Chapter 31

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Translator: Curspe

Chapter: 31

Chapter Title: Countess Edelweiss

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“I never imagined you’d be thinking like this. Do you have any idea how disappointed the Pollane knights who followed you are…?”

He clutched his forehead, looking sorrowful.

Wow, total second male lead material.

I nearly dropped my canape midway to applaud.

No, penalty!

“Leaving the family like this… You must have your reasons. But Senia, you know full well there won’t be a single knight anywhere willing to follow a family head who abandons their house.”

Then you’d follow the guy who poisoned the heir to steal the position, right?

I turned to Kikal.

As I stared at him silently, Kikal flinched.

Yeah, plenty to feel guilty about, huh.

Like chugging that enhancer at the succession ceremony. And most of all, the Pollane couple probably spilled to Kikal while I was gone.

That I’d figured out about the poison.

“…Ahem. Ahem. Anyway, let’s talk once we’re back home.”

It was then, as Kikal—whose feet were burning—turned away.

Yian’s hunter chat popped up out of nowhere. At the same moment, the servant’s voice rang out.

“His Holiness Sian of the Shinsian Church has arrived.”

“Oh.”

At those words, everyone’s gazes snapped to the door.

Whether this banquet would fizzle out as a fancy formality or give birth to a new countess hung entirely on the Pope’s lips.

But the nobles—including Kikal and that Kias creep right in front of me—didn’t show a hint of tension.

Probably because they knew the rift between the Church and the Imperial Family had stalled new houses for ages.

—Thud.

The massive doors swung open, revealing Yian in pristine white priestly robes embroidered with silver and green threads.

The banquet hall’s lights made the golden chain of his monocle gleam.

“I’ve arrived far too late.”

His low, velvety voice filled the hall.

After a slight bow to Shin Jae-heon, he turned his gaze straight to me.

He parted his lips slowly.

“I heard the news on my way here. Countess Edelweiss…”

Yian’s calm voice echoed steadily through the hall.

With a soft smile, he walked toward me.

Under the weight of every eye in the room, he said plainly,

“Congratulations.”

His gaze was unmistakably fixed on me. In that instant, the system windows came flooding in.

The nobles, who had been stunned silent, finally reacted.

“Congratulations, you say?”

“Good heavens.”

Yian’s words were as good as the Church officially recognizing my new title.

Soon, the hall buzzed with the nobles’ murmurs.

“The Church has never approved a new house before, has it?”

“Not even two years ago…”

Someone must’ve gotten shot down trying for a new title two years back.

Too bad for them—the Pope and Emperor from two years ago weren’t the current ones.

“Was there some prior discussion, perhaps…?”

A mutter here and there. Everyone was zeroed in on the Pope-Emperor dynamic.

“His Holiness witnessed Countess Edelweiss’s astonishing iaijutsu firsthand, so perhaps he was simply impressed enough to approve it.”

That “astonishing iaijutsu” was something Yian had seen ad nauseam back in Korea, sadly.

I’m beat today? But my lovable hunter team kept chatting, ignoring my input entirely.

My celebration banquet? A Shin Yuri team without Shin Yuri?

I wanted to strangle these idiots!

Of course, the chatter was chat-only.

Pope Hunter Yian, Emperor Shin Jae-heon, and Tower Master So Yeri Hunter all exchanged mere formalities without so much as a proper glance between them.

“It’s too optimistic to think the Church and Imperial Family are on good terms…”

“No real interactions to speak of. The vibe’s still ice-cold.”

The nobles reacted just as expected.

But some were sharp.

“Still, His Holiness’s gaze seems much softer than before.”

And that reached our entire hunter team’s ears.

The downside of hunter chat? It sticks even if you close your eyes—until you turn it off.

And separate from this facial expression struggle, I couldn’t close the chat.

Teasing Hunter Yian was the world’s greatest fun.

A quick glance at Yian—no, the Church side. His expression was priceless.

With his light brown hair and gentle face, imagining him glaring at someone was impossible.

Sure enough, he turned to Shin Jae-heon with a mix of awkwardness and sternness(?).

Pretending to be on bad terms as Pope and Emperor seemed tough.

My verdict triggered So Yeri Hunter’s laughter flooding the chat.

I spotted Yian clutching his forehead from afar.

The laugh-holding challenge dragged on through the entire banquet.

Ah, barely dodged the penalty.

On the way back after the banquet ended.

The Pollane knights and maids who’d trailed me as a given were gone.

Well, now that I was Countess Edelweiss, having them stick around would’ve been awkward.

“Hm…”

Thinking about it, I did feel a bit bad for those B-rank pure dealer kids.

But they’d learn the truth soon enough.

How trash their house really was.

If they were real knights who cared about Senia, they’d understand this choice, I figured.

“Greetings, Countess Edelweiss. A pleasure to meet you.”

A squad of maids appeared before me. Wait, not just maids—proper high-class knights, servants, and even butlers.

“Nice to meet you all. But.”

I asked hesitantly.

“Who are you people?”

Do we know each other or something?

At my question, the maids bowed deeply.

“We’ve been ordered to serve Countess Edelweiss starting today.”

“By whom?”

Who’d do me such a solid? The maid replied with a serious face.

“It is the esteemed will of one whose name I dare not utter with my lowly lips.”

Someone big-time to phrase it like that…

Of course.

True, arriving at a new territory without a single servant would’ve looked ridiculous.

Still, I hadn’t expected this level of prep.

Was Shin Jae-heon always this thoughtful?

I thought he was top 2 in our party for empty-headedness right after me, dealer-style.

Anyway, this’ll make life easier. I beckoned the butler-looking guy.

“Lead the way, then.”

“Right away.”

About a minute after the butler emerged from the maids to guide me.

Uninvited guests jumped out in front of unprepared me.

“The knights who followed you are deeply disappointed. Do you realize that?”

Pollane Viscount, naturally.

The Pollane crew, who hadn’t dared say it at the banquet, had set up camp in the corridor to ambush me, spilling it all.

“His Majesty values knights’ loyalty. If you declare your return to House Pollane now, he’ll surely show mercy.”

Pollane Viscount opened his shameless mouth.

Wow.

I could practically see inside the viscount’s skull.

The knights were just an excuse—he clearly wanted Edelweiss lands and title in Pollane hands.

“That’s not all, Senia.”

Pollane Viscount lowered his voice.

“You’re the rightful heir to Pollane now—who could possibly threaten your position?”

I nearly laughed in disbelief.

You guys would, duh?

Didn’t you say a diseased body could collapse anytime?

“I,”

have zero intention of returning to that trash heap?

I almost spat it out, but Shin Yuri mode here would’ve been trouble.

Still, staying silent was too infuriating.

“I have no intention of returning to a house that might stab me in the back any moment.”

Senia, this is fine, right? Yeah?

You can speak this sharply, right? Of course, our sweet Senia~

[…]

Thankfully, no system warning popped up.

Yeah, if you’re not a total pushover, this much is fair game.

“…Starting a new house is harder than it seems. I can’t fathom what His Holiness was thinking, granting permission.”

Pollane Viscount tried persuading again, but I just shook my head.

“No matter what you say, I’m not going back.”

Am I nuts? So you can stuff your lies down my throat?

At my steely glare, Pollane Viscount shut up.

After a silence, he spoke.

“You have no idea how terrifying noble society is. In the world of nobility, you can’t stand alone. You’ll learn how frightening people can be.”

In short, he’d show me the terror of connections.

Sure, you’ll find out soon enough how terrifying connections are.

I smiled magnanimously at the hunter chat.

“It won’t be an easy path. We’ll do our utmost to uphold the family’s honor.”

Pollane Viscountess chimed in from the side.

Word was already spreading about the heir abruptly ditching the succession.

They planned to spin it their way, huh?

Like I’d gone mad with power lust and bolted to become countess.

“Same here.”

But I had no intention of taking their kicks lying down like a tin can.

Taste the terror of connections yourselves!

“Let’s go.”

Pollane Viscount whipped around.

The Pollane flock trailing pathetically after him was hilarious.

I watched them go, then opened hunter chat.

Hunter Yian replied instantly. Then the chat poured in.

From between untouchable Pope and Emperor, Tower Master’s line dropped.

No tension whatsoever.

Facial expression crisis redux. Inhale, hold breath, hold!

That Dungeon’s S-Rank Terminal Lady (32)