“Ugh?!”
Edwina, who couldn’t remain immersed in her own world forever, was startled awake by these two discordant voices. With her back to the newcomers, she quickly buttoned up her open jacket to prevent others from seeing her midriff and waist. She could barely accept it if it were another woman, but she felt incredibly shy about showing her navel to any male other than her mother.
Not just Corellia, but once Edwina stood up, Caine naturally stood up from the picnic cloth and looked back.
As luck would have it, even though the area was vast, the other party didn’t intend to go anywhere else. They were walking straight toward the three of them. They clearly intended to drive them away and claim this spot for themselves.
“Hmph, what incredibly coarse outfits. What is this? A street thug look with zero feminine charm, and a commoner girl imitating a noble but lacking even a shred of noble elegance. I tell you, commoners… even if they put on noble clothes, they won’t have noble taste. It’s truly pitiful to look at~”
Leading the group was a boy of about sixteen or seventeen. He made no effort to hide his disdain for Caine and the others, and his mockery was met with agreement from his attendants.
“Exactly, Master Todd. It’s truly pitiful.”
Among them, the one clearly of higher status than the others was a girl dressed as a noble, also around sixteen or seventeen. But compared to Edwina, who was the same age, she clearly lacked refinement.
Aside from the two of them, the rest of the group consisted of a butler, two maids, and three sword-bearing guards. Including the teenagers, there were eight people in total. Whether it was the composition of the group or their speech, they were indeed standard annoying noble characters.
The more the young master and the young lady laughed, the harder it was for Caine to hold back his own laughter. After all, it was obvious these people hadn’t realized that the people they were mocking were none other than Corellia and Edwina, the strongest mother and daughter in the kingdom.
Caine felt sorry for them. It was one thing to bully Edwina, as she was well-bred. But they had actually bullied Corellia and even said she lacked noble elegance and was a failure at imitating a noble. Not recognizing the “landmine girl” style proved their understanding of fashion was mediocre at best. This was a style approved by the Queen’s sister; it was bound to become a trend sooner or later.
Caine didn’t need to say or do anything; just watching was enough. In fact, he really didn’t have to do anything, because it wasn’t just Corellia, who was usually cold toward everyone. After they insulted Corellia and Caine, Edwina, who had only been a bit troubled when she herself was mocked, became visibly angry.
The hostility she radiated became very obvious, and her delicate, lovely face now bore a coldness identical to her mother’s. Coupled with her current rebellious street-girl outfit, she truly looked more like a gang leader.
Both remained silent, staring at the snickering young nobles and their attendants. One pair of eyes was filled with intense, icy hostility; the other was filled with coldness that transcended reason. Under this double gaze, even without doing anything, the royal aura of the two was enough to suppress the opposition.
“W-What? What’s with that look? Do you know who I am? Hmph, well, whatever. I am a generous person and won’t hold it against you. As long as you leave this place immediately, I won’t pursue your rudeness further. Be grateful for my mercy!”
The young master, relying on his numbers and noble background to act overbearing, was also taken aback by the aura of the two. The attendants behind him were even more silent, like frightened small animals.
However, the young master still hadn’t recognized their identities. He only thought of the two as savage women with scary eyes, while the brightly dressed Caine in the middle was their master. Therefore, his words were directed at Caine. He stated that he also wanted to enjoy the view here, and if Caine left quickly, he could forgive their rudeness.
“Oh? That’s quite curious. May I ask who exactly you are?”
Before Caine could respond, Edwina, on his left, replied to the young master in a voice that sounded polite but was filled with mockery. It was a tone Caine had never heard from her before. Clearly, after becoming angry, Edwina had unconsciously leaned further into her current outfit and persona. Her obvious sarcasm naturally displeased the young master.
Seeing the young master being provoked, the noble girl couldn’t help but step forward arrogantly. “You are not qualified to know Master Todd! If you know what’s good for you, leave immediately! This is not a place for vulgar people like you!”
Of course, she also knew her own presence couldn’t match the white-haired rebellious girl with the high ponytail. So she too spoke to the young man in the middle, who looked easier to talk to.
“…”
“Eek!?”
However, that arrogant girl was silenced just by a single glance from Corellia. She immediately trembled all over as if she had been terrified.
“Guh…”
Seeing that no one on their side could withstand the other party’s aura, the young master named Todd clenched his teeth, feeling humiliated.
Caine was still the most reasonable one. Seeing the young master in such an embarrassing state, he didn’t intend to take it too seriously. Since both his “daughter” and his “other self” had responded, he couldn’t remain silent and needed to show his hand.
Specifically, Caine planned to intimidate this group of people, who looked like noble tourists from out of town.
“I apologize if my female companions have frightened you. You must be Master Todd. Forgive me for being blunt, but while the scenery here is beautiful, it is not a place for average tourists. There are very powerful monsters in the lake. If you are attacked, even if you aren’t injured, getting soaked wouldn’t be pleasant. Wouldn’t you agree, Master Todd?”
Caine’s attitude was significantly softer than Edwina’s or Corellia’s. However, this gesture of giving the other party a way out only made the none-too-bright young master feel like he had regained some face. He became arrogant once more.
“Hmph, do you think you can fool me with such an obvious lie? Besides, even if there are monsters, I’m not afraid. I have elite guards armed with spears. The spears in their hands have been thirsty for a long time! Mere monsters are no match for them!”
Even though he didn’t have any strength himself, the young master looked incredibly smug, as if boasting about his own martial prowess. Of course, he did this not only to intimidate Caine but also to bolster his own courage. In his mind, admitting he was wrong or losing was more painful than death.
“Oh? Then would you all like to see for yourselves?”
“!?”
As Todd was cheering himself on, a young man’s voice came from in front of him. It sounded polite, but it was filled with a deep chill. The voice used politeness as a shell, but within it was an abyssal coldness. It was as if a sudden, upward draft of freezing wind had blown from a deep icy canyon, causing one to shiver uncontrollably.
Todd looked toward the source of the voice, only to see a face filled with a polite and sunny smile. This made Todd even more shocked. What kind of person could say such chilling words with such a polite smile? Wait, could he be a monster in disguise? Were those two women monsters too? Were they currently in a very bad situation?!
Because Caine’s presence was equally powerful, the three of them—along with Corellia and Edwina—looked nothing like ordinary women. By deliberately creating this unfathomable atmosphere, they led the other party to let their imaginations run wild.
While someone with actual experience wouldn’t be easily fooled, Todd was just a young master used to being arrogant. He hadn’t seen much of the world.
“D-Dammit! Let’s go!”
“Master Todd!? Master Todd!”
Ultimately, the young master turned and left with a look of displeasure. Better safe than sorry; there was no need to let his great mood be ruined by these people who were either monsters or savages. Seeing him leave, the noble girl also hurriedly followed, calling his name anxiously while jogging after him. The other attendants looked at each other and then followed suit.
“Heh, not even worth mentioning.”
Watching those pathetic figures, the usually polite Edwina actually let out a proud snort. The smile on her face was significantly more confident and assertive.
“To be so arrogant in front of Mother… I really want to see their faces when they find out Mother’s identity. It would surely be interesting.”
Was it his imagination? Edwina’s face briefly showed a hint of sadism, as if she truly enjoyed this feeling.
“…I think you’re the one who’s interesting right now, Edwina. Your performance just now wasn’t like you at all.”
As soon as Caine pointed this out, Edwina’s assertive expression toward outsiders immediately reverted to its original state.
“Eh!? I-Is that so? I’m terribly sorry. I might have been a bit too excited.”
Embarrassed, Edwina blushed and didn’t dare to look at Caine or Corellia. Just now, she had truly let herself go, completely forgetting her status as a Princess, only thinking about teaching those foolish people a lesson. Thinking back, she had indeed been a bit too uninhibited. Overcome with shame, even her ears turned beet red.
“Alright, let’s continue our rest. We shouldn’t let those people ruin our mood.”
Perhaps to save her daughter from embarrassment, Corellia simply spoke up, indicating the matter was over. Forget those fools; she wanted to go back to lying on Caine’s lap and watching—no, observing him.
Hearing her words, Caine didn’t say anything, but he secretly disdained her in his heart. ‘You’ve got to be kidding. Edwina is one thing, but you want to use my lap as a pillow again? No way!’
Unless Corellia took off all her clothes, folded them neatly, and gave Caine a kneeling apology while completely naked, Caine was definitely not going to let her use his lap again!
‘Then again, she probably wouldn’t do something like that. She’s that awe-inspiring and cold Queen. She wouldn’t think that since she’s kneeling to herself anyway, she might as well just do it…’