I Don't Want To Work! - Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
“Nothing can be done about it.”
As I sighed, giving up on attending the class, the servant’s face brightened.
“Well then, shall we head back to the palace?”
“I’ll prepare the carriage.”
“Thank you then. Oh, right.”
I looked up at the servant with an apologetic expression.
“Sorry, but could we get a few more ingredients? I’ll repay you next month when I have the money.”
“It’s okay, Your Highness. We’re here to help each other.”
The servant smiled and nodded.
“Do you need any specific ingredients? I’ll prioritize what you want.”
“Um, I’m not sure. Betty.”
“Yes?”
I turned halfway around to look at Betty behind me.
“Could you check for me?”
“Me? Um, are you asking me?”
Betty, who used to address me as ‘Lady Lottie’ when we were alone, raised her voice.
“Yeah, you probably know better than me what ingredients the kitchen needs.”
“Good idea. Shall I escort the maid to the kitchen?”
“Yes, please do.”
In an instant, Betty unwillingly found herself heading to the kitchen without any say in the matter.
“Come this way, please.”
With a puzzled expression, Betty followed the servant’s lead.
“Betty.”
I whispered to Betty as she passed by.
“Can you distract the servant and buy us some time?”
“Buy time?”
“Yeah, there’s something I need to check. Just pretend to look at ingredients and stall for time.”
It seemed Arkin didn’t have separate servants for managing the mansion but relied solely on the servant.
That meant the servant had to approve every item Betty selected before it could be taken out of the mansion.
“Oh!”
Wide-eyed, Betty nodded immediately.
“Yes, Your Highness. I-I’ll try!”
“Aren’t you going, maid?”
The servant, who was waiting outside the reception room, called out to Betty.
“I-I’m coming, coming right now!”
Darn it, can’t get act together.
The servant glanced at the bewildered Betty for a moment before heading down to the kitchen with her.
‘I’ve got one out, now let’s get out of here.’
“I need to use the restroom.”
“I’ll escort you, Your Highness.”
It seemed there wasn’t a restroom attached to the reception room as I had hoped.
The maid who brought the lemonade smiled and led me to the hallway.
Successful exit from the reception room.
“The restroom is at the end of the corridor-.”
“Oh, is it here?”
“What? Your Highness?!”
Before the maid could stop me, I slowly pushed open the door where I felt the presence of a spirit.
Sorry, it was a lie that I needed to use the restroom.
And as soon as the door opened, what I saw was…
“How, how did you…? Why are you here?”
Arkin, with a pale face and cold sweat running down his cheeks, desperately clutched his clothes to conceal something.
And in front of Arkin stood a man of sturdy build.
He must be the Viscount Poulton that the servant mentioned earlier.
“Oh.”
I blinked casually.
“I thought the restroom was this way.”
“The restroom is at the far end of the corridor-.”
“But didn’t you say it was history class, Arkin?”
Ignoring Arkin’s attempts to usher me out, I confidently stepped into the room.
Thud, I heard the door close behind me.
“For a world history class, there’s no map, no books.”
Strange.
It’s almost as if they lied about teaching history and did something else.
“Okay, are you Viscount Poulton?”
Approaching Viscount Poulton with a grin, I asked, and Viscount Poulton bowed respectfully.
“Yes, Your Highness. I am Poulton, appointed as the history tutor to His Highness Arkin, the Second Prince.”
“Ah, I see.”
Confirmed. I could sense the presence of a spirit from Viscount Poulton.
Poulton was an Elementalist, a spirit user.
‘An Elementalist teaching history? Really?’
Elementalists were relatively rare compared to mages or swordsmen.
The reason was simple.
Elementalists were born with their abilities.
To make a contract with a spirit, one needed the ability to see and communicate with them, known as affinity.
And mana, necessary for contracting and summoning, had to be naturally present.
While mana could be increased through training over time, affinity couldn’t be artificially improved.
‘So there were a lot of scams.’
There were plenty of scammers claiming to have special methods to increase affinity.
‘But this guy is a confirmed contractor.’
I had sensed the spirit’s presence earlier.
It hadn’t been long since the summoned spirit had returned to its realm.
‘It’s a fire spirit. Not very strong. Could it be a low-level Salamander or a mid-level Cellist?’
Well, humans excel as cellists.
Most elementalists contracted with lesser spirits, a few with intermediates, and a handful with what were known as superior spirits.
The spirit king was out of the question.
“I heard some good news yesterday.”
As I silently stared at Viscount Poulton, he spoke first.
“Good news that Her Highness Lottie’s name has been cleared. Though belated, congratulations, Your Highness. However, there’s something I’d like to say.”
Viscount Poulton smiled slightly, raising the corners of his mouth.
“It seems your manners are a bit lacking. Perhaps it’s because you’ve been in prison?”
Now he’s criticizing my lack of manners.
I grinned.
“Maybe I am. That’s why I had Baron Mer executed yesterday. He used to be my etiquette teacher.”
“…!!”
“Since the Emperor decreed it yesterday, he’s probably being dragged to the gallows right about now.”
Bang!
Before my words could finish, the bell rang ominously. It could be a timekeeper bell, but I didn’t know. Maybe it rang after the execution ceremony ended. I could sense Viscount Poulton’s aura diminishing significantly.
“But Viscount Poulton, what kind of class were you conducting? It wasn’t a history class.”
“That’s-“
“You, get out!!”
It was Arkin who stepped between Viscount Poulton and me.
“Get out! What’s this behavior coming into class suddenly like this?!”
Arkin, shooting me with a piercing glare, now forcefully shoved me from behind. When Arkin took his side, Viscount Poulton’s face brightened.
“Alright, alright. I’ll leave.”
I raised my hands. Arkin, who had been pushing me, stopped.
“Instead, I’ll apologize to Viscount Poulton. It was my fault for being rude.”
“Well, yeah, about that.”
Arkin rolled his eyes. Viscount Poulton nodded in agreement.
“Viscount Poulton.”
Once again, I smiled apologetically at Viscount Poulton, standing in front of him.
“Would you please forgive my breach of etiquette?”
As I extended my hand, Viscount Poulton chuckled upon seeing it. Because this, too, was an incorrect way of apologizing.
“I believe that would be possible.”
With a smirk, Viscount Poulton took my hand.
He’ll gossip about me to his heart’s content when he leaves. Partially, it’s because the filthy-blooded princess lacks manners.
“…?? Ugh!”
But then again, you need to have the strength to run away, don’t you?
“Viscount P-Poulton?”
While holding my hand, Viscount Poulton’s upper body bent forward. Astonished, Arkin called out to Viscount Poulton, but there was no response.
He won’t be able to respond now; the pain is unbearable.
Because I’m slightly revealing the power of the Spirit King engraved in my soul.
‘Spirit Kings are out of the question.’
Among the sentient beings capable of making contracts with spirits, those who have made contracts with Spirit Kings are extremely rare.
I’ve never seen a living human who has done so.
I’ve only seen the bodies of those who called upon the Spirit King with overconfidence and died.
‘And I am the Wanderer who has made contracts with all four Spirit Kings.’
A unique being that has existed in the past, has existed now and will exist in the future.
—an unparalleled existence.
“Khhhhhh…….”
If a drop of water represents the power of the contract engraved in Viscount Poulton’s soul…
Swoosh!
I was a raging storm.
The overwhelming force overwhelmed Viscount Poulton without a trace.
“Ge-guh…”
Viscount Poulton’s face turned pale as if submerged in water.
When I let go, Viscount Poulton’s body collapsed weakly to the ground.
“Viscount Poulton, are you alright?!”
Arkin, who approached, shook Viscount Poulton, but Viscount Poulton only coughed and choked, clutching his throat.
“Arkin.”
I called out to Arkin, covering my mouth with my hand.
“You can’t increase affinity by breathing elemental fire.”
“…How did you…”
Yeah, it’s a classic trick that’s been around for a long time.
No ordinary fire will do, but a fire summoned by a fire elemental will!
Keep this fire close to you, and it will naturally increase your affinity with the spirit!
It was a story that would make an Elementalist scoff.
But for desperate people, for those who seek hope, it could be a compelling story.
“It was a scam that deceived you.”
I said, kicking the fallen Viscount Poulton with my foot.
“They took advantage of your desperation.”
Arkin’s face turned crestfallen at my words. Tears welled up in his large eyes.
It was a predictable story.
A young child feels inadequate.
Exceptional older siblings.
Family members who showed no interest.
A child slowly loses his spirit and vitality.
‘Elementalists are rare, so he probably believed that if he made a contract with a spirit, his family would finally acknowledge him.’
“That can’t be true!”
Arkin shouted.
It was the most desperate and tearful voice I’d heard from Arkin so far.
“They said if I summon my fire spirit, I can make a contract with a Cellist too!!”
“That’s a lie.”
“No, it’s not! It can’t be! I’ll be acknowledged, I’ll be acknowledged!”
“Arkin!!”
It was the first time I shouted, and Arkin widened his eyes and looked at me.
I reached out and hugged the young child tightly.
“You don’t need to be acknowledged. Don’t compare yourself.”
I shifted my body a little and met his gaze.
“You’re already amazing as you are, aren’t you?”
So find another path. A path where you can truly enjoy and have fun.
You don’t have to walk a painful path just to be acknowledged.
Tears didn’t well up in Arkin’s eyes again at my words. Instead, he pointed at me accusingly. What’s he up to?
“You, you’re bleeding!”
Huh? Really, blood… me.
It was a blackout.