Chapter 29: Favorites

“Who am I, you ask? I am simply the eldest son of Count Rugen, Hyde Rugen.”

Hyde was able to respond calmly on the spot, perhaps thanks to his previous interactions with Helene.

As Monica glared at him with sharp, piercing eyes, Hyde put on a troubled expression, though internally he was in a panic.

(Could it be that she saw through the disguise of the [Clay Doll of the Divine Realm]? No, I can’t imagine she has a skill that exceeds the [All-Seeing god’s eye] to the point of being able to discern it.)

Even so, he couldn’t help but imagine the worst-case scenario.

If she had seen through his other skills with [Appraisal], he would have no choice but to raise his hands in surrender.

“So you intend to continue denying it, after all. —In that case…”

Monica, with her assertive expression intact, stood up from the sofa and looked down at Hyde as she spoke.

“It’s useless to feign ignorance in front of my eyes.”

“—!”

“The Hyde Rugen I met yesterday and the one standing in front of me now are two completely different people.”

Like a detective identifying the culprit, Monica spoke smugly. Then, she pointed at Hyde with her slender, pale fingers.

“Answer me. You and I… this is our first meeting, correct?”

When a beautiful and delicate person gets angry, it exudes a certain power.

Though slightly intimidated, Hyde responded honestly.

“No, we met yesterday in the garden of Ahre Palace.”

“……Oh?”

“In front of the flowerbed that His Highness has been cultivating… do you not remember?”

As Hyde added further details to his answer, Monica’s previously smug expression turned pale.

Her outstretched index finger flopped weakly, and her arm dropped towards the floor.

Then, she placed both hands on either side of her head and began shaking it from side to side.

“Really… no, but, wait, what? Oh no, oh no?”

Monica broke down.

After a moment, she seemed dizzy, and she slumped back onto the sofa as if she were about to fall.

“Because, in my eyes… no, I didn’t think I could do something so audacious. And besides, there’s no reason for it, right?”

“Your Highness…?”

“Ah, please be quiet for a moment!”

“Y-yes.”

Confused and unsure of what was happening, Hyde found himself being scolded for some reason.

As Monica worked through her thoughts, Hyde’s gaze aimlessly wandered around the room, waiting for her to settle.

　◆ ◆ ◆

Finally, Monica, who had just recovered, suddenly called the maid waiting outside the room and had her bring in the tea set.

Meanwhile, Hyde was organizing his thoughts about her recent behavior.

(It seems like she didn’t see through the disguise created by the [Clay Doll of the Divine Realm]… but why did she misunderstand that I was a different person yesterday and today?)

If she had used [Appraisal] at some point yesterday, it would make sense.

Hyde’s skills had changed between yesterday and today, after all.

Skills are inherently acquired, and unless there are exceptions like when [Swordsmanship] was granted through [Clay Doll of the Divine Realm], the skills of a particular individual don’t change.

(But when she used [Appraisal] earlier, I felt that sensation of being watched… I didn’t feel that in the garden, though.)

It’s unclear if that same feeling will arise every time [Appraisal] is used on him, but it seems unlikely that she would break the royal decree just for that.

(Maybe I should just look at her…)

Even when he wasn’t in Shou mode, Hyde had resolved to use skills to hide other skills. If he appraised Monica here, the details of her skills would be revealed.

However,

(I never paid attention to this before, but the person being appraised might notice that…)

Hyde had actively used [Appraisal] on others when he was still a young child. Even if he had been overcome by the sensation of being watched back then, if the one nearby was just a baby, it wouldn’t be surprising if it was dismissed as a mere feeling.

(But then again, [All-Seeing god’s eye] doesn’t require the exchange of consent needed for [Appraisal]… so it’s possible the other person won’t even notice being watched.)

However, putting this into practice in this situation would be far too risky.

In the end, Hyde decided to wait for Monica’s next words.

The maid finished carrying in the tea set and, at Monica’s prompting, left the room.

Once again, the two were alone. Monica took the teacup in her hands, bringing it up to her face as if to hide her flushed cheeks.

Slow moments passed.

With a soft clink, she set the teacup back onto the saucer and, looking embarrassed, spoke up.

“It seems that it was my misunderstanding. I’m sorry for getting so flustered.”

“No, I’m glad the misunderstanding has been cleared up. However, if it’s alright, could you tell me what exactly it was that the princess misunderstood? I must admit, I’m still a bit confused.”

Monica seemed to hesitate for a moment, her fingers curling around the handle of the teacup, lifting it slightly before letting go without raising it.

“Well, yes… I acted on suspicion without asking you anything, so it would be rude not to explain.”

She placed both hands on her lap and looked at Hyde directly, her deep blue eyes unwavering.

“—[Aesthetic Eye]?”

“Yes, that’s it. That’s the name of one of my other skills. With this skill, I can measure the inner beauty or value of a person—essentially, the beauty or worth of their soul.”

That was the reason why Monica had suspected Hyde was a different person.

Through [Aesthetic Eye], the soul she saw yesterday was completely different from the one she saw today.

(I see. Now that I think about it, it’s possible. It’s not strange to think that she might have other skills besides [Appraisal].)

Since reincarnating, Hyde had made it a point to learn about skills.

Through his research, he found that most people typically had one or two skills, and in rare cases, up to three.

So it wasn’t surprising at all that she had another skill.

“That’s amazing…”

He responded casually to her explanation, but suddenly, Monica’s expression clouded.

“It’s not that great… This skill continues to show me things regardless of my will…”

“Huh?”

“… Anyway! Yesterday, the soul I saw through [Aesthetic Eye] was so large, so radiant… it was beautiful. But today, it’s shrunk, the radiance is dimmed… but still, it’s beautiful.”

“Princess…?”

Monica mumbled the words, almost as if they were rolling off her tongue. The redness in her face, which had seemed to subside, seemed to deepen again.

Hyde couldn’t quite imagine what the world looked like through her [Aesthetic Eye].

However, there was one thing he was sure of.

(As I thought, my skill concealment hasn’t been exposed.)

The “size” of the soul that she spoke of—if it were related to the abilities or rank of the skills possessed—would indeed make it appear as if the person were different from yesterday to today.

Even so, the view through [Aesthetic Eye] was too narrow to discern the true hidden skill behind it.

“…I understand what you mean, Princess Monica, but unfortunately, I have no recollection of what you’re referring to. Therefore, I don’t believe I can be of any assistance to you.”

Monica glared at him sharply.

It was somewhat forceful, but it was far better than having the secret exposed.

In any case, he couldn’t completely dispel her suspicions.

“…I see. I understand. Certainly, with my [Appraisal], I could only see [Swordsmanship], and now that I know you’re not a different person, there’s no point in continuing to doubt you.”

With that, Monica stood up and made her way toward the door.

Just before leaving, she turned back and, facing Hyde who was still sitting on the sofa, spoke sharply.

“But, I will definitely uncover what you’re hiding. I’ve taken a liking to you!”

Without waiting for Hyde’s response, Monica left the room.

For now… just for now, Hyde had managed to navigate the situation, and he sank back into the sofa, letting out a quiet sigh.

　◆ ◆ ◆

“…Father, you seem in a good mood.”

Inside the carriage, leaving the imperial capital.

When Hyde spoke to Dolph, who was humming a rare tune, he turned to face him with a grin.

“I’m happy about the fact that your possession of [Swordsmanship] has been discovered, but what really surprises me is that you managed to catch the attention of that… Fourth Princess Monica.”

“That ‘that,’ what do you mean?”

“It’s well-known in the imperial capital. Princess Monica, the Fourth Princess, is known for her extraordinary obsession with the things she loves. Even something as simple as the palace garden—anything she likes, she personally takes care of herself.”

“Really…?”

The words Monica had spoken when leaving the room echoed in Hyde’s mind.

(No, I’m a person, not a flowerbed, and there’s no way I could manage something like that. It’s just a metaphor, just a metaphor.)

Caught up in the gossip, Hyde shook his head rapidly, trying to rid himself of unpleasant thoughts.

Watching him, Dolph’s face relaxed into a smug grin.

It resembled the expression he had worn when talking about his affection for Cordelia before.

“After finishing her conversation with you, the princess came to greet me, and the way she was acting at the time…”

Dolph continued to speak happily, but his words didn’t reach Hyde’s ears.

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