Please Bully Me, Miss Villainess!

Chapter 176 : This Jealous Expression of Yours 1

"Time, oh time~~ Why can't you pass more quickly~~~"

Yesterday, Yvonne had only come back briefly out of concern for Elsa, but the palace affairs were still unfinished, so Elsa still had to endure two more days alone.

To pass the time, she simply accepted Brin's request and went to help at the "Myriad Leaves Gold" Association.

"You should focus on your work!"

Putting down the book she was translating, Brin reprimanded her helplessly.

"This month's 'Silver Eye' magazine is launching in 5 languages simultaneously!! You need to understand the weight of responsibility on your shoulders!"

The races on this continent are as numerous as the stars,

Different races have nurtured different cultures, and to enable everyone to coexist peacefully, bridges of communication and exchange need to be built.

Therefore, translation has become a very important job.

Brin, proficient in eight racial languages, spends almost every day buried in books, laying the foundation stones for these bridges.

"But I only know beastfolk language and a bit of elven... Isn't it a bit much to suddenly call me in as a temporary translator?"

Elsa complained without looking up, her hand still writing on the paper, her eyes like a scanner, quickly and accurately filtering, extracting, and translating the text into effective beastfolk language.

"Knowing is enough, I've translated this report, and next is this one."

"You really know how to put people to work."

"Hmph... Isn't this just finding something for you to do? It's better than you rolling around in bed alone, covering your head and crying, isn't it?"

Hearing this teasing, Elsa's little face turned red:

"Who, who, who's crying?!"

"Hmm, seeing your eyes all red when you came, I thought so~~"

"I didn't!!"

Elsa is much smarter than the average young magic user, with a talent for understanding complex texts, and she works quickly and well,

The "Encyclopedic Illustrations" she was commissioned to proofread last time was done perfectly. The translated sentences were smooth, the polishing was just right, and most importantly, there were no errors or omissions. Many veteran staff who had worked here for years couldn't match her.

"Done, it's finished, please check it."

Soon, she had completed the translation manuscript and handed it over.

"Good work."

Brin was glad she had made a wise decision, thanks to calling in this capable assistant to help, this time they could finally submit before the deadline.

"Then I'll take my leave for today."

Elsa had promised to buy some jerky that Bebe liked when she went out today, so she wanted to buy it and return early to avoid making her child wait too long.

However, just as she was about to leave, Brin called out from behind.

"By the way... about that witch-related task from before, have you given up on it? The time limit is almost up, you know?"

"Yes."

Not long ago, Elsa had received a task requesting the collection of information about a witch.

But that witch has now returned to her own time... so it should be considered a happily concluded ending,

After all, this matter was also related to herself, so Elsa selfishly wanted to block this information for her future self.

"This is troublesome then."

Brin put on her glasses, stood on the stool used for finding books, and found the already opened scroll with gold embossing on the shelf, weighing it in her hand.

"If you confirm giving up, you'll have to pay a penalty fee."

"Ah."

I almost forgot about the penalty fee!!

"...How much do I need to pay?"

"The reward was 10,000 gold coins, the penalty is 20% of the task reward... so that's 2,000 gold coins."

"What—"

Elsa was dumbfounded, her body stiffening like she had been petrified by Medusa after hearing this astronomical figure,

She thought this seemingly ordinary information task would have a reward of at most a few hundred gold coins, so she felt it wouldn't matter to pay a small fee to resolve it, but now they want to charge her so much?!

"By the way, today is the last day of the task deadline."

Brin handed a copy of the scroll to the trembling Elsa,

"Well, you don't really need to worry so much... The contract may be rigid, but people are flexible."

Brin indicated that Elsa could go negotiate with the task issuer about the high penalty fee.

"So... who exactly is looking for the witch?"

"Although we usually keep the task issuer's identity confidential, that person didn't make such a request."

Brin unrolled the scroll, revealing the signature at the end.

There, in elegant handwriting, was clearly signed: Shirushi Ozfield.

It's her?!

"That's right, it's our Young Lady... no, we should call her Princess now."

The first in line to inherit the Oz Kingdom—Princess Shirushi.

"However..."

Brin came down from the stool, jumping in front of Elsa and looking up at her.

"Honestly, if you really have any leads... don't keep them to yourself. Although that person is young, she's not the kind of spoiled, willful Young Lady who can be easily fooled. If you lie in front of her... the consequences could be very serious."

"......"

She have to say, Brin's observation is very sharp.

It looks like she'll be getting home late today.

No matter how much she calculated, she never expected things to turn out like this.

—I didn't expect that the one searching for the witch would be the Princess herself.

If sheh could explain things properly to her, it would be fine.

But that Princess seems to dislike her because of Evie.

On the other hand... offering such a generous reward just to find a witch... that Princess is really quite lavish.

"So it was you who took on my task, no wonder there's been no response at all."

Sitting on the throne, Shirushi looked at Elsa, who had come specially to apologize, with displeasure.

"I don't have enough money to bear the penalty fee. However, if there's anything I can do, I certainly won't refuse."

"Oh, really?"

Saying this, Shirushi rose from the throne, stepping down steadily in her high heels.

She wanted to observe her current expression up close.

It's this person... who has monopolized my beloved Yvonne!

We're both girls! Why did I lose to this one—

Thinking of this, Shirushi felt very unwilling.

Just because I'm a few years younger, so I didn't have a chance?

She wanted to see just how great this legendary genius was!

"So you're saying you're willing to do anything?"

"No, Your Highness, that is not what I meant."

Even while half-kneeling on the ground, she still answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Although the phrase 'won't refuse anything I can do' is ambiguous, it also gave herself some room for retreat.

She's very clever, not falling for such traps.

If someone really wants to use her, all actions must guarantee the preservation of personal dignity and sense of justice.

"If you can't pay the penalty fee, then pay with your body!"

Shirushi stood up, extending her hand in an inviting gesture.

"...What?"

Elsa was so startled that she hugged herself in panic, not expecting the other party to suddenly make such a demand,

First it was Evie, and now she's after me??

Does the Young Lady have such preferences??

"I said... you're definitely thinking of something indecent, aren't you?"

Shirushi glanced at her.

"The term is one month! For this one month, you must stay by my side at all times—of course, as my guard."

"......"

It seems things have become troublesome.