“…Um, is this…?”
“As you can see, it’s a gambling hall.”
“G-Gam…!”
I almost fainted on the spot. The fact that I was in a gambling hall was almost enough to make me collapse.
“It’s okay. It’s legal.”
“That’s not the issue here! Besides, this isn’t a place where children like us should be…”
“What’s the point of perception interference magic then?”
“That’s not what it’s for…? Besides, perception interference magic is just for slightly altering appearances or adjusting impressions and sense of discomfort, right? Changing eye or hair color is one thing, but making children appear as adults is more in the realm of illusion magic.”
“Ah. We probably still look like children.”
“In that case, we should be thrown out immediately.”
“Well, you see, that’s where a little magic comes in handy.”
As he said this, he showed me a pile of heavy gold coins.
“That’s just a bribe…”
“You could say that.”
He said it with a straight face.
“Um… Why did you bring me to this… kind of place?”
I couldn’t actually say “gambling hall” out loud.
I’m confident I’d faint within two seconds if I did.
“It’s for relaxation, relaxation. You should try something too.”
“What!? I refuse! This kind of unhealthy…”
“I told you, it’s not unhealthy or anything. This is a legal gambling hall approved by the country. This place is amazing, you know. It’s a space created by magic, but the entrance can be accessed from various cities. The maintenance costs are quite high, but apparently, there are many investors… Why do you think the country allows this place to exist?”
“I-I don’t know. Such things.”
“It’s for people to relax.”
“R-Relax? Couldn’t that be done without gambling? Reading books, enjoying beautiful scenery…”
“There are many people who can’t relax without indulging in these kinds of unhealthy activities. More than you think, young lady. When those people build up frustration, it usually doesn’t end well.”
“…Are you saying I’m the same?”
“No? I just thought you were too serious. It must be tiring, always being a good girl.”
“…!”
Tiring. His words strangely resonated within my heart.
Yes. I must have been tired. I had been stretching myself thin, and finally snapped.
The useless Glass Princess.
Because I can’t contract with spirits. Because I can’t fight [Ragments]. Because I can’t fulfill my royal duties.
So at least, I thought I had to be a good girl…
“Is it… okay not to be a good girl?”
“It’s fine, isn’t it? At least for now. When you’re away from your family, it’s okay to be a little bad… Here, some chips. Use these to play.”
“I-I don’t want them!”
“Just try playing once. Just a little bit.”
“I refuse!”
I strongly rejected his invitation.
Yes. I am royalty. The Glass Princess with only her looks going for her.
Serious, elegant, and ladylike. Indulging in such unhealthy games is out of the question.
“I will absolutely not succumb to such unhealthy activities!”
☆
“Come on, black seventeen! Black seventeen! Black seventeen! Fall there! Fall right there! Be a good girl…!”
The rapidly spinning ball made a satisfying ‘plop’ sound as it fell—into the black pocket marked seventeen.
“It caaaaaaame!”
“Amaziiiiing! You hit it right on the spot! You’re really good at this!”
“Ufufufufufu! It feels so good! It’s exhilarating! I might get addicted! Now then, after roulette, maybe some cards… Wait, what are you making me do!?”
I suddenly caught myself.
“How could I…! In a g-g-g-gambling hall…!”
“You say that after winning so much…”
The boy next to me chuckled. Somehow, that was incredibly frustrating.
“You’re way beyond beginner’s luck. You’ve got talent.”
“I’m not happy to have this kind of talent…”
“You may not be happy, but you looked like you were having fun.”
“…Well. I’ll admit that much.”
Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited in that cold country.
It’s very disappointing that it had to be gambling, though.
“At least you look much better now than when you were lying in that alley. Your face, I mean.”
“…Is that a compliment?”
“It is. No exaggeration.”
He smiled while playing with the chips in his hand. Since he was hidden under his robe, I could only see his mouth.
“Trying hard all the time is just exhausting. Sometimes it’s okay to take a break, spoil yourself, and be kind to yourself. Then you’ll be able to start running again… Even if the way you take a break is a bit unhealthy, it’s fine in moderation.”
“…You’re not telling me to give up, are you?”
“What, do you want me to?”
“No… It’s just that everyone around me says it in unison.”
I’ve never been told directly. It’s just the gossip I’ve overheard.
“I won’t say it, and I can’t say it… If anything, I’m the one who gave up on a lot of things.”
“Huh?”
“I had things I wanted, things I wanted to be. But I gave up on all of it. That’s why I don’t want to tell others to give up. I know the pain of giving up.”
“I… see.”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
I have no way of knowing what expression he’s wearing under that robe. I don’t have the means to find out. But I can feel that there must be pain running through him.
“So, you should keep trying. Maybe you’re already trying your best, maybe you’re not being rewarded for it. But try even harder. Giving up might be easy, but it doesn’t mean there’s no pain.”
That ordinary, perhaps even mundane encouragement.
It pierced deep into my heart, leaving behind a sweet numbness different from pain.
—-My encounter with that nameless boy, the time we spent together, was just that one time.
Looking back now, I suppose I learned a “bad habit” from that nameless boy.
But for me, it was an unforgettable time. A magical moment that changed my life.
After returning to that beautiful yet cruel snowy country, I started sneaking out of the castle occasionally to secretly visit the gambling dens in our country.
It seems he was right; gambling suited me well.
Before I knew it, it had become a proper hobby, and whether it was because that stress relief worked well or not, I soon succeeded in contracting with a “spirit” as well.
By gathering information and expanding my network at the gambling dens, it became my own experience and strength, and eventually, I succeeded in accumulating achievements like my older brothers and sisters.
And so, I went from being the useless “Glass Princess” to being called the “Fairy of the Snow Country.”
While I was inwardly disgusted by how people around me suddenly changed their attitudes, I accepted it as a clear “result.”
I became more confident in myself. And with that confidence, I realized.
My family was warmer than I had thought. There were many things I had overlooked by putting myself down and being negative.
…As for Brother Noel, maybe he was just a cold person from the start.
But after his fiancée appeared, Brother Noel gradually softened.
Like cold snow melting away.
“Marietta”
One day, Brother Noel stopped me.
“…Your recent ‘Ragment’ subjugation… it was splendid.”
What I received was praise, despite my inner nervousness.
His opinion on the Ragment subjugation from three days ago.
I thought it was three days too late to say that, but the happiness I felt overpowered that thought.
More than all the elaborate praises from the nobles around me.
Brother Noel’s somewhat curt, three-day-late praise resonated more in my heart.
—-It was then that I finally realized.
Without even knowing it myself, I had respected Brother Noel.
Because I was just the useless “Glass Princess” with only looks to offer, I had respect and admiration for Brother Noel, who seemed to handle everything perfectly and nonchalantly.
“Heh… hehe…”
“…What? What’s so funny?”
“Oh? I just realized that I’m more of a…”
A brother complex than I thought.
As if I could say that.
“…It’s nothing. Thank you for your praise. I’m very happy.”
“I-I see.”
“But next time, I’d like to receive words of praise on the spot, not three days late. Well, I suppose Lady Liatris scolded you and you reluctantly came here.”
“It wasn’t reluctantly.”
“Oh my. So you were scolded, that part was true?”
“……………………”
Brother Noel’s face as he falls silent clearly says “I messed up.”
It seems my brother is weaker to his fiancée than I thought.
From that moment on, I was able to get along better with Brother Noel.
We started exchanging many more words, and I looked up to his fiancée, Lady Liatris, like a real older sister.
This happiness must be something that boy I met in the Kingdom of Leuville gave me.
As if the time I spent with him cast a spell on me.
But that spell suddenly came to an end one day.
His fiancée, Lady Liatris, was attacked by a “Ragment” and went missing.
After that, Brother Noel changed. Or rather… he reverted.
Back to the frozen doll he was before meeting Lady Liatris.
Brother Noel ignored everyone’s attempts to stop him and just kept hunting “Ragments” relentlessly.
As if carving punishment into his own body. His eyes reflected nothing but revenge. I couldn’t bear to watch. I didn’t want to see my brother like that.
“Brother… perhaps you should rest a little…”
“…Not necessary.”
“But you haven’t even slept for three days, have you? You’ll collapse at this rate.”
“Shut up. It’s none of your business.”
None of my business.
Those words were unbearably painful, and at the same time, infuriating.
Does he think he’s the only one grieving for Lady Liatris?
I’m also mourning the loss of someone I looked up to like a sister.
Brother’s sorrow is probably deeper and more painful than mine. But that doesn’t mean I’m not feeling anything. It’s impossible for me not to be in pain.
Just as Brother’s pain is his alone.
This pain of mine is mine alone. Brother’s attitude of rejecting this pain as if it doesn’t exist is unbearably frustrating.
“…Please calm down! Lady Liatris wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself like this! She…”
“—-I said shut up!!”
A dry sound of a slap.
The pain stinging my cheek tore apart all the words I was about to say,
echoing coldly through the snowy palace.
“What do you know! Don’t talk about Liatris in front of me as if you know her!”
Leaving me standing there, Brother Noel disappeared.
After that, I hardly ever exchanged words with Brother Noel again.
When Princess Luche, the first princess from the Kingdom of Leuville, came as an exchange student, Brother Noel’s burden was lightened. But that was largely due to Princess Luche’s own personality and qualities. It was her outrageous nature, forceful approach, and true ability that made it possible.
I didn’t have the ability to do that. I got impatient, did reckless things, and even made the blunder of damaging the “Royal Robe Ring.”
I felt like I had returned to being… the useless “Glass Princess” from back then.
But.
There’s one thing different from back then.
“Someday, I’ll definitely punch him and wake him up… that damn brother.”
I’m no longer the “Glass Princess” who’s prone to giving up.
I’m just a delinquent princess who doesn’t know when to quit.
Eventually, after finishing the repair of the “Royal Robe Ring,” I immediately left the country.
I headed to the Kingdom of Leuville with Princess Luche, to punch that damn brother’s cheek right back.
The poll is open again, please vote!!!
Also check out my friend Localizermeerkat for more LN translations!
BUY THE SOURCE MATERIAL TO SUPPORT THE AUTHOR !!!
Kindly click on the green button above and contribute to filling the green bar if you’re interested in having another LN from the request page translated. Also, every donation is being used to purchase the source material and to fund more English translations.
Please consider joining my Ko-Fi membership. By becoming a member, you’ll also gain access to 2-10 additional chapters of all of the novels from this site translated into English. Last but not least your support will also assist me in upholding the translation quality and speed. For more information, please follow the link.
Donation for faster release is always welcome