Published at 18th of November 2020 07:17:15 PM
Chapter 17: 17
As soon as I finish dinner, I head back to my room .
I had been planning to get everything that I need ready before my grand departure but… . I couldn’t think of anything that I actually needed to prepare .
Since I’m just going to the village to observe its condition with my own eyes, I don’t really need to bring anything along with me .
“Ali~! Duke’s come to see you!”
What? He’s here? At this time??
How does that make any sense? I must have misheard what Albert-Oniisama…
“Ali~!”
Or not… . . ? I leave my room and walk over to the parlor where we typically receive our guests .
Duke-Sama came to see me… . for what exactly? We haven’t even talked that much before… .
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I mean, sure, in the game Alicia was head over heels for Duke-Sama, but I’m not . I couldn’t be, not while knowing how this story is going to play out .
So I have absolutely no clue why he would have come all this way just to see me .
When I enter the parlor, I see Albert-Oniisama and Duke-Sama both waiting for me .
I greet them both, giving a small bow .
“Duke said that he has something that he’d like to give you, Ali,” Albert-Oniisama says before I can ask what business they have with me .
At his words, I don’t say anything . I just stare blankly in surprise, even as Duke-Sama is smiling gently and walking towards me .
Ugh, this guy really is dangerous . With a face like that, making such a tender expression while walking this way… . it feels like my heart will pound right out of my chest .
I can feel my pulse quickening with each step he takes towards me .
“I’m a little late, but happy birthday,” Duke-Sama says, offering me a small box .
His words are so unexpected that I feel myself stiffening in surprise . I never would have imagined that Duke-Sama would ever give me a birthday present .
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I mean, throughout the whole game, he never once gave Alicia any sort of gift after all .
For a fleeting moment I wonder if Duke-Sama might actually have feelings for me, but after thinking about it a bit more, I doubt that’s the case . Duke-Sama and I have a five year age gap between us, so maybe he just thinks of me as a little sister .
Honestly, we haven’t conversed enough for me to be able to guess why he would be giving me a gift .
“Thank you,” I say, taking the box from his hand .
“May I open it?”
“Sure . ”
Having received permission, I remove the top from the box, but the moment that I see what’s inside, I’m so shocked that I instantly close it again, my eyes going wide .
Was that… . . Did I just see it wrong?
“Do you not like it?”
“N, no . That’s not… . Um, this is… . . ” I assure him right away that it’s not that I dislike it . But I phrase my surprise as a question, hoping that he’ll confirm what I just saw .
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“It’s a necklace but…?”
“N-no, um, this gemstone is… . ?”
“Ohh, it’s a diamond . ”
So I didn’t see it wrong .
Even if he is the son of the king, isn’t it a bit too extravagant to give a gift like this to an 8-year-old girl?
“Ali, if you don’t dislike Duke, then you should just gratefully accept it,” Albert-Oniisama says, guessing at my thoughts after seeing my expression .
It’s not that I dislike him… . In fact, it’s just the opposite, so I give him a deep bow, and say my thanks once again .
A villainess shouldn’t become flustered just because she received an expensive jewel but I can’t help it . I can’t seem to accept what just happened as reality .
“Since my business is finished now, I’ll take my leave for today,” Duke-Sama says, before he turns and walks out of the room .
Did he really come all this way just to give me a gift… . ?
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He doesn’t even want to at least talk with Albert-Oniisama before he goes?
In the end, I’m so surprised by this whole turn of events that I even forget to see him out .
I stand there for another moment, utterly dumbfounded, and then I look down at the box in my hand . I take off the top one more time and re-affirm its contents . It really is a diamond .
The value of diamonds in my previous world can’t even compare to how expensive they are in this country, you know? They are insanely valuable here .
So to receive one as a gift… . . As an 8-year-old girl no less… . .
It’s mind-boggling . Even though it all happened right before my eyes, my brain still can’t seem to process what just occurred .
As I continue to stand there silently, I stare down at the diamond . It glitters up at me, and as I watch, there almost seems to be a faint blue light twinkling from within its depths .
T/N: Note about last chapter: I initially said the magic barrier was around the woods, but I was wrong . After reading ahead in the raws, I realized it’s around the impoverished village . Sorry about the confusion! I’ve gone back and fixed that mistake .
Lol, this chapter was a bit anti-climactic since anyone who has read the manga would have seen this coming but… . I still love the imagery of Alicia shutting the box as soon as she opened it XD I feel like I can imagine the surprise on Duke’s face after seeing her do that haha .
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