TIRS 74

CHAPTER 74.

 A Date with Enzer

“Or… love?”

Startled by that one languidly spoken word, I cried out in shock.

“Wh-what are you talking about?!”

Good grief.

Even though I knew Elay hadn’t meant it that way, for a moment I thought he had caught on to my true feelings.

After all, just a while ago, I had been thinking about Ancelot, mulling over emotions I hadn’t dared reflect on in a long time.

“I’ve heard that when humans feel strong emotions, their pulse quickens. Such amusing creatures, humans are.”

Elay spoke as though he wasn’t human himself—

Ah, right. Elay isn’t human.

Strictly speaking, he was half-human, half of another race.

“You’re half human too.”

Facing the adult version of Elay felt so awkward that I couldn’t even look him straight in the eyes, mumbling timidly instead.

A low chuckle rumbled above me.

“Human. Humans, hmm…”

“…?”

I raised my head at his cryptic murmur, only to see him gazing at me with a lazy smile tugging at his lips.

“Humans are weak to what they see.”

“Uh, yeah…?”

“That must be why. Why you reject me.”

Ssshh—

Elay’s body shrank again.

Before me was the small, adorable Elay I was used to.

My startled heart pounded furiously at witnessing such a wondrous sight.

Elay frowned slightly, tilting his head.

“Why isn’t it calming down? It’s beating even faster.”

As his deep, low voice shifted back into a child’s tone, the hand still gripping my wrist turned small again, like a maple leaf.

“Of course it would! Anyone would be startled if you suddenly changed like that!”

I finally raised my voice in protest.

“Did I scare you, Lulu?”

Not only his voice but also his speech had reverted back to that of the child I knew.

At last, I managed to calm down a little, jutting my lips out.

“Yeah. You scared me. A lot!”

Elay blinked his big round eyes, then clutched my hem tightly.

“I won’t do it again, Lulu. So don’t be mad.”

He must have mistaken my pouting for actual anger—still unfamiliar as he was with human interactions.

“I’m not mad…”

I was about to explain, in simple words, that I wasn’t actually angry but only pretending for fun when—

“When you’re angry, it makes me want to erase the one who made you that way.”

…Huh?

“But that’s strange, isn’t it? If it’s me who made you mad, that means I’d want to erase myself.”

…What?

“Lulu said I mustn’t erase anyone. I don’t like things Lulu doesn’t like. But I hate making you mad even more…”

I couldn’t take listening to that ramble any longer and cut in with a raised voice.

“What on earth are you talking about? I’m not mad. Really. I’m not mad at all!”

Only after I repeated it several times did Elay finally accept it, nodding obediently.

“Mm, Lulu isn’t mad.”

And then he smiled—brightly. Seeing that dazzling smile, I froze for a moment.

Was it just my imagination?

It felt as though Elay’s expressions had grown more varied.

Though truthfully, all that had been added to his usual blank face or vacant daze were a smile and a frown…

Since that day, I thoroughly avoided Ancelot.

And not only me—Ancelot did the same.

Whenever we happened to cross paths in the hallway, he would pause, glance at me, then hurriedly avert his eyes, as if deliberately avoiding me—with an embarrassed look on his face.

This feels exactly like two people who were almost a thing, left hanging in an awkward in-between.

We had even kissed—didn’t that count as “something”?

Even if it wasn’t love, wasn’t that the kind of fleeting, ticklish “something” that could have blossomed?

If all of it was just one-sided on my part, then Ancelot was every bit as rotten as Hezen.

Well, whatever. Even without love, a kiss can happen between two people caught in a moment. A first kiss is nothing special.

I repeated that line to myself over and over, pretending to be nonchalant.

Yes, a first kiss means nothing.

…

But, you know, Ancelot…

I think maybe…

I like you, just a little.

“Your Highness, I’ve come to escort you.”

At that moment, the unwelcome voice of Crown Prince Enzer shattered my muddled thoughts.

It was already the day of my date with him.

Enzer had come in person to the palace gates to escort me.

“I didn’t think Uncle Ancelot would so readily give you up, Your Highness. What a surprise.”

He grinned, extending his hand.

[SYSTEM] As penalty for quest failure, you must go on a date with .

The system window felt smug as it flashed across my vision. I glared at it.

Squee! Squeak squeak!

—Oh dear, Lady Lulu! How could you glare at the system message so rudely!

Piya, back in his bird form, chirped noisily from my shoulder.

“Keep talking, and I’ll turn you back into a human right now, Piya.”

“Eep!”

He quickly clamped his beak shut with his wings.

When he had been human, he’d enjoyed stuffing himself with delicious food, but now that he was a bird again, he seemed perfectly fine with it.

Accepting Enzer’s date invitation right in front of Ancelot hadn’t just been an impulsive reaction to seeing him with Arbella.

There was the penalty quest requirement, yes—but more importantly, I now had a reason of my own to approach Enzer.

I glanced at the sudden quest I had received a few days earlier.

Those displeased with your rumored scandal with Prince Ancelot have begun to stir.

Uncover the truth behind the rumors surrounding him, and reveal the mastermind to all.

▶Reward upon success: Ancelot’s Reputation +300, Ancelot’s Renown +300, EXP +14,927, Skill
▶Failure Penalty: Death

At the time, I had been too distracted by spotting Ancelot with Arbella on the minimap to check it immediately.

Death…

Even rereading it now, the penalty was severe.

And the rewards weren’t even for me—they were for Ancelot.

[SYSTEM] Accept quest? (Yes/No)
[SYSTEM] Quest accepted.
[SYSTEM] Acquired quest item: <Detective Lulu’s Case Journal>.

Still, I gladly accepted it.

Because I promised myself I’d clear away the vile rumors surrounding Ancelot.

Being angry with him was one thing—but my resolve was another.

The king always sides with his children. No one will believe him…

Ancelot had said that no one believed him. But now—he had me.

I was the Princess of Azester.

And not just the powerless third princess anymore, but a hero sent to prove the divine prophecy itself.

If I uncovered the truth and testified for Ancelot, it would carry weight.

Besides, there was also someone else here who would gladly help me if I asked…

“Are you truly certain, Your Highness?”

Just then, Klaus, who had come to see me off, asked in a distinctly disapproving tone.

He was clearly unhappy that he wouldn’t be accompanying me as my escort today.

“It’s fine, Sir Klaus. The Crown Prince Enzer will protect me. Isn’t that right, Your Highness?”

I smiled sweetly at Enzer. He paused, then returned a soft smile and nodded.

“Of course. I’ll keep you safe.”

Yet above his head gleamed Negative Affection and a [Suspicious] state.

Crown Prince Enzer of Luenhart
§Suspicious§
Affection: -39

Safe? You’re the most dangerous one here.

Among those displeased with my “scandal” with Ancelot, the one most directly implicated was none other than Crown Prince Enzer himself.

Smirking inwardly, I opened the suspicious item I had received.

[SYSTEM] Opening quest item <Detective Lulu’s Case Journal>.

▷Detective Lulu’s Case Journal

Case 1. Who sent assassins after Ancelot? [ ]
Case 2. What is the truth behind the mysterious deaths of Ancelot’s fiancées? [ ]

(Hint!) Date

The quest was kind enough to reveal that today’s opera date with Enzer would be the key to uncovering the mastermind behind the malicious rumors.

Perhaps the penalty—my [Death]—would come from Enzer himself.

The system always followed the , guiding events toward the most natural course.

And though Enzer had been playfully flirtatious on the surface, his status window never lied.

Until recently he had been in a [Temptation] state. Now he was [Suspicious].

So, he’s abandoned the ridiculous plan of seducing me away from Ancelot.

That left only one strategy.

“Do you know what happened to Uncle Ancelot’s past fiancées? They all died. Brutally.”

The rumor that Ancelot had murdered all his fiancées because he couldn’t forget his first love.

And the failure penalty of [Death], like a hint left for me.

Enzer, then—might be planning to kill me today.

And then frame Ancelot, making him the target of Azester’s wrath.

What a vile man.

Yet I didn’t cower before Crown Prince Enzer.

Because…

I can’t die anyway.

Well—technically, I could die. But I would revive.

In the Forest of Dreams, Piya had told me:

[Players] don’t stay dead. Though they still feel the pain of dying…

Wasn’t that why I’d spent a whole 100 skill points on insurance?

[Special]

• Revives instantly without pain, restoring a portion of HP. (Cooldown: 90 days 00:00:00)

I looked fondly at the costly safety net sitting snugly in my skill window.

With this, whatever Crown Prince Enzer has planned for today, I’ll be fine.

Lifting my chin high, I commanded Enzer as if ordering him:

“Lead the way.”

Awkwardly, Enzer withdrew the hand he had offered for my escort.