The Prince Is Dead, So Let’s Start Over Everything Again! - Chapter 2.8

No, perhaps from the moment I discovered the Count and Countess Lurupel in this dining room, I knew that my concerns were not unfounded suspicions.

Count Lurupel laughed heartily as he saw me tilting my head with a disgruntled face.

He explained in a very open and clear voice.

“Aha! My lovely pumpkin pie must not know yet! Our Lurupel has decided to gladly accept the marriage proposal sent by His Highness the 3rd Prince!”

No, is it okay just because the terms of endearment are sweet?

Are you saying you’ve gone ahead and arranged the engagement without even considering my opinion?

I glared at the 3rd Prince with sharp eyes.

They were all bad, but he was the worst.

Last night, I told him that I would speak positively to Count and Countess Lurupel today.

But he didn’t trust me and already lured the Count and Countess Lurupel!

I thought he was a cute puppy, but he’s actually a sly fox!

The 3rd Prince, receiving my reproachful gaze, flinched his shoulders and even dropped the knife he was holding.

Oh dear, eat with your bare hands.

I secretly sneered as I watched the 3rd Prince staring blankly at his empty hands.

If it were just a moment ago, I might have found that clumsy appearance cute, but now I couldn’t look at him kindly at all.

The second culprit who made my worries from last night pointless.

It was none other than the 3rd Prince, who was craftier than he appeared!

“……Come to think of it, the management state of Ludbekia Palace is truly excellent. His Majesty must surely be pleased with the Count’s loyalty.”

“Your words are too kind. I have only done what I ought to do.”

“I should have said this earlier, but last night’s banquet was also splendid. Such an outstanding banquet is rare even in the capital.”

“Thank you. We put in extra effort as it was a dinner hosting Your Highness. It seems our efforts were not in vain.”

Whether I was upset or not, breakfast proceeded well in a harmonious atmosphere.

The 3rd Prince and the Count and Countess Lurupel were busy laughing and flattering each other.

Excluded from the conversation, I chomped on the carrots on my plate like a racehorse stuck in a rut.

Of course, I didn’t forget to occasionally glare at the 3rd Prince with a disgruntled look.

The 3rd Prince, even while conversing with the Count and Countess Lurupel, occasionally dropped his fork and knife, putting on a miserable percussion performance.

However, no one in the dining room pointed out this fact.

It’s unfair!

If I had been the one to drop the fork, the Count and Countess Lurupel would have said something like ‘We should teach that little angel table manners again’ at least a hundred times!

“……Given Lurupel’s outstanding qualities, I suppose we can look forward to the engagement ceremony that will be held soon.”

“Of course! Leave it to us!”

Just as I had almost finished eating the carrots that somehow tasted like dirt, the 3rd Prince brought up the topic of the engagement ceremony.

Count Lurupel’s eyes sparkled as if he had been waiting for those words all along.

He had the face of someone who yearned for a lavish engagement ceremony.

Well, it was understandable for Count Lurupel.

Although Count Lurupel loved to show off, he rarely got the chance to boast.

Due to his territory being in a remote location, he didn’t often meet people who would listen to his bragging.

“I swear on the name of Lurupel that I will prepare a grand engagement ceremony that will go down in history!”

Count Lurupel’s eyes burned with fighting spirit as if he were a knight charging into battle.

“That’s very kind of you. But I don’t want a lavish engagement ceremony.”

However, it seemed the 3rd Prince had different thoughts from Count Lurupel.

The 3rd Prince poured cold water on Count Lurupel, who was exuding an atmosphere like a five-year-old boy expecting a birthday present, without any hesitation.

“Judging by the Count’s reaction, it seems the news hasn’t reached Lurupel yet.”

“……Pardon? What news are you referring to?”

“My brother Bellos recently broke off his engagement.”

Bel…… who?

I stopped tapping the eggshell in the egg cup with a small spoon and perked up my ears.

Characters with such strange first names were likely to play relatively important roles in this novel.

This was a kind of hypothesis based on my innate deductive skills and years of experience in this world.

Although it was still just a guess, this hypothesis was quite reliable.

You could tell just by looking at the difference in names between Hariella and Anna.

Despite playing the plausible role of being the only confidant of the sole villain in this novel, Anna’s name is strangely ordinary.

Why was Anna just Anna and not Annarella?

Pondering over this question in my second life, I suddenly realized one day.

This is the difference between the main characters and the supporting characters!

“Beluga…….”

What a dolphin-like name. I should remember it well and make a note when I get back to my room.

I resumed cracking the eggshell while mentally repeating the name of the new character.

“……It’s Bellos.”

I thought I heard the 3rd Prince muttering something in a small voice.

Thinking he might have been talking to me, I belatedly raised my head, but the 3rd Prince hurriedly turned his gaze towards Count Lurupel.

His bright red ears stood out in stark contrast to his fair face.

Ah, he dropped his fork again.

“A-Anyway, in this situation, it wouldn’t be right for me as a younger brother to hold a grand engagement ceremony.”

“Certainly, Your Highness is correct, but…….”

Count Lurupel still didn’t care whether the 3rd Prince dropped his fork or not.

Instead of pointing out the child’s poor table manners, he chose to stroke his beard and fall into deep thought.

His gloomy expression, ill-fitting his large frame, was quite a sight to see.

Unlike her husband, Countess Lurupel didn’t show it much, but she also seemed somewhat disappointed.

These nobles, really.

It’s just child’s play anyway, so what does it matter if it’s a 100-won engagement ceremony or a 10-billion-won one?

As long as my fourth life didn’t end, I couldn’t care less whether there was an engagement ceremony or a break-up ceremony. I chewed on the tasteless boiled beans with a face like I was eating playground dirt.

“Miss Lurupel…… um, seems to have no interest at all…….”

The 3rd Prince spoke in a somewhat dejected voice as he watched me, having already finished all my food, start to deal with the last remaining beans.

Whether the mood of the Count and Countess Lurupel had rubbed off on him, the 3rd Prince also exuded a gloomy atmosphere.

“……Very well. Then I will decide on the overall details of the engagement ceremony.”