7 Years Old – Chapter 26: The Uninvited Earl

Translator: Krrizis

Editor: Nahct and Wafflez

This may be abrupt, but our Adelcian household has a reasonably good lineage. Possessing the same history as the royal family, wouldn’t this be referred to as a n.o.ble consanguinity?

If it comes from me — Oh, I see — would be my standard of recognition, but others don’t. Our rank was granted to us personally by the founding king, and it has been inherited ceaselessly without the lineage dying out.

And now, Father, the present head of the family amongst the successors is the most talented person with overflowing resources….. To me, his daughter, and his son, he was only visible as a doting and kind father. However, from the start, I understood that Father was amazing. He even had the present King as his acquaintance.

….. And such a Father had me as his daughter. Skillfully succeeding the talents of Mother and Father, I was also intimate with His Highness.

What do you think the others’ reaction was to this?

「Liz-sama, there’s someone here who would like to see you」

「Please decline saying that I’m ill」

I do not know how many times I have made that exchange. Haaa, and most recently, this has been the place that I’m able to take a breather.

I don’t understand when this began. I reckon it probably started from the time of the kidnapping incident.

Due to supervising the large-scale crime, the Adelcian family has been very conspicuous. And so, even the incident about their daughter’s kidnapping became a widely known fact. That degree of destruction caused from flipping out was enough reason.

Well, that’s to say, I have become known as a tragic heroine.

If it was just that, then it would have been fine. However, both his Majesty and his Highness joined in. His Majesty sent flowers and sweets which was awkward, and his Highness — being his usual self — personally called upon me at my house.

Naturally, if such things were done, this would make me even more conspicuous.

In addition, whilst admiring the flowers in my garden (In actuality, I was busy with selective breeding), I was seen by a curious aristocrat’s son who fell in love with me at first sight ….. Fell in love with me? More like, seems to have taken a fancy. The house’s stalker ….. Ahem, this is when I started receiving calling cards. If it was just based on appearances, rather than a sheltered young woman, I gave out an appearance that resembled a transient looking girl. My parent’s blood is amazing.

Even the other n.o.bles seem to have to noticed me as a good object, and a strange appeal began. Why, by possessing excellent consanguinity and being liked by His Highness, being nothing but a delicate and reasonably beautiful (?) maiden, receiving me as a bride would therefore bring a lot of merits. If that wasn’t meant to be, then being friends also had its merits; there would be no disadvantage from maintaining the friends.h.i.+p — was the view that was considered. Whereas for me, I found it terribly annoying.

「Can’t something be done about this」

「….. Only this」

Every day receiving letters and attendant calls, as expected, I was getting fed up with it. Currying favors from this young girl now, they must be so free.

When I said Gilles was previously cold, or rather, had immediately up and vanished without paying any attention to me, in truth, he was dealing with these people. This was something that I wasn’t aware of until much later.

….. If I think back, there were periods where I was comparatively free from being instructed and prohibited to visit the garden or leave my room, and at those times, Gilles looked sullen. Dealing with those people and driving them away ….. Thinking that I wasn’t being looked after was my selfishness. 

「However, we can’t continue to decline them forever …..」

「As the other side is also an earl’s child, it can’t be neglected」

Amongst the intruding people, the most persistent was the Earl Emmenthal’s* son. No matter how many times he comes to pay a visit, because of him, I wouldn’t come out and was terrified.

To provide context, he has been turned away, but if it was done continuously, he may fly into a rage. Though I have approximately a higher court rank in comparison with the emerging n.o.ble Earl Emmental, ignoring him wasn’t okay. Even if it becomes troublesome, I couldn’t possibly flat out refuse him.

How should I handle this?

「Maybe I should meet him just once …..」

「You can not. Liz-sama will be defiled」

「Gilles, isn’t that an overstatement ….」

「….. That person is revolting」

Seeing the serious look on Gilles’s face, I found it hard to believe and blinked my eyes incessantly. No, definitely impossible, that person is from an earl’s lineage. To go as far as to express disgust ….. No, given the probability, it was scary.

Somehow or rather, when he was being received, he happened across Maria and it seemed that something happened as she frowned and pursed her lips. What have you done to my solace, Earl Emmental’s son?

「N– Bu– But ….. If we don’t encounter each other, I’ll probably have it under control and …..」

「Has Welf-sama said anything?」

「Even if I keep depending on Father ….. Right now, he’s preoccupied」

Father has been recruited to deal with that case’s post-processing. Forcibly by the King. It seems 「Since it was my elite guard’s part-time work, therefore this time, it was his work」was the King’s pretext. Although it was by the King’s instructions, well, it was Father who caused the destruction. Nonetheless, he decided by himself to clean up the aftermath. 

「As expected from declining too much. Just once …..」

「You can’t, Liz-sama doesn’t know anything about that person, hence why you say that」

「T—To go that far….. Bu—But there’s no solution, is there?」

*******

….. And so, if I had taken Gilles’s sincere advice at that time, I wouldn’t have regretted it so vehemently.

「I’ve been wanting to meet you, my princess」

Saying so, with arms wide open was the Earl Emmenthal’s son; I believe his name was Zerais-san*. Did you think I would rush over, leaping into your arms as you wished? Absolutely not. Since this is the first time we’ve met, to come in contact with someone unfamiliar wouldn’t be something I would normally consider. 

「Eh, Ermmmmm ….. This is the, first time, we’ve met? Yes?」

I said with a smile on my face, even if it was an insincere smile that was stiff. 

Just once, and having been reminded, permitted the meeting. However, upon entering the drawing room, I immediately had the urge to spin around and make a U-turn.

The earl’s son upon seeing me — in an instant — expressed a vulgar smile. How should I put it? It was much more vulgar than being stared at by eyes fixed on their prey, like my body was being licked all over by that gaze. 

It is important for me to say this but, I’m only seven years old. It’s not like I’ve developed secondary s.e.x characteristics that would invite a man over; I only have a flat-chested, waist-less figure. If it’s the general preference, then I would almost never be received as a target, having a figure of a child.

Despite this, the eyes of the earl’s son (estimated 16 years old) turned, filled with desire. Even though it turned out this way, my crisis inference sensors sounded an alarm. Perhaps my human rights would disappear once I entered this person’s household as his bride, much less be allowed to step outside.

In other words, this person has a lolicon complex. Though the correct term given my age would be the Alice complex. ….. It could also pa.s.s as paedophilia with the obvious abnormal feeling that I was feeling. To possess such cravings for me gave me the s.h.i.+vers.

Earl Emmenthal, you shouldn’t have let this thing out into the world. 

「This is not my first time」

「Have we met somewhere before?」

「I watched you when you were in the garden playing with the flowers and the b.u.t.terflies. I was convinced that this was fate」

No, isn’t that just a one-sided encounter?

With a hardened smile on my face, the earl’s son took my hand. ….. Ugh, No, you can’t do that!

「By all means, won’t you come and become my bride?」

The earl who conveniently took my hand left a kiss on the back of my right hand that Gilles’ oath existed.

Simultaneously with my whole body having gooseb.u.mps, *crackle*, and I felt myself losing control, bursting with magical powers. 

「….. Pardon me but Liz-sama is in a bad condition, so could you please leave?」

As for the magic power not exploding accidentally, Gilles was covering for me by standing in the earl’s son’s way.

With a hand placed on my shoulder, I could already feel like he was saying everything was going to be alright. That alone was enough to settle the waves of my overflowing magic powers, and I felt slightly relieved. 

The earl’s son grimaced, feeling obviously hindered, but after I let out a forced cough, he was unable to pursue the matter. Actually, my face had turned pale and I was s.h.i.+vering, so it wasn’t like I was lying. 

「In that case, please give me your answer next time. I’ll be waiting for a favourable answer」

After the earl’s son was led out by the maid, I slowly gave orders to Gilles who was standing by my side. 

「Please prepare the bath right away」

「Certainly」

It’s no use, I feel cold. It was as Gilles said, that gaze gave off a defiling feeling. I also felt that Gilles’s oath was defiled. I must clean my body. 

First of all, I’ll submerge myself in the bath for an hour, play with fluffy* Maria, after which I will hug and sit on Gilles until the unpleasant feelings go away.

By the way, the back of my hand was disinfected by Gilles after he did it again. I was embarra.s.sed, but compared to the unpleasant feelings, this was several hundred times more pleasurable to receive — yup.