Refuse Harem
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Prius
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 143 – The Young Lady Named Sophie Linier ~ The Breakthrough of Lars Rydholm III~
That’s something that should never be asked about…
As other people had that thought running through their minds, they silently waited for Sophie’s response.
Lars wondered what he would do if Sophie showed a “maiden in love”-like response like having her face blush and twitch about as he looked at her expression.
However, unusual for her, who was usually quick on the uptake, she seemed to not understand the meaning of Marcus’ question at first and tilted her head in wonder, and when she finally understood it, she opened her mouth.
“Many people presume that is likely the reason for a woman to be granted the first purple star in history, but if you think properly, there’s no way that is the case. I will tell you bluntly since there’s nothing for me to hide from you all, but it is true that I met His Highness during his younger days. But that’s all there is to it. To actually have me as His Highness’ lover is too presumptuous of me, and I could swear to heaven and earth that be it past or future, such a thing will never happen.”
When Sophie declared so without hesitation, everyone felt nervous.
Even within the gold star, the topic where she might be the lover of His Highness arose despite how presumptuous it sounded, so having it dismissed directly by the person in question made Lars stroke his chest in relief.
“Besides, His Highness has a beautiful fiancée with him. Why did people think I am his lover despite having such a beautiful fiancée?”
For some reason, when Sophie mentioned that fiancée, Sophie’s white cheeks blushed and she muttered enchantedly.
When the topic turned to His Highness’ fiancée, Marcus nibbled on the cookie served there while looking at the ceiling as if searching through his memory.
“Aah, it’s that duke’s daughter… Ch… Ch-something Belin?”
“It’s Christina Wellin-sama!!!!”
As Sophie slammed her fist in rage on the table that would’ve likely smashed to bits, Marcus dropped the cookie he was nibbling, and the others’ eyes widened in surprise.
The paladin who was standing by in the hallway was also surprised by the loud sound, so he proceeded to enter the room to check for any abnormalities, but Sophie ignored everyone’s surprise and rushed at Marcus.
“Listen, Marcus! It’s supposed to be an unscrupulous act of lightly mentioning such a noble person lightly, but I’ll tell you one thing! Onee-sama is the most elegant and beautiful person in the kingdom! To actually misspeak her name is something unacceptable!”
“S-sorry…”
Being pushed by unprecedented force, Marcus obediently apologized. However, Sophie’s momentum didn’t stop there.
“In the first place, why do people think that just because a woman happened to be granted a purple star, they directly assume that I am His Highness’ lover?! Even though he already has such a beautiful person with him! Even her sighs are full of elegance, and the fact that His Highness even has such a wonderful fiancée makes him the most fortunate person in the world! Even though he already has a goddess that could make flowers bloom just by passing by, people actually came up with the nonsense that I am His Highness’ lover. That’s unforgivable!”
Sophie screamed with a bitter expression of agony as she clenched and slammed her red fist onto the table. It was the first time for the people there to see Sophie in that state, so they were at a loss for words.
“I actually want to tell those fools who said I’m seducing His Highness personally! Having such a noble, exalted, and divine-like fiancée, was there any chance to be seduced to begin with?! There’s no way it exists! Don’t you agree?!”
Sophie’s terrifying remark, which sounded more like an obsession, left them dumbfounded in silence, and after a while, Marcus asked in curiosity,
“…What if there actually is?”
“Oh my, there’s no way there actually is, right?”
Suddenly, Sophie spoke quietly.
But rather than being calm, her expression showed her anger was exceeding her boiling point.
“No… you see, even if we looked back in history for several generations, having concubines is normal. Even if it’s not ojou-san, His Highness having a concubine is normal, right?”
“—Hah?”
Sophie spoke in a rough tone despite usually speaking gracefully. Her face was smiling, but her mouth wasn’t.
“Honestly, there should be nobles who recommend their own daughter… to be…”
After saying that much, Marcus looked away as if trying to escape.
Marcus was used to making remarks without caring about the atmosphere or at least choosing his remark depending on who he was talking with, but he didn’t expect Sophie’s reaction.
Marcus’ expression seemed to say he just said something he shouldn’t have said.
“You sure mentioned something interesting, Marcus.”
It was a calm voice, like a calm before the storm.
“But there’s no way such a person exists. Yes, don’t you agree?”
She spoke gracefully like she usually did, but it scared them instead.
—They might get erased.
If there really was someone who tried to recommend a concubine for His Highness Ferio, they were sure this purple star would erase them.
Such imagination ran through the minds of everyone present, but none dared to actually say it—
After that, Sophie proceeded to speak about how wonderful His Highness’ fiancée was for several hours non-stop, which made Marcus mutter after the fact,
That is scary…
From then on, the topic of His Highness’ beautiful fiancée became a taboo that should never be mentioned in front of Sophie.
“I don’t understand well, but isn’t it normal for a young lady at that age to be more attracted to beautiful women than beautiful men?”
Sophie’s high tension and her loyalty, which could be seen easily from her attitude, were already at a level of sickness.
Unlike Marcus, who felt tired remembering it, Lars’ eyes shone further and spoke completely different opinions.
“It was at that moment that I decided to follow that person for the rest of my life!”
“………Hah?”
Marcus stared at Lars in astonishment.
Lars was the only one who enjoyed Sophie’s long talk from beginning to end.
But Marcus, who thought Lars did that out of consideration for Sophie, felt like he saw something unbelievable as his mouth hung open.
“Sophie-sama is a little different than Margaret-sama, but her core of withstanding headwinds is the same! Besides, I admired how she wholeheartedly admired others, just like Margaret-sama kept her love!”
As Lars muttered that, Marcus and Aaron asked who the Margaret-sama that Lars meant was, but that question failed to reach Lars, who already departed to his own world.
A/N:
Lars’ favorite in 2D is Margaret (・ω・)ノ
As for 3D, it’s Sophie (・ω・)ノ
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