Chapter 60

Robert's Counterattack [Part 2]

Marion stops Arthur a moment late.

"Onii-sama! You can't do that- Please endure it-"

"Don't stop me, Marion. I could never forgive him!"

Robert flinches at Arthur and Marion's aggressive look.

"Y-you have nothing to do with this, don't you? Arthur-"

Lame.

"I can't let my brother dirty his hand! You are related to the survival of Bell House. This, let me, the youngest daughter to..."

Marion points at Robert's heart and opens her mouth to apply for a duel.

"Wai-! As I said, it has nothing to do with you, doesn't it? Marion! This is my and Emma Stuart's problem!"

Marion pointing at his heart and wanting a duel, Robert shouts 'STOP' in great haste. To put it bluntly, he knows he will never win against either Arthur or Marion.

If they're going to duel, then it must be between the person in question themselves. He knows he can win if it's against Emma Stuart.

......lame.

"What stupid things are you saying!! ...Lady Emma!? Are you alright?"

Arthur is furious at Robert, but when Robert mentions Emma's name, Arthur finally turns around to check on Emma's condition.

She must be shakingly crying...... or she doesn't...?

Somehow, she is staring at the slime with sparkling eyes.

"Robert-sa...ma...? Could this be...?"

I knew it, her voice is shaking.

Maybe I misunderstood her sparkling eyes? Arthur glares at Robert once again.

"It's a slime jelly! Looks delicious, doesn't it?"

When Marion's finger moved away from his heart, Robert regains some composure and, again, answers Emma with a wicked smile.

"I knew it!! This!! can be eaten, right!?"

"Hm?"

"Hm?"

"Hm?"

"Hm?"

Unfortunately, her sparkling eyes weren't just Arthur's misunderstanding.

Emma has always been in pain.

That slime illustration Mr. Wolfgang drew at the beginning of the class and left unerased until the end...

How,

How,

How,

delicious it looks...

She couldn't look away from the blackboard as it's in the middle of the lesson.

But there's a really delicious-looking slime illustration on the blackboard.

She was hungry and couldn't help it.

Even when she tried to endure the hunger, her stomach rumbled on its own.

But Mr. Wolfgang's class was really interesting.

But the slime illustration on the blackboard looked delicious.

Have I ever had such a painful thing until now?

"This... Can I... eat this?"

In front of an edible slime that she even dreamt of, Emma forgets the stuffed feeling on her stomach.

"Huh? Yeah. It's made by a patisserie owned by Lance Duke House, so the taste won't be bad... hm?"

"Heh?"

"Huh?"

"Hn?"

"Eh?"

Not just Robert, Arthur, Marion, Francesca, and the twins are also dumbfounded.

Emma picks up the spoon she used to mix sugar in the black tea and pokes the middle of the slime jelly. *jiggling jiggling* The jelly greatly shakes.

When she scoops the jelly to take plenty of it, the slime jiggles slightly.

This chilly and smooth sensation.

Tasting the cider flavor she has expected, Emma breaks into a huge smile.

"C-cute!!!"

While everyone is dumbfounded, only Joshua acts out of place and writhes in agony from Emma's smile.

"You... as I would expect from you... that..."

"Nee-sama... No matter what, your gluttony... wins, huh?"

Even George and William admire Emma.

"Now that she said it, it does kind of look delicious... Right, Caitlyn?"

"Now that she said it, maybe it does look delicious... Catherine."

'I don't feel like eating it, though...' The twins just watch over Emma, who is eating the jelly deliciously.

"Wha- Why are you eating it!? Emma Stuart!"

Seeing Emma didn't receive any damage whatsoever, Robert shouts.

There's no way such a ridiculous thing could happen.

In reality, she should be trembling, crying, feeling scared, desperately apologizing to me, and begging for help.

But Emma, who is stuffing her cheeks with slime jelly to her heart content, looks very happy.

*groooowls*

Robert's stomach rumbles.

It wasn't a cute sound like Emma's, but a loud rumble everyone could hear.

Today Robert sweated a lot during Practical Skills for Hunters, quarreled once and twice in Monster Science, then ran to a patisserie outside the academy to make the slime jelly. After all that, he hasn't eaten lunch.

Of course, he feels hungry.

He's the same age as Arthur, 18 years old, so his growing appetite is at his peak.

Emma, who heard Robert's stomach, hands Robert one spoon from several spoons she asked the waiter to bring without them noticing.

"Does Robert-sama also want to eat?"

Robert, whose growing appetite is at its peak, can't refuse her offer.

One cannot resist extreme hunger.

"I-is it okay?"

He takes the spoon so docilely they can't imagine him doing from his previous words and actions, and timidly put the slime jelly into his mouth.

...delicious.

As expected of the patisserie owned by our Duke House. They didn't cut corners even on the flavor.

And more than anything, hunger is the greatest spice.

One mouthful, then another mouthful, he wholeheartedly continues to eat.

・・・

As soon as Robert eats the last bite, the bell indicating the start of the class rings.

When he looks around, nobody's there.

His next class is advanced level Economy.

It was an important subject he absolutely must pass as a Duke's son.

Moreover, the teacher in charge has the motto of "Time is money" and is famous for being strict to late students. He also doesn't take bribes.

Realizing the situation he is in, Robert could feel the blood draining from his face. He has failed advanced level Economy both last year and two years ago. So he needs to pass the class this year no matter what. But late... from the first day?

Robert grips the napkin that the as attentive as ever waiter quietly gives. His boiling anger makes his drained blood rush back up to his face.

"Emma Stuart!! I will remember this!!"

Leaving that one sentence, Robert runs to the advanced level Economics class with all his might. Praying that being late is better than being thought of skipping the class.

Didn't use the napkin the waiter has given him, Robert who arrives at the advanced level Economics classroom is warned by the teacher to 'Do something with that jelly around your mouth' before being scolded for being late.

Author's note: perhaps Emma's stomach is connected to outer space.