dance with my own mouth.’

Rumors about me and Anselot were already spreading.

I had expected the rumors to grow the moment we entered as partners, but entering simply as partners and becoming the protagonists of the first dance had slightly different meanings.

However, unlike my gloomy heart, Anselot only curved his eyes prettily and gave a sly smile.

‘Is he enjoying this?’

But I couldn’t keep delaying while everyone was waiting for my next move.

“Prince Anselot Luenhart. Would you do me the honor of sharing the first dance with me on this glorious day?”

The moment the corners of Anselot’s handsome lips curled up, sighs of young ladies could be heard from here and there.

“Of course.”

Anselot bowed to me and held out his hand.

“If you grant me the honor of the first dance, I will gladly escort you, Lady.”

With a sullen expression, I placed my hand on his palm.

[Oh my, goodness! This is romance!! ( ✪ワ✪)ノ]

Ignoring the system window that sparkled its eyes like the young ladies, I moved my body along with the musicians’ performance.

Thanks to him grasping my shoulder, the distance between him and me was too close.

I stole a glance at his face and briefly recalled the conversation we had before coming here.

‘I’m also frighteningly good at waiting.’

I was about to snappily retort that there was no point in waiting, but I quietly closed my mouth at the color that appeared in his eyes as he said that.

Even though his tone was calm, the way his eyes looking somewhere seemed as lonely as someone who had experienced a long wait……

‘To think that Salto feels lonely. What an unfitting sentiment.’

At this moment, my gaze met the red pupils hidden under the dense silver-white eyelashes.

Anselot’s eyes curved.

Feeling heat rising to my face for no reason, I slyly avoided his gaze.

A low chuckle sounded from above my head.

I shook my head and came to my senses at that somehow ticklish laughter.

Then I suddenly felt something strange.

“Anselot……”

I called him in a small voice that others couldn’t hear.

“Yes, Lady?”

“You……”

I looked at him for a moment and asked.

“Why are you so bad at dancing?”

Anselot was bad at dancing.

Frighteningly, very bad.