The Grand Duke’s Fox Princess

Episode 92: Wherever the Attention Blows (II)

It was when Eristella shook her head so vigorously that her entire body flew a few inches.

“Are you awake now?”

Heinricion entered while Eristella was so distracted that she didn’t even notice the door being opened.

He looked unconcerned as he watched her strange behavior.

Aaaaaa!

The moment their eyes met, Eristella freaked out and buried her face in the blanket again.

Go away! Go away at once!

Dun dun dun dun. She banged her feet in agony.

‘Uh…? Why am I moving?’

The tail, which had not been able to get into the futon, was pulled by Heinricion.

Let go of this! Eristella struggled sadly, but it was in vain for she was already in Heinricion’s palm.

‘Damn it, damn it…’

It wasn’t until Eristella took a sip of the tea Sonia had prepared that she finally regained her composure.

‘Heinricion doesn’t care at all, so I can’t show that I’m conscious of it.’

‘Actually, it’s nothing to worry about. It’s just because it’s so embarrassing. Right. I won’t care.’

However, it was impossible to forget about it with will alone.

Everywhere Heinricion went today, all the employees of the grand duchy expressed their curiosity of the happenings in the last banquet.

Whether Eristella liked it or not, she had to listen to the questions about the banquet several times a day.

“At this rate, there might be a new member of the grand duchy soon.”

Unsurprisingly, the employees expressed high expectations.

Each time, Eristella was nervous as to what Heinricion would reply.

Heinricion glanced at Eristella as if to confirm her reaction, and then answered with a slight smirk.

“No. It’s enough this once.”

Huh…?

Contrary to Eristella’s expectations, it was a firm response.

*******

While Eristella was confused by the commotion of the day, Heinricion was pondering an important matter.

Having finished work earlier than usual, Heinricion returned to the room with Eristella. He allowed nobody else in, and when it was midnight, he watched the change in form.

“You’ve returned to your original form as per normal, right?”

“Yes. It’s exactly midnight.”

Earlier at dawn, the transformation back to being a fox stalled, so they wondered if the variable would affect the time she changed into a human.

But, in the current situation, it didn’t seem like that.

“Then why was it late?”

“I don’t know either.”

Eristella shook her head.

The time to return to her fox form was different from usual. The significance and variables of this fact should not be ignored.

“Have there been any strange signs in the meantime?”

“No. There was nothing…”

So it was even more confusing. Why didn’t she turn into a fox at that time without any warning? She still couldn’t understand.

“First of all, we need to ascertain whether this change happened just by chance, or whether it will happen again in the future.”

Eristella agreed.

“Think about whether there was anything that’s even slightly different from usual. Even if it’s just a difference of mood.”

“Well. There really wasn’t anything different… Oh, come to think of it, I did have some pain a while before that.”

“An ache?”

Heinricion’s expression turned serious at the word ‘pain’.

“It was just a very brief throbbing around the chest. I don’t think it has much to do with it.”

“Let’s not overlook anything. Tell me exactly what the symptoms are.”

What was the intensity of the pain? Was it just once or repeated several times? Was the pain getting stronger or was it constant?

Heinricion confirmed it by persistently asking for more details.

“If you have a feeling that your body is overcrowded, don’t hide it and tell me. Never go overboard.”

The nagging continued so much that Eristella wondered if Heinricion was such a worrywart from the start. Eventually, it stopped only after she expressed her irritation by covering her ears with her hands.

“From now on, you should be careful before and after your appearance changes.”

But his worries weren’t over.

“Even when you turn into a fox, be sure to stay with me. That way, even if variables arise, we can deal with them.”

Eristella agreed with that. For the time being, she did feel uneasy being alone at midnight and in the morning.

At any rate, if the delay of turning into a fox was even longer later, she would not be able to hide her true identity without Heinricion’s help.

Was it just a coincidence that happened once or was she starting to stay longer in her original form?

Until she knew the exact reason and pattern, she had to be careful the moment she went back to being a fox.

In any case, her identity might be revealed due to other unknown variables.

From now on, she should refrain from going to the Imperial Palace or taking any risky actions.

It was when the distracted Eristella was trying to organize her confused thoughts.

Casually, Heinricion made a remark which caught her off guard.

“Is that why you secretly followed me?”

“…….”

Eristella was so startled that she almost had a hiccup.

She thought he had completely forgotten, but he remembered? Why was he asking now? It was surprising.

There were many things she wanted to argue about, but she broke into a dumbfounded voice.

“Huh…?”

Utter silence.

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. Should I just push through this?’

However, such thoughts did not last long, and she admitted the truth shyly.

“I was just trying to make sure.”

“What?”

The corners of Heinricion’s mouth were already twitching. His playful and mischievous expression was very nasty.

‘But what can I do?’

‘It’s true that I chased after Heinricion that day and peeked. I’ve dug my own grave.’

Uhhhhh—

But Eristella couldn’t just admit it as it was. With a glint in her eyes, she fired her words with solemn determination.

“You showed interest in only that young lady. So I thought… Could that young lady have anything to do with black magic?”

Fearing that she would be rebutted by Heinricion if there was even the slightest opening, Eristela rambled on, not catching her breath until her face turned red.

“That’s why I acted like that, on purpose.”

It was all excuses.

She was jealous and she didn’t want to admit that she was trying to spy on him, so she was laying out logic in nonsense.

‘But why is the reaction like that?’

Heinricion’s eyes slowly widened as he crossed his arms. It was an attitude of waiting to see what she would say. Before Eristella knew it, his cheeky smile disappeared, and he looked at her with a dazed face.

‘What. Why are you reacting like that?’

As Eristella panicked, Heinricion spoke up.

“…Did you know?”

“Huh…?”

A stupid sound reflexively escaped from Eristella’s mouth.

What did he just say? Did you know what… Eristella’s big eyes twinkled.

When Heinricion’s eyelids, which had been moving very slowly, stopped, Eristella’s eyes widened mercilessly.

“Really?”

There was only one way to understand Heinricion’s words. But that rough excuse couldn’t be it…?

“You didn’t really know, did you just say it?”

Heinricion’s futile words drove a wedge into Eristella.

If she thought about it calmly, it was natural for the black wizard to put one of their people in the gap while Heinricion was flooded with marriage proposals.

However, Eristella had not even doubted that possibility until now. After realizing it belatedly, she felt ashamed.

“It’s in the same context that a marriage proposal was sent. As natural approach could be done.”

This was why Heinricion had no choice but to accept the emperor’s consideration.

“There was a situation like that, so this time I deliberately had a conversation to investigate.”

After finding out everything, Eristella felt her face about to turn red again.

The countless thoughts she had during yesterday’s banquet flashed through her mind.

Covering her eyes with her hands, Eristella asked, 

“So did you find out who it was?”

Embarrassment was embarrassment, and curiosity was curiosity.

“It wasn’t exactly black magic related.”

“What? So you didn’t find out anything?”

After learning Heinricion’s true purpose and results, it was quite regrettable.

“It’s not like I didn’t find out anything. I think there’s a different purpose this time.”

At the banquet in the Imperial Palace, several of the ladies who approached Heinricion brought up similar topics.

“What other purpose?”

Eristella asked with the hand that was covering her face completely lowered.

“You know that Viscount Diaclen is getting attention at every banquet these days, right?”

“Yes. I noticed that as well.”

“I guess that’s the purpose. It seemed like they were trying to get me into Viscount Diaclen’s business.”

Of course, the people didn’t say that outright. Instead, they were watching the reaction of Heinricion while mentioning or showing the goods distributed by Viscount Diaclen.

They were all expecting Heinricion to show interest.

“Since when have you noticed that?”

“From the beginning?”

Eristella had no idea at all, but Heinricion calmly went on to say;

Ame: lmao @ myself for screwing up the break schedule. Were y’all shocked to see episode 91 almost immediately after I said ‘it’ll be on a breakkkkk’? XD