Belle Poupée_archive c8:Chapter 8. Shedding the Cat

 BELLE POUPÉEE

**Eunie: in relation to the title, in Japanese there's a phrase, "Neko Kaburi" 猫かぶり , or wearing a cat (to wear, put on a cat), which idiomatically means feigning innocence, harmlessness. In this case, Leticia, who dons the mask of a Beautiful Doll, removes that mask/persona. 

8. Shedding the Cat

The shop fell completely silent, as if time itself had stopped.

Everyone present held their breath, doubting their own ears. Who could have spoken that voice, the kind that freezes the heart?

No, in truth, they already knew. From the direction, there was only one person it could have been. But their understanding refused to accept it.

A divine creation, a masterpiece crafted by the gods. The Orlesian Doll Princess, who never flinched in either praise or sarcasm. The beautiful Belle Poupée. The voice that came from such a girl was unimaginable—a voice full of dignity and rage.

No one moved a muscle, paralyzed by confusion. They were like frozen specimens, unable to even twitch a finger.

However, it was Leticia herself who shattered the stillness.

"Can’t you hear me telling you to release him? Who gave you permission to touch him? He is my fiancé. If you can’t understand that, then your ears are wasted. Shall I cut them off and feed them to the pigs?"

 

She casually crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on the men. Deep within her frozen sapphire-blue eyes burned an indescribable fire of fury.

The high-ranking mercenary knights should have been present in the shop. But they stood there in silence. They had likely seen through Gilbert’s position and the kingdom’s schemes, judging that it wasn’t wise to intervene. As expected from the high-ranking knights. They were sharp and made the right choice. It was not a mistake.

But if that was the case, who would protect that helpless man?

(Belle Poupée? The Doll Princess? Nonsense. What is that? Other people's opinions and my own reputation are mere trivialities.)

The men, overwhelmed by the pressure Leticia exuded, finally released Gilbert. Slowly, they began to retreat. It was almost laughable to see grown men cowering before a mere girl, but no one present dared to laugh.

This wasn’t the cute act of shedding a cat costume; it was as if a tiger had torn through its skin and emerged. It couldn’t be helped.

"You can hear me, can’t you? Then hurry up and respond, you coward."

"—W-what?"

"Oh, and since I’m feeling generous, let me teach you something. Those with red eyes in the royal family often excel in intellect over strength. You, like these muscle-bound fools, are lacking in power. Let me handle this. Don’t worry, I’ll entertain you plenty."

With that, Leticia swiftly moved Gilbert behind her and mockingly provoked the retreating men. Still, they simply scowled and made no move to attack her.

The reason the royal family with red eyes is feared is not just because they’ve overthrown nations. It’s because they possess the intelligence to bring down those nations.

Gilbert, who had already given up and lost his will to fight, might someday find himself walking the same path of despair—if that future awaited him.

(But what of it?)

She had no intention of letting him despair. She would love him so thoroughly, so completely, that there would be no room for despair.

 

Leticia summoned an ice dragon from the ground beneath her and, with a single stroke, commanded it into an attacking stance.

"Le, Le, Leticia...?"

 

"Oh, finally calling my name, my dear fiancé. Very well, stay behind me. I’ll finish this quickly. We can talk afterward."

"I-I don’t know, wait! I’m so confused...!"

Gilbert placed his hand to his head, collapsing. Leticia, now tall enough to reach his face, gently placed her hand on his cheek, stroking it tenderly.

"Indeed. I would love to shower you with affection, but—"

"Love me!?"

"However, we must deal with this mess first, or Alisha and Laura will be in danger. You wouldn’t want that, would you? Don’t worry. I’ll take care of this swiftly. So be a good boy and wait."

"But..."

"Wait for me."

"...Mm."

 

Apparently comforted by Leticia’s gentle touch, Gilbert’s tense eyes softened, and he nuzzled his cheek against hers, like a child seeking affection. It was so adorable that Leticia couldn’t help but smile. However, as soon as she regained her composure, she couldn’t help but think how much she wanted to uncover that embarrassed face and love every part of him, savoring every moment.

Responding to her desires, the ice dragon silently approached one of the men, sank its fangs into his neck, and slammed him against the wall.

"Ugh!"

With a sharp crack, the man was encased in ice, frozen in a crucified position. The other men and even the customers in the shop let out short, startled gasps. Even the staff, including Alisha and Laura, couldn’t find their voices.

 

"Heh, did you really think you could catch me off guard with such a pathetic ambush? I’ll give you credit for trying to retaliate, though. My dragon has automatic counterattacks and homing capabilities. Aren’t they well-behaved?"

 

Walking with light, graceful steps toward the man now pinned in ice, Leticia summoned more ice dragons from the ground with each step. One, two, three, four... She summoned as many dragons as there were men and then directed them to keep watch over the enemies.

Not one would escape.

Leticia’s eyes made that clear.

"Now, as for your punishment... Hmm? Wait, this face looks familiar. You’re the fool who got demoted to C-rank after causing that violent incident. You’ve been nothing but a nuisance, adding unnecessary work. It’s been incredibly troublesome."

"W-Who are you?! And that ice dragon... it’s just like his—"

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Leticia burst into loud laughter, forgetting her usual composure.

"Oh, how amusing. After revealing so much, you still don’t get it? Well, no matter. It’s exactly because you’re such a pathetic pawn that you’re here doing this."

"What!?"

"I thought I’d make you spill some information, but considering how completely idiotic you are, you probably don’t even know who your employer is. You most likely received a front payment and instructions from the innkeeper. The letter probably had the royal seal, and it likely promised more money upon completion of the mission, right?"

"H-how do you know that? Who are you really?!"

Leticia sighed in exasperation, losing interest in the man. With a bored look in her eyes, she traced her finger over the "Reversal Magic Tool" she wore on her right hand.

"I already told you. I am Leticia of the Orlesian Duke’s family. I’m also known as Belle Poupée, the Doll Princess. But I suppose this form suits you better."

 

 

EUN: GRRRRR 4 MORE CHAPTERS AND WE'RE DONE WITH THE MAIN STORY BUT MY LAPTOP IS RUNNING OUT OF JUICE!! I'LL BE BACK IN A FEW HOURS. BYEEEEEE

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