The Grand Duke’s Fox Princess

Episode 71: Bait-and-Switch (V)

‘Hey, you. Just stop, stop! Don’t move!’

Eristella shouted frantically, but it couldn’t have worked.

If possible, she wanted to run to her past self.

‘What am I supposed to do with this?’

Eristella writhed in agony as she clutched her hair.

Wouldn’t it be better if nothing came to mind?

She just remembered it.

What happened next.

‘Never.’

Conversely, Heinricion, not knowing what would happen shortly, was carefree.

Only Eristella was impatient and desperate.

‘No. I can’t just stay stunned like this.’

She tried to somehow change what was about to happen, secretly casting a spell on her past self.

‘It seems to be unable to connect.’

Maybe magic could work on the terrain?

She attempted to use nearby trees or grass, but likewise, it didn’t work at all.

‘I really… Should I just watch it like this?’

Eristella stared blankly with hollow eyes.

Magic didn’t work here at all, and she couldn’t reveal herself to her past image, so she was helpless.

She let out a silent scream.

At this rate, the worst scene would unfold before her eyes.

‘Why…!’

‘Why is it at this moment?’

*******

That day, the young Heinricion failed to catch up with Eristella.

Eristella even waited for him by controlling her speed, but Heinricion didn’t even have that much stamina.

“Looking back, I was really bad when I was younger.”

“You were overflowing with power to the point of being ignorant.”

Half of Heinricion’s current ability was the result of his efforts to become stronger while chasing Eristella in his childhood.

Of course, he didn’t want to admit it now.

Little Heinricion whimpered with a sullen face.

Heinricion had the desire to go to his past self right now and urge him to keep his head straight.

“T-Then… Can’t call you ‘Lala’?”

The child’s small shoulders drooped in regret.

“Why do you want to call me that?”

“I envy the people who can call you that. I want to say it too.”

The little boy played with his fingers. With flushed red ears, he tilted his head when his eyes met his friend’s.

“Oh, your ears are red.”

Due to embarrassment, the young princess also had red ears.

When both little Heinricion and her past’s ears turned red, Eristella narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

Little Eristella, hiding her shyness, stared at young Heinricion, who slowly crossed his arms before continuing to play with his fingers.

She seemed to be contemplating something for a while, and then she let out a soft, ‘Ugh.’

“You can catch up next time. You will definitely be able to do it then.”

“…….”

“Then… call me that. Lala… I’ll permit you to call me that.”

—So don’t be too upset. 

It was the girl’s own sort of consolation, worried that the boy would be discouraged. And actually… 

“That nickname is very special to me.”

—But don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking you to treat me as special either.

The adult Eristella was able to read the truth behind her younger self’s coy words.

“Really.”

Having permission to call her ‘Lala’ meant being one of her most important people.

The naive and slow Heinricion of those days wouldn’t know. Which was why he stubbornly insisted on saying it.

Young Eristella glared at him in frustration. She said that if it was someone else, she wouldn’t even offer a chance. She didn’t know why, but when he said he wanted to call her ‘Lala’, her heart tickled like there was a breeze. Hence, she couldn’t bear to cut him off and ended up speaking impulsively.

“You wouldn’t know that.”

In the past, Eristella thought that Heinricion was disappointed that he could not catch up with her. At the same time, she was astounded that she had such thoughts and decided that she would never let him know.

Still…

“I don’t hate you.”

Eristella, who heard her past self mutter so, was in agony. She felt like twisting her whole body.

‘Why are we still here?’

‘How the hell am I supposed to go back!’

She tugged the ends of her hair, her eyes widening as she suppressed an outburst. Looking at her behavior, Heinricion smiled lightly.

‘Why are you laughing?’

‘Can’t you see it’s serious now? Why do you look happy?’

Her anger flew toward him, but she couldn’t express her dissatisfaction out loud.

Instead, she proposed desperately that if she could not do anything about the situation here, she would at least escape.

“There’s not much to be gained by just watching the kids here, so why don’t we look elsewhere?”

However, such shallow tricks did not work on Heinricion, who already had a clear view of Eristella’s inner thoughts.

“I want to watch more. I wonder what will happen from now on?”

“…There’s nothing to wonder about. There’s nothing much. Yes.”

“Then don’t worry too much about it. You said there’s nothing, right?”

“…….”

The more she talked, the more she felt like she was sinking into a pit. In the end, Eristella bit her mouth shut.

And she anxiously watched the scene before her, as if she was helplessly waiting for the moment of judgment.

It was getting closer. At that very moment.

As expected. She wished she would shut her mouth, but the young princess said straight away.

“Still, of all my playmates, I like you the most.”

“…….”

“…You’re also kind of cute.”

Little Eristella mumbled, almost embarrassed.

“If you grow up well, then I will like you a little more.”

“…….”

“Why no answer?”

It was when the girl lowered her head to check the boy’s face.

At that moment, his small head gently fell onto her shoulder.

“Huh. You’re asleep?”

The eyes were definitely closed. When she listened closely, she also heard the sound of even breathing.

“You missed your chance.”

Despite grumbling, the young princess adjusted her playmate’s head with her small hands so that he could sleep comfortably.

“I won’t tell you later.”

She hesitated, meticulously checking to see if he was asleep. She waved her hand in front of his face and slipped her finger under his nose.

After confirming that he was truly asleep, the convinced princess slowly opened her mouth.

“I think I like you a little bit.”

It was a confession she could not take or chase away.

‘Right on schedule.’

The bad foreboding was true. Eristella squeezed her eyes tightly shut in horror, then opened them.

At that moment, she saw clearly. The way the corners of Heinricion’s mouth went up. In a very cool way.

‘Nope! That’s not like first love!’

‘It’s just pure feelings a child would say to a friend!’

Eristella wanted to cry that out as an explanation. But she didn’t think it was going to work…

‘Okay. I’ll admit it.’

From this point on, Eristella’s first love was only one person.

However, it was true that this confession did not contain such a meaning!

At the time of this particular playdate, she was just more comfortable and happier with Heinricion than the other playmates she had. However, as they spent more and more time together, she realized.

It seemed that she had liked him ever since.

Eristella never thought the day would come when the starting point and what she confessed with her mouth would be discovered like this.

‘I’d rather call it a dream. If it’s a terrible nightmare, I can bear it…’

But it couldn’t be. And there was nothing she could do about it.

Even right now… Eristella’s bewildered eyes turned bitter.

“What? Are you trying to pick a fight?”

As Heinricion noticed and questioned, he grabbed her arm.

The eyes of Eristella raised sharply, and she opened her mouth, speaking resolutely.

“One of us needs to be knocked out.”

“…Is something wrong?”

Although Heinricion was taken aback by Eristella’s wholehearted and shameless answer.

“Yes.”

She meant it.

She couldn’t stand the current situation, so she concluded that she had no choice but to knock Heinricion out.

It was when Eristella became desperate enough to defeat Heinricion.

“Well, no.”

The corners of his lips rose meaningfully.

“I am witnessing the most exciting scene of my life right now, so I have to watch more.”

Heinricion was also not easy.

And so the most terrible time of Eristella’s life followed.

She wanted to cover her ears, so she did so with both hands, but then feeling uneasy, she secretly lifted them a little.

Uwaaaaa—