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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Adeline Silveniar
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Early morning sunlight filtered into the bedroom, while slender vine tendrils floated through the air like they were swimming gracefully. Every one of those tendrils led straight into my sleeve.
They were the Cassandra vines I'd just acquired. Since I had some spare Mana Herb left over, I figured I'd experiment with controlling the Cassandra tendrils and try out a few things.
"...Not bad."
A single dark red flower had bloomed right next to my right eye. After repeated trials, I'd discovered something fascinating: the vine attached to this dark red flower could sprout from my fingertips at any time.
Unlike Mana Herb, which could only be used once, Cassandra vines weren't consumable. And they were surprisingly convenient to boot. The tendrils extending from both my hands moved freely, just like extensions of my own fingers.
"I could even clean with these."
I used the vines to tidy up the bedding. I shook out the quilt and hung it up, then neatly aligned the pillows at the foot of the bed. Next, I gathered the scattered scroll papers from the floor and stacked them properly.
Their utility was unexpectedly high, and before I knew it, I'd lost track of time trying all sorts of things.
I spent quite a while enjoying myself like that before plucking the flower that had grown beside my eye with my fingers. It fell away from my body with a sharp sting, instantly crumbling into ashes that scattered across the floor.
If I use it right, this could work in combat too.
Of course, thinking of how Sierra had sliced through the Cassandra tendrils in one stroke made it hard to call the ability flawless. Still, depending on how I used it, there was plenty of potential for it to be helpful.
"Hehe, at this rate, I might turn into a total munchkin—"
"Miss."
"Hiiik?!"
The voice right by my ear made my body jolt reflexively upward. I stumbled back a step and clutched my pounding chest. The one who'd appeared out of nowhere with a puzzled look was Sierra.
"What does 'munchkin' mean?"
A trickle of cold sweat ran down my spine. How long had she been there? Had she seen me using the Cassandra vines?
The only detail about my Divine Power that I'd revealed was that its effect changed if you moistened the flower with saliva. I'd never told anyone that I could make the flowers bloom in the first place.
If word ever got out, it would spell disaster I couldn't handle—so I'd resolved to keep it hidden until I reached adulthood.
"Uh, when did you get here?"
"Just now."
Thank goodness—it didn't look like she'd seen anything. I quickly soothed my racing heart and shot her a narrow-eyed glare.
"Couldn't you knock next time? You scared me half to death."
Sierra's eyes widened at my words. Then she dipped her head with a light, inscrutable smile playing on her lips.
"Ah, my apologies."
"...Why are you smiling?"
"I thought maybe you were entering puberty at last."
"What?"
My jaw dropped at Sierra's words. What on earth had made her think that?
"I'm not Camilla or anything—what puberty?"
"Being sensitive about someone entering your room is one of the signs of puberty."
A bedroom was obviously a private space. Even a full-grown adult would get prickly if someone barged in during the night. And yet she was pinning it on puberty?
I was dying to fire back point by point, but I clamped my mouth shut to avoid giving her any ammunition.
"...Anyway, what do you want?"
"I came to deliver a letter."
Sierra drew a single sheet of paper from her bosom and held it out. Even at a glance, it exuded an air of meticulous craftsmanship and luxury.
"It's a letter from Lady Silveniar."
I was just about to unfold it, half-expecting it might be from the Barsha Marquis family, when Sierra added that detail.
"...Pardon?"
My body froze at her words. I stared piercingly at the letter with trembling eyes. Inside the seal of the wax was the distinct imprint of a blue lion's head.
The Silveniar Ducal House.
The name was a familiar one. Any player who'd beaten Kairen Chronicles even once would know it well.
Among the four ducal houses that actually existed in the empire, the Silveniar house boasted unrivaled military might.
Why would a house like that... contact me?
※
Adeline Silveniar.
She was the one who'd boldly claimed first place in the recent hunting tournament, edging out even Camilla. As the heir to the empire's most renowned swordsmanship house, legend had it that a fierce blue flame always trailed her blade.
She appeared in the latter half of Kairen Chronicles as one of the protagonist's staunchest allies. With her swift speed and razor-sharp strikes, she annihilated foes and was an essential powerhouse you had to recruit for the late-game clears.
Bonus fact: she was one of the main heroines affectionately dubbed "official wife" by fans who preferred older women.
"I want to thank you for allowing my sudden visit."
And there she was now, sitting across from me and sharing tea. Every gesture, down to the way she sipped without the slightest disturbance, brimmed with serene elegance.
Her snow-white hair cascaded over her smooth skin like fine silk. Peeking through were eyes of an impossibly deep, intense blue—far richer than my own sky-blue ones.
The sharp, intimidating aura enveloping her silently proclaimed her Silveniar blood without need for words.
She still carried a somewhat youthful impression compared to her in-game image. By the timeline, she had to be around fifteen. Even so, she radiated a woman's maturity and spirit that neither Camilla nor I possessed.
"Might I ask why Lady Silveniar has graced the Rahel Tani house with her presence?"
Unlike me, weighed down by the aura Adeline unconsciously exuded, Camilla didn't let a flicker of unease show in her eyes. Meeting Camilla's profoundly calm, almost empty gaze, Adeline lifted the corner of her mouth and set down her teacup.
"I wanted to see the stars of this Black Monster Subjugation Tournament with my own eyes."
"The tournament winner... was you, wasn't it, my lady?"
Adeline burst into laughter. It rang out frank and bold.
"Haha! I've won nonstop since I was seven. Victory's just par for the course for me—nothing special about it."
The brash confidence in her hearty tone might have come off as arrogant to some. But Adeline turned even that into her charm.
"What surprised people was a girl not even ten years old climbing onto the podium ahead of all those distinguished noble heirs."
Adeline's blue eyes turned to me. They held a warm friendliness.
"The Rahel Tani house lives up to its name. How proud the family head must be to have such an outstanding heir."
She praised me and Camilla with a bright smile. While Camilla's expression never shifted, I just stared at Adeline in a daze.
"Our young lady's staring right through me. Is there something on my face?"
As if noticing my gaze, Adeline tilted her head and asked.
"Huh? Oh, no! It's not that, it's just... um..."
I frantically waved my hands and shook my head. When my eyes met her blue ones, heat rushed to my face.
"I-I mean... you're so beautiful...! N-No, wait, I mean... uh..."
My words tangled up. I flailed and stammered without thinking. In my panic, they tumbled out far faster than intended.
Surprise flashed across Adeline's face at my sudden compliment. Beside me, Camilla furrowed her brow and glared at me openly.
"S-Sorry."
If I kept going, I'd make an even bigger fool of myself, so I quickly bowed my head and apologized.
I knew I'd done something stupid. But there was a good reason for it.
Adeline was my favorite character in Kairen Chronicles. I'd been one of the countless players pushing her as the main wife.
The seriousness hidden behind her bold personality was reversal charm at its finest, and her—sometimes embracing the protagonist with mature warmth—had stolen my heart. Her looks being close to my ideal type was just icing on the cake.
How could I not get flustered, sitting side-by-side with her and drinking tea?
"Haha!"
Adeline blinked blankly for a moment before letting out a hearty laugh.
"Thanks! I know I'm beautiful, but hearing it straight like that doesn't feel half bad."
Fortunately, my words hadn't offended her.
"I heard you subjugated a troll too, young lady. Quite the feat for your age."
Adeline's gaze shifted from Camilla to me. For some reason, Camilla was still squinting at me suspiciously.
"I'm well aware of Lady Camilla's famed prowess in magic, but might I ask what style of combat you favor?"
Hunting that troll despite the strain had been the right call after all. It let me leave a good impression on one of my favorite characters.
"It was luck. And... I got a little help, honestly."
"Humble to a fault! No need to hide it—show me."
There was no reason to keep it secret. I looked at Adeline with slightly excited eyes.
"Truth is... I took it down with scrolls I made."
"Hm?"
Adeline's eyes widened as she tilted her head. She looked genuinely puzzled.
"Scrolls?"
"Yes, um... I have a bunch."
I unfastened the belt on my thigh and showed it to her. Adeline stared at the scrolls tucked into my belt for a while before scratching her head.
"Hm, I see. Scrolls."
My shoulders trembled faintly.
Camilla might not have noticed, but I'd heard that tone so often it was burned into me—I could sense it without wanting to.
"I see! Impressive."
The star-like sparkle of goodwill in her blue eyes moments ago.
Faded quietly into the distance, along with her gaze drifting away from me.
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