#mrs o's translations of dubious quality

[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Engagement Event - Another Terrible Summary

(Silvio: "W-what the?")

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes when they come to English.

Things to know before this (THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR SILVIO’S MAIN STORY):

It follows the romantic (or ‘canon’) ending to Silvio’s route, which means that he and Emma are already engaged seeing as how they were at the end of his route. It also references the circumstances surrounding that - how Emma posed as a disgraced noblewoman and rescued Silvio from his father and prison by demanding Silvio take responsibility for ‘debauching’ and rescue her honor via marriage. Silvio has also been officially named the king’s successor, and will be the next king of Benitoite when his fathers steps down. It also references the epilogue where Emma works herself ill, and how horrible of a person Silvio's mother was.

~~~~~~~~

The Jewel of the Ocean has been passed to Silvio - recently the news of this has begun to make the rounds through Benitoite, and the topic seems to be on everyone’s lips. The merchants especially are thrilled with this…but that’s not the only tea everyone’s spilling.

We open on a couple of merchants chattering away down by the docks about the approaching engagement ceremony for Prince Silvio where everything is made Official, and the two men are talking about the lucky lady in question. They say how rumors have it she’s a beautiful woman, on par with any national treasure - gifted too, and having had studied at Rhodolite’s court. She’s kind and dang near a saint.

One of them mentions too how he heard how crazy in love with her Silvio was, and how anytime the prince opens his mouth it’s to say something about her, and the other seems impressed and says how much he’s looking forward to the ceremony.

As they pass by and on their way, a figure darts into a nearby alley as if to make an escape…and we find Emma crouching down there, groaning about a stomachache and freaking out in her thoughts over why the heck everyone seems to think she’s some sort of PARAGON.

Silvio’s there, hand on her back and asking if she’s alright, and she confesses she might not be alright. Didn’t he hear all that?? Whose girlfriend are they talking about, this PARAGON OF BEAUTY AND GRACE AND TALENTS, this SAINTLY WOMAN.

Silvio says they’re talking about her, obviously, and Emma says is that really how I seem?!

She’s freaking out, clearly. She’d been super excited to come out on the town with Silvio when he’d asked, their first actual date in awhile, but she’d been totally unprepared for the rumors that are apparently going around about them. 

“Doesn’t seem off to me,” Silvio says, matter of factly, and Emma’s over there like PRESS X TO DOUBT. Asking him how that’s so.

He kind of hems and haws a bit, awkward silence and he can’t look her in the eyes as he says she’s beautiful, and plenty capable, and other than being the whole being a bit sassy thing she’s got a pretty decent personality.

Emma’ stunned at actual legit compliments from Silvio, still processing as he points out that it’s better than them gossiping about things that aren’t true or are nasty isn’t it?

“But what about when I’m presented at the engagement ceremony and everyone’s got this sky-high expectations…” she frets. “Everyone will be disappointed when I don’t measure up, and they might say ‘She’s not good enough for Prince Silvio.’”

Of course she’s been giving it her all, ever since they decided to formally announce the engagement alongside the formal declaration of Silvio as the king’s successor. She’s been working her ass off from morning to night studying etiquette and everything else she might need to know as a princess, alongside getting her wardrobe ready and planning the details of the ceremony and the reception party…she’s exhausted, mentally and physically. But even so she wants to be woman worthy of Silvio, the next king.

She tackles him practically with a hug, setting Silvio spluttering and redfaced and reminding her for the umpteenth time she’s supposed to warn him before she does something like that - to which Emma rebuts that if she warns him he still sometimes tries to escape, so it’s best to surprise him. 

Burying her face in those hella nice-smelling man tiddies, Emma takes a deep breath of Silvio-scent and is reenergized. 

“Where’s your usual sass?” he asks. “Don’t let something like this intimidate you.” He tells her that if everyone’s saying good things about her, all she’s gotta do is be confident and stand tall. But he also chastizes her for being too stubborn and reminds her she doesn’t have to go so dang hard on all this.

“No, no,” Emma argues, saying that if she doesn’t work hard now when will she work hard?

“Not your whole life long,” Silvio counters. “I didn’t bring you here from Rhodolite to make you work yourself like a madwoman. I already told you what the gist of your most important job was, didn’t I?”

His words are a reminder of that day on the beach (at the end of his Romantic route) where he had told her what her most important duty was, as the woman of the next king: to dedicate all that she was to him, and in return he’d love her till she couldn’t stand it. 

She's fluent enough in Silvio-ese to see those imperious words for what they really meant - he wants the kind of relationship where he can love and be loved in equal measure. And she realizes she must seem pretty exhausted if Silvio is worrying about her this much. He's bossy as all getup…but he's hella overprotective.

She lifts her head and there's those sea-blue eyes right in front of her - along with a suspicious Silvio. Who has right to be because she surprise kisses him. He's left wide eyed and surprised as she tells him she was thinking how she loves him.

He points out that came from left field and she’s just shrug - and then Silvio has his revenge by taking her chin in hand and laying a passionate kiss on her that has her scandalized. They’re still in public technically and all! He laughs at her hnnng face and she’s silently fuming over how only a few seconds ago it was him all embarrassed and now he’s Mr. Cocky, pouting as she looks away and he tousles her hair.

“Anyway, you get what I’m sayin’?” he asks. 

She asks if he’s referring to her trying too hard, and he confirms - only to get angry again when she says she’ll accept his sentiment at least but she’s gotta be able to stand proudly beside him if he’s going to love her, and although he might worry about her she asks him to please let her do her best for now. 

He’s glowering silently, and she tells him he’s got his scary face on.

He says it’s probably because she’s totally missing the point of what he’s trying to say, and she fires back that he’s too overprotective. 

“Shaddup,” he scowls. 

“But I love that about you too!” she declares, and he turns red and tells her not to get carried away. Clearly not disliking her claim - he’s just obviously embarrassed by it.

The whole situation might be literally making her feel ill, but she’s not about to back down from this challenge. If she’s gonna share a life with Silvio, she’s got to be able to handle something like this.

~~~~~~~~

The next day, Rio stops her in the hallway and asks if she’s doing alright. He’s gotten his memory back now and works as Silvio’s aide, but still never hesitates to show concern for her as well just as he always has. 

He asks if she has a fever, and she’s dklsjfds HOW DID HE KNOW?? She had woken up that morning lethargic and unwell, but it’s nothing major - more like the bit of fever she’d come down with when she’d overworked herself when first coming to Benitoite. 

She assures Rio she’s fine it’s nbd, but he’s not happy with that answer,worried it might get worse and urging her to take a day off or so - before he cuts himself off and realizes she can’t.

A fact she confirms, because she’s supposed to be hosting a party today to meet and greet many of the young noblewomen of the country before the engagement ceremony. It’s hella important for her to lay the groundwork of future relationships here, and to help her make friends and ease into Benitoite society better. So even if she has to push herself, she’s gotta make it through today at least. 

“Rio, pleeeeaaase. Don’t say a word to Silvio,” she begs him.

“...If he finds out, he’ll lock you up for sure,” Rio agrees with chagrin. He’s clearly not thrilled with her request, but she knows he can’t deny her, and reluctantly he agrees to keep mum on this - but he tells her he’ll have medicine ready, and reminds her if she gets any worse to cancel things, consequences be damned. He and Silvio can more than handle the fallout, and it won’t reflect badly on her. 

She thank him, glad that it was Rio who noticed she was sick. If it had been Silvio, she’s positive things wouldn’t have gone this smoothly…and she vows to herself to be sure to avoid him at all costs today. 

~~~~~~~~

…Only for us to open the next scene aboard a ship, with a silently staring Silvio, and an oh shit Emma.

Given that she’s to be royalty, and given the traditions of Benitoite amongst the elite to throw parties not at mansions but on board ships, she’d asked Silvio to arrange one to host her party on. This particular vessel is one of Silvio’s own, and it wouldn’t be strange to see the owner aboard - if it had been a day without business meetings or other things on his agenda.

Why is he here?!?!

She’d been making the rounds, greeting all the ladies aboard before the ship was set to depart, when the tyrant himself had appeared all of a sudden and grabbed her by the hand. “Let’s go.”

She vehemently protests this idea, and he scowls over the fact that she can put up such an argument when she’s feverish - which has her now wondering how the eff does he know about her being sick?! No wait, more importantly, she KNOWS he’s got a packed schedule today!

She’s digging in her heels just as hard as he’s trying to drag her off, insisting all the while that he’s just imagining things.

“If you think I’m gonna buy that, you must have a flower garden for a brain,” he fires back. (Hello Motonari?)

“Flower garden or whatever, read the room!” she scolds him, At first, most people didn’t seem to know what to make of her as the next king’s fiancée…and now they’re all just looking on this scene in shock. The whole party is ruined!

He scoffs at the need to do anything of the sort, and as she keeps trying to resist he finally just picks her up and goes to make off with her.

“Knock it off,” Rio sighs. “Can’t you see she’s not having any of this?”

Now Emma’s stunned, realizing Rio is there too and blocking Silvio’s path, shaking his head. Silvio says he doesn’t give a shit if she doesn’t like it, and Rio reminds him he should and urges him to put Emma down. 

“If I put her down, she’ll run away,” Silvio counters. 

“If you know she’s gonna run away, then you clearly know you shouldn’t be forcing her,” Rio frowns.

“Shut up. I don’t need you telling me what to do,” Silvio argues. 

Emma realizes it’s no use when Silvio’s gotten himself worked up like this, and if she throws a fit and ends up getting herself hurt it’ll just make him all depressed. She tries to shoot Rio a wink to say it’s alright, and seeing this Rio immediately goes into crisis-containment mode - apologizing to all the guests for the fuss his ‘idiot brother’ has made with his usual charm and charisma.

In moments he has all the ladies gathered there eating out of his hand, showing off his now-practiced socialite face, the one he’s been honing more now that he’s in the public eye as Silvio’s aide.

While a grateful Emma watches him charm them all, she suggests to Silvio they take this somewhere else to talk and he seems to agree. Still pissy though as he kicks in the door to a nearby room on the ship and carries her inside the space as luxurious as any fine room on land. 

The silence though is so absolute you could hear a pin drop, only the sound of the wind and the waves, before Silvio finally speaks.

“Did you take any medicine?” he asks, taking a seat on a chair. Still holding Emma in his arms. 

She tells him she did, before she came aboard, but realizes that if he doesn’t know whether she did or not he clearly must not have talked to Rio. Not to mention she highly doubts Rio would break his promise to her.  “How did you know I was sick?”

He says she just doesn’t seem to have her usual vim and vigor, and that has her taken aback slightly to realize that Silvio’s been paying close enough attention to her to take note of such a minor change. 

“When would you have noticed that?” she asks, baffled. There shouldn’t have been any occasion for him to see her that morning. 

“When you were talking with everyone back at the port,” he explains. 

“You’ve been watching me for awhile then, I take it?” she asks, but he refuses to answer that. “What about your work?”

“...It’s all finished,” he finally replies. 

She’s still in disbelief at that, because the day is hardly even close to over, but Silvio waves it off as merely being damn good at his job. Emma’s not buying this though, and she points out that even if he IS hella capable it seems impossible he’d have the time to come by the port after his work was done. 

Scowling he tells her to knock the line of questioning off - he’s clearly not interested in spending any more time on the topic, and he tells her once again they should leave. 

There’s still a million things she wants to say, but she settles on this. “Do you really not trust me?” He wants to know why that’s even a question, and she goes on to elaborate. “Even if I say I’m fine, you seem to refuse to believe me at all.”

He lapses into a shocked silence at that.

It’s the same thing as yesterday, Emma thinks. Silvio worries about her more than anyone else in the world, and he’s trying to shelter and protect her as his fiancée…but that’s not what she wants. If she back down here, if she lets him have his way, he’ll spoil her for the rest of her life. 

Meeting his displeased gaze, she cradles his cheeks in her hands. “Is your fiancée such a frail woman? Did I not once rescue a prince locked in prison?” His expression sobers as she goes on. “I love ‘Overprotective Silvio’ too, but…trust me now. And when it’s all over, you can tell me ‘good job’ all you want. I’m not marrying you to be cosseted - I want to be your betrothed so that we can stay by each other’s side and be there for each other in the hard times and the good.”

Silvio remains silent, and she can’t read his expression well enough to tell if he’s convinced or not. So, feeling as if she has no other choice…she takes him off guard with a swift kiss to the deep frown carved in his forehead and slips off his lap as he’s still stunned, racing out the door and back to freedom outside.

“Ah, damn it, she ran away.” Silvio curses aloud in the empty room…before he quietly states that she hasn’t said anything he doesn’t already know.

~~~~~~~~

PREMIUM END: HIS POV

Ever since I fell in love with that woman, I’ve been saying strange things. Even though I know it’s all just a burden on her…

From the shadows of the back alley, Silvio sneaks a peek at Emma chatting with the women at the port. The dress she’s wearing today is supposed to be a simple, refined design - but when Emma wears it she’s stunning, like a rose in bloom that charms everyone with its beauty. It’s a sight he could stare at forever….but he sighs when he feels the presence of someone else in the empty alley.

“Hey, don’t follow me, damn dog,” he grumbles at Rio.

Rio scoffs at that. “It’s my job to bring back the idiot prince who left his job.”

Silvio’s annoyed by that, as Rio comes to stand beside him and look over at him incredulously. Silvio defends his leaving by saying he’s done the essentials at least, but Rio points out there’s still a bunch of paperwork left to tackle.

“It’s fine if it waits until tomorrow. I’ve got more important things to do,” Silvio argues. 

“You’re too overprotective, no two ways about it,” Rio sighs. 

“Shut up,” Silvio retorts. “ She doesn’t exactly take very good care of herself, so better overprotective than not.”

Rio doesn’t say anything in reply to that, and Silvio lapses into musing to himself how Emma just casually does reckless things - she’d already worked herself into collapsing from fever once before. And when he’d taken her out on the town the other day, it was obvious the pressure and exhaustion were getting to her. Trying to reassure her about the rumors the merchants were spreading due to his own infatuation had only seemed to make things worse, and made him worry more. Hence his clandestine party watching.

He was right to come, though, he reasons as he clicks his tongue with irritation at the distant Emma and observes she’s def not feeling well.

“You noticed?” Rio asks, and Silvio points out to him how Emma’s lacking her usual spark. Rio seems surprised that Silvio can tell that from even this far away…but to himself, Silvio thinks how it’s not any wonder he could see that, given how much time he spends watching Emma.

But…can he really let her go to that party in such a state??

He takes a step forward as if to follow her onto the boat, only for Rio to stop him. “Hey! Don’t interrupt! You know Emma doesn’t want your help.”

That just pisses Silvio off, that Rio thinks he knows what Emma’s thinking. But most of all, he hates this - he can’t stand seeing Emma in pain or suffering.

~~~~~~~~

After the party, in the carriage he’s stuffed Emma into the moment it was over, the world’s longest and most awkward silence reigns until Emma’s finally fed up.

“Ahhhhrgh! What’s with the silence?!” she cries.

Silvio can’t think of what to say though, wracked with guilt as Emma’s words keep coming back to him. 

“Do you really not trust me?”

It’s not that he doesn’t have faith in her, things just sort of ended up this way, and he’s frustrated trying to think of what else he should have done. Is she really trying to tell him that leaving her to her fever was the right thing to do?? He’s got things he wants to say to her, but he can’t seem to get his thoughts together well enough to articulate it no matter how desperately he wants to…and he only grows more frustrated with himself for not being able to put his feelings into words. 

“If you have something to say, just say it!” she tells him.

“Sick people shouldn’t be shouting,” he scowls.

“I am not sick,” Emma argues. 

He tells her not to lie, even as he concedes that her complexion’s improved at least. Putting a hand to her forehead to test her temperature, which seems normal now.

She suggests it might be due to her stress finally having ended, but to himself Silvio still vows to have a doctor take a look at her when they get home. 

“You had a stomach ache the other day, and a fever today,” Silvio frowns. 

“It’s fine to be a bit under the weather, as long as you get through it,” Emma counters. To himself he thinks that he’d do something about it long before it got to that point, but his train of thought is cut off when she prompts him again. “So, back to the subject -”

He’s still silent, unable to find the words, and feigns ignorance as he pointedly stares out the window to avoid her. The sea outside the carriage is calm, but his heart is in turmoil, as if struck by some great storm. 

“The ocean is beautiful today, isn’t it?” Emma asks, seemingly having given up on the conversation as she looks out at the scenery as well. 

“You wanna stop and see?” he offers, and she asks if that’s okay.

He tells her he’s got nothing else going on today…but he’s thinking how much he knows going to the beach makes her happy. And he’ll get this all straightened out, he’s determined.

With the sunset for a backdrop, he and Emma stroll along the beach - but he can’t stop the frown from creeping back onto his face, and Emma is too sharp to miss the expressions he makes.

“Are you angry?” she asks finally.

“Not with you,” he replies.

“Then, who are you angry with?” she presses.

“Myself of course, I guess,” he admits, and falls into his own thoughts again.

He knows the sort of woman Emma is, and yet he dared try and stomp all over her will. And worst of all, even though he was aware of it, all he could seem to do was annoy her.

Truth be told he, he’s really pissed at himself.

Emma comes to a stop, and he does as well a few steps later. The sound of the crashing waves seeming to chide the silence.

“I know it’s a selfish worry,” Silvio begins. He says that he knows being exhausted or anxious isn’t any sort of reason to shirk your role, and that he knows she wants to fulfill her duty as the king’s consort perfectly. Even though it’s not easy, he shouldn’t have thought trying to escape it was the right thing.

“You realize all that, and yet you still tried to take me away today?” Emma presses. 

He admits that he does, he gets all of this and he knows all of it, but he still can’t help what he thinks. “I don’t want you to have to suffer because of me…” Silvio says, resigned. “I honestly don’t know how to make the woman I love happy.”

In the past, he was always surrounded by nothing but money. Never truly wishing to make someone else happy, so he’s clueless in this regard. But…Emma’s happiness is the only thing he ever wants. If money could buy it for her, he’d gladly spend every last penny he had…but that would never work. 

He’s at a complete loss, fumbling like some kind of child. And that feeling has only grown stronger as the preparations for their engagement ceremony began and the burden fell harder on Emma. Working herself half to death like this, is she really happy?? True happiness should be her having the freedom to laugh, foolishly carefree, all the time.

He’s well aware that he’s hopelessly lost here, because he doesn’t understand the happiness of others.

“Sometimes, it occurs to me…” Emma begins, and he looks at her quizzically. “That you’re pretty adorable, aren’t you, Silvio!”

Scowling and redfaced, he asks if she’s trying to pick a fight - here he is, tying himself up into knots over this and she’s over there grinning?!

He grabs her head and musses it a bit, and she laughs out apologies.

“Quit grinning,” he grouses.

“People tend to do that when they’re happy,” she tells him, and he wonders aloud what exactly about what he just said made her feel happy. “All of it.”

He’s baffled, but Emma goes on to tell him she’s happy every day, actually. 

“That’s coming from the woman who was on the ground with a stomachache yesterday?” he argues.

Emma says she was mostly joking around, and he was egging it on kind of too even, wasn't he? He’s still confused how that would make her happy, and she tells him it DOES, because it’s obvious how Silvio loves her with every bit of himself…a revelation that only leaves him stunned.

“I can do my very best every day because of you, and I want to work through it,” she explains. “You are my happiness.”

He’s unable to process this, reeling as he tries to puzzle it out. Emma is adored by so many people, unlike him - he never considered that something as simple as being loved would bring her happiness. 

Aloud, he wonders if his worries seem stupid, and if something that simple is really enough to make her happy.

“It’s not that simple,” she assures him. “You’re the first person who makes me happy just by being there.”

He’d thought…that it was just him that felt like that. That surely Emma, who is used to being loved by everyone, would feel differently. 

Or so he’d thought.

Without even realizing it, a smile comes to his face.

“Silvio…are you happy?” Emma asks.

He gives her crap about her eyes being blind, before admitting that he wouldn’t be smiling if he wasn’t happy right? She joyfully agrees, and offers him a smile brighter and more dazzling than the setting sun. The look of someone truly happy.

He does have something he wants to say to her - it’s finally hit him. Even with his worry for her, the overprotectiveness and being a burden on her, there’s just one feeling he wants to be sure she’s aware of. 

“I’ll say this just one time,” he tells her, schooling his expression to seriousness. The midsummer sun shining on him, so hot he’s practically sweltering…but he wants to be sure he shares this with her before the ceremony. He takes a deep bracing breath of the sea breeze, and blows it out. “You’re the only one I’d ever be such a fool in love for.”

I can’t remember who I was before I met you, he thinks. That’s how crazy he is about her. 

“I’m only going to say that once in my life,” he prompts her again, as she remains utterly silent. Vaguely affronted as her face remains turned down at the words he’d thrown away all his shame and pride to utter. “How can you not say anything?”

Now it’s just getting embarrassing, and he’s silently pleading with her to say something, anything at all. Grasping her chin and tilting her head up  - only to find Emma’s face bright red, the deep blush covering even her ears and neck. Not a trace of her usual sass to be found.

“D-don’t look at me!” she sputters.

He’s blown away by her face, before he grins and tells her she’s 100% adorable, which only has her gasping that it’s a low blow to say something like that now.

He’ll take the cheater accusation though, gladly, he says…and to himself he’s thinking how gd frigging much he loves her as he steals those warm lips. Kissing her to keep her from realizing how head over heels he is too.

This moment, mesmerized and lost in her, with the sound of the waves crashing distantly - this is the most priceless of treasures. Something he could never ever buy, not with all the riches in the world.

~~~~~~~~

A few days later, the ceremony takes place to name Silvio heir and Emma his fiancee properly. Thanks to her efforts, the party goes off splendidly…

For some reason, the soon-to-abdicate king stops Silvio in an out of the way corner. He’s frustrated at being kept from Emma, but he bites back the urge to lash out over the waste of time. 

“Hey, old geezer. If you don’t have shit to say, I’m gonna leave,” Silvio warns. 

“Still talking like that? If you’re going to be king, you should at least clean up that filthy mouth,” the king warns. 

Silvio says he only talks like that to the king, and he dismisses him, ready to leave, when the king stops him. He tells Silvio they’re not finished talking yet, and he offers the prince a drink. Practically shoving it into Silvio’s hand and filling it to the brim - a tradition for greeting and for blessing happy occasions in Benitoite.

Unhappy but unable to refuse, Silvio drains the glass in one go…and the old man does the same. 

“You…” the old king begins. “Aren’t really like ‘her’ after all, I guess.”

The ‘her’ in question is his mother, Silvio knows. And just thinking of the woman who laughed as she tried to murder the current queen countless times makes him feel sick to his stomach. “Who’d wanna be like that bitch? I have no interest in being some kind of beast. Course, I’ve got no interest in being a nasty old codger like you either.”

The old king angrily says Silvio’s got a real gift for distracting him. “I thought I’d congratulate you even if it’s just a formality, but I guess that’s not necessary.”

“Ha, just now figuring that out?” Silvio scoffs.

The only one the king’s ever given a shit about was that fucking dog - it seems too late to try and be putting on an air of fatherly concern now, Silvio thinks. He slams the glass down on a nearby table and turns away.

“Do a good job, Silvio,” the king says to his back. “...It’s hard work making a woman happy in this position.”

He doesn’t need to be told something like that, he thinks. He already knows. The current queen has had her life threatened many times because of her position, and the king can’t keep her safe from everything. “Don’t worry, old man,” he tells the king as a parting shot. “Unlike you, I’m plenty capable.”

I’ll never make you unhappy, is his silent vow to Emma.

~~~~~~~~

Back in Silvio’s room, he’s got a new trial to deal with - the fact that by the time he escaped the old man and made it back to Emma, it was clearly too late. His fiancee is utterly obliterated after being toasted by so many well-wishers, and is uncharacteristically rather tipsy. Giggling at him and generally acting drunk now that they’re safely in private, although she’d managed to keep it together at the party and present a sober front. 

She pleads with Silvio to acknowledge how well she did after drinking so much, and he grudgingly does - scowling though as he says how everyone in Benitoite is used to this sort of thing as a celebration but she’s from Rhodolite and not yet, so she shouldn’t overdo it. 

“Okaaaaay,” she draws out.

“Can you drink some water?” he asks, and she proudly agrees she can manage that, downing a glass…but she’s getting as much of it on herself as she is in her mouth, spilling out around the edges.

“No, clearly you can’t. Are you doing that on purpose?” he asks suspiciously - it wouldn’t be the first time Emma has pretended to be drunk around him. (She does this in his route and forces him to carry her back to the carriage) But he’s pretty sure she’s not faking it this time…and he’s trying real hard not to be a perv and ogle the way she’s gotten the whole front of her dress wet.

He pushes the naughty thoughts aside and takes a nearby cloth to dry her off, which leads to her smiling up at him all dazedly and hugging him tightly. 

“W-what the?” he asks, flustered. 

“Silvio…tonight…is the first night since we got engaged,” she points out.

He’s still redfaced and silent as he notices the Benitoite gem winking on her ring finger, the one he’d given her as an engagement ring. An unmistakable reminder of the way their relationship had officially changed that leaves him reeling. 

“I—I want to tell you that I love you a lot,” Emma goes on. “I love you so much Silvio!!”

And he’s left at an utter loss as to what he should do now…

TBC in epilogue!

~~~~~~~~

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[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Team Sexy Card Story

So, the premise here in these card stories is that in order for the five vain dudes (from Team Sexy of the voting showdown - see this summary here to read their story) to show off their manly bods charms, they decide to have portraits painted by a court painter. This takes place after Emma and the suitor are a couple…

In Silvio's room at the Rhodolite castle…

“Silvio, you were so cool!”

Emma’s declaration is met with silence, and she tries again. “All that gold was pocket change for you, and you’ve got the body of a man of the sea.”

Still, there’s no reaction from Silvio.

“I totally fell for you all over again!” she tells him. 

He doesn’t reply or respond even to that - total crickets. 

Jin and Clavis’ pranks had led to Silvio being practically forced into stripping his clothes and posing for a portrait, and to say he’s in a foul mood over it would be the understatement of the year. Emma is doing her best to try and cheer him up, but he doesn’t seem to be paying her any mind. Instead he’s lying facedown on the bed, motionless. Sulking.

“You’re shite at this. You think some clichéd junk like that is going to make me feel better?” his muffled voice asks.

Emma’s grumbling under her breath about what a pain in the ass he is.

“Hey, I can hear you.” Silvio finally lifts his head from beside her and tousles her hair roughly. 

She tells him he doesn’t have any reason to be embarrassed, and he argues that he’s not, but she points out that his face was a bit red while he was posing. 

“...Shut up,” he huffs. 

“You should be used to posing for portraits,” she continues pressing, and he scoffs that of course he is - but why should he have to leave such a stupidly dressed (or undressed) portrait to posterity?

Emma confesses that some of that is in service to Jin and Clavis’ shenanigans…aaaand it’s also kinda for her. >.>

“Huh?” Silvio looks startled at her admission.

She’d wanted to keep this part a secret, but she owns up to it now. “I made a secret deal with Clavis, and I’m supposed to get the portrait later. That way, even if you’re not around, as long as I have the painting I can see you.” He’s silent at that, and she also admits to being heckin embarrassed at having told him that. 

“I bet,” he says, before he scowls. “Ahhh, damn it all.”

He sits up in a flash and grabs Emma, putting a hand behind her head and yanking her towards him ferociously - only for her lips to be sealed by something soft. 

When she protests how that just came out of nowhere without any warning, he tells her to be quiet. “It’s because you say the dumbest things.” He nips at her lips, his tongue finding hers, and the heat that fills his sea-colored eyes this time isn’t embarrassment. “If you have the time to be staring at my portrait when you’re missing me, then call for me.”

“And you’ll come running?” she asks. He grins and says if she insists, and she presses the question further. “Even when you’re at sea?”

“If that’s the case, I’ll just have to take you with me. Seeing as how you’re the lonely type and all?”

She’s trying to figure out how he can say the most charming things sometimes, for someone who’s such a tsundere embarrassed disaster most of the time. And this time it’s she who loops her arms around Silvio’s neck and drops a kiss on his lips. Lingering a little before pulling back to find her tyrant’s cheeks clearly blushing. 

“The real thing is definitely better,” she proclaims.

“Obviously,” Silvio says. “I don’t love you half-assed enough to lose to a painting.” 

She has to admit to herself that’s true…and that when she’s with Silvio, she doesn’t have time to be looking at any portraits anyways. Their kiss deepens as they fall back on the bed together, and the night goes on - full of loveliness and affection that no painting could ever convey.

#ikemen prince #ikepri #ikepri silvio #spoiler #spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #mrs o's translations of dubious quality #the haughty puppy #never over his facedown sulks #OR HOW STINKING CUTE THEY ARE AS A COUPLE #my fave dynamic #bickering with love

[dear-mrs-otome]

Galileo Galilei - White Day

"These are for you."

MC is startled when out of nowhere Galileo offers her a bouquet of white flowers, wrapped in paper. (I see that wrapping job there sir, nice attempt at casual) They're very beautiful, she can't help thinking, but she's a bit baffled by the gesture - especially given his usual, standoffish demeanor.

She asks why he's giving these to her, and Galileo reminds her how she gave him chocolates last month, right?

He's merely returning the favor. She hadn't had any expectations that he might, but she's happy regardless.

Aloud, she laughs a little. "You're a conscientious person too," she tells him. (Echoing the way he'd called her that for gifting him Valentine's chocolate as an apology for using his telescope without permission in their very first story)

"I just don't want to be in anyone's debt," he replies.

She gladly accepts the flowers and remarks on how beautiful they are, but she's not familiar with what kind they are. He tells her he's not sure of all the specifics but they're a type of helichrysum - although usually those come in bright colors. These white ones came as a fluke from a university cultivation program, not the color they wanted at all. (AM I THE ONLY ONE READING SOME HEAVY SYMBOLISM HERE?)

He says when he heard they were just going to be tossed, her words came to mind. (How she'd mentioned, when they first met, that she felt like even chance encounters can have meaning) And with her having said something like that, he thought she would treasure these new flowers.

She's kind of silently stunned he remembered her words like that.

"You can throw them away if you have no need of them. Do as you please," Galileo tells her offhandedly.

"No!" she gasps. "I'll take good care of them!"

Galileo just does an about face at that and walks off without another word...but as he goes, the last glimpse she catches of his expression seems softer.

Back at the mansion on the balcony, she's looking at the flowers again and musing how they look like she's holding shooting stars in her hand. Maybe the same thing had occurred to Galileo, which is why he wanted to save the flowers? Because he seems to love the stars so much.

She stares up at the night sky, thinking about his still unseen heart.

~~~~~~~~~~

MRS. O'S TINFOIL HAT RAMBLINGS:

I already blathered a bit in tags o a different post about the flower symbolism, but let me do it again. These are white strawflowers, which are also known as helichrysum, fyi.

Very lovely, and they dry and remain almost perfectly preserved, hence some of their other names: Everlasting, or Immortelle. They symbolize eternal life or immortality - but also something 'always remembered' and some take it a step further and go with 'eternal love'. Usually they come in many different colors of pinks and reds, or white with bright yellow centers.

This has me side-eyeing things so hard though because the very first story we ever got of his involves MC wandering the Timey-Wimey Hallway, being called and cajoled by a sexy voice she later figures out is Galileo's, and she gets to witness a bit of his past and his imprisonment. Drake's story definitely was just a normal, meet-cute on the street style, nothing as mystical as timewalking. I have a feeling this is going to feature prominently in his stories, along with the heavy emphasis that there is no such thing as a random meaningless encounter.

BUT ALSO, here's heavy tinfoil time! Maybe I'm looking too hard but the symbolism doesn't escape me here of him identifying with and feeling empathy towards these white flowers that symbolize eternity (all pale colored, much like our hero, no??) that are an unwanted accident. A misfire of genetics that's only good to be tossed away and culled. I STAND BY MY DHAMPIR/ HALF-PUREBLOOD THEORY.

#ikemen vampire #ikevamp #ikevamp galileo #mrs o's translations of dubious quality #spoiler #spoilers #ikemen vampire spoilers #ikevamp spoilers #BONUS MRS O RAMPANT SPECULATION

[dear-mrs-otome]

Jude Jazza - Fake Lovers Event + Sweet End

(AKA Villainous Love That Unfolds on a Moonless Night but fuck that title it's too long)

I make no guarantees on accuracy. I make no guarantees on seriousness. This is, on multiple occasions, a shitpost in summary form - but I hope you enjoy it anyways.

~~~~~~~~

Our story opens on Kate - her lips hot, her heart pounding - telling Jude that she never wants to be the ‘lover’ of someone like him, ever again.

Jude thanks her sarcastically, before telling her it should have been him turning down someone like her to begin with…and Kate’s in total disbelief, wtf is wrong with me style, at the fact that his cruel smile is kinda doing it for her right now.

Absolutely fucking not, she’s telling herself. IX-NAY, FULL STOP, BAD OVARIES DOWN GIRL.

~~~Rewinddddd~~~

After she’d become the fairy tale writer, Victor had come up with an idea to help Kate get to know the boyos better, her first task. To pick one of the members of the Crown and spend the day as their ‘lover’. She’s like, nani the fuck?? How am I supposed to pick someone for that? But Victor’s clearly evil accounted for this, because he’s got the solution - if she can’t decide, he’ll decide for her. With DARTS.

Already prepared for this, Victor hucks a dart at a target and then immediately turns to her all soberfaced and apologizing. Not feeling that apologetic though because the next moment he’s smiling as he says she might be in for a bumpy road. He leads her to the lounge and goes right up to JUDE, of all people, which has Kate utterly dismayed. He literally managed to pick the WORST person possible, didn’t he?!

Jude is far from pleased at being interrupted, looking up from his paper with bitchface as Victor explains his proposal, and his answer is clear. A flat nope.

Just because she’s a woman, he’s supposed to have her pose as his lover? He doesn’t think she’s got the stomach for it in the first place.

Victor cheerfully tells him he’ll bump up how much money Jude’s getting next month, and Jude’s still far from pleased at the idea but money clearly talks, and with a patented-Jude ‘tch’ and a sneer he turns to Kate. 

Jude: Once we’re outta here, I don’t wanna hear whining anythin’ like ‘I wanna go back’ or ‘I hate this’ or whatever. Promise that and we’re on.

She’s thinking fine fine, she’s come this far already may as well give it a go. She’s gotta take this first task and do it well  so that she can be trusted as a fairytale writer and get out of this castle.

Kate: Yes! I promise!

Jude lets out a sigh like he can’t believe she just said that so enthusiastically, and Roger chimes in looking totally gobsmacked. He warns her that she’s just earned herself a rough go of it, making a promise to Jude - Jude’s deadly serious about keeping promises he’s made, but he expects the same of anyone else, and he’ll exact cruel ruthless revenge on anyone who breaks their word. 

Kate’s all kinds of nervous hearing that now, and when she echoes it she glances over to find Jude with a cruel smile on his face, as if enjoying her fear.

Jude: Don't make promises so easily, Princess. I’m gonna spend the rest of the day teachin' you that.

~~~~~~~~

It takes her only a few minutes to regret her life choices, wishing for nothing more than to go back home already.

Jude and Ellis had told her they were going to work, so she tagged along with them, and it had taken only a brief while before Jude had ducked into an alley off the road and there been accosted by a man with a knife. He jumps out, yelling about how he can’t forgive (a thoroughly unimpressed) Jude for wanting to make the man lose his mansion, his property, everything he has. No matter how much he works he’ll never pay off his debts, the man shouts. His family will be ruined! It’s ALL Jude’s fault!

Jude merely says Ellis’ name, and in a blink Ellis has the man pinned to the ground, disarmed.

Leaving Kate shocked by how fast he moved and how deftly he handled that. 

Jude reminds the man it was HE who broke his contract - if he wants to starve to death paying for a lawsuit he can’t win, go right on ahead. Tossing those words at him all casually as he simply walks by, leaving the man wailing on the ground. 

The dude seems pretty defeated, so Ellis lets go of him and gets up to follow Jude…but Kate is conflicted. Obviously she doesn’t have any clue what sort of deal the guy had with Jude, or how he broke it, but he seems pretty busted up and too pathetic to just leave him lying there in the dirt like this. Feeling bad, she takes out her handkerchief and hands it to the man - but all that ends up doing is enraging him, feeling like he’s being pitied by a girl like her. 

He grabs her leg rather than the kerchief, causing her to squeal and tell the man to let go of her, but he shouts at her for mouthing off to him. 

Just as she’s frozen in fear…a well-polished shoe smashes the man’s face. 

Jude: Don’t just touch something of mine.

Kate’s aghast as she follows the leg attached to the heel still grinding into the man’s face and finds Jude standing there, looking down at the dude and looking pissed. The man manages a few grunts, but that just causes Jude to grin and say how much he’s relishing the man’s miserable expression. Laughing at the sight of the blood running from the agonized man’s nose before turning away.

Kate forces herself to follow Jude, leaving the broken man behind, but she still carefully leaves her handkerchief beside him before she goes.

~~~~~~~~

Though the method might leave something to be desired, she’s gotta admit to herself that Jude protected her, and so she thanks him when they get back out to the street. But Jude just scoffs that she’s a sheltered princess, and tells her he didn’t do it for her. It’s because right now she’s supposed to to be ‘his woman’, and if he lets someone doing something to her slide to her it’ll only cause problems for him - AKA he’s gotta keep up appearances.

She thinks to herself that she’d rather he just accepted her thanks, since he did help her, but she gets why he was so vicious about it at least. And she broaches the subject of the guy, asking what the deal was with him, but all Jude says on the matter is that the guy made promises he couldn’t keep, and now he’s paying for them. 

Jude: Pretty sad, pathetic, and hilarious, innit?

She’s trying to figure out how Jude’s so chill about a dude hating him enough to want to kill him - actually, scratch calm, he looks almost like he’s enjoying the whole thing. Like he’s having fun. And she thinks back to the write-up she’d seen on Jude:

‘Curse: The 13th Fairy. Ruthless, arrogant, and vindictive.’

Sounds spot on, she’s thinking. 

Jude reminds her to watch herself, lest she end up like that dude, because he knows she was just thinking how she wanted to go back home and how she hated all this. (AKA about to break her promise too)

Kate: I might have thought it, but I didn’t SAY it.

Jude: A shame. I went into that alley and put you in danger and everythin'.

Cue Kate like…whaaa? She asks incredulously if he's saying he tried to get her attacked on purpose to make her break her promise?!?

Jude smirks and implies she managed to guess right, which only enrages Kate.

Kate: You’re the worst!

Jude (100% unrepentant and grinning): Why thank you. I’m lookin' forward to finding out just 'ow long that sassy attitude of yours lasts.

~~~~~~~~

She’d assumed saying they were going to work meant an office or something, but instead they bring her to the dockyards. Makes sense though she guesses, when you own a trading company. 

Jude sends Ellis off to prepare for some unspecified ‘thing’ that might happen tonight, and Ellis seems to get what he’s alluding to, bidding Kate a cheerful farewell and leaving her wondering just what they’re talking about and where Ellis is going. Pondering that she follows along after Jude as he moves about the dockyards, giving instructions here and there. He speaks with dock workers and the foreman and she finds herself a seat between crates to watch him as he does. Taking in the way everyone looks at him with a mixture of fear, nervousness, and sometimes hostility - tempered with respect.

He finishes up the conversation, and a friendly young man comes rushing up to Jude, who pulls a face at how loud the man, Jack, is. Jack is delighted that Jude remembers his name, and Kate’s a little surprised to see that someone out there is a Jude fan. 

That’s about when Jack notices her there, and asks who she is.

Jude: Oh, my woman.

Jack’s about to losing his mind over this revelation - holy what?? Bossman’s girlfriend?? And he’s practically shouting, so loud that Kate’s cringing as a sea of eyes turn her way. It freaks her out and she wonders if it’s all in her imagination that she feels like people are all jinxing her.

Jude scowls and says what of it? What if he does have a girlfriend? Jack’s left trying to make excuses and apologize for making a spectacle, until Jude just long-suffering sighs and tells him to get back to work

Felling hella uncomfortable, Kate’s scrunching herself down between the crates and such trying to stay out of sight as much as possible, when she senses Jude’s amusement and looks up.

Jude: Yeah, good, stay small like that. There’s plenty of people who’d kill you just for bein’ my woman.

She asks if he’s meaning to say she might be attacked again like she was before, getting nervous all over again remembering that guy who’d grabbed her leg.

Jude asks if she’s scared, and she starts to say OF COURSE but she stops herself, trying to decide if he’d consider it a complaint if she did. (AKA a violation of her promise)

He snorts at that and steps closer and says of course she’d be terrified - a sheltered, defenseless princess like her? It’ll be a miracle for her to make it home unscathed after all the things that’ll happen to her. 

Only when he finishes does she realize he’s backed her up against the crates, with nowhere else to run - a fact he gleefully points out. He wraps his fingers around her throat and squeezes, not enough to hurt or cut her air off, but tight enough to make her blood run cold. 

Kate: Sto-!

She keeps herself from finishing that too, not willing to tell him to stop and risk breaking her promise. But being unable to resist like that only amps up her fear more.

Jude: If I put just a bit more strength into this hand, you’re never going back to the castle. Alright?

Kate’s thinking NO ACTUALLY THIS IS FAR FROM OKAY?! But she can’t protest so she does the next best thing - glares at him furiously.

Jude lets out a little laugh and says he likes that face, it’s the cutest thing he’s seen all day. He almost feels bad for her, because she clearly wants to go home but can’t say it. If she breaks her promise, he’ll do terrible things to her, no?

He seems amused, clearly seeing right through her fears and conflict, and she wonders if THIS is what he meant when he’d threatened to show her that she shouldn't make promises so easily. But that’s just what she does.

Pissed off now, Kate finds her voice, and furiously she tells him it’s not because she’s afraid of his vengeance that she doesn’t protest. It’s simply because she doesn’t want to give up on earning their trust and earning her freedom.

Jude looks taken aback, as she finishes by telling him that’s why she will keep the promise she made to him.

He clicks his tongue and lets go of her, and the sudden rush of blood to her head makes her dizzy. She staggers and starts to fall, but he grabs her by the upper arm and hauls her roughly back to steady on her feet.

Jude: Can’t have my woman just falling down can I?

She’s fuming to herself about how he’s still quite literally The Worst, when he tells her he’s going to be taking care of some business so she’s on her own for awhile here, and with that he just unceremoniously leaves. And stays gone, for hours…long enough for Kate to be left wishing for home once more as she���s freezing her ass off once night begins to fall. 

The young man from earlier, Jack, approaches her, and she recognizes him. Jack tells her that Jude’s sent for her, and she’s fuming internally at him leaving her along for friggin ever and then summoning her whenever he damn well feels like it…but she forces herself to smile and accepts Jack’s offer to take her to him.

He takes her through the streets to a business warehouse, and inside she sees an unfamiliar man dressed in black with a bowler hat on, and guards surrounding him. 

Bowler Hat Man: Are you Jude Jazza’s girl?

A wary Kate tries to back out, but she’s grabbed by Jack. Appalled, she asks Jack if he’s stabbing Jude in the back, but Jack tells her it’s not betrayal - it was just contracted work, and he’s found a better-paying job. Who wouldn’t take it?

Jack hands her over to the Bowler Hat Man, who evil chuckles over how he figured Kate would make a worthwhile hostage so he’d had her brought in - that man bringing a woman along is something that never happens. Kate asks if by ‘that man’ he means Jude, and the Bowler Hat Man agrees. He tells her how Jude killed a dude who tried sending a woman to seduce Jude for his own gain, and that Jude seems to surprisingly give a shit about ladies. 

Kate’s like uhhh are you sure you’ve got the right person here?? This amuses the Bowler Hat Man a ton, but he says basically that Jude’s got some dirt on him, and he’s going to leverage Kate’s safety in exchange for negotiating.

She asks what’ll happen if Jude refuses, and the Bowler Hat Man simply says too bad so sad, that’ll mean she dies. THAT scares the shit out of her, because she knows there’s no freaking way Jude’s going to negotiate for her. She’s gonna have to figure out how to somehow get out of this all on her own.

Kate tries to tell the guy that she just tagged along with Jude to work today, but Bowler Hat says nah girl you were spotted getting all flirty at the docks today.

Kate: Did that seriously look like we were flirting? He was strangling me!?

Bowler Hat Man says hey, some people are into that kinda thing, and Kate’s about ready to choke at that.  She starts vehemently protesting that she really truly doesn’t have anything to do with that man (Jude), this is all just a huge misunderstanding!

Jude’s voice: What a terrible thing to say about your lover…I’m wounded.

She turns around at the sound of his voice and the thump of something heavy falling to the ground, and sees Jude there walking in past an unconscious guard, tossing out a snarky greeting and an apology for interrupting.

SWEET END

The man in the bowler hat recognizes Jude, and he grabs Kate, wrapping an arm around her tightly and pressing something up against her forehead that she realizes, to her horror, is a pistol.

Jude: Ha, that’s a great look, Kate.

She’s bracing herself for the inevitable moment where Jude says she’s not his lover and he refuses to negotiate, at which point…she’ll be killed. Just the thought has her shaking like a leaf with fear - and Jude seems to be genuinely enjoying the sight of her in terror as he laughs and says how much he likes the frightened look in her eyes. 

He asks if she wants his help, and she’s thinking NO SHIT ISN’T THAT OBVIOUS?

She’s nodding YES desperately, only to be left more and more of a nervous wreck as Jude strings her along, until the Bowler Hat Man is like, so much for a sweet reunion between lovers?

Jude’s a little disappointed he’s got to stop enjoying the sight of Kate in distress and pay attention to the man, but he switches his focus from her to Bowler Hat and states that it seems the guy is using Jude’s warehouse for business other than they’d agreed on. Jude doesn’t give a shit if he wants to use it to sell guns or whatever other nastiness - BUT. They had a contract that specifically said no buying or selling of PEOPLE didn’t they?

Kate’s thinking, holy crap they’re trading in people?

Bowler Hat wants Jude to overlook all that though - after all, he says, even poor people can fetch a good price when sold. It’ll line Jude’s pockets and help clean the filth from London’s shithole excuse for a port.

Jude’s just silent at that, and the guy keeps wheedling - Jude loves other people’s misery, and money, so of course he’d let something like this slide, right?? If Jude agrees to it, he’ll give Kate back unharmed.

She’s summing this all up in her head, that obviously what’s going on here is the guy broke his contract with Jude to use a warehouse he’d rented from him to engage in human trafficking. And now he’s trying to threaten Jude into letting it continue.

The whole thing makes her sick to her stomach, and while she doesn’t WANT to die she can’t wrap her head around sparing herself at the expense of ignoring the awful shit this guy’s up to. 

She could never, ever, do such a horrible thing.

So, biting her lip to hold back her fear, she looks squarely at Jude and puts all her effort into keeping her voice from trembling when she speaks. 

Kate: Jude…that nod earlier? I take it back.

He startles at that before he answers.

Jude: You’re seriously hopeless, you know that?

But her heart skips a beat at the smile he’s wearing when he says it - pitying and dumbfounded, but somehow still gentle. She’s honestly having a hard time believing what she’s seeing.

Slightly warm fuzzy moment all gone though when the smile falls from his face and he says he doesn’t need to be told what to do by her, so quiet down. His eyes are cold when he turns back to Bowler Hat and says there’s a few things the man seems to have misunderstood about him that he’s going to clear up. 

First - that Jude loves other people’s misery and money. What he loves is eating the rich, basically. He loves the despair when the high and mighty, like Bowler Hat, fall from their comfy lap of luxury. 

Bowler Hat has only a moment to be like, wtf? Before the air in the warehouse is torn apart by gunshots and screams, as the guards surrounding Bowler Hat all collapse. He’s so dumbfounded that Jude easily darts in and takes advantage of the distraction to twist his gun arm back. 

Secondly, Jude tells him, is that no matter what kind of leverage someone tries to use against him he’ll never let anyone get away with breaking a contract.

Jude: Third…

He rips Kate away from the man and into his own arms on a sneer.

Jude: Whatever my answer is, I’m gonna be sure to get her back without a scratch.

He drives a knee hard into Bowler Hat’s stomach at that, and the man falls over on the spot. Kate’s still trying to catch up to the fact that Jude’s helped her again…and trying to tell her pounding heart to chill out. It’s most definitely NOT racing over Jude saving her bacon, or because he’s holding her. Absolutely not. Clearly it’s just because she’s scared.

Clearly.

She knows she’s telling herself lies nobody would believe, and in the meantime Jude aims the pistol he stole from Bowler Hat at him and tells him not to worry - he’s not going to turn him over to the police. In return for that, he just asks the man to be the subject for some dangerous research. Jude takes perverse delight in the idea of Bowler Hat experiencing the ‘joys’ of physical labor for the first time.

When the agonized man finally passes out, Jude calls out for Ellis to carry the guy off, and Ellis materializes out of the shadows with his own gun in hand. He observes on a smile that Jude seems pretty pleased right now, which only leads Jude to pull a face and tell Ellis to go get his eyes checked if that’s what he sees, after dropping this dude off at the lab.

Ellis seems a little disappointed, but he does as asked and disappears with Bowler Hat.

Kate asks if the man is going to be killed, and Jude tells her that he accepted this mission on the condition that if he could destroy the human trafficking ring, he alone got to decide whether the target lived or died.

Jude: I don’t see why I should let condescending bastards, living comfy and cushy lives while they exploit others, get off with something as easy as dying. It’s the way of the world that what goes around comes around, and it wouldn’t be fair for them to die before suffering through the same hell, right?

Kate’s still reeling from the revelation that this was all a mission though, and says as much aloud. Jude grimaces at her screeching and says what the heck else would it be?

Kate: So you didn’t come to my rescue because I was kidnapped by accident…

Jude tells her he knew they’d try anything to get him to negotiate with them, so she’d make a natural target if she was seen out and about with him. Kate’s like, wait you KNEW THAT and you left me alone?!

They devolve into arguing, Jude exasperated that she’s gotta pester him with so many obvious questions and Kate still furious that hello?? She might have been KILLED?!

Jude, scoffing: I’d never do anything to get my bait killed.

Kate’s just seeing red over having been used as bait, and she tells Jude, once again, that he is The Worst. Jude’s practically rolling his eyes as he tells her she already used that line earlier, doesn’t she have any new ones? Lighting up a smoke, he walks out of the warehouse - pausing on the way to land a hard parting kick on Jack, who is lying on the ground with the rest of the defeated guards.

~~~~~~~~

Back out at the docks, Kate questions Jude as to the nature of this ‘dangerous research’ he’s going to use that man as a subject for, but he tells her it’ll never have anything to do with her. 

If it’s so dangerous, it seems like it might have serious and permanent effects, and she’s wondering whether Bowler Hat will come seeking revenge on Jude if he survives it. Also remembering with a shudder the hatred in the man’s eyes who threatened Jude with a knife in the alley. She could never stomach living with people constantly hating you and wanting to see you dead.

Kate: The more you torment people, the more they'll just hate you…why do you have to torture them?

Jude just smirks and tells her it’s the price of a delightful hobby, and she asks if it’s really fun enough to risk his life over. He stops at that and turns back towards her, causing Kate to almost crash into him, leaving them almost nose to nose. 

Jude: Can I torment you until you hate me so much you wanna kill me, just to be sure?

Only for him to immediately break out laughing when Kate gasps, and say he’s just fucking with her. Quite pleased with himself at having her at a loss.

He tells her that a sheltered princess would never get it, and she thinks that she doesn’t understand and she doesn’t WANT to understand. 

This man’s a cold-hearted, arrogant, ruthless sadist…but…when he put her in danger today, it was Jude who freed her and kept her safe. If he’d really made that promise to her with ill intent, she’d not have made it through the day unscathed. 

That moment where Jude had promised to spend the day showing her the folly of making promises so lightly comes back to mind again…and she realizes he’d done exactly what he’d said he would and taught her the rules of this dark world she’s stepped into. Maybe because he knows the importance of a promise. 

That doesn’t make showing appreciation any easier to swallow though, leaving her to force herself to thank him for today. 

Jude asks what’s with the surly attitude saying it, would it kill her to smile more? Aaaand Kate’s back to exasperated with this man, but she tells him she learned a lot about the dangers of making promises and that she’ll be more careful next time, all on a smile this time.

Jude snarkily praises that…then grabs her chin with a cold smile, setting her flailing and asking what he’s doing.

Jude: You’ve done a good job of keeping your agreement with Victor and your promise to me…but I saved your life two times today. You owe me twice.

Kate’s in disbelief, even as ruthless amethyst eyes glint at her bewitchingly. Like a cunning predator, toying with its prey. Then Jude smirks and wonders aloud…what exactly should he get in return for saving his ‘sweetheart’?

FIN

(The little scene we get at the start of the story is from the epilogue)

~~~~~~~~

<< Bitter End | Epilogue >> (TBC)

~~~~~~~~

@violettduchess @just-simping-over-genshin

#ikemen villains #ikevil #ikevil jude #spoiler #spoilers #ikemen villains spoilers #ikevil spoilers #mrs o's translations of dubious quality

[dear-mrs-otome]

Tamamo - Main Story - Chp 01

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes if/when they come to English.

If you are unfamiliar with the story of Ikemen Genjiden, I will direct you to read the excellent prologue summaries posted by @/sakura-samsura here - these are the updated ones that include the introductions of the newer characters as well. You may notice discrepancies between my character's onscreen name, Aya, and what I use in the translations, but given that Yoshino is the 'canon' name and I prefer writing that over 'MC' I will use it in these stories.

Done with all that? Then carry on, and meet our mischievous fox.

Outside the gates of the shogunate’s castle, Yoshino is reminding herself of her goals now: absorb enough magical mojo to fulfill her pact with Tamamo, and open her own apothecary business. With an enthusiastic cheer, she thanks the gathered men and says she looks forward to working with them and offers Yoritomo a respectful bow. 

Tamamo, looking on proudly, strokes her head and praises her energetic good cheer. “That’s just like my girl,” he declares, as she awkwardly thanks him.

He brushes it off, thanking her instead for her honest nature with a smile, and she can’t help blushing slightly under his compliments and his hand on her hair. 

Shigehira though voices his obvious mistrust of Tamamo, and the two bicker slightly as Tamamo mocks him back, clearly enjoying pushing the prickly man’s buttons.

Yoshino looks on, fretting, and tries to break up the squabble insisting they shouldn’t get off on the wrong foot if they’re all gonna be comrades.

Kagetoki cuts her off though. “Comrade’s a bit far. We’re just agreeing to use each other for our own ends, aren’t we?”

She’s appalled at his mercenary categorization, but Kagetoki insists it’s important to be clear about these sorts of things, leaving her stunned. 

At a word from Yoritomo, Morinaga threatens both Shigehira and Kagetoki and they both step back from him, clearly chastized...and she’s left wondering if this bizarre dynamic is what passes for the norm around the shogunate. Morinaga insists they’ll get to know each other better soon enough, no need to sweat the small stuff now, which only sours Shigehira’s mood even further. 

“Troublesome man…” Tamamo says at Shigehira’s continued suspicions. “Do you want to know who I am?” His eyes gleam gold, preternatural in the dim night light as he surveys each of them. “I am Tamamo, the Nine-Tailed Fox. Nothing more, nothing less. And I am most pleased to make your acquaintance, humans.”

They all look at him, stunned into silence, as Yoshino thinks that he really didn’t answer ANY question at all.

Shigehira grumbles as much aloud, and Kagetoki agrees. “The only thing we know for sure at this point is he’s a troublemaker.”

Yoritomo muses how the more tails a fox has, the higher its power - and he’s heard that the nine-tailed fox, a kyuubi, is a once-in-an-era being.

“Tamamo’s that big of a deal?!” Yoshino asks, stunned to realize exactly what sort of ayakashi she’s gotten herself tied to - and realizing it’s no wonder he’s got such a dignified air about him if he’s such an illustrious being. 

“Feel free to worship me,” Tamamo agrees with a genial smile, to her sputtering protest. “No matter then...give it time, and my greatness will come to you.” 

She wonders again at the circumstances that have led to him choosing HER of all people to ally himself with...as Kagetoki points out dryly in the background that currently Tamamo has nowhere near enough power left to assume that anyone would revere him.

The two bicker a little now too, Tamamo bristling slightly at Kagetoki’s implications while Kagetoki tells him the equivalent of ‘put up or shut up’ - that it’s not about what you’d done in the past but what you can still do that matters. “My power will eventually recover,” Tamamo reminds him.

“I certainly hope so, or else that’s a real problem,” Yoritomo interjects, looking around at the people gathered there, exuding the dignified confident air she’d expect of the shogun. “All of you, human or not, I have just one thing to say to you - do your job well.”

Tamamo assures him there’s no cause to worry there, and his self-assured smile only serves to highlight his beauty in the luminous moonlight...as Yoshino looks on, wondering if things will really be as simple as all that.

The next morning finds her and Tamamo invited to a meeting with Yoritomo. She’s trying to hustle Tamamo through the corridors, as he keeps getting distracted and gawking at different decorations and other things, strolling leisurely along as she frets.

He whines as they go about humans misguided priorities, and how looking at the art on the walls in infinitely preferable to going and staring at a bunch of dude’s faces. 

She scolds him again, saying they can’t keep Yoritomo waiting - the very idea terrifying her because he seems so stern. Tamamo assures her though they’re too valuable to Yoritomo for him to do anything to them.

“Even so, he could still say something terrible!” she insists, reminding Tamamo that Yoritomo IS the shogun and therefore basically the leader of everything they know. It illustrates the difference between ayakashi and human outlooks, she thinks.

Tamamo finally relents though and admits that it’s obvious Yoritomo has power and influence, if only because it’s illustrated by his rough, samurai-filled war-oriented castle still holding many valuable items of art and craft from all corners of the world. 

“It seems the samurai came to great power while I was sleeping in that stone,” he observes. “It’s fascinating to see the changes of the human world, isn’t it Yoshino?”

Finally, they make it to the gathering hall and find all of the shogun’s head retainers gathered there with Yoritomo - Kagetoki, Morinaga, and Shigehira, along with more than a dozen other samurai as well. 

“Bold of you to be late to the very first meeting,” Kagetoki snipes, and she wilts under the weight of the stares of all those gathered as she wonders if she dares try for an excuse. 

“Yoshino,” Tamamo says in a quiet voice only she can hear. “Just play along, and do as I do.”

Baffled, she watches as Tamamo steps forward and gracefully kneels, bowing his head. She hastens to copy him, as he begins to speak. “Unfamiliar with the place as I was, I found myself lost. I humbly beg your pardon, Lord Yoritomo.”

Yoshino blinks at the abrupt change in Tamamo, and looks around to see all of the samurai appear enraptured by Tamamo’s dazzling smile. 

“Of course, of course - please, take a seat,” Yoritomo replies, fake-charming smile plastered firmly on his own face as Tamamo thanks him.

He and Yoshino head towards the last open seats as the samurai speak up, asking Yoritomo who the newcomers are. Yoritomo introduces Tamamo as a man who’s traveled from China and has paused in his journeys to share his knowledge with the shogunate. 

Yoshino is startled by the smooth lie Yoritomo offers them, but the samurai all seem reassured that Tamamo’s strange air can be explained away by his foreignness. 

“Please forgive me in advance for any rudeness, given that I am not yet familiar with the culture here,” Tamamo demurs, to a chorus of reassurances from the gathered men, and Yoshino notices that - perhaps due to the words of Yoritomo - the vassals all seem to have defaulted to using the most respectful language with Tamamo. 

The men exchange more pleasantries and Yoshino is mostly just impressed with the slick improv of both Yoritomo and Tamamo on the spot - the two men bringing to mind to her a fox and a tanuki conversing, two shifty characters acting their parts so well. 

“What about the woman, then?” one of the samurai finally asks. “ She doesn’t look like a foreigner at all.”

She’s nervous all over again as the attention shifts her way once more, introducing herself and saying she is usually a healer and now she’s acting as Tamamo’s assistant. They all clearly are still suspicious of her obvious commoner status though, especially in comparison to Tamamo’s elegance, and she’s sweating bullets now…

Only for a sweet scent to tickle her nose as an arm comes around her shoulders and pulls her closer. She realizes it’s the smell of incense that always clings to Tamamo, just as her cheek comes to rest against his firm broad chest. “I fell in love the moment I laid eyes on this woman in Kamakura,” Tamamo proclaims. “So forgive my impertinence in asking for your consideration of her during our brief stay.”

Yoshino’s sputtering to herself, stunned at his wild story - love? At first sight?? - when Tamamo interrupts her thoughts. “Isn’t that right, Yoshino?”

“What? Y-yes,” she stammers in confused agreement. 

Tamamo goes on to say he needs some time to get used to living in their country, so please excuse Yoshino’s presence - he would consider it a great personal favor if they treated her kindly as well. The samurai are all so charmed and under Tamamo’s sway they agree immediately...and at Tamamo’s urging she manages to thank them all. 

He finally releases her and she marvels all over again to herself at how easily he pulls one over on people, and how quickly he has them eating out of his hand - so well, in fact, it’s almost scary.

With that, Yoritomo gets the meeting underway and she sits back to listen to the reports and discussion, before Tamamo quietly asks her what’s up. She thanks him for his quick intervention when she had faltered. He says no biggie, and fudging things a bit like that won’t hurt anyone since they’re not staying there forever. 

Shigehira calls them out for not paying attention and talking, but Tamamo just smiles nonplussed. “Forgive me. I was asking after a word I didn’t understand,” he smoothly lies, and Shigehira clams up sheepishly. 

Then, regular business finished, Morinaga segues them to the next  far more somber piece of business. “Minamoto no Yoshitsune is alive,” he tells the gathered men grimly. “From this moment on, the shogunate prepares for war.”

The stunning news ripples through the assembled men like wildfire, setting them abuzz with anxiety and apprehension until Kagetoki harshly tells them to be quiet and listen to what Yoritomo has to say. They immediately fall silent, and Yoritomo begins to explain the particulars - how Yoshitsune and his rebels have formed a base at the town of Hiraizumi, how they have been recruiting amongst the disenfranchised to swell their ranks, and that they plan to attack Kamakura. 

The mood goes immediately somber.

“It is imperative that I crush this movement, destroy it entirely. To protect what we have created,” Yoritomo tells them all gravely. “Which of you will take up their sword and fight at my side? Are there any among you that will brave the very gates of hell with me?”

“Yes! We will give our all for the shogunate!” the assembled men cry. “For Lord Yoritomo!”

As she watches, the men erupt in a fervor, battlelust written plain on their faces...and she realizes what a unimaginable place she’s found herself in, via circumstances utterly beyond her control. She glances over at Tamamo beside her, the source of all of this -

“I’m getting bored,” he proclaims, stifling a yawn, and she wonders if he’s truly that uninterested in human warfare. 

After the meeting she returns to her quarters, exhausted by the morning’s events, and ponders how out of place she feels here in the midst of all these samurai. All of her prior anxieties rise up to nip at her heels again, and just as she’s about to slide into another funk she hears Tamamo’s voice from outside, asking if she is in and if this is a good time.

Confused, she tells him it is and he sweeps in - with a veritable entourage of men and women burdened with trunks.

“Tamamo, who are all these people…?” she asks, baffled. 

He smiles and reassures her, as the boxes are opened and their contents removed and lined up - the room overflowing with a bounty of colorful kimonos and accessories in a matter of moments. Seeing her stunned expression, Tamamo grins like a mischievous boy who is quite proud of himself. “Surprised? I called in a clothing merchant.”

“Merchant?” she echoes, as an assembly of men bow before her. “Whatever for?”

The merchants fall all over themselves, obsequious towards Tamamo, as he thanks them for bringing their wares to him - then he turns to take Yoshino’s hand, pulling her smoothly to her feet. She’s caught in his magnetic golden gaze as he draws her nearer…

“Would you like me to undress you, Yoshino?”

Chapter 02 >>

#ikemen genjiden #ikegen #ikegen tamamo #spoiler #spoilers #ikemen genjiden spoilers #ikegen spoilers #ikegen tamamo main story #mrs o's translations of dubious quality

[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Main Story - Chp 12

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes when they come to English.

~~~~~~~~

Keith’s given Emma a surprise apology gift - but it’s one she never would have expected to create such a disaster...

In a modiste’s shop Rio is flabbergasted by Silvio’s gaudy taste, a dismay that Silvio fails to understand, claiming that every woman likes this kinda stuff. 

“Please, do not lump Emma in with ‘every’ woman!” Rio protests, adding that the women Silvio’s referring to probably aren’t even that ‘normal’ either. 

“You tryin’ to pick a fight, asshole?” Silvio growls, and Rio’s more than ready to rumble before Emma herself has to step in and defuse the situation, pleading with them both for calm.

She's despairing to herself how the two of them together just can’t seem to not be at each other’s throats. They’re practically ready to come to blows right here in the middle of this shop Silvio’s suggested.

The poor clerk on duty even is bewildered, and the whole scene has Emma chagrined. But she gets, kinda of, what Rio is trying to say. The dress that Silvio’s trying to push her towards sparkles and glitters so brightly she could be mistake for a star in it. It looks like the sort of dress some sort of high-stepping noblewoman would love…but it doesn’t feel like something she herself could wear.

It’s a gorgeous dress, one she’s sure must cost another fortune.

“Woman, hurry and change,” Silvio orders her. 

She waffles, before speaking up. “I’d like it if you let me choose for myself…”

“Not gonna happen.”

“Why not?!” she exclaims, and Silvio replies that if he lets her pick the dress, she’ll be concerned first and foremost with the price, and choosing something plain will defeat the entire purpose of this.

He never planned on letting her choose, it seems, and she’s dismayed to realize he’s so easily predicted her.

Rio, however, quickly jumps to her defense and points out that Emma has her own tastes and preferences, as he picks up a much more modest dress trimmed with delicate lace that Emma finds the most appealing of what’s in the shop. 

“Seems plain,” Silvio scoffs. 

Rio counters that it’s not always about what something costs - you have to keep the person it’s for in mind when you’re choosing clothes…an assertion that Silvio greets with a silent scowl. 

Emma hastily jumps in and tells Silvio that it’s not that the dress bothers her, it’s just that she doesn’t feel like showy clothes suit her well. 

Silvio mocks her for being a shabby sort of woman, which she takes affront to, but he shrugs the whole thing off and instructs her to go get changed - surprising Emma with his apparent willingness to concede to the dress Rio’s picked out. Silvio says it doesn’t matter all that much in the end, it’ll be find just as long as she doesn’t look like some commoner since the auction they’re attending has a dress code at the venue. 

She’s appalled, because she hadn’t even considered that, and as Rio has the clerk prepare the fitting room he mentions how it was a bit unexpected that Keith’s ‘apology’ gift was an invitation to an auction. 

She thinks back to how Keith had asked if she was interested in such a thing, and she had admitted she didn’t really have a lot of experience with such things…but Rhodolite is a country with a lot of appreciation for art so they go hand in hand. And she’d been very curious to go just to spectate at least. 

Rhodolite has countless artisans, from painters to sculptors, writers, craftsmen, instrument makers, metalworkers, and many more who all make unique items. Because of this it’s easier to hold auctions to put artists and buyers in contact and they’ve become quite common in the country…or so it says in the guidebook to Rhodolite she’d read in her efforts to be a good hostess to Silvio.

But despite having been born and raised in Rhodolite herself, she’d never been to an auction or any of these places where the wealthy rub elbows. It was the sort of thing she’d like to experience for herself at least once in her life. 

A satisfied Keith had said that if she was even remotely curious about auctions he thought she’d have a good time, and since this one is invitation-only it’s even more exclusive than usual. There are supposed to be many rare things, a veritable treasure trove of jewels there, and since she seems to like gems and jewelry, he imagined she’d enjoy just having the chance to see them all. 

Confused, Emma asked if she’d ever said that she liked that sort of thing, and Keith had told her no - but he’d heard from Silvio the other day that he had given Emma jewelry. “And since you seem to be wearing it even now, I thought you liked that…”

It made sense then, and she had realized that Prince Keith had had no idea that Silvio had been forcing her to wear the collar. 

“Am I perhaps wrong?” Keith had asked her, hesitantly, and she hastily assured him that she found jewelry beautiful and interesting. Conjuring up a white lie about her interest in the subject to mollify his anxious expression. But they were rather fun to look at, she admitted to herself, and she had asked him if she could indeed have an invitation after all.

Back in the moment, she’s looking forward to getting to experience an auction for the first time. She looks over at Silvio, he of the crossed arms and sour face right now, and he catches her look.

“...What?” he asks.

“Nothing,” she hastily answers. In truth, she’s still in disbelief that Silvio’s attending the auction with them at all. 

He had seemed surprised when she’d told him of the invitation she’d received from Keith and how she had planned to attend tomorrow with Rio, and asked if he knew of it - surely he would, given how it’s been billed as a ‘treasure trove of gems’.

It had been a casual mention, brought up in their chatting, but for some reason Silvio had paused his drinking and frowned in silence.

 

“..Why that auction, of all things?” he’d asked, seemingly to himself. 

When she had tried to ask what he meant by that, Silvio had waved it off - before abruptly declaring that he would go with her. 

Both she and Rio had been taken aback (Rio especially displeased) but Silvio had chided them not to look so disgruntled by the idea. “Neither you nor the dog have ever gone to an auction. I’ll go along and you’ll be thanking me for it.”

“Are you maybe...worried about me?” Emma had ventured.

But Silvio had scoffed at the very idea of worrying over her. “I’ve just been meaning to make an appearance at the auction house for awhile now. I’ll take advantage of this opportunity and join you guys.”

Which is how Emma made plans to attend the auction with both Rio and Silvio, and how they had ended up on a detour here at the clothiers, with Silvio declaring they first had to do something about Emma’s blah appearance.

If she’s being honest with herself, it’s actually reassuring to have Silvio along…but she can’t help wondering - what was the reason for his frown when she first mentioned the auction?

~~~~~~

Some time later, with Silvio having bought her the dress Rio had suggested, she’s put together like a proper noblewoman and they head directly to the auction venue. She’s blown away by the upper-crust atmosphere, which isn’t quite up to the levels of luxury seen at the court but is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Emma’s taking it all in, wide-eyed, as the auctioneer talks up a stunning piece of jewelry, and she thinks that Keith was right about this being something worht seeing. 

The items on display for auction are gathered up on the stage, all jewelry and adornments of the sort Silvio would wear, beautiful works of art in and of themselves. Aloud, she says how she’s not exactly some expert on jewelry and gems but even from here she can tell how gorgeous these pieces are. 

Silvio agrees that everything is top notch here, only for Rio to point out that he hasn’t bought a thing despite that. 

“I don’t feel like it,” Silvio says dismissively. 

“That’s a surprise. I thought you liked jewelry…” Emma says.

“I don’t particularly. It’s just that my position doesn’t allow for me to dress poorly,” he replies. “Wear something of value, and you’re seen as a person of value. And conversely, wear poor things and you’re seen as a person of no consequence. That’s just how it goes.”

She supposes that makes some sense - that for Silvio, jewelry is merely a tool to better himself. It might not be something he actually loves.

Silvio says that even if the stuff here is superb, he doesn’t feel like buying it. He praises the settings the gems are placed in, the precious metalwork that frames them, and Emma is confused. Asking if that isn’t a good thing that they’re exquisite? Silvio agrees that it is, and normally he’d probably buy all of this up…if not for the whole thing with that eyepatch bastard.

Eyepatch bastard? She’s wondering if he’s talking about Gilbert, and why his name has suddenly entered the conversation.

Rio, however, seems to understand something she doesn’t, and he looks pensive. “I see. The fact that everything is of such high quality makes no sense.”

“What do you mean?” Emma asks.

“Because this is Rhodolite, right? We don’t have as many mines as other countries,” Rio explains, going on to add how Rhodolite basically can’t be picky as to what gems it cuts and shapes and sets into pieces. “Didn’t Silvio just say how all the gems are of the highest quality? That’d be impossible here in Rhodolite.”

The implications of what they’re saying starts to sink in for her, as Silvio tells her how even in Benitoite, where they have access to all the trade and passage of goods, wouldn’t allow for an auction like this made up of only the best of the best. 

“There’s only one country on the continent capable of it…” Rio says.

Ores…mines. A country of ore and military might. 

Silvio covers her mouth with his hand, before she can say the name of the country that comes to mind. “Absolutely not another word on this. Just have fun for the moment and enjoy the rare gems.”

After that, she sees countless jewels that are enchantingly beautiful…but she can’t quell the unrest in her heart. When the auction comes to a close, servants at the venue escort Silvio and them to the lounge, since the head of the auction house seemed to want to greet him.

“Here.” Silvio surprises her by tossing her the ‘featured item’ of the auction, which he’d been idly toying with. 

“Don’t do that!” she exclaims. “That little doggie is worth a fortune!”

“The stone’s sturdy. It’s not gonna break if you drop it,” he grins.

 

That’s not exactly the issue here, she thinks, as she look over what he’s given her. It’s a statue of a little dog, carved from an enormous, palm-sized gemstone. The jewel pup’s little head wears a crown of pure gold, and it’s so glittering and beautiful she can’t help being fascinated. Even to her untrained eye, it’s clearly wonderfully made, and she’s enchanted by the color, quality, and how stinking cute it is.

Silvio explains that he bought it just to sort of check things out, and it's definitely top tier stuff - much to Emma's internal dismay that he just bought the premiere item on a whim.

But that's not the real issue here. "Trading with the countries that produce this ore is supposed to be forbidden," Emma notes.

"Right? Rhodolite banned all Obsidian goods from entering this country ten years ago," Silvio agrees. "The same goes for us in Benitoite, as allies."

She thinks on the Bloodstained Rose Day ten years ago, the Obsidian invasion that led to so many Rhodolite deaths, and how relations between the two countries had been severed that day. “So if everything at this auction is from Obsidian…”

“It’s certainly illegal,” Rio agrees, noting that profits from the auction are probably going straight to Obsidian too.

Emma wasn’t personally affected by the Bloodstained Rose Day, but that doesn’t make it any easier for her to stomach the origin of these jewels - there’s no forgiving Obsidian’s tyranny. 

Rio points out that there’s something even more serious than the fact that this is Obsidian material being sold here - the organizer of the auction is a wealthy Benitoite merchant. Silvio doesn’t seem surprised to find out that Rio had checked things out before coming, and Rio agrees that he couldn’t let his mistress go somewhere without knowing more about it…although Emma was totally clueless that he’d been poking into it.

“Benitoite citizens distributing Obsidian gems…just like how Silvio had suggested the possibility of alliance with Obsidian, there’s a chance some people already are working together without our knowledge,” Rio surmises.

“What, seriously?” Emma’s aghast, and turns to look at Silvio reflexively. 

He leans back in his chair and snorts. “What of it?”

“You’re not going to do anything about this auction, are you?” Rio accuses.

“Obviously. What’s the upside for me if I do?” Silvio retorts on a smirk. “All that matters is that the Benitoite folks are coming out ahead in their business dealings.”

Silvio’s an ally that judges things by worth, she knows. If he’s aware the auction is illegal, and makes no move to stop it, that’s because he sees more benefit in the Obsidian ore. Which means that although she and Rio are both doing their best to impress Silvio with Rhodolite’s worth, it’s still not enough.

She hugs the little statue tightly, and Rio puts a hand on her shoulder. Aloud he draws the line between money that flows into Obsidian supporting its war efforts against Rhodolite…and how much he can’t stand the idea of that.

He turns a direct gaze on Silvio. “Now that I know about the auction, I’ll work with the other princes. I’m not about to let Emma’s smile fade.”

She’s heartened to have his unwavering support, Rio helping her work through difficult times together as he always has.

Silvio challenges Rio to go ahead and try, if he thinks he can - but he knows there’s only so much a coward can accomplish. But an undaunted Rio just tells him that he’s unbeatable when he’s with Emma…much to Silvio’s displeased silence. 

Just as Silvio’s clicked his tongue with disgust, a knock comes at the door. “Pardon the interruption,” the head of the auction house calls as he enters, making further apologies.

Silvio waves them off, and bluntly asks the man what he wants from him. The manager tells Silvio he has something he’d like to show him…and he suggests that Silvio bring the young lady along with him as well.

Emma realizes he means her, and she wonders if the man has some special items that’s difficult to put a price tag on.

“Show me,” Silvio orders him, standing from his chair to follow the man. 

Rio and Emma move to follow as well, but the manager shakes his head at Rio. “Apologies, butler, but would you mind waiting here for them? What I’m about to show them is too special for any servant’s eyes.”

Now Emma’s really wondering what the heck he’s planning to show them, as she exchanges looks with Rio. At her assurance she’ll be fine, he bids her go, and she follows Silvio and the manager from the room. 

Once gone, Rio surveys the room, and aloud he observes that he understands - the real focus here isn’t Silvio or Emma. It’s him.

As if in reply, the door opens on a laughing Gilbert. “Right on the mark.”

The click of his cane echoes through the room as he enters, and the air goes tense. He explains to a wary Rio how he’s gone to lengths to get Rio alone, where they can’t be spied on…and taps his cane once more. “I have a very special tale to tell you.”

~~~~~~~~

For reference - you don't receive this intimacy item until chp 17 but I'm sure it's the same pupper statue Silvio gives Emma here:

~~~~~~~~

<< Chp 11 | Chp 13 >> (TBC)

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Taglist (let me know if you want added or removed!) :

@violettduchess @brightvalkyrie @pkmnmstrchf @nikiotome @faeriesplaygames @curious-skybunny @strawberryxlove @rikumorimachisgirl @sallylovessweets @wordycheeseblob

#spoiler #spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #ikepri silvio main story #mrs o's translations of dubious quality #mrs o loves salty seadogs

[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Main Story - Chp 13

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes when they come to English.

With Emma and Silvio having been led off by the auction manager, Gilbert is left alone with Rio. He saunters in and takes a seat, declaring that he has a special story to tell Rio…but Rio rejects his offer flatly.

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

“I haven’t even said a single word yet,” Gilbert rebuts, amused.

Rio’s very aware of Gilbert’s deviousness though, and he tells him that he’s not interested in having anything to do with something that would make it hard for him to face Emma. Gilbert praises him for being every inch the ‘loyal hound’ he’s heard spoken of…but he reassures Rio that his underhanded deeds will prove a boon to Rio.

He tips his head and offers Rio a smile. “You love Miss Bunny, don’t you. Not as a friend or as her butler - you’ve been in love with her these past three years.”

Rio’s surprise shows on his face, as Gilbert goes on, laying out how Rio’s been able to smile the way he does today, despite not having his memories, because of Emma. “But you used to be quite the cocky little pup, just like Silvio, no? I envy you for falling in love and changing who you are,” Gilbert finishes on a laugh.

A stone-faced Rio asks who told Gilbert that, but all the Obsidian prince will tell him is that it’s a secret. He lords his bit of information over Rio, before Rio connects the dots and says he gets it - Gilbert has someone in the inner circle as an informant, doesn’t he?

Gilbert refuses to confirm or deny this, and instead turns the conversation back on Rio’s unrequited yearning, saying how he knows Rio’s been good and held himself back all this time despite how much he loves Emma. How obvious it is that Rio desperately wants her to see him as a man, to love him back. “But someone else has been getting in the way lately, hasn’t he?” Gilbert questions.

“...Are you talking about Prince Silvio?” Rio asks.

“Yes. You must be in a panic, afraid the little bunny will be whisked away by some other guy. Afraid that you’ll be robbed of something precious, again.”

Rio flinches at that and frowns, clutching his head as if struggling against something welling up inside of him.

“Frustrating and miserable, isn’t it. You’ve made up your mind that if Miss Bunny is happy, that’s all that matters. But on the other hand, you want to be happy too,” Gilbert presses.

“You’re wrong,” Rio insists.

“I don’t like lies.” Gilbert brushes Rio’s denial off with a smile. “I don’t think it’s something be a ashamed of. It’s perfectly natural for anyone to feel that way. But Silvio’s not going to quit while you wrestle with this - he’s trying to snare Miss Bunny’s heart and make it his. Is it really just about something as trivial as ‘annoying’ you? Haven’t you thought, countless times, about making Silvio disappear? Thought that, if it wasn’t for him, you wouldn’t have to feel this way?”

Clouds shift outside, blocking out the sun and casting the room in pallor. 

Rio, however, calmly and without hesitation, denies Gilbert’s prodding and says that he has no intention of sticking his nose into his lady’s personal life and relationships. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned, when the other person involved is Silvio, but there’s nothing wrong with them getting to know each other better."

“Hmm…I see,” Gilbert says.

“Was that all you wished to discuss, Prince Gilbert?” Rio asks.

 

A smiling Gilbert says no, no need to rush. They’ve got plenty of time to kill - Silvio and Emma won’t be back anytime soon. This merely confirms Rio’s suspicion that Gilbert arranged the whole thing to get him alone, and he points out how this also means Gilbert’s connected to the auction manager as well. 

“You never meant to hide it, did you?” Rio accuses.

A laughing Gilbert says he’s half right. “It’s true that I didn’t intend to keep this a secret - because Chevalier already knows all about it.”

This surprises Rio, and Gilbert tells him that Chevalier knows and does nothing about it - or it would be more correct to say, he can’t do anything about it. “You might want to investigate this auction thoroughly as well,” he advises Rio. “But you won’t find any trace of my involvement.

Rio says that just shows how cocky Gilbert it, and his blunt speak amuses the Obsidian prince. Rio brings up how it was Keith that gave them the invitation, but Gilbert assures him Keith has no involvement in this - the invitation was simply his way of showing his good intentions.

“Although, whether his ‘good intentions’ was simply offering the chance to appreciate some fine jewelry, or to expose the misdeeds of some Rhodolitians, I can’t say,” Gilbert admits, owning that he just heard of the situation and made use of it.

Steering things back to the main topic, Gilbert asks how Rio intends to get his hands on Miss Bunny.

“What do you mean by that?” Rio asks.

“Exactly what it sounds like. I’m saying that I’ll support your efforts at love here,” Gilbert insists.

Rio accuses him of yanking his chain, but Gilbert reminds him how he hates lying. “Silvio’s been a little too fixated on Miss Bunny lately. I can’t have him turning coward on me, and that’s where you come in. I want the happy union of you and Miss Bunny to bring him back to his senses…that’s why I don’t mind helping you.”

Rio frowns, and denies needing Gilbert’s ‘assistance’, which has Gilbert laughing and pointing out that he and Silvio said the same thing. He tells Rio not to worry, there’s no rush here - as long as Rio remembers that Gilbert’s on his side, that’s fine enough.

“But, I’ll leave you with what I foresee happening,” Gilbert warns, leaning in close to speak into Rio’s ear. “Silvio will steal what you hold most dear…and it will be too late for regrets then.”

Rio only scowls in silence at that, and Gilbert tells him to let him know if he changes his mind, because he doesn’t dislike people with pure hearts like Rio’s. 

With a final pat on the shoulder, Gilbert leaves the room, and Rio is left to take a long long breath as he stares up at the ceiling, clearly left in a conundrum.

The next day, Emma makes a full report of the auction and its goings-on to Chevalier and his faction - well, to everyone save for Luke, who is off napping somewhere.

She had decided it was more than she and Rio should worry over on their own…but the princes seem to take the whole thing in stride, utterly nonplussed, to her surprise. 

Nokto says they’ve been aware for awhile now of the auctions that have been going on - but he admits there’s one thing new they’ve learned here at least. That Silvio isn’t the one orchestrating them. He and Clavis discuss the situation with Emma, as Chevalier stays quietly reading documents - namely that they had suspected Silvio might possibly be behind all of this, but the situation has confirmed that he’s truly neutral. 

Emma’s curious at that, and Clavis elaborates - hasn’t she heard from Silvio already? How Benitoite is currently deliberating who they should align themselves with.

There’s a faction in Benitoite that wants to see the country abandon its alliance with Rhodolite in favor of joining with Obsidian, and another faction that wishes the opposite. 

Those words bring to mind Silvio’s own, when he’d mentioned how if he became king of Benitoite, he might reassess their relationship with Rhodolite. 

“I could break the alliance and join forces with another country…Obsidian, for example,” he had smirked. 

“You’re joking…right?” she had asked, aghast.

Silvio had sobered and said he wasn’t - the very fact that Gilbert had tossed his hat into the diplomatic ring meant that it was a possibility. If Obsidian was considering a path of cooperation, it was at least worth thinking over.

She realizes it must already a point of discussion in Benitoite, then.

“For the moment, the king of Benitoite seems to be indicating he intends to uphold the alliance,” Clavis says, then frowns. “But frankly, you never know when someone might turn, do you?” 

Nokto mentions that the princes of Obsidian and Benitoite had been together at the gala, and they had concerns the two were colluding in secret. 

“But from what you’ve said, Silvio remains neutral,” Clavis says to her.

“....No.” Chevalier, who’s been silent all this time, looks up from the documents. “Belle.  What design was the wax seal on the letter you saw the auction manager give that jangler?”

She thinks back to what had happened when she and Silvio had been led off away from Rio by the auction manager. What had been waiting for them wasn’t a special item of jewelry or anything like that. It had been a letter.

“This is what you wanted to show me?” Silvio had taken the letter from the auction manager with a curse.

“Who is it from?” Emma had asked.

“...A good-for-nothing bastard.”

As she’d blinked at that, Silvio had viciously ripped the envelope open and looked the letter over, his expression growing ever more sullen as he read, his sea-blue eyes grim. Leaving her wondering just what the heck could have been written in it.

“That old codger’s got nothin’ but nasty things to say,” Silvio had sneered, before turning his attention to the auctioneer. “When were you given this?”

“Awhile ago,” the man replies. “I was asked to give it to you when you came.”

Silvio had bitten out another curse, crushing the letter in his fist.

The envelope had slipped free, and Emma had bent to pick it up…

“...It was a crest, of a whale,” she tells Chevalier. Not a doubt in her mind. She’s never seen a whale in person before, of course, but she’s seen pictures and paintings of them. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but Nokto, Clavis, and even Rio seem stunned.

As she’s trying to figure out why they’re all so shocked, Chevalier speaks again. “I figured as much. What Jangles received was a directive from the king.” Emma is left reeling at that, and Chevalier goes on. “The head of an auction house, with ties to Obsidian, had a personal letter from the king.”

He presses Emma on what the takeaway from that should be, and she can see the dots…but connecting them terrifies her. When she remains silent, Chev puts her thoughts into words for her. “It stands to reason that Benitoite is already seeking a connection with Obsidian.”

Nokto, and even the ever-smiling Clavis, both look grim at the prospect. “This is worse than we thought, isn’t it?” Nokto says.

“No, it’s about what I expected,” Chevalier replies, and when Clavis pushes him about worst-case scenarios, Chevalier theorizes that if the alliance is truly broken and Rhodolite is left without the support of Benitoite, their country will be invaded by Obsidian.

This sounds like a disaster scenario to Emma, but Chevalier doesn’t seem disturbed at all, and she’s impressed by his level-headedness. He orders Nokto to keep an eye on these auctions, given the chance that the rulers of Benitoite and Obsidian may be involved, and when Nokto asks how he can be so sure the emperor might be involved, Chevalier tells him it’s because that’s what he would do if he was Obsidian. 

No clue is too small or trivial, he reminds Nokto, and Nokto agrees to handle it. As for Clavis, he rightly assumes Chev wants him to double down on monitoring Gilbert - now that they know the king’s intentions, it’ll be even more problematic if Silvio and Gilbert are colluding in secret. Chevalier agrees that he has to be kept from partnering with Silvio by any means necessary.

And finally, Chevalier turns his attention to Emma and Rio. “You two should continue to keep tabs on Silvio’s doings, under the guise of entertaining him. You could say this would have more impact on the future of Rhodolite than picking her next king, isn’t that right?”

Emma pledges to do everything she can to win over Silvio…thinking that she wants him to be an ally of Rhodolite, no matter what it takes.

…Because, she doesn’t want to think of him as an enemy. For some reason, she feels very strongly about that.

Chevalier holds his amused peace…but Rio remains silently pensive, which catches her attention.

After they leave the foreign faction office, she stops and turns around. “Rio, is everything alright?”

He smiles and asks what she means, and Emma tells him that she was wondering if something had happened to make him seem so lost in thought back there. 

Thinking back, she realizes he was rather uncharacteristically quiet in the meeting as well.

“Ahh, sorry. It’s nothing -” he starts to reassure her with a smile, before he gives up. “...That’s not going to work on you, is it.”

“No, it’s not,” she agrees. She’s not dense enough to miss the way her friend of the past three years has been acting strange lately. 

He offers her a wry smile, and frowns with a troubled expression. “I thought I’d better make up my mind after hearing what Prince Chevalier said.” When a confused Emma asks him what he means by that, Rio goes on sadly. “I am a coward, just like Prince Silvio said. I just want to be with you forever and I’m….afraid to remember the past.”

Admittedly to herself, Emma feels the same though. She used to help look for clues to Rio’s past, but the thought of being separated had her missing him. Life together had become so comfortable, that she gradually stopped trying so hard as well, because if Rio remembered who he was he would have to leave. She’s been avoiding the whole matter ever since because of that.

“But I can’t afford to be so naive anymore,” Rio says. “Now that Benitoite is leaning toward Obsidian, I…for the sake of your beloved country, I have to face the past.”

“...What do you mean?” Her heart tolls ominously, almost afraid to hear what Rio will say. 

“...I’m sorry. Truth be told…I already know who I am,” Rio admits, smiling sadly before resting his forehead on her shoulder. 

He had been acting strangely lately, and she’d wondered… “Did you regain your memory?”

He tells her not yet, but he’s met someone who knew him. “I am -”

A voice interrupts his confession. “Hey, a butler and a noblewoman shouldn’t be flirting with each other in the middle of the hallway.”

They both startle, and Emma finds herself yanked from behind, nearly falling over. Then there’s an oh-too-familiar cloud of exotic cologne surrounding her, and an oh-too-familiar warmth against her back. “...Prince Silvio.”

He has, she’s convinced, the worst possible timing ever. She can’t help but stare at him.

“Huh? What’s with the cheeky glare?” he scowls back. 

“Enough! Seriously, can you please, just for once, not get in my way?!” Rio scowls at Silvio., who offers his own scowl and hurls back the fact that a butler shouldn’t be trying to boss him around. “And, don’t you dare hug Emma so casually, you asshole of a big brother.”

Silvio accuses Rio of dropping all his polite fancy talk, and an angry Rio says he decided he was finished acting like a servant towards Silvio.

“Oh, feeling ballsy now are we? You bastard -” Silvio begins furiously.

But it’s Emma that interrupts this time. “H-hold up, wait just a minute!I could have sworn I just heard the craziest thing come out of Rio’s mouth just now.”

Maybe she just imagined it? But she’s preeeeetty dang sure she heard right when she heard him say ‘asshole brother’.

“Ah…yeah,” Rio acknowledges. “He’s my older brother.”

“Bro-” Emma reels. “Your big brother?

“Yep. Seems that way,” Rio agrees.

The wheels spin, but get nowhere…until it finally sinks in for Emma, for real. “WHAT?!”

<< Chp 12 | Chp 13 (His POV) >> (tbc)

@violettduchess @brightvalkyrie @pkmnmstrchf @faeriesplaygames @curious-skybunny @strawberryxlove @rikumorimachisgirl @sallylovessweets @wordycheeseblob

#spoiler #spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #ikepri silvio main story #mrs o's translations of dubious quality #mrs o loves salty seadogs #the haughty puppy

[dear-mrs-otome]

Tamamo - Main Story - Chp 02

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes if/when they come to English.

Yoshino is scandalized by Tamamo’s nonchalant offer, still reeling to catch up when he lets go of her and picks up a nearby obi, remarking on its beauty and asking her opinion. She agrees, and before she knows it Tamamo and the merchants are discussing all manner of clothing options and outfits for her.

She starts to protest, but is cut off by a finger from Tamamo, laid over her lips. “Hush now, and just leave everything to me.” His low voice scatters her thoughts, and he turns back to point out another combination, drawing compliments on his taste. 

Any other concerns she raises are immediately brushed aside by Tamamo, who insists he wants to see her in the nice clothes, and he turns her over to the merchants and staff who are happy to busy themselves dressing, rearranging ‘Lady Yoshino’s’ hair, and applying makeup.

Eagerly, they ask for her opinion after they finish, and she hesitates. “Um...it’s incredibly nice, but don’t you think it’s a bit too much for me?” She’s never worn such a beautiful, extravagant kimono before. 

“Ridiculous! It suits you perfectly,” they gush. “Isn’t that right, Lord Tamamo?”

“Yes,” he agrees with a smile, giving her such  slow once-over that her heart begins to flipflop. “Every bit as beautiful as I expected. It’s not as if your everyday appearance is lacking...but dressed like this, you’re even more lovely.”

She can’t keep the smile off her face at such flattery, as she searches for words to answer him. “Th-thank you. But I’m not sure that’s true.”

“Humility can sometimes be a shortcoming, no?” Tamamo reminds her, insisting once again that he’s not exaggerating when he says she is beautiful. As he does, he picks up a hair ornament of delicate tortoiseshell and cradles her face in one hand to steady it.

His proximity sets her nerves alight, as he slowly slides the piece into her hair, his fingers lingering for long moments. “There, good. That looks perfect.”

She says she has no idea, being unable to see it herself, and Tamamo insists that he be the judge of that - and tells the merchants they will take the hairpiece too. 

His words sweep her out of the fantasy and back to reality, remembering that there is no way she can afford any of these lovely garments or accessories. She wonders if Tamamo is even aware that humans exchange money for goods…

Only to be pulled out of her fretting by the merchant assuring them that what Tamamo has paid already will cover the hairpiece as well. He assures a shocked Yoshino that Tamamo has paid for everything, and as she look on in mute astonishment Tamamo and the merchant settle up and they politely take their leave.

“I have so many questions…” she begins, when everyone had finally shuffled out. “But most of all, why did you buy these new clothes?”

Tamamo insist though that it only makes sense if she’s going to be seen with him - and when she still protests he snags her by the waist and draws her close, a hand at her chin so that her gaze meets his as he reminds her that a good woman elevates the status of a man beside her...and now she fits the bill perfectly.

She only has time for a token complaint before he’s ushering the both of them out the door.

“Where are we going?” she manages, as they walk down the corridor, and he tells her they’re headed to town, his face alight with curiosity. She wonders aloud if it’s alright for them to go on their own, and Tamamo brushes aside the troublesome concept of ‘getting permission’. 

As they walk, she finally dares to voice the question that’s been nagging at her - it was real money he gave them, right? Not fake money that would turn into a leaf later or something? Tamamo laughs and says she’s been listening to old folktales too much, and she sags with relief.

“Oh, phew. I’m glad we didn’t commit some kind of crime or something…”

“Good grief, what exactly do you take me for?” His beautiful features crumple sadly, and guilt immediately stabs her as she hastens to apologize for her lack of understanding about ayakashi.

“Nothing to be done for it, you’re forgiven,” he replies, immediately cheered again.

She tries a different tactic, asking HOW he had money, and Tamamo tells her he’d negotiated pay from Yoritomo earlier in exchange for his ‘services’ as a ‘visitor from China’. She recalls that is their cover story for the vassals, but Tamamo corrects her - it could be true, in a way, given that he was born on the continent across the sea and made his way to Japan many many years ago.

“That’s amazing...all the way from across the sea!” she exclaims, thinking how it’s obvious once again just how experienced and worldly Tamamo is. 

“Yes. But this is my first time seeing Kamakura,” he tells her, brimming with curiosity as he eagerly pulls her in the direction of town again.

As they make it into Kamakura, they’re surrounded by the hustle and bustle of it all. They both marvel at the wealth of trade good from across the country and sea, and the array of foodstuffs. “Before I was sealed in the sesshou-seki* I was in the city of Kyoto, which was wonderful, but Kamakura has a charm all its own,” Tamamo observes. 

* -  the ‘sesshou-seki’ or ‘Killing Stone’ is the stone he was trapped in, referenced in the prologue and it is a real place to this day, in the Tochigi Prefecture, Japan

She tells him she’s envious he’s seen a place as distinguished as Kyoto and he discusses the difference between the two towns - one grand and steeped in age, the other vibrant and still full of potential. He’s so eager, she thinks how she can practically see his ears and tail twitching with excitement, despite their being hidden right now.

 

They wander town some more, Tamamo taking special note of the incense sellers, before they find themselves eventually at a tea shop, relaxing and sampling the sweets and tea available. They're both enjoying their food, as Tamamo tells her how ayakashi have no real need to eat - to them, it's just a pleasant diversion.

She's smiling and laughing, talking about how caught up in all the sights and sounds of Kamakura she'd gotten.

"I see...I'm glad," Tamamo smiles, and reaches out to cradle her cheek. "I'm happy you're feeling a little bit better." She stares at him in astonishment, and he goes on. "Did you not have a distraught expression at the shogun's manor?"

She's surprised and a little embarrassed that he saw all of that so easily, and she asks if that's perhaps why he wanted to go into town in the first place. He says he is in her debt after all, and doesn't want to see her under the weather.

She's touched that he was paying such close attention to her, and that it belies his seemingly mercurial and carefree nature. "Thank you, Tamamo," she tells him, smiling. 

He brushes it off cheerfully, as only natural that he'd be concerned over her, and then sobers to ask her what it was that had her so upset. She's hesitant at first, wondering if she can confide in him, but he seems so trustworthy that she finally does - telling him she'd been fretting over whether she'd ever be able to become friendly with the people of the shogunate.

He doesn't seem to see this as anything to be concerned over, and she wonders aloud if the thought doesn't bother him. 

"I choose to live alone," he tells her, seemingly unconcerned. "Ayakashi don't have friends."

"Oh really?" She looks at him curiously, thinking how even in the bright light of day outside of his extraordinary beauty Tamamo looks perfectly human. He seems very well acquainted with the ins and outs of humanity as well...but that doesn't necessarily mean he isn't something completely different inside. 

Still, though...whether he's ayakashi or human, she can't help feeling as if she wants to get to know him better.

"Ayakashi lives are much longer than humans. Live long enough, and you get tired of the company of others," Tamamo tells her. 

"How old are you?" she asks him.

"Around 800 years old. I stopped keeping track after that," he replies. 

“Eight hundred?!” she yelps, stunned, but he just seems confused by her surprise.

“There’s no need to be so shocked, unless of course…” Tamamo takes her hand and presses a kiss to her fingertips, heat radiating from the touch of his lips on her skin as she tries not to short circuit entirely. “You dislike older men?”

<< Chapter 01 | Chapter 03 >> (TBC)

#ikemen genjiden #ikegen #ikegen tamamo #ikegen tamamo main story #spoiler #spoilers #ikemen genjiden spoilers #ikegen spoilers #mrs o's translations of dubious quality

[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Main Story - Chp 10 Avatar Challenge (Premium)

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes when they come to English.

~~~~~~~~

She can only vaguely remember her wonderfully soft dreams. But the reality that awaited for her, when she woke from her slumber, was anything but gentle.

“Finally awake?”

What the…

Right before her eyes is Silvio’s ridiculously beautiful face, only the barest breath away. And when she tries to jerk back, his arms wrap around her waist to hold her in place, leaving her scrambling desperately to make sense of things. 

What are they doing here, like this, on the bed? She’s certain she’d fallen asleep on the sofa, and certain that Silvio seemed to have changed his clothes at some point between then and now, and certain that it wasn’t dark outside when she’d passed out like it is now. 

She’s left baffled by how she’s gotten into this weird situation of being held in Silvio’s arms on his bed.

“You’re making it seem like you’ve got no idea what’s going on here, but…” With a grin and a wicked look on his face, Silvio shifts his body atop hers. “Someone was disrespectful to me while they were drunk.” At her confusion, he lays it out plainer. “Which is why I figured I’d make you pay for it. With your body.”

Just what the heck had she done?? She can’t remember at all, but it seems obvious she’d upset Silvio a great deal. “I’m really very sorry.”

His grin flattens as he tells her it’s not a matter of apologizing, and she retorts that that doesn’t mean he gets to take it out on her body. Thinking to herself that it all seems weird in the first place - Silvio might be a tyrant, but he never seems the type to condone trampling all over her self-respect. He knows there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed.

Not to mention, he doesn’t even seem to like women much.

Maybe…he’s drunk?? And it’s just hard to tell?? He could have kept on drinking that strong booze while she was asleep. She clings to that possibility as a means to keep her cool.  

Silvio, brows furrowed irritably, buries his face in the crook of her neck. And for the second time, she feels his breath hot on the skin of her throat. Alarmed, she asks him what he’s doing, flailing back against him but he easily holds her still…and his mouth draws hard on her skin.

No matter how drunk he might be, this should NOT fly….but for some reason, the slight pain melts into something sweeter, and a wave of heat engulfs her body. Far hotter than when she’d slammed back that entire drink. The roar of her own heart pounding drowning out all other sounds.

“Sleazy…beyond sleazy!” she loudly accuses.

“What, not enough for you yet?” Silvio smirks. 

Her protest breaks off in a low moan at the feeling of his tongue tracing a line up her neck, and the novel sensation only stokes the heat burning her body. Appalled by the sound that just came from her, in disbelief that she’d done that  - just the wanton tone of it enflaming her even more. 

A very pleased Silvio points out on a grin that she can react pretty cutely, nipping lightly at her skin as if to render her even more senseless. 

This is nothing like being a guest and hostess at all. It feels instead as if she’s become Silvio’s  rumored ‘beloved flower’ in truth. “...Stop, please.”

He tells her that if she doesn’t want him to continue, she should just shove him off, kick him away and put an end to this.

“You’re holding me down!” she exclaims, indignant. 

“Not with any real effort. You could get out if you felt like it,” he counters. 

Furiously, she tries doing just that, struggling against him…but she doesn’t seem to be getting free. 

Or maybe…is it that…she’s not really trying that hard?

Is it…maybe…that she doesn’t really want to escape at all? Frantically, she denies that line of thinking - what’s happening here is an AFFRONT. She should be horrified!

So then, why is her heart racing so fast and loud?

As she’s thinking this, at a complete loss, Silvio’s shoulders shake with amusement and he tells her actually, he is holding her down with all his strength so she can’t escape.

This man!! Furiously, she hurls an accusation at him. “You said, quote, you’d ‘never attack a shabby-looking woman’, didn’t you?? You liar!!”

His grin falls. “Shut up. This is your punishment for making me feel bad -” Lifting his head from her neck, he abruptly stops mid-sentence. Eyes going wide as he falls silent and his body freezes, as if taken by surprise. 

“Wh-what is it now?!” she demands. 

“You…” That’s all he manages as he studies her, stunned, and she’s baffled by what the heck is going on.

His large calloused hand comes up to cradle her cheek, her body tensing at such a strangely gentle touch coming from such a tyrant. Left only able to ask herself why her face keeps growing hotter and hotter, simply from just that small contact. 

No no NO heckin way, it doesn’t mean anything. It’d be embarrassing to have anyone do this, she reminds herself fiercely. It’s absolutely, 100%, definitely NOT because there’s anything special about Silvio!

When his ocean blue eyes seek out hers, she pointedly turns away. 

“That look on your face…” he says.

“Look?” she echoes, confused.

He closes his eyes. “And you’re utterly oblivious about it.”

What expression is she wearing? she wonders, baffled.

Heaving a deep breath, Silvio gets up and takes a seat beside her on the bed, his back turned to her. Leaving her reeling at yet another mercurial shift in his attitude. 

“I…don’t get it,” she finally says. 

“Took the words right outta my mouth,” he answers.

One second it seems like she was going to be taken advantage of, the next he’s done an about face. She has no idea what’s going through his head, and she sits up, trying to peer around and look at his face from behind. Figuring if she can just see his expression it might shed a bit of light on things, but he keeps turning away before she can get a good look at him. 

But… “Your face…it’s red, isn’t it?” She’d seen that much. He flinches, and she suddenly understands why he’s not making any sense. “I knew it. Silvio, you…”  He scowls in silence, and she finishes in triumph. “You must be drunk!”

“....Huh?” is his only reply.

It seems perfectly reasonable that he would be, that was some incredibly strong liquor even for him. It’s bound to have some effect. Aloud, she tells him it’s alright - they’ll just chalk all this up to some drunken shenanigans and leave it at that. 

Silvio lets out a long breath. “Alright, enough already.”

She wonders why he’d heaved such a heavy sigh. Her feelings still a mystery to her about this whole thing, but she is relieved that the worst-case scenario seems to have been headed off here.

Just as she’s musing on this, she hears a flurry of activity coming from the hallway outside - and the door is kicked open before Rio tumbles into the room, calling her name to her surprise.

“Figured you’d be here about now,” Silvio says to him.

She’s assuming one of the servants must have told Rio what had happened, as he rushes over and starts peppering her with questions, asking if she’s alright, unhurt, if Silvio had done anything to her. 

She assures him she’s fine, and there’s nothing to worry about - only to have Rio freeze as he walks over towards her, as if noticing something. She notices where he’s looking, and has an ‘oh shit’ moment. Tries to clap her hand over her neck, but it’s too late. 

“What did you to do Emma, Prince Silvio?” Rio accuses. 

Silvio scoffs. “That’s none of your business.” She’s taken aback when he turns around and hugs her about the waist, as if trying to piss off Rio. 

The harassment just never ends, does it?! 

She tries to explain to Rio that this is all just a big misunderstanding…but for some reason, her mouth is clapped shut before she can.

“You…” Rio says, furiously.

But Silvio only warns him off with an abrupt subject change. “Jade and Obsidian made a play today.” Rio startles, and Silvio goes on to say they clearly had been waiting for the moment Rio took his eyes off her. “If I hadn’t found her, she wouldn't be sitting here safe and sound right now, would she?”

Rio flinches, and Emma tries fruitlessly to protest - not liking how Silvio’s words seem to be blaming Rio for all this. Not when she was being careless.

“You should be thanking me, damned dog,” Silvio says. “The eyepatch bastard is already on the move. If you make one wrong step, she won’t get away unhurt.” Rio’s only reply is silence, and Silvio goads him. “You’re in over your head now, aren’t you? Why don’t you just let go, you coward?”

She’s aghast at Rio’s wounded expression…and unable to take it any more, she bites down on Silvio’s hand. 

He lets out half an exclamation of pain, and she takes advantage of the loosening of his grip to dash over to Rio.

“...You did it again, damned woman,” Silvio accuses.

“So sorry, but I couldn’t just sit there and say nothing,” she tosses back. “I’m the one who was careless. The one who needs to be more cautious here is me, not Rio. For starters, he’s not a coward.”

“Emma…” Rio manages.

She turns her back on the dumbfounded Silvio, and apologizes to Rio for having assured him that Prince Keith wasn’t anything to be concerned about…but he tells her not to. Insisting that he was in the wrong here, just like Silvio said he was, and he asks her to tell her all about it later.

“I couldn’t protect you...” Rio says. “I can’t let that happen again. I’ll never mess up like that again.”

She has to wonder at the way he grabs her hand, his usual bright cheer dampened…but when she looks up again, he has his same sunny smile back again as he reassures her he’ll never make the same mistake again - and he’ll never let her be scared anymore.

He still looks like the same old Rio, but something seems different about him. And as he pulls her by the hand from the room without pause, his words are left behind.

“I won’t let anyone take you away from me.”

~~~~~~~~

<< Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 >>

#spoiler #spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #mrs o loves salty seadogs #mrs o's translations of dubious quality #ikepri silvio main story

[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Main Story - Chp 11

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes when they come to English.

Also P.S. I am just making up Gilbert's weird nicknames as I go, on a whim. Please do not take them seriously.

~~~~~~~~

It’s early in the morning, before the sun’s finished rising, when the chime of jingling is heard headed towards a quiet deserted part of the palace. Silvio pushes open the door (which is too grandiose AKA heavy to kick) and enters. It’s quiet and tranquil inside the space only used for special occasions…but that peace doesn’t last, because Silvio comes storming in, radiating silent fury.

He makes his way up the nave lined with pews to the lectern at the front, where Gilbert is poised as if to disrespect God. 

He laughs as Silvio approaches. “In a bit of a foul mood today, aren’t we?”

An angry Silvio tells him he was way off mark about the woman, kicking the podium in frustration. But Gilbert is unperturbed by the fit of pique, and says that Jade has even rougher family circumstances than Belle, so he can’t blame anyone. 

“Oh, and I suppose you had nothing to do with their family mess,” Silvio says caustically.

Gilbert only seems amused, and laughs off the accusation, pointing out that he doesn’t have to make any messes for Jade - they’ve got enough sordid family affairs of their own already, don’t they? He was just making a bit of use of it - and besides, Silvio stepped in and interrupted their dour pal didn’t he? 

“I’m just fed up with your nasty methods,” Silvio argues. “Supposing she chooses to be an Obsidian spy to hide her identity as Belle…”

“Of course Mr. Gloomies….or no, I’m afraid the ‘beast’ that he keeps would not be so quiet about it, would he?” He point out that any hint of being associated with Obsidian would imply that here was a secret agreement between Rhodolite and Obsidian, which would spell out bad news for Jade. “Which is probably why he got a bit rough trying to get information out of Miss Bunny, right?”

The air in the chapel ripples with fury again, and Sivio levels a fierce stare at those impassive red eyes. “I. Don’t like the way you do things.”

“So you don’t want to work with me?” Gilbert asks. 

Silvio agrees and is ready to be done with all this, but Gilbert stops him and reminds him he’s not someone to just brush aside - there’s only two options for him here where Gilbert is concerned. He can work with Gilbert, or he can be forced to work with Gilbert.

At Silvio’s wary confusion, Gilbert laughs. “You don’t know what that means?” He jumps off the dais and points his cane at Silvio’s throat, before Silvio has time to react. “Mr. Gloomy questioned Miss Bunny, and you helped her - that’s all going just how I’d planned.” Silvio looks surprised, and Gilbert goes on. “Because I have no intentions of hurting Miss Bunny.”

Silvio scoffs with derision at the very idea of Gilbert saying something like that, huffing with irritation and grabbing the cane. 

“I don’t lie. But…depending on just what you do, I may have to turn my heart into a beast,” Gilbert warns.

“Ha, so that’s it,” Silvio says. “You sicced that dour bastard on her not to try and corner her - it's a threat meant for me.” 

When Silvio shoves the cane away, Gilbert doesn’t resist - merely lowers it and smiles. “You saved Miss Bunny, so I’d say the threat proved effective.” In the face of Silvio’s silence Gilbert tells him he’ll give Silvio a little more time to consider things, but he’d best hurry. “Actually…you don’t have much time at all.”

A scowling Silvio tries to ask him what he means by that, but Gilbert only laughs and plays innocent before leaving on a loaded smile without looking back. 

As soon as he’d gone, Silvio slams his fist into the nearby lectern. “What kind of bullshit...” he snarls to the empty chapel. “There’s no way that woman can be any threat against me, damn it!”

~~~~~~~~

In Emma’s room, Rio has brought her breakfast and her schedule for the day to look over, the same as every morning since she came to the court. Although this morning there’s a difference in that she’s wearing the collar again - noticing it jingle slightly as she reaches for her tea. 

Rio is, as one might imagine, less than thrilled to see it and offers to find her some other accessory for the day, but she declines since 1) it’ll keep Silvio happy and 2) she’s gotta cover up the marks he left last night. She’s vowing to herself to never let that happen again…when her traitor brain replays the moment when he had pointed out the expression she’d been making.

She’s never gonna let that happen again. Never ever EVER. But her face is heated without her permission, and she takes a sip of tea to cover it up. 

Rio points out that she can just not wear the collar, it’s not like she has to see Silvio, right?

But she says no, that’s not exactly the case, and she remembers she’d forgotten to fill Rio in on the deets of last night. 

“Did Silvio threaten you?!” Rio asks, aghast at the thought of him having some leverage on her.

She says that’s not true, thinking of Silvio’s comments last night about how she had a duty to show him what was good about her country to prove to him it was worth maintaining the alliance, and she gives Rio a brief rundown on the whole conversation.

Only for him to collapse to his knees when she’d finished, wailing how Silvio had used such underhanded means to try and keep Emma stuck with him. Clearly he’s just made up some excuse to force her to entertain him.

Honestly, he’s probably right, she thinks. But… “I wanted to do it.”

‘Why?” Rio asks.

“I don’t hate Silvio as much as I used to,” is her plain explanation, that has Rio stunned. “And, well, look. He helped me out the other day, didn’t he? I want to thank him properly for that.”

There’s absolutely no other reason, she reminds herself. Right?

She tells Rio that starting tomorrow, she wants time set aside to entertain Silvio, and he looks worried. Places a hand on her head to check for a fever, and points out that she doesn’t seem to have one …but her face is kind of flushed.

“Y-you’re just imagining things!” she splutters, jumping back. Only to clasp her hands together beseechingly. “Pleeeeaaase, Rio?”

She knows he basically controls her schedule, and if he refuses it’ll be almost impossible to find the time.

Rio assures her he can’t ever tell her no, he’s her loyal-as-a-doggo butler. Smiling as he usually does, but she can see the worry written all over his gaze. “But…can I come along so we entertain Silvio together? So that he won’t try and mark you again.”

She agrees and tells him it’ll be reassuring to have him along, thanking him. Certain that if Rio’s along, Silvio won’t try anything untoward. “Let’s both make Prince Silvio fall in love with Rhodolite!”

Rio smiles, noting how cute she is when she’s all fired up. “But…” His smile sobers, a shadow falling over his expression. “I hope it’s Rhodolite he falls in love with.”

She asks what he means by that, and Rio exclaims that she has to be careful - she’s quite the charmer! When she only seems bemused, he waves it off and urges her to finish her breakfast. 

That’s crazy talk, she thinks. How would that tyrant ever fall in love with her.

~~~~~~~~

This is how Operation Impress Silvio begins.

On the first day, they take him to a bar to sample some of the liquor highly recommended by Leon and Jin. To say that Silvio is less than pleased to see Rio along would be an understatement, but Rio blithely plays innocent - until Emma is forced to step in and bring their attention back to the purpose at hand before a fight breaks out. 

“This is a favorite of Prince Leon and Prince Jin,” she tells Silvio as she pours him a measure of rose wine and urges him to taste it. 

He lifts the glass with his usual elegance-belies-the-tyranny manners, and takes a sip. “Hm? Can’t argue that it’s a top-notch drink.”

Triumphantly, she tells him he can only sample this delicious rose wine in Rhodolite, but he points out that he could simply buy the distiller and probably make it in Benitoite too. That shuts her up, and he looks amused. “Not quite enough to make the grade, eh?”

“Of course I didn’t think I’d win you over with just this,” she counters. “The real show starts now!”

Silvio grins. “Heh…so you say. I hope all that bravado doesn’t end up being just for show.” He reaches out and ruffles her hair, and while it’s a bit of a pain to have her hairstyle messed up…she can’t say she dislikes it. To her own surprise. 

Rio merely watches on in silence.

~~~~~~~~

On day 2, she takes Silvio to the hillside overlooking the city, saying how she knows he was just there the other day but this is her and Rio’s favorite place.

Rio agrees that it’s the best - drinking delicious juice and walking around town. “Thats why, being the ever-so-competent person that I am, I brought some juice for Prince Silvio. Recommended by Prince Clavis himself, it’s ‘super spicy’ and if you drink it you’ll be invigorated -”

A frowning Silvio states that Rio doesn’t seem interested in actually entertaining him at all, grabbing his head when Rio gleefully pulls out the juice. 

Amidst Rio’s ows, Emma steps in, calling Silvio’s attention to the delicious looking juice she has. 

“Give me a drink, woman,” Silvio commands, and she echoes him blankly. “I’m too busy cracking this guy’s head open. I can’t do it myself.”

As Rio’s protesting, she agrees to if Silvio will stop trying to crush Rio. She sticks a straw in the juice and hastily puts it in Silvio’s mouth, and his annoyed expression breaks into a smile. “Definitely pretty decent, yeah.”

She’s lost for a second in the sight of his soft smile, before slapping herself out of it. She’s not about to start going all mooney-eyed over him or anything.

And Rio watches on, saying nothing.

~~~~~~~~

On the third day, they’re in the gardens.

“Rhodolite is famous for having the most beautiful roses on the continent,” Emma says. “Today we’re going back to our roots and taking a tour of the gardens!”

Silvio starts to complain about not being interested in something crappy - before breaking off. “Hey, you damned butler! Don’t pinch my hand!” 

Rio plays innocent, and swears up and down he’d never do such a thing, earning Silvio’s ire before Emma has to referee. Again. She change the subject abruptly and says she heard from Yves and Licht that there was a SEKRIT gazebo in the far back of the gardens.

“Apparently it was built by the king many generations ago for the sole purpose of trysts with his queen,” she explains. “Now there’s no one left to use it. Doesn’t that make your heart swoon a little? I can’t wait!”

“You’re the only one who can’t,” Silvio grumbles.

 Ignoring him, she finds the gate hidden beneath thick ivy and unlocks it with the key Sariel had given her, and Rio throws the door open. She’s awestruck by the vivid garden beyond - more wild, less tamed than the tidy roses out on the main grounds, but their bright blooms surround the antiquated gazebo in splashes of color. And maybe because it’s a place people seldom come in or out of, the perfume of roses dances softly on the air as she walks around.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” she breathes, delighted. “It really does feel like a secret place only a few special people know about.”

Rio sighs wistfully. “Emma’s smile is so pretty, I wish I could keep it in a painting. Don’t you agree, Prince Silvio-”

Rio looks over and startles at the sight of silent, blushing Silvio. “...Prince Silvio?”

Excitedly, Emma notices that the path continues on behind the pavilion. “We’ve got permission to explore, so let’s see where it goes!”

“Hold up, don’t just go charging off ahead on a path all overgrown like that!” Silvio calls after her. (coughworrywartcough)

And on a long silence, Rio watches.

~~~~~~~~

On the fourth day, she cooks for him.

“What’s this?” Silvio asks, looking over the dish before him in his room, and Emma explains that it’s a fricassee, a specialty of Rhodolite home cooking. 

She’s feeling pretty good about the one she and Rio have whipped up here as she says she’d heard from Nokto that Silvio was interested in comfort fare like this.

“You’re the only one who’d want me to eat something so plain looking,” Silvio says, and an indignant Rio says it’s a delicacy - but if he doesn’t want it he’ll go find Silvio a ‘royal’ meal right now. 

“Hey, don’t try and take it away! I never said I wouldn’t eat it!” Silvio protests.

He lifts the plate and stands up to avoid Rio’s grabby hands, spooning a bite into his mouth. “Huh…so this is what ‘home cooking’ tastes like.”

“How is it?” Emma asks anxiously.

Silvio grins. “Pretty decent for an amateur.” Rio reminds him that what his mistress is looking for is a definitive whether it tastes good or not, and Silvio sobers a bit. “It doesn’t taste bad, I suppose.”

“Not ‘delicious’?!” Rio prompts.

“...I’m not going to not eat it again,” Silvio tsundere-hedges still. 

“Really?” Emma asks. “Then I’ll make another home-cooked Rhodolite meal for you.” Silvio says he’ll give her some time to make dinner then in that case so she’d best work hard to please him, which she turns right back around. “And you’d better practice so you can just say it’s delicious honestly next time.”

“...Saucy, aren’t we,” he fires back, setting her off into a flurry of protests as he starts mussing up her hair.

Rio, watching on, holds his tongue…but lets out a heavy sigh.

~~~~~~~~

Day five rolls around…and over breakfast Emma is musing aloud what sort of thing they should entertain Silvio with today. This morning meeting has become her new daily routine, and as she sips her tea she ponders plans in her head.

But there's no reply from Rio, until she calls his name questioningly and he snaps back to attention. "Ah! Sorry…sorry, it was nothing."

She wonders to herself what's up with him. He seems to be zoning out like that a lot lately, and it's only been getting worse. She'd been determined to wait and let him talk when he felt ready to, about whatever is weighing on his mind, but she's beginning to wonder if she should broach the subject with him anyways.

Just as she's dithering over that, a soft knock sounds at the door. "Pardon me. It's Prince Keith…might I have a moment of your time?"

Surprised, she exchanges a glance with Rio and takes a deep breath to loosen the tension that had stiffened her body. She gives the okay and Rio opens the door - but Keith remains hovering on the threshold, not entering.

Then he drops into a bow so genteel and elegant it blows her away. "I am so very, very sorry about the other day!" he exclaims, leaving Rio and Emma stunned. "I'm certain there's no apology that can make up for it, but I would like to offer you one regardless. You are free to beat me up all you wish!"

"Please stand up, Prince Keith!" an agitated Emma asks. "...And Rio, put your hand down."

As she restrains Rio before he can throw a punch, she urges Keith to straighten up. He seems a completely different person than last time, with genuine sincerity shining in his golden eyes.

Emma tells him she's over it, and Keith notes how she very kind she is. Rio warns him it'd better never happen again, and an earnest Keith assures him it won't.

"In addition…I'd like to give you this as a gesture of apology," Keith offers, to both Rio and Emma's surprise. 

~~~~~~~~

Silvio's 2nd Letter

I'll say some good things, so read this.

Your hosting hasn't been too bad lately. The only thing I don't get is why every time you come to host, it's always with that shitty dog…but leaving that aside, what you're doing has gotten a million times better. I especially liked the rose fricassee. You should definitely make it again. And give me some of your other home cooking - of course, made by you, right? If it's Rhodolite home-cooking, that means it's something that only you can make. That's the flavor I want, so don't let anyone else cook for me. ……Also, don't let the damn dog help you make it. Call me rather than cook alone with him. I'll help you out a bit. Keep up the good work, Hostess.

~ Silvio Ricci

~~~~~~~~

<< Chp 10 Avatar Challenge | Chp 12 >>

#spoiler #spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #ikepri silvio main story #mrs o loves salty seadogs #mrs o's translations of dubious quality

[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Your Fault I'm So Horknee Event - Epilogue

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes when they come to English.

Note: Translating smut sucks. Apologies if this does too. You can find the Event + Sweet end here, and the Premium end here. This is a continuation of the Premium, in Silvio's POV.

~~~~~~~~

“Ten days,” he says, and she doesn’t follow. “It’s been ten days since I last touched you. I’ll have you regretting you ever made me endure it that long.”

He’s been teased so much, nothing remains but painful desire. Pressing his lips to the tip of one toe, he kisses a slow path upwards - Emma making half-hearted protests the entire time, but it’s obvious her heart isn’t in them. 

To himself, he blames all this on her for being so cute. All on her entirely. Working his way up past her knees, trailing kisses up her thighs - higher, to the spot he knows will get him the best reaction of all…

“Silvio…don’t!” 

Emma’s hand is desperately trying to push his head back, but he ignores it in favor of hooking her legs over his shoulders so she can’t go anywhere, his mouth grazing lightly against her damp center. 

Sorry, he silently apologizes to her as she softly moans. But I’m all out of patience.

He circles her with his tongue, licking and sucking as if he could pull the very heat out from inside of her. It doesn’t take long for the evidence of her arousal to run down and wet the table beneath her, her body going wantonly languid. And when he teases her clit mercilessly, a string of cries falls from her, one right after another. 

But each time does nothing to sate his hunger - if anything, it only grows.

Still dissatisfied, he lifts his head from between her legs just as he feels her begin to quiver on the precipice, and looks up at her…

“Silvio…you idiot…” she accuses.

“Hey…no need to cry.” Alarmed, he’s cursing to himself, figuring he must have overdone it.

Coming back to his senses at the sight of her with her hands over her eyes, and wondering if she was so mortified she really had hated it. “Emma, are you alright??”

Her only answer is silence, and he starts scrambling. “Ok, ok, I’m sorry. I’ll be nicer with you, please don’t be upset -”

She’s still not responding, and then he stops abruptly. 

Hold up a minute. Taking a closer look, it’s apparent that she’s fighting back amusement, pressing her lips together tightly.

“....Hey!” he says, in disbelief. Grabbing the hand she’d been hiding her eyes with and pulling it away, where the only sign of tears he sees lingering are most definitely not from being upset. “You’re messing with me.”

“Just a little revenge,” she tells him, saying she wouldn’t be able to stand it if she didn’t get back at him at leat a bit for embarrassing her so much.

He stops and turns red at her explanation, and finds himself picking her up in his arms, her own cheeks pink and refusing to meet his eyes. Cursing and swearing at how he can’t hold back when she’s like this. 

“Silvio?!” She says his name in alarm as he tosses her onto the bed and strips his own clothes off. 

“Quit saying such cute things, you idiot!” he accuses, telling her if she does he might just dick her down too hard and be the end of her then and there. She’s flailing and protesting that, when he shuts her down. “Be quiet. I told you I’ve got ten days worth pent up.”

His fingers delve deep inside her, as he takes her breast in his mouth. No intention of stopping no matter how many times a climax shakes her.

She’s crying out, tossing her head back and forth as if at her breaking point, and he takes that as sign enough to shift atop her and drive himself home the way he’s been wanting to so badly. Finally feeling something like satisfaction for the first time in ages.

The no-touching ban was even worse than he’d realized, he supposes. So madly in love with her it had been an agony of sorts. He silently vows that he’ll never let her put something like that in place again - how it was something like torture not being able to touch her. 

“Emma.” 

Just him saying her name is enough to have her smiling happily…and the sight of that alone has his heart all aflutter. His desire spilling over unabated. Admitting, to himself at least, that he’s so hopelessly in love with her.

~~~~~~~~

“No touching allowed!” Emma declares.

“Whaa?!”

The next morning, the moment she’d woken up, Emma had dressed and ran out of the room..and then had made such a proclamation. 

A furious Silvio asks why, when they’d settled the problem, and Emma agrees they had, but things still aren’t copacetic. 

“Yesterday, that…that…!” she sputters.

He realizes that’s what she’s still hung up on, fully aware that he got carried away last night. He’d had her again and again, never satiated, and it’s clear it’s all so fresh in her mind how thoroughly he’d debauched her that she’s too embarrassed to even say it. 

Guess I lost control a bit at how cute she was.

He smirks at her. “If you put a ban in place, I’ll do something that’ll make you think I was going easy on you last night.”

She gasps. “If you do that, my heart might explode and take me with it!”

Oh so that’s why she’s being like this, he realizes - and he thinks he deserves the highest of praise for clinging to enough of a shred of reason to keep from jumping her right then and there. 

Aloud, she says that if he thinks that way it’s only fair for him to be embarrassed too, and alarmed he tells her to back away. 

“No! You should be as humiliated as I was!” she exclaims, and over his protests she seems serious in her righteous anger as she tries to grab him. 

Before he knows it, the tables are turned and he’s now the one trying to run from her. Wondering what the heck he’s doing…even as the sight of her smile blooming bright in the sun takes his breath away.

All that lust he should have purged last night coming roaring back the moment he sees her like this.

He’s in real trouble, he can admit to himself…because when it comes to her, his desire knows no bounds.

#spoiler #spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #mrs o loves salty seadogs #mrs o's translations of dubious quality #minors shoo #also don't open this at work folks

[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Your Fault I'm So Horknee Event - Premium End

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes when they come to English.

Note: This story event, like others recently, requires one to finish the Sweet End before the Premium can be chosen. The Premium is an expansion on and slight continuation of the events of the Sweet, but from the suitor POV - as is the epilogue. This post contains the Premium end only. The beginning of the story and the Sweet end can be found here. I will post the Epilogue separately.

~~~~~~~~

After he’d brought her home from Rhodolite to Benitoite, the problem became glaringly obvious. 

“...There’s way more,” Silvio says.

“There is more,” Carlo agrees.

They’re looking over the vast quantity of things filling up Silvio’s room, enough to leave him stunned. All gifts, but not a one addressed to him - they’re all for her. 

It’s not necessarily a bad thing…but it rubs him wrong. “Toss them all in the storehouse,” he instructs Carlo.

Carlo asks whether he should give the report of it all to Emma. Silvio tells him no need, but that he should hold onto it so it can be given to her at some point down the line.

“And when will that be?” Carlo asks. 

Silvio frowns. “I don’t know. But at the very least, not now." He says that getting so many gifts will only trouble her.

The only people who are circling her now are merchants with entrepreneurial designs, the sort who would only see her as a tool to use…and it’s not a pleasant feeling. But above all, none of these gifts are fitting for Emma, given that she values the sorts of things money can’t buy.

Emma isn’t some tool to be used for business. What the hell do you all think you’re doing with my girl?

That’s just how business works - schmoozing is part and parcel of the deal. But when it comes to her, he has a hard time being objective about it. He knows better than anyone how empty relationships based around money are. 

“...As good a man as always…” Carlo says softly, and Silvio grabs him by the head, scowling, until a flailing Carlo swears he won’t say it again.

“I’m not a good person. I just don’t like it,” Silvio corrects him.

I should be the only one to give Emma gifts in the first place. 

He can’t claim to not want to keep that privilege all to himself.

~~~~~~~~

It’s important that Emma be made known to many people, especially given that she can’t avoid social life if she’s to be the next king’s consort. Receiving gifts also falls under the umbrella of official duties…but people’s assessing stares are just too much for him to bear. That’s the sort of selfishness that has him keeping her from talking to others.

“You’re too overprotective, Silvio,” she says to him aboard the ship at the launch party, saying she’s figured out why he won’t let her speak with people.

He’s a bit taken aback at her proclamation that she’s figured out the truth…and it’s only made worse when she hits the nail on the head. Realizing she’s seen right through him.

Emma’s no fool, he knows…but she doesn’t seem ready to rebuke him for being selfish, much to his relief. 

She lays out how he only steps in when people try to dig, and he’s not surprised by how observant she is as the former Belle. 

“...It bothers me,” he admits. “All they care about is taking advantage of you.” He says he knows that’s partly just how the business world works, but he hates the idea of everything being about money when it comes to her. “Relationships built solely on money are hollow.”

You’re the one who made me realize that.

After she hears him out, she takes a deep breath, and declares she’s got to get better. Has to build relationships that move beyond marks on the ledger. Surprised by her proclamation and the way she seems so confident about it. 

There are few women who would choose to change themselves rather than complain about their situations, in his experience, and he’s overwhelmed by how stinking adorable she is right now. Somehow barely managing to hold himself back. 

Instead he comments on how she’s cheeky like that…but to himself he thinks that maybe he was too overprotective, and stifling her. She’s not incapable.

“You’d better come through on this, or I really won’t let you talk to anyone,” he threatens on a smile, and she assures him she’s got this. 

I’ve ignored your will…he admits to himself, vowing to fix that.

She assures him she’s not as weak as he might think, and he concedes that - and also his difficulties in figuring out the right path to take when it comes to her. Whether to be strict or to coddle her. And when he says as much, she seems to be smiling with great amusement before enthusiastically telling him she doesn’t mind him being a bit harsh, she can take it and not let him down.

“Is that so…” Inside, he’s pleading with her to have mercy on him and stop saying such precious things in public.

“Then I’ll stop coddling you. I’m going to be strict with you.”

He reaches out to her without thinking - desperately wanting to hug her, after so long without. Then realizing that he doesn’t think just a hug will be enough. But she takes a step back for some reason, and he doesn’t mean to protest so loudly but he does. “I said I’d stop babying you, the ban should be lifted.”

She admits she didn’t mean to move away, and he demands she not do so then - silently begging her to hurry up and give in, because he doesn’t think he can take any more of this. 

Or is she doing it on purpose?

When he moves in again, she backs up again, and he doesn’t understand why. She protests that they’re somewhere public, AKA on board, and everyone could be watching, but he doesn’t see the problem given that she’s his woman.

“It’s…embarrassing, isn’t it?” she asks.

Something seems to snap inside of him at that. Hunting her down, he tries to trap her against the wall, blaming her for all this and telling her to take responsibility - the two of them devolving in to bickering and chasing each other heedless of the party.

If I don’t have to go easy on her, then I don’t have to hold back on wanting her, right? he reasons.

~~~~~~~~

In the end, Emma proves the tougher opponent. Winning the on-board chase, and refusing to lift the no-touch ban even when they’re in the carriage on the way home. 

“No more objections?” he asks, once they’ve returned to his room, but her response is tepid at best. And he doesn’t comprehend why she keeps her distance, almost as if wary of him. “Why are you acting like that? I thought you lifted the ‘no-touch’ ban.”

“I did. I did, but…I’m just weirdly nervous, because I haven’t been touched by you in awhile,” she explains.

“Huh?” he scowls.

She tries to tell him she’s gotta mentally prep herself, after so long, and he’s simultaneously scoffing aloud at that while internally wailing over how cute she is. 

Anything resembling reason is utterly gone by now - leaving behind only beastly, irresistible desire.

“You told me I could touch you as much as I wanted to when we got back to my room, didn’t you?” he reminds her, and she haltingly affirms. “If you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be touched, I’ll remind you.”

If she’s not giving him the red light, he’s not about to take it easy, or to stop. He backs her into the corner of the room and sweeps her up into his arms before dropping a flustered Emma down atop the table, savoring the long-absent feeling of her warmth.

“Silvio…mnn.”

He kisses her, hard, to stop her words when she tries to object…and her hesitation about being touched doesn’t seem to extend to being kisses, because she seems to remember how to do so just fine. Her tongue meeting his halfway eagerly.

He knows she’s been wanting this for awhile now, badly. A longing look in her eyes whenever she touched him, whether she was aware of it or not…but he’s been painfully so.

Aloud, he accuses her of having really put him through the wringer as he carefully peels off the dress that had been made just for today and kneels on the floor. Emma coming out of her kiss-fueled daze and back to her senses. 

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“You’ll see,”he promises.

She flails at that and he takes her legs and spreads them firmly apart, over her embarrassed protests.

“Ten days,” he says, and she doesn’t follow. “”It’s been ten days since I last touched you. I’ll have you regretting you ever made me endure it that long.”

He’s been teased so much, nothing remains but painful desire. Pressing his lips to the tip of her toe, he kisses a slow path upwards - Emma making half-protests the entire time, but it’s obvious her heart isn’t in them. 

To himself, he blames her for all of this, for being so cute. All on her entirely.

Working his way up past her knees, trailing kisses up her thighs - higher, to the place he knows will get him the best reaction of all…

(Silvio’s desire level: 150)

~~~~~~~~

<< Sweet End || Epilogue >> (TBC)

#spoiler #spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #mrs o loves salty seadogs #mrs o's translations of dubious quality #ikepri jp summary

[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Your Fault I'm So Horknee Event - Sweet End

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes when they come to English.

Note: This story event, like others recently, requires one to finish the Sweet End before the Premium can be chosen. The Premium is an expansion on and slight continuation of the events of the Sweet, but from the suitor POV - as is the epilogue. This post contains the Sweet end, I will post the Premium and the Epilogue separately.

~~~~~~~~

Daily life is different in many ways, ever since Emma came to live in Benitoite as Silvio’s lover - but foremost of all perhaps is how she now helps Silvio with his daily duties.

Walking down the corridor one morning, Silvio asks after the contract he’d asked her for their last day working, and she tells him it’s already done and she’d like to have him review it the next time he gets a moment. 

“Nice work. That was faster than I expected,” he tells her on a smile, putting a hand on her head and tousling her hair.

Half of her is annoyed at having her hairstyle messed up…but the other, larger half, is enjoying the feeling. When he praises her like that, it only makes her want to try harder.

He’s not only helped her train her manners and the things she needs to know to survive in the upper echelon of society, but has lately begun letting her assist him with his official duties. Maybe to the outside observer it looks like she’s being bullied by a tyrant, just as she’d been back in Rhodolite…but for her this is a great honor, given how she’d hoped to make herself useful. Wanting to be someone worth their salt if she’s to stay with Silvio.

She knows she has to try even harder, if she wants to be the consort of the prince and next king. 

…But lately, there’s been an problem.

~~~~~~~~

In his room that night after dinner, they’re lounging on the sofa and relaxing when Silvio abruptly states that he’s going to the shipyard for an inspection tomorrow, and asks if she wants to come. She eagerly accepts, having been curious about one of Benitoite’s main industries (shipbuilding) and knowing it’s one of Silvio’s particular areas of focus, and tells him she’s looking forward to it a great deal.

“You’re interested in everything, aren’t you?” he observes. “The only people willing to go to a shipyard are either children or you.”

“Really?” she asks. “I’d just like to know everything there is to know about you.”

“...You really think that?” he replies, turning pink. 

She asks him if he’s all shy now, and that gets an indignant sputter out of him, grabbing her head and calling her a fool, but she can see he’s red faced and smiling.

She can’t go without knowing anything about ships though, she tells him. She needs to hurry up and arm herself with the powah of KNOWLEDGE, and she shoots to her feet ready to go track some down on the spot, telling him she’s heading to the library for info when he asks where she’s going.

“No need,” he tells her bluntly, grabbing her hand and pulling her onto his lap, trapping her in his arms where his delightful, exotic cologne surrounds her. “If you know the basics of shipbuilding and how it relates to the royal family, that should be enough.”

“Are you going to teach me?” she asks.

His smile fades. “It’s quicker than reading some book. Nobody said you could go anywhere.”

“Ah, I get it,” she says, translating Silvioese. “You don’t want me to leave you all alone.”

He protests that he just didn’t like the fact she was looking to turn to a book rather than him, his eyes soft despite the irritated way he ruffles her hair. Her poor heart doing little somersaults at that, prompting her to hug him to distract herself from it. Finding the way he startles and jumps absolutely freaking adorable. 

“I’m always having to tell you the same thing - don’t surprise me like that,” he grumbles.

“And I’m always having to tell you to hurry up and get used to it,” she fires back. 

“Don’t be sassy. And don’t tell me what to do.”

“Well in that case, I’ll just be going back to my room,” she threatens. He falls silent, looking unhappy, and she flails to take it back. “I’m just kidding, don’t make such a sour face.”

Maybe she got carried away, she thinks,  and she brings herself back to focus. Abandoning their little squabble and getting back to business. She tells him that she’s not totally in the dark about shipbuilding - she knows it’s Benitoite’s main industry and one that Silvio’s been working hard to prop up and invest in, which is why she’s been studying it.

This has him laughing, clearly in a good mood as he praises her for always getting shit done no matter how cheeky she is - and in his low, pleasing voice he starts explaining to her more of the details. She stays focused, listening, but her heart keeps pounding at the occasional breath that grazes her skin.

This must be what happiness is, she thinks with satisfaction. These are the moments she never wants to let go of...and to make sure of that, she has to do her best tomorrow.

But sometimes what we want and what actually happens are sadly different.

~~~~~~~~

The next day they arrive at the best of Benitoite’s shipyards, where she and Silvio draw the attention of many people besides their guides. Mostly her though, it seems. She’s used to being the subject of appraising stares, from her time as Belle in Rhodolite, but it feels even more intense here in Benitoite. 

She wonders if they’re trying to gauge whether she is useful or not, what her worth is. Silvio is the richest man not just in Benitoite, but the entire continent. People offer him all sorts of things, hoping to entice him to invest in their endeavors - if she’s deemed important to him, then it’s only a matter of time before they see if she can be used for that aim. She’s seen this first-hand already, with how strangely eager some people are to cozy up to her despite having only just met them.

That’s been social gatherings so far, but the problem comes when…

The moment the man who is acting as their guide presents her as the lady of rumor, she’s shielded behind a broad back. 

“Don’t stare,” Silvio warns, and the man hastily apologizes. 

That’s exactly what she knew he’d do - everyone’s gazes hastily turning elsewhere at the terrifying expression on Silvio’s face. She’s lost track of how many times this has happened, denied the chance to greet everyone properly whenever she’s with Silvio. She knows it’s not necessarily that he wants to hide her from everyone, not with him bringing her along on the inspection.

“Silvio…” She pokes him in the back so he knows she disapproves. 

He trembles slightly, and turns red. “Cut that out, don’t touch me.”

“Well then - mph!?” She doesn’t even get to finish her sentence before he’s clapped a hand over her mouth and pulled her into his firmly-muscled chest, to her disbelief. 

Turning to address everyone gathered, he says that if they know who she is there’s no need to introduce her. And then he swiftly shifts the topic back to the work on the new ships, the shipyard worker awkwardly agreeing that things are progressing well and that he’s glad to hear Silvio will attend the upcoming launch party of the newest vessel.

Silvio waves it off as part and parcel of his duties, and informs them he’ll be bringing her along as well. 

There’s bound to be a ton of people there, she knows, but she’s a little worried about how he’ll act given he doesn’t want any men seeing her. 

“Make a big deal of it,” he instructs them, saying how it’ll be the first formal function he’s ever attended with a woman, and they assure him they will and that many people will be thrilled. They move on with the tour and inspection…but every time Silvio snarls at those who look at her a little too long, she’s ready to facepalm.

~~~~~~~~

Once done, in the carriage on the way back, she confronts him about his behavior. He’s silent and avoiding her eyes, so she knows he’s not clueless about what he’s done, and she presses him on something that she’s suspected for awhile now. “You’re the jealous type.”

A startled Silvio insists she’s got it all wrong… but to her, jealousy or possessiveness is the only explanation that makes any sense for why he’s so quick to threaten anyone who tries to get closer to her.

Maybe it’s just that he doesn’t like her talking to other men, or some such.

“If you disagree, then quit threatening everyone,” she tells him. “If it keeps up, I’ll just be dead weight holding you back.” She knows she can’t stay hidden behind his back forever, and if things don’t change she’ll be cut off from social circles in Benitoite too. 

“I’m not gonna to be dragged down by that,” he scoffs…and then complains about the fact that she moved to the seat across from him when he’d specifically sat beside her - that hardly seems fair when she got to touch him a bunch earlier.

She tells him that if he refuses to take her concerns seriously and change his mind on this, she’s got an idea…a statement he greets with a scowl. But she knows things have to change, they can’t go on as they are, so she’s willing to harden her heart. 

“You’re not allowed to touch me until you change your attitude!” she declares.

(Silvio’s desire level: 70)

She lets go of his hand, and a deep scowl carves itself between Silvio’s brows as he accuses her of coming up with another crazy thing to say.

“I’m serious,” she insists. “Why exactly is it you’re so worried about me talking to other men?” He refuses to answer, and she tries pleading her case. “I love you, so very much.” She moves to sit next to him, hugging him tightly.

Flustered, he asks what happened to the touching ban, and she explains that it’s okay if she does the touching. But he’s not allowed to. He complains that that seems awfully convenient and doesn’t seem inclined to follow it - so the moment she feels his hand start to move, she quickly puts space between them. 

“You’re the only man I see, Silvio,” she reminds him. 

“It’s not that I’m jealous,” he argues. 

She asks why it is he won’t let her talk to anyone then, but he refuses to give her a straight answer to that. Trying to give her a vague reply that she points out isn’t a real answer, until he gets frustrated and warns her not to try and go behind his back on this. His hand reaching for her almost automatically, before he snatches it back in frustration.

It’s all around not good, and she knows she’s got to do something to resolve this before the launch ceremony where everyone will be gathered. 

~~~~~~~~

The next day dawns as blue and clear as the sea below, and as she’s looking out her window there’s a knock at her door. Silvio strolls in, with an entourage of elegantly-dressed women. 

“It’s for the dress you’re going to wear. Order it however you like,” he explains, as the modiste eagerly agrees that she’ll tailor the dress to Emma’s tastes.

She hadn’t expected to have a bespoke dress made just for the launch ceremony, and while she’s still stunned the elderly modiste sets her assistants into motion taking measurements. But she knows that she can’t very well stand up there beside Silvio and not look fitting for the occasion, or else it’ll reflect poorly on him. 

“I…don’t know much about dresses, so I don’t know what kind would be appropriate…” she admits. 

Silvio advises that for a launch ceremony  it would be better to wear a dress that’s easy to move around in, rather than something incredibly elaborate, and that she’ll want to keep in mind the fact that they’ll be on board a ship and the wind can easily pick up breezy fabrics.

“Then let us make it out of a heavier fabric,” the dressmaker agrees. 

“Also, everyone knows you’re from Rhodolite. How about wearing something with roses on it?” Silvio suggests.

“Is that okay, at an official Benitoite event?” she asks. 

He grins and asks what’s the problem with showing off an allied country’s speciality. “Besides, it’d be best to dress up in whatever way you prefer.”

She’s still amazed by how different of a man he is than when they’d first met, and stunned by how considerate he is of her despite his tyrannical exterior. He sobers, and asks what’s with her expression - starting to reach for her when she comes to her senses. 

“Nope!” she exclaims, stepping back. 

“That thing from yesterday is still going on?” he frowns.

She tells him it totally is, she’s not giving in that easily. He starts to reply, when their bickering is  interrupted by the modiste. “I’d heard the rumors, but you really are close aren’t you?”

She’s a little embarrassed to realize it was so obvious, but Silvio just grins. “She’s got it bad for me.”

“Not even you can go putting words into people’s mouths,” she fires right back, and the dressmaker bursts into laughter. 

It’s a moment as idyllic as the lovely weather outside…but…

“By the way, the lady -” the modiste begins.

“Enough chit-chat.” Silvio bluntly cuts the conversation off and reminds her they're short on time. "Money's no object, I want your best and fastest work."

"... Certainly." The dressmaker agrees, chastised.

Why?? is all Emma can wonder. Why's he being like this even with a woman now? It seems clear he doesn't want anyone to have anything to do with her beyond the most surface of interactions. She'd accused him of doing so out of jealousy yesterday and he denied it, all embarrassed…but if this attitude of his is extending even to women, maybe there is some other reason.

What is it she's missing here?

The women from the dressmaker's all get back to work, silently now that they're cowed by his air…and it's the most awkward thing ever.

~~~~~~~~

That evening she's outside with Silvio after his duties are finished up, where the setting sun has dyed the pool a lovely shade of red.

He's silent - definitely still in a bad mood, she recognizes. Wearing the same frown he has been since the dressmaker's visit.

"Silvio."

He jerks to attention at her calling his name, and she takes advantage of the unguarded opening to brace a hand on his shoulder and press a kiss to his cheek.

"What are you trying to do?" he sputters, red-faced.

"You looked grumpy. It's a kiss to make it all better," she tells him. A proven Silvio strategy before.

He complains that she's taking all sorts of liberties after implementing her no-touchy  ban, and she admits that maybe she misses him doing so more than she thought she would.

He smirks. "Well in that case-"

"But I'm not breaking it!" she warns him, earning a frustrated tongue click.

She tells him that the way things are going she'll never get to talk to anyone, and asks if he's trying to keep her cut off from everyone.

He grins that that wouldn't be so bad maybe - lock her in a mansion somewhere and never ever let her out again.

"Then I'd never be with you, would I?" she points out, secretly pleased at how his expression turns unhappy at that.

"I don't like it," he begins, and when she presses him to elaborate on that…

They're interrupted by her stomach growling. Loudly. And they’re both staring at each other as she’s wtf at her own belly, mortified. Clutching it as she sinks down on the spot, all while Silvio’s shoulders are shaking and he’s biting back laughter.

Silvio starts to say something, but she cuts him off. “Pretend that never happened!”

“Ha, don’t order me around,” he laughs. “I’m in trouble if you’re so cute.”

She’s still stunned by his little addition when he come to kneel down in front of her, reaching for her cheek…but she’s still cognizant of her NO TOUCH ban and she leaps back. Only souring his mood even further. 

“Quit that,” he orders, to her surprise. “As long as you keep up with your attitude, I won’t explain anything either.”

She starts to protest and he tells her that if she doesn’t like that idea, just let him touch her…and then smirks, leaving her reeling at his next words. “Although I don’t know if it’ll be just a touch, if you get what I mean?”

(Silvio’s desire level: 90)

~~~~~~~~

Sweet End

Every step Silvio prowls towards her, she takes another one back. Still determined to stick to her guns, because she’s convinced that nothing will change if she doesn’t…but then again, if she doesn’t know why he’s doing it, they can’t fix it. As she wavers, his ocean eyes pierce her, ablaze with heat. Throat working as he stares at her, as if visibly thirsting for something. 

And she knows he wasn’t exaggerating- if she let him touch her here, that alone really might not be enough.

Coming to a decision finally, she darts in when he reaches out again and tickles his side mercilessly. 

“You…what the…what are you doing?! Knock that off, idiot!” he splutters.

“I’m standing by the no-touching!” she declares.

“Okay alright, I get it! So stop it!” He chokes out around his laughter. “Stop tickling me!”

It doesn’t escape her notice that despite crying with laughter at her tickle torture, he still respects her no-touching. Not making a move to grab her. And when she finally stops, he stands a wary distance away. 

“Do you…hate being touched by me that much?” he asks.

That’s totally not the case, she tells him - though she admits to herself that she’s mildly terrified about what will happen when she does lift the ban. She reminds him that if neither of them bend on this it’s pointless, and he agrees - which is why she should give up, he says.

“Not gonna,” she says flatly, and he scowls. The both of them glaring in silence as she wonders how long they can keep going around and around about this. Sighing at this entrenched battle with no end in sight. 

~~~~~~~~

Neither of them budge, and nothing changes after that. Time marches on, until it’s the day of the launch ceremony. 

She’s amazed by how many people are in attendance, and Silvio reminds her this project was enormous, and definitely a big deal to celebrate. In a country that is built on the back of ships just like this, launching one is a good omen the entire country will laud. It’s not just the people involved in the project gathered either, there’s even a healthy number of commoners taking part in the festivities. 

“I heard that most of the investment on this ship was your doing,” she says to him. 

He confirms that, explaining how advancing shipbuilding is in the country’s national interest and not the place to be borrowing funds.

She wonders if that’s why she’s been getting all the stares and attention. Not everyone is looking at them, but there’s no denying that Silvio definitely stands out. And some of that inevitably spills over onto her, keeping her on edge. Even after taking their seats for the ceremony, gazes are always following her.

She keeps a smile plastered on her face, so no one can tell how uncomfortable she is, and the man seated beside her looks over and makes eye contact.

“Oh, what’s this? Maybe you’re the one all these rumors are about…”

She wonders if he knows Silvio, and she politely introduces herself.  The man does the same, and tells her his name is Dario - he’s one of Silvio’s fellow sea voyagers.

“Haven’t seen you in awhile…and it looks like there’s more of you now,” Silvio ribs on a grin.

Dario splutters. “It’s all muscle, thank you very much. Not that I’ve gotten fat.”

“Suspiciously hasty with that,” Silvio observes. “Remember my girl here’s face. Touch her and I’ll drown you at sea.”

Dario assures him he understands very well. “But Prince Silvio, having a woman at his side…”

Silvio tells him to shut it, and Dario warns him that if he’s got too bad of a mouth he might fall out of favor with his lady.

“It’s alright. Silvio’s a man who loves very deeply, and I know he’s just embarrassed,” she assures Dario easily.

Dario seems impressed by her generous heart and keen eye, saying he’d expect no less of the future queen. 

“You…” Silvio says warningly, but that’s all…and she notes that’s odd in and of itself. Normally his mood would have soured and he would have cut the conversation off entirely by now, but he seems perfectly fine with Dario and her chatting.

What’s different?

She compares the three of them in her head - the shipyard employee, the dressmaker, and Silvio’s sailing comrade. And a possibility finally hits her.

Silvio seems to notice the way she sits up, and he asks what it is, but she waves it off as nothing. Deciding to herself though that it’s worth testing out her idea.

~~~~~~~~

After the ship is successfully launched, there’s a party held on board. It’s not leaving port yet, but her elegant deck is laden with a luxurious spread of food to thank everyone involved in the project. And over the course of the meet and greets, her suspicion is confirmed.

“You’re too overprotective, Silvio,” she says to him.

He asks where that came from, out of the blue, and she says she finally realizes why it is he won’t let her talk to people. He barks a laugh and says he’ll indulge her and hear this out…and she’s confident in her inference after the conversations that have taken place on board. 

“You don’t want anyone to use me,” she states, and his smile falls as he remains wordless.

Bullseye, she thinks. His expression and silence saying it all. “You don’t step in and try to hide me unless someone starts being nosy about me.”

It’s what she’d noticed about the shipyard worker and the dressmaker too, that they seemed to have been testing the waters of her, judging her usefulness, when he’d spoken up. But Dario hadn’t been doing that…and paying attention at the party it’s been easy for her to pick up on who falls into one camp or the other - and how Silvio reacts.

“...It bothers me,” he admits. “All they care about is taking advantage of you.” He says he knows that’s partly just how the business world works, but he hates the idea of everything being about money when it comes to her. “Relationships built on money are hollow.”

She was right then - it never was about jealousy or being possessive, in the end. Silvio knows quite well what a horrid thing connections centered all around money can be, and it’s clear he desperately wants to spare her all that unpleasantness. 

She’s in real trouble, having a man who’s such a tyrant and yet overprotective and kind at the same time. But she can’t rely on his kindness forever. “Then I have to stand on my own two feet.”

He seems surprised, and she tries to explain that she’s got to be charming enough to build relationships where what can be gained or lost doesn’t matter. She knows that what he values from her is not monetary, but of the heart…and she knows that if he keeps trying to shelter her in that mentality, she’ll never be able to truly stand beside him.

She tells him that she doesn’t want him to think that the only sorts of connections she can build if she’s around him are those based on money….and promises to do her best to show him otherwise, so that he can rest assured.

Silvio smiles. “Yeah, that sass is like you. You’d better come through on this, or I really won’t let you talk to anyone.”

“That’s what I plan on…thank you for being concerned,” she tells him. “But I’m not as weak as you think I am, am I?”

“I know that…” he admits. “But…I still don’t have it quite figured out.” She asks what he means by that, and he concedes that he isn’t sure how to handle things when it comes to her. When to spoil her and when to let her tough it out. 

That’s another side of him she adores…and she assures him she doesn’t mind a bit of tough love and struggle - she won’t be swayed, and she won’t let him down!

“Is that so…” His cheeks are pink. “Then I’ll stop coddling you. I’m going to be tough on you.”

He reaches out for her, sea blue eyes searing her with intense longing, and purely by reflex she takes a step back…much to his great displeasure, and she’s thinking oh shit, didn’t mean to do that.

“I said I’d stop babying you, the ban should be lifted,” Silvio protests.

“Yeah, I didn’t mean to run away either,” she agrees.

“Then don’t.” 

Frustrated, he closes the distance between them and she backs up again. Frankly a bit unnerved by the look in his eyes, probably due to how long it’s been - the one that says he’d kiss her the moment he got his hands on her. And she knows it won’t be some cute, chaste smooch, it’ll be one searing enough to have her on her guard.

“W-we’re on a ship!” she points out. “Everyone can see us?!”

“What’s the problem? You’re my woman,” Silvio matter-of-factly proclaims. 

She points out how embarrassing it’ll be…but rather than giving up, Silvio tries to push her up against the wall as she flails out more protests. But he’s unmoved, telling her she started all this, it’s her job to hurry up and finish it. Still shutting him down, she ducks his advances.

“Hey! Don’t run away, let me touch you!” Silvio says furiously.

“You can touch me all you want back in your room!” she argues.

“No, now,” he insists. 

Completely forgetting that they’re in the middle of a party on board, the chase begins - and plenty of guests are looking on in astonishment. Emma’s torn between which is the least of two embarrassing options…but she’s so desperate to run away, she soon forgets all about the stares.

(Silvio’s desire level: 110)

~~~~~~~~~~

Premium End >>

#spoiler #spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #mrs o loves salty seadogs #mrs o's translations of dubious quality #ikepri jp summary

[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Main Story - Chp 04

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes when they come to English.

~~~~~~~~

(If you’re reading along, I am cutting out the redundant part where they repeat the end of the last chapter here)

In the wee hours of the night, two princes are having a clandestine talk at the Benitoite embassy that could upset the balance of the four countries.

Gilbert observes aloud that the existence of Belle means there is no king. “That,” he points out on a smile. “Makes this a good opportunity to attack Rhodolite.” 

“So am I to take that as a declaration of war against an ally of Benitoite?” Silvio asks.

Gilbert counters this by asking if he’s going to turn a blind eye to all this - hasn’t he heard anything from his father, the king? He’s not believing that, not with Benitoite consumed with who’s going to succeed the king. “If you want to be the next king, I would think you’d be happy to please him.”

Silvio seems none too pleased about the workings of the inner circle of Benitoite being leaked, but Gilbert is unapologetic and reminds him that cultivating spies is his hobby.

“It’s a bad one,” Silvio sneers.

“I think it’s more charming than your way of letting money do all the talking,” Gilbert counters. He goes on to say the emperor of Obsidian has taken to reevaluating things, and is seeking to form alliances with other countries. Silvio reminds him that he was just talking about attacking Rhodolite only moments ago, and Gilbert clarifies that they want to pick and choose their friends. They can’t get along with everyone.

As far as which friends would be suitable, the emperor thinks Benitoite would be one. 

“Ha,” Silvio scoffs. “Don’t lie.”

Gilbert denies he is, unlike most cut-rate nobles, and Silvio tells him then that Benitoite’s definition of ‘friend’ and Obsidian’s definition of ‘friend’ seem to be wildly different. Accusing Obsidian of looking to make temporary truces, only to turn around and bite their ‘friends’ at the first opportunity - 

“I don’t say ‘friend’ to food I eventually plan to prey upon,” Silvio derides.

Gilbert says maybe so for him - but not for the wise king of Benitoite. He’s already met in secret with Obsidian’s delegation.

“...That feckin old man.” Silvio kicks his heels up onto the table in irritation.

Gilbert nonchalantly rescues his tea before he shrugs. He says the reason he came to the four-country summit was to show his goodwill to Benitoite - at least, on record. A suspicious Silvio asks what his real deal is.

“I’ll tell you if you become my friend,” Gilbert promises.

Silvio says he’ll pass, he’s not interested. Casually said, but his eyes are sharp. He moves things along to the real point here - Gilbert went to all this trouble to deceive the Rhodolite people and offer a secret meetup, there must be something he wants, no?

Gilbert reveals that he knows Silvio is in Rhodolite on a mission from his father to find something that could lead to breaking off their alliance with Rhodolite, and Silvio is less than pleased to hear once again how many of their secrets Gilbert seems to know.

"I'll help you," Gilbert offers. The candle gutters strangely, despite the air being still, and there's a moment of silence as if Silvio is mulling the idea over.

"No need," he says eventually. "I'm not even ready to agree to working with your country to begin with."

Gilbert questions whether he can really afford to say that, with such an important mission and the potential for the throne on the line, earning himself only an annoyed glare that he merely smiles at. He suggests the following 'scenario': Benitoite is greatly upset by the fact that Rhodolite hid something as important as the death of its king - and given Rhodolite's lack of trust and honesty, they unfortunately must opt to dissolve their alliance.

Silvio scoffs that it's a lame story, but Gilbert points out it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that the story helps Benitoite save face amongst the rest of the countries out there. And if Silvio really wants to go through with that angle, he'll need to find evidence that the king is dead.

"Rhodolite is no fool though. It's certain they'll pick their next king while we try to prove the prior ones passing," Gilbert observes, but he says it'll be too late if Belle gets to choose the next king. "The fastest way then would be…"

"Getting that women to admit she's Belle," Silvio finishes.

Gilbert agrees. "My hands are tied here though. It's all up to you."

Silvio asks exactly what Gilbert's 'help' is supposed to be then, and Gilbert tells him it's information. He does have spies everywhere, remember? And a pawn of his in Rhodolite - not just in the city, but amongst the 8 princes themselves.

Silvio laughs that he didn't think there'd be a traitor amongst those chummy bros, but Gilbert assures him they've got someone sympathetic on the inside. 

"You know how it is with royal brothers, don't you?" Gilbert says.

After a long pause, Silvio shrugs his comment off noncommittally, looking up at a nearby dog statue with darkened eyes.

Gilbert observes that Belle is a commoner, a rube basically, and a woman like that should be an easy mark for Silvio right? Silvio reminds him he's on whichever side benefits him most - be that the land of roses or the land of ore, he still hasn't made up his mind.

"I'm still trying to decide. So it's up to me to choose whether things go the way you plan them to or not," Silvio warns him.

Gilbert laughs approvingly. "Good. Even though you're a royal, you're straightforward and direct. I like that about you, you know?"

"Not that I'm thrilled about you liking me." Silvio surges to his feet then, so violently he almost knocks his chair over, and turns to go with one last warning to Gilbert. "I'm still debating what to do about the woman. Don't touch her."

"Alright. I'm watching, so be careful, Silvio," Gilbert replies.

Silvio slams the door shut behind him, hard enough to almost break it…and left alone in the room, Gilbert sips his tea and sets the cup down gently with a smile. "Dogs are useless when they've been trained, right?"

~~~~~~~~

Starting the day after her disaster dinner with Silvio, security's been tightened around Emma. Everywhere goes she has either Rio or a servant with her at all times, no matter what.

There'd be no repeat that horrible day, she thought.

'Thought', that is.

"You're naive. Servants can be easily bribed, you know." Silvio grins unrepentantly at her from across the table at the bar he's taken her to after snatching her away from the castle.

She's fuming at how underhanded he can be, stooping to bribing a servant and getting her alone, poised for a repeat of her hellish experience before.

Silvio chides her not to be down in the dumps this whole time and to pour him a drink - that's her job, entertaining him, no?

She'd expected things to be weird between them, given the fight they'd ended their last interaction on, but Silvio seems his normal tyrannical self - or maybe it was just so commonplace for him he didn't even blink.

She watches as he takes an elegant sip from the drink she pours, and can't stop herself from speaking up. "....I was surprised."

"That I didn't punish you?" Silvio supplies.

"There is that…but also, this is a bar for just about anyone." It's not the highbrow place he took her to last time - it's a local joint full of townsfolk and commoners, and even Silvio himself is dressed far more casually than usual, as if to match the surroundings.

He's still got the bling on, but she's kind of used to it, and him, by now.

She says aloud that she thought he was only into expensive stuff, but he tells her not to be silly. A good drink is a good drink, regardless of how much it costs.

She finds it interesting that he's the sort of person to let money do the talking, but yet doesn't value things solely based on their price tag…and has to admit to herself that her view of him has shifted. A tiny bit.

"Besides, if you're a commoner, you're more used to this kind of bar, right?" he points out.

".... I'm not a commoner," she denies.

“If you wanna be stubborn and refuse to admit it, that’s fine,” Silvio grins. “For now, let’s just drink.” He lifts the bottle and fills her empty glass  - a gesture which seems decidedly odd to her. Not like him at all. 

He remarks on how he’s pleasantly surprised by how good the rose wine is here, and his haughty stare is urging her to drink up too. Still feeling as if something is slightly off, she agrees and takes a sip. 

“Oh, it’s true, it is delicious,” she notes.

He agrees, and observes that she’s a good drinker. She tells him she doesn’t mind alcohol, which seems to please him. “Ha, not too shabby. One of Benitoite’s main industries is brewing,” he tells her. “A woman who enjoys a good drink is more than welcome.”

She says she thinks she’d probably do well in Benitoite, and he agrees she might…and then the conversation dies off, leaving Emma to squirm at the silence. Silvio continues to drink wordlessly, and she’s casting about for something to talk about.

Just like him being the one to pour her a drink just now, something seems strange about him today. She knows there was an ulterior motive behind the party and the fancy dinner, to try and suss out her real identity…but she can’t pin down what his purpose is behind today. Not to mention, if he’s trying to force her to admit she’s Belle, he’s doing a rather half-hearted job of it right now. Or none really at all, frankly. 

Though she knows she should be wary of him…she makes up her mind what to say. “I really am quite sorry.”

“Huh?” Silvio looks puzzled.

 “The other day. I said a little too much,” Emma concedes. She sets her glass down and chooses her words carefully, holding Silvio’s gaze as best she can. “I don’t think it was wrong to object to you. But…my words went too far.”

“Ha,” Silvio huffs a laugh. “Being rude to royalty can’t just be smoothed over with some trite apology.”

“...I figured as much.”

Silvio’s grin fades. “Ah, hells…don’t look at me like that, you’ll make the booze taste bad. I was just kidding.” He surprises her when he takes ahold of her head and softly strokes her bangs with his thumb. 

Inwardly, she’s surprised by how gentle his touch is. Having fully expected him to say something arrogant again.

“I forgot what you even said,” he tells her, to her surprise. “I was drunk then, so let’s just chalk it up to that.” She’s trying to process why he’d say something obvious not true, when he goes on. “And also…”

He trails off, falling silent long enough that she prompts him with his name. “Prince Silvio?”

Still he remains wordless, his gaze meandering about for some time before he finally frowns. “...I’m sorry.”

It’s said so quietly that his voice is almost drowned out by the hustle and bustle of the bar, but she’s pretty dang sure she just heard maybe the last words she thought she’d ever hear out of the tyrant’s mouth. She’s still blinking at him, utterly taken aback, when he musses up her hair.

“Ah, stop that, please!” she cries. 

“Be quiet. We’re done talking about this,” Silvio scowls blackly. 

She never actually expected him to apologize. Maybe the other day he realized he’d gone too far with his threats, even for him. All that despite her having thought he was a tyrant who didn’t give a fig about anyone’s heart or feelings.

She finally understands the motive behind him pouring her a drink…and she thinks that perhaps, past the arrogance and the harsh tongue, he’s not a bad person at heart?

“What is it? Don’t stare at me,” he tells her, messing up her hair tas much as he pleases before turning away, and his current lack of tyranny has her forgetting her wariness.

She tells him she was drunk too, so she also ‘forgot’ what he said…and he just looks at her in surprise.

“I see,” he says eventually, his surprise melting to a relieved laugh, and the air between them seems finally calmed and clear. 

This is bad…she thinks. Her thought prior had been to proceed with The Plan that she and Sariel and Rio had hatched after making her apology - but realizing that Silvio might actually not be a bad person has her heart trying to pump the brakes. But she steels herself to go on with it, because even if they’ve made up she can’t continue to play hostess for Silvio. 

The fate of her country depends on this, so she has to put a stop to it no matter what.

“If drinks aren’t enough, order some food. I’ll buy you whatever,” Silvio offers on a grin.

She declines though, pointing out that he bought everything their last outing together too, so she’s good. But he reminds her he’d told her the hostess isn’t supposed to disagree with him, so just go with it. “I know this place has some of those sweet things women seem to like.”

That’s why he chose this place, she realizes. Maybe with legitimate thought put into what she might like. But she chides herself not to get too thrilled with that - it’s probably far more likely he’s just trying to butter her up, and she should find a way to delicately refuse. 

She suggests trying a strawberry tart, and asks if he’d like to try it too (fully expecting him to turn the whole thing down and give her an out). Silvio declines, claiming that something that sweet would just give him heartburn…but then he folds and says he’s willing to try a bite or two if that’s what she wants. 

Immediately he calls out to the staff to put in the order, and she’s kicking herself  - she should have just said no flat out! Even Silvio comments on her visible dismay, forcing her to scramble to cover by thanking him.

“You won’t accept jewelry, but this you will,” he notes.

It’s true, she sent the dress and the jewels back to him via Sariel after last time. But today she’s not putting up much of a fight, and she can only come up with one reason why. “Because this time, I can tell you mean something by it.”

Silvio claims to have no idea what she’s talking about, but he laughs, clearly in a good mood, and for some reason her heart flutters just the teensiest bit.

No, no wavering! she scolds herself, recalling the moment Sariel had asked her if she was prepared to become an evil woman. She can’t waver…because she’s made up her mind to become a villainess Silvio would hate.

~~~~~~~~

<< Chapter 03 | Chapter 04 Avatar Challenge (Premium) >>

#spoiler #spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #mrs o loves salty seadogs #ikepri silvio main story #mrs o's translations of dubious quality

[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Main Story - Chp 10

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes when they come to English.

~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Gilbert’s wily ways, Prince Keith suspects nefarious things of Emma. The only way for her to prove that she’s not an Obsidian spy would be to reveal her true identity...and in the midst of this desperate crisis that nearly brings her to tears, a person most unexpected appears.

"The way I see it…I don’t know her identity, but she’s the favorite mistress of a Rhodolite prince,” Silvio says to Keith. 

Keith’s grip on her neck is so tight that the slightest pressure would render her unable to breathe, and Silvio circles around to smile haughtily. It was a totally outrageous claim - and she can’t believe what she just heard come out of his mouth, given that she knows he knows she’s Belle.

Is he…trying to protect her?

“...Are you serious?” Keith asks. 

“Yeah, I mean it fits,” Silvio says. “If this mediocre woman is someone’s ‘favorite’ then it’s not hard to see why she’s in the castle, even if she doesn’t have anything special about her. If the eyepatch bastard’s got his eye on her, then she might be Chevalier or Leon’s girl, right?”

“Emma…is this true?” Keith turns to her.

“I-I can’t say.”With the gears of her brain finally starting to turn again, she opts for a neutral answer. Neither agreeing nor shooting the idea down, to keep plausible deniability in place. She makes a note to discuss the situation with Leon and Chevalier, and to leave vague as to whose mistress she might be while letting Keith continue to believe it. “But, like Prince Silvio claimed, as you can see I’m no Obsidian spy. That’s the one thing I can say with certainty.”

Keith is silent a long moment, studying her. “....I see.” He doesn’t seem entirely convinced, but he does release her, and with the hold on her gone she can finally take a proper breath again. 

Wondering if she’s out of the woods yet, she casually puts some space between them and turns back to find Keith’s usual kind smile on his face once more. 

“My apologies, Miss Emma. It seems I was mistaken about you,” Keith says.

“Be careful, you dour bastard. Mess with this girl and you never know who you’ll make an enemy of,” Silvio warns.

Keith comments on the fact that Silvio is saying as much, but he brushes it off as not being worried. Then he moves to Emma’s side with a familiar jingle of jewelry - a sound that usually puts her on edge, but today it’s different.

“Prince Silvio…” She says his name, almost without meaning to, and is surprised by how feeble her own voice sounds. 

“Ha, where’s your usual sass?” He grins. “It’s weird to see you being so mild mannered.” 

She lets out a little sound of surprise as he hoists her up under an arm. Normally she’d have bitched him out for carrying her like this, but she didn’t even have the strength to fight back about it right now. 

“I’ll be taking the woman,” Silvio tells Keith. “You’ve finished your business with her, yeah?”

Keith agrees, and notes that she probably doesn’t want to be around him now either, before bidding her a goodbye she awkwardly acknowledges.

Being alone with Keith definitely sounds like something to avoid. If Silvio hadn't helped her, she might have -

A wave of terror swamps her, setting her whole body trembling. She tries her hardest to suppress it, so that it won't be noticed, but…it was impossible to hide from Silvio, who heaved a deep sigh.

~~~~~~~~

She's tossed into a nearby waiting carriage and the door closes, Silvio wordlessly taking a seat across from her. She'd been expecting him to mock her for her trembling, but his silence is an unexpected kindness.

"Thank you very much for your help," she ventures finally.

"As long as you've realized it, that's fine. You're too clueless. You didn't really think that dour bastard was a good prince, did you?"

"....I did," she concedes.

His sigh at that is pure exasperation. "Remember that he's a prince even if he's corrupt. A prince will be kind or cruel, whatever befits his country's self interest…that goes for me, the dour bastard, that eye patch bastard, and the Rhodolite princes."

“...Right. But why…” She trails off, and then continues when he frowns at her. “It would have been no skin off your nose if you’d just left things alone.”

If anything, she figures he would have wanted her forced into admitting she was Belle. It’s a surprise that he didn’t take the opportunity to work with Keith and force her into revealing her identity…and she still doesn’t understand why he lied for her sake.

When she searches those ocean eyes for his true intentions, Silvio turns away to stare off into the distance for some reason.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he warns her. “I did Rhodolite a favor by helping you out.” She counters that rather than currying a favor it would have been easier to seize on her moment of vulnerability and, but he cuts her off. “Yeah? Quit your yammering.”

He moves to sit beside her, mussing up her hair roughly as she protests. “What are you doing?!”

“We’re done talking about this. There’s no deep meaning to me saving you,” he insists, and she falls silent, staring at him. “And don’t give me that look. I’ll make you cry.”

If there really wasn’t some big reason for him helping her, then…this is bad.

She’d already guessed that there was more to Silvio than just the ‘arrogant tyrant’, but she wanted to stay blissfully unaware of that. Because if she knows that he’s actually a kind person, it’ll be impossible for her to act like she hates him.

No. If anything…

She brings that train of thought to a screeching halt, vehemently squashing the first flutters of warm fuzzy feeling. Telling herself it’s only her imagination that her heart is racing.

As if the silence has gotten to be too much for him, Silvio speaks up and asks why she’s not wearing her collar and she tells him she didn’t see the point when she wasn’t seeing him lately.

The mark he’d left had even faded away nicely, too.

He insists that’s not how this works, and that if she’s taken the collar off she must be prepared to face the consequences - she knows what happens if she doesn’t have it on.

“So you want to get bitten again then, Prince Silvio?” she warns.

“Do that and we’ll see how fun tossing you in jail for a year for rudeness might be,” he smirks. 

“...I don’t think you’d do that,” she argues, and he asks why not. “Because no matter how rude I am, you always let me get away with it.” He looks at her in surprise, and she finishes. “...I might take advantage of that, too.”

If Silvio really was a cruel prince, she wouldn’t be able to talk back to him like this.

After a short pause, Silvio musses her hair up again. “If you're aware that you take advantage of me, you’ll have to thank me for that and for the whole mess just now, won’t you?”

She asks if he’s got something in mind, and he grins and says she’s gotta have a drink with him.

“Again?” she asks.

“I don’t really like drinking alone.”

She wonders if that’s why he always invites her out, and eventually she agrees - she’ll go along with him today. Figuring it’ll make a good way to say thank you for today, at least.

~~~~~~~~

She’s thrown for a loop though when it’s not a bar they head to - instead, Silvio brings her to his room at the castle, matter of factly. 

“You said you’d come along wherever,” he reminds her, laughing at the way she’s standing dumbfounded in the doorway. 

She asks why they didn’t go to a tavern, and he says he didn’t feel like it - and that she shouldn’t worry, he’s not interested in a shabby-looking woman like her. 

“Well excuse me for looking so poor,” she fires back, relieved to have the momentary impression that he was pretty cool when he’d rescued her shattered once more.

He takes a bottle she’s never seen before down from a shelf in his room, something different from the usual rose wine he always drinks, and she asks what it is. He tells her it’s liquor he got from someone he knows, and warns her to be careful - it’s booze from the far north, and pretty strong. 

He’s taking her to his room, and offering her some strong alcohol? 

When she takes a wary step back, he sets the bottle down atop the table harder than necessary. “I told you I’m not going to attack you. When you’ve been through a rough patch, what you need is a stiff drink.” She doesn’t answer, and he relents. “If you don’t think you can handle it, I’ll get you something lighter.”

I must be losing it, she tells herself. She's well aware that she should be just as wary of Silvio as she should of Keith, but before she knows it she’s reaching for the bottle of northern booze and opening it. “I want to try it too.”

Silvio barks a laugh. “That so?”

Two glasses come out, the drinks are poured, and when he downs his without hesitating she follows suit. Immediately her whole body is on fire, and she gasps out that it’s stronger than she thought it was going to be.

Silvio explains that’s the whole point. Since it’s from the north where it’s cold, it’s supposed to help warm you up. He didn’t know it existed until going on a long voyage and opening a trade route there, and now it’s grown very popular in Benitoite, growing on everyone once they get used to its kick. 

“A long voyage?” she echoes. She’d heard him say as much just now, that he’d gotten aboard a ship and sailed to carve out a trade route, but still…

“You really don’t know the first thing about me.” Silvio sighs with amazement and sits down on the sofa.

She joins him, perching on the edge and taking another sip of her drink. “I earn my fortune through business. But to make it grow, I have to visit every country. A long time ago, Benitoite only traded with her neighbors. But there are so many other countries on the continent, it’d be a waste to just ignore those, wouldn’t it? That’s why I’ve been on sailing trips many times since I was a kid. I’ve opened up trade routes with many of those countries.”

“That’s pretty amazing,” she admits. She knew he was good at business, but she hadn’t realized on just how large of a scale. Benitoite is a country full of flourishing merchants, so Silvio’s contributions are undoubtedly impressive. “What exactly is going on a voyage like?”

“It’s hell,” he answers immediately, and she echoes him in confusion.

“Spending months in tight quarters with a bunch of grimy men. Your life is constantly at risk at sea, and pirates will attack you. I almost died many times…it’s a miracle I survived some of them. Sailing is nothing but a load of shit.”

He seems pretty convinced of this, and she realizes calling it an ‘adventure’ probably romanticizes things a bit. “But you still go out to sea even despite that?”

“Yeah. Voyages like that are necessary to improve our country. If I want the throne, it’s gotta be done.”

When she questions him about the throne, he finishes his drink and reaches for the bottle again. Looking utterly unfazed despite the strength of the drink. And then he tells her how Benitoite has a system of succession just as Rhodolite does.”Only in Benitoite the old man chooses his successor based on recognition of their merits and achievements, rather than order of birth. Then there’s a damned annoying rule that he passes on the ring handed down from king to king.”

She’s pretty sure she just heard him refer to the king as ‘old man’, which she tries to wrap her head around. “So even though you’re the eldest, it’s not a given that you’re picked.”

“Yeah. There’s other candidates, but one’s not fit to rule and the other is a coward. I’m certain the throne will be mine.”

It’s the first she’s heard that he’s got two other brothers, and she thinks about how the Rhodolite princes don’t necessarily all want the throne or plan to ascend. “You want the throne, then.”

“Obviously,” he agrees. “Whatever it is, I aim for the top - that’s just how I do things.  Oh, but that's right…" Silvio stops, a thoughtful look on his face, before breaking out in a grin. "If I become king, maybe I'll rethink my relationship with Rhodolite?"

"Rethink…your relationship?"

The nonchalant way he said that, long legs crossed and idly toying with his glass, has her alarmed.

“I could break the alliance and join forces with another country…Obsidian, for example,” he smirks. 

“You’re joking…right?” she asks, aghast.

Silvio sobers and says he’s not - the very fact that Gilbert’s tossed his hat into the diplomatic ring means that it’s a possibility. If Obsidian is considering a path of cooperation, it’s at least worth thinking over. 

She can see exactly what would happen to Rhodolite if that were to become so. Without the backing of Benitoite, Obsidian would happily invade them, and the potential for trade with Obsidian would outweigh the risks Benitoite would face in standing down against them. 

It doesn’t exactly sound like the sort of casual conversation topic you’d bring up over a few drinks. 

“Well…if Rhodolite has something it can offer me, that would be a different story. What does this country have that can outweigh military might and quality ore, woman?” Silvio asks.

Shaken, she tries to think. “Our wine is delicious.”

He points out that there are plenty of other good drinks out there, and she scrambles for more. The most beautiful roses on the entire continent? Their flourishing art culture? Fascinating literature? He doesn’t seem impressed by any of these, and she’s wracking her brain for something of the sort of ‘value’ that Silvio would seek. 

But she comes up empty handed, and he laughs arrogantly at her silence. 

“Your whole job as hostess is to try and show me why Rhodolite is a great country while I’m here,” he tells her. “You’ve been dodging me a lot lately…but don’t forget that the fate of your country depends on this.”

It doesn't seem like just some idle joke, and her grip on her glass tightens.

"If you want to quit being a hostess, you can. I won't argue," he offers.

She can't believe that a simple conversation over drinks has taken such a turn for the serious, the future of her country hanging in the balance. It doesn't sound like something spur of the moment - rather like something he's been considering for awhile.

She considers it just as carefully in return, before finally telling him that she feels like she has a better grasp on what being a hostess means now. He’s silent at that, and she continues. “...You’re on! I’ll be the host that shows you what a fascinating place Rhodolite is!”

Declaring such cuts off any chance she’d have to keep avoiding him…but strangely enough, she doesn’t feel all that inclined to anymore. She doesn’t mind, because she knows his heart. 

He lets out a laugh. “If you can bark that cheekily, there’s no need to worry anymore, is there? I knew you’d look better with a determined face than one about to cry.”

She’s taken aback by the way his formerly harsh expression suddenly softens, realizing he’s slyly played her here…and she knocks back the entirety of her drink all at once to avoid the sight of his unexpected smile. Desperately trying to squash a feeling that should not exist.

“Hey,” Silvio says, alarmed. “Don’t just down that all at once, it’s a pretty strong drink you know.”

“I’m fine,” she assures him.

Only to recognize in the next moment she is, in fact, not. Her head is spinning, everything losing focus as he scoffs at her reply. Muzzily she realizes she’s definitely drunk - and not feeling good at all. All of her thoughts wiped blank by the booze, and dizziness swamps her.

A large hand grasps her listing body and steadies her. She mumbles out a request for him to not mind, and he asks where all her caution has gone off to.

Clicking his tongue before his hands guide her to lie down on the sofa on her side, slipping a cushion under her head. 

She’s trying to scold herself…but then thinks that maybe, just maybe she doesn’t hate Silvio anymore. But as she closes her eyes, she vows to herself to keep those sentiments under lock and key. 

~~~~~~~~

After a bit, her even breaths are evidence of her of her peaceful slumbering.

“You’ve got some real nerve, falling asleep over drinks with a prince,” Silvio tells her. 

He pokes her on the cheek, but gets no response at all. Following that up the back of his hand strokes her cheek as if checking for a fever…and for some reason, she smiles. Surprised, he asks if she woke up, and starts to snatch his hand back, only to stop. 

“You look like a ninny…what are you dreaming about?” he wonders, taking in her incredibly happy expression. Lost in pondering that, when she mumbles.

“Mm…Rio…”

He startles, as she giggles a bit in her sleep, and his expression darkens. The peaceful atmosphere of only moments ago shattered. 

“I was going to send you back to your room without doing anything.” He climbs to his feet, looking down at Emma sleeping on his sofa - his eyes more akin to a savage dog than any proud tyrant. “I’ve changed my mind.”

~~~~~~~~

<< Chp 09 | Chp 10 - Avatar Challenge >>

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#spoiler #spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #mrs o loves salty seadogs #mrs o's translations of dubious quality #ikepri silvio main story

[dear-mrs-otome]

Silvio Ricci - Main Story - Chp 08 - His POV: 2nd Run

Standard Disclaimer: I do this for fun. I don’t, and never would, claim to be proficient at JP. There will be mistakes herein. There will be dialogue I choose to smooth out or change, because it feels choppy just straight translating. There will be the occasional snarky aside and irreverence and just plain summarizing. If you’re looking for 100% pure accuracy, without commentary or localizing, this is not for you. If you don’t mind that…then proceed, and I hope you enjoy! And please, support your local localizer (they make this stuff look easy) and Cybird by playing the games and routes when they come to English.

(NOTE: This POV is from Silvio’s 2nd playthrough - it may contain spoilers or spoiler-adjacent themes concerning the arc of his route and Rio's route, so reader be aware. This particular one doesn't have much but later ones might)

~~~~~~~~

If Valerio had a woman he truly loved, I wanted to take her away from him.

~~~~~~~~

“Dad! Mom! The teacher gave me a compliment today!”

“Ah, how wonderful! You’re really brilliant, Valerio!”

“I’m sure that one day, you’ll be an even better king than I am.”

“Really? Hehehe…”

~~~~~~~~

“...Mother, I -”

“I know you can do this. You’re bound to be the next king, you’ve come a long way towards being the next king with this level of achievement. My son can do it - isn’t that right, Silvio?”

~~~~~~~~

 Just imagining such a scene where the prince who, unlike me, is loved by everyone can’t get the woman he really wants? …It gives me a thrill. It would be a lot of fun to take a woman from him for real. 

However…the person Valerio fell for was a difficult woman who’s not interested in money. In fact, she repeatedly harasses foreign princes and makes feeble attempts at getting them to hate her. She’s truly an utterly uncharming woman, and he has no idea what it is about her that made Valerio fall in love with her. But, well …it doesn’t matter.

From behind her, he slides her collar aside and presses his lips over her pulse. He can practically see that damned dog barking as he draws on her skin to leave a prominent mark. “Maybe it would have been better if I’d just done this from the start, rather than the collar,” he muses. “You can’t take it off, and you can’t hide it from everyone.”

She only says his name, and he starts to point out that that’s a pretty weak reaction out of her - when she wordlessly turns around and grabs his hand in an ambush, startling him.

He tries to leap back at the horrible sensation, but her strength was so great he couldn’t believe she was some foppish noblewoman. 

 “What do you think you’re doing, you scumbag prince!!” she fumes, and he demands she lets go of him immediately. “Not until you apologize, and mean it!”

Don’t you dare bark at me, damned woman! He wants nothing more than to shake her off, but he doesn’t know how much strength a woman’s delicate hands can handle, so he’s stuck doing nothing. 

She accuses him of never intending to take the collar off, and he counters that he was taking the lock off but never said he’d take the collar off. “Any day you’re not wearing it, I’ll put a mark on you.”

“I see. Well, if that’s your plan, I have an idea of my own.” Her eyes are steadfast, and he has only a moment to wonder what she means, with a foreboding feeling - before she puts his fingers in her mouth.

“You!!”

Does she normally bite princes?! It seems like she’d held back just shy of causing real pain, but the sensation is still vivid nonetheless and he leaps away from the woman. Ah shit…I can still feel it on my hand.

It’s not the bite that bothers him. Rather, it’s the feel of her warm lips and the soft tip of her tongue on his skin that is the issue. Sassy - no, she’s a shameless hussy. Eugh…what a horrible feeling.

It’s only his imagination that his face is hot. It’s definitely not because he’s not used to something like this. 

She tells him that it’ll go both ways - every time he marks her, she’ll bite him as hard as she can. And he admits he’s gotta hand it to her for having the guts to bite a prince, but she best not get carried away. 

“I don’t care if you’re some prince from another country. I won’t tolerate any scummy behavior -” she starts to rail.

“What do you mean, ‘scummy act’, Emma?” 

Of all the moments, he has to show up now? The figure of that damned dog pops up behind her, having snuck up without him noticing. The woman stammers out an attempt to wave it off, slapping her hand over her neck to hide in in a gesture he finds irritating for some strange reason.

He apologizes for showing up late and she assures him it’s fine - if he hadn’t come, Silvio’s hands might be in tatters by now.

Silvio finally speaks up. “Ha! Who’d let you bite them a second or third time?”

“That’s true…it might have been hard to with you running away scared,” she counters.

“You wanna turn this into a diplomatic issue, woman?” Silvio threatens.

What are you so upset about? he scolds himself. It’s no different than being bitten by an actual dog…It’s just that it’s not exactly commonplace for a woman to bite me. 

She expresses her anger genuinely, without trying to butter him up. Something definitely different from any of the women he’s known. 

It’s a strange feeling.

“...Emma, let’s go back to the castle.” Valerio takes the woman’s hand, and starts walking. 

“Hey, who said you could take her?” He doesn’t hesitate to grab her other hand and stop her, brushing off Valerio’s protests that she doesn’t want to be there. Silvio scoffs at the concept of her ever being charming with an attitude like that, and she fires back that it’s only in front of Silvio she’s like this - if she doesn’t act like this, he’ll take advantage of her. 

“You’re getting too sassy,” he warns. “Ah, but…”

She flusters as he lifts her hand and presses his lips to the back of it. It’s an acceptable greeting amongst polite social circles, but clearly not to a commoner woman…and the sight of the sassy woman’s face turning pink is enough to make him finally feel better.  “Doing this might make you a little prettier?”

“Not that it’s any concern of yours!” she exclaims.

Valerio protests over how sly he’s being, and tries to wheedle a date out of her, which has Silvio reminding him he’s merely a butler and doesn’t deserve such concessions. But that only has Valerio rounding on him and accusing him of taking liberties with a single lady. 

“It’s fine, I’m royalty, right?” Silvio replies. 

“You think that means you can just do whatever you want?” Valerio retorts, and they glare at each other in angry silence. 

He has no intention of letting go, either. And Silvio grins to himself. Bring it on.

~~~~~~~~

“Give it back…give it back!”

“Who’s going to give it back, stupid? I hate you. Keep crying like that.”

~~~~~~~~

“For the moment, both of you please let go of me,” she asks.

He hears her voice, but ignores it. 

Choose me, woman. 

Me…rather than that damned dog.

~~~~~~~~

<< Chp 08 | Chp 09 >>

#spoiler #spoilers #ikemen prince spoilers #ikepri spoilers #mrs o loves salty seadogs #ikepri silvio main story #mrs o's translations of dubious quality