CH 16

Chapter 16: The result of the cursed performance

I turned my gaze back to my father in order to make it seem as if I wasn’t lying when I suddenly thought of it.

“But I had thought that I had been having trouble hearing recently. I never would have thought that today… I wouldn’t be able to hear the voices of so many people like this… Why only specific people…”

“Since when?”

Ignoring my performance, my father repeats the question.

“It was probably about three days ago… Ah.”

I acted like I had noticed something and raised my voice, covering my mouth. It might have seemed a little forced, but the servants and household officials around me weren’t making strange faces, so I continued.

“Three days ago, I met a strange person in the Academy’s courtyard. After making a strange laughter, their figure disappeared like smoke…”

“A magician?”

“I think it’s been since then. And I’ve also had the feeling that sometimes I can’t hear certain people’s voices.”

Ignoring my father, who interrupted my story in the middle, I confidently said what I had to say. I had to make sure he listened to the end.

“… Is it a curse?”

My father seemed to come to a conclusion quickly, and the servants around us rustle. I also lower my head and say, “Such a…” while covering my mouth with one hand. I force back tears and try not to blink.

“I can’t believe I’m cursed. I don’t know what to do.”

Oh, somehow tears welled up in my eyes. Good.

I heard the voice of the butler saying, “My lord… this won’t do…”

Something or other.

Does this mean I can’t be used as a political pawn as a daughter?

Or is this a dream-like proposal that I have to cancel my engagement as well?

It’s a wonderful proposal for me.

After all, I’m pretending to be [suddenly cursed one day] while pretending to be unrelated to my father and expecting my engagement to be cancelled.

The important thing is to not get close to my father.

If I’m in that condition, he can’t take his daughter to official events.

And to make sure my father doesn’t have contact with me, I tried to produce an abnormal situation where there are several people I can’t hear.

This way I won’t be allowed to go to the Academy, and I won’t be able to be left alone.

There is some anxiety that I might be discarded as useless if I make one wrong step…

But the person who tried to destroy this country through the neighboring country is not normal. I must not think of them as having the same sense as ordinary nobles. That’s why I’m cautious there.

If it’s just about running away, it’s possible.

Because I have the Block Skill!

Even if someone points a sword at me, no one can approach me. At worst, I will either run to Lars-sama with the people surrounding me at regular intervals or run to Oji-sama.

If the situation is that strange, I think Lars-sama will help me at least once out of interest.

If I talk about the skill, if things go well, I may be hired as a skilled person somewhere and introduced to a place to work, or I may be entrusted to the temple as a rare skill.

(In that case, my personal safety can be secured at least.)

In exchange, I will lose my freedom.

First of all, I probably won’t be able to go out freely.

Even my social relationships may be restricted.

However, since I will have no communication with my father at all, I think the possibility of being forced to sit next to a neighboring country that attacks with my father’s guidance is low.

(At least it’s a way to not die, so I wanted to keep the skill a secret if possible…)

That’s why I’m still pretending it’s a curse now.

If it’s found out that this is because of the skill…

(I’m sure I’ll be used for war. I was just sent to a neighboring country in the form of studying abroad because I didn’t have any power. If I’m not careful, I’ll be pulled onto the battlefield.)

Even if I become a temple-bound person, or even if I ask for help from Lars-sama, the fear of revealing my skills will come along. But I am afraid that my father will actively use me.

What will that father do with his cursed daughter?

Will his enemies think that I was cursed from the situation where only I couldn’t approach?

(You may believe in the curse… I have heard rumors of a magician’s curse)

If it’s true that someone is plotting against us, my father may have used the magician’s power at least once.

I hear that freelance magicians who are not affiliated with the guild earn money by lending their hands in such directions.

Let’s see what happens.

As I watched my father’s movements attentively, my father eventually gave instructions to the house butler.

After that, my father turned his eyes on me as if he were watching someone else’s trouble, and then quickly retreated into the house.

Well, it was the most peaceful way of leaving the room as I had imagined, but what kind of conclusion was reached?

While waiting with a face full of confusion and anxiety, the butler said to me,

“My Lady, please be careful in your room today. And tomorrow, please move to another mansion.”

“Another mansion?”

“I will inform you tomorrow.”

The butler closed his mouth and that was the end of it.

And as I continued to pretend not to have heard the words of the housekeeper, the butler ordered Katie to take me to my room.

Thinking about the inconvenience in my future life, I answered that I could hear Katie’s voice and decided to follow her.

But where will I be taken tomorrow …

I decided to return to my room obediently, though slightly anxious.

No matter how you look at it, I need to pack my luggage.

If worst comes to worst, I can use my skills to escape tomorrow.