Obsessed with Regressors

Julia asked abruptly as if she wanted to change the subject.

She knew. Since it was a ball held in the royal palace, the royal family should declare the beginning. Thanks to that, everyone in the ballroom was waiting for the King and Queen to come together and while just chatting.

“You’re not feeling well, are you?”

In response to Julia’s question, Sir Escalee shook his head with an improbable expression. So far, no word has been heard of the current king, King Rupert, being ill.

“It can’t be.”

Then, her wife, who was by her side, intervened. As we said hello, she nodded her head and said to Julia.

“His Highness the King is a descendant of the fairy Mago. They don’t get sick.”

“However… ”

Julia tried to tell her that couldn’t be the case, so she quickly yanked her hand. Of course, she didn’t stop her because she believed her words. Because that was a palace ball, and to question His Highness’s ancestry there was just as stupid as going to dance in a dress in midsummer.

Ah, the second stupid thing was already done.

“But the princess was originally weak?”

Julia whispered to me. ‘Do you know that Genevieve, the older sister of the current king, King Rupert, was told to be unwell since she was a child.’

There was even a saying that she was fortunate for coming to age safely and for marrying her neighbor, Newkirk.

It was the year she was born that Princess Genevieve married Newkirk. So it was a little strange to her that Julia knew the story of Princess Genevieve.

When she put on a look like asking how, Julia shrugged her shoulders.

“At the academy. My history teacher likes stories like that.”

“A story like that? Like the fairy and the dragon?”

“It’s an indispensable part of Balsian’s history.”

Balsian, the hero who defeated the ferocious dragon in this land. And his colleague and lover, the fairy Margot. Balcian died without recovering from the wounds he suffered in the battle with the dragon, but Margo did not leave for the fairy world for the sake of the child she had with her lover.

Thus, the country founded was Balsian. The current king was the descendant of the child that the fairy Mago gave birth to with Balsian.

She cast her gaze to the portraits of Balcian and Margo hanging in the ballroom. Perhaps because of the fairy, Margot, who was wearing something like butterfly wings.

“I think it is because of the recent appearance of the Prophet that both the King and Queen are not coming yet.”

Mrs Sipper spoke in a low voice as if telling a secret. If it was a prophet, it was possible. Occasionally, for the entertainment of a ball or tea party, the host would bring in soothsayers and fortune-tellers. And for the most part, it didn’t matter. To be honest, she didn’t think anyone who said they could see the future actually could. Because if they could see the real future, do they really need to make money by telling others about it?

“Are you the Prophet?”

Mrs Sipper smiled as if Julia’s curiosity was to her liking.

“The prophet said he would make a tremendous prophecy regarding the future of the country.”

“A great prophecy?”

This time she showed her curiosity. What was a great prophecy about the future of the country? There is no particular problem with Balsian. In other words, there was no problem with military power, economy, or finance. Since the present king had a son, it could be said that the issue of succession had been resolved.

So, for the prophecy here to be enormous, it would have to be the extent of ruining the country.

No, was that too harsh? She tilted her head. Was there anyone who could say in front of the king that his country would soon be ruined?

“I do not know. I don’t know what he said to His Highness. The last thing I heard was that he might have an audience with His Majesty.”

She nodded her head at Mrs Sipper’s words that said the prophet might have met His Majesty by now. So, if the prophet met His Highness, His Highness, who heard the prophecy, might be in a bad mood, so he might be late because he was trying to control his mind.

And if the prophecy was unpleasant enough to make His Highness control his heart, it would probably mean that the country would perish or that the death of His Majesty the King was soon to be.

To be able to talk about one of those two cases in front of His Highness, the Prophet was most likely either overly brave or insane. Prophesying to others is ultimately one of two things.

“Excuse me. I have someone over there to say hello.”

Sir Escalee, who must have seen someone he knew, apologized to Miss Supper and left. Julia stayed here, she seemed to want to hear more of Mrs Sipper’s exciting story, but she was taken away by Sir Escalee.

Mrs Sipper looked at the escalators as they left her seat, and she said in a low voice.

“Poor thing. Sir Escolee must be very worried about his daughter’s marriage.”

“She is still eighteen.”

She said with an expression that it was not a big deal to Mrs Sipper’s concerns. Unless it was Mrs Sipper or her mother, those days everyone got married in their twenties. Same for her.

“Well, when she’ll be 20 years old, they’ll say she is an old maid.”

As she thought, Mrs Sipper said with a smile. She would be like that when she was a mother, or so she was told. After all, nobles got engaged when they were young.

But lately things have changed a bit. As nobles began to send their children to the academy, naturally, the marriage age of nobles began to be delayed after the age of nineteen.

Her mother lamented that noble ladies would work too, but she thought it was a pretty good change. Wouldn’t that be better than sitting all day embroidering?

“It’s not good to get married too late, though. You should also think about the child to be born.”

She listened to Mrs Sipper’s words as she thought about the meeting of the White Rose Society.

“Who was your fiancé?”

Still, she was quick to answer when asked who her fiancé was.

“Sir Rencid. Sir Awning Rencid.”

“Oh, the eldest son of Viscount Rencid? He’s a good young man, he’s a bit slim, though.”

Everyone said so. Awning was on the tall side, but he was rather thin. Miss Siffer tried to console her with the same words as the others.

“Once you two get married, he will get fat. Do not worry.”

She didn’t know why everybody thought she was worried about her husband being skinny, but she smiled and nodded her head silently. Then, all of a sudden, the surroundings started to become noisy.

“Look over there.”

It seems that His Highness the King has arrived. Quickly correcting her posture and tidying up her attire, she raised her head and turned her gaze to the royal doorway. But it was still empty, and people’s eyes were looking in a completely different direction.

“What?”

Mrs Sipper, who realized the strange change of people later than me, asked, but she couldn’t tell her what was going on. They quietly made their way to the crowd and found a surprising sight in the middle of the ballroom.

“Oh.”

“What kind of event is this?”

The middle of the ballroom was empty, as if dancing had begun. And in the space surrounded by people, a handkerchief was spinning in the air.

“Is it windy?”

“Did someone open the window?”

“But there is no wind anywhere else.”

As people said, the wind was blowing in a whirlpool only in the middle of the ballroom. Could that be possible? She was confused, but soon she thought that this was some kind of event.

Could it be that His Highness the King used magic to make a dramatic appearance? Space movement magic was a bit expensive to use for an event like that, but wasn’t this the royal palace? They could pay that much for entertainment.

“Back off.”

As the handkerchiefs began to fly in larger circles, the people hesitated and retreated. She didn’t think that handkerchief would hurt anyone, but if that wind was magically created, it’s a bit ominous.

Two hundred years had passed since the Wizard’s Tower was built in the capital, but magic was still a bit mysterious and inconvenient for ordinary people to get close to.

As the people withdrew, the handkerchiefs circled larger and larger. Could this not be an event prepared by the royal palace?

She thought so when she realized that about a family of ten people could fit in the circle drawn by the handkerchief.

And just the next moment.

Pop!

Inside the circle drawn by the handkerchief, there was a sound of something exploding, and thick smoke came out. Mrs Sipper, who was standing next to her, was startled and took her hand, so she did the same.

Soon after, people shouted with small applause.

“Oh my gosh!”

“Wow!”

Everyone seemed to think that His Highness the King’s family would appear in the smoke. However, as the thick smoke subsided and the heads of many people began to appear little by little, the shouts and clapping of people died down.

“What is it?”

“I don’t think is His Highness the King?”

“My God, what does this smell like?”

Soon, an indescribable stench filled the ballroom. What the hell did that smell like? She tried to obscure the smell with a fan, but soon realized it was the smell of a number of people emerging from the smoke.

It was like the smell of a stable. And sometimes it smelled a bit like the smell one got when dismantling a chicken or a pig in the kitchen.

“Who, who are you!”

It was a familiar voice that confirmed the identity of the people who appeared first. She turned her head and confirmed that it was Sir Escalee who asked the other person’s identity.

It was only then that people seemed to realize that the person appearing in the smoke was not His Majesty’s family and could be a dangerous person.

“Save people!”

“Security! Security!”

In an instant, there was a congestion with people trying to escape. Being pushed back by people, she had to struggle not to fall, let alone run away.

“Oh my God!”

The hand that was holding her was pushed away, so she reflexively grabbed Mrs Sipper’s hand. And as she looked at her, she saw a man pushing her and trying to escape.

Where have all the gentlemen gone? She reflexively kicked the man in the shin and shouted.

“Don’t you even know how to respect elders?”

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Translator Note: