42 - The Bookworm’s Second Life

Avid Reader's Rebirth Life - Chapter 42 > Book Bunny - Web Novel Archive There was nothing particularly different on the second day. The only difference was that Lucia and Kim Yuhyeon hadn't left the Clausen Count's villa. The party was as lavish as ever, and the gathered nobles exchanged stories, each hiding daggers in their words and tongues. “...” Amidst all this, Zion sat down with a thoroughly exhausted expression. He had just been caught up by a group of young noblewomen and reduced to a dance puppet. 'Damn it... It might have been once for each of you, but I'm already on my twelfth partner... Spare me, for goodness' sake.' Dancing nonstop with twelve partners, even to a calm melody, was truly an exhausting ordeal. Not to mention the fast-tempo and lively songs thrown in the mix. Zion, already the most wretched of the wretched, found his stamina completely drained. If anyone else came up to ask him for another dance in this state, he might as well dive straight into the depths of the ocean. Or say goodbye, everyone. I'm leaving everything behind to find my own happiness! “Master Zion Clausen.” At that moment, something felt like it snapped. Zion swallowed the curse that was tickling the tip of his tongue and spoke without looking back. "I'm not accepting dance requests. I'm resting, so if it's important, please leave a voice..." He trailed off because the voice sounded oddly familiar and had an unexpected authority to it. With a sense of disbelief, Zion turned around. “...” “...” Nope, nothing's ever easy. Damn it. "Wow, Princess." Zion quickly stood up, unable to hide his awkward surprise. The noisy surroundings suddenly fell silent. He should have noticed the change and checked his surroundings, but what a blunder. Still, who would have thought that the princess, who had been sitting quietly beside King Edgar IV watching the party unfold, would suddenly approach like this? “You seem quite exhausted. Are the noblewomen of Hispania more formidable than the soldiers of Nudia?” What is this? A new kind of mockery? When Zion stared silently at the princess to assess the situation, Vanessa let out a light cough and continued. “Should I ask if I can sit next to you?” “Oh, uh, please. Your Highness.” “You're unusually flustered.” “It's just that I didn't expect you to leave your seat and come down here, Your Highness.” It wasn't an empty comment, but the truth. In the novel, the princess focused on Kim Yuhyeon, but never left her seat the entire party. Unlike Prince Eradhar, who enjoyed the party more freely. She must have been cautious not to create rumors about a power struggle with Prince Eradhar, but now... Zion decided to observe the situation a bit more. With the princess’s sudden presence, the young noblewomen who were eyeing their turn to dance stepped back, sighing in disappointment. Showing that he was quietly waiting for the princess's next words, Vanessa shifted her gaze back and forth with some deliberation before she spoke carefully. “Because of the apology.” “Excuse me?” “Our second meeting wasn't particularly pleasant. I, I came to apologize.” “The apology?” It seemed she wanted to apologize for her sharp reaction the previous day. Even as a princess, she was dealing with a high noble family, the Marquis of Clausen, so it seemed she wanted to address her previous wariness. “Well, yes. It’s just... I... I...” Vanessa found it frustrating that her lips wouldn't cooperate. Her mind was yelling at her for not being able to say something as simple as "I'm sorry,” while her mouth was protesting how embarrassing it was to actually say it. ‘Indeed, this man helped the king. Not only that, he is a war hero who secured victory against Nudia... It wouldn’t be good for the royal family to make things awkward with him. So just say it!’ All she had to do was say she was sorry, but her lips refused to do so. Vanessa just wanted to slap herself. When Zion showed a slightly concerned expression, asking "Your Highness?" Vanessa's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly opened her mouth, fearing he heard it. “Apologize!” “...Pardon?” Zion was at a complete loss. He had assumed she came to apologize, seeing her struggle moments ago, but now it seemed like she was asking him to apologize for something. ‘What is going on?’ He waited, thinking the princess might have misspoken or was joking. As he met Vanessa’s gaze, she widened her eyes and spoke even more loudly than before. “Apologize! It's about what happened several years ago!” “Uh... yes. I apologize. I'm not sure about what, but I apologize nonetheless.” Vanessa was taken aback by Zion’s simple and quick apology. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! Even though she came to apologize, she ended up demanding an apology, and Zion actually apologized. ‘You foolish... This isn’t right!’ Had Zion not apologized, she could have brushed it off somehow, but now that he had, it only made her look strange. The incident from several years ago had already been addressed by the Marquis of Lichten. King Edgar IV had even mentioned it as a minor incident between a boy and a girl, thus dismissing it. Yet, by demanding an apology now, it was as if she was advertising herself as a narrow-minded woman. "Prince Zion... this is..." "There won't be any such incidents going forward. You needn't worry, Your Highness." It seemed it was already too late. Vanessa let out a small sigh, her head hanging low. As Zion observed her with suspicion, he thought, ‘...What in the world is going on?’ 'I need to change the topic.' If things continued this way, Zion Clausen might stand up and flee before she knew it. He had evaded her yesterday as well, claiming he needed to return to the villa while she desperately wanted to converse. “Prince Zion.” “Yes, Your Highness.” “About that war...” “Aha! Here you are, Prince Zion Clausen! Have you finally escaped the noblewomen?” At the cheerful male voice, Vanessa’s eyes snapped upward dangerously. There were only two men at this party who dared interrupt the princess while she was speaking: King Edgar IV and... “Prince Eradhar, you've arrived.” “Yes, yes. Are you enjoying the party, war hero?” “As I mentioned yesterday, I am not a hero.” “Ah, yes, you said you only fought alongside the real heroes. That was a magnificent answer. It even made my heart race.” Prince Eradhar sat comfortably beside Zion, a broad smile on his face. Looking at Eradhar, Zion clicked his tongue internally. ‘He’s a nice person when he’s just a prince.’ He’s suitably accommodating, able to compromise, and possesses decent political acumen. As a prince, he fits the role. But should he ascend to the throne, those strengths would vanish, and his weaknesses would be magnified. A man unable to embrace all his subjects, with thin ears and a lot of suspicion. ‘Unfortunately, his style brings more losses than gains when he becomes king. It's a shame.’ Unaware of Zion’s inner thoughts, Eradhar continued to speak. “To escape the young ladies only to get caught by my sister, Vanessa! Why don’t you forgive Prince Zion? Is this still about what happened years ago?” “Brother, don’t mind it.” “Even Father suggested letting it go.” “I don’t want to hear any nagging.” Now Zion felt like he was becoming a squished piece of meat caught between a pair of real-world siblings. He contemplated whether it was in his best interest to slip away. “Ah, Prince Zion. I heard that when the Nudians tried to attack the Marquis of Clausen, you managed to make them abandon their assault.” “That’s correct.” “I’m curious. How did you manage to deter them from pressing forward, even with the gates open and the drawbridge down?” Though it was Prince Eradhar who asked the question, the audience included all the nobles gathered around, as well as Vanessa, who sat with a displeased expression. After a brief deliberation, Zion decided to be straightforward. “I created some confusion. I unsettled the soldiers' minds with a short song.” “A song? Did you say a song?” “It was nothing special. Just welcoming them along the lines of ‘Come on in,’ expressed through song.” Singing in the middle of a battlefield? It was known he played the lute, but on top of that, he sang mockingly, thoroughly deceiving the enemy. ‘Who is this man?’ That must have been the thought running through Vanessa's and the surrounding nobles' minds. Meanwhile, Eradhar, who was thoroughly impressed, suddenly placed an arm around Zion's shoulder and spoke. “So, how about a short song here, too?” “...Excuse me?” “You drove the enemy back with your lute and song on the battlefield. I’d love to hear those same performances.” “Um, Your Highness. It's just...” “Brother, please, enough. This behavior is quite discourteous.” Zion gestured his discomfort, and even Vanessa tried to dissuade Eradhar, but he merely thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. “Right, a song that captures the spirit of a great warrior, the mind of a true war hero. How about it? Could you sing a song for us?” “No, Your Highness…” Damn, now all the nobles are looking forward to it. When a prince himself stirs up expectations, declining would only damage the reputation of Zion Clausen. Yesterday was one thing, but today needs to leave a strong impression as well. 'Oh, damn it… This prince is no help. He really needs to be replaced.' Another name was being added to Zion’s mental hit list during this exchange. Unaware, Eradhar handed a lute to Zion. “Come, why not perform a beautiful song from the war hero?” “...” Damn it. This was driving him insane. On the battlefield, all he needed was to cause a little confusion with any random song. But here, with lesser nobles and the scions of high-ranking families gathered, he couldn’t just sing anything on a whim. ‘Damn it, you annoying prince! A song out of the blue? At least give me time to prepare or a heads-up! This is just setting me up to fail, isn’t it? No wonder you lose to Vanessa, you miserable prince.’ Thanks to the prince’s incessant whining for a song, Zion reluctantly accepted the lute. However, his mind was blank. Honestly, if it were just talking, I’d have something to say, but singing was not my forte. And they weren't just requesting any song, they wanted something about the spirit of a great warrior or the grandeur of a war hero, yet no song came to mind. 'Damn it, damn it, damn it!' Each second felt like hours. ‘That damned brother!’ Vanessa, for her part, was completely frustrated. Just as she was about to have a meaningful conversation with Zion, Eradhar had jumped in, making an unexpected request that put Zion in a very awkward position. While Eradhar might have just been trying to make a good impression, for Zion, it was a surprising and potentially humiliating situation. 'No, I have to step in and stop this.' Vanessa was just about to speak when— *Strum, strum—* Zion Clausen began to strum the strings of the lute. Despite the awkwardness created by Eradhar's mistake, and the lack of preparation, Zion played as if he had the perfect song already in mind. And then, his deep, resonant voice emerged, captivating everyone within earshot. In the midst of dark wandering In the earnest love In the biting sorrow With the blade of my heart I cut through... At that moment, both his voice and his fingers paused. No one around dared to make a sound. Then, with a knowing smile, Zion carried the song forward to its climax. Man's tears Don’t mock them as weak Even when foolish laughter mocks, I shall not fall Blow, wind, Hide my tears away What the world desires is the strong me, I am a man...! As the lute's strings vibrated brilliantly, the short song came to an end. Zion, feigning nonchalance, placed the lute down and looked at Eradhar as if asking how he found the performance. “Uh, uh...” Maybe because Zion's unexpected performance was so flawless, Eradhar could only manage a foolish, speechless reaction. Deciding to hear more satisfying feedback from someone else, Zion turned to Vanessa. “How was it, Your Highness?” “Oh, uh... it was... impressive. Truly impressive. Though brief, it was very powerful.” Like you, in a way. Vanessa kept that last thought to herself. “Ha ha! Thank... ahem. Thank you.” Zion smiled, as if he had anticipated this. Internally, he expressed silent gratitude: 'Thank goodness! Thank you, thank you!' First, he moved the nobles with a speech on the first day of the party, and on the second day, he revealed his determination as a man. The 'new image' of Zion Clausen that he could project had been fully established. ‘Zion Clausen... The more I see him, the more desirable he becomes. Now I understand why the king wants our relationship with him improved.’ ...And without realizing it, Zion had gained something unexpected. [Author's Note] This song reminds me of an army buddy from six years ago who sang it before heading off to start his military service. Singing “I Am a Man” in a karaoke bar and then getting 15 days of confinement... By the way, dear readers, you're getting addicted to continuous updates! If I keep writing them, I'll collapse! If you give strong support, I might do a full update over the weekend! But during weekdays, that’s just too much to ask!