The Reincarnated Count's Daughter Is the Strongest as She Is Loved by the Spirits, Though She Is Only Wishing for Regular Romance!

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Author Notes: 

This time, it's in third person perspective.

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Standing in front of the seat she was guided to, Patricia frowned and bit her lip.

Normally, a prince’s birthday would involve a ball or a soirée, but Eldred was only seven years old. Instead, a tea party was held in a hall famous for its beautiful view of the courtyard from the terrace. The tables were lavishly decorated with flowers, and the attendants were well-mannered. However, Patricia’s seat was the farthest from the prince’s, positioned as if it had been added as an afterthought. Potted plants lined the path to the front seats, obstructing her view of the main area.

Given that the number of attendees had increased just before the event, such seating arrangements might be understandable. But Patricia was a duke’s daughter, and by rank and closeness to the royal family, she should have been among the highest-ranked guests. It was acceptable for the Berisario Marquess and the Bantock Marquis to be given preference due to their significant status. But this treatment was beyond permissible.

“This is outrageous,” remarked her usually easygoing brother, Derrick, with a frown.

“Is a viscount’s family really seated above a duke’s?” muttered Marquis Orlandi in a tone of disbelief, his daughter Suzanna sighing behind her fan.

“Let’s just see how things unfold. They’ve provided two tables for us, so if there’s room for ten, we can sit together,” Derrick suggested.

Though invitations had been sent to everyone three days earlier, more than half of the invited were currently in the audience chamber. The seats were mostly empty. Cody, the heir of Norland, who was more inclined towards magic than his father, sat down with a dark smile, fully intending to crush the Bantock faction.

“Alan-sama isn’t here yet,” said Monica, who had seated herself next to Irene to help ease her nerves. Irene’s father, Count Regan, silently took his seat, clutching his stomach.

Once everyone was seated, various bite-sized cakes were placed on stands before them, and the tea preparations began efficiently. As they awaited the prince’s greeting, nobody touched their tea, instead engaging in small talk.

The prince’s table was surrounded by noble ladies, clearly a setup for a match-making session between the prince and daughters of the Bantock faction. All those who had canceled on Diadora’s invitation were present, yet the two marquis’ daughters, originally from the Bantock faction, sat next to the prince, while the count’s daughters sat at a separate table. These girls, unable to sit near the prince, were visibly irritated.

Patricia and her group, however, could not see this from their seats near the entrance. They only had a clear view of the bustling attendants coming and going.

“It seems the prince is giving a speech, but we can’t hear a thing,” remarked Marquis Orlandi, sharing a look of incredulity with Cody.

“With such clear hostility, it’s almost laughable,” Cody responded, picking up his teacup.

“We might as well enjoy the tea,” Count Regan suggested with his characteristic deference, to which Marquis Orlandi replied with a wry smile and a nod.

“Yes, complaining won’t change anything. We’ll see if they come to greet us later.”

“I look forward to seeing their approach,” Cody said cheerfully, lifting his cup.

Patricia reached for her own cup when suddenly, a hand grasped her wrist from the side.

“Patricia!”

A small hand, strong enough to yank her entire body, pulled her back.

“Did you drink it?”

Standing before her was Alan, his usually composed demeanor replaced by urgency. His reddish-brown hair was disheveled, and his intense gray eyes bore into hers. Startled, Patricia shook her head.

“Derrick?!”

“I only took a sip…”

“Detox! Heal!”

In response to Alan’s command, his spirit beast cast a healing spell on Derrick.

“Poison?! Heal my brother!” Patricia shouted, despite Derrick having already been healed by Alan’s spirit beast. Another spell from Derrick’s spirit joined in, creating a blinding light around Derrick.

“Thank you… I’m fine now… my eyes hurt,” Derrick muttered, the overlapping spells making him squint.

Marquis Orlandi clutched his chest after drinking the tea, prompting his and Suzanna’s spirits to cast their spells on him.

“Irene, heal and detox everyone, just in case!”

“Yes!” Irene, whose healing abilities were higher due to her spirit beast, promptly obeyed.

Alan’s authoritative tone did not bother anyone; they all understood the gravity of the situation.

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain later! Your Highness!”

Patricia started to chase after Alan, who had run off, her thoughts snapping back to Eldred.

“Eldi?!”

She hurried after Alan, barely keeping up, and saw Elton, the Crown Prince’s aide, running ahead.

“I’ll go help with the healing. There are no spirits over there,” Elton said.

The sounds of shattering dishes and heavy thuds echoed. Cody, peering past the potted plants, sent his spirit beast ahead and turned back.

“Derrick-sama, please watch over the girls. They shouldn’t see this.”

“Oh… okay.”

“The poison is different here?”

“Yes, it seems to be a fast-acting toxin over there.”

The seating arrangements made sense now. The Bantock faction, less invested in raising spirits, had fewer spirits present. The children had only received their spirits three days ago.

“The target was the Bantock faction.”

With

only a few men left unharmed, including Marquis Orlandi, Count Regan, and Cody. They all wanted to reach the prince, but Alan and Elton were already on their way. Elton had been on standby, worried about his younger brother.

“Where are the guards?”

“I’ll go call them.”

“Our men should be here too.”

“Yes.”

Count Regan ran off to fetch the guards, while Cody instructed his spirit to look for anyone still able to heal. Marquis Orlandi, having exhausted his magic, was visibly drained, and even Cody felt his magic depleting rapidly as he cast healing and detox spells.

“This fast-acting poison is too much, even for us…”

The scene before them was horrifying. People lay slumped over the tables, collapsed on the floor, or leaned back in their chairs, all showing signs of severe poisoning. Blood trickled from their mouths, their bodies contorted in pain.

“If only the seats had been closer. If only the plants weren’t there. But even then, could we have countered a fast-acting poison?”

“Who could have done this?”

“Marquis Bantock and Marquis Cannadine are over there.”

Both were clearly dead. Despite being political adversaries, their end had come too abruptly. This bitter realization gnawed at the men.

Meanwhile, Patricia, who had chased after Alan to Eldred’s side, found herself feeling helpless.

“Shield barrier! Protect the prince!” Alan commanded his spirit with precision, while Patricia, unable to do anything herself, felt a rising frustration. She ran, clutching her dress, fear and confusion overwhelming her, but determined to reach the prince.

Unexpectedly, the clashing sound of metal reached her ears. Two young men stood protecting the prince, dressed in servant uniforms and wielding short swords. Their spirits hovered overhead, while three men in butler-like attire, armed with swords, faced them. The odds were not in the young men’s favor.

“We don’t have time.”

“Die before more interference arrives!”

However, the raised swords did not strike. A clear ringing sound echoed as the swords hit an invisible barrier, and the attackers stumbled backward from the impact.

“What is this?”

The other men tried to pierce the invisible wall, but their swords couldn’t penetrate it. Just then, a powerful shockwave struck from the side, sending the three attackers flying.

“Your Highness, are you safe?!”

“Elton, you came!”

Alan and Elton’s spirit beasts surrounded the three attackers, immobilizing them.

Seeing Eldred unharmed, Patricia collapsed to the floor in relief.

“You followed me?”

Alan, seeing that his duty was done, left Eldred to Elton and crouched beside Patricia, who was sitting on the floor.

“It’s a terrible situation. Only the ladies sitting with the prince are unharmed.”

Because the prince hadn’t touched the food or drink, those at his table hadn’t either, which ended up saving them.

“Our invitation was the only one with a time an hour later. I checked with Elton just in case.”

“That’s why you were able to get here in time…”

Thanks to Alan’s quick action, Patricia had avoided the poison.

"Thank you."

"? For what?"

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

Both of them tilted their heads in confusion when a gentle light enveloped them. In the next moment, those who had been in the audience chamber appeared.

“The Spirit Kings are here,” Alan said, standing up and moving to a less conspicuous spot, which puzzled Patricia.

As the prominent second son of the esteemed Berisario Marquess family, why blend into the crowd?

“Alan-oniisama is the same as ever,” a familiar voice said.

Patricia looked up to see Diadora standing there.

“Patty, are you alright? It’s safe now,” Diadora assured her.

Patricia felt a wave of relief wash over her, holding back tears as she nodded.

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Author Notes: 

The story is drifting away from romance and towards suspense. The romance might have to wait until the second chapter.

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