Volume 8, Chapter 3 “Unexpected”
Volume 8, Chapter 3 “Unexpected”
Part 1
For some reason, the place where Nix and Dorothea-san had just been having matchmaking was enveloped in a strange atmosphere.
I sat down and drank a cup of tea, but for some reason, the aroma and taste seemed lighter than usual.
Winter is over and it’s almost time for warmer seasons, but for some reason, it’s strangely chilly.
I sipped my tea silently in a room filled with nervousness and tension.
However, the woman in front of me ―― Claris-senpai, who graduated from school, smiles happily.
“I’m relieved. If that’s the case, then it wasn’t matchmaking between Leon-kun and Deirdre-senpai.”
“I have a fiancé, so I don’t think I’ll be having matchmaking or anything.”
For some reason, Claris-senpai misunderstood that me and Deirdre-senpai were having matchmaking.
When she came to Bartfalt territory by airship, she came straight to the mansion.
She was accompanied by a senior student who had previously been with me in an air bike race and an unknown person who appeared to be a female student from the school.
Deirdre-senpai, who was sitting next to me making a good argument, was hiding her mouth and giving Claris-senpai a displeased look.
“The court nobles are good at being sarcastic, aren’t they? Do you really think the Roseblade family would do such a thing?”
It seemed she think she forced me to do the matchmaking with her, and Deirdre-senpai was angry.
Claris-senpai countered calmly.
“Isn’t the problem in the first place to make people think it’s not surprising that you do it? You should reflect on your usual behavior.”
The sisters say they want to make people into their pets, so I guess she’s trying to say that it’s not strange for them to bring up matchmaking to someone who has a fiance.
Deirdre-senpai said back, raising one corner of her mouth to keep a smile on her face.
Inwardly, she felt as if her gut was churning.
The servants of the Roseblade family behind me, for example, have been staring at me with narrowed eyes for a while now.
“That doesn’t sound like the words of a desperate person who had her engagement broken off.”
If there is a weak point in Claris-senpai, it’s Jilk ―― that Jilk broke off the engagement with her and then she became a delinquent during the summer.
In the meantime, she had a lot of fun, and it was said that she behaved in an unladylike manner.
The gazes of the two people behind Claris-senpai had become much more stern.
I turned around only my upper body and asked for help from our servants.
However, the servants quickly averted their gaze.
People like Yumelia-san looked carefree, not understanding what was going on.
When I turned back, it seemed she decided to wave her hand for the time being.
As I was being soothed by such a sight, Ange opened her mouth after taking a sip of tea.
“Take your staring contest elsewhere. Now, what business does Claris have with us?”
I was relieved to find Ange in charge of the place, and Luxion muttered beside me.
[Master, aren’t you relieved that Angelica is in charge?]
“It’s my style to leave things to those who can.”
[You really are a useless master, aren’t you.]
“I’m just not stupid enough to jump into a situation I don’t understand.”
I don’t know why they are being so unfriendly in the first place.
[You just don’t want to know, do you?]
“Don’t you think it’s a bit arrogant to expect humans to know everything?”
[It would be arrogant of me to think that I could live without knowing anything.]
As I was whispering with Luxion, Claris-senpai took a sip of her drink, took a breath, and started talking.
“Actually, we have a lot to discuss. Why don’t we talk by ourselves?”
By “by ourselves,” she meant that she wanted to talk to us without any servants.
When Ange turned her gaze to Deirdre-senpai, she opened her fan to cover her mouth and directed her gaze somewhere else.
“I don’t mind. I also have a lot to talk about.”
She glanced at me as she did so, so she must have been displeased with Nix’s behavior toward Dorothea-san.
I should probably tell her that Nix didn’t really mean it, but that it was my instruction.
This is how we got the servants to leave their seats.
.
Part 2
“Somehow I can’t stand it. Well, it was my parents who arranged the meeting. But as for me, it’s hard to shrug. Even though I’m alone, everyone around me is so intimate, it’s hard.”
When the servants were gone, Claris-senpai looked down with a gloomy expression on her face.
The reason was the two people who had just been waiting behind her.
Although he was a graduate, he was introduced to one woman by the Atley family.
I whispered to Livia next to me.
“Senpai is the one who competed with me in the air bike race, right? Didn’t that manly man like Claris-senpai?”
It seemed that Livia thought so too.
“That’s right. I’m sure he has complicated feelings.”
After graduating from the school, the senior, who was active in air bike racing, was involved in work that involved the use of air bikes.
He seemed to be a very reliable person, and he came to our house today as an escort for Claris-senpai.
He was the one who previously tried to take revenge on Jilk for Claris-senpai.
From the previous situation, I could tell that he still cared for Claris-senpai as much as ever.
Noelle listens to us and gives us a complicated look.
“The nobles of the kingdom have it hard, too.”
As the three of us were whispering to each other, Claris-senpai turned to face us.
“You don’t have to worry about it.”
Apparently, she heard us.
As I try to avert my gaze and cover it up, Luxion asks straight out without reading the air.
[There must have been men who had already graduated from the school who longed for Claris. Wasn’t there an approach from them?]
Since Claris was well-liked by the boys around her, I thought at least one of them might have confessed to her.
However, it seems that the situation is different.
Claris replied with a wry smile.
“T-There’s a difference in status.”
The people around her were boys from regular class.
They are too different in status to match up with Claris-senpai to be a suitable marriage partner.
Deirdre opened her fan to cover her mouth, but I could tell from her eyes that she was enjoying it.
“I wonder if it was respect instead of love? You’re worried about being left alone while everyone else is getting married. Isn’t that the result of unladylike behavior?”
Having Jilk break off their engagement, and the past of playing around at night, weighed heavily on Claris-senpai.
Aside from the barons and viscounts, the Kingdom of Horfalt had a strong sense of chastity for some reason when it came to the families of the counts and above.
The reason for this was very unfortunate, but Claris-senpai is avoided by men from families who could be her marriage partner, saying, “A girl who has been playing around is a bit”.
Perhaps she is aware of it, she glares at Deirdre-senpai.
“Yes! Everyone around me is getting married, and I’m just alone! And yet, everyone around me is so nice to me that it makes me even more miserable!”
Ange crossed her arms in front of Claris, who was depressed, hiding her face with both hands.
“So you’re here to complain? How about you tell me what you really mean?”
However, Ange was still wary of what Claris-senpai had to say.
When I was wondering why, Claris-senpai straightened her posture and showed me a smile.
The depressed figure I had seen earlier was nowhere to be seen.
Noelle and Livia were surprised to see such Claris-senpai.
“Isn’t that person a little scary?”
“She’s usually a gentle senior. She’s a graduate now, though.”
Ange, who had looked over at Claris-senpai and Deirdre-senpai, responded with a fearless smile.
And I guessed the reason why Claris-senpai had come to our house.
“The Roseblade family is getting close to the Bartfalt family, so you came all the way out here to check them out, didn’t you? Because you and Leon are not strangers to each other.”
I didn’t think the Atley family would bother to make a move for our house matchmaking.
But if Ange says so, there must be a reason.
For some reason, Claris-senpai looked at me and smiled.
“That’s one of the reasons. But if the other person is that Dorothea, it will fail anyway, or has it already failed?”
When I moved my shoulders to show my reaction, Claris-senpai let out a sigh of relief and looked relieved.
“Judging by Leon-kun’s reaction, it looks like it failed. That’s a relief.”
And Claris-senpai, who reaches for the cup, is about to take a sip of the tea when Deirdre-senpai tells her.
“Ara? When did the Roseblade family fail? Onee-sama is more serious than ever.”
“Haa!?”
Claris-senpai swallowed her tea, trying to resist the urge to burst out, holding her chest, and she looked at Deirdre-senpai.
“Y-You’re kidding, right? That Dorothea’s on board?”
When Deirdre-senpai slowly gets up from her seat, she closes her fan and turns to Claris-senpai and declares.
“Even from me, her sister’s point of view, I can assure you that she is serious about this. The Roseblade family is serious about getting Nix-dono.”
Stunned, Claris-senpai apparently thought that the matchmaking would fail.
But what does this mean?
Noelle pinched my clothes with her fingers and tugged on them just a few times.
“What does that mean? Isn’t it supposed to be a fail?”
“I-I don’t even know what happens here”
After all the horrible things we’ve put her through, what does it mean that Dorothea-san’s on board?
Luxion says to us who are confused.
[This result was also unexpected even for me. Master has always betrayed my expectations in the past, but this time, the result was diagonally downward. Unfortunately, we seem to have drawn a ridiculously low success rate.]
As a result of the diagonal downward thrust ―― it appears that Nix has won Dorothea-san’s heart.
“It’s a lie, right. How could we succeed that way?”
What excuse am I going to give Nix?
.
Part 3
“Why do we succeed?”
When I was released from the tense tea party, I passed on the message from Dorothea-san to Nix.
As a result, Nix is holding his head.
I was also holding my head.
“I don’t know, too?! If you tell someone to be your pet with a collar, no matter how much you think about it, you usually deserve to fail! And yet, the other party ―― “
Dorothea-san’s message was “I want to see you again.”
I was entrusted with not only a message but also a very polite and long letter.
It was politely accompanied by a gift.
In addition, it also contained an apology for her rudeness in that situation.
It’s like she’s a different person than she was on matchmaking.
By the way, I heard from Deirdre-senpai that Dorothea-san ―― was like a maiden in love.
Nix closes in on me, grabbing me by both shoulders and rocking me back and forth repeatedly.
“You said it! You told me that I was an expert in failure! Why did this succeed!”
Instead of me who is being shaken and wobbly, Luxion answers in an amused electronic voice.
[If the premise must not succeed, then it has failed spectacularly. That’s a Master-like result. It’s an amazing result if you’ve achieved a success that I, with my lack of information, could not have led. You have succeeded in a situation where you almost failed.]
If we wanted to succeed, it would have been very difficult even for Luxion.
It seems that I who succeeded in that situation is amazing.
It seems like a compliment, but I don’t feel like I’m being complimented.
I pushed Nix away from me and took my distance, adjusting my breathing as I did with my messy hair and clothes.
“Become a pet! There is no way you think that’s the right answer, right! Aniki also agreed with my opinion!”
“That’s true, but! I’ve sacrificed so much and worked so hard, but why the answer you chose is correct one! That’s a big mistake for me!”
I thought about it for a while ―― and came to a conclusion.
“Why don’t you just give up?”
The answer I gave him made Nix look more and more like a demon.
He jumped on me and we started the first sibling fight in a long time.
“You got it good! You’re so lucky to have such a beautiful woman with such a good personality! And yet, why am I ―― Damn iiiiit!”
For some reason, Luxion seemed to be happy to see me get blown away by Nix’s right fist in the cheek, is it my imagination?
.
Part 4
The Roseblade family airship.
Dorothea was walking around in her room restlessly.
“Oh no, I should have brought better clothes for this. Besides, I wasn’t too particular about my hair when we first met――Doesn’t Nix-sama hate me?”
Deirdre was puzzled to see Dorothea, who had never been interested in anything, now worrying about small things.
“I think there is no problem. In the first place, didn’t onee-sama say that you didn’t understand women who cared about clothes?”
Dorothea was the one who made fun of the women who usually dressed up, saying that it was enough to be clean and somewhat neat in appearance.
And yet, now she was the very image that she hated.
Dorothea hugs Deirdre.
“Deirdre, did you deliver the letter and the gift properly? Are you sure you didn’t get a message from Nix-sama? P-Perhaps he hates me and won’t reply?”
“Wouldn’t you like an answer right away? In the first place, why don’t you just get off the ship and tell him directly?”
“N-No! ――What if he thinks I’m a nasty woman?”
The servants around her were holding their hands and swallowing their words, “You say that!”
Deirdre was patient, and after a short pause, she continued her talk.
“I never thought that onee-sama’s ideal man would be in such a place.”
Dorothea folded her hands in a prayerful gesture and thanked the saint.
Saint ―― a woman who is said to have been closest to the god worshipped in the temple.
She is the sixth adventurer who is said to have been involved in the founding of the Kingdom of Horfalt, and has long been adored by the people as a saint.
In the Kingdom of Horfalt, founded by adventurers, she is now a goddess.
Since the saint was an adventurer, it is also popular among the nobility for having the blessing of adventure.
“Thank you, Saint. If I keep wishing, my dreams will come true. I never thought I’d finally meet a wonderful man. Why didn’t I meet him while I was still in school? If I had met Nix-sama, my school life would have been much more enjoyable.”
Seeing Dorothea’s cheeks dyed red, Deirdre muttered a sigh.
“It’s a relief to know that onee-sama is serious.”
.
Part 5
“That was not matchmaking?”
Nix had beaten me up, and I was in my room being treated by Livia with healing magic.
The pain from where I was hit is still there, but it’s a lot better than if I hadn’t done anything.
The area that had turned purple had also recovered to the point where it was now only slightly red and swollen.
While watching me, Ange, who looks stunned in her chair, points out our misunderstanding.
“Yes. The Roseblade family has not officially applied for matchmaking.”
“But Dad and others!”
“If you want to apply formally, you have to go through a more complicated procedure. In this case, it’s really just a face-to-face meeting. If they get along, maybe next time.”
“Deirdre-senpai and the others were serious!”
“The other side must have been serious. If the chemistry was right, they would have made formal matchmaking or even an engagement.”
―― EEEEEH.
Did I, and even my family, mistakenly believe that we were being offered matchmaking?
Glaring at Luxion.
“Did you not even notice?”
[I could have predicted it, but since Master was working on the premise of matchmaking, there was nothing I could do. Also, I was not ordered to gather information on the noble society. I didn’t have enough information to make a judgment, and I couldn’t be sure.]
He thought it was suspicious, but didn’t point it out because I didn’t suspect it.
“You’re not as useful as I thought.”
[No matter how good the artificial intelligence is, if there is a problem with the person handling it, it will not be able to show its full potential. It’s not a problem with my performance, but with Master’s lack of ability to use it. I demand improvement.]
He makes an appeal that he is not at fault.
“Why don’t you improve on that character of yours?”
[I’ll take that into consideration]
I stood up to grab Luxion, but Livia grabbed my arm.
“The treatment is not over yet.”
“It doesn’t hurt anymore, so it’s okay. More importantly, I need to sanction this traitor.”
“Leon-san, don’t! Don’t move until the treatment is finished.”
After Livia scolded me, I reluctantly sat down and she resumed my treatment, and Luxion approached me in a showy manner.
He came just barely out of my reach and went out of his way to agitate me.
[I’ll summarize the results. In other words, Master has encouraged your brother’s matchmaking to fail by doing something unnecessary. Not only his partner, but even you have made a mistake by letting your brother do something terrible. Do you feel a little remorse?]
“It’s not over yet. I’m sure we can turn things around from here.”
I haven’t given up yet.
When Luxion shook his one eye, saying yareyare and left the room, Ange followed.
Me and Livia are left alone in the room.
As Livia treated my injuries, she remembered the days when she had just entered the academy.
Seeing my injuries heal, her cheek relaxes a little and she puts on a gentle face.
“This treatment reminds me of when we were first-year students. Do you remember when I first started working with Leon-san and we took on the dungeon for the first time?”
Back then, while I was looking for marriage, I took care of a lot of things because I was concerned about Livia’s situation.
Believing it to be the right thing to do, I even helped with unnecessary things that hindered Livia’s growth.
She was supposed to grow up to be a strong girl, but I still regret that I made her mentally fragile.
However, afterward, Livia showed that she had grown strong on her own.
I’m sure that Livia would have solved the problem on her own even if I hadn’t been there.
It’s the exact opposite of me, who can’t do anything without Luxion.
“I remember. I was careless and a monster attacked me and I got hurt. Shortly before that, I invited Livia to a tea party, and we started talking a lot.”
When I saw her being bullied, I couldn’t leave her alone, so I called out to her.
Thinking back now, I think that was a big turning point.
If I hadn’t called out to her there, we wouldn’t have been in this situation.
――I don’t regret it, but I think I did something irreparable.
Livia remembers those days and looks happy.
“I was invited to tea parties many times. The day before the tea party, I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep.”
“Is that so?”
I hadn’t expected her to react like a child who can’t sleep the day before a field trip just by attending my tea party.
“For me, it was very special to be invited to a tea party. Then things happened, and I became friends with Ange.”
The part where Livia summarized a lot of things would be the mess with Julius and the other, the five idiots.
Perhaps not wanting to talk about it, she ended it with a single word.
Even Livia’s reaction to the five idiots is cold.
Originally, those guys and Livia could have been lovers.
“Before everything happened, you weren’t close with Ange.”
“That’s right. Ange is a princess, and I never thought we’d get along like this.”
“Certainly not someone we could get close to.”
Livia grasps my right hand from above and below with both hands and then looks up at me.
“It’s the same with you, Leon-san. Back then, I never imagined we could be like this.”
I never thought I would be engaged to Livia, and I never imagined that I would be engaged to two ―― no, three people.
In the beginning, I was thinking of keeping a subtle distance while maintaining a close relationship with her because she was the protagonist of that otome game.
Someone was going to make Livia happy, and I had no doubt that it was the right thing to do.
Looking back now, what was I doing?
Those five idiots are gonna make Livia happy? Not possible.
The five of them were beautiful and talented characters in the game, but their current figures are so disappointing that I can’t even look at them.
Even Livia has strongly rejected the five idiots, saying, “Not with those five”.
“I didn’t see it coming, either. I was supposed to be a baron back then ―― but now I’m a marquis, what a mistake. If I told that to myself a few years ago, I never would have believed it.”
If I were to be told by myself from the future, “You will be a marquis in the future and have three wives!”, I would think it was a joke.
There are so many things that happen ―― For some reason, four of the captured targets are now my subordinates.
In addition, the prince also came along, and it was far from unexpected that I had to take care of these idiots.
Livia rests her forehead on my shoulder.
When I felt the gentle scent and was nervous, she happily told me how she felt.
“I can’t believe it either. I still think maybe this is a dream. For me, Leon-san was a strong and gentle knight.”
“A gentle knight? You’re not wrong, but I’m a little more cowardly than most.”
I am aware that I have a tendency to use any means necessary.
But that’s because I’m aware that I’m an ordinary person.
Therefore, it is only natural that I must be prepared to win.
“Etto ―― I can’t judge whether it’s a little or not.”
Livia, who sounded troubled, looked up and gave me a big smile.
“To me, Leon-san is still a kind and strong knight.”
For some reason, I wanted to hug her and reached out to touch Livia’s shoulder, but my body stopped moving, wondering for a moment if I should really touch her.
Then, Livia leaned in closer to me.
However, Livia looked a little sad.
“So, take a rest now. Leon-san is trying too hard in many ways.”
“I think you’re being too worried. But if Livia told me that, I’d just quietly obey.”
“Is it true? Are you forcing yourself?”
“I’m not going to lie to you “
If Luxion were here, he would say, [Oya? Are you lying right away?] But here is Livia.
Hearing my joking reply, Livia giggled.
“I’m not going to lie, huh? I’ll trust you now. But if you’re lying, I’ll tie you up to make sure you get some rest.”
―― I’m a little horrified, but you’re thinking of me, right?
.
Part 6
Luxion left the room and went out into the hallway to wait for Ange.
Ange stopped when she saw Luxion.
“Do you have a question?”
[Yes. Angelica seemed to be aware of the Roseblade family’s intentions. So why didn’t you correct Master’s misunderstanding?]
“That’s right ―― “
Angel realized that it was just a face-to-face meeting, but of course, the Roseblade family had other intentions.
She realized this but didn’t tell Leon anything about it.
” ―― It was a good opportunity. For some reason, Leon has low self-esteem. No, it’s too low. I was just waiting for him to realize his own self-worth at this point.”
[May the Roseblade family marry Master’s brother?]
“Even you must know that. ―― Leon was too active.”
He saved the Kingdom of Horfalt from a crisis and even defeated the Republic of Arzel, which was said to be undefeated in their defense.
He may be called a hero, but that doesn’t mean everyone will be happy about it.
Naturally, there were people who wanted to get in the way, but there were also people who wanted to get close to Leon and take advantage of him.
“From now on, all kinds of people will try to get involved, even if they don’t want to. I don’t mind being vigilant, but I don’t want him to be unaware of it. ―― However, the collar thing was too much. I thought that once he screwed up and got bitter experience, he would reflect on it.”
Ange was puzzled, too, as she hadn’t expected him to have succeeded.
Luxion warned Ange.
[I will not tolerate you if you do something to the detriment of the Master.]
Ange smiles at Luxon’s line.
“You are fine like that. Besides, if you were aware of it, why didn’t you tell Leon about it?”
Wouldn’t Luxion have noticed?
Ange’s guess was correct.
However, Luxion did not answer clearly.
[Master needs rest]
“I agree with you, but you could have at least told him during his rest, right?”
[To reduce the extra burden]
Hearing that, Angel moved closer to Luxion and touched him in a caressing way.
“What is it?”
“You like Leon, too, don’t you.”
[It’s Angelica’s misunderstanding. Protecting the person who has registered as a Master is just one of my important duties. I don’t have any feelings of likes or dislikes as humans do.]
“You usually say you hate him, though”
Luxion, thinking that Ange was teasing him, emitted a somewhat sulking electronic voice.
[I’m just trying to match Master. Now if you’ll excuse me. Also, it seems that Angelica needs to rest. Your judgment is deteriorating.]
As Luxion quickly flies away, Ange calls out to him one last time.
“Leon’s right, you know. You’re not being honest.”
.
Part 7
When I finished treating my injuries and went outside, it was already evening.
“It’s been an intense day.”
There was a lot going on, starting with Nix’s matchmaking, and even Claris-senpai came over to join the tense tea party for some reason.
I let out a sigh, worrying about what will happen tomorrow, and then I hear some talking.
“Today’s ojou-sama was also cool.”
“She is dignified. I wish I could be like that.”
I was curious about their happy conversation, so I went to take a peek, and there they were, a graduated senpai who I met on an air bike race, and a girl student.
The girl was younger than me, maybe a junior at school?
When I show my face, senpai notices and raises his hand.
“Yo! No, you’re already a Marquis. Pardon me, Marquis.”
I hurriedly urge senpai and the girl to raise their heads as they bow to me.
“I’m not used to being so formal. Anyway, what were you talking about?”
When senpai and the female student raise their heads, they look at each other and then at me.
Senpai scratches his head and tells me with embarrassment.
“It’s about Lady Claris”
“Claris-senpai?”
The female student was also embarrassed and twined her own arm around senpai’s arm.
“Actually, we met through the Atley family. We got to know each other through an introduction by the Atley family, and we hit it off when we talked about Lady Claris. I’ve only recently been able to help in many ways, so isn’t Lady Claris wonderful!”
When I replied to the sparkling junior with a troubled, “U-Un,” senpai snorted and leaned forward to make an impassioned speech.
“That’s right! That person has been taking good care of me since I was a student, and she was also very kind. When I graduated from school, she even took care of matchmaking for me. Then she introduced me to a nice girl who admired a young lady. The topic of Lady Claris naturally came up in our daily conversation. The others seem to be the same way, though.”
“I-Is that so?”
I knew inwardly that Claris-senpai’s complaints were not all lies.
The boys around her are getting married one by one, but the one who comes up for the talk with the other party is Claris-senpai herself.
The people around her are getting excited, but it seems that the person in question doesn’t have any plans to get married.
I can’t help but feel a bit bewildered.
So I ask what’s on my mind.
“Are? By the way, you all like Claris-senpai, don’t you? Didn’t someone confess to her or something?”
Both senpai and the junior girl looked dubious at my question.
Then they both looked at each other and nodded their heads.
“No, I understand that there is a status difference. But still, you like her or that kind of feeling you have or something.”
Listening to my explanation, senpai shakes his head.
“We? We awe her. That person is not someone to whom we can direct such impure feelings. As long as Lady Claris is happy, that’s all that matters to us.”
The junior girl also put her hands on her chest and nodded deeply.
“Yes, of course. Lady Claris is a goddess to us. When my family was in trouble, it was Lady Claris who reached out to us. She’s kind but strong at the heart, and she behaves perfectly, which I admire.”
A junior girl folded her hands and talked about her memories with Claris-senpai.
――What is this treatment?
It seems that Claris-senpai is too precious to be directed to impure emotions.
I think Claris-senpai will have a hard time with this.
There must have been one or two boys among the seniors who were close to her, who supported her, and whom she could tolerate.
But it would be a shock in a different way if such seniors started saying that “We awe you so we don’t have impure feelings”.
In my previous life, is it more than an idol? But an idol is essentially an idol, aren’t you take her as a being to worship?
The two of them talk about how precious Claris-senpai is in front of me.
The junior girl came up to me.
“More than that, what did you think of Lady Clarice, Marquis? She took extra time to prepare for today. Did you compliment her like beautiful, lovely, or adorable?”
“N-No”
As I step back, senpai quickly closes the distance between us.
“That’s no good! Please call out to her now. If the Marquis praises her, Lady Claris will be pleased. In order to meet the Marquis, Lady Claris was more enthusiastic than usual in her preparations today. She is really lovely!”
I was terrified when an athletic senior used honorifics and gave me a forceful lecture with bloodshot eyes.
I was totally freaked out.
“I-I will tell her later!”
As I leave this place as if to run away, I decide to tell Claris-senpai that she was beautiful today.
If I don’t tell her, I’m going to be in a lot of trouble tomorrow because I’m intimidated by the two of them.
And as I walked away from the two of them, I felt sorry for Claris-senpai.
“Surely this makes you want to complain about it?”
What’s terrible is that everyone around is praising Claris-senpai.
Even though she doesn’t want it, they are probably talking about Claris-senpai more excitedly than necessary.
Moreover, they’re all couples.
Even though she is alone, she gets angry when people around her are flirting and talking about her.
She wishes she could complain, but all around her were people who adored her.
“I’ll at least keep her company when she’s complaining”
I think I’ll let her vent her frustrations at least while she’s staying at my parents’ house.
.
Part 8
On the way to the room where Claris-senpai was staying, I saw my big sister and little sister there in their plain clothes.
Two people were facing each other in the hallway, arguing about something.
The older sister, Jenna, looked down at the shorter sister, Finley, pointing a finger at her.
“Just be quiet!”
“Why?! She’s just a customer, right?”
“You fool. The Roseblade family and the Atley family are the most prestigious families. If you embarrass yourself, you’ll ruin my reputation as well!”
Apparently, Jenna has been telling Finley to be quiet.
Finley, who had not even attended the school, still knew about the prestigious noble family but did not really feel it.
That attitude must have seemed to Jenna as if she was not feeling tense.
But I thought.
“Did you still have a reputation to lower?”
Jenna glared at me as I laughed and talked to her.
“So the rumor that you were even laying a hand on Claris-san is true.”
“Ha?”
I tilt my head at Jenna’s words, and Finley gives me a look of utter disgust.
“Haa?! You have two fiancées, and you cheat on them again? You’re the worst.”
Again? What do you mean again?
I’m not cheating!
“Let me correct a mistake. I’ve never cheated on anyone, and I have three fiancées to begin with.”
I held up three fingers in front of them and said, “Don’t mistake that part!” I emphasized strongly!
Jenna and Finley, who had been arguing earlier, huddled together and had a whispered discussion.
“Finley, you should be careful with men like this.”
“What do those ladies see in this brother that makes them like him? He’s the worst kind of scumbag. If it were me, I would never choose him. They have bad taste.”
“You’re right, they all have bad taste. I wonder if the ladies have seen so many beautiful men around that they find a face like Leon’s unusual?”
“It’s an extravagant worry. Normally, I would definitely choose a beautiful boy.”
My sisters can say all they want, but I want to say it from me, too.
“Even boys don’t choose you, ugly-minded girls, either. Besides, did anyone ever pick Jenna before you graduated?”
“Hmph!”
Before I could finish, Jenna took a big step and slammed her fist into my face.
Instead of slapping me, she slammed her fist into me.
.
Part 9
“What happened to your face?”
In front of Claris-senpai’s room.
Claris-senpai, who opened the door and faced me, was surprised to see the bruise on my face.
“Sometimes facts hurt people, don’t they?”
I tried to explain to her that I had asked Jenna, “Did onee-sama get married before graduation?” When I think about it, this story is a minefield for Claris-senpai as well.
I’d like to give myself a compliment for having been so quick to cover it up.
―― When I think about it, I’ve said too much to Jenna.
I’ll apologize later.
Somehow, I feel like I’ve been apologizing to my family a lot lately.
In my previous life and now, I’m troubling my family, aren’t I.
I’m saddened by the fact that I’ve lived longer than I look, but I haven’t grown up inside. ――Well, people don’t grow up easily on the inside, though, no matter how old they get.
Claris-senpai touches my injury.
“It would be quicker to ask Olivia-san to treat you, right.”
It seemed that Claris-senpai had thought about patching me up, but she didn’t want to do it because of Livia’s presence.
“This will heal in no time.”
“Boys become pretentious right away. Anyway, what do you need?”
Claris-senpai, who had already changed her clothes and was dressed rather roughly, I smiled and complimented her on her appearance today.
“Today, Claris-senpai looked wonderful.”
” ―― Eh?”
“I heard you spent a lot of time on your hair and clothes. It was lovely. Well then, I’ll be taking my leave.”
When I waved my hand, Claris-senpai, who looked dazed, also gave me a small wave back.
Now, I won’t have to worry about being complained about by the picky senpai tomorrow.