Damn, I recarneted As A Judge in Fantasy World

Since ancient times, there has been a saying: a man who "looks nice" or "like he'll be good at studying" is often considered unattractive.

Meanwhile, a man described as having a "parasitic" appearance is usually thought of as handsome.

Of course, this only applies to men. When it comes to women, it's a little different.

"They say women don't introduce themselves to people who are prettier than them," Abel mused.

That seemed to be the situation right now.

The woman Princess Justia had brought along was petite and had delicate facial features. While there were certain aspects of her appearance that were pretty, they didn't quite come together in perfect harmony.

"Uh, um… How do I escape from this?" he thought, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

Abel wasn't shallow; he could appreciate someone's character as much as their appearance. If the person was genuinely interesting, he would gladly continue the conversation.

However, this woman was far from the type he found appealing.

"If you meet someone, isn't it polite to introduce yourself first?" she said in a haughty tone, her speech sharp.

Though slightly taken aback, Abel nodded.

Technically, she wasn't wrong.

However, wouldn't it be more polite for her to introduce herself first, especially if the atmosphere was awkward?

Setting that thought aside, he decided to go along with it, especially since Princess Justia had arranged this meeting.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Abel Carriers."

"This is Alice Saltrey," she replied.

He had been wondering who she was to be so arrogant, and it turned out she was from the Marquis of Soltri family—the same family as Izukaya, who was set to marry Princess Justia.

Judging by her age, she was likely his sibling.

"Now that I think about it, she does resemble him a bit," he noted mentally. Still, the problem remained: how to escape this situation gracefully.

It would be no exaggeration to say he had practically met the second Princess Justia.

She even seemed a little taken with him, though he couldn't be sure if he was imagining it.

"No, wait. This might sound like I'm flattering myself, but it's real," he thought. The thought only made him more eager to escape.

"What are you thinking about?" Alice suddenly asked, her tone a bit offended at his prolonged silence.

Abel noticed her sharp expression and realized he hadn't responded for quite some time. "I have some work to do at home. It's an important matter, so I'm a bit anxious," he replied, offering a plausible excuse.

Actually, it wasn't far from the truth. His plans regarding the water supply, sewerage, and waste disposal projects were still in their initial stages.

"The capital of the empire… I'd like to go there someday," Alice said, her eyes sparkling with longing. Her entire demeanor radiated a clear interest in him.

"If I stay here any longer, I'll get pulled further in," he thought.

Currently, Abel was attending the wedding reception of Princess Justia and Izukaya Soltri. The gathering was a kind of debut into society, and people's eyes were on him from every direction.

"It's not like a pack of hyenas circling their prey, but it's close enough to be unsettling!" he mused. Even so, he'd rather deal with that crowd than get entangled with Alice Saltrey.

As he was about to rise, Alice suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"Let me get straight to the point," she said with a challenging look.

"Uh, yes?"

"What do you think of a girl like me?" she asked bluntly.

"Oh, uh, well… you do bear a resemblance to Defcon," he said, trying to keep his tone light.

"Huh? What's that? I've never heard that before…"

Abel laughed. "Ahaha! It's just… something like that. You're good. You're good."

"Ah," she replied, looking slightly confused but pleased.

Then, out of nowhere, she said, "These days, people with good pronunciation are popular in Crawford's social circles. I'm practicing. Try repeating after me: Wangbambangwangbambangwangbambangwangbambangwangbambang."

No, wait. Abel could barely process it. She was seriously asking him to do this?

"Try it," she insisted.

"Uh, what?"

"No, it's Wangbamppang. Wangbamppangwangbamppangwangbamppangwangbamppang."

The whole exchange was so overwhelming that he felt as if only the absurdity of her words remained in his mind. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and stood up, grabbing Cordell McNeil, who happened to be passing by.

Cordell was making the rounds, charming people as usual.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"He's my close friend, a knight-errant officer. This is Cordell McNeill of the Royal Guard," Abel said, introducing him with a meaningful smile.

Alice's expression brightened. She seemed immediately taken with Cordell, who looked like the epitome of the "parasitic brother" type. Besides, to a noble lady, a Royal Guard Knight would be an impressive acquaintance.

"Huh? Go, all of a sudden?" Cordell whispered, looking a bit puzzled.

Abel nodded subtly, maintaining his friendly smile. "Lady Alice?"

"Yes?"

"I'll be back shortly. Could you keep my friend here company? The wine has upset my stomach."

"Oh my! Do come back soon," she said, waving him off as he settled Cordell into his place and slipped away.

Alice Saltrey would surely find Cordell's flattery and charm more than satisfying. At last, it seemed possible to get away.

"Think of it as rescuing the person you're escorting. It's your duty," he whispered to Cordell.

Cordell shot him a look of confusion. "What on earth do you mean, Your Highness?"

Abel only chuckled and patted him on the back. Cordell's grip tightened slightly, but he let go, and Abel swiftly departed, knowing Cordell's charm would keep Alice occupied. As he stepped outside the banquet hall, he sighed in relief.

"Ah, I'm finally using my escort knight properly," he muttered with a grin.

From behind, he heard Cordell's faint voice, repeatedly shouting, "Wangbamppang."

As Abel finally made his escape from Alice Saltrey, he roamed the halls outside the banquet, taking in the soft glow of torchlight that lined the stone corridors. Explore more at empire

The buzz of the reception faded behind him, replaced by the stillness of the quiet hallway. He exhaled, relieved to have sidestepped what could have become an even more entangled situation with Alice.