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Chapter 85 Part 3 – I’m!! Heading into battle!! When feelings and fingertips come into contact.

「As expected from my daughter. She is a woman of the Melville family. We are hunters. Not shepherds. We are the ones who hold on to life in a life-or-death struggle against a beast. Grandmother, mother, you can rest assured. Melville’s lineage and way of life has definitely been passed on to this child ……」

Mother has entered reporting mode to the ancestors. Apparently, if it’s something to do with Melville, my mother turns into a bloody weirdo. Even though she’s usually a poor-looking, but graceful beauty. Umm, just so you know. I have no intention of inheriting the Melville family nor that shameless costume.

……Well, let’s move on.
My cheeks turned red and I once again turned around to face my mother who was praying to the ancestors.

「Mother, please let me borrow that Atlas silk. I will prove to you through my dance that elegance can sometimes triumph over violence. I will not let the excitement of that dance between mother and Countess Rosenthal go to waste.」

Dance is mightier than a sword!! The Atlas silk shawl is my weapon.

「Scarlet, I’m happy to hear that, but ……」

「Cornelia-san. I know you’re worried, but Sca-chibi is pissed off now. It’s no use trying to convince her. Now that she’s in this state, Sca-chibi would be willful, but absolutely invincible.」

Seeing the hesitant expression on mother’s face, Bradd interceded.
Seraphy and Arnold also laughed.

「You’re right. To me, Scarlet-san is the goddess of victory. There’s no way she would lose. It was presumptuous of me to be worried.」

My cheeks turned red. Stop it, Seraphy. It’s embarrassing to hear you describe me as the 「goddess of victory」. It looks like Seraphy has a tendency to beautify me too much. As a defeated queen that has experienced the downfall of the castle numerous times in the previous 「108 times」, I can’t help but feel embarrassed.

「Ohh, it looks like I have not yet seen Scarlet’s limits. I’ll enjoy my time looking for the reason why Seraphy adores her so much.」

Compared to that, Arnold’s snide remark was a relief. He even had the composure to say, 「Look at me. I’ll make you smile.」

「I’m sure Scarlet-san will show Arnold a view he’s never seen before.」

Stop saying that, Seraphy. Don’t raise the bar so high.

But it’s strange. It strangely feels right to banter and have fun with these three boys like this. It’s as if we’ve been working together as a team for years. When we were fighting against Addis the Faceless earlier, we were able to work together smoothly. If we had exchanged more conversations in the previous 「108 times」, we might have avoided killing each other.

I shook my head around to shake off my sentiments.
This is no time to be distracted by the past.
I need to pull myself together.
Right in front of me is Viscount Bull-chan, who is snorting roughly with hostility toward me.

「To think that you would ignore me and have a talk amongst yourselves. That’s enough, you damn brats ……」

He’s like a bull that’s been made to wait. My red hair must look like a crimson cloth. I’m surprised he waited until now. What a model villain.

「…… Scarlet, don’t push yourself too hard.」

Mother hesitantly handed me the Atlas silk shawl. I put it on like a celestial robe and let the ends hang down from my arms.

「I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Sir Brewer. I will be your partner for the dance.」

「Don’t be silly!! Why do I have to dance with this little girl ……!!」

Viscount Brewer shouted with his mouth wide open. He’s still not convinced? I felt like I’ve become Little Red Riding Hood standing in front of a wolf with a big mouth. Someone please lend me an umbrella before I try to persuade him. This man has terrible spit and bad breath.

While I was pondering how to persuade him, Countess Rosenthal, who had regained her complexion somewhat, intervened.

「Sir Brewer. If that girl can’t dance to everyone’s satisfaction, you are free to do as you please with me.」

「……!!」

Viscount Brewer’s bloodshot eyes wavered. Eh? I just saw his lust pushing back the madness in his eyes. His eyes darted back and forth between Countess Rosenthal’s face and breasts.

「I hope you’re not going to say that it was a joke later and go back on your words ……」

His eyes were probing. I can’t believe that he asked that, could it be that eroticism has brought him back to his senses. Eroticism is stronger than madness ……

Countess Rosenthal laughed provocatively.

「As the host of tonight’s event, I would not be so tactless as to break my promise. Besides, even though I might not look like it, I’m good at gambling. That’s how I rose to the position of the previous king’s favorite concubine.」

Viscount Brewer nodded after a while.

「…… Fine then. You must not go back on your words.」

「I swear by the name of ‘valley of roses’ bestowed upon me by the previous king.」

Viscount Brewer agreed.

Countess Rosenthal gently leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear.

「That guy always uses dirty tricks. He’s crushed a number of women he doesn’t like by using dancing as an excuse. It’s his usual trick. Be careful.」

It was a warning out of concern for me, but it instead ignited my fighting spirit. Just as fighting is sometimes non-negotiable for men, dancing in high society for women is sometimes so important that they put their lives on the line. They all desperately try to blossom. It is unforgivable that he rudely trampled on those feelings.

「…… In other words, he’s the enemy of women. Well then, I should also beat into him the regrets of the women that he has crushed. That just increased the reasons why I can’t lose. Don’t worry. I won’t let you regret the bet you made on me.」

I got so worked up that my hair stood on end.

But what makes me worried is that …… I can’t help but get all fired up when I think about getting revenge on someone. It’s not like I’m trying to act like a good person, but if I have a justification to do so, the constraint on my aggressive behavior would burst open. There is a dangerous monster smoldering in the depths of my heart, always waiting for a chance to be set free. The several lifetimes of memory of the bloody battle of succession to the throne and being called an atrocious queen. I have the blood of that crazy father flowing inside my veins. It is quite possible for this to happen. Unn, I feel like I’m going to be a little depressed.

Countess Rosenthal smiled at me dazzlingly and nostalgically.

「Fufu, I’m not worried. After all, your angry eyes look just like Wendell-sama’s. I’m sure you’ll be able to make any impossible thing possible.」

There is the shyness of a young girl in her voice. There is also a sadness, as if she is reminiscing about her distant hometown.

Is this person ……

I was about to ask the question out loud, but decided not to. If Countess Rosenthal is keeping her feelings secret, it would be uncouth of me to try to force her to tell it.

Some things are better left unsaid. Through my actions, I will make a large flower bloom.

I requested the music accompaniment for the Viennese waltz to Countess Rosenthal. She immediately raised her hand to instruct the orchestra and the music slowly began to play.

Since the first dance is over, everyone will participate from this point on. Mother and Countess Rosenthal are considerably exhausted, so they had to take a break.

Viscount Brewer and I also bowed to each other. He looked at me with a gaze that made it seem as if he was going to kill me. He must have left behind his amiability in his mother’s stomach. I’m telling you, men without charm and composure are hated.

The sight of me calmly walking toward Viscount Brewer made it look as if I had the spirit of self-denial of a maiden being forced to approach the torture device.

Viscount Brewer violently pulled me toward him and whispered in my ear.

「Now you can’t escape anymore. It’s too late for regrets. I will make you pay dearly for the insults you’ve spoken.」

I deliberately smiled with my teeth showing.

「I’ll return your words right back to you. But don’t misunderstand me. What I’m about to do is to teach you manners. I’m going to educate the stupid bulldog on what happens when you treat a woman with contempt.」

Now that the other party has declared war, I will also stop trying to keep up appearances. From here on out, I’ll go full throttle with my wicked tongue from the period when I was a villainess young lady in the previous 「108 times」. After I whispered so in his ears and giggled, the veins in Viscount Brewer’s temples swelled up. I feel sorry to the bulldogs though. For likening this guy to them.