NOVEL NEXT Chapter 109
The door burst open, and Rose Caprice strode boldly into the bedroom where Jenis was staying.
Rose had asked if it was okay to enter, but Jenis jumped in surprise and hiccuped. Rose shook her head in disbelief.
“Are you, by any chance, a split personality or something?”
“No, that’s not it. I’m clearly aware of what I’ve done and what has been done to me. If I didn’t recognize that… hic!”
As Jenis glanced at Rose while hiccupping, she couldn’t finish her sentence. However, it was obvious what she was about to say: ‘There’s no reason to be afraid, right?’ With a sympathetic look, Rose sat down next to her.
“But you look completely different from the person who grinned and picked a fight with me just a moment ago.”
“We’re the same person, you know. And it was definitely you who instigated the fight, right?”
“You could say that because you were the one laughing maniacally with wings on! If it weren’t for me, the army would have stepped in.”
“Oh, well, about that…”
Jenis, with a flushing face as if recalling her own misdeeds, was certainly not suffering from the identity crisis of Harriet Castle.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Well… I just got a bit carried away. It felt… quite good, actually…”
“Well, it’s not unusual to sometimes lose one’s head in the heat of battle.”
“No, it’s not that I wanted to taste blood or anything. I’m a very rational half-vampire, you know.”
“It doesn’t quite mean that tasting blood is of that kind, though.”
Rose was talking about the idea of tasting blood without actually doing so, but for Jenis, who was sensitive about her heritage, those words might not have sounded very straightforward.
As the somewhat tense atmosphere eased, Rose looked around the room and asked, “Is there anything uncomfortable? I feel bad that I can’t let you out of the palace, but this room is the best I can provide under my authority.”
“Honestly, it’s so luxurious that it’s almost inconvenient… But that’s not really a complaint! I think I should enjoy a noble lifestyle at least once or twice in my life…”
Jenis bounced on the fluffy bed as she spoke. The room where Rose had confined Jenis was practically like a guest suite, providing treatment akin to a VIP.
The room itself was quite spacious, the bed’s cushions were fluffy, and nothing was lacking in cleanliness, comfort, or the quantity and quality of meals. Thanks to Rose’s strict orders that a guest’s requests should be treated equally, the servants mostly obliged Jenis’s wishes.
In a way, it was even more luxurious than the room Rose mainly used, which she had grown accustomed to in barracks life. However, Rose tilted her head in puzzlement at Jenis’s tone, as if she had never lived a noble life before.
“Harker’s family is quite solid and wealthy, isn’t it?”
“Maybe I should invite you to our family home someday. We handle a lot of money, but it’s not that we have a lot of money ourselves. It’s like how a priest is not rich just because there’s money piled up in the Shrine’s treasury.”
“So, you mean you’re just handling someone else’s money. I get the gist.”
Jenis was in a position where she couldn’t easily call the taxes her own, similar to those who were involved in the operation of the national treasury.
Some of those taxes were spent on the royal family’s living expenses, so there were no particular complaints from the Imperial Assembly, but Harker’s dealings involved the merchants’ personal property, making it impossible to skim even a penny.
Naturally, if the royal family suddenly set the living expenses to an excessively high amount, the Imperial Assembly would suspect the royal family of trying to create slush funds and would strongly protest. At least Anton and Rose had never indulged in such dishonorable acts. In fact, there had been suggestions that too high a budget for military expenses should be reassigned to the excessively low royal dignity maintenance budget.
“Did you come to check on my condition today? I wonder when I might… lose my mind?”
“Well, that too. Speaking of which, you seem pretty calm. If I found out that half of my lineage was actually vampiric, I don’t think I could keep my cool. You seemed pretty natural accepting that from day one.”
“Um, that’s just… it feels natural, I guess. I have thought a lot about it. Is this my father’s temperament or my mother’s…?”
“Did you find an answer to that dilemma?”
“Even if I did, it’s wise not to share it with others, right?”
“Ha, that’s true. But I wonder if there’s a way to stretch that out even in the Assembly.”
“I honestly have no idea; what can I say? It would be different if my father showed up to clarify. Honestly, I’m curious, too.”
“I hear Arthur Harker won’t be attending. Instead, Jeongjae is coming. They say Harker and Jeffrey are both speaking for their sides. I wonder how those two families became so close.”
At that, Jenis leapt up from the bed.
“The professor is coming? Oh my goodness, I didn’t expect to meet him again this soon!”
Rose chuckled at Jenis’s reaction. She was aware enough of the subtle love triangle unfolding with Jeongjae involved. While she hadn’t directly figured it out herself, it was surely something the observant Walter had informed her about.
“The representative from Eramenia will be present, which must be an issue for you.”
“Huh?”
Jenis sank back onto the bed, seeming defeated, and nodded slowly.
“I see… That makes sense. This problem isn’t just our Empire’s issue… But would that busy person actually come here? We’re indeed talking about Princess Margaret, right?”
“Yes. Margaret will come herself. You’ve certainly chosen a difficult rival.”
“Honestly, it’s not the rival thing that worries me; I’m a little scared of that person.”
“Really? How does she compare to me?”
Rose asked with genuine curiosity, while Jenis seemed to contemplate, looking up at the ceiling before sighing and responding.
“Yes, the Crown Princess is scary, but the aura emitted by the High Elf lord is on a different level.”
“I can agree with that. To be honest, I find Margaret quite scary sometimes.”
“The heroes’ party is truly formidable. It’s surprising to find the professor not to be a terrifying person.”
“Haven’t you seen him angry? If you’ve seen it, you can’t say he’s not scary at all.”
As Rose spoke, Jenis nodded thoughtfully, who had been pondering over the princess’s words.
“That’s true. You must be someone to absolutely protect, or else, when you are struck down, the wrath is unrestrained. So I… prefer to stay away from that person…”
Without needing to hear more, Rose patted Jenis’s shoulder and stood up.
“By the way, I came to tell you something. Your date for the Assembly has been set. It’ll be in four days from today. Though they call it an Assembly, it’s essentially a trial.”
“Oh, the date’s set. That’s faster than I expected.”
“I pressured them a bit. It wouldn’t do for you to remain in this state for even a day longer if I want you to be our core power. Just as our side is struggling due to the absence of the Grand Mage, someone like you will definitely be a key force, even if you can’t reach Jeongjae’s level immediately.”
“Me, a key force? Do you mean I’ll be going to war?”
“Why? Did you want to just hole up in the Magic Tower and be a researcher? I could respect your wishes on that, but don’t you think it’s better to have a little action than just working on research?”
“But I also want to examine the device I saw in Harriet Castle’s basement…”
Jenis murmured, recalling the machinery she had encountered. However, she was uncertain how much time it would take to delve deeper into that device.
Furthermore, with the current circumstances, it was even less likely she could bring it with her or dismantle it.
On the other hand, if she went to battle, immediate results could be achieved. At least when considering which choice could help more people, the options did not even come close to each other.
“Think it over. After all, you’ll have the choice only when your innocence is confirmed.”
“Wow, can I really face charges here? If I get declared guilty in this situation, it’s practically a death sentence.”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t think there’s any chance that Princess Margaret would seek my execution just because of the heroes’ party trying to come to my aid. Would anyone against that wish to express dissent?”
Rose nodded at Jenis’s reasoned calmness.
“Margaret is a friend of contrasts. She didn’t seem to particularly dislike you when we spoke. In fact, I think she’d be more inclined to kidnap you to the north.”
“Is it because I’d be useful on the battlefield?”
“That’s one reason, but doing so would keep you and Jeongjae further apart.”
Thinking of Margaret plotting such cunning strategies struck Jenis as quite plausible, making her head spin. With a smile, she lay back onto the bed. Being sprawled out before the Imperial Crown Princess was not something just anyone could do, but considering that she had just exchanged fists with her, Rose appeared unfazed.
“Then at least that means she does care about me… even if just a little.”
“You don’t know Margaret well. She may not show it, but she’s always been riddled with jealousy to the point of being clingy. If we were to pin it down, she’s quite the bothersome type. She’s still uncertain about having public possession of Jeongjae…”
“The reasons for her hesitation can’t be only that.”
As Jenis lay there, she was fidgeting her feet.
“The princess saw through his feelings long before I did. Right now, there’s no place for another woman in his heart. He’s not the type to take relationships with women lightly, and if he finds a woman, it means…”
“It means he has settled down.”
Rose replied, showing a troubled expression as soon as Jeongjae was mentioned.
“Anyone who knows will know. Most people who have seen him up close are aware. His heart is always floating somewhere. Even I find it concerning. There are moments when he acts as if he transcends human desires, not because he lacks any, but for some reason or another.”
“That must be because he keeps a distance from our world and emotions.”
Jenis said bitterly.
“Therefore, even if I’m not around and even if there are no rivals for him, Princess Margaret may still have no certainty in claiming him as hers. In fact, he’s someone without any shortage of charm already… I just feel like she’s lost something unique she had.”
“Something unique? Is it the time they spent together all day?”
“Compared to the time you two fought together, it doesn’t even compare. And not only that, but it’s not something that lasts forever. A man who receives the love of an elf who lives for a millennium must be burdened by it, surely. It would have rather been better for him if he were entirely human.”
“Ah.”
Understanding Jenis’s words, Rose made a complex expression. Indeed, being a half-vampire…
While not as eternal as a pure vampire, she ultimately would live much longer than a human. The half-elves receive the choice between living life as a human or fully transforming into a fairy once they reach adulthood, making her situation quite different.
Jenis might be one of the few people who find it disheartening despite knowing her lifespan has extended significantly. It sounds foolish, but love has a way of making people foolish anyway.