Chapter 19: CHP 19

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!"

I tried to sneak away and pretend that I didn't see her, but Mia Vinoche fell down, letting out a loud scream that couldn't not be ignored.

"Ouch!"｡･(つд'｡)･｡

She cried while looking at me pitifully, with her big eyes filled with tears.

"My Lady...I'm sorry, but can you help me?

I can't stand up."

Although Mia Vinoche has divine power that is so pure to the point she is called the incarnation of a Saint, she was an unlucky because she couldn't heal herself.

'She can help others, but she cannot help herself. What should I do?'

I concluded that, in a situation where we were already face to face, it would be better to help her than to ignore her.

'Nothing good will come if I am being disliked by the heroine.'

So I reluctantly reached out to her.

"Lady Mia!"

In this exact ambiguous moment, Philap came running at full speed towards uss, and my body hardened like stone, with my hand stretched out.

'Nooooo, wait a moment...This, this... looks like I knocked her down!'

"Sir P-Philap."(つд⊂)

Lifting Mia up like a princess, Philap stared at me furiously, he already thought that I am a bully.

"I found it suspicious that you were so quiet lately, but it seems you were doing this kind of thing behind my back?"

When he screamed fiercely, my hands and feet suddenly cooled down and my heart thumped.

The reactions imprinted on Deborah's body were more intense than usual, and my head went blank.

Philap looked at me and snorted.

"That's right, you have no excuse for this!

No matter how obsessed you are with me, I can't believe you pushed Lady Mia when nobody was around...You're really a coward."

At this point, I thought that our good-hearted female protagonist would explain things to him, but she only said, 'Sir Philap' in a dispirited voice.

'What are you trying to do? To encourage him?'

Perhaps it was because of the protagonist's tactless behavior, that I came to my senses for în a moment.

So I quickly pointed at Mia with my finger.

"She tripped on a tree root by herself and fell.

I was only helping her get up... Don't get me wrong.

Hey, you there, isn't what I am saying correct?"

"Yes."

Mia Vinoche's eyelashes trembled softly, and her complexion became even paler.

'Somehow it feels like I was coercing her answer.'

"Are you telling me to believe you? Lady Mia, you don't need to take this woman's side just because you're scared."

'O my God, isn't there a VAR here? Call the referee! The referee!'

"Deborah, I know you have been constantly harassing the ladys that admire me?

If you're going to lie, say something more plausible."

Philap struck me with a sharp energy as if he were dealing with an enemy

I was suffocating because of the pressure.

But, I didn't want to appear weak, so I clenched my fists as hard as I could and opened my mouth.

"I have told you twice now that I am not lying.

Are you stupid? Do I have to say it a hundred times for you to understand once?"

My words made blood rush to his face, but I still confronted him fiercely, looking him in the eyes.

"Deborah, you seem to think the successor of the Montez family, who was chosen by the Spirit of Water and the Spirit of Fire, is going to understand you and let it go?

You're a stupid one, being caught doing evil things.

Apologize to Lady Mia this instant."

As the energy he let out became stronger, it felt like something was crushing my body. It seemed like I was going to disgracefully fall to my knees, but I gritted my teeth and stood up to him as much as I could.

"Apologize!"

"Why do I have to apologize for something I didn't do?"

"Right now!"

Suddenly the intangible pressure disappeared, and in my line of vision appeared a large body.

"That's enough!"

The sunlight coming through the leaves reflected brightly on the man's gorgeous blonde hair.

I looked up to him and narrowed my eyes.

'Isidor Visconti?'

"I can't believe you're oppressing a lady using force.

I didn't know you were such a crued person."

Isidor, took off his round gold rimmed glasses and stuffed them in his pocket, while he hid me completely behind his back.

Only when the murderous aura Philap was emitting got cut off was I able to slowly catch my breath.

"Stay out of this, Isidor."

Philap's lowered his voice like a beast, and the sound of his teeth gritting could be heard.

"If you keep doing that you will break all your molars, so if you don't want to only eat porridge when you get older, why don't you calm down?"

"Get out of my way while I'm still being nice!"

"I will not move even if you aren't nice."

"Why are you suddenly interrupting us and making me even angrier?

This is none of your business."

"What 'knight' would I be if I see someone trying to subdue a lady with force and just pass by."

Philap hesitated when Isidor mentioned chivalry, the most important virtue of an aristocratic man.

"How much did you see?"

"Since the moment you boasted about having been chosen by both the water and fire spirits."

"Don't distort my words!"

"Why are you angry? I thought you were trying to be funny."

"You son of a...!"

Philap burst in rage and summoned the Spirit of Fire.

Even behind Isidor, who was acting as a shield, I could feel the burning heat on my skin.

"Seeing that you're using your powers, I guess I won with my words."

Isidor spoke in a light voice like a person going on a walk, but he strained his back muscles, like a beast preparing for hunting, and he slowly took out the sword that was hanging on his waist.

There was immense tension between the two.

"Sir P-Philap, please!"

The tension, which had been growing fast, was quickly cut off by Mia Vinoche's voice.

Perhaps because the fire emitted by the Spirit was too much, she shook Philap's arm as if she was scared.

"Whoo...?゜゜('O｀)°゜

Philap stared to breathe slowly trying to suppress his anger.

"This is really frustrating....Isidor... you!!

You're taking sides with Deborah!

She just pretends to be a meek lady, but she is a lady who torments weak young girls behind everyones back?

I mus absolutely.get an apology."

Isidor shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth.

"The person that is responsabile for this is keeping quiet, so I don't know why you're making such a fuss.

You there, pink hair!

Did Princess Deborah do anything to you that she needs to apologize for?"

"N-no."

"I'm glad to hear that...still, you should know your place."

"You, what are you talking about!"

"If a woman from an unknown family dares to coerce a Seymour, who stands side by side with my Visconti family, to get on their knees and apologize to her, then she doesn't know her place.

Don't you think so?"

When she heard his words, Mia Vinoche's face turned white.

And on the other side, Isidor showed off the pride that only a high-ranking aristocrat could have and held back a scornful laughter.

'I can't believe he is using social power to say that me apologizing to Mia Vinoche is nonsense.

I am learning new things.

Huh?...Wait, I didn't do anything to apologize for.'

"Isidor!"

Even though Philap screamed so loudly that my eardrums hurt, the man in front of me didn't even budge.

"Now that everyone knows that my name is Isidor, why don't you stop pestering us?

If you have nothing more to say, don't force yourself anymore and let us go our own ways.

Don't you care about your princess' knees?"

Philap's face wrinkled even more when Isidor pointed his chin at Mia Vinoche bloody dress.

Panting, he reluctantly turned around and left with her in his arms.

"Isidor, you will regret interrupting me today."

"Hm... You speak as if we fought each other."

"You're a son of a bitch that blabbers a lot!"

"I have many things to say so I guess I will never shut up."

At Isidor's endless remarks, Philap shrieked like a dragon gushing out fire, and after kicking a tree several times, venting out his anger, he went away with big strides.

"He's got a lot of energy."

Isidor, blurted out a short comment while looking at the trunk of the tree and then he turned his head in my direction.

"Are you alright?"

"... I am fine."

'Nothing bad happened.

It's just ridiculous how the whole situation got so serious.'

"You look pale."

"It is just because my face is white like white jade even if I don't apply anything... Ohhh!"

I pretended that I was alright, but as soon as I took one step, my long legs, betrayed their owner's will and I staggered like a newborn zebra.

'It seems like my legs lost their strength because of to the murderous aura Philap emitted to force me to kneel down.'

"You're a terrible liar."

Isidor grabbed my arm saving me from falling to the ground.

"I think you should go back now and pull rest. I'll help you get to the your carriage."

His mood felt different from when he was dealing with Philap, It felt light, but there was a bit of coldness emittingfrom him.

'He seems angry?

His face looks cold when he doesn't smile.'

"Don't be so stubborn. Do you want to crawl to your carriage?"

I hesitated for a moment, but eventually I leaned on Isidor's strong body.

Surprisingly, he was very carefull with me, as if he was dealing with something made of glass.

"Why did you help me?"

I asked, while looking at his face, which seemed to have been elaborately carved by a master artisan.

'Isidor, is a man that is always surrounded by people. It doesn't seem like he isn't aware of all the rumors about me... I don't understand why he took my side like that.'

"Let's just say it's because of chivalry.

What the Princess describeds as being nosy."

"Alright...then why are you so nosy?"

Isidor slowed his pace to match mine, we passed through a deserted and quiet road and arrived at the place where the carriage stood, when he saw us the servant that was sitting in a corner doing something else hurried towards us.

The servant tried to help and support me, but Isidor naturally walked past him and took me to the carriage door.

When his body, which was holding me firmly, left, the fresh scent that lingered on the tip of my nose also faded. When I started to feel empty not knowing why, my body suddenly floated în the air and my bottom gently settled on the carriage seat.

Isidor just lifted my body as he pleased and sat me on the seat.

"Get home safe."

Then he grabbed the carriage door, speaking calmly as if nothing had happened.

'From where do knights learn to do things like that?'

As my chest palpitated wildly, I slowly opened my mouth.

"I owe you one."

"Princess Deborah, in a situation like this you should say thank you."

He said jokingly.

"Thank you, Sir Isidor."

I said slowly while looking at his beautiful eyes.

However, I thought he would laugh playfully, but instead he looked at me with a strange expression.

I felt uncomfortable looking at his wide open emerald eyes.

'Oooo? I guess it wasn't very wicked of me.'

"YY-You must be surprised to hear me say thank you!

It is something exceedingly rare, like a bean sprouting amid a drought,because I am definitely not the kind of person to easily say thank you."

I quickly explained.

"It's an honor. Please go and rest."

Isidor, statlrted giggling and closed the door and then suddenly opened it again.

I flinched as he stuck his handsome face in the carriage.

'What is going on?'

"And it would be nice if the Princess had better eyes for men."

BUMP!!

The carriage door closed without hesitation and the carriage started moving slowly, unaware of how dumbfounded I was.

'What's this nonsense?!!'

I grabbed my hair fiercely when reality struck me.

If Philap were my type, I wouldn't have been so overwhelmed like this.

'I don't loke such a hot-tempered macho men!!

I am not the only one that hates him, Philap has always been at the bottom of the popular vote among the protagonist's lovers!!

Why does Deborah have such different taste in men than me?

And I have to suffer like this becauseof that!!

Why is her crap my problem?!!'

I trembled with resentment and threw kicks in the air all night long.

.......................

In the meantime, Deborah wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep all night.

'Thank you, Sir Isidor.'

Isidor unknowingly closed his eyes as he recalled the voice that lingered in his mind.

Her voice, which contained his name for the first time, emanated a feeling of warm and gentleness.

As he remembered her eyes, which were curved like those of a cat and the color, red like rubies, the strange feeling he felt in his stomach got much stronger.

Since they only met in the dark in the Blancia's office, he never realized that her red eyes could look even more beautiful.

Isidor, who was constantly tossing and turning in bed as he unconsciously recalled the moments spent together, suddenly frowned.

"Lady's Deborah pure love towards Sir Philap has a very long history."

It was because Miguel's words came to his mind.

'What do you mean by pure love... she just doesn't have a good eye for men.

Honestly, I am more handsome then Philap.'

In the end, Isidor failed to fall asleep and got out of bed and headed towards the exercise hall with his sword.

........................

"Damn it."

Philap also couldn't fall sleep and was also killing time at the exercise hall.

When he remembered how Isidor easily defeated him by using his words, he jumped up from the bed while he was trying to sleep.

But that's not all.

'Why on earth did that damn jerk intervene?

She stubbornly insisted that it wasn't her fault, but it was obviously Deborah's fault.'

"I have told you twice now that I am not lying.

Are you stupid? Do I have to say it a hundred times for you to understand once?"

'What was with that cold glare coming from her, who has been hovering around me for nearly 6 years?

Is she trying to get my attention in a new way now?

Well...I don't appreciate her sincerity.'

He was in such a bad mood and felt so bothered by what happened that he could even forget about Mia for a period of time.

Philap came out of the exercise hall, panting an full of sweat.

................................

"I heard that Sir Philap carried the injured Lady Mia like a princess.

Did you hear about that?"

"I saw it myself...but what on earth happened?"

"What do you think?

It must have been because of Princess Deborah.

There's no denying that she's been quiet this year, but here she goes again, Sir Philap must be tired, too."

Philap crossing the academy campus while carrying Mia Vinoche, who had a knee injury, like a princess, was the hot topic among the aristocrats.

Madame Ophelia was quite pleased with the situation, and praised Mia.

"In order for light to shine even brighter, it needs a moderate amount of darkness around it.

Just like in novels, if there is a good main character, there must also be a villain.

That's why you shine brighter now Miss Mia."

She spoked as if reciting a poem, while she looked at Mia's bloody knees.

But, Mia looked out the window, without saying anything.

Many white flowers were in full bloom on the bare branch where just one flower had bloomed pathetically.

"Just as expected, the impact is different when it's a Seymour.

It's much better in terms of getting the attention of the aristocrats than walking around in dirty places and using divine powers on a thousand things."

When the crimson liquid Ophelia was holding seeped in Mia's knees, the wound began to turn black.

"Always keep in mind that nobles are very interested in gossip like this Miss Mia."

Instead of answering, Mia giggled shyly.

"Anyway, Lady Deborah's harassment will get worse from now on."

"I'm not sure."

Madame Ophelia said that Deborah Seymour, blinded by jealousy, would do all sorts of terrible things and turn Mia into a hot topic in the social world, so, Mia was bracing herself in anticipation of the severe harassment.

'But, contrary to the Madame's Ophelia expectations, that woman was too quiet.'

She had to separate herself from Philap for a while and fall in front of her to get her attention, she had to putt on a show that wasn't even funny.

"What if that woman doesn't bother me?

She was very quiet for some time."

Madame Ophelia laughed loudly at Mia's question.

"Ohoho, that can't be!

She's a woman who has been obsessed with Sir Philap for 6 years. I'm sure she has a deep resentment towards you, Miss Mia.

She must have been planning something, that's why she has been so calm."

Mia pressed her lips together and nodded.

'Madame Ophelia's words have never been wrong, she is a better informant than anyone else.

She knows everything about each and every major figure in the social world.'

"A good oportunity will be appear soon, and the only choice for Lady Deborah, who has no ability, dignity or reputation, is to join Omicron, which values one's bloodline."

"Aha."

"Since Sir Philap feels sorry for failing to successfully bid on the pink diamond, he is going to recommend Miss Mia to join Omicron."

'It means that I will be in constan't contact with Deborah Seymour.'

Mia immediately understood what Madame Ophelia meant.

"I understand what you mean."

"Social clubs are important, but above all, you must get the most attention during the upcoming spring festival and become the 'Flower of the Year'."

The wound that had been stained black slowly disappeared.

Madame Ophelia spoked while pouring the crimson liquid in a glass bottle on the wound on the other knee.

"So, for the remaining time, you should focus on increasing the purity of your the divine power Miss Mia."

"Sssss..Ouch!"

Madame Ophelia inflicted a deep wound on Mia's white calf with a knife, and as the crimson liquid, flowed down like blood and seeped in the deep wound, Mia's eyes flickered with a black glow.

....................................