Chapter 91: Meeting in the woods (2)

Poor Roan was utterly confused with no idea how come Cranberry twisted the situation in such a way.

"N-no, I swear I don't have anything to do with her! I've just lent her a jacket because her giant breasts were showing and...! Ugh-umm...! I-I mean...!"

The prince tried to explain himself but when he glanced at the tearful eyes of the brown-haired girl doing her very best to cover herself with his jacket, he lost his trail of thoughts.

"I-I'm sorry, miss Hope, I didn't want to embarrass you!"

He quickly apologized.

"Anyway, lady Pride, please, don't speak about annulling our engagement so hastily, there's really nothing between this girl and me!"

Still, in the same breath, he turned back to Cranberry and bowed even deeper than before.

/Quest completed

/Reward granted

"Graough? (What's this? Weren't we finished with your quests for the current level, master?) Graough? (How come another one got completed?)"

Zombie questioned, looking at the message that popped up in front of their eyes.

Cranberry didn't let the system's surprise bother her, she was much more concerned about the prince's behavior.

Even for royalty, his act of being against breaking the engagement seemed a bit too convincing...

"Is that so..."

Cranberry squinted her eyes staring at Roan and Mary in suspicion.

She just wanted to get some petty revenge on Mary for daring to be like the others and have her memory changed by the system.

"Skwee... (Mommy, mommy, please don't be angry at master.)"

Blueberry screeched timidly moving forward and resting her head on Cranberry's shoulder.

"...haa..."

Even though she wasn't sure what the griffin meant, the red-haired girl smiled defeated by the monster's cuteness, raised her hand, and started patting Blueberry's head.

"Th-that's my griffin...!"

Marry, who looked as if someone just slapped her in the face, raised her trembling hand and spoke pointing at Blueberry.

"I am aware that you are this girl's master, yes. But what about it?"

Cranberry nodded, raising her brows and glaring coldly at the brown-haired girl while nuzzling her face against the soft feathers on Blueberry's neck- rubbing it in to Mary how close she was with her monster.

Mary clenched her fists and trembled from anger.

"She... she doesn't like strangers, so you better be careful, lady Pride!"

She said not daring to look Cranberry in the eyes.

She did it again.

She called her lady Pride instead of Cranberry, while not even looking at her...

The first person outside the Pride family who Cranberry allowed to call her by her first name without any honorifics, was still using her official title.

Cranberry's anger level was rising tremendously.

"Oh? Does she now? Blueberry, my little birdie, do you dislike me?"

Cranberry tilted her head and looked into the violet eye of the griffin, having the grown-up chick remember her properly, was soothing the red-haired girl's nerves just a bit - helping her keep the composure.

"Skwee? Skwee! (Dislike mommy? Me? No! Mommy, I love you!)"

At first, Blueberry's screech sounded confused but then she closed her eyes and lovingly rubbed against Cranberry with full and complete trust.

"Pfft...! See?"

Cranberry snorted and smirked mockingly glancing at the stunned brown-haired girl.

"H-how do you know her name?! And why does she call you mommy?!"

Mary couldn't hold herself back and shouted angrily, more boldly than any commoner should be talking to a high-born noble.

But her words once again had confirmed that even her memories were changed by the system or she wouldn't have to ask that question.

"Ah! It's not weird at all! Emperor griffins are known for being the proudest of beasts, not even backing down to dragons, she must have recognized lady Pride's greatness!"

But Mary's words brought a rather unexpected result.

It was the blond prince who got all excited and started singing Cranberry's praise.

"Roan, you didn't answer me. What are you doing here and where is the rest of your group?"

Yet instead of being thankful, his interjection made Cranberry even more annoyed, and the red-haired girl asked in a cold voice, staring the prince down like a nasty bug.

"I... I kind of left them and ran ahead to check on the person who had fallen off of a griffin... And then I got lost... so currently miss Hope and I are looking for a way out of the woods..."

"...haa..."

Hearing the prince's explanation Cranberry breathed out heavily and looked to the side.

"Don't you know that if you are lost it's best to stay in the same spot so the rescue party can find you easier?"

She groaned in disbelief.

"If you've traveled all the way from Salmagundi, you had to come from the southeast... Do you realize that you two must have walked all around the Pride's mansion while missing every possible route AND village AND town to even get here?"

She said shaking her head.

"Say, Roan, how high is your luck stat?"

Cranberry asked, shaking her head from side to side in disappointment.

"My luck...? Um... Luck, huh... well... last time I checked it was around 15, I guess..."

The blond Prince blushed, lowering his head in embarrassment.

"Graough?! (Wha...?! That low?! What level is he?! 1?!)"

Zombie growled taken aback.

"...yeah, just as I thought - typical Greed. That actually explains a lot..."

Cranberry sighed and turned her back to the prince.

"Oi, Dandelions! If you can hear me, pack everything and return for today! Zombie and I have to escort the prince back to the civilization!"

She shouted at the bushes, which trembled in response.

"Dandelions...?"

Mary blinked and tilted her head, taken aback.

"Just a group of adventurers that helps me clean this area. They probably don't want to show up because meeting the prince might turn out to be too troublesome. It's not important."

Cranberry shrugged the question off and rested the baseball bat on her shoulder.

"We can talk more on the way. Follow me."

She declared pointing forward with her chin and began walking.

Zombie and Blueberry joined her without hesitation.

"Thank you, lady Pride!"

The blond prince gasped and caught up to them only a second later, keeping a respectful three steps distance between him and Cranberry.

"A-ah! Wait for me!"

The last one was Mary, who continued glancing at the bushes where the Dandelions were hiding.