LRAB Chapter 24
Chapter 24
This Won’t Do. Focus on the Monsters and the Fiefdom.
“If the monsters are real, it’s only a matter of time before they can no longer be hidden. Is the lord just using a foolish stopgap measure? Or does he have some other ulterior motive? And why was she so flustered over her shoulders showing? Is she planning to keep herself wrapped up even in summer? Not that it matters!”
Tristan shook his head, but thoughts of Doris refused to leave his mind.
What kind of dress had she worn tonight?
What might she look like beneath that heavy shawl...?
Several times, he stopped on the roadside, staring at walls to calm himself before resuming his walk. By the time he returned to the palace, he was exhausted.
The sight of the neatly arranged documents on his desk brought a faint sense of relief.@@@@
“Not that the solution to Blue Atrium’s problems will magically appear on paper.”
For now, he decided to sleep. Lack of rest was clearly what was letting these unnecessary thoughts plague his mind.
“Sometimes, solutions come to you after a good sleep.”
After a quick wash with a damp towel, Tristan lay on the sofa. If he used the bed, he might sleep too deeply, which wouldn’t do.
Extinguishing the lamp, he closed his eyes...
Four hours of sleep later.
As he had anticipated, the previous night’s thoughts had coalesced into a semblance of a solution.
“If I gift her a dress, she’ll wear it, and then I’ll get to see...”
“No! Not that kind of solution!”
Tristan hurled his pillow, which landed with an unusually loud thud.
Before he could even process the incongruity, more thuds followed—thud, thud, thud—coming from the other side of the door.
“At this hour?”
He instinctively reached for the hilt of the sword hanging on the wall and called out, “Who’s there?”
An all-too-familiar voice answered, though it was laced with urgency.
“Your Highness! Sir Dyne, your trusted knight, has returned suddenly in the dead of night.”
The servant, panting heavily, added in a voice edged with dread, “He’s gravely injured... as if he’s been attacked by a monster.”
***
Four Months Into Reincarnation
After four months of being reincarnated here, I decided to assess the current situation, which aligned with the "introduction" phase of the original plot.
Maria Meyer, the story’s heroine: She has developed feelings for Arthur, somewhere between friendship and romance. She’s also grown close to me.
Arthur Albion, the male lead: He harbors romantic feelings for Maria and even comes to me for advice.
So far, so good.
“At least I’ve avoided the classic reincarnation trope of, ‘Why is the male lead interested in me instead of the heroine?’”
Rick Ray, the second male lead: Seems to have been secretly in love with Maria all along. Finds me irritating.
“Up to this point, the characters from the protagonist's side are on track!”
The problem lies with the villains.
First, there’s the pathetic supporting character, Tristan.
His actions—ignoring Maria’s dance invitation to approach me, showing up with snacks for a get-well visit—are all strange.
“Does a conscience suddenly sprout like that? Even if redemption is a reincarnation cliché, doesn’t it usually require drastic measures, like, ‘We’re breaking up!’ to kick-start? I haven’t done anything to trigger this!”
Tristan is supposed to hang around Maria, stoking Arthur’s jealousy. At least his sharp tongue hasn’t changed. Small mercies.
The biggest divergence from the original, however, is Natalie.
In the original story, Natalie is driven by a single, shallow desire to marry the handsome young duke, Arthur. She chases him to every ball he’s invited to, lavished with the Redfield couple’s financial support for extravagant dresses and jewelry.
But now? Natalie seems to want to pair me with the young duke instead. Not for herself, but out of genuine care for me, her younger sister.
“There’s no way anyone could call her a villainess like this!”
“Understood!”
Why did Tristan suddenly decide to show up?
If he was here to spout his usual garbage, that would be fine. But his recent attempts to act like a decent person were unsettling.
Go see Maria instead of bothering me!
As the maid helped me into my dress, she hesitated before speaking.
“Milady, I’ll follow your instructions, but... you should at least tidy your hair.”
She held up mirrors to show my reflection, revealing the mess my hair had become after rolling around in the wardrobe.
Walking out like this would be tantamount to declaring a breakup.
“...Fine. Fix my hair, please.”
“Right away!”
The maid sighed in relief and fetched a brush and pins.
Once I looked presentable, I headed to the parlor.
As soon as I saw Tristan, I regretted skipping makeup.
“He’s too well put together!”
Tristan looked like he was ready for a formal engagement meeting, his hair neatly styled. I averted my gaze to avoid being swayed by his appearance and approached him.
“Your Highness, you’re here.”
“...Yes.”
He gave me a once-over, then abruptly turned his head.
“Let’s go. I’ve reserved a small tea spot.”
“Your Highness, may I ask what this is about?”
“Must I have a reason to spend time with my fiancée?”
Did he do something wrong?
Afraid to press further, I let him lead me out.
The carriage waiting outside the estate was an unnecessarily luxurious four-horse coach, its destination...
“Wow...”
It was like stepping into a Monet painting.
A small tea house by a lake, where water lilies danced in the summer breeze.
This setting could make even poison taste good.
The food served to us, however, was far from poison.
“These are ricotta cheese pancakes.”
Topped with caramelized pecans, cranberry jam, and fresh cream, the pancakes were fluffy, rich with ricotta, and melted in my mouth.
Delicious!
I could forgive anything Tristan said after this.
“This is... absolutely delicious, Your Highness.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
Tristan, chin resting on his hand as he gazed out the window, replied nonchalantly. Yet his lips seemed to curl slightly upward.
“You’ve put in enough effort today to deserve some praise.”
“...What?”
“Why are you surprised? I’m simply acknowledging your effort.”
The way he delivered the compliment was annoying, but what effort was he even talking about?
After I finished my pancakes, Tristan finally shifted from his lazy posture and looked me in the eye.
“Doris Redfield. I have something important to tell you.”