Chapter 20: CHP 20

Recently, my ears felt itchy because of the young ladys who talked and whispered when they saw me.

'It is good that my reputation can't get worse, but whenever I recalled that I was misunderstood for doing something like that because 'I like Philap', I got upset.'

If I want to clarify, there is no lady that would listen to my side of the story, even I don't think I would be able to believe that 'Deborah' was trying to help Mia, who fell on her own.

'I thought it would be out of danger if I avoided Mia Vinoche, but I didn't expect that these damn situations to hit-and-run a villainess who is staying quiet, would ocurr.

But, it's weird.

The more I think about it, the more the situation itself feels unnatural.'

I scratched my arm while thinking.

'Did Mia Vinoche really not recognize me?

Mia saw me on the first day of the academy, during a politics class, and I am someone hard to forget because of my uncommon purple hair and fierce appearance, it is unlikely that Philap didn't tell Mia about the vicious and dangerous purple hair woman.

And even if Philap didn't say anything, it was weird that there was not even a single person around to warn her about me.

There is a saying 'The walls have ears', so she should have know how terrifying I am.

I don't believe that Mia would dare ask me for help when Philap was nearby.

But, I don't understand, if Mia knows about me…why did she took such a risk and acted like that.

In the novel, Mia walked on a thorny path by herself thanks to Deborah who made it hard for her in any way she could...but now that she is having it easy, is trying to enter that road again?

Even if it wasn't a flowery path, I am definitely letting her walk on a flatland…but I keep feeling like she was trying to provoke me on purpose.

Why?

Is it because she needs a villain?

But why does she need a villain?

Aaaaaaaa!!!!

Why did the writer spend a whole year writing this?

It's better to come in a novel that is already completely finished.'

After many hypotheses and speculations, I put back my suspicious feelings and stepped outside to get some fresh air.

'When you have a headache and your life is hard, you jus want to escape reality for a few moments.'

The place I headed to was the flower garden that Duke Seymour had just replanted.

To be honest, I really liked the flower garden, I was very fond of flowers in my previous life.

The memories of my past that have already passed and cannot be undone are not that important.

But, I still remember clearly when I was a child, how I quietly listened to the sound of the wind with my eyes closed, in the flower garden, and how I slowly breathed the fresh scent, how it calmed me.

'Just seeing flowers makes me feel better...it is amazing.'

Standing among the flowers in full bloom, my bad feelings gently subsided. I was able to get rid of my concerns as I walked through the flower garden planted with all kinds of flowers.

"The weather is fine today."

The wind, who carried the fragrance of the flowers gently rubbed against my cheeks.

'I like the flower garden much more now than the rose garden before, it looked like a collection of mourning flowers.'

"What is the matter?"

As I was watching the daisies swaying softly with the wind, I slowly turned around facing the person with the dignified voice I heard from behind.

"Father."

Looking at Duke Seymour's face and calling him 'Father' was something I was now used to, because he is the only person in this desolate world that comes looking for me.

When he arrived back from his estate in the country side, Duke Seymour started looking for me in earnest, and that was 10 days ago.

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

10 days ago Duke Seymour sent his aide to call me to the office and then he led me in front of the flower garden, where the construction was finished.

"What do you think? Isn't it much more wonderful than a diamond?"

Duke Seymour said with an elated voice.

"You are right."

I agreed with him.

'He is my financier, I have to look good.

And, well, they weren't empty words either.'

Because the marigolds were in full bloom, the flower garden had a magnificent appearance as if it had been sprinkled with gold dust by fairies.

"I hired several famous botanists to bring in valuable plants and seeds from various countries.

It goes without saying that the splendor and beauty from planting different varieties are immeasurable. When I looked around earlier, it felt colorful and radiant as if a rainbow had been brought in the garden."

As I listened to Duke Seymour's boasting, I barely managed to suppress a laugh that was about to burst out.

'Perhaps he kept my words in his mind all this time, when said that 'a colorless and odorless flower garden is no different from a diamond'.'

Duke Seymour, who behaved difficult all the time, felt particularly humane that day, so I managed to let go of the awkwardness and continued the conversation naturally.

"I only saw the entrance to the flower garden, but I can only imagine the scale of it.

It must be more majestic and beautiful than the Imperial garden."

"Ahem!Ahem!

Such words can cause huge misunderstandings, it would be better not to say that outside.

Of course, you can do it in front of me."

While he warned me about my careless words, the corners of his mouth were twitching.

"Can I take a look inside?"

"Of course, feel free to appreciate it."

I was very excited because I like flowers, so I smiled unconsciously as I slightly bowed my head to express my gratitude.

It wasn't a forced smile but an honest one, it was a smile that came out without my knowledge because I was happy after a long time.

I left Duke Seymour behind, who was coughing with a red face, and stepped in the garden. I thought that Duke Seymour would go back without regrets after bragging about his flower garden and getting the acknowledgement he wanted, but... Duke Seymour slowly followed after me with his hands behind his back.

'I wonder? Is he silently asking for more praises?

It seems there is a childish side to him.'

I paused at every five steps and talked to myself, about how fantastic and beautiful it was, like I was on a rainbow and so on...50% of it was sincere, and the other 50% was mixed with flattery.

'I want to stay in this house for a long time, it is like a 5-star hotel.'

"You have been looking for a long time, aren't you hungry?"

'Duke Seymour must be satisfied with my flattery.'

He hinted that he would like to have a meal together.

'We have now reached the level when we can eat without the late Duchess letters!'

I accepted his meal request without hesitation.

"Deborah. It seems you have been eating better these days."

"Sorry?"

"I heard from the Chamberlain that you are not leaving any food on your plates."

I was chewing a well-grilled veal dish, when Duke Seymour made his sharp comment.

I was so shocked that I almost spit it out.

'But, if I think of it, Deborah did not gain weight and she weighed often.

I didn't think that even the amount of food I ate would reach Duke Seymour's ears.'

While the pace of my fork slightly slowed down due to the shock, Duke Seymour lightly clicked his tongue.

"I meant to say that you look good because you are eating well.

Even I have an appetite, looking at you."

Duke Seymour then called the attendant and told him to bring two more veal dishes.

According to Deborah's memories, Duke Seymour was an workaholic who didn't take care of his meals, and when he attended a family gathering, he would eat with slowly without an appetite.

But that day Duke Seymour ate a large amount of food and even savored a cake in form of a cat face that was served as a dessert.

'Did his appetite grow because of how I eat?'

My guess must have been correct, because from that day on, Duke Seymour often called me to eat.

He would pleasantly watch me eat food as if I were a mukbang youtuber.

And of course, I lived up to his expectations.

That was just a couple of days ago.

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

That is the reason why calling him 'Father' has naturally become a habit.

"You don't look well."

Duke Seymour spoke with a stiff expression, looking at me fiddling with a daisy.

'It is shocking that two people have already pointed out that I don't look well.

Philap, that bastard!!

He isruining my precious skin that doesn't have any blemishes or pores.

This face is what I value the most.'

My irritation towards Philap grew even more.

Duke Seymour looked at me and frowned.

"Don't tell me, it's because of the son of the Montez family, if it is please keep your dignity, Deborah, you are Seymour's only princess.

I can't believe you are doing something childish that not even a little kid would do.

Why on earth would you do something so petty and be the talk of the town?"

From the way he talked to me and the displeased expression he had, it seemed that what happened at the academy had reached his ears.

'Ah, just let it go! I have been working so hard to make a favorable impression on you.'

I felt something bubbling inside of me.

I faced Duke Seymour's cold eyes and opened my mouth.

"It is not because of that stupid Montez guy that doesn't understand what others say."

"What?"

"It is difficult to believe because of my bad conduct so far.

But, this time, unlike the past, nobody actually saw me harassing that lady.

And more importantly is that I didn't harass her.

It is just a rumor that started when Philap Montez carried an injured lady.

And as usually the rumors are focusing only favorable towards the actions of  Philap Montez...that bastard."

Duke Seymour was skeptical but understood what I said.

'It really shocked people that Philap Montez walked through the campus while carrying an injured lady like a princess.

And of course I was made the wicked villainess whose only purpose is to make them shine, just like a dark background that brightens the ones that are beautifully in love for everyone to see.'

"Well, if you were going to cause trouble, you would have done so when that Montez boy, first, appeared with that woman.”

'It seems that I convinced him again.'

For some reason, Duke Seymour wanted to believe my words this time around, so thinking that I was fortunate, I pointed at the daisies.

"The reason why I don't look well is because I am worried about this flower.

Since this is the flower garden my Father personally made."

Duke Seymour narrowed his eyes at my words.

"I can't really believe that  you are worried about a flower.

That sounds a little absurd."

"I mean it literally.

As you can see, only the daisies leaves are withering."

At my words, he leaned over and looked closely at the daisies.

"Now that I look at them, it does seem  that they are withering."

"It is because, daisies cannot grow well in this soil."

"How do you know that?"

I pointed at the blue hydrangeas.

"If the hydrangea is not red but blue, it means that the ground is acidic, daisies are not suited to grow in acidic soil."

Curiosity could be seen in Duke Seymour's cold eyes.

"So...Deborah, what should I do with the daisies now?

You are worried about the flowers being planted in a soil where they cannot grow well, so should I them all out and move them back to where they were?

But I think in the meantime, the flowers will wither and die."

Because he wasn't a wizard with a strong disposition for natural sciences, Duke Seymour immediately asked for a solution to the problem.

I aroused his curiosity as I intended to, and escaped an unpleasant subject.

"Father, why do you have to take out the flowers when there is a problem with the soil?"

Duke Seymour tilted his head when he heard my question.

"Do you want to change the soil?

I don't know of any magic that can alter the properties of the soil so that the flowers can grow well."

"There is no need for magic to increase the soil efficiency."

'This world is too dependent on mana and magic.'

Mana is infinite and magic is close to all, but it hindered people from finding simple solutions for problems that can be easily solved just by  observing a little and using their heads.

"Then?"

"This problem is solved simply by sprinkling charcoal on the soil."

"Charcoal? How...?"

"Because charcoal can neutralize the acidity in the soil, charcoal has alkaline components that are opposite of  acidity."

"It is definitely a much simpler solution than magic."

Rubbing chin while lightly nodding his head back and forth, Duke Seymour suddenly stared at me with strange eyes.

"Deborah, this is the first time I've heard that you can neutralize acid with charcoal.

How on earth do you know that? Seeing that the daisies were left to wither like this, it seems that not even the gardener knows."

"Well, I stumbled across it while I was looking through a book at the library."

'It was something I leaned during science classes in my previous life, but I can't tell him that.'

Duke Seymour wouldn't look through those many books to confirm the veracity of my words.

"Ooo, so that's why you recently went to the library, to take good care of this flower garden."

Duke Seymour, was pleased with my behavior, but he suddenly cleared his throat loudly and shook his head in resignation.

"I am really dumbfounded.

Do you like this flower garden that I made that much?"

"It is a flower garden that my Father made with great effort that is more beautiful than jewels.

As a member of the Seymour family, I wanted to take care of this  beautifull garden."

'Is it just me? or did my acting skills and improvisation only got better as time went by.'

"Honestly, I would like you to be more interested in areas that help with your horrible report card rather than flowers, but I am still proud of you."

"I am also interested in areas that are helpful for my grades."

Duke Seymour eyes filled with deep apprehension, when I threw the bait.

'There is something I have wanted to check for a long time.'

"What exactly?"

"Recently, I am going in and out of the library to study not only flowers, but also magic formulas."

"You, studying formulas of all things?"

Duke Seymour's silver eyes showed sincere confusion.

'He doesn't believe that I am capable enough to understand magic formulas.

Well, that can't be helped, Deborah refused to learn even the formulas that were lower in difficultly, that only consisted of basic calculations.

She and formulas were incompatible.

But I am a former science student and I am very good at math.'

"Deborah, whatever you do, it is all about trying, so, try your best.

The process of trying is also meaningful in life."

Duke Seymour said in a slightly sad voice.

His voice contained compassion for his daughter, whose magical capability was at the very bottom of all his descendants.

"But...Father?"

I deliberately talked in somber voice.

"What is it?"

"Why are the other students so slow when it comes to solving formulas? Honestly, they looked like snails crawling around."

"What do you mean?"

"It took me less than a minute to solve a problem, it was frustrating to see that the other students were taking more than 5 minutes."

"Well the professor gave us a problem to solve and then left, it was called

'Auxiliary magic to strengthen your magic power' I think..."

'He said that it's a formula that strengthens the destructive power of attack magic, but to me, it was just an arithmetic sequences.'

"That was on the first day, and I solved it right away but when I looked around everyone was still busy trying to solve the problem, I waited for a while but I didn't want to waste my time so I left first."

'I found something interesting, then...everyone was trying to solve with an inefficient method created by Tegea's Archmage.'

"To you, everyone else seemed slow in solving the formulas?"

Duke Seymour showed signs of interest.

"Yes, for example, everyone was taking 10 minutes for a problem like finding the total amount of mana for deploying wide area magic, but I solved it in 5 minutes."

"How did you calculate it in only 5 minutes?"

I smiled in satisfaction.( ≧∀≦)ノ

'Just as I expected,  there is no 'official method' here, to help you quickly solve a problem.

And seeing Duke Seymour, the most outstanding mage in the Empire, react like that, then my guess must be correct.'

"To be honest, I don't even need 5 minutes, I can solve it in only 1 minute."

"Deborah, you have absolutely no talent for jokes...you should stop."

"Father I wouldn't dare to joke about something like this.

If you don’t believe me, I will show you."

"Alright, let's go to my office."

I looked so serious that Duke Seymour quickly went ahead.

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