DTRAF 15

Chapter 15

We Don’t Accept the Male Lead’s Dating Advice!

“The winner of the Night of Sparring gets this much attention? Isn’t that a little excessive?”

“I agree. She beat a few knights, and suddenly everyone treats her like she’s extraordinary.”

“Isn’t this just blatant favoritism toward Lysa Medinel?”

One mocking voice quickly became several.

What began as sarcastic remarks soon turned into petty criticism and baseless accusations.

Who was that?

Who dared badmouth my girl?

I turned around to see exactly which idiots were spouting such nonsense.

I’d had a bad feeling since we were standing in front of the training grounds.

Sure enough, it was a group of Imperial Knights in full uniform.

“Lysa Medinel really knows how to curry favor with the right people.”

The man leading the conversation looked like the son of at least a marquis.

Judging by how eagerly everyone around him catered to him, his status was clearly high.

“Seriously… why are grown adults acting like this?”

I’d seen plenty of noble snobs in romance fantasy novels acting bitter toward a talented heroine.

But watching the same type of people gather together like school bullies in a fantasy world…

It was just pathetic.

“So even the prestigious Imperial Knights—where supposedly only the best are accepted—have their share of idiots.”

Eric clicked his tongue beside me.

I nodded in complete agreement.

The best solution was simply not to associate with people like that.

After giving the romance-fantasy bully squad one last disgusted glance, Eric and I turned to enter the training grounds.

“Why, if it isn’t the Second Knight Order’s little angel?”

Naturally…

The cliché refused to let us go.

The ringleader called out and stopped us.

Why does this trope never miss?

Already sensing trouble, I slowly turned around.

“Out for another stroll around the Knight Order today?”

With his swarm of lackeys gathered around him, the noble smirked mockingly at both me and the Second Knight Order.

Sorry, but you’re really not intimidating.

After dealing with countless obnoxious customers in my previous life, this sort of behavior looked more ridiculous than frightening.

I answered with my best customer-service smile.

“Not a stroll. I come here to cheer everyone on. I suppose you weren’t aware.”

“So that’s what we’re calling it? Showering the Knight Order with food every single day?”

He exaggerated every word as he sneered.

His followers immediately burst into snickering laughter.

Eric instinctively stepped forward.

I quickly held out an arm to stop him.

Even if protecting me was Eric’s job…

Charging in before knowing exactly who this noble was would be foolish.

In a world where status was everything…

The daughter of a baron wasn’t exactly untouchable.

“Don’t misunderstand me. It’s just unusual enough that I found it fascinating.”

Unlike us, the noble was clearly enjoying the protection his social rank afforded him.

“Or perhaps you have another motive?”

“Another motive? Maybe you’re spending all this money on poor Lysa Medinel because you’re hoping to pick yourself a husband from among the knights?”

“If that’s the case, perhaps you should invest in your appearance instead of food.”

Even the lackeys eagerly piled on with crude remarks.

They really were perfectly synchronized.

I’d tried to ignore them…

But after watching those unpleasant eyes travel up and down my body…

My patience reached its limit.

“Is what I’m doing really that remarkable?”

I deliberately straightened my posture before speaking.

“What did you say?”

“You may not know this, but even if I spend a little money on snacks for the Knight Order, it doesn’t even make a dent in the Garnet family’s finances. I’m simply supporting a close friend and her colleagues. I never imagined anyone would think such a small gesture was such a huge deal.”

“You’ll need a better excuse than that. Nobody treats a friend like this.”

“Oh… Is it possible none of you have anyone you’d actually call a close friend? If so, I suppose it would be difficult for you to understand. Servants and friends aren’t quite the same thing, after all.”

“How dare you!”

One particularly burly lackey charged toward me with a furious expression.

Eric immediately stepped in front of me, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Fortunately, the ringleader stopped him before things escalated.

“So sensitive over a simple joke. Is Lysa Medinel some kind of sacred saint now?”

Despite everything, the noble continued acting composed.

“Please give the order, Miss.”

“Wait.”

I calmed Eric before he could draw his sword.

Still…

I very much wanted to wipe that smug expression off the noble’s face.

There has to be some weakness I can exploit.

With that thought, I activated my Thinking Emoji.

“Hah.”

The moment I saw the heart floating above his head, I couldn’t help laughing.

I already felt sorry for whichever poor woman this pathetic man liked.

I’d warn her later.

For now…

I opened his affection list.

I seriously have to wink at this guy?

Suppressing my disgust, I gave him the quickest wink imaginable.

“See? That’s much better. You should’ve acted cute from the beginning.”

Apparently even that tiny wink hadn’t escaped him.

Damn it.

Swallowing every curse I wanted to say, I ignored the greasy expression he’d put on and focused on the pop-up window beside him.

System
I Can See Your Affection Levels!
o((>ω< ))o

1. Lysa Medinel

♥ Affection: 62%

You little piece of trash.

The instant I saw Lysa’s name sitting proudly at the top of his affection rankings…

Every curse imaginable exploded inside my head.

How dare he put my favorite character on this disgusting list!

While wondering exactly how I should get revenge…

The list suddenly scrolled.

System

4. Amelie Garnet (New!)

♥ Affection: 15%

Absolutely not.

The moment I found my own name there…

I’d already decided he wasn’t walking away peacefully.

“Just like Lysa Medinel’s friend—you certainly have quite the attitude.”

As if on cue, the noble brought up Lysa again.

Perfect timing.

“Sir… you seem awfully interested in Lysa.”

“…What?”

For the first time, his confident expression cracked.

Bull’s-eye.

“You mention Lysa at the end of practically every sentence. Anyone listening would think you can’t hold a conversation without bringing her up.”

“Hah! What ridiculous nonsense!”

“Oh my… your face is turning red.”

“When did it ever—!”

The more I teased him…

The redder his face became.

Flustered and unable to come up with a proper comeback, he merely barked in outrage like an angry little Maltese.

“Oh? I was only joking. Why are you getting so worked up?”

I smiled innocently while repeating his own words back to him.

His face turned the color of a ripe tomato.

His fists clenched so tightly they trembled.

“Oh dear. You’re not actually angry, are you?”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve!”

“Not at all. I simply know you’re not the sort of pathetic trash who secretly pines after someone far better than himself and then copes by insulting her behind her back.”

“You little—!”

“What’s going on here?”

Perfect timing.

Just as the bully finally lost control and raised his hand…

Reinhardt appeared.

The moment he arrived, Eric quietly sheathed the sword he’d somehow already drawn and stepped back.

The noble, meanwhile, instantly turned pale and hurriedly hid his raised hand behind his back.

“Y-Your Highness!”

“…Jonagel Jijir.”

Reinhardt stepped in front of me, shielding me behind him.

“I believe I just saw you raising your hand against a lady. Did I see that correctly?”

Pfft.

In a situation that had instantly frozen over…

I had to fight with everything I had not to burst out laughing at that ridiculous name.

“N-No! The baron’s daughter was behaving arrogantly and disturbing the atmosphere around the Knight Order, so I merely intended to warn her—”

“So you admit you were about to strike her.”

Reinhardt’s voice dropped lower than before.

“So… in front of the Imperial Knight Order’s training grounds, no less.”

Jonagel Jijir immediately began trembling.

This time…

Not from anger.

From fear.

Even I—who had been struggling not to laugh moments ago—felt intimidated.

Feudal society really does have its advantages.

Long live authority.

At this moment…

Having Crown Prince Reinhardt on my side felt incredibly reassuring.

“Lady Garnet is an officially authorized guest of the Knight Order under my personal permission.”

His gaze remained icy.

“Therefore, under no circumstances is anyone permitted to threaten Lady Amelie Garnet—or even treat her discourteously.”

“…What?”

I blinked in disbelief.

He’s defending me… this much?

Reinhardt’s words went far beyond simple protection.

They were such blatant favoritism—mixed with outright exaggeration—that for a moment, I wondered if I’d misheard him.