ALL NOVEL chapter 21
21. The Princess Accelerates Towards the Path of Corruption
Because of the sudden recollection of Noah, Valentina’s cold expression softened slightly, leading Prince Mori to mistakenly believe that his pleas were having an effect, causing him to feel a sense of pride once more.
“Y-yes, it’s great that you can understand. Even if you’re an impure hybrid, you still deserve to possess royal blood. I’ll admit your strength.”
Despite being caught in a web of schemes and kneeling in humiliation before his own sister, Prince Mori still managed to maintain an air of superiority that astonished everyone present.
However, she would ultimately have to let Prince Mori go, after all. What he said made sense; infighting among the royal family could be considered a huge scandal, and she surely understood the consequences.
On the other side of the second floor, watching the situation unfold, Allen couldn’t help but think this way.
As he observed the interaction between Valentina and the Mori siblings, he casually cast healing magic on the maid, Martina, who had been knocked unconscious with a single blow.
Though he was surprised by Valentina’s unexpectedly strong abilities, he didn’t dwell on it too much since she was still no match for him.
“…Prince Mori, didn’t you say you wanted to turn your half-sister into a star slave?”
“W-well, what of it? I’m not just some woman anyone can possess, alright? Rather, I’m acknowledging you, which is why I’m doing this.”
Valentina tried to ask her brother in a cold voice devoid of emotion, wanting to see if this disgraceful man would admit to anything.
To her surprise, Prince Mori maintained his stubborn and defiant attitude, looking up into Valentina’s eyes with no hint of remorse.
His attitude only served to crush Valentina’s hopes completely.
Indeed, even if she couldn’t eliminate this disgraceful brother physically, she had to leave him with a significant psychological scar.
So, what could she do to achieve that?
Right… perhaps that idea could work!
As she thought of a brilliant plan, the corners of Valentina’s mouth involuntarily curled into a nearly twisted smile.
She didn’t even realize that she was smiling in a way that was far from that of a righteous heroine.
“Eh? Valentina, you…”
Prince Mori, suddenly feeling that his sister seemed a bit unfamiliar, attempted to inquire about the meaning behind that smile.
However, because the smile vanished in an instant, he thought he must have been seeing things and didn’t continue.
But there was no need to ask further, as Prince Mori would soon experience a plot twist different from the original story—this time, he would not be the victor, but the vanquished.
It was he who would enter the role of the defeated.
“…I see, so you mean to say that you like me, right~?”
Valentina slowly sheathed her longsword back at her waist, then turned to Prince Mori with a cute smile reminiscent of a lovestruck girl.
“…Eh?”
“…Ah?”
Her voice was as sweet as the melting of ice and the blooming of spring, leaving both Prince Mori and Allen, who couldn’t comprehend how Valentina, who had just been angry, could suddenly smile so joyfully and ask such a question, completely stunned.
“Ah, no, ha, haha, how should I put this… well, it’s impossible to say I dislike you, so… you understand, right?”
Suddenly confronted with his true feelings, Prince Mori became somewhat flustered. As he stood up from the ground, he responded to his sister’s straightforward question.
Though he didn’t know what was happening, it seemed that his crisis had passed?
And judging by Valentina’s attitude, there might even be an unexpected surprise in store?
Prince Mori did not enjoy the sense of moral transgression that came with the orthopedic implications; rather, he simply liked Valentina as a beautiful girl.
After all, Valentina possessed an extraordinary beauty, and it would not be an exaggeration to call her a stunning maiden who could topple nations.
Her identities as a princess and a sister were merely bonuses; even without them, Prince Mori harbored wicked thoughts about the silver-haired girl before him.
So when Valentina directly exposed the truth, the once arrogant and haughty Prince Mori found himself feeling quite embarrassed.
“So you do like me, right~?”
“Y-yes, that’s right.”
At that moment, Prince Mori, who thought he had turned misfortune into fortune, could only think how sweet and charming Valentina’s voice was, completely oblivious to the lack of any smile in her beautiful purple eyes.
He even thought that since it had come to this, he might as well just admit it.
Oh dear, I’m quite the man! Truly worthy of royalty!
But just as Prince Mori, with flushed cheeks, was about to strike a pose of arrogance and say a few more words,
*Smack!*
With a crisp sound, Valentina delivered a sharp slap, sending the just-risen Prince Mori crashing back to the ground.
He sat there, one hand covering his now even redder half-face, staring blankly at Valentina in disbelief at what had just happened.
“You—how dare you hit me! Not even my mother has hit me!”
Once he regained his senses, Prince Mori’s expression twisted, and he shouted in a rather aggrieved manner.
However, Valentina didn’t care about that; she had nearly reached her limit. In a cold, commanding tone, she said:
“Shut up! You worthless man!”
“!?”
The aura Valentina exuded at that moment was even more intense than that of his mother, the queen, leaving Prince Mori utterly dumbfounded.
Was this girl, who was looking at him as if he were trash, really his naive little sister?
Why did she seem so powerful?
“I absolutely detest cowards like you who don’t even dare confess to someone they like! Your methods are despicable to the extreme! What star slave, what royalty! To me, you’re just a clown! Compared to you, who only waits for others to do everything for you while relying on your power, I’d much prefer a man who tirelessly approaches women! Go die, dear brother Mori! No! Mori!”
Valentina did not hide her disdain for Prince Mori. While she hated his desire to turn her into a star slave, what she loathed even more was his cowardly attitude.
Yes, cowardly.
Valentina felt that even the evil god who took pleasure in mocking her was more of a man than this coward.
After all, even the evil god, as a deity, took action personally!
This clown only wanted to reap the rewards without putting in any effort, all out of fear of getting hurt in the process?
What a waste!
“！！！！！”
Never before had Prince Mori been so thoroughly denied, especially not by a woman he had intended to turn into a star slave. Valentina’s scathing words had completely shattered his defenses.
Could it be that he was the one bringing shame to the royal family?
How… how could this be… ugh…
Valentina’s piercing words plunged Prince Mori into deep self-doubt, sitting on the ground like a true failure, his head hung low, unable to utter any more arrogant remarks.
Clap, clap, clap.
This time, the sound was not from a loudmouth, but rather Noah, who was unseen by anyone, applauding Valentina as she descended into the role of a villainous femme fatale.
“Beautiful, this is exactly what I wanted to see, Valentina.”
Noah felt a genuine sense of satisfaction at Valentina’s growth—or rather, her descent into darkness—and couldn’t help but clap his hands.
Even though Valentina couldn’t see him now, he couldn’t contain his desire to applaud the heroine who had always fought and lost in the original story.
She had finally achieved a complete victory.
Of course, it wasn’t just Valentina and Noah who felt victorious.
There was also Allen, who had witnessed everything.
Allen had initially thought Valentina was a bit strange.
So it was all to leave a psychological scar on her foolish brother! Quite unexpectedly tough, no wonder he had his eye on her.
But Allen didn’t care whether Valentina was tough; in fact, the tougher she was, the better, as it made him all the more eager to see the noble princess fall into a disgraceful state like a shepherd dog.
Speaking of which, the “tirelessly proactive men approaching women” that the princess had just mentioned referred to him, right?
Ah, to be remembered by her at such a crucial moment—seems like he had gained quite a bit of standing in her heart.
Wasn’t it easy to take her from Lord Clyde?
He was winning, for sure!
Thinking about how the only man in Valentina’s social circle who fit that description was himself, Allen couldn’t help but smile smugly.
Completely unaware that Valentina was actually referring to Noah.
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