Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord Act 2 (Light Novel) E-Book

Satori Tanabata

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: Villainess Level 99: I May Be the Hidden Boss but I'm Not the Demon Lord
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 527

Beschreibung

Despite the rocky start to her life at the Academy, Yumiella Dolkness has safely managed to graduate, and now she’s on to the next chapter of her life—stepping into her new role as countess! Yumiella’s determined to learn how to properly manage Dolkness County, her family’s estate, but she soon finds there’s quite a lot of work that needs to be done. Decades of neglect from her parents have left the county in shambles, and now it’s up to her to whip things back into shape!

Yet, even beyond that, Yumiella’s life isn’t all fun and games. Back in the Royal Capital, a group of corrupt aristocrats have begun to push for the second prince, Prince Edwin, to succeed Valschein’s throne, and they appear to be planning something even more sinister behind the scenes...

Still, whether she’s dealing with a mysterious shadow group or problems with her county, Yumiella will handle it in the same way she always does—by using her level 99 strength!

Leseprobe

Prologue

I, Yumiella Dolkness, am the villainess and hidden boss of an otome game. Or at least now I am, since I reincarnated into Yumiella’s body. When I’d realized who I’d become—a girl destined to be stronger than the final boss, otherwise known as the Demon Lord, and who could use strong dark magic—I might have gotten a little too excited. My gamer instincts had taken over, and I’d level grinded way too hard.

When I’d entered the Academy, it had been revealed during the level assessment portion of the opening ceremony that I was at the unprecedented level of 99, and so people had been very frightened of me. Some of them had even suspected that I was the Demon Lord. The fact that I’d been born with the same black hair as him hadn’t exactly helped my case, nor had the Kingdom of Valschein’s perception that the color black signified evil.

Alicia—the main character of the game—and her three love interests had also been convinced that I was the Demon Lord, and trying to clear things up with them had been a truly difficult task. In the end, the only one who’d understood that I was just a completely harmless civilian had been Prince Edwin. As for the other three...well, they’d ended up almost murdering me just moments before our battle against the real Demon Lord. My parents had actually tried to have me killed as well, which had led to me succeeding my father’s title and becoming a countess.

You know, I feel like way too many people have wanted to kill me...

Despite all that, it wasn’t as if I hadn’t had any good times. I’d gotten to hatch my adorable dragon Ryuu from an egg that I’d incubated myself, and best of all, I’d met someone who liked me for me. Speaking of which, he—Patrick Ashbatten—and I were currently in the middle of fighting a monster.

At this point, roughly a year had passed since all the commotion around the Demon Lord’s resurrection had been settled, and Patrick and I had made our way into the depths of a dungeon near the Royal Capital. It was the more dangerous of the two dungeons located in the area—Patrick was probably the only one who could properly take on the monsters here. Well, Patrick and I both.

After destroying an entire wave of monsters that had come crashing toward us, Patrick turned to me and panted, “Couldn’t you help me out a little?”

I shook my head. “I can’t,” I said simply. “I’ve already reached the maximum level, so the experience would go to waste.”

“Still, it’s a bit tough to take on this many on my own...”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about that,” I admitted. “You need to stop playing it so safe. If you don’t conserve your energy by dodging attacks at the last minute, or exert more power than you need to kill them, your grinding efficiency is going to drop.”

He could even just take the brunt of the attacks to save time, I mused.

“There’s no point in being efficient if I end up getting hurt and can’t go on,” Patrick said, looking decidedly unconvinced.

“That’s why I’m here! Even if you lose an arm or a leg, I can fix you up right away.”

My thoughts flashed back to my childhood, when I’d constantly been covered in fresh wounds. I’d still been weak back then, and it had been part of my daily routine to use my healing magic to regain a lost limb or two. Honestly, I knew that as long as I protected my head, most other injuries could be healed.

Now that I think about it, there’s even a chance I could regenerate my head, I thought. Patrick should be grateful that he has such a skilled healer with him...

Patrick, however, didn’t seem to agree. “I’m coming alone from now on,” he said dispiritedly. “I feel like I’m in more danger when you’re around.”

“You know that, in the worst-case scenario, you could die in a dungeon, right? I’m only here because I’m worried about you.”

“And yet, I can’t tell if you’re trying to kill me or keep me alive...”

Of course I want you to live! I thought indignantly. You’re my dearest boyfriend! Wait, hold on... Are Patrick and I boyfriend and girlfriend?

I combed through all my recent memories at the Academy, but I couldn’t recall doing a single romantic thing with him. We hadn’t splashed water on each other at the beach, or bumped into each other at our agreed-upon meeting spot like eight hours before we were meant to show up there...

We did kiss...right? I feel like we did. But we haven’t really gone on any dates... Or, wait, couldn’t our current outing be considered a date? I mean, when a guy and a girl go out, just the two of them... I nodded to myself. Yeah, this is totally a date.

“Of course I want you to live, Patrick,” I told him. “I want you to have a long life, so we can have tons of dates just like this one.”

“This thing we’re doing right now is definitely not a date,” Patrick protested.

I sunk back into thought. Is it wrong to try and go on a date in a dungeon?

◆◆◆

Not too long after that, Patrick and I decided to call it a day and started to head back toward the entrance of the dungeon. As we reached the lower levels, fewer monsters appeared, so we ended up walking side by side and chatting.

“This might be the last time we come here, with graduation being so close,” I commented.

Patrick nodded. “Sounds like we’ll be graduating from the hidden dungeon of the Royal Capital then as well.”

The hidden dungeon of the Roya— Oh, right. I guess this dungeon is called hidden. The moniker doesn’t really feel right, though; the other one’s just accessible at a much lower level.

As we continued to walk the dim dungeon path, a moment of silence fell between us. I looked over at Patrick and caught him staring at me, an almost fearful look in his eyes.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, I just thought you might suggest taking down the boss to commemorate our last time, or something like that.”

“Patrick, do not fight the boss here.”

“Whatever it is, it must be pretty strong for you to say that,” he commented, eyebrows raising.

If I was recalling the game correctly, this dungeon had nothing going for it aside from the fact that it was close to the Royal Capital. On top of that, the boss was a total pain in the ass—I hated that golem.

“It’s not that the boss is particularly strong,” I told Patrick. “It’s just got really high defense, so fighting it is really inefficient experiencewise.”

It took forever to take that golem down, since the monster was resistant to both physical and magical attacks. It also dropped an elixir for some reason, which I found strange and completely unnecessary—it wasn’t like I needed any recovery items during the battle.

Patrick sighed. “I got worried for nothing. I forgot that’s the kind of person you are.”

“The kind of person I am”? I thought, perplexed. What does that mean?

But before I could ask, I heard something rustling down ahead of us. Patrick and I put our conversation on hold and held up our weapons, preparing for an attack from the front, but then relaxed when we realized the sounds we’d just heard were only the shuffling of footsteps and the low murmuring of several voices.

It looks like other people are here for once, I thought. I better call out to them first, so we don’t end up in a scuffle.

“Hello, it’s a fine day for dungeon crawling, isn’t it?”

“Well, well,” a man’s voice responded. “I’m surprised to see other people in here. We’re members of the Royal Knight’s Order; we’re here to train.”

Sounds like there’s two or three of them, I mused.

I decided to continue forward, since I didn’t anticipate having any issues with members of the Knight’s Order. I walked around a corner and was met with the sight of three men dressed in Royal Knight uniforms, each of which were wielding a sword.

I bowed to them, only to be met with a scream.

“Whoa! Something’s here!”

“What?” I looked around, trying to figure out what had appeared, but the only other thing I saw was Patrick, who was looking dubiously at the group of men in front of us.

One of the knights who hadn’t screamed stepped forward and bowed. “I apologize for that, Countess Dolkness. We didn’t expect to actually meet someone here, and it seems he was caught off guard. Are you perhaps returning to the surface?”

“Yes,” I agreed, “we’re just on our way out. Oh, and just so you know, we took down most of the monsters around the fortieth level. I suspect that area won’t have much going on for a while.”

The knight chuckled. “Ha ha, that shouldn’t be a problem. The deepest we’ll be going is around the tenth level.”

“Is that so? Well, good luck then.”

And so, our innocuous conversation ended, and we went our separate ways.

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder what that one knight had seen. It was a question that was answered for me only a few moments later. Thanks to my acute sense of hearing, which I’d gained through leveling, I was able to pick up on the three knights’ conversation.

“I didn’t think we’d bump into her,” one of them murmured. “I thought I was going to die when she popped out of the dark.”

“She’s the one who made the skies black in the Royal Capital, right? To think she has the ability to call forth the night... How terrifying.”

“I was pretty scared when we ran into her too,” said the knight who’d spoken to me. “Seems like the stories about her being a black-haired demon and dragon tamer aren’t too far off. But she did seem pretty normal when I spoke to her.”

One of the other knights scoffed. “Would a normal person go all the way to the fortieth level of this dungeon? The guy who was with her was the son of a margrave, right? I don’t know how he puts up with her.”

“Yeah...” There was a pause. “You know, after seeing her in person, I think she’s the one who defeated the Demon Lord.”

“The official statement from the kingdom is that His Highness took him down, so don’t say that to others.”

Oh, so they were afraid of me. They even figured out the truth behind the battle against the Demon Lord too...

I couldn’t help but wonder if Patrick, who was walking beside me, had also heard their conversation. It was a bit embarrassing that the elite Royal Knights of this kingdom were afraid of me.

“Just so you know, Yumiella,” Patrick said suddenly, “I don’t feel like I’m ‘putting up’ with you.”

So he did hear everything... I thought. But, hold on, if he’s not putting up with me, that means he’s choosing to spend time with me! So this is a date after all.

I smiled, just slightly. “Thank you, Patrick.”

◆◆◆

A few days after our dungeon adventure, the graduation ceremony for the Royal Academy of the Kingdom of Valschein had been held. I’d daydreamed my way through the commencement addresses of both Prince Edwin and the headmaster, and not long after that, the ceremony had ended without anything remarkable happening.

Now it was time for us to attend a buffet party, which was being held in the same venue.

So... I mused. Is this the kind of event where I can leave whenever I want?

I had other things to take care of, including packing up my dorm. I was much too busy to have the time to enjoy a party.

Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever had fun at a party.

I decided to look for Patrick and suggest we leave. As I searched my surroundings for him, a person began to make their way toward me—one who most people avoided. Her eyes welled up as she drew up by my side, as if she could burst into tears at any moment.

“I’m so sad to be saying goodbye to you, Yumiella,” she said, sniffling. “We...we will see each other again, right?”

“We will, we will,” I promised. “Now, can you give me a little more space, Lady Eleanora?”

I gave the girl in front of me a wary look. She was a duke’s daughter named Eleanora Hillrose, who for some strange reason was very fond of me. She and her blond ringlets kept inching closer and closer—I felt like she was just seconds from latching on to me.

“When will we see each other again?” she demanded. “Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow?”

“Well, I’ll be at my family’s mansion in the Royal Capital for a few days, so I think we’ll be able to meet up a couple of times.”

“Really?!” Eleanora happily exclaimed. “Then I will definitely visit you!”

Oops, I think I may have said a bit too much there. She’s definitely going to invite herself over.

Eleanora’s expression was suddenly clouded, as if she had realized something. “But...why did you say we’d only be able to meet up ‘a couple of times’? Yumiella, are you leaving the Royal Capital?”

“Yes, I’ll be returning to my county.”

Now that I’d succeeded my father’s title, I was now responsible for Dolkness County. Before, I’d left things to our deputy since I was still a student, but from now on I’d need to return home and work from on-site.

I’m surprised Lady Eleanora didn’t realize I was leaving before this, I thought. I mean, it’s already widely known that I’ve become the countess of Dolkness...

“No, but that can’t— Oh! Does that mean you have to say goodbye to Patrick as well?”

“I’m afraid so...”

I hadn’t really allowed myself to dwell on that subject before now, and I began frowning slightly.

She’s right, I thought with an inward sigh. Until now, I could see Patrick at the Academy every day, but after this, I won’t be able to meet up with him so easily.

Patrick’s home, the Mark of Ashbatten, was on the complete opposite side of the kingdom as Dolkness County, with the Royal Capital stationed in between. It was something I’d long been aware of, something I’d known from the day I’d met Patrick, even before he’d confessed his feelings to me. Still...no matter how aware I was of the facts, that didn’t make our situation any less sad.

“I can’t believe the two of you are going to be apart...” Eleanora said with a gusty sigh. “What are you doing wasting your time talking to me?! You must hurry to Patrick!”

Eleanora ducked behind me, pushing me forward from behind. I didn’t budge even an inch—my significantly stronger muscles meant that I could remain effortlessly in place.

It’s not like it’s guaranteed that Patrick is over in that direction, I thought, exasperated. And, anyway, how am I supposed to handle this situation...?

As I was musing over my next move, I heard a voice call out to me from one side of the room. I craned my neck in that direction, only to see a familiar face.

I knew that was his voice. I knew you were pushing me in the wrong direction, Lady Eleanora.

“Hi, Yumiella and...Lady Eleanora. What exactly are you doing?”

“Oh, we were actually just looking for you,” I told him.

“And how wonderful that we’ve finally found you, right, Yumiella?” Eleanora asked cheerfully. “Don’t worry, I’ll make myself scarce—I wouldn’t want to meddle in your love affairs.”

That said, she immediately dived into the sea of other Academy students, and...then turned back around and observed us with great interest.

I’m pretty sure that can be called meddling too, Lady Eleanora.

Patrick and I turned to each other and laughed nervously, both very aware of the burning intensity of Eleanora’s gaze.

“This is just a guess,” I said, “but I think she thinks we haven’t noticed her.”

Patrick chuckled. “Looks like Lady Eleanora’s the same as always.”

Now that he was in front of me, I stared at Patrick’s face. The more I looked at him, the more I thought of how we’d have to be apart for a while. Suddenly, I felt like I was beginning to understand how Eleanora had worked herself up to the point of tears. But Patrick...he seemed to be acting no different than he usually did.

“Do you want me to get you a drink?” he asked.

“No, I’m good.”

Concern suddenly filled Patrick’s eyes. “What’s wrong, Yumiella? You look so sad. Are you really that unhappy over leaving the Academy?”

I don’t get how you and Lady Eleanora can read my emotions from my expressionless face, I thought, surprised that he’d noticed my feelings. Patrick...I don’t care about leaving the Academy—I’m overcome with sadness and loneliness just from the thought of being apart from you.

Still, there was no way I could say such an embarrassing thing out loud. I supposed my inability to express that side of me might be one of the reasons why the two of us hadn’t had any particularly romantic moments together.

Maybe I should just tell him how I feel honestly, I mused. Even if I end up embarrassing myself, I’ll have some time to cool off since we’ll be apart for a while. Still, the notion felt a little too daunting. Why is being straightforward so hard...? How do I tell him that he’s the reason for my sadness, and not the Academy? Hmm... Maybe if I say people are more important than places, he’ll get it.

“Well, you know... The strength of one’s position cannot ever prevail over the strength of a strong union, or however it goes.”

Patrick blinked, but then asked, “What military text are you quoting? I’d like to read it too.”

He didn’t get it at all! I moaned internally. Patrick, why can’t you just get it?! And here I thought the graduation ceremony was a good opportunity to express my feelings, a chance given to me by fate...

As I stood there frozen, desperately searching for the right words, Patrick casually continued, “Oh, right, I forgot to mention this, but before you head back to Dolkness County, can you stay in the Royal Capital for a little while?”

“What? Why?”

“I just have a few things to take care of, but I was planning on going to Dolkness County with you.”

Patrick...is coming with me? That means we don’t have to say goodbye! Hell yeah, baby, I’ve got no reason to be sad now! Though, uh, I guess I’ll be holding off on sharing my honest feelings, then...

Regardless, I found it very reassuring that Patrick would be coming with me. I’d been worried over figuring out how to run Dolkness County on my own, but with Patrick by my side, everything was sure to turn out all right. It was all I could do to hold in my excitement and not start dancing around in front of everyone.

Desperately forcing my voice into a neutral tone, I asked, “You’re coming too, huh?”

Patrick smiled slightly. “Yeah, who knows what would happen if I let you go alone.”

“It’s not like I’m going to do anything on purpose...”

“I didn’t think you would,” Patrick agreed. “Still, some kind of accident always happens if you’re around.”

Maybe I shouldn’t be so excited about him coming after all...

And so, my third year at the Academy came to an end. With my time as a student over, I made my way toward the next phase of my life: stepping into my role as the countess of Dolkness County.

Chapter 1: The Hidden Boss Graduates

After packing up and vacating my dorm, I’d headed to the Dolkness mansion in the Royal Capital. Now, I sat in the carriage that carried my few belongings as it stopped in front of my parents’ unnecessarily grand mansion. I’d decided to keep the estate for now, despite wanting to sell it off; if I got rid of it, I’d feel bad for ousting all of the people who worked there, and beyond that, my parents were still living in the mansion.

To tell the truth, I had no obligation to take care of either of my parents, after all the assassination attempts they’d sent my way. It was their fault I’d had no choice but to forcefully succeed my father and take on the title of countess in the first place. I’d proposed that they go live out in the countryside somewhere in our county, supported by an allowance I’d provide to them for that purpose, but they’d refused to leave the Royal Capital. And so, in the mansion they’d remained.

What’s so good about the Royal Capital, anyway? I wondered with a sigh as I climbed down from the carriage. It’s not like either of them will ever be able to return to the aristocratic world.

I’d sent word that I’d be stopping by the estate, so I wasn’t surprised to find that there were a few servants waiting outside for my arrival. They were all standing in stiff, upright positions, and had blanched faces. I casually glanced over at one of them, and they immediately started to tremble violently.

It’s unfortunate that they’re reacting like this, but I guess I am the person who caused all the commotion around the estate. Isn’t she a bit too scared of me, though?

Honestly, I was used to people reacting to me this way, so I didn’t particularly think much of it. The issue here was Rita, the woman standing behind me.

Rita had been my maid for the past three years, during which time she’d lived with me in the Academy dorms and been responsible for the care of me and my rooms. If that was the extent of our history, she’d be nothing more than a familiar servant to me, but she’d also just so happened to poison my tea a few times in order to save her sister, whom my parents had taken hostage. I’d later been the one to save that very sister, which had led to Rita’s loyalty to me morphing into something terrifying.

“How dare you take such an attitude toward your master?” she demanded, outraged. “Having the chance to serve Lady Yumiella should bring you to the pinnacle of happiness!”

This is just what I feared, I thought with an inward sigh. I didn’t step in, though—Rita’s gaze was far too intimidating.

“Why, I would even give my life for Lady Yumiella if she ordered me to do so! But my lady doesn’t at all desire such a thing; if anything, I am the one who wishes to die for her! Oh, seeing you treat her like this, it fills me with such a burning, fiery frustration! Do you understand what I’m trying to express to you?!”

The servants slowly shook their heads in denial.

“Y-You...don’t understand?” Rita laughed, her expression shifting from rage to an unholy glee. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you do soon enough.”

“Rita, calm down!” I finally said, cutting into her rant. “They don’t need to understand! Anyway, I don’t really care about their attitude. Oh! How about you go see your sister? You haven’t seen her for a while, right?”

Rita inclined her head. “I am grateful for your benevolence, Lady Yumiella, but there is no need to spoil Sara. She is working hard every day in order to become your slave, so—”

“Go and see her right away,” I said, cutting her off.

Rita fell silent at once, then bowed deeply to me before heading off into the depths of the mansion. Watching her go, I released a relieved breath.

Sara’s in trouble—I’ve got to save her before she falls too deeply into her sister’s clutches. I can’t have another Rita running around...

My biggest concern, however, was the other servants, who’d witnessed the entirety of what just happened. I didn’t want them to be turned off by Rita’s actions.

I haven’t brainwashed her, I promise!

Before my parents had assigned Rita to me, she’d been working here at the Dolkness estate in the Royal Capital, but it was becoming clear that I couldn’t leave her to her own devices. At this rate, I’d probably have to bring her home with me to Dolkness County. I was scared to think of what she might do if I left her behind...

Now that Rita was gone, the servants nervously tried to show me around the mansion. Unfortunately, I couldn’t enter the house just yet.

“Wait a second,” I told them. “I’d like to go to the yard first.”

“The yard...?” one of the maids asked. She gave me a puzzled look but said nothing more, bringing me over to a large stretch of lawn.

Now that I’d gotten a better look at it, I realized the Dolkness mansion was L-shaped, which meant there was plenty of room for a sprawling field of grass.

All right, I thought, nodding to myself. This should be good enough for a few days.

“Ryuu!” I yelled toward the sky.

Past the clouds, a dark entity appeared, flying straight toward us—it was Ryuu, my absolutely adorable child, who was also my pride and joy. Reaching the skies just above the mansion, Ryuu wildly flapped his wings as he came down. When his feet thumped to the earth, the ground quaked violently under my feet.

“You did such a good job moving here from the Academy, Ryuu!” I praised him, jumping onto his face, which was as long as I was tall. “What a good boy you are!”

Ryuu fawned over me, rumbling purrs resonating through his body. They were so deep the sound almost felt like it came from deep within the earth.

How cute, I thought, my heart full. Even if he is a dragon, he’s still a baby.

That’s when I realized I’d completely forgotten about the maid. I turned back to apologize, only to find that she’d collapsed to the ground. She seemed petrified with terror, judging by the loud chattering of her teeth.

Oh, she must not be fond of animals. My bad, miss.

◆◆◆

At the longest, I decided I was only going to stay at the Dolkness mansion for a week. After all, I just needed to wait until Patrick finished taking care of the errands he had to run in the Royal Capital, and then we’d be good to go. I’d expected him to arrive a few days after I’d left for the mansion, so I was quite surprised when he showed up much sooner—that is, the same day I arrived.

When I went to the front of the residence to greet him, one of the first things I did was invite him to my room. The chamber itself still felt quite unfamiliar to me, since I’d only just arrived myself, but I figured it was as good a place to talk as any.

“Didn’t you have some things to take care of?” I asked as we walked there. “Are you done with everything already?”

“Not yet,” Patrick admitted, “but after vacating my dorm at the Academy, I had nowhere to stay.”

“But...doesn’t your family have a place here in the Royal Capital too?”

“Yeah, they do, but there aren’t enough people working there to take care of me. Would you mind if I stayed here instead?”

The Dolkness mansion was plenty large enough for mere provincial aristocrats to be living in, since my parents had neglected Dolkness County and based themselves in the Royal Capital instead. Still, it didn’t sound right to me that a margrave’s estate didn’t have enough spare staff to care for Patrick, especially if he was going to be staying there all by himself.

There must be some other reason he wants to stay here, I mused. Oh, I’ve got it!

Patrick seemed to notice a slight shift in my expression, because he heaved a sigh. “To be honest, I made that up. It was just an excuse so I could spend more time with—”

“I get it!” I cut in. “You’re scared, aren’t you? I mean, who wouldn’t be after telling their family they weren’t going to visit them even once after graduating from the Academy?”

“Oh... Uh, yeah, that’s it.”

“Are you sure you shouldn’t go and show your face at the Mark of Ashbatten? Aren’t your parents worried?”

“I’m more scared of letting you go to Dolkness County alone,” Patrick said, exasperated. “I’m worried about you.”

Am I really that unreliable? I wondered. I guess it’s fine. Regardless, I’m happy he’s coming.

◆◆◆

Later that night, as I lay in my unfamiliar bed, I realized that Patrick and I were actually sleeping under the same roof. Now that we weren’t in separate dorms anymore, like we’d used to be, something was bound to happen.

Was this what he was after all along? I wondered. Patrick, you’re such a horndog. How should I go about fending him off if he comes in here? Or...maybe I shouldn’t? But I don’t want to do anything until we’re married...

I stared at the foreign planes of my room’s ceiling, my thoughts wandering, as I waited. Until, finally...the time came, and I heard the sound of someone softly knocking on my door.

“You can come in...”

He wouldn’t immediately jump on me, right? I should be able to come up with a plan while we talk. Us talk, much important.

The door to my room slowly opened, creaking as it went. A person walked slowly inside, their silhouette growing gradually more apparent as they drifted closer. They were slightly taller than me, and had their hair tied up in the back, and they...wore a standard maid outfit? The person was a maid?!

“Good morning, Lady Yumiella; I’ve come to get you. Breakfast is ready.”

“Rita...?” I asked slowly.

I still couldn’t quite believe that the person who’d come into my room was my maid. Confused, I looked over at the window—a sliver of morning sunshine was spilling through a gap in the curtains. It appeared that, contrary to my expectations, it was already morning.

Does time pass differently in this room than others?

◆◆◆

Having not slept a wink, I was still unbelievably tired, even after breakfast. Noticing my fatigue, Patrick had considerately offered to spend the day at the mansion.

“You seem really sleepy,” he said idly. “Did you not like your bed?”

“Oh, that was fine; I can sleep anywhere,” I replied. “On the floor, on top of a boulder...even in a dungeon.”

“Don’t sleep in a dungeon.”

“So...does that mean floors and boulders are okay?”

“No?”

In the midst of such silly banter, Rita appeared. I’d asked her for some tea a few minutes earlier to wake me up. The tea she prepared was always exquisite, but I couldn’t tell her that—she’d probably collapse from the sheer joy of me praising her.

However...when I looked at Rita closer, I realized she hadn’t brought any of the items she needed to make us tea.

I wonder what’s going on...

“I apologize,” my maid explained, her voice frustrated. “It appears the tea will have to wait a moment. Just now, the second prince arrived at the estate. I’ve taken him into the drawing room for now, but would you rather I send him away?”

“I don’t think we can send His Highness away...”

“Nevertheless, I would chase him away with a broom if you commanded me so, Lady Yumiella,” Rita said, her expression dead serious. “Even if I were to be executed as a result, as long as it was the result of carrying out your orders, I would be happy.”

Oh my god, she’s terrifying, I thought. Though I made sure it didn’t show on my face, inwardly I was quailing in horror.

To tell the truth, I didn’t even really care if we sent the prince away or not—I was more focused on the disturbing level of seriousness in every word Rita had just said. Even Patrick was scared stiff.

“Um, Rita. We’ll meet with His Highness, so could you bring the tea over there? You know how I love your tea.”

“Yes, right away,” she agreed, her face immediately brightening up.

I don’t remember Rita being this bad at the Academy, I thought, breathing a sigh of relief when she left.

To be honest, though, I didn’t really have time to focus on that now—I needed to turn my attention to the prince waiting in my drawing room.

I thought we wouldn’t be seeing each other for a while after graduating, I thought suspiciously. I hope he doesn’t drag me into somethingannoying.

◆◆◆

When Patrick and I arrived at the drawing room, we found Prince Edwin waiting for us, absent his usual escort.

His level was around 40 a year ago, I mused as Patrick and I took our seats on a couch opposite the prince. If you consider the fact that the strongest knight in the king’s forces, the commander of the Knight’s Order, is at level 60, and that most of his soldiers are under level 20, Prince Edwin is actually one of the most powerful people in Valschein. I guess he doesn’t really need bodyguards anymore.

Once we’d all settled in, the three of us began our chat with some rather innocuous small talk, mostly just congratulating one another on our graduations from the Academy.

The conversation took a turn, however, when Prince Edwin grew abruptly serious and said, “I apologize for suddenly stopping by, Lady Yumiella, Patrick. I wanted to sit down and talk with you back at the graduation ceremony, but there just wasn’t enough time.”

“If you had let us know ahead of time, we could have properly welcomed you,” I commented, watching as the prince took a sip of his tea.

“Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option, as I don’t really want my whereabouts to be public. If I sent someone, it would have left a trail.”

Strange, I thought. I’d only intended to sarcastically take a jab at him, since I would have preferred prior warning before he came over, but the prince actually did seem to feel bad about showing up so unexpectedly. If he doesn’t want it known that he came here...I wonder if he has something else he wants to speak with me about. The problem was, I didn’t want to be involved—I’d be perfectly happy to depart this room without hearing a word of it.

As I sat there, stewing over how I couldn’t just ask the prince to cut to the chase, Patrick spoke up and asked, “Did something happen? It hasn’t been that long since we graduated...”

“Well, you see...” the prince said slowly. “There’s been something that’s been happening for a while, but it got worse after graduating.”

Stop leaving us hanging and just come out with it already! I screeched internally.

Thankfully, despite the prince’s evident discomfort, he continued. “A new faction seems to have developed, one that supports me specifically. They want to make me the next king.”

“What? That’s not what you want, is it, Your Highness?”

“Of course not,” Prince Edwin replied. “I have no intention of going against my brother. Those people are just being cajoled by the aristocrats in the duke’s faction.”

So there’s a dispute going on regarding the king’s successor, and only outsiders want it to happen...? Seems like those radicals are at it again.

The radicals, also known as the duke’s faction, or the antimainstream faction, were a group of aristocrats who were unsatisfied with the current state of things. They were dangerous people who were calling for Valschein to invade foreign kingdoms so they could gain power and profit from the infighting. From what I understood of them, most of them weren’t actually war aficionados, they just wanted to snatch up the important positions in the kingdom that were mostly held by the king’s faction, also known as the moderates. If the king chose to appoint any of them as a minister, they’d probably flip to his faction practically right away.

Prince Edwin was perhaps slightly pitiable, having caught the eyes of such ambitious people.

But wait, wouldn’t all of his problems be over if he just declared that he didn’t have any intentions of succeeding the throne?

Curious, I asked the prince about it, and ended up receiving a detailed explanation.

“The radicalists are claiming that I’m the rightful heir to the throne, since I’m the one who defeated the Demon Lord,” Prince Edwin told me. “I believe their goal is to increase the influence of the duke and his faction by making Lady Eleanora queen, since the saintess is currently ‘recuperating.’”

“How annoying...” Patrick mumbled.

I guess the king and queen were right, I thought. They predicted that something like this would happen once the Demon Lord was defeated, and now it’s really starting. I really dodged a bullet by not going to the Demon Lord’s castle alone. I would’ve gotten myself wrapped up in all kinds of trouble.

Upon the Demon Lord’s death, it had been announced to the public that Prince Edwin had been the one to defeat him. I’d also participated a bit, according to the official story, as had Alicia and the others. It was just that everyone other than Prince Edwin and I had ended up critically wounded.

Regardless, it sounded like the possibility of Prince Edwin and Eleanora getting married had now decreased to near impossible. She might be head over heels for the prince, but she was also the daughter of the head of the radicals, Duke Hillrose. The radicals were already trying to parade Prince Edwin around as their own, and that would only grow more pronounced if he married the daughter of their leader. Plus, Prince Edwin had no interest in marrying Eleanora either.

“Lady Eleanora must be acting quite persistent,” I commented.

“That’s what I’ve been having the most trouble with,” the prince admitted with an exhausted look. “Ever since the graduation ceremony, she keeps showing up uninvited, regardless of where I am.”

Wait, I just came to this mansion yesterday, which means the graduation ceremony was just the day before that, I realized. Eleanora’s kind of incredible for tiring him out this much in such a short period of time, isn’t she?

“She’s probably being encouraged by those around her,” I told the prince. “She’s kind of too pure for her own good...”

“That’s exactly it!” Prince Edwin proclaimed, a pained look on his face. “She has no ill intentions whatsoever, which is why it feels so awful to have to treat her unkindly.”

Hmm, what should I do here? I wondered. Honestly, things will probably only get worse if I get involved, so I should keep my nose out of it.

“What if you were to just disappear?” I asked. “It would be impossible to cajole a second prince who doesn’t exist.”

Prince Edwin sighed. “That would likely have little to no effect. The radicals have been riling people up to take my brother down for my entire final year at the Academy.”

If that was true, it appeared there was little Prince Edwin could do. The crown would either have to make a statement by punishing the radicalist aristocrats, or they’d just have to wait for things to cool off. It shouldn’t be that hard for Prince Edwin, honestly—he’d just have to withstand Eleanora’s heavy flirting for a while.

Actually, I take that back, I thought, wincing internally. Eleanora is...a lot.

“Lady Eleanora is quite the persistent one,” I admitted to the prince. “I’ve also struggled with her.”

“Oh, right, she’s fond of you as well. She might even come here.”

Don’t jinx it, you’re going to set off an event flag! And if she does end up showing up here, you’re the one that’s going to be in the most trouble!

Just as I was about to complain to Prince Edwin over his careless language, all three of us heard a commotion from down the hall. Footsteps came rushing in the direction of the drawing room, and Rita barged in without even a knock.

“The daughter of Duke Hillrose, Lady Eleanora has arrived,” she said, panting. “Currently the other servants are stalling her, but she’ll be here at any moment.”

Didn’t she spawn kind of fast?! I thought, turning toward the prince.

I was a tad surprised by Eleanora’s impromptu invasion of the Dolkness mansion, as was Patrick, but it was clear the person most shocked was Prince Edwin himself.

“Your Highness,” Patrick said hurriedly, “let’s move to a different room for now.” He grasped the panicking prince by the arm, leading him out of the drawing room. That done, he called over his shoulder, “Yumiella, I’ll get some more details from His Highness, so I’ll leave dealing with Lady Eleanora to you!”

What?! But I don’t want to!

Alas, before I could voice my thoughts aloud, I was left alone. Just as I began to consider running myself, the door to the drawing room was thrown open, and Eleanora strode inside. It seemed that the prince had only narrowly escaped bumping into her.

Well, at least that worked out...

“Yumiella, I’ve arrived! It’s been ever so long since I last saw you!”

I blinked. “Lady Eleanora, it’s only been two days since the graduation ceremony. Also, if you had let me know you were visiting ahead of time, I would have been able to properly welcome you.”

Eleanora bounced on her heels and grinned, then gracefully sat down on the couch across from me. “Wow,” she said, “you were that excited about me visiting?”

“Yes...” I responded after a pause. The word hissed through my teeth.

Where Prince Edwin always seemed to pick up on such sarcasm from me, it seemed to fly right over Eleanora’s head. Honestly, when I’d said, “It’s only been two days,” I’d meant it. And yet, Eleanora hadn’t caught on to my meaning at all. By this point, I was sure that she wasn’t purposefully ignoring the things that I was hinting at—she just genuinely didn’t catch on to such things.

In hopes of sending her away as soon as possible, I decided to push Eleanora to say what she’d come here for. “How may I help you?” I asked her. “You must have something important to discuss, since you came by so suddenly.”

A look of confusion flickered over her face. “Something important? Why, I don’t need any reason to visit my friend’s house, do I? Plus, aren’t you going to be leaving for Dolkness County soon?”

“That’s correct,” I agreed.

Internally, I was sighing. The concept of being friends with someone like her sounded nice, but I couldn’t let myself fall for it. Eleanora was the daughter of Duke Hillrose, the head of the radical aristocrats—even if she was a good person who liked me without any ulterior motive, it would be best if I refrained from growing too close with her.

Hmm, maybe I’ll just bring up Prince Edwin, let her talk all she wants, and then have her leave.

That sounded like as good of a plan as any, so I dived in right away. “How are things going with His Highness?” I asked. “You haven’t mentioned him recently.”

Actually, now that I think about it, she hasn’t brought up her love life at all, I realized. She used to talk my ears off about it.

“Oh, would you like to hear?!” Though Eleanora’s eyes glimmered with excitement, she immediately calmed down and corrected herself. “Ahem. I mean, I’ll permit you to hear the details.”

It was all I could do not to roll my eyes. All you did was make your statement condescending...

Still, her reaction had told me all I’d needed to know—Eleanora had come here fully intending on talking to me about the prince.

“I’d love to hear all about it,” I said without even an ounce of feeling. “Please, tell me.”

Eleanora giggled. “Oh, you! I guess I’ll tell you all about it as a treat!”

I get it already! Can you hurry up and talk so you can leave?

“Hmm, where should I start,” Eleanora mused, her voice a pitch higher than usual. “Perhaps from the very beginning? Sir Edwin and I met—”

“I’ve already heard that part many times,” I interrupted, tone flat. “What about recently? How have things been these past few months?”

I briefly considered just ignoring what she was about to say, just like I’d done back at the Academy in order to get by, but I decided I should press her for a bit of information instead. This conversation would be a win for me if I could gain some insight into the current state of the Royal Capital or what Duke Hillrose was thinking.

Even if I don’t put some pressure on her, I’m sure she’ll still share details with me, I thought ruefully.

However, to my surprise, Eleanora’s expression had clouded over. “Recently...?”

“Yes, what’s been going on recently?” I asked, staring at her questioningly. It was unlike Eleanora to be unwilling to talk, especially when it was about her dearest prince.

After a few moments of silence, Eleanora mumbled, “For the past year, everyone’s been telling me that my time to win over Prince Edwin has come, and that if I acted now, I’d be able to make him my boyfriend, or even marry him. But the person that Sir Edwin cares for is still recuperating... I couldn’t bear to think of that as an opportunity for myself...”

Now that I think about it, Lady Eleanora stopped talking about the prince almost right away after the Demon Lord was defeated, I realized.

My heart softened a little. Despite having called Alicia a homewrecker in the past, it was clear that Eleanora was worried about the other girl. And that wasn’t all—it seemed that despite her love for the prince, she’d taken the time to fully understand his feelings for Alicia, and had chosen to be respectful of them. Likely the only reason that she’d continued to flirt with him at all had been because everyone around her had pushed her to do so, overriding her reservations.

I could easily imagine Eleanora’s entourage filling her mind with things that sounded good on the surface, leading her on and encouraging her feelings for the prince. She was a kind, good person by nature, even if she was slightly... Sorry, quite condescending at times. In my eyes, Eleanora was the ultimate airhead—the only reason she instructed others to bully Alicia in the past was because her entourage had instigated that behavior. Eleanora was just that divorced from malicious intent, and that easily swayed by the words of those around her.

“I see,” I finally said. “Out of curiosity, who was it that said that now was your chance?”

“Um... I believe it was all of my friends. Oh! I mean, all of my friends aside from you.”

That was no surprise; all the girls that had hung around Eleanora at the Academy were daughters of radicals. It was safe to say that Eleanora was just a pawn to be used in their political war. Of course, her father, Duke Hillrose, was one of those using her as well.

“What about your family? What has your father said about the situation?”

“My father has told me that I should stay away from Sir Edwin, and leave him alone for some time.”

“What? The duke said that?” Surprise flickered through me.

According to Prince Edwin, the radicals were planning to have him succeed the throne and with Eleanora as his queen—I’d thought for sure that plan had been led by Duke Hillrose.

Why would he do something that would put the plan on hold? I wondered.

I had only met Duke Hillrose once, at the ceremony after defeating the Demon Lord. He’d simply expressed his gratitude and hadn’t said anything else. With so little to go off of, I still didn’t have a solid grasp on what kind of person the duke was.

“What do you think, Yumiella?” Eleanora asked, jolting me from my thoughts. “Do you think it would be all right for me to go see Sir Edwin?”

“Well... I think it would be good to wait some time before doing so, just as the duke said,” I admitted.

“Then that’s what I shall do! Anyway, it’s been so much work to not look sad in front of Sir Edwin. I haven’t wanted to cause him any trouble by burdening him with my emotions.”

I’m pretty sure you’ve caused him plenty of trouble already, I thought, holding in a laugh. Although I guess you were being considerate of him in your own way.

Still, there was one more question on my mind. “Are you sure you want to make your decision so quickly?”

“Well, if you said it, there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s the right thing to do!”

I wanted to sigh, but held it in. I don’t want you to trust me so much, Lady Eleanora. It’s exactly because you’re so trusting, and willing to believe the words of the people that you’re close to, that you get into troublesome situations like this.

“I’m not sure you should be trusting what I say so much,” I finally said, hoping that would get through to her.

“You seem to... It feels like you only tell the truth, at least compared to the others. I mean, usually untrustworthy people don’t tell you to not trust them, do they?”

I’m honestly just saying whatever comes to mind, I thought with a sigh. I decided not to push the conversation any further, since it would be beneficial for me as well if she kept some distance between her and the prince.

“Oh, also,” Eleanora continued, “you remind me of my brother! At first glance, it seems like you always are wearing the same expression, but if you look closely enough, you can see a wide range of emotions just hiding under the surface.”

“Is my face really that expressive?” I asked dubiously.

“Yes! Very much so!”

But everyone says that I appear so emotionless, I thought, feeling a little adrift. I’ve always thought so too. But...Patrick told me my face changes a lot. Since Lady Eleanora said the same thing that he did, does that mean she’s watching me as closely as Patrick does...? I shivered. I think it’s time to put the brakes on this train of thought.

“So,” I said, focusing back on Eleanora. “I take it your brother is pretty expressionless too.”

She nodded. “He’s always smiling. Even when he’s angry, he has a grin on his face.”

“I see.”

The thought of someone who was constantly smiling made me think of Headmaster Ronald. There was something dubious about him and his plastered smile. The duke’s heir is like that too, huh? Gross.

I’d already thought it was a bad idea for Eleanora to trust me so much based solely on the fact that I reminded her of her brother, but now I thought it was a horrible idea. As far as I could tell, he sounded like a questionable type of guy.

Eleanora leaned forward, clasping my hands in hers. “Do you remember when you told me that Sir Edwin and I would get married for sure?” she asked. “That’s why I was so overjoyed back then—because I trusted you to tell me the truth.”

“Oh... I did say that, didn’t I?”

That was kind of a spur-of-the-moment thing, something I just said to please her... I didn’t think she was taking it so seriously. Abruptly, I felt extremely guilty. Shoot.

Despite the confidence with which Eleanora had declared she could read my expression, though, she didn’t seem to notice my suddenly conflicted emotions. Instead, she dived into an elaborate speech about all the good qualities Prince Edwin had until her need to speak about him was finally satisfied.

After taking a moment, she said in a lowered voice. “So, how are you, Yumiella?”

“Me? What do you mean by that?”

“I’m referring to how things are going with you and Sir Patrick, of course!”

“Oh,” I said, relaxing. “Well, we’re doing just fine. He’s going to be coming with me to Dolkness County.”

Even though I’d have preferred to tell Eleanora that there was nothing new happening between me and Patrick, after what she’d observed of us at the Academy, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d caught onto the fact that there was news. It was just easier to tell her straight out.

Eleanora’s face absolutely lit up at my words. “Oh, that’s absolutely wonderful!” she cried. “I’m so glad to hear that, especially since you two are so standoffish in public.”

Oh, I thought, feeling silly. Looks like she hadn’t caught onto anything after all. Though she might be hiding the fact that she knows a little something...

Seeing how happy Eleanora was for me and Patrick made me feel guilty about all the times I’d avoided her at the Academy, and even worse about the fact that I was still trying to avoid her now. I mean, she was practically as excited over our relationship as she’d be over having one of her own. The truth was, deciding to stop myself from becoming closer friends with her had been an agonizing decision for me to make—there was nothing I hated more than people who based the way they treated someone based on their background.

“So...” Eleanora pressed, “has he already proposed?”

“P-Proposed?!” I stammered. “Not yet, that’s far in the future for us.”

“Is that so...” she said thoughtfully. “Oh! Would you mind if I was there when he proposes to you? I want to watch.”

I gave her my version of a dubious look. When she says “proposes” she’s referring to when someone asks someone else to marry them, right? I thought. If that’s true, then why on earth is she trying to participate in mine?

I couldn’t find it in me to understand the reasoning behind Eleanora’s request, but it was clear she was asking in earnest—her ruby-colored eyes were sparkling bright enough to rival even the jewels she had on. Staring at her, I felt like I could feel energy draining right out of my body.

At this point, I started to feel silly about thinking over whether to accept or reject her friendship so seriously. No matter how much I spurned her advances, Eleanora would still barge into my life without care. Honestly, our relationship had already fallen into that strange push-and-pull, and the level of closeness we had now was perfect for me.

I was wilting onto my couch at this point—the sleep deprivation and general exhaustion were beginning to overtake me. By contrast, Eleanora was as energetic as ever.

“If Patrick hasn’t proposed yet, you must not have an engagement ring either,” she said.

“I don’t, but...is a ring really necessary?”

Engagement rings are the ones with the stones, right? I thought blearily. Honestly, the difference between one of them and a wedding ring feels kind of ambiguous to me.

Regardless, I’d be happy with anything Patrick decided to give to me, and if I had a choice between a ring and something else, I’d prefer the something else.

If I had to choose something that also went on my hands like a ring...maybe he could get me some brass knuckles? I nodded to myself.

“Stones are just shiny, but I think I’d like something that was actually useful, like an amulet with magical effects,” I told Eleanora.

“Wha—?!” Eleanora stared at me, appalled.

At the same time, a large thump came from the other side of the drawing room wall. The sound was quite loud, since it came at a lull in Eleanora’s and my conversation, so she got a good listen.

“Oh?” she said, glancing at the wall where the noise had come from. “Is someone in the room next door?”

“It’s probably Patrick,” I said with a shrug.

Prince Edwin was there as well, of course, but I couldn’t dare tell her that, lest things get messy. With that in mind, I watched Eleanora carefully to see if she fell for it. But...she was acting strange.

“What if Patrick heard our conversation just now...?” she asked, flustered.

Does she mean our conversation about my lack of interest in gems? I thought, confused. I’ve always been like that, so I don’t think it’s an issue.

After taking an exaggeratedly deep breath, Eleanora began to passionately speak on all things marriage—every word that came out of her mouth was about the importance of things like engagement rings, wedding dresses, and so on.

Ugh, this is going to be a long one, isn’t it?

◆◆◆

What felt like an eternity later, Eleanora went home without a fight. I assumed her willingness to leave had something to do with the overwhelming satisfaction she seemed to feel over the long speech she’d given me about an ideal wedding.

Once I’d confirmed she had truly left, I headed to the next room.

“Eleanora’s gone home,” I said upon opening the door.

The two men in the room were making strange faces. They continued their conversation, disregarding me.

“Don’t be so down on yourself, Patrick,” the prince said, placing his hand gently on Patrick’s shoulder. “Just be glad you found out before you gave it to her. Also, there’s plenty of stores that carry rare magical instruments in the Royal Capital.”

“I thought I knew how Yumiella felt, but I didn’t think her disdain for jewels was this bad...”

That perked my ears up. Huh? Wait, you guys were talking about me? Hey, hey, what were you guys saying?!

Before I could interrogate them, Patrick turned to me and said, “Sorry to keep you waiting, you must be tired. What did Lady Eleanora say?”

“She agreed to refrain from intruding on His Highness for a while,” I pronounced.

This was surely good news for the prince, but instead of looking at me with joy, his eyes were wide with shock.

“Lady Eleanora said that?” he said, voice hoarse. “What kind of persuasion methods did you use?”

I shrugged. “I didn’t do anything special. Oh, and what kind of person is her brother? Apparently, he and I are quite similar.”

“Lady Eleanora’s brother?” Prince Edwin asked, brow furrowing. “I thought she was the duke’s only child.”

How could Prince Edwin not know Eleanora’s brother? I thought, perplexed. I mean, that would be impossible. They’re both aristocrats living in the Royal Capital, after all. Plus, there’s no way the royal family and the duke’s family haven’t met before, so Prince Edwin should at least know of his existence...

“Do you know anything about the rest of her family?” I asked the prince, even more curious now.

“I believe the duchess passed away quite a while ago,” he said slowly, “so the only Hillroses left are the duke and Lady Eleanora. I’m sure of it, because I heard people discussing whether or not the duke would have someone marry into the family, or if he would adopt an heir from a distant relative.”

Prince Edwin’s words were highly credible—so, if he wasn’t mistaken, just who was Eleanora’s brother?

◆◆◆

It was the day after Prince Edwin and Eleanora’s visit, and Patrick had been out since the morning. He’d told me that something he needed to take care of had suddenly popped up, so our time in the Royal Capital had been extended by a few days. Now that Patrick was gone, however, I had nothing left to do—I’d just been hanging around my room, idling away the time.

Lady Eleanora wouldn’t show up again when she was just here yesterday, right? I wondered.

As if on cue, there was a light tap on my door, and Rita popped in to let me know that I had a guest.

I immediately headed to the drawing room, where I found Headmaster Ronald waiting for me. I’d been quite sure that the one calling upon me was a certain duke’s daughter, since that was how things usually went, so to instead see someone entirely unrelated raised my eyebrows a little.

“Oh? What are you doing here, Headmaster?” I asked.

“Congratulations on your graduation, Yumiella. Also, I’m not the headmaster anymore.”

Did you blow it so bad that you were terminated? I thought, truly shocked now. I opened my mouth to ask, then stopped myself. Oh,right—he was the headmaster to supervise me and be my point of contact with the king, not because he just wanted the job.

“Ah, I see. So it was a temporary position from the start.”

“Exactly,” he said, giving me a smile I found rather dubious. “All I’ve done is return to my actual job.”

This guy’s an advisor to the king...right? I thought. I couldn’t honestly be sure, as he was a man of many mysteries—he wouldn’t even share his family name.

“Headmaster Ronald... Oh, should I just call you Mr. Ronald now?” I asked, sitting down across from him. “What brings you here today?”

Come on, tell me why you’re here...

“Just Ronald is fine... And, honestly, I didn’t have any reason in particular for stopping by. I just thought I’d check in.”

Internally, I threw up my hands. If you don’t have any reason to stop by, why did you bother to come then?!