Albert Ke no Reijou wa Botsuraku wo go Shomou desu Chapter 10 Part5

TN: Rushed translation, if there is any weird sentences or something is hard to understand, please tell me. Please enjoy for now.

The door was slowly opened after receiving the knock and Mary who had been thinking of escaping unexpectedly strengthened her expression.

　There was no doubt that the people in that room were people reigning on top of this country. They were people who hold the authority when the King and Queen were absent.

　Even though she was a daughter of Albert House, to Mary who wasn't a heir, they were an existence she couldn't oppose.

　When she thought such people are waiting inside, chill ran down her spine, and even though she was confused, she was still trying to find way to escape…

“Ma, Mary-samaaa! “

　Mary could only widen her eyes at Alicia who came running to hug her with tears in her eyes.

“Mary-sama, everything suddenly become like this, I don't know what I should do…! “

　To Alicia who were hugging her while sobbing, Mary also didn't know what to do.

　Usually people would gently rub Alicia's shoulder while trying to comfort her, but she couldn't do something that friendly-ish, and in this situation, even Mary couldn't keep her calm.

　If it was allowed, she would peel Alicia off of her and together with Addie, they would bow their head and dashed out of the room right this moment.

“Wa, please calm down…”

“Mary-sama, please stay beside me. I'm so scared, my Aunt still haven't come but everyone keep talking, I don't know what is happening…! “

“I, I'm staying here as well…? “

　No way, Mary looked around the Parliament Room.

　The authorative figures were staring at them.  Even the appearance of her father, who should have been familiar, it felt intimidating at this place, and let alone saying something, she couldn't meet his gaze. That was not her father, that was the current head of Albert House, second only to Royal Family.

　Furthermore, there were not enough seats, well-known scholars and representatives of each house are lined up along the walls, and even though she was Mary Albert, she felt crushed under the suffocating atmosphere.

　Several chairs were placed to face those people. It was closer to an interrogation rather than a meeting. Mary trembled when she imagined herself sat there.

　Don't joke with me. It's impossible. A frog in front of a snake…no, it's more like putting tadpoles in front of legendary serpent. Even a few minutes would be unbearable.

　Actually, Patrick who sat on those chair looked pale. There were none of his usual dignity, but it couldn't be helped in this situation.

　Instead, it was admirable that he could keep being sober. Speaking of the coldness and the weight of the air in this room, if you were a regular man, you would lose to the sense of intimidation and will defect to the interrogator side even if you have to forsake Alicia.

　Even that Patrick seemed to loosen his expression when he saw Mary and Addie. To the expression that showed relief because they got friends, Mary raised an objection inside her heart.

　Stop it, don't joke with me.

　I am not in a position to be in such a place, I don't have any relation to the royal family, I'm not even the heir of Albert family.

　That's why, stop! Don't pull on my sleeve, I have no obligation to sit with you! !

“Alicisan, I…”

“E, everyone, saying I'm the princess… and say I'm not…I, to accuse me of stealing the seal, tha…even though that's not true…”

　Alicia's appeal, which does not get pretty clear, justified the confusion of this parliament. No matter how much you call them the Supreme Council, they couldn't investigate the ident.i.ty of the Princess who appeared so suddenly. And moreover, it was a girl from countryside.

　Of course, it goes without saying that each ambition and desire is involved, no matter what the truth or falsehood is inside, there may be those who are plotting to use this turning point as well.

　That's why Mary was trying to find a way to retreat…but she realized Alicia was gripping her dress with trembling fingers.

　Of course. Someone who thought herself as a commoner, enrolling into Carelia Academy who was filled with n.o.ble and finally getting used to life within that academy were now faced with this commotion.

　To be surrounded by people who she thought were above the cloud, and with those scary expression…A princess or not, a teenage girl would cry under the pressure. Even Mary would cry if she was the one under scrutiny.

　Because she understood, she couldn't shake Alicia off of her.

　Mary Albert was not so inhumane she would throw away Alicia here. No matter how much sarcasm she threw because she wanted the downfall, they were girls of same age. Although she was not one who will hug the other girl back at this kind of place.

　Besides, Alicia was wearing that bracelet, and when Mary wanted to shook Alicia off, she stopped at the sound of jingling bracelet.

　Even though it was just cheap ornaments, why on earth it seemed like resonating with the one she hid in her pocket.

“I don't know about princess… this seal is my protective charm… Auntie and teachers at the orphanage taught us…. to say I steal this…”

　Please believe me, Alicia looked up at Mary while trembling. Those teary eyes, if Mary uttered one word of doubt, they surely would be broken.

　Looking back at those eyes, Mary couldn't even nod.

　Purple eyes as the sign of descendant of royalty on a face that looked like the Queen. Holding a royal seal when she was kidnapped… everything was just like the game. If you thought based on that memory, there was no doubt that Alicia was the princess.

　However, in other words, Mary's proof was only a game. And it's not something she could say, ‘this is a game I played on my previous life'.

　Above all, she couldn't say that everything is happening just like the game. Mary herself was the most notable difference.

　Perhaps it might not be as the game is.

　Just by following the story, the result might be that Alicia was not the princess…

　For example, a girl with blood relation to royal family, or a girl adopted into the royal family because they like her, or for any other reason, ‘the result would be like the game', Alicia would be a princess but her ident.i.ty might be different.

　With those unease welling inside her, she turned to Addie who stood beside her with puzzled look. He also wondered what to do in this situation, his expression taut. 

　Considering his position, that much was obvious. In this room, aside from the maids who were standing nervously on the side, he hold the lowest position among them all.

　What to do, she didn't have any confidence.

　To be sure Alicia was the princess just like in the game, her anxiety rose up.

　Was it good to believe in the memory of the game that far? Above all, she herself was an irregularity as opposed to the game…

　Thinking that far…Mary touched the bracelet hidden inside her skirt.

It was a DoraGaku official goods, but it never appear in the main story. Not as ‘Mary Albert from the game', just as Mary who received something from Alicia.

　In the first place, Mary herself didn't care about in-game Mary or Alicia.

　Not caring about the villainous n.o.ble daughter role, Mary was only interested in her downfall.

　She didn't learn how to erase her engagement to Patrick from the game, she also didn't stick close to him like in-game Mary, simply thinking ‘ah, we're probably going to be engaged' because of their position.  There was no reason to get angry nor be in his way even if he was interested in other woman beside herself.

　Alicia as well. Even if she was the heroine of DoraGaku, Mary had no reason to hate her. For Mary, not only Patrick, the other capture targets had nothing to do with her.

　The villainous n.o.ble daughter Mary Albert was not Mary. If there was no feeling to change, “I won't become a villainous daughter!” is not something to say intentionally.

　Being only interested in her downfall, she had no interest even to the game in her past life. Of course, to her self in the past life as well.

　She was using the memory from that life, but the character she liked in the past, what she expected when she played the game, those didn't matter.

　After all, it was a dead woman and a villainous daughter inside a screen.

　To her past-self, in-game-Mary, there was no obligation to be concerned with those.

　I am myself. The one who received the bracelet was her.

　That's why, Alicia who was here in front of her…

　With that thought, against Alicia who was still crying, Mary grabbed her shoulder tightly…

“Don't cry, you b.u.mpkin! “

　And scolded her as usual.

　…easy to say, the atmosphere was frozen that second.

　But to run here would tarnish the name Mary Albert, besides there was no way to retreat, with that determination Mary put more strength to her hands which was gripping Alicia's shoulder.

“I don't care if you are a princess or not, but you are still a b.u.mpkin!　To cry pathetically like this, don't destroy the dignity of this parliament room with your countryside stink! “

“Ye, yes…” “

“Patrick, you too!　Why are you silent as well!　The one you fall in love with is not the princess, but this b.u.mpkin girl, right! You were prepared to throw away your family name for this b.u.mpkin who stinks of the countryside, did you not! “

“Mary…”

“Even though it was annuled, as my former fiancee, don't show such an unsightly figure! “

　Mary walked down the parliament room while scolding them both.

　And then, sitting on a vacant seat, she turned her gaze toward the esteemed figures, and bowed her head gracefully once.

“Pardon me for the unsightly scene, please continue the conversation.”

　Of course, the meeting didn't resume, but a strange atmosphere started to drift in.

　Only Patrick and Alicia, who reseated herself beside him, showed a joyous expression and nodded to each other, as if showing their renewed resolve.

　However, Mary at that time,

“This is not a downfall, this is a road straight to execution…”

　Her bravery a while ago had run off and left her pale.

　To speak sharply in front of these important peoples, if Alicia was determined to be the princess, it would be a lese majeste, because if not, it would break the parliament's image.

　Above all, in a dignified place like this, to say “countryside stink” and the like. No matter her position as the daughter of Albert House, it was not something forgivable.

“I really did it this time…”

　Mary who spoke those words like an impulsive crime, Addie who was pale and stiffened at his master's eccentric behavior,

“Please excuse me! “

　said with a voice that echoed inside the room, bowed his head and took a seat. Of course, on Mary's side.

　A mere attendant, whose position is the lowest inside the room, even if they had enough seat for everyone, this act was unforgivable. And when the scholars and n.o.bles were standing, Addie boldly sat down.

　Of course, as his master, Mary could only widened her eyes, “Addie…? ” and called his name in wonder.

“What are you thinking…”

“I did say I will follow you wherever you go.”

“We, well, you did…”

“I will follow you even to the gallow.”

　To Addie who was laughing awkwardly, Mary could only laughed back as she narrowed her eyes in momentary defeat, “Foolish man.”