Chapter 150: Chapter 150
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Recalling how fruity her muffled singing felt that Masquerade night... And how lusciously mellow it was yesterday evening... the exciting sensation it evoked travelled once again through his spine, making him impatient with an electrifying desire to hear it again.
Answering her without intending to sweeten his true opinion, opposing the outrageous word she used to describe her sound, Zeleskiaz daydreamed as he took her hand unconsciously to convey his thoughts about its dulcet intonation.
"...It was not shallow in the least... Only sweet to the ears and powerful in its melody..."
"..."
Watching her anthracite pupils resonate with brilliance as her blushing cheeks infected her slightly hidden ears, he swallowed to continue the prose.
"Certainly befitting of its portrayer’s excellence... The Lady’s voice was maddeningly winsome..."
His eyes did not vacillate as his opinion was conveyed. Yet, her shy reaction showing scantly in her visage once more... had him in great trouble.
It was nowhere near to the fascinating upbrings of her lips in happiness, however, the faded and puny lift of her corners, demonstrated all of the virtue inhabiting her soul.
’Ah... Lady... Do not do this to me..... To think I wish you to not show such expressions only to abide by our agreement... It adds pain to this grief...’
The feel of a tantalising trembling of her hand was what ultimately made him release her. Carefully, like the flowing stroke of thin silk, his grasp weakened slowly to not let it fall into the irrespective air.
Zeleskiaz, then, excused himself for doing unnecessary grazing between them, fully aware that it was not permitted.
"Pardon me... I acted selfishly once again..."
"..."
Dainty, she placed her hands together, timidly observing her tool to write an answer to the dejected man.
[ It is alright. That much is fine, Your Highness. ]
The girl was not attempting to give the man hope.
It was merely her open-minded personality that was confident that... such little touch, such tiny graze and grasp the man had used... was something that in her times would not imply much.
Yet to him... Although it did not raise his hopes for further development... It meant that the proximity he was allowed to have with the Lady was not one that required steps of distance.
Hence, his eyes stimulated the red hue, pleasured by the clarification it meant.
"Is it?... If so, I am glad."
"..."
She took a moment to compose her troubled state. The man she was now entangled with, in an ambiguous relationship, was an opponent she had never encountered in her past and was sufficiently provocative to shake her convictions.
’Pheeeew... Let’s breathe... Let’s imagine he’s ugly... Let’s imagine he’s a goat... An ugly, with squinting eyes goat... Who will help us say baa~ louder...’
[ Going back to the issue at hand, Your Highness. If it is as you said that my voice has reached you, then I have two requests I want to shamelessly ask of you.
I seem to be asking many things of you, so please feel free to tell me if I am being overly complacent towards yourself.
It is not my wish to abuse of your kindness. ]
’Alright, this sounds about right... I’m innocent, see? I truly don’t want to burden you~... But I do want to since it’s useful, heh.’
The girl thought as she handed the tiny letter, admitting that said warning of not desiring to abuse his disposition was a manipulative way of hers to achieve this needed assistance.
"Many things were asked, indeed... However..."
’I am not doing this out of "kindness"... Pure Lady.’
"It is the least I can do for the Lady. Please, do take this ’kindness’ as a manner to compensate for some of my misdeeds towards you..."
’Ohoh~? Really? Nice then~ I shamelessly accept~~’
[ If so, My Prince, one of the two requests is for Your Highness to keep the existence of my voice a secret from anybody... Including any of my Family members. ]
Happy about his acceptance to hear her requests, Marianne wrote down the first one, unconsciously addressing Zeleskiaz differently.
The Prince’s heart fluttered as he read it, feeling oddly satisfied that a sense of property could be found in it. He continued to read, without paying much attention to his sudden joy and ultimately the sensation was buried by his curiosity.
’Even from her family?...’
"It is no issue for me to comply... Yet, if I am to keep it... May I know what is the reason for this secrecy, My Lady?"
"..."
[ Although you have witnessed it quite frequently... It is something that is difficult for me to accomplish after much practice.
I do not wish for them to conceive hopes on something that may take long... or never happen. ]
"... So the Lady doesn’t wish to disappoint them on not regaining her sound completely?"
"~!" — She nodded, internally declaring that his deduction was some part of the truth.
"That’s nonsense."
"?!" — ’Non– WHAT?!’
He said nonchalantly, upsetting the Lady with his bluntness. However...
"What is there to be disappointed by? Certainly, no Lady has achieved what you have in this Royal Palace even with no condition restraining them... I believe the man who has brought greater prosperity to this Empire should be clever enough to comprehend his daughter’s value."
At this time his words came from the objective analysis of the man who posed as one of the most respectable nobles in the Empire that happened to be her Father.
The truth of her significance was at that same instant being proven, for she had been invited to the Palace shortly after her debut and held great fondness from the Monarchy she lived under.
The foreigner agreed, yet followed to show her response.
[ My Father is indeed clever.
His Grace has already addressed to me how proud my performance has made him.
Nonetheless, Father is a man who holds many concerns about my health. I do not wish for him to learn about it and add more to his burdens. ]
"... The Lady seems to care a lot about her family..."
"..." — ’If you say so...’
[ It is only natural, Your Highness. My family is everything I have at this moment. Therefore, I wish to protect them as they do with me. ]
She honestly stated, assuring he gained learning of who she valued in her life as the thought holding its intention was told in her mind’s lagoon.
’... "Family" means the Duke and Marianne... Maybe Theressa too since she now seems kinda pitiful... But F*** the others. They are not nice nor pathetic enough to summon my kind protection. Just remember they are that important to me and be careful because I can be nasty when hating someone.’
Meanwhile, the other party...
"Natural... Is it?" — Pondered, mumbling his question as he could not grasp much understanding of her motive.
Hearing him, she glanced at the Crown Prince curiously, wondering what kind of upbringing he had to ask such a heartbreaking thing, yet recalling his peculiar attitude this morning when greeting the Third Prince.
The outspoken soul thought of mentioning it as a means to put an example, except that she abstained from it, realising that it would be wise for her to be more reserved on her words for the two were only now learning more about each other.
[ Yes... Crown Prince, the second request is yet to be said and, truthfully, it is a matter of high importance to me. ]
"..."
Zeleskiaz stayed silent to her continuation, intrigued by how her body emanated the anxiety of sharing this next request and shaken by the emerging desire to concede whichever her petition was... only to appease her troubled aura.
Now, it was simply with their meeting sights that she received the signal to deliver the petition. And so, her hand gracefully wrote the message asking for the Prince’s help.
[ As I mentioned previously, the summoning of my voice has required practice on my behalf.
Regardless, I have found a very troubling obstacle that makes my progress unclear to myself.
The fact that as I own this voice I cannot pinpoint its growth in volume or clarity to an audience... causes difficulties when asserting if I have effectively improved my condition... Or not. ]
"..."
[ My petition is for the Crown Prince, the only aware of my dry sound, to help me develop it further...
As a third’s assistance would make these practices more efficient in regaining my lost voice, I can only ask this of you, Prince Zeleskiaz. ]
Lastly, she conveyed. Feeling conflicted on how ironic it was for her to trust this man on this matter, for she had no one else in this Realm to turn to for assistance other than a dangerous Crown Prince...
Regardless of this satire, she still giggled in the inner corners of her soul.
’It’s weird that I’m doing this even knowing what I know about him. Taking that into account... He’s definitely not trustworthy... But... Ugh! This feeling I have in my gut... It’s telling me I can rest assured if he is the one to help me with this~~.... I’m such a weirdo... heh.’
It was right after this thought crossed her head, that Zeleskiaz responded, showing a mischievous grin as his voice purred the words, insanely elated by the developments this conversation was granting him.
"Your motives are surely well founded, My Lady... Do not fret. I agree to this wholeheartedly."
"!!"
"Because... Doesn’t this petition mean... that I am to hear your mouthpiece sooner?"