Copy Skills with Affinity! - Chapter 49

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Natty

◈ Copy Skills with Affinity! ◈

Chapter 49: Fall (2)

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Entering the Emperor’s bedchamber was, naturally, difficult. At an hour when people were fast asleep, the number of people permitted inside was extremely limited.

At most, his personal guards, trusted maids, or direct imperial family.

Still, there were people who could enter without falling into any of those categories.

Though there was likely only one person who could kick open the door with a bottle in hand and announce a drinking session.

“...Why did I do that?”

Noel muttered, her face flushed.

She was extremely close to the Emperor. Close enough that Aiden had once witnessed it and been shocked.

How close?

“If you’re going to make a drunken scene, wash your feet and go to bed. Before I break your nose and knock you out.”

...Close enough to receive that response after an adult woman arrived at a man’s bedchamber carrying alcohol, a situation that sounded improper even written out.

“It’s strange. Mr. Aiden didn’t even say anything that strange.”

Regardless, Noel repeated herself and drained another cup.

‘...Why did I do that?’

Even she thought it was strange.

Why had she run away so pathetically when Aiden suggested setting a wedding date?

She had dragged him into this by proposing marriage in the first place, yet she had hesitated and run from someone asking for the obvious.

“...”

The Emperor, who had been watching her with a pitying gaze, rubbed his face and spoke.

The Emperor and Noel were close because they had spent more years than either could remember roaming battlefields together. When people stayed together that long, they naturally came to know each other’s personal affairs almost as well as family.

“Noel. Don’t twist my words. Listen exactly as I say them. I’m stating pure fact, without ulterior motives or distortion.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“...”

“A one-of-a-kind idiot, too. You’re driving me insane.”

“...”

“Go announce to the whole world that you’ve never dated in your life despite being that old. What are you even doing? Hm?”

...That was why he could insult her so viciously.

As Noel frowned, the Emperor sighed and continued.

“Noel, you and that Aiden fellow were only supposed to have a Fake Marriage, right?”

“...That’s right.”

“A fake marriage means two people who don’t love each other pretend to be married because they need to. Right?”

“...Right?”

“Think about it. That fellow even lifted the burden that weighed most heavily on your heart. He said he liked you. And listening to you now, it doesn’t sound as though you merely find him a little appealing.”

“...Right?”

At her unruffled answer, the Emperor’s hand twitched.

He clearly seemed to be holding back the urge to lift his bottle and bring it down on Noel’s head.

“How can you still not understand after I’ve explained it this far?”

“Yes?”

“You hate the idea of a fake marriage because you like that Aiden fellow. You don’t want to treat someone who cares about you that much as though he’s just part of an arrangement.”

“...I’ve always thought Mr. Aiden was a good person.”

The Emperor gripped the bottle in a reverse hold and swung it down sharply.

It was a strike sharp enough to make his title of Lion King seem fitting, but Noel, despite her flushed face, easily dodged it. That only made the Emperor more incredulous.

Panting with rage, the Emperor barely managed to speak.

“Not that kind of liking. I mean you ‘really’ like him.”

“Yes?”

“From what I can see, you’re acting this way because you’re seriously considering marrying him.”

“...”

“If the marriage has a purpose, it means you’ll separate once that purpose is fulfilled. You must hate that.”

Noel’s face went blank.

“You want to take him as your real groom, not have a fake marriage. Your instincts are rejecting the idea of marrying him only for show. Do you understand?”

“...Ah.”

Ah.

“Ah?”

Noel sank deep into thought.

“Please, child. The Minister of Administration will beat me to death with paperwork tomorrow too. I need to sleep early. I’ve always known the Aslan Ducal House was a rotten family worth tearing apart, but lately they’ve been especially unbearable...”

She was so lost in thought that the Emperor’s repeated words went in one ear and out the other.

Then.

“!”

A flash of realization came to Noel’s face.

“So...”

But as Noel hesitantly began to speak, the Emperor gave her a kindly smile.

‘Now that she finally understands, she’ll leave.’

...That was the intention behind his kindly smile.

“You mean I sincerely like Mr. Aiden?”

“Yeah.”

“...”

After a moment of silence, Noel blankly opened her mouth.

“So that was why?”

“...Why what?”

“I did think it was strange. Whenever I see Mr. Aiden lately, my head starts pounding, something presses against my heart, my throat closes up, and when I stand before him, I make such a fool of mysel...”

“...Get out. Let me sleep.”

Rather than bluntly tell her that she was making a fool of herself right then, the Emperor covered his face and ordered her out.

Apparently willing to comply, Noel staggered toward the exit with the bottle in hand.

Only after watching her leave did the Emperor sigh in relief and lie down.

“Your Majesty, then how should I treat Mr. Aiden from now on...?”

“Get out!”

▣

They say people are adaptable creatures.

In other words.

-System Message

▶ “Noel Astria Seamus”’s Affinity rises.

▶ The “Extreme Love” stage rises from Level 1 to Level 2.

▶ You can copy one additional skill!

...By now, Aiden could simply nod without much reaction when something like this suddenly appeared without any explanation.

He didn’t know what it was, but Lady Noel must have gone through something somewhere. So she liked him more because of it...

“...”

This didn’t seem right.

He felt a sense of alarm at treating someone’s emotions so mechanically.

‘...I like Lady Noel too.’

It wasn’t easy to dislike someone so upright, someone who always stood unwaveringly on his side.

But Aiden also knew he wasn’t in a state to fully return that affection.

To begin with, expecting to date someone comfortably and build a happy future while carrying the burden of saving the world was strange.

“...”

Aiden sighed and closed his eyes.

Well.

He knew circumstances left him no choice. He was in a position where he had to convert people’s emotions into numbers and calculate them.

He knew. It couldn’t be helped. It couldn’t be helped, but...

...He couldn’t help feeling like trash either.

‘I’ll have to answer her someday.’

Of course he understood that much. It was simply the basic courtesy one person owed another.

But at least for now.

Aiden was walking on thin ice every moment. Wouldn’t he have nearly died if he’d taken even one hit from the Lord Protector?

When one mistake could mean death, finding a way to grow stronger and survive had to take priority over worrying about such things.

First, he needed to think of a way to prepare for Chapter 2, Night of the Hunt.

-Skill Info

◆ Savior’s Vow

※ Unique: Only this character possesses this skill!

Constraint 1: Save the world

Constraint 2: Protect the Empire’s subjects, protect the powerless

This is the sole vow offered to Urgan, the God of the Supreme Vehicle. Its power increases significantly when you act in ways related to the vows you have offered.

★ An additional constraint has been granted. The ability’s effectiveness increases dramatically when you fulfill this constraint.

Fortunately, he had made a fairly substantial gain in that regard.

The constraint he had chosen when making his promise to Lady Teresa would be enormously helpful as he progressed through Chapter 1. Every action he took would be related to this constraint.

And that wasn’t all he had gained.

‘Come to think of it...’

Earning Lady Teresa’s Affinity had opened something called the Point Shop.

Sure enough, when he operated the system window, he saw a tab that hadn’t been there before.

< Point Shop >

▶ In the Point Shop, you can use the Points accumulated so far to purchase potions.

▶ You may only purchase once a day, and you must use it within a short period of time. The item’s effect is determined at random.

▶ The effect is random, but it is extremely powerful. Use it with caution!

“...Oh.”

After reading through the description, Aiden nodded in admiration.

It came with various restrictions, but the fact that its effects were extremely powerful was very appealing.

Whatever happened, it wasn’t as though something harmful would appear.

Aiden looked over the goods in the Point Shop, then stroked his chin.

‘The narrower the effect category, the more Points it costs.’

There were potions of every sort, such as ones related to the body or abilities, but the more specific the category became, the more the Point cost skyrocketed.

With the Points he currently held, he could only buy one lowest-grade, completely random potion.

‘...Should I test it?’

Thinking that, Aiden pressed the option and bought it immediately.

He would have more chances to earn Points later. For now, shouldn’t he first learn how this thing worked?

When he purchased the potion, particles of light gathered before him and formed a small vial about half the size of his palm.

As he looked at the colorless, odorless liquid sloshing inside, a window immediately appeared.

-Item Info

[ Lowest-Grade Random Potion ] [ Low Grade ]

[ You cannot know what effect it contains until you drink it. What could it be? ]

▶ When consumed, it grants a random beneficial effect.

...Well.

That made him reluctant to drink it himself.

“Ah, Mr. Aiden.”

As he frowned at the vial, a voice called to him from beside him.

Noel, apparently just arriving for work, opened the office door and came in.

‘She looks fairly normal today.’

Aiden felt relieved when he saw Noel.

Noel had been acting a little strangely lately. Whenever they were alone in the office, she did all sorts of odd things.

She would say she was embarrassed, refuse to meet his eyes, and talk while staring only at the ceiling. Or she would say that listening to his voice for too long made it hard to calm down and go outside for some air.

Compared to that, she looked very calm now.

Noel sat in her seat and quietly looked at Aiden.

Then she lightly thumped her chest with her fist.

...After thumping it a few times, apparently finding that insufficient, she began pounding it.

“...What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to calm it down.”

“...”

“...It’s a little loud.”

“...”

...This person.

He had heard that, since her relationship had changed to Extreme Love, she couldn’t act rationally whenever she saw him. But lately, it sometimes felt as though her thought process was slipping into the fourth dimension...

“Anyway, what is it? You seemed to be looking at that vial.”

“Ah. I wanted to test its effect, but it seems somewhat suspicious...”

Noel smiled and held out her hand.

“Then I’ll drink it. Will you give it to me?”

“...Pardon?”

“I am, embarrassingly enough, one of the Empire’s foremost knights. Naturally, I have some resistance to drugs. As long as it isn’t a lethal poison, I don’t mind.”

It wasn’t a lethal poison.

The description even said it had a beneficial effect.

“But if you have resistance to drugs, wouldn’t you be unable to receive beneficial effects as well?”

“That is true, but I can keenly sense what changes. I thought that might be helpful.”

Well, if she put it that way, he could leave it to her.

Even if it had some subtly harmful effect, it wouldn’t be easy to overcome the resistance of a knight as robust as Noel.

Noel took the vial Aiden handed over and drained it in one gulp.

After examining herself for a moment, she tilted her head.

“Well, I don’t feel any major change...”

That was only natural.

-System Message

▶ The target’s “Courage” and “Candor” increase!

▶ The target’s “Self-Control” weakens!

Aiden himself was wondering what exactly these things were that were increasing.

Courage? Sociability?

‘Those can increase too...’

He looked over the window with an uneasy expression.

Still, simply learning that such vague effects could occur was fortunate.

It showed him that he needed to save up a great deal of Points if he wanted to use these potions as he pleased.

At least, since it was lowest-grade, it was clear it wouldn’t have much effect on Noel.

-System Message

▶ The item “Lowest-Grade Random Potion” affects “Lionheart.”

▶ The potion’s effect is stronger than the target’s drug resistance. Its effect activates.

“...”

A lowest-grade potion that could overcome Lionheart’s resistance to drugs.

It certainly was impressive. Perhaps the description hadn’t been exaggerating when it called its effects powerful...

As Aiden considered that, Noel suddenly twisted her lips as though she felt something.

“Ah, I do feel like something has changed.”

“Oh, do you?”

“...I feel as though my tongue has gotten looser.”

“Hmm,” she murmured, pressing a finger to her cheek as though thinking it over.

Well, the window had said her courage and candor had increased.

Noel was a person with emotions and thoughts of her own. If she always spoke and acted only according to etiquette and moral standards, various words were bound to build up inside her.

Greater courage and candor was the sort of combination that could cause such words to slip out before she knew it.

“If I don’t stay alert, I may start saying anything. For example, how much I like Mr. Aiden...”

Noel snapped her mouth shut.

It was as though she had barely stopped words that had burst through her control.

Noel squeezed her eyes shut, seeming as though sudden dizziness had come over her.

“...”

An awkward silence followed for a long time.

It was truly hellish silence...

“Would you like some tea?”

...The only action Aiden could take was probably to act as though he had heard nothing.

“...Thank you.”

Noel turned her gaze to the desk. Even beneath the hat she had pulled low, the blush that had reached her ears was clearly visible.