Chapter 516: Battle Intent Reignited

“If you have any troubles, you can talk more with your big brother. We’re family, after all.”

The man sitting in the wheelchair rambled on softly. His tone was gentle, and on his slightly sickly, pale face was the full concern of an older brother for his younger sister. The smile in his eyes showed not the slightest trace of falseness.

But Ariel did not fall into the trap called familial affection. On the contrary, she silently raised her guard.

Why?

If the man in front of her, Orlando Bugaard, was someone Ariel herself had beaten so badly that he could now only sit in a wheelchair—and had even lost his position as heir to the family because of it—then his current enthusiasm was, without question, one thousand percent suspicious.

Ariel did not believe there were people in this world broad-minded enough for that. Much less someone who, back when she had first been brought into this household, had tried several times to dispose of her. His intimate, affectionate words now were genuinely nauseating to her.

“Brother, you—”

“I already said, call me big brother. We’re family. There’s no need for such distance.”

Orlando waved his hand, interrupting Ariel, and spoke earnestly.

“I know you still don’t trust me, Ariel. You think I’ve been secretly harboring resentment toward you all this time. But in fact, I’ve already thought it through. As long as the Bugaard family can be revitalized, does it really matter which of us becomes the future family head? There’s no difference at all.”

“Actually, I don’t have much interest in the position of family head. If big brother wants it, I can—”

“There you go again, Ariel. Why do you keep testing me like this?”

Orlando sighed helplessly.

“I’ve already promised Father that I’ll give you my full support. You’re far more suitable than I am to be the future family head now. This is the consensus of the family, and they’ve already begun tilting resources toward you. Don’t throw childish tantrums over this anymore, all right?”

“......”

Ariel took a deep breath, suppressing the revulsion rising in her chest, and asked:

“Big brother, what exactly did you come to see me for? If it’s just to chat about meaningless things like this, then please forgive me—I don’t have time to accompany you.”

“Sigh. It seems I won’t # Nоvеlight # be able to erase your prejudice against me anytime soon, little sister.”

Orlando shook his head regretfully. He was at a loss over Ariel’s bluntness, yet his terms of address became even more intimate.

Before Ariel completely lost her patience, he finally got to the point.

“I came to you because of this.”

He handed Ariel a gilded letter.

“This is...”

“An invitation. From the imperial palace.”

“An invitation? A ball?”

Ariel scanned it quickly. “Personally issued by His Majesty?”

“Nominally, yes. But in reality, it’s likely the work of the Second Prince.”

“You mean... you want me to go?”

Ariel frowned. She had always detested these upper-class social balls. There were too many rules, and they were filled with disgusting nobles bloated with grease in their brains—maintaining a polished appearance while hiding filth too numerous to count.

More importantly, those people already looked down on her for being an illegitimate daughter. Why would she go looking for discomfort?

“I’m not going.”

Ariel pushed the invitation back.

“You should go instead, big brother.”

“This is the family’s decision.”

“And what if it is? It’s just a ball. With the size of the Bugaard family, can’t you find someone to attend?”

“There are many people in the Bugaard family, but this is a ball held in His Majesty’s name. In the younger generation of our family, the only ones qualified to attend are you and me.”

Orlando handed the letter back to Ariel and patted his legs.

“You can’t expect someone in a wheelchair to go to a ball, can you? I’d be laughed to death.”

“......”

Ariel fell silent for a moment. The family really had been giving her far more resources lately. Even if she didn’t know whether there were ulterior motives, she truly felt embarrassed to refuse the family’s face over a matter like this.

But still... if she attended...

“Tch. I didn’t think I’d have to see that hateful Muen Campbell again so soon... should I find a chance to slip some laxative into his red wine and make him embarrass himself in public?”

Ariel muttered under her breath. The moment she imagined that bastard—already having Liya—still possibly getting handsy with Princess Celicia at the ball under the excuse of being her fiancé, she couldn’t help grinding her teeth.

Something she herself still hadn’t managed to do—how could he have already gone so far?

The heavens were truly unjust!

“Hm? Muen Campbell?”

Orlando paused. Although he hadn’t heard Ariel’s entire sentence clearly, he caught that name.

“Why bring him up? Isn’t he unable to attend the ball?”

“What? What did you say? Muen Campbell can’t attend the ball?”

Ariel froze and hurriedly pressed him.

“Why not? As the son of a duke, there’s no way he should be absent from an occasion like this.”

“He shouldn’t be—assuming he’s still in Belrand.”

Orlando said in surprise, “You didn’t know? He’s been sent north to supervise disaster relief. Heh, it’s a fine, gold-plated assignment. But the disaster situation up north is severe. He definitely won’t be back anytime soon.”

“Won’t be back...”

Ariel murmured. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

“Then what about Princess Celicia? Will she attend?”

“Of course. Princess Celicia and Prince Albert should both attend this ball. You could say it’s already the highest-spec ball in the Empire. All factions will be sending representatives. It’s a perfect opportunity to build connections and show yourself. Little sister, you can’t be as willful as usual. You should—”

Orlando began his long-winded admonition again, thoroughly playing the part of a concerned older brother.

But Ariel wasn’t listening at all.

She muttered things like Muen Campbell not attending and Celicia attending under her breath, while her eyes grew brighter and brighter.

“Could this be... an opportunity?”

Muen Campbell was thousands of miles away.

And she could use the ball to approach Celicia and draw closer to her...

At this moment, just like that moment in the past.

Only the roles had been completely reversed!

No matter how she thought about it, this was an extraordinarily rare, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—the best chance to rescue Celicia from Muen Campbell’s grasp!

“This is also a perfect chance for revenge!”

Ariel quietly clenched her fists. Something that had disappeared from her long ago experiences returned once more to her body.

Blazing flames ignited in Ariel’s chest.

The unyielding battle intent in Ariel’s heart surged back to life!

“Just wait, Muen Campbell. I’ll make you understand what pain really is!”

That pain—of being made a cuckold right in front of others—I’ll return all of it to you. No, I’ll return it with interest!

“Big brother, prepare the finest gown for me. I’m going to the ball!”