The Undying Drama Chapter 70: A Scene of Carnage?
Breiya: Ohh, who would've thought that you were such a playboy, Di Qi Ju.
With a teasing smile on her face, Breiya rushed to speak up first.
Naysis Ferne: ......
Naysis Ferne: Who are you?
Breiya: You're Reitdarke's Princess aren't you? I'm nothing more than a gambler who tours the casinos, no one worth mentioning.
Naysis Ferne: ...have I seen you somewhere before?
Breiya: Hmm? Then that must've been after you lost a fortune to me and left the casino cursing, I don't really keep track of such matters seeing as I win so much.
Naysis Ferne: Hmph, there's no way I would go to a casino, must be my mistake.
Naysis Ferne: In the first place, how did you get acquainted with Di Qi Ju?
Breiya: That's because he lost to me a few days ago and now owes me a sum that he has absolutely no way of returning. Today he's here to fulfill the terms of our agreement and pay off that debt.
Naysis Ferne: Sigh...is that so.
She threw me a questioning look that swiftly turned into a furious glare which threatened to erupt like a volcano at any moment.
Naysis Ferne: ---anyway!!! Di Qi Ju, why is Miss Cherry hugging you?!!
Di Qi Ju: ...
Di Qi Ju: Err...about that…
I couldn't help but glance at Poppy as I said that. She slowly opened her eyes and revealed a slightly dazed look on her face.
Poppy: ...Ah? What's the matter?
Poppy: Miss Naysis?
Poppy: My apologies, my low blood pressure kicked in once more...if no one supports me while I walk, I might just collapse. Even lying down for a moment might cause me to faint…
Poppy: I just so happened to stumble upon Di Qi Ju, so…
Naysis Ferne: ……
Oh oh, that's a pretty good reason! She's actually doing it!
Yet as she said that, her arm began wrapping around me like a snake, slowly tightening as it coiled dangerously around me.
Poppy: But this huggability seems pretty nice too.
Di Qi Ju: ...
Naysis Ferne: …
Her face scrunched up slightly and began reddening as if there was something she wanted to let loose but couldn't do so.
I don't really understand why she was acting like this but there's one thing I know for sure and that was that she was really mad.
Naysis Ferne: Either way, let go of him first! Carmen, go support Miss Cherry.
Poppy: There's no need to trouble the Princess's attendant for that, Di Qi Ju's height and body just so happens to suit me perfectly, mhm.
Naysis Ferne: You---
Naysis Ferne: I get it...you're doing this to spite me, because I acted that way in class.
Poppy: Why would I anger my student on purpose? If you don't believe me, why don't you come have a hug as well?
Naysis Ferne: ......
That reply instantly silenced her. Seeing as she couldn't find a rebuttal, her fiery glare turned its sights on me.
Naysis Ferne: I bet you're feeling really comfortable right now, being hugged by Miss Cherry, aren't you Di Qi Ju?
Di Qi Ju: This has nothing to do with being comfortable…
Naysis Ferne: ---then let go of her right this instant!
Di Qi Ju: Err…actually I find this closeness kinda unnatural as well.
Poppy: Sigh---rather than your teacher's body, you rather the less endowed and vulnerable kind like Naysis Ferne's?
As if on purpose, she closed in and pressed her chest against me right after saying that.
Naysis Ferne: Hey! I'm not less endowed! I'm a lot better than card girl over there!
Breiya: Card girl…
Breiya: Somehow I ended up getting shot despite being an innocent bystander...so gamblers are nothing more than "card players" in your eyes huh…
Come to think of it, Breiya's chest does seem rather poor...it's not that much better than Bailey's, especially given the skin-tight clothes she was wearing now.
Based on the past few days I had spent with her, she does seem like the kind of lady that you wouldn't have to worry about….
As if sensing my gaze, she rested her elbows on my shoulder and gave a roguish smile.
Breiya: Hey now, Di Qi Ju has been booked by me beforehand, I don't think there's any place for the two of you to butt in now is there?
Poppy: Ah??
Naysis Ferne: Huh??
The both of them simultaneously expressed their disapproval.
Naysis Ferne: Do you even have the right to book him? He's my lifesaver and I plan to show my gratitude right now. Compared to your reason, mine should have the highest priority seeing as it concerns my dignity and etiquette!
Poppy: Compared to that whatever gratitude which you can show any other day, shouldn't he help me out of this current situation instead?
Naysis Ferne: What do you mean help? What do you mean situation? Haven't you basically recovered by now? You don't look the least bit dizzy to me!!
Poppy: Even if that was the case, he would definitely be happier to let me hug him than you.
Naysis Ferne: Wait, why?? Di Qi Ju, is that true??
Di Qi Ju: ……
Hey, don't ask me...it's not like you've ever hugged me...how was I supposed to make that comparison?
Poppy: Do you truly understand Di Qi Ju? Does he truly understand you? In his eyes, you might just be a plain old annoyance.
Poppy: I know a lot more about him than you, from head to toe, from his body all the way to his heart…
Naysis Ferne: ...
Her face immediately froze up, after which her eyes narrowed in what looked like preparation for her counterattack. Seems like she took Poppy's words as mere provocation.
Naysis Ferne: Di Qi Ju risked his life just to save me, if he didn't have any special feelings for me, he wouldn't have done that at all.
Poppy: Isn't what you saw as special just something ordinary to him? I'm sure you already know of this fact after what has happened.
Naysis Ferne: ...
Naysis Ferne: ......
She wasn't a match for Poppy at all.
The conversation immediately turned into a moment of awkward silence.
It was then that I finally realized that the me, standing in the middle of three women, had already been baptised by a wide variety of looks from countless onlookers.
Breiya: ...I say, if we really have to bring in the matter of "understanding"...
Breiya: I've actually seen his "clone", mhm.
Naysis Ferne: ……
Hey...why are you sticking yourself into this mess? I thought you had no reason to compete with them?? And why did Naysis and Poppy look at my lower half the moment she said that!?
Not that "clone"!! How could it be the "little me"!?
Naysis Ferne: ...
Naysis Ferne: I've…….I'm so disappointed in you, Di Qi Ju…
Naysis Ferne: To think you were actually such a person…
Carmen: Princess…
Naysis turned around and grabbed Carmen's shoulders, burying her head into her chest along with any expression and emotions on her face.
Di Qi Ju: Err...I think at least half of that conversation just now was a misunderstanding…
Poppy: ---don't bother about her, Di Qi Ju.
Di Qi Ju: ...
Poppy: At the very least, not a single word I said was false.
Poppy: She doesn't understand you and you don't understand her either. She's just being capricious and playing around.
Poppy: Truthfully, all she has done so far is harass you and nothing more.
Poppy: I bet you haven't felt it either, the feeling of love from her.
Poppy: You feel that she's playing around as well, don't you? You wish for her to stop, am I right?
Di Qi Ju: ...
Naysis Ferne: ......
I had no rebuttal for that and Naysis Ferne didn't seem to either.
While her words were slightly heavy, they did mirror my feelings somewhat.
I have never felt any sort of special feelings coming from Naysis Ferne.
Yet…
In the face of such a situation and such a Naysis Ferne who already had her face buried in someone's chest, I just couldn't bring myself to say it out loud.
Even now, I still hoped that I could make her give up on her "feelings" towards me in a calm fashion.
However, looking at this scene, that goal seemed to be distancing itself further and further by the second…
Was my thinking...wrong?
Breiya: Haha---you guys, are you acting out a play or something?
Breiya gave my back an exaggerated slap that even made Poppy loosen her grip on me reflexively.
Breiya: Just leave these two ladies to their conversation, you should first fulfill your agreement with me.
Breiya: ---let's go register for the Three Battles, it's time for you to put up a good show for me.
Di Qi Ju: ...alright.
This was a part of the set up we agreed upon earlier:
Because I lost to her in a match, and also because she found out about my ability, she decided to watch my "undyingness" play out in the Three Battles just for fun.
That way we could hide Hilda Karlyle's involvement while giving my registration a logical cover.
Naysis Ferne: ...Di Qi Ju.
Di Qi Ju: Hm?
Naysis Ferne: You're planning to participate in the Three Battles?
She asked in a stone cold voice without turning around; I couldn't fathom the true meaning of her words.
Di Qi Ju: ...ah, I guess so.
Naysis Ferne: Which battle?
Di Qi Ju: I might just take part in all of them, but I'm sure I won't get far, hah…
Perhaps if I could've anticipated what she would say next, I wouldn't have answered that way at all.
Naysis Ferne: Then, I'm joining in as well.
She turned around to face me; her mental state seemed a bit off as she did so.
If the usual Naysis could be considered emotional and capricious, then the her right now was completely calm as she said that.
Serious, proper and sober like a princess...attending an official function.
One might even say that she seemed like a warrior about to step onto the field.
Seeing the way she whipped out her weapon when she was attacked before, and looking at her now, there was no doubt in my mind that her combat skills were extraordinary.
Carmen: Princess! You mustn't!
Carmen: The King only recently agreed to you visiting the neighboring countries under my care. If you were to register for the Three Battles, the King would be furious!
Naysis Ferne: It's alright. If you're worried about my safety, can't you just register with me?
Carmen: Me, register?? This…
Naysis Ferne: I understand your situation. If you're unwilling, I'll do so alone.
Carmen: But...why must you do this? Is there a need for this??
Naysis Ferne: There is, there definitely is.
Naysis Ferne: ---Di Qi Ju.
Di Qi Ju: …?
Naysis Ferne: I'll find a way to let you encounter me in the matches.
Naysis Ferne: If I win...please listen to my confession seriously.
Di Qi Ju: ...
Naysis Ferne: And then, pay more attention to me.
Naysis Ferne: I feel that, you will definitely be able to see that Miss Cherry's words are nothing more than meaningless provocations.
Poppy: ...
Naysis Ferne: I'm already an adult, I'm definitely not doing this out of willfulness…
Naysis Ferne: ...I'm serious about this.
Footnotes:
Credits:
Special thanks to Steve Granger, Kaung Thant Win Naing, and Antoine Thompson!!