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Chapter 80 Part 2 – The women take a step forward with pride in their hearts. To protect, to fight, to compromise.

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…… It’s sudden, but I wonder if you all know the requirements for male servants that determine the rank of nobility. Ability? Character? Physical stamina? Cooperativeness? No. There is one more thing that is extremely important. Height.

It may sound silly, and I agree with you, but in the aristocratic world, it is so important to have tall servants who are of the same height that it could affect the family status. The height of the servants determines their employment and wages. You might be able to better understand if I compare them to a group of stag beetle collectors bragging to each other about the size of their stag beetles.

That is why I had asked Bradd to select a group of handsome and tall men from the〈Lawless Crew〉and bring them as servants to tonight’s ball. When we got close to Countess Rosenthal’s mansion, I was going to assign one of them to be the coachman, and we were going to ride into the enemy territory with a special combo of an extravagant eight-horse carriage + a full complement of handsome, tall servants. However, due to the unexpected evil eye of Countess Rosenthal, they got knocked out of the barrier. My plan fell apart.

…… The only ones left were the turned-young members of the Imperial Guard who are big fans of my mother, shouting 「Miss Cornelia is the best!!」. The grown-up Seraphy and Arnold. And the ultimate is Bradd, who somehow ended up with long hair and changed into a fashionable avant-garde outfit, making him look even more like a girl from a foreign kingdom.

How am I supposed to settle a situation like this? Especially Bradd.

The large collar that hangs down to the bust is lined with lace. The dress had gigot sleeves that puffed out at the shoulders and the dress was tighter at the chest position like a dress that a child would wear. The first layer of the fabric was deliberately gathered up at the back of the waist to create pleats. Furthermore, he was wearing high laced boots and his legs were visible starting from the knees. It was the complete opposite of the standard dress default for young ladies in Hydrangea, which is based on a wide-open décolleté and a long skirt that covers the ankles.

No, wait. I seem to remember that at the final days of my life as queen in the previous ‘108 times’, such high-waisted fashion was popular throughout the continent …… However, around that time, in all those numerous loops, I was cornered to a life and death situation and I didn’t have time to check the fashion mode, so my memory about that is a bit hazy.

Anyway, the plan had to be reworked from scratch again. Jeez!!

As I was screaming and flailing my legs, everyone except Seraphy looked at me with a shocked expression.

「Are you looking forward to the ball that much? I guess Sca-chibi is a girl.」

Stupid Bradd, don’t nod your head so seriously. Do I look like I’m looking forward to it? Read my mind properly.

「…… That’s not true. It’s because the plan that she had devised to take an upper hand from the Duchess in tonight’s ball was completely ruined. I, too, have had the frustrating experience of having my previous contracts annulled at the whim of an egomaniacal high-ranking noble. That’s why I can understand how Scarlet-san feels when the board gets overturned by an unexpected and unreasonable evil eye.」

Exactly!! Take a little lesson from the hardworking Seraphy. You maid vagabond. This reaction of mine is not from having fun and looking forward to the ball, it’s from agony!! I’m trying to figure out how to make it work with this chaotic group of people who are like a circus troupe.

Moreover, with the power of the Countess’s evil eye, the nobles at tonight’s ball have all reverted to their state 14 years ago!? What with this incomprehensible state of affairs!? In that case, doesn’t that mean that our Duke household will only be recognized as a poor family? The prestige of defeating the demon dog Gallam, my threats of infamy, and all the other things we’ve built up are useless.　

In the first place, we were just heading to a masquerade ball, but why did the Witch of Doom with a blue diamond hanging from her head, the Seven Phantoms, the demon dog, Alisa, and finally even the fortune teller ‘Mother’ appear one after the other!? And to top it all off, the antagonist, Countess Rosenthal, has changed her job to that of a witch!? The stage was moved to that night 14 years ago!?

I’m not a resident of the battle fantasy world. I’m just a four-year-old girl with experience as a queen who wants to enjoy a reclusive life, using my cheat knowledge to run through the real world of intrigue and conspiracies, and accumulate a lot of money. So why did I end up in life-threatening battles against demons? Isn’t my life more tumultuous and filled with many vicissitudes than it was in the previous ‘108 times’? I can’t accept this. I feel so indignant.

After stomping on the floor inside the carriage and cursing my misfortune, I let out a sigh.

Worry time is over. Any more than this is a waste of time. At least the current situation is much better than when I was killed as a helpless queen. Let’s think of another plan. Arnold looked at me with a weird look on his face as I suddenly became silent and started to concentrate on building the next plan.

「…… Hey, the atmosphere around the young miss has changed completely. Is she possessed by something?」

You rude bastard.

I wonder if my ability to switch so quickly makes me seem inhuman to others. Although I haven’t seen it myself, I’ve heard that when I’m absorbed in my thoughts I would have no expression on my face and my crimson eyes would slightly glow.

「Nope, Sca-chibi is always like that.」

Other than Arnold, everyone who’s known me for a long time is already used to it.

It’s a habit from my days as queen. Anyone would be like me if exposed to such inhumane working conditions. Even after I kept dealing with it, decisions regarding the crisis of the kingdom kept on rushing in. Far from the elegant image of a queen sitting on the throne, I spent my days wearing out the chair and desk in the office with bloodshot eyes, battling the fear of tendonitis, and incessantly using a quill pen to sign the documents. Instead of a tiara, a cotton cloth is wrapped around my forehead to prevent sweat from falling into my eyes. It was almost like torture.

Before long, I no longer have time to think about how I wish I had more free time. My hands moved like a machine and I could only think of how to get as much sleep as possible, even if it is only for a minute longer. And even when I do get those long-awaited hours of sleep, all I can dream about is sleeping soundly on the bed. Because in the end I would be woken up by an emergency and my tears would wet the pillow, as I lamented that it was just a happy dream. Eventually, I acquired a special skill to sleep with my back straight and my eyes open while in the middle of a ceremony.

When you’re cornered to that extent, even the time you spend worrying about it becomes a waste. In the midst of a bullet-riddled war, people are desperate just to survive and complete the task at hand. I was the same. If I had time to worry, I would use it to sleep. The time spent dwelling on my emotions is a waste. I still haven’t gotten over the habits of that time.