Chapter 1: A Clean Break

I, Cynthia Rhuddlan, was the only child in my family. I’d also managed to find myself something of a “pitiful” fiancé.

My father was a viscount, but due to the rapid expansion of his territory, I received many marriage offers from higher-ranking families than our own. One of them even came from the third son of a duke who wouldn’t inherit a title of his own.

In the end, my mother and father decided on the second son of an earl to be my future husband—Eddie Dorris.

I took a liking to his easygoing personality and his hair and eyes that were the color of a sunset. When I told Father I’d made my choice, he arranged for our engagement at once.

I truly intended for the two of us to build a positive relationship of mutual respect. But at some point, people started to look upon Eddie with pity in their hearts and actions.

His looks only improved as he aged, and at this point, the slightest hint of a smile on his face was enough to paint him as an ephemeral beauty. That made Eddie a target of adoration from every young noblewoman who laid eyes on him. Then the Dorris family underwent financial troubles and had to receive assistance from us Rhuddlans. People began to believe that we were engaged due to extortion.

Friends of the Rhuddlan family knew we would never do such a thing. But unfortunately, most of our relationships were with commoner merchants. We only interacted with nobles during social events and tea parties to keep up appearances.

There was also jealousy over my family’s business successes, so all in all, our relationships with high society were strained.

My constant rejection of marriage arrangements with other noble scions probably didn’t help.

If only Eddie had never grown up to be so beautiful…

Well, it wasn’t as if he chose to grow up into a breathtaking young man, so I won’t complain. But still.

The terrible rumors wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand if Eddie had set the record straight. He did no such thing.

“You poor thing, Lord Eddie! Sacrificing yourself for the sake of your family…”

“She bought you like a cheap toy, didn’t she? It’s terribly cruel!”

“Thank you for worrying about me, but really, I’m fine,” Eddie said. “It’s an honor to have so many adorable young ladies looking out for me.”

Why would you say that?! You’re supposed to tell them, “The Dorris family was the one who requested this engagement, so there was no coercion from the Rhuddlan side,” right?!

A group of pretty young ladies surrounded my pitiful fiancé, standing around in the school garden full of roses in bloom.

I’d once loved Eddie’s carefree personality. But that gentle demeanor had begun to take him in the wrong direction. He refused to reject the young ladies who flocked to him. Instead, he smiled at all of them and charmed them with his words.

In fact, he was essentially hinting that their fears about his well-being weren’t entirely unfounded.

Eddie had grown into someone completely indecisive.

Still, I showed him love and respect as my future husband and made sure to display jealousy whenever young women flocked to him. My parents, unable to bear the ridiculous situation any longer, suggested I call off the engagement altogether. But I couldn’t see myself with anyone other than Eddie.

At least, until yesterday.

“What wasit that had me so smitten with that man?” I murmured under my breath as I left the school rose garden.

When I woke up that morning, my head was suddenly full of memories of a past life. I realized that I now lived in the world of a dating sim I played on my phone in my previous incarnation.

How was it even possible to be reborn into a video game world? I didn’t have an answer, but I knew this was real. My new reality. I had no choice but to accept it as fact.

I’d been reincarnated as one of the evil noblewomen in the game. I was an antagonist who appeared during Eddie Dorris’ route, constantly stopping the heroine from getting close to him.

In the game, Cynthia really did push the limits of a villainess. She’d paid for Eddie’s hand in marriage and everything. But my reality was different.

I’d merely accepted his proposal and done my best to love him as my fiancé. How could anyone call me a villainess because of that? Perhaps I was a bit overly attached, but strangely, the man named Eddie Dorris lost all appeal to me as soon as I regained my past life’s memories.

He was a wishy-washy person who had nothing going for him but his good looks. What possessed me to fight for a man like that?

The Rhuddlan family would be much better off if I married a man who knew how to manage our territory. Besides, a marriage could never be anything of substance when the man sat back and let people badmouth his fiancée. Everything about our engagement was a negative, both to me and my family.

“I need Father to end this engagement,” I said to myself. “Although, I feel bad that he’ll need to pay for it.”

As backwards as it seemed, my family would probably need to pay the breach of contract fee. It wasn’t as if Eddie had made any single decisive mistake. He escorted me to high society events as my fiancé and sent me cards and presents on special occasions.

Eddie never shirked those duties, and it wasn’t his fault that young noblewomen adored him. He wasn’t the source of the cruel rumors himself, nor did he ever outright affirm them. He was only thanking the young ladies who expressed concern for his well-being.

If the matter of the contract payment were to be taken to court, our family would almost certainly lose the case. My parents were likely to pay the fee without putting up a fight instead of wasting time, money, and energy. Then they would help me find a new fiancé.

“If only I’d remembered my past life a bit sooner…” I lamented. “Eddie would have never been my first choice for marriage.”

I’d have rejected Eddie’s proposal on the spot if I knew I would be treated like a villainess. What a sorry decision I made.

Well, perhaps I should focus on the positives. At least I remembered at all.

For now, I needed to quickly distance myself from my villainess role and find a man who could provide me with a stable future.

I pictured all the single noblemen I knew as I made my way toward the school gates. That was when I spotted the headmaster, a few adults, and an adorable young girl with pink hair passing by.

It seems the heroine has arrived.

The otome game I played was the type that depicted the heroine’s full face.

This girl had the same pink hair and eyes. Her hair looked like it would give off the scent of sugar, and her face spurred protective instincts in all who looked her way. There was no mistaking her identity as the game’s heroine.

According to her backstory, she lived as an orphan in the slums until she was adopted by a passing baron, who rescued her from that life and enrolled her in this academy. I was opposed to her choosing any of the characters’ routes. Every love interest in the game was already engaged to or dating one of the evil villainesses. No matter how wicked those women might be, it was still wrong to show up out of nowhere and steal someone else’s fiancé.

That much was only common sense—both as a noble and as a human being.

I never really thought about that part when I played the game in my past life, but living in this world brought about a change of heart. Your perspective changes when the story becomes your reality. That was when I realized something important.

If I break up with Eddie tomorrow, the heroine can romance him without any worries.

I didn’t know if she would choose Eddie, but at the very least, I could remove all obstacles from one possible route.

I’d been shaken up to the point of despair that morning when I first realized I’d reincarnated into the world of a game. But perhaps a bit of foresight into this world’s future wasn’t so bad. After all, now I could take measures to improve my life and the lives of those around me.

Still, I wanted the heroine to live her own life, so there was no need for me to guide her in any specific direction. All I was going to do was end my engagement for the sake of my own happiness. Opening up a path for the heroine would simply be an unintended benefit.

It didn’t matter to me if she chose Eddie, a different love interest, or decided to never take a husband at all.

Farewell, heroine. I’m going to secure my happiness.

I addressed the heroine in my mind with those words. But only one day later, we ended up butting heads.

“Lady Cynthia, it’s wrong to ignore Lord Eddie’s own will. You’re terribly cruel to treat him like your slave, even if you are supporting his family!” She approached me out of nowhere in the school hallway. Her large eyes were wet with tears, and she pressed her hands together as if she were praying.

Why on earth is she coming to me…?

With my pride as the future head of the Rhuddlan family on the line, I made sure my displeasure didn’t show on my face, smiling back at her like an elegant young lady.

“I don’t understand what you speak of. How have I treated him like a slave?”

“So you truly don’t see it? Lord Eddie can’t defy anything you say, or he’ll risk bringing harm to his family. There are things in life that he wishes to learn and experience, yet he’s too busy devoting his time to your demands, Lady Cynthia. He can’t even make nice memories with his school friends since he’s always running around for your sake. Doesn’t your heart break for him?”

“I don’t believe I have ever made him commit that much time to me. I’ll make sure to ask him directly. All right, until next—”

“Again, you threaten poor Lord Eddie!”

I’d tried to casually excuse myself from the confrontation, but the heroine circled around and blocked my path. This heroine wasn’t someone I could underestimate. Now I understood why the Cynthia in the game loathed her so much.

The crowd watching us only grew as she raised her voice even louder. The young ladies with feelings for Eddie watched the spectacle with glee in their eyes. Some of the young men—ones I’d rejected as marriage candidates previously—were smirking too.

I would have to make sure I excluded them once it was time to pick a new fiancé. What useful information to have in advance.

“You seem very eager to speak with me about this. I have important business to attend to, so would you please address a letter to my home with the rest of this conversation?” I kept my voice as calm as I could. I smiled, but perhaps Cynthia’s face was incapable of making friendly expressions.

I had fiery red hair and burning red eyes, but my beautiful face had naturally stern features. Frankly, playing the role of an honest and upright person was out of my reach. After all, I was a villainess character, and my looks were designed as such. My intimidation factor made it easy to defend my role as one of the few female heirs to their family title in the world. That part was convenient, however…

“You want your family to silence me?!” she shrieked. “I’m not going to back down! Good deeds will always be rewarded! That’s why I’m going to save Lord Eddie!”

Things would have been so much simpler if I had told her I was on my way to end things with Eddie that very moment. However, as the next viscount in my family, I couldn’t go around making unilateral decisions about contracts I was part of. Things needed to be handled officially first.

I could have easily gotten rid of this heroine if only my engagement had already been called off.

What terrible timing. I wish she had shown up just one day later.

“I can tell that you care deeply for Lord Eddie Dorris. Now, I apologize, but I really do have urgent business to attend to…”

I brought up my fiancé coldly, drawing murmurs from the more perceptive members of the crowd. They probably believed I was just putting on a brave face. After all, I hadn’t made my love for Eddie a secret in the past.

All I wanted was to end my engagement as soon as possible and forget how foolish I’d been all this time. How thoughtless could this little woman be?

“Wait a minute, Cynthia. Listen to what Elly is saying.”

And here comes the next nitwit.

Pushing his way through the crowd of spectators was the young man with lustrous, long orange hair—my pitiful fiancé, Eddie.

I was the one who’d carefully groomed that beautiful hair so that it kept its shine, but I would never care for him again like that once our engagement was over. I wondered if he would be able to maintain it without me.

Oh, so this heroine is named Elly? I realized a beat later. When I played the game, I was able to give her whatever name I wanted. I didn’t think she had a canon name.

Elly and Eddie certainly sounded like a perfect pair. Please, go be together already. I’m happy to be a stranger to both of you.

Like the hero of a great tragedy, Eddie contorted his beautiful features in feigned agony. “Elly’s the one who made me see that I’ve been putting on a brave face all this time. She’s right, you know. I do have things I’ve wanted to do and learn. There were days I wanted to spend time with my friends. But instead, I put my desires aside so that I could live how you wanted me to live. Now I see how wrong that was.”

You didn’t know what you wanted until the heroine put the words in your mouth?

As I told the heroine, I was quite certain that I never imposed such harsh restrictions on Eddie. Spending that much time with Eddie would have gotten in the way of the things I wanted to do in the first place. I wondered how he’d been spending his time while I was away learning how to run my family’s territory, observing our local institutions, and socializing to keep up appearances.

Knowing Eddie, he probably just sat around in an airy daze.

I’d once loved that peaceful side of him.

Only now did I see that “peaceful” was the wrong word to describe him. He was a person without any opinions of his own, totally unsure of what it was he wanted out of life. Perhaps I would have found that side of him “sweet,” but unfortunately, this man was indecisive to a fault.

It seemed to only be getting worse as time went by.

“I see, Lord Dorris,” I said, keeping my tone level. “I am prepared to discuss this with you now. Shall we relocate? I believe your father will have already informed you of today’s discussion between our families, so we can continue our conversation th—”

“Enough! I’ve had it! I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Is your family going to hold its wealth over mine again?! Well, I won’t be there! Today’s the day I finally stand up to you! That’s my right as a human being!”

Are you kidding me? Your father didn’t tell you about the discussion? How is that possible? Or perhaps he did tell him, and Eddie missed it all because he was spacing out like always. The heroine could have also won his heart yesterday, and now he was refusing to hear any discussion of me on principle. But was he really going to skip out on this evening’s meeting between our esteemed families?

“A viscount making demands of an earl? Does her family not know its place?”

“She really was using her money as a weapon against Lord Eddie! What a wicked woman!”

Eddie’s group of female followers were delighted to find that I was the villain they’d always thought I was.

It wasn’t a demand. Besides, the meeting is going to be held at the earl’s house, not ours.

“Today’s discussion is extremely important… Where will you go if you refuse to attend? Are you busy with something even more pressing?” I asked.

“I’m not going to tell you every detail about my private life. I have plans, and that’s final!”

I’d hardly ever seen Eddie get so angry. It seemed he really wasn’t going to attend the meeting after all.

Hang on a minute.That might actually give my family the advantage in calling off this cursed engagement.

No matter what I said now, neither party in this engagement would object to breaking up. It would be completely mutual.

We might even be able to significantly reduce the breach of contract fee.

But what if I mentioned how he yelled terrible things about me in front of a crowd at school? Would the contract be completely nullified? There were plenty of witnesses, after all.

“My family never intended to intimidate you with our money. Is that how you interpreted it?” I asked, letting the needling glares and stares slide off me.

“That’s exactly what you did!” he accused. “You dangled your filthy wealth over us when we started to struggle, then you used that supposed aid as a shield so you could make me do whatever you wanted.”

“I only wanted a standard relationship with you as your fiancée. But now I see you interpreted that as a threat and believed I treated you like a slave. You’re telling me now that you would like to end this arrangement between families, is that right?” I asked, letting my voice carry to those around us.

“Yes! I was your slave! I’m done listening to you. Starting today, I’m no longer your plaything. I have a right to be free!”

Incredible. It’s almost amusing how well he’s playing into my hand.

A husband like him would have been nothing but a burden, especially if I ever left him in charge of running my family’s territory. What a blessing it was that I lost my feelings for him. Eddie was the last person on earth I wanted to marry now.

“Lady Cynthia! Admit to your wrongdoings and let Lord Eddie be free! You’ve caused him enough suffering already!” The heroine, her eyes full of tears, sank to the floor in a pitiful display.

Oh, now she won’t be able to block me from leaving. Excellent!

“I have no recollection of threatening him,” I insisted. “The aid my family provided was merely a friendly gesture toward the family of my fiancé. However, I’ll be sure to bring up how you saw it as an intimidation tactic at today’s meeting with the Dorris family. I promise that we will reflect on our behavior. Thank you both for sharing your feelings with me. You’ll be missed at the meeting, but it’s your choice in the end, so please do what you feel is right.”

I smiled at Eddie and watched his face light up. He then raced to the heroine, who was still on the ground.

“Thank you, Elly! I’m free now thanks to you! I can do whatever I want!”

“I’m so happy for you, Lord Eddie! I’ve been horribly concerned for you all this time…!” She sniffled theatrically.

Yes, yes, we get it. You two are the perfect match. I wish you all the happiness in the world. Now, please never bother me again.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I don’t want to be late for the meeting.”

I’d indulged them in their version of reality, so now I could leave without either of them stopping me.

I rushed home to inform my parents of what happened.

They asked me to repeat myself many times, as if they couldn’t believe their ears. To their relief, many witnesses had been present, and our family was no longer likely to be on the hook for a breach of contract. But at the same time, they were angered and confused over Eddie’s mockery of their family and their beloved daughter.

Once the discussion between our families had concluded, we agreed to request a judicial arbitrator who could release Eddie and me from our engagement contract. Eddie’s very public misconduct meant that we would no longer have to pay a fee or convince the Dorris family to break off the contract. Our family went into the meeting with a big advantage.

Not only would we not pay a breach of contract fee, but the Dorrises now had to repay a portion of the financial assistance we offered them, too.

They dragged their feet at first, but over the next few days, we’d gathered enough witness statements backing up our story that there was no denying reality.

In the end, the Dorris family gave up on taking us to court over the matter.

We had turned the tables on them for good.

If anything, we could have requested they pay us a breach of contract fee, but the Dorris family had no money, and demanding they repay us would only have prolonged the strained relationship between our two families. Instead, we decided to cut our losses and walk away.

With that, the Dorrises and the Rhuddlans became strangers.

The Dorris family was likely to experience more hardships now that they didn’t have our backing, but their financial troubles were something they had a responsibility to resolve on their own. Those hardships had only been postponed slightly.

I hoped the Dorris family wouldn’t put up any further fight. They’d walked away benefiting too, getting to keep some of the Rhuddlans’ aid in the end.

Farewell, Eddie. Farewell, Dorris family. Farewell, lustrous orange hair.

May the two of us never cross paths again.

Chapter 2: The Villainous Nobleman Siraiya

I was already facing another issue—how to find my next fiancé.

Ending my first engagement made me less “pure,” but that wouldn’t put me at a disadvantage so long as I wasn’t marrying into the man’s family. I was the eldest daughter of a viscount. Young noblemen with no titles to inherit would be desperate to be my husband. Many of them had given up on being anything other than a knight or a civil servant someday. But once I emerged single, they weren’t about to let a lucrative opportunity like me slip away. Thus, they began to pursue me aggressively.

Even men who’d been smirking at me on the day Eddie confronted me at school changed tunes, now denouncing the way he treated me.

But I wasn’t going to waver from something so trivial, of course.

“I just have so many candidates. It’s exhausting.”

I sighed those words. I was standing behind the schoolhouse, a vacant part of campus where I could be alone. The flowerbeds were empty, and there weren’t even any benches to sit on. I imagined this path was only used by groundskeepers coming to trim the grass or campus employees looking for a shortcut.

I’d fled here to escape the constant pestering from boys at my school. I needed to observe each one carefully to make sure I didn’t end up with another failed engagement, but with so many candidates, the prospect was exhausting.

Even though I tried giving extra scrutiny to these boys’ personalities and lifestyles, the memory of how my last engagement fell through overnight still haunted me. It was a massive undertaking to get to know every last candidate in full.

“I wish I could see the character backstories for my prospective husbands…”

Unfortunately, I’d only read the backstories for the heroine’s love interests.

There was no point in getting to know boys who were already engaged. I definitely didn’t want anyone whom the heroine might be interested in.

I was strolling around behind the schoolhouse, lost in thought, while I looked for somewhere to sit, when I noticed a male student not too far ahead of me on the path. I could have turned around if I spotted him a bit earlier, but now that we were so close, it was best to just keep going and pass him by.

He was seated on one of the many staircases leading to the back doors of the school. If he chose a place like this to spend his time, he either appreciated solitude or had no friends to speak of. Not that I was much different…

The sunlight streaming in between the trees above made his silver hair sparkle. Yet something about the impression he gave off was different than most… His bangs had grown out, obscuring his eyes, and his uniform was the wrong size. Once I got closer, I could see that it was wrinkled and somewhat dirty.

That was when I realized something. I’d seen this boy before.

He’s the student who… No, he’s a game character! He’s the third son of a duke who shows up in the crown prince’s route!

The crown prince had the most robust story as the game’s main route. It was also the route that featured evil noblemen in addition to the standard evil noblewomen. Villains and villainesses in one game!

The boy before me was a yandere character in the story. He was obsessively in love with the heroine, so he tried to ruin her relationship with the crown prince and claim her as his own. In the end, the crown prince imprisoned the boy for everything he’d done.

If the heroine failed to win over the crown prince, the yandere boy kidnapped her and forced her to drown with him in the frigid ocean—the murder-suicide bad ending.

I believe his name was…

“Lord Siraiya Brooke.”

Oops. I didn’t mean to say that out loud. All the chaos of the past few days must be getting to my head.

When he heard his name, he raised his head and looked straight at me.

His sparkling bangs parted to reveal a pair of green eyes hiding beneath. He was very attractive, as one would expect of a main villain in an otome game. It felt like a waste to hide such a beautiful face under those bangs.

“…Lady Cynthia Rhuddlan. Do you need something?”

He sounded a bit annoyed by my interruption.

Perhaps he was displeased to have a woman from a lower-ranking family address him by his full name. Since I was the one who started this, I needed to find a way to backtrack.

“I apologize for calling your name like that, my lord. I only feared you may be ill, since you were sitting on the steps and hanging your head.” I’d managed to come up with a pretty good excuse in the heat of the moment.

“…I see. Thank you for the consideration, but there’s nothing for you to worry about, so be on your way.”

He spoke to me concisely, despite being a yandere character who dumped all of his emotions onto the object of his obsession. I really appreciated that after the past few days of being hounded by the other boys throughout the school.

Now that I thought back on the crown prince’s route, it was the heroine who made the first move on Siraiya. She won him over with sweet words to earn his trust, and once he actually fell for her, she pushed him away, revealing she was never interested in him in the first place.

Sure, the heroine had to do this to move forward in the game, but now I could see her manipulative personality for what it was.

Siraiya also had an incredibly sad backstory.

Not a soul within the school respected him, despite his being the son of a duke. He was even mistreated at home. This was all due to the fact that he was the product of an affair between his father and a maid.

His birth mother went on to abandon him, leaving no one to show him love. Siraiya lived a life of total isolation.

Desperate for some form of familial love, he poured his time into studying and maintained the top grades in our class to earn his father’s approval. However, the duke refused to look his way, and Siraiya remained the victim of his brothers’ and stepmother’s torment.

It was during that period of despair that the heroine appeared in Siraiya’s life.

He was the character who could help the heroine with her academic struggles and improve her grades. She wanted to be an outstanding student—someone who was worthy of becoming the crown princess. It was only natural that the lonely Siraiya grew attached. After all, the player had to study with Siraiya in the library every single day.

The heroine became the first person to ever lift the veil of loneliness shrouding Siraiya’s life. The adorable young lady trusted him, smiled at him, and didn’t treat him like his existence was a burden.

It was only a matter of time before he fell for her in a deeply unhealthy way.

Hang on a minute. Could this be the person I’m looking for?

Eddie’s grades were abysmal, but Siraiya was always at the top of his class.

Eddie didn’t know how to work hard, but Siraiya never slacked when it came to bettering himself.

Eddie was indecisive—so much so that he was willing to give attention to any of the cute young ladies who swarmed to him. But Siraiya got so attached to the object of his desire that it drove him to madness. In other words, he had no eyes for any other woman.

Siraiya didn’t have a fiancée or a title to inherit either.

The heroine’s actions were the main factor behind his transformation into a yandere character. She got what she needed from him and then threw him away like garbage.

But if someone took the time to carefully tend to his tattered heart, he could very well grow into the ideal husband—someone devoted solely to his wife, who could love and support her as he grew alongside her.

Most importantly, this was a character without a happy ending between himself and the heroine.

However, I couldn’t simply speculate about his personality as I had with Eddie. I didn’t want to end up in that situation again. For now, I needed to get a better sense of who he was as a person.

“This seems like fate,” I began. “May I have a moment of your time? I’ve been wanting to speak with the Lord Brooke whose name I always see at the top of our class grade postings.”

“…Huh? …Speak…with me?” Siraiya suddenly looked flustered.

He didn’t seem to expect a request like that at all. The grumpy look on his face vanished. It was actually kind of cute.

“If it’s too much trouble, then I’d be happy to leave.”

“…Ah, no… It’s not any trouble.”

He practically jumped to his feet.

Is he starved for socialization? He cast a timid look my way, seeming to fear the prospect of my leaving. Such a pitiful sight made my heart ache. Was he stirring a newfound protective instinct in me?

“All right, then let’s talk. There aren’t any benches nearby, so may I sit beside you?” I requested.

“Sure… Ah, no, one moment.”

Siraiya removed his jacket, quickly brushed the dust off of it, then laid it down on the staircase without a second thought.

He was quite the gentleman. Eddie would have merely chuckled and told me to sit next to him. No, I need to stop comparing everyone to him. I made up my mind to never bother with that man again.

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you. I didn’t mean to inconvenience you.”

Since he was the one offering, I decided against rejecting the gesture.

As I sat down on his jacket, I considered taking it home to wash and returning it to him the next day. But then I realized his father may not have even purchased him a spare uniform. If this were his only set, running away with his jacket would be quite the inconvenience.

He was still the son of a duke, and I had no obligation to be so concerned about someone of his rank. Still, knowing his upbringing, it was impossible not to sympathize with the young man.

“…You don’t want to sit down?” I called out to him, seeing him still standing at the bottom of the stairs. Siraiya’s eyes darted around awkwardly.

“Unmarried men and women shouldn’t get too close. Especially someone like me… I mean, I’ve heard you’re currently searching for a new fiancé, so I wouldn’t want anyone getting the wrong impression.”

He was gentlemanly and honest. Handsome, too. And a brilliant student.

“So you do know who I am. I’m embarrassed by the recent events in my life, but it is an honor to know that the brilliant Lord Brooke, top student in our class, would remember a person like me.”

“You don’t have to be so formal… In fact, I’m the one who’s honored to hear you say all that about me.”

Having played the game before, it was easy to tell what was going on in his head. He was trembling, overcome with emotion. After all, I was the first person to ever positively affirm all of his hard work.

Our simple words exchanged were enough to bring tears to the eyes of a person as lonely as he was.

Siraiya kept his green eyes pointed at the ground, hoping I wouldn’t notice. But I could tell he was welling up.

“That’s not something just anyone could accomplish,” I said. “I truly respect your hard work. I’ve tried dedicating more effort to my studies as well, but I just can’t seem to reach the top of the class.”

“But that’s because you also have to learn how to manage your family’s territory. I’ve heard that you’re a reliable person who’s always working toward your own future. You’re plenty brilliant if you’re able to balance all of that with your schoolwork.”

That came as a surprise.

We lived in a world where a woman becoming the head of her family was something of a joke. Commoner men would hardly ever praise my hard work so smoothly like that, much less an actual nobleman. Now I was the one getting emotional.

“Th-Thank you very much.”

Suddenly, I felt sort of shy. My voice probably shook as I responded to him.

Siraiya’s cheeks were pink, but I felt my face heating up, too. We were both blushing up a storm.

“Um, I think your silver hair is very beautiful, Lord Brooke. I was captivated just now as I walked by you, watching how it reflected the sunlight from above.” I tried changing subjects to make the mood less awkward, but as soon as I said that, Siraiya furrowed his brow and looked up at me.

“…I thought you didn’t like my hair.”

“Huh? What do you mean? I’ve never felt that way…”

“…When you excluded me as a marriage candidate, you said my white hair made me look like an old man…and that it gave you the creeps…”

“Whaaat?! You were excluded?! I don’t remember receiving an engagement request from you, and I look over all of them personally…!”

Had my parents intentionally kept it from me? I couldn’t see them doing something like that. But what other explanation could there be?

“Oh, no, it wasn’t anything recent,” he corrected. “It was when you were ten. I wasn’t accepted as a candidate, and then you chose Lord Eddie Dorris later on.”

“Ah! I see. So it was right when I began to entertain the idea of getting engaged.”

That was when I had my heart stolen by Eddie’s gentle personality, so I probably didn’t give the other boys much consideration. I was still young back then, and there was nothing I could do to change the past now. Yet, still…

“But I’ve never once had a negative thought about your hair, Lord Siraiya Brooke,” I insisted. “I promise you that I have never insulted it in private either.”

“I see… My brothers were the ones who told me that, so they were probably just teasing me. Sorry for what I said.”

Ngh! My heart ached just imagining how his family treated him at that house. I remembered how, in the game, they mocked his unique silver hair—something he inherited from his mother.

“Well, it’s incredibly beautiful,” I said. “In fact, I would call it one of my favorite hair colors. But I’m also fond of gray hair. My mother’s and father’s hair has started to gray a bit, and I think it’s quite stylish. It almost looks like they have highlights. Whenever your silver hair does start to gray, I think it will turn you into a very good-looking gentleman.”

I simply laid out my honest thoughts, causing Siraiya to purse his lips and squint at me as if he were staring directly into the sunlight. His cheeks were even redder than before. He took a moment to catch his breath before finally sputtering out a response.

“Thank you…”

He was just so…adorable.

✶✶✶

AFTER that encounter, the two of us agreed to meet again the next day. Our time together behind the schoolhouse turned into a daily occurrence.

He was an easy person to talk to. We discussed our classes, of course, but he could easily keep up with my discussion about land management as well. It turned out that Siraiya had been helping the duke with his paperwork at home.

The more time we spent together, the more drawn to him I felt. I was confident that, if he agreed to marry into my family, he would look after our territory as if it were his own.

The two of us could become a couple who supported each other, just as my parents did.

One day, I showed up with a blanket of my own so that Siraiya wouldn’t have to lend me his jacket anymore. But instead, he smiled sadly and told me, “That’s too bad. I’ve lost the only thing I can do for you.” It was so cute, I nearly swooned on the spot.

Then there was the time that Siraiya’s class was dismissed late. My heart clenched when I saw him dashing toward me to make up for lost time. On another occasion, I reached the back of the schoolhouse on a rainy day and was greeted with a smile of relief. “I was worried you might not show up today…” he said, standing there with his umbrella. I was so touched that I let out a strange squeal by accident.

Siraiya only became more appealing as our time together increased. Before long, it was impossible to get him out of my mind.

I wish I could see him more. Can’t tomorrow get here a little faster?

I wished our conversations never had to end.

“Lord Brooke, am I bothering you by asking you to meet with me every day?”

“Of course not! It’s not a bother at all! …But aren’t you bored of talking to someone like me all the time?”

I had to respond when Siraiya hung his head, suddenly insecure. I stood up from the staircase, approached him, and stared into those green eyes. “Absolutely not! I only wish we could speak more often!”

When he looked at me with such shock, I wanted to reach out and take his hand. But we weren’t engaged, so such a thing wasn’t permitted.

“I enjoy our conversations so much. I’m always thinking about subjects to discuss during our limited time together and planning topics for the next day. When I wake up in the morning, knowing I’ll get to speak with you even more brings warmth to my heart.”

I let my growing feelings take over as I stepped closer and closer. He took a step back each time in response.

“Lady Cynthia… You’re too…close…”

“Will you promise to keep meeting with me?”

I stepped forward again, causing Siraiya to retreat until his back was pressed against the school wall.

“…!”

Siraiya’s face grew redder and redder as he struggled to find his words. In that moment, I despised how his bangs hung in front of his face, shrouding his expression from me.

When I got just close enough that we were almost touching, Siraiya couldn’t take it. He squeezed his eyes shut and raised his voice.

“F-Fine, then. I promise!”

“Excellent.”

Relieved, I retreated as Siraiya clutched at his chest and sighed. He’s so inexperienced at romance. It’s absolutely adorable.

“I’m delighted to hear that. I’m already excited for tomorrow!”

“But…we don’t have school tomorrow…”

“What?!”

✶✶✶

WEEKENDS were no longer the most enjoyable parts of my schedule.

“Ugh!”

I let out a long sigh before falling face-first into my bed.

I wonder what Siraiya’s doing right now? Does he miss me as much as I miss him?

There was no guarantee that he’d agreed to meet me every day because he had feelings for me. Siraiya’s family was bullying him, and he had no one in his life he could talk to. It was possible that he only met with me because he was starved for conversation.

“That’s right! Siraiya’s being harassed at home! For all I know, he could be suffering right now…!”

I jumped out of bed and raced to my bedroom door, but before I could open it, my body went limp and I sank to the floor.

“I’m not even his fiancée. I can’t just march into a duke’s home…”

I was worried about Siraiya. What if, at that very moment, he was having a sad experience? What if he was having his self-confidence stripped away? What if that beautiful, mature face—so cute whenever he smiled at me—was now wet with tears?

The more I pictured it, the more frustration welled up inside of me.

“I want him to smile.”

I wanted to make him smile. I wanted to be someone in his life who could do that for him.

“I want to make him happy.”

These feelings must be…

A knock came at my door. I stood up out of reflex—the future viscount couldn’t let anyone see her lounging around on the ground.

“Who is it?”

“My apologies for interrupting your rest time, but Viscount and Viscountess Rhuddlan have summoned you,” came the voice from the other side of the door.

“I’ll be right there,” I answered, realizing there’d been no reason to stand in the first place.

✶✶✶

“FATHER, Mother. You called for me?”

“Oh, you’re here. There’s tea in the pot, so pour yourself a cup.”

“There’s plenty of honey if you’d like some too.”

My parents had the same red hair and eyes as I—a trait found throughout the Rhuddlan family. My mother and father were, in fact, distantly related by blood, and I was so proud to inherit the color my beloved parents bore. They were kind, loving people who greeted me warmly despite all the trouble I’d just caused them with my engagement to Eddie.

Siraiya probably would have grown up to be a confident, happy person if he had parents like mine.

“Thank you.”

I sat down on the sofa across from them.

Aromatic black tea, a plate of cookies, and a familiar honey jar sat out on the low table between us.

The Rhuddlans’ main sources of income were our carbonic gas hot springs and our beekeeping industry. This honey was the specialty product of our territory. I scooped a big helping into my cup of tea, but that was when I realized my parents’ eyes were twinkling as they watched me.

What’s this? Is this some sort of special tea?

“Ahem. Do you have anything to say to us?” asked Father.

“You seem so eager to get to school these days,” Mother followed up.

Oh, I see. They already know. My beloved parents stared closely at their precious daughter.

I set my cup down quietly, embarrassed as my cheeks grew red. How could I even express the complex feelings inside of me? I tried my best to string some words together.

“There’s a boy I’m interested in. He goes to my school, and the two of us talk every day. Meeting with him makes me so happy, but also a little sad. It’s like I wish time could stop when we’re together, or at least, that we had more of it to share with each other. That’s been a daily part of my life as of late.”

I kept my eyes glued to the floor when I told them that, but when they didn’t respond, I finally looked up again. There I found my parents holding hands and smiling fondly at me.

I just knew they’d enjoy some good gossip about my love life.

However, their reactions were more subdued than I expected. Before I could ask them their intentions, they spoke to me, their voices brimming with affection.

“Thank God. We were worried, Cynthia.”

“Truly! We were so concerned for you, Cynthia.”

“We knew you were hurting underneath that brave face.”

“But now you’ve found a new love, haven’t you? How lovely!”

“My beloved daughter’s heart isn’t broken after all. How grand!”

I drew a deep, shaky breath.

I was the next generation’s viscount, and that came with expectations. I had to be strong. Something as trivial as being mistreated by my fiancé could never be enough to rattle me. That was why I had a duty to keep pressing forward, never letting anyone console me over the loss of Eddie.

But my parents had been watching me. They’d been worrying about me.

“Thank you…”

I knew I could have shown weakness in front of my parents. They would have accepted my feelings, no matter what.

For something so simple, somehow, I always found it difficult.

If only he could be here with the rest of my beloved family.

“Yes, for a time, I had accepted the fact that I would be marrying someone I didn’t love,” I confessed. “For the good of the family, I could choose a man with the skills to manage our territory, regardless of how I felt for him. But now I’ve realized that I want a marriage like yours, Mother, Father. I want to be with someone whom I can support and be supported by. I want to marry someone I love.”

This time, I took a deep breath before continuing.

“His name is Siraiya Brooke. He’s the third son of Duke Brooke.”

Even with parents as accepting as mine, it took some courage to reveal his name. Siraiya was an illegitimate child and was treated coldly throughout noble society. I didn’t know how my parents might react.

“I see. I remember his name being submitted when you first started looking for a fiancé. Before he enrolled in school, the duchess spoke of him as a violent, lazy, good-for-nothing. But the academy now showcases his hard-working demeanor and his top grades, so these days, most people know Duchess Brooke was only speaking nonsense.” Father stroked his chin as he spoke, but he didn’t seem to have a poor impression of Siraiya.

“Goodness. It’s not easy to earn the top grades in the academy. If he’s charmed you too, Cynthia, then I’m sure he’s a lovely young man.” Mother smiled kindly at me.

What a relief. Now I know they’ll both be accepting of Siraiya.

“I haven’t told him how I feel yet, nor do I know how Lord Brooke feels about me,” I informed them.

“I see. You ought to invite him to come and see us here at the manor, if he’ll accept,” Father suggested. “We want to take a good look at this young man for ourselves.”

“I hope it works out between the two of you, Cynthia,” Mother said, her smile gentle.

“Yes, Father, Mother.”

I had my fingers crossed for a positive outcome. I wanted to provide Siraiya with a loving family of his own. With him by my side, I was confident that I could grow even stronger and better as a person.

Chapter 3: A Growing Bond

THE weekend seemed to last forever. But finally, it was time to see Siraiya again.

How was I going to broach the subject of inviting him to my house? Without knowing how he felt, perhaps the request was inappropriate in the first place. The idea of upsetting him terrified me.

But more than any of that, I was just eager to see him again.

I hurried to our spot behind the schoolhouse, doing my best to quiet my racing heart. But that was where I found another boy waiting in his place.

“Oh, you’re actually here. I guess the rumors were true. You really do hang out behind the schoolhouse.”

His name was Lord Pierre Roy, the third son of Earl Roy. He was one of the boys interested in becoming my fiancé and had started speaking to me more recently.

“Good day, Lord Roy,” I greeted him as etiquette required. “I have plans to meet with a friend, so if you’d like to speak with me, it will have to—”

“Yeah, you’re meeting up with Siraiya Brooke, right? He’s not even a legitimate son, you know. Hanging around him could hurt your reputation, Lady Cynthia.”

Staying anywhere near a young man who addressed a young lady by her first name was much more likely to hurt my reputation.

Even if I hadn’t met Siraiya, Pierre would be my last choice of a husband. He was practically competing with Eddie for the lowest grades in our class. He wouldn’t be capable of managing my family’s land in the slightest. I’d long since disqualified him as a candidate, but he was still the son of an earl. I needed to make him give up on me as gently as possible…

But judging by the way he was acting, gentle wasn’t in the cards.

“Lord Brooke is an honest, intelligent, and wonderful person. I can hardly wait to speak to him again today, so if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be on my way.”

I couldn’t let something so trivial eat away at my limited time with Siraiya. I tried to walk past Pierre, but he stepped to the side and blocked my path forward.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to get engaged to that bastard! What good will it do your family to take in a reject who’s been ostracized by his own family? Now, I could offer you rich ties to the Roys. My parents adore me, and I’m close with my elder brother, who is set to inherit the title.”

“Can you please move out of my way, Lord Roy?” I requested, my tone crisp.

“Come on, don’t be so cold. You Rhuddlans have all that money, but you never participate in high society at all. That must put you at a disadvantage, right? If we got engaged and you provided my family just a little bit of aid, the Roys would happily look out for you in high society.”

Suddenly, Pierre reached for me. When I realized he was trying to put his arm around my shoulders, I jumped back.

“Please stop this, Lord Roy. It’s impolite to touch a lady without permission. I also ask that you address me by my family name.”

“Excuse me? Who do you think you are? You think you’re so important just because you get to be the next viscount? You’re a viscount’s daughter, and I’m an earl’s son. That means you have to do what I say!”

This time, he reached for me with clearer intentions.

I didn’t want him to touch me. But I doubted I could outrun him.

Should I yell for help? Or should I do something unladylike and sprint away?

But I didn’t have to decide because a tall figure wedged itself between Pierre and me.

That back… It’s…

“Don’t you understand? Lady Rhuddlan wants you gone.”

His voice was deep and icy cold. The polar opposite of how he spoke to me. The adorable Siraiya I knew transformed into someone robust and towering when it came time to protect me. The thought made my heart skip a beat and melt a little.

“Wh-Whoa. W-Was he always this tall?”

Indeed, Siraiya was incredibly tall. It was hard to tell since everyone kept their distance from him, and because he was always a bit hunched over, but when he stood up straight, he was far taller than any of our classmates.

Siraiya would have absolutely been the most beautiful and handsome young man of all if only he wore a tailored uniform, stood up straight, and cut the bangs that shrouded that gorgeous face of his.

“Are you all right, Lady Rhuddlan?”

“Yes, thanks to you, Lord Brooke.”

I smiled back at him, drawing a relieved smile from Siraiya in response. I could only imagine how happy life would be if I could marry this wonderful person before me.

“Hmph… What, think you’re some hero straight out of a novel, do you?”

Siraiya was a hero in that moment, and Pierre was the villainous nobleman. For whatever reason, Pierre seemed displeased by that. He made no attempt to hide his irritation.

“What right do you have to attend classes for nobles in the first place? You ought to join a commoners’ school instead. Well, I doubt you’ll find anyone else rejected by their own family, even amongst the commoners.”

“……”

Siraiya hung his head weakly. He was like a different person compared to just a moment ago when he was protecting me. Peeking behind his long bangs, those green eyes told of how he was used to giving up in times like these.

“Coming in hot, but you wimp out immediately after? What a pathetic man you are.” Pierre’s arrogance only grew when he realized Siraiya wasn’t going to respond. “You’ll never be anything more than a side character, much less a hero. Now go fade into the background and keep your mouth shut. Understood?”

I couldn’t bear it anymore. Even if his family held a higher-ranking title than mine, I refused to hear such ills spoken of the man who just came to my rescue—the man I so adored.

I stepped in front of Siraiya and made use of my frightening face to glare at Pierre. My features were designed to suit a villainess, after all.

“How dare you speak to Lord Brooke that way? Someone with his talents, abilities, and knowledge is perfectly worthy of standing on center stage. Let me ask you something, Lord Roy. Is there even a single area where you excel above Lord Brooke?”

“What…?!”

Glaring at him took the wind out of Pierre’s sails a bit, but then he pounded his fist against his chest to recover.

“Of course! I’m a whole lot better than him! He’s—”

“There’s no need to rack your brain. Lord Brooke is a much better student; he clearly has a better physique, and I’m sure he’s stronger than you, too. He’s also wiser and more gentlemanly. His family holds a higher-ranking title than yours, and beneath those long bangs, Lord Brooke is hiding an ador— a symmetrical, intelligent-looking face.”

“S-So what?! His own family doesn’t even love him!”

“If Lord Brooke’s one and only flaw is that his family doesn’t love him…” I paused there and turned to face Siraiya. He’d raised his head at some point and was now staring at me with glistening eyes. “…then I’ll be the one to provide him with love. I’ll quench his thirst for love. I’ll make sure he never goes without it. See? Now you’re perfect, Lord Siraiya Brooke!!”

I heard a quiet gulp.

Siraiya’s eyes were bright and clear now, like a fire had been lit within.

“Ha! This guy is your first choice after Eddie?! I guess there’s no helping damaged goods with terrible taste in men! You two deserve each other! If you weren’t gonna inherit a title, I’d never waste my time on a mean, ugly girl like—”

“What right do you have to speak about her that way?”

Siraiya took a slow step forward. The sun was behind him, casting his shadow over Pierre’s body.

“Eek…!” Pierre let out a little shriek.

Despite Siraiya’s silver bangs casting a shadow over his face, I could see a glint of light in those green eyes.

This was the sort of thing I would expect from the main route’s evil, yandere nobleman character. He was on a completely different level than the rest of the supporting cast of villainesses.

“You can shut your mouth if you don’t understand what makes her so special. Say one more word about her, and I’ll make sure you regret it.”

“Wh-What could you possibly…?!”

“As someone who grew up with lots of love, I’m sure there are plenty of things you’re not willing to abandon. But I’m different.”

“What do you…?”

Pierre was slowly taking steps backwards, but once he hit the schoolhouse wall, there was nowhere left to run. I’m jealous. I wish I were in his position right now.

“I could tie you to me and throw both of us into the sea. I wouldn’t even hesitate.”

“Eeeeeek!” With a great shudder, Pierre scurried off, tripping over his feet as he ran.

The only person capable of standing up to the main route’s villain would probably be the crown prince—the main route’s love interest himself.

“There’s no need to listen to a word out of that cretin’s mouth, Lady Rhuddlan.” Siraiya, his voice now soft and concerned, called out to me.

“I’m all right. He doesn’t bother me. But thank you for protecting me, Lord Brooke. The sentiment means a lot to me.”

I conveyed my honest feelings and watched as he inhaled quietly, peering back at me from under fluttering eyelashes. The earnest look on his face made me wonder if we really did feel the same way about each other.

I just hoped I wasn’t wrong.

“But…please don’t throw your life away,” I intoned.

“What…?”

“I want you to keep on living alongside me. I don’t want you to die.”

“…If you insist.” Siraiya’s cheeks turned red as his gaze fell shyly to the ground. “But doesn’t it bother you that he has the wrong idea about us? Lord Roy might spread all kinds of rumors and ruin your efforts to find a fiancé. I’m sorry that it’s all my fault.”

“Ah, no, um…”

The wrong idea…? That was how Siraiya saw it? But I didn’t want to correct him and risk upsetting him by crossing the line.

“W-We’re good friends, so please don’t feel that way,” I faltered. “There’s no need to put distance between us whatsoever.”

“If you’re sure, then I feel the same. I would never trade our time together for anything.” Relieved, Siraiya turned his eyes up toward me again, looking much happier than before.

“Neither would I. I really missed you over the weekend, Lord Brooke. I could hardly wait for school to start again.”

“…Me too. I spent the whole weekend wishing it could just be over already so I could see you,” he said, his voice like honey to my ears.

“Lord Brooke…”

My face heated up as I took in Siraiya’s red cheeks. It was embarrassing to both be blushing at the same time again, but I didn’t hate these sweet and awkward moments either.

“That makes me very happy. In that case, why don’t you visit my manor on our next day off?” I invited. “I would love to introduce you to my parents as my close friend.”

“Your parents? No, I couldn’t. I’m sure they’ve heard about my reputation, and I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.”

“You’re mistaken! They actually told me they wanted to meet you when I informed them of our friendship,” I rushed to tell him.

“Viscount and Viscountess Rhuddlan said that?”

After a gasp, a smile grew on Siraiya’s face. But it was gone too soon, replaced by a stern look as he brought his hand to his chin.

“…Can I make it in time? If I don’t sleep tonight…then maybe this weekend, I’ll…”

I couldn’t make out what he was mumbling under his breath. When I called his name, he shook his head and told me it was nothing.

“I’ll be there,” he vowed. “I’ve never…been invited to a friend’s house before. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Wonderful! Let us have a lovely time together this weekend.”

I could hardly wait for that day. I would finally get to gather all the people I loved together in one room.

✶✶✶

WITH our weekend plans on the horizon, our conversations behind the schoolhouse were even livelier than they had been the previous week. I made plans to show him my favorite horses, lend him my favorite books, and show him some of the strange souvenirs I’d purchased on various vacations. I doubted a single day would be enough to work in so many activities, so the two of us were already making plans for a second visit.

Finally, there was only one day left until the appointed day.

“Oh my goodness. This man must really not know his place if he thinks he can get close to you.”

“Doesn’t know his place? I don’t know about that. These two seem like the perfect match.”

Once again, my precious time with Siraiya was interrupted.

I recognized the voices immediately. When I turned around, sure enough, I was greeted by the young ladies who were always following Eddie around campus.

Why does everyone care about our business? I just wanted them to leave us alone already, but I knew asking wouldn’t get me anywhere.

“I know you were out of options once Lord Eddie threw you away, but you still don’t have to settle for a pathetic sort like this man.”

“She’s right. But perhaps someone who doesn’t know his place has no concept of shame at all.”

I didn’t bother explaining that I was the one who threw Eddie away. Instead, I turned my back on them, unwilling to give them any attention. I refused to waste a single second of my limited time with Siraiya.

But to my surprise, Siraiya shot a glare at the young ladies as if to defend me.

“Lord Brooke.”

Before Siraiya could speak, I called out to him. He froze for a moment, then turned around to face me. I wanted to put these girls in their place for insulting Siraiya, too, but unlike Pierre, it was harder to stand up against the young ladies of the Ton. With Siraiya being present, all sorts of dishonorable rumors could spread, like him picking a fight with them that took a violent turn.

“There’s no need to entertain anyone who can’t mind their manners. Let’s ignore them and enjoy our time together,” I said sweetly.

“…If you insist.”

He instantly put his anger aside and agreed to my request.

“Hey! You’re just going to act like you can’t see us?!”

“The nerve of these two!”

I wished I could ignore them, but now they were making a bit of a fuss. Perhaps it was time for Siraiya and me to find a new place to chat.

“Would you care to join me in the library, Lord Brooke? We can study for our classes together that way,” I suggested.

“Of course. It would be my pleasure.”

The girls wouldn’t be able to cause a scene at the library. There were also chairs with comfortable cushions to sit on, so Siraiya might feel more at ease.

But just as I stood up to leave, I heard Siraiya shout, “Look out!”

He jumped in front of me, and before I knew what was happening, I heard a loud splash and felt a few water droplets hit my face.

“Lord Brooke!”

Siraiya had used his body to block a burst of water directed at me. I looked past him and saw the smirking girls holding a bucket used to water the nearby flowerbeds. That was when I realized what had happened.

“How could you do something so awful?!” I shouted at the girls as I pulled out my handkerchief. It was too small to be of much help, but I could dry off his face with it at least. “I’m so sorry! This is all my fault!”

“No, I’m just glad you’re all right.”

I could only imagine how cold the water was in this temperature. Still, his voice was so gentle toward me. I watched his face turn redder and redder each time I touched it with my handkerchief.

“You ought to be grateful! We gave this sad boy a bath for you!”

“Even so, he’ll never shine like Lord Eddie.”

The girls made no attempt to hide their sneers. Just as I was ready to snap at them, Siraiya brushed away his wet bangs, exposing his perfect face just so he could shoot them a withering glare.

“You call yourselves young ladies? You should be ashamed of yourselves!”

The bucket crashed to the ground. I turned around and found the girls staring at Siraiya with their mouths hanging open.

That was when I realized something.

These girls only cared about Eddie for his looks. Siraiya was gorgeous enough to rival the crown prince himself as the villain of the game’s main route. But they had never gotten a good look at his face before, and it was easy to tell what was going on in their minds.

“It can’t be… I had no idea…he was so beautiful…”

“I can hardly believe it. He’s even better looking than Lord Eddie… L-Lord Siraiya!”

“Don’t address me by my first name. It’s overly familiar.”

The girls were spellbound, now equally as red in the face as Siraiya had been. I was so relieved to hear Siraiya swiftly cut the girl off when she tried to use his first name.

He wasn’t sweet-talking them like Eddie did, yet they were still breathing heavily and murmuring, “I love that he has a mean side…”

“I don’t care if you’re women. If you ever try to harm Lady Rhuddlan again, I promise you’ll regret it.”

He tried his best to plant the seeds of fear in them just as he’d done with Pierre. However, the girls took each other’s hands and stared at Siraiya’s magnificent face, despite their fright.

“Let’s visit the doctor’s office, Lord Brooke,” I suggested. “You need to warm up, or you’ll catch a cold.”

He should be able to get a simple change of clothes there. Then I could send his wet uniform home with a Rhuddlan family servant to have it cleaned. Fortunately, tomorrow wasn’t a school day.

“Lady Rhuddlan…” he began.

“Yes?”

I was trying to get him to the doctor’s office quickly, before he could catch a cold, but he stopped me.

“…Your hand,” he said after a long pause. “We don’t want people to misunderstand…”

“Oh!” I’d grabbed Siraiya’s hand without thinking. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Flustered, I let go and watched as he squeezed the hand I’d just been holding. His cheeks were still bright red.

“You didn’t upset me. I just assumed you wouldn’t want to hold my hand all the way there.”

“…I don’t mind holding your hand…” I admitted.

His reaction stirred my hopes ever so slightly, so I made my feelings clear. Siraiya’s eyes went wide. He looked down at his feet shyly, blushing all the way up to his ears now.

“Please allow me to escort you there.” When I offered him my hand again, he squeezed his lips together and hesitantly returned my gesture.

This time, his hand felt much warmer than before. I was relieved to know he probably wouldn’t catch a cold now, but at the same time, the two of us were holding hands in a public setting. It made me picture a future with Siraiya, and my heart raced so fast I thought it might burst.

✶✶✶

“WHAT’S the matter? You’re both red as tomatoes! Did you catch a cold?”

That was the first thing out of the doctor’s mouth once we arrived at his office.

The doctor took Siraiya’s temperature and found he had a low-grade fever. The two of us could both feel each other’s body heat rising during our walk there, all while neither one of us uttered a single word the entire way.

I wasn’t even sure if anyone had spotted us on our walk. My mind was far too occupied to even consider it.

“There was an incident, and Lord Brooke’s uniform ended up soaking wet,” I explained. “Do you have any spare clothes that might fit him?”

“Certainly. I have larger sizes too.”

The doctor wasted no time retrieving dry towels and a spare change of clothes.

This man, with his long, silky hair tied back in a ponytail, was another love interest in the game. He was the oldest love interest at age thirty-five, but as you could expect from a dating sim character, he had a much younger-looking face. 

This doctor, the son of a marquess, was a kind and caring person. I knew he wouldn’t mistreat Siraiya like everyone else throughout noble society did.

Siraiya took the towels and clothes behind a curtain that shrouded one of the office beds. The doctor would also conduct an examination while he was there.

“How did you even get so wet in the first place?” he asked.

“…It’s nothing worth explaining.”

Siraiya seemed to have no intention of telling the truth—that he’d protected me from other students armed with a water bucket.

Lodging a complaint against the girls’ families wasn’t an option for Siraiya. Duke Brooke would never take action to support him. He was almost as bad off as a commoner would be in the endeavor.

“…Is that right? Well, you can come and see me if you ever need someone to talk to,” the doctor said.

“Thank you…”

“Your eyes are a bit bloodshot, and you looked like you were stumbling in here, too. Are you feeling unwell…or maybe not getting enough sleep?”

Siraiya is sleep-deprived?

I hadn’t noticed it myself, but I trusted the doctor’s judgement. He was an attentive and sharp-eyed person. There was even a scene where he noticed that the heroine was just a tiny bit under the weather. He grew very concerned for her well-being, and that caring side made him a popular character amongst fans.

Since I couldn’t pull the curtain back, I stood as close as I could and called out to Siraiya gently. “Is that true, Lord Brooke? You haven’t been sleeping? Is it something you can talk to me about?”

What if his family was harassing him to the point that he couldn’t even sleep? If their cruelty had really escalated to that point, I needed to do whatever I could to save him.

“Well… Since I have to help my father with his work, I wanted to finish up this weekend’s portion in advance so I would have time to visit your home,” he explained truthfully. “I stayed up all night to wrap things up, but there’s no need to worry. I’m going to get a lot of sleep tonight so I can enjoy tomorrow’s social call.”

I couldn’t see his face on the other side of the curtain, but I could tell he was looking toward me and smiling as he spoke with that soft, buttery tone. He’d gone without sleep because he didn’t want to break the plans we made. The first emotion that hit me was guilt, but it was followed by a surge of affection and joy.

“A lack of sleep combined with getting your body wet will make you more likely to get sick,” the doctor said. “I’ll let the teacher know you’re resting, so try and get some sleep here in my office.”

“Thank you. I will.”

The doctor was the only person to emerge from the curtain after that.

“Um, may I see—”

“Are you two engaged?” he asked.

“No… We’re not,” I answered.

“Then you’re not going back there. I know you’re worried about him, but you understand the issue, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Also, he dozed off the second his head hit the pillow. Let’s just let him rest up for now.”

Now that he’d mentioned it, I realized the other side of the curtain was silent. Siraiya must have already fallen into a deep sleep.

I never meant to drive him to this state, yet at the same time, it was impossible not to be pleased now that I had a good read on his feelings.

Is it all right for me to get my hopes up, Siraiya?All I want is to share a future together and have you stay by my side.

I love you, Siraiya.

Chapter 4: At the Shimmering Lake

“WELCOME to my humble home, Lord Brooke.”

“Thank you for inviting me, Lady Rhuddlan.”

I was waiting outside my house until I finally spotted the Rhuddlan family carriage returning with a single passenger.

I’d been worried about Siraiya’s health after yesterday, but fortunately, he made a full recovery and was able to attend our planned get-together.

The day we’d been waiting for was finally upon us.

“…You look even more beautiful than usual,” he said softly.

“Thank you very much.” I spun for him. “…I gave today’s outfit extra attention since I knew you’d be coming.”

“Really…? For…me?”

The two of us stood around blushing for what felt like the millionth time.

“All right, please come with me so I can introduce you to my parents.”

We couldn’t just drag our feet outside of the carriage all day, so I led Siraiya around to our manor’s garden. My parents were waiting for him in the Rhuddlan family gardens. Upon our arrival, they exchanged pleasant greetings.

“We heard you protected our daughter from a bucketful of water. The two of us are extremely grateful that you came to her rescue.”

My father bowed, and my mother curtsied to convey their respect.

It was abnormal for someone with peerage and their spouse to bow to a person without a formal title, but they wanted to offer the boy who rescued me every possible courtesy.

I joined them and curtsied to Siraiya as well.

“No, please lift your heads.” Siraiya sounded flustered, so we returned to our normal posture.

“Lady Rhuddlan is a dear friend of mine. It was only natural that I protect her.”

When they heard that sincere declaration, both of my parents smiled softly.

“Come, join us for tea so the four of us can chat,” Father invited.

“We’re just dying to hear more about you,” Mother said, her smile bright.

I could tell how nervous this made Siraiya—after all, he’d never received such a warm welcome in all his life. But at the same time, it was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

No one held contempt for him here. Though our time together would be brief, I hoped it would be an opportunity for him to let his heart rest and recover.

After the four of us chit-chatted for a while, our servants brought out the Rhuddlans’ two best horses just as I’d requested.

“Allow me to introduce you to these two, Lord Brooke,” I said. “These are my favorite horses, Noah and Ally.”

Noah was a black stallion, while Ally was a snowy white. They were both clever creatures—friendly to anyone who treated them with respect.

“They’re beautiful. I can tell you spoil them well, Lady Rhuddlan.”

“Thank you, I do. Would you care to pet them?”

“I can touch them? I’d love to.”

The pleased Siraiya and I both stood up from our seats.

Neither horse recoiled as Siraiya approached. Noah, our black stallion, even nudged his face toward him to ask to be pet.

“Noah seems to have taken a liking to you,” I smiled.

“I’m honored. Hello there, Noah. It’s nice to meet you.”

Siraiya stroked Noah’s snout. Pleased by that, the horse pressed his head even closer. When he slid his hand down to under Noah’s chin, Siraiya made a startled expression.

“I was surprised by how soft his snout was, but his fur here is even softer. I imagined it would be hard and coarse.”

“Have you never touched a horse before?” I asked.

“No, I haven’t, but I’ve always wanted to try. This is really wonderful.”

As my attention was focused solely on Siraiya and his delight, Father stood up and approached us.

“It seems you’re getting along with Noah. The perimeter of our garden has a path for horses, you see. What do you say? Would you like to go for a ride with me?”

While it was common for noblemen to go horseback riding together as a show of friendship, it was also a particularly significant display of closeness. Father probably had that in mind when he made the offer. However…

“I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve never ridden a horse before. I sincerely apologize for wasting such a kind offer.” Siraiya’s face fell with disappointment.

It was almost unthinkable for a nobleman of his age to have no riding experience. But Siraiya was no normal nobleman.

“I see… Then let me teach you,” Father offered. “Are you interested in giving it a try?”

Father could probably read between the lines when it came to his situation. Instead of asking for an explanation, he placed his hand on Siraiya’s back and sympathized with him. I watched as Siraiya’s face instantly lit up.

“Are you sure you’re willing to?”

“Of course I am.”

Siraiya’s eyes were sparkling with excitement as Father looked back at him fondly. The pair practically looked like a father and son. I decided to leave them to their business and joined Mother at the table again.

“What a sweet child,” Mother murmured those words as she set her cup down.

Even though she was speaking of Siraiya, I responded, “Absolutely,” with pride, as if it were praise directed at me. “He’s the one I want, Mother. Will you allow it?”

“Your father and I only want you to be happy, Cynthia. We’re both rooting for you.”

I felt a weight off my shoulders. Both of my parents had accepted Siraiya.

Now the rest was up to me.

After that, I watched as Father taught Siraiya the basics of horseback riding. To my surprise, he took to it in no time and was racing on Noah’s back in the blink of an eye. Noah looked to be enjoying the ride, too, thanks to Siraiya’s steady maneuvering.

“Mother! I’m going to change into my riding clothes!” I declared.

✶✶✶

“MAY I ride with you, too, Lord Brooke?”

“Lady Rhuddlan! That outfit really suits you,” he instantly complimented me.

“Thank you. You look very gallant on horseback as well.”

The outfit Siraiya had praised—my riding clothes—included pants like what men normally wore. I also tied my hair up in a ponytail.

Noblewomen never rode sidesaddle in this world.

Perhaps it was because, in my past life, where this dating sim was made, women already straddled horses to ride them just like men did. Or perhaps they didn’t want to put in the extra work of drawing the special saddles meant for sidesaddling.

I mounted Ally and felt her draw closer to Noah. Before I knew it, Siraiya and I were eye-to-eye and blushing. This was becoming a common occurrence for us.

“Why don’t the two of you head to the lake nearby? That will be a good way to get some practice in.”

With Father’s permission, the two of us gladly took off toward the lake.

We galloped outside of our manor’s property and down the horse paths of the small forest. When we emerged, we found ourselves staring at the lake.

Siraiya and I both dismounted our horses, deciding it was best to let Noah get some rest after their training session together. We led them to the lake to drink from the clear water, then tied them to a nearby tree.

Siraiya and I stood side by side and gazed out at the shimmering lake that reflected the forest.

“I never imagined I would get to ride a horse today. It made me really happy.”

Siraiya was the first to break the silence. I could hear the elation in his words, and I felt equally elated to know I’d added even a single moment of happiness to his life.

“I was so impressed with how quickly you took to it,” I said. “It seems your gifts for academics extend to horseback riding as well.”

“It was all thanks to Noah. What a clever horse. He really understood what I needed.”

“Hehe! Yes, Noah is such a smart boy.”

We fell silent for a moment. Nervous as I was, there was something I needed to ask him.

“Is your life at home…difficult?”

Siraiya’s gaze fell to the ground in thought. After casting a glance at the horses, he brought his gaze back to the lake. “…I was always jealous of how Father taught my brothers to ride. Why was that something they got to experience, but not me? It was so crushing… I felt completely alone. But the more it happened, the more I learned how to give up. Now I’m excellent at the art of giving up, and I don’t feel the same pain I did as a child.”

Those green eyes seemed to be looking at something far past the lake. They’d gone dark and murky, as if the light had been chased out of them.

I couldn’t imagine how long he’d been “giving up” since his childhood. It was all he could do to keep his heart intact. Perhaps pretending not to know how badly he’d been hurt was what eventually made him succumb to insanity in the game.

“I don’t want you to give up.”

It was a presumptive statement, but the words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. Then I squeezed my lips together to reprimand myself. I could have easily upset him, but behind those long bangs, his eyes had softened.

“You’re so kind,” he said, his voice soft and tender. “The three of you make a wonderful, loving family. I’m glad I got to witness such a happy household with my own eyes today.”

“…Thank you for saying that. My family is my pride and joy.”

Normally, praise for my family would lift my spirits, but all I felt upon hearing that was an overwhelming sense of futility.

That was probably why I was able to finally muster up the courage to say those difficult words.

“I’d like you to be part of my family, too.”

A strong wind blew in from the lake.

My heart raced.

Shyness was the next feeling to take its grip on me, preventing me from taking steady breaths. But I wasn’t going to back down now. I refused.

I stared straight into those green eyes, widening each second from his shock. Unable to contain it any longer, I spun each of my feelings into words so I could share them with him.

“I want to protect you. I want to help you to stop giving up on things. I want to make you happy. I want to build a loving family with you, too.”

“Lady Brooke… Does that mean…?”

“Please marry me, Lord Brooke!”

The wind suddenly stopped, leaving in its wake a painful stillness.

The silence seemed to go on forever, though I knew it was only a brief moment in reality. Finally, Siraiya parted his lips.

“The Brooke family won’t show you any goodwill, even if we were to get engaged. In fact, the Rhuddlans will probably lose face once the world finds out you’re engaged to a duke’s illegitimate son. I’m sure you could find someone a lot better than—”

“Lord Brooke.”

Siraiya was staring at the ground as he spoke, but I cut him off.

“I only want to know how you feel.”

I heard him inhale. Those wavering green eyes rose to look at me again.

“I— I can’t. I’m not good enough for you.”

“Tell me your feelings.”

“You deserve a different husband! Someone wonderful who can make you happy!”

“But is that what you want?”

“I…!”

The sunlight reflected off the lake’s surface, causing his eyes to sparkle. As he squinted against the light, Siraiya answered me at last.

“I want…to be family with you.”

Another strong gust of wind struck our backs. With its momentum, I moved forward and pulled Siraiya into a hug.

“Then let’s do it. The two of us can make a happy family together. I refuse to let you feel lonely ever again.”

Instead of responding, Siraiya wrapped his arms around me and squeezed me tightly.

I could tell he was crying. Cradling him in my arms, I silently hoped that he would cry for as long as he needed. My vision went blurry too, but not just because of the dazzling light reflecting from the lake.

✶✶✶

AFTER a long embrace, we finally separated and sat down on the shoreside. I was a bit moved when I realized it was our first time sitting side by side.

“I’m sorry I touched you without being engaged,” he finally said. “I apologize for my imprudence.”

“But I’m the one who hugged you,” I corrected.

“Oh, I see. Was that…really what happened?”

A beet-red Siraiya had his arms wrapped around his knees. It was adorable to see him so flustered around me. Despite his large frame and mature beauty, Siraiya also had an extremely appealing, cute side to him as well. It almost felt like a personal attack against my ability to hold back.

“Won’t your parents be against it…?” he asked, his voice small.

“No, they’re both aware of my feelings for you already and have given me their full support.”

“I see… They really gave their blessing?”

I was glad to see him relax and smile a little. I could hardly wait for us to officially be engaged.

“Perhaps it’s a bit too soon, but would you be opposed if I started addressing you as Lord Siraiya?” I asked.

“Of course not. In that case, I’ll call you Lady Cyn—”

“Please address me as ‘Cynthia.’”

“All right. Then I want you to call me ‘Siraiya,’ too.”

“Very well, Siraiya. I hope the two of us can share a wonderful life together.”

“I want the same, Cynthia.”

After gazing at the shimmering lake for a while, the two of us took a leisurely horseback stroll back to the Rhuddlan manor.

To think that we entered this forest as friends and are leaving as lovers. Incredibly moved, I had to squeeze Ally’s reins tightly to stop myself from trembling.

Twice, I tried to steal glances at Siraiya only to end up making eye contact with him. He must have been looking at me the entire way back.

Now I knew how it felt to be desired—to be on the receiving end of love from someone I felt so strongly for. Even the sunlight streaming in from between the trees looked brighter than normal.

Once we returned home, we informed my parents that the two of us had confessed our feelings for each other. They were both incredibly pleased by this news.

“I’ll ask to meet with Duke Brooke at once!” Father said. “Congratulations to you both.”

“We’re so happy for the two of you. Now it’s time to start planning your engagement party. It will have to be a smaller affair with just our families, but we can still get all dressed up and enjoy ourselves!”

When he heard my mother say that, Siraiya scrunched his face up nervously. “I must embarrass myself yet again by sharing that I receive no allowance or spending money from my family. I won’t be able to commission Cynthia’s dress for our own party.”

Siraiya sounded so disheartened, I took his hand to cheer him up.

“That’s fine, Siraiya. Allow me to prepare us matching outfits instead.”

“But…”

“You’ll be the one marrying into my family, after all, so I don’t see an issue. In fact, I’m really looking forward to dressing you up as I please.”

“Cynthia… Thank you.”

My heart soared when I felt him squeeze my hand back. I could hardly believe I got to marry such a wonderful person.

“We’ll let our daughter handle your outfits if that’s what she wants, but what about the dancing? Do you know how to dance?” Mother asked. “The opportunity will come up a lot once you’re engaged.”

“Sadly…no.” Siraiya weakly shook his head. “I’ve never had a lesson before.”

“Oh my, I see! Then why don’t I teach you? I’ve been dying to find something I can teach to my future son as well!” Mother lit up with sudden motivation. Now that she mentioned it, I’d noticed her fidgeting anxiously while Father was teaching Siraiya how to ride a horse.

“Can you stay a little longer?” she asked. “Come, let’s head to the dance hall! There’s no time to waste!”

Mother had dragged us away before we could even ask a question. Siraiya and I both smiled at her eagerness, and with that, it was time to begin the dance lesson.

Siraiya instantly absorbed everything he was taught. He moved so naturally that I would have never imagined it was his first time dancing.

Mother, gushing about what a great student he was, began to teach him even more intense forms of dancing—ones I couldn’t imagine he would ever have a need for.

Chapter 5: Dressage Competition

OUR annual school event was blessed with excellent weather this year. The dressage competition was a way of showcasing who, amongst the student body, could ride their horse the most elegantly. Any student confident in their riding skills could participate, but since dressage was considered an ideal gentleman’s hobby, all the noblemen throughout our school readily volunteered to join each year.

There were a few female participants as well, though I only planned to spectate myself.

“There, much better. Now you look good and handsome.”

Inside the venue, where everyone was rushing around to prepare for the event, my father was addressing none other than Siraiya. He’d brought some hair products in with him to sweep Siraiya’s long bangs back behind one ear, exposing his beautiful face for the world to see. Father was right—he was very handsome this way. I would use this look as a reference if I were to ever style Siraiya’s hair.

“Thank you very much…” Siraiya blushed and thanked Father. Today, I would get to see Siraiya’s bashful expressions without anything obscuring them.

“We’ll be watching you from the parents’ seats.”

“Good luck. We’ll be cheering you on.”

With those well-wishes, Mother and Father headed off for the parents’ seats.

“They’re taking such good care of me. I feel guilty,” Siraiya admitted.

“They are only looking out for their future family member,” I assured him. “It’s nothing to feel guilty about.”

“Family member…” Siraiya repeated my words with a faint smile and turned even redder.

I was so glad to see he’d accepted his future place in my family. Each time I thought about it, I couldn’t help but grin.

The two of us were smiling at each other, enjoying a moment of quiet happiness, when we were rudely interrupted.

“Hey, if you’re not competing, then head to the audience section already.”

The person who butted in, an unpleasant smile on his face, was none other than Pierre. I’d last seen him when he shrieked and fled from Siraiya’s menacing aura, but he seemed much more confident today—probably thanks to the group of friends standing behind him.

He’d ordered not just me but also Siraiya to leave for the audience section. Pierre and his friends ridiculed him under the assumption that he wouldn’t be competing.

“A man without a horse of his own would never know how to ride,” one scoffed.

“How can a duke’s son not even be able to ride a horse? It’s unthinkable!”

“Sit with the rest of the girls and watch us men compete, just like last year.”

The more they insulted him, the more my blood boiled.

Siraiya and I were both first-year students during the previous competition. I couldn’t recall how he’d spent last year’s event, but I attended to support Eddie as his fiancée, and I didn’t remember Siraiya participating in the race.

In fact, he’d only just learned to ride a horse a few days earlier at my house. Even if he’d managed to borrow a horse from the school, he never should have been able to participate in today’s event at his level.

I thought about getting in some sort of retort, but an even better response had just arrived at the perfect time.

“Thank you for bringing him here. He’s with us.”

A school employee was walking up behind the boys with Noah in tow, so I called out to him a bit louder than I usually would have. Noah gave a cheerful snort when he reached Siraiya, pressing his snout forward to be pet.

“Let’s do our best today, Noah.”

After giving him a thorough petting, Siraiya swiftly hopped onto Noah’s back as if he’d been practicing all his life. He looked so regal and beautiful with his silver hair sparkling in the sunlight.

“Here, take this ribbon, Siraiya.” I handed him a red ribbon made of high-quality silk.

I didn’t know when it started, but our school had a long-standing tradition where female students offered boys ribbons as good luck charms to bolster their chances of victory. These were usually exchanged between engaged couples, but the popular boys received many ribbons from their female admirers. Last year, Eddie received a mountain of ribbons in addition to my own.

“Lord Siraiya! I’ve come to give you a ribbon!”

“Lord Siraiya~! I had an expensive ribbon made just for you!”

The girls who’d gotten a look at Siraiya’s face—formerly Eddie’s followers—rushed up to him and offered ribbons in colors of their own choosing. Now that I thought of it, I hadn’t spotted Eddie at the venue. That was probably why they were coming for Siraiya instead.

Eddie would have definitely accepted every single one of them. However…

“Thank you, Cynthia. I’ll make sure to claim the prize for you.” Siraiya took my red ribbon, wrapped it around his wrist, and ignored the other girls.

“I’ll be praying for your victory,” I said with a bright smile.

Siraiya smiled and nodded back at me, then left on Noah to wait in the riders’ area.

“May we all enjoy a wonderful competition.”

My words weren’t malicious on their own, but combined with my bold villainess’ smile, every student present scowled at me, knowing they’d been defeated.

Few words were needed to get the better of these people.

✶✶✶

THE racing area had rows of poles set up, tied together with string.

Our school’s dressage race was famous for being a bit different than most.

Normal dressage was held in large open spaces surrounded by a fence, but here, we set out many poles as obstacles for the horses. Supposedly, this was the remnant of the show jumping competitions held here long ago.

Too many nobles were injured because they fell from their horses, so those events were canceled. Dressage alone was much safer in comparison, but since gentlemen needed the skills to avoid obstacles in their paths, the school decided to set out poles across the field.

As a result, the competition was much more challenging than normal dressage, and the winner would walk away with a prize appealing to students from every social class. It was even famous enough to draw foreign exchange students to our school during this specific season.

Once the racing ground was prepared, the special judge—the crown prince himself—took his seat. Members of the royal family were given this role because it was essentially impossible to judge them fairly during the years they participated as riders.

Siraiya would probably have an easier time in high society if he made a good impression on the crown prince.

“Good luck, Siraiya and Noah.” I took my seat in the students’ section and whispered my prayer of support.

✶✶✶

ROUGHLY half of the riders had performed when it finally came time for Siraiya and Noah’s turn.

A murmur ran through the crowd when their names were called. But that was a good thing. In a competition of beauty, whatever the reason may be, it was always beneficial to draw the eyes of the spectators.

The first segment consisted of the academy’s designated routine, followed by a free performance that the rider could create for themselves. These taxing routines required a horse that could stay focused. While each segment was of shorter duration than normal dressage races, riders had to make up for that with their showmanship.

Noah entered the grounds at Siraiya’s direction. The horse was already lifting his hooves high off the ground as if he were skipping along the racing venue. This was a gait called a “passage.” Not only was it a difficult move, but he was showcasing it before the start of the race, meaning he would receive no points for it. The audience seemed to forget their manners as they cried out in shock.

They couldn’t believe that this was the same Siraiya Brooke who couldn’t even ride a horse one year earlier.

But I wanted them to squirm. After all, Siraiya and Noah’s talents were the real deal.

“Do my eyes deceive me…? Hey, is it just me, or is he really beautiful?”

“You’re right… He’s so tall and well-built, and an amazing rider, too…”

I caught snippets of one conversation in particular. The young ladies were more startled by Siraiya’s exposed face than by his horsemanship.

It’s too late. You can’t take Siraiya from me, even if you finally realize how amazing he is. I get to be the one to make him happy. As I boasted in my mind, Siraiya bowed to signal the start of his race.

Noah took off again, carrying out each designated move as if he were dancing of his own free will. But Siraiya was signaling to Noah subtly enough that the audience couldn’t spot it. The judges, who adored horses, looked very pleased by Siraiya’s perfect riding posture as he maneuvered Noah with ease.

Picturing how shocked they would be if they knew that Siraiya and Noah had only met roughly one month earlier, I couldn’t stop myself from giggling. When I lowered my head to hide my laughter, I spotted Pierre and the other boys discussing something outside the racing grounds.

They wouldn’t possibly go that far, would they?

These boys were still the sons of nobles, after all. They would never sully their statuses as gentlemen by sabotaging a better performer out of jealousy, would they?

Well, it seemed my estimation was far too generous.

Just before the free performance began, the boys spread out around the racing grounds and began to pull out or kick down the poles. That startled Noah, who bucked. Siraiya tried to calm him, but Noah was agitated and breathing heavily.

How could they be so reckless? I looked back at the boys and found them smiling and waving at the audience as if they expected praise. Now I see. They think bullying Siraiya is a natural, justifiable act.

No one would have sympathized with Siraiya, an illegitimate son, if this sort of bullying were restricted to inside our small classroom. Siraiya probably would have accepted such treatment without a second thought.

But Pierre didn’t understand that things were different here.

Not only was the race a public event, but the crown prince himself was observing as the special judge. The boys made a big mistake disrupting an official competition so aggressively.

“What do you think you’re doing to Lord Siraiya?!”

“You’re just a bunch of hoodlums! Someone, call the security guards!”

I turned and saw those loud shouts coming from the two girls who used to follow Eddie everywhere. Their words spurred intense booing directed at the boys. Most of the discernible voices came from female students.

“Get those thugs off the field!”

“What an embarrassment to our student body!”

“Leave the race alone!”

The unexpected jeers visibly flustered the boys. Even as the security guards took them away, the blood drained from their confused faces. They couldn’t figure out what they’d done wrong.

I was glad to see them escorted off the premises, but that didn’t change the fact that the flow of the race was broken.

Noah seemed to have calmed down thanks to Siraiya’s reassurance. He lifted his snout to show acceptance, signaling to the rider that he was ready to obey the next commands. Siraiya sensed this and tugged the reins gracefully. But after a moment, I realized the music performance for his free choreography wasn’t starting.

I looked over at the orchestra off to the side of the racing grounds and found them exchanging glances, appearing to be deliberating on something. It seemed that the performance couldn’t begin before the poles were back in place.

Siraiya and Noah would have to leave the field temporarily while the course was set back up. However, between the scheduling and the issue of horses getting antsy, the chances of the performance being cut short by the judges were high. After all, they couldn’t waste His Royal Highness’ precious time.

Siraiya and Noah were ready to perform. If only the orchestra would just begin their accompaniment…

“Siraiya! Noah!” I stood up from my seat and yelled as loud as I could.

Villainesses were anything but quiet. Hearing a woman shout so loudly was enough to make the crowd fall silent in shock.

“Let us dance. Are you prepared?”

I only needed to raise my voice a little bit. That was more than enough for it to carry across the silent racing grounds.

Siraiya’s eyes went wide, and he looked my way. But then, he smiled softly and nodded, answering the question I’d just posed.

I inhaled, filling my lungs with air.

No longer would I deplore the fact that I’d been reincarnated as a video game’s villain. It was time to make the most of the body I’d been given. I was going to use these gifts to save the person I loved.

I decided to perform the passionate dance song that Siraiya had practiced with Mother. As the breath exited my lungs, I turned it to voice and sang fervently. It vibrated the air of the racing grounds, taking a path straight to Siraiya and Noah.

Noah began to move nimbly, ignoring the lack of poles set up on the field. The audience gasped, impressed, then fell silent once more. No one could tear their eyes away from the captivating pair.

Once the conductor raised his baton, the orchestra quickly began accompanying my song. That wasn’t a problem—I’d already given Siraiya all the help he needed. I cut the song off after one last line and sat back down in my seat.

Oh, that’s right. This song is the game’s opening theme, isn’t it? I realized with amusement.

Siraiya and Noah performed with perfect unity, step after difficult step, in time with the music. The judges were leaning forward over their desks, watching the pair in awe.

At the last beat of the song, Siraiya and Noah jumped into the air. They weightlessly soared over the few remaining poles. It was an unusual move for dressage, but our competition still included show jumping, so this could potentially earn him even more points.

The proof of this was in the crown prince, who offered his first standing ovation of the competition so far. He applauded as Siraiya gave his closing bow.

The audience gulped in awe. After a brief silence, they broke out into cheers.

Siraiya had been treated unfairly throughout his life. But now, an entire crowd was commending his achievement.

My heart was quaking.

Well? Do you see that, everyone? My beloved is such a brilliant, splendid person.

✶✶✶

THE performances concluded, and with that, it was time to hear the results.

Each winner’s name was called in order. Finally, Siraiya and Noah’s names were announced as the champions.

The crown prince personally handed Siraiya his trophy. “You gave us the most magnificent performance out of anyone, even despite the unfortunate interruption. Congratulations to this year’s winner, Lord Siraiya Brooke. I was very impressed by your efforts.”

Siraiya accepted the trophy, lifted it into the air, and found my eyes in the crowd. The red ribbon tied around his wrist fluttered in the breeze.

Chapter 6: Item: Study Guide

THIS year’s dressage race ended with a spectacular victory from Siraiya.

After the award ceremony, my parents wouldn’t stop lavishing praise on Siraiya. Duke Brooke wasn’t in attendance, of course, but Siraiya didn’t seem lonely with my parents doting on him so fondly.

Father seemed especially proud as the person who taught Siraiya how to ride a horse. He was already making plans to have a special saddle made for Siraiya and to purchase a horse for him. Siraiya was quick to reject that offer, even though he felt apologetic about having to do so.

I agreed with the idea of getting him a saddle, but the latter would be asking for trouble. Noah had already formed a strong bond with Siraiya. He would get incredibly jealous if he spotted Siraiya riding another horse now. It was a frightening prospect.

That same day, the four of us returned to the Rhuddlan manor and had a celebratory dinner for Siraiya and Noah’s victory.

He’d finally gained a lovely memory of his school days. I was thrilled to be there to witness it firsthand.

As for Pierre and the other boys who sabotaged the race, they all received suspensions from school and were assigned cleanup duties as punishment. Expulsion or even jail time was on the table for the crime of causing a public disturbance in the presence of the crown prince, but to my surprise, His Royal Highness was said to have smiled and declared, “Immature students can be forgiven for their disrespect just this once.”

Still, these noblemen’s sons were being forced to scrub down the school gates in front of everyone. They weren’t likely to show their faces at our school again unless they had a lot of nerve.

His Royal Highness probably understood that when he suggested the punishment. Perhaps, despite the smile on his handsome face, he was actually rather cold-hearted deep down.

✶✶✶

“IS Noah the same horse that entered last year?”

Siraiya and I were sitting side by side in our spot behind the schoolhouse when he asked me that.

“I’m surprised you noticed. Noah was quite restive last year, so I didn’t think anyone would consider him to be the same calm horse he is today,” I said.

Indeed, this had been Noah’s second entry in the dressage race. He’d made his debut as Eddie’s horse last year, but Eddie’s unclear instructions sent Noah into a frenzy. In the end, he knocked Eddie off his back in the middle of the race.

Eddie wasn’t injured very badly, fortunately, but he was disqualified from the competition.

“I realized he looked just like the black stallion from last year, but he was so well-behaved when I rode him. I couldn’t make sense of how he could act so differently.”

“Noah’s always been incredibly clever. That’s exactly why he refuses to obey immature riders. The fact that he listens to you is proof that he sees you as qualified to ride him,” I explained.

“Undeserving as I am, you never run out of praise for me, do you, Cynthia? It’s embarrassing, but I won’t deny that I’m pleased to hear Noah’s accepted me.”

Despite his brilliance, Siraiya still found ways to put himself down. I would have to keep getting even closer to him and giving him lots more praise until he’d regained his self-confidence.

“Now that the fun part is over, exams are the next thing on our schedule. I’ll have to work hard if I want to score anywhere close to you,” I said.

“Oh, that’s right. I wanted to give you this. You might deem it unnecessary, however…” Siraiya showed up to our usual get-together with an extra item today. He unwrapped the cloth-covered item now, revealing the notebook hiding within.

I knew exactly what it was and signified. But I had to pretend otherwise.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I took notes about what I think is going to come up on the exams, or things that might trip you up. I just hope it’s helpful to you, Cynthia.”

When the player completed their study sessions with Siraiya in the game, they obtained his “study guide”—an item that significantly raised their academic skill. It was an indicator that the player had successfully raised Siraiya’s affection as well.

The game allowed you to choose whether or not to accept the notebook. Rejecting it was one way to lower Siraiya’s affection and avoid the bad ending. Of course, that made it much harder to raise your grades and successfully romance the crown prince.

I took the study guide from Siraiya as if it were a treasure, tracing my fingers over the cover. I’d already made up my mind. I couldn’t even imagine a future without Siraiya next to me.

“Thank you very much. I had been wondering how you go about studying to get such excellent grades, so I couldn’t have asked for a better gift. I’m very happy,” I expressed, making sure he knew exactly what his gift meant to me.

“I’m glad to hear it. We could also go over class materials in the library together if you want to see my study methods.”

“Yes, let’s do that! We can meet in the library tomorrow instead.”

“Of course. Let’s work hard and ace our exams.”

“I’d love nothing more, Siraiya.”

I wondered if Siraiya would continue supporting me this much once I became the viscount. It was easy to imagine our happy future together as husband and wife, and before I knew it, I couldn’t seem to wipe the smile from my face.

“Siraiya,” I began. “My family has finished our preparations, and Father tells me he intends to visit Duke Brooke today to discuss our engagement.”

“Really?! …I see…”

His face lit up for a moment before he closed his eyes. I could tell he was picturing exactly what I was. The two of us sat there, imagining what life would be like once we were married.

✶✶✶

AFTER our rendezvous, I strolled down the school hallway in a wonderful mood, clutching Siraiya’s notebook to my chest. But soon, a girl with pink hair blocked my path.

Oh, I think I vaguely remember her. The girl’s existence had nearly faded from my memory completely.

“Oh my. It’s Elly, of Eddie/Elly.”

“Excuse me? Why are you calling me that?!” she protested.

I guess that would make me Cynthia of Siraiya/Cynthia.

It was sort of a mouthful, but it had a good ring to it.

“I want to know what you did to Eddie!” she demanded. “Why isn’t he coming to school anymore?!”

“Oh, now that you mention it, he’s been absent, hasn’t he? It’s been a lot more peaceful around campus lately.”

“Don’t pretend not to know what I’m talking about! I know you did something to him! And why did you break off your engagement, anyway?! That’s supposed to happen at his graduation party! The story’s moving too quickly!”

“It was an annulment of our contract and was done quite peacefully. Oh, I see. Since we didn’t call things off at the engagement party, Eddie has no one to pay his school expenses. Perhaps he’ll have to drop out,” I mused.

“Drop out?! You can’t be serious! I can’t let that… Wait, if you understand what I’m talking about, does that mean you reincarnated here too?!”

That was the question I was about to ask.

The heroine appeared to have been someone reincarnated as a game character as well. What exactly did fate have in mind for us?

The two of us must have existed in the same world at the same time if we both knew this game. However, considering what I’d seen of her morals so far, I didn’t care to sit around reminiscing about past lives with a person like her.

“Well, you probably shouldn’t go around just telling people stuff like that. They’ll send you to an abbey if they think you’ve gone mad.”

“I knew it! You are like me!”

I wasted no time in my admission, since no one was around. But I stopped short of saying anything definitive. If she ever admitted to being reincarnated while witnesses were around, it would genuinely be easy enough to have her sent to an abbey. That was why I decided to imply I had reincarnated just like her.

The best outcome would be for the two of us to stay far apart as we separately pursued our own happiness. But I doubted I could convince her to leave me alone.

“Hey… Wait a minute! Is that Siraiya’s study guide?! Why do you have that?!” she shouted.

“Siraiya gave it to me. I address him by his first name with his permission, but you need to refer to him as Lord Brooke. That’s proper etiquette amongst nobles.”

Half of my warning came from anger, while the other half was a genuine desire to set her on the right course. But the heroine sneered rudely at me. It was strange to see an expression like that on a face that was designed to always come across as innocent and sweet.

“Don’t tell me. Are you aiming for the crown prince’s route? Maybe you’ve forgotten that you’re the villainess, not the heroine. You ought to know your place!”

“I wouldn’t speak so disrespectfully. His Royal Highness already has a proper fiancée in his life. Siraiya and I are simply enjoying our time together for unrelated reasons.”

“Huh…? Wait, do you actually like yandere characters? Ugh, you can’t be serious! You know what Siraiya does to the heroine, don’t you? He commits murder-suicide with her! It’s totally disgusting. I’m not even going near the crown prince’s route because I don’t want to run into Siraiya. You’ve got seriously bad taste, you know that?”

But is Siraiya really going to turn yandere?

It wouldn’t be unthinkable if I cut him out of my life now. But that wasn’t going to happen. My only desire was to help heal his heart after so many years of torment.

“I’m going to warn you about your manners one more time,” I said, ignoring her rude comments about my tastes. “Addressing Siraiya by his first name and remarking on the crown prince’s private life are both acts of disrespect. I recommend you keep your strange remarks about reincarnation to yourself as well. You don’t want to end up in an abbey, do you?”

“Are you threatening me? There’s no ending where the heroine gets sent to an abbey,” she huffed. “But maybe it’s in the cards for a villainess like you.”

“I’m being perfectly polite. If you have nothing else to say to me, then I’ll be on my way. I’m sure you understand that my family is no longer able to cover Lord Dorris’ school fees. Farewell, then.”

I tried to pass by her, but she grabbed my shoulder. She had an impressive grip.

“Wait! If that’s the case, then give me that notebook!” she demanded. “I’m aiming for the prime minister’s son’s route, so I need to raise my academic skill! That notebook should do the trick!”

Give me a break, will you? I would never hand over the notebook Siraiya made just for me—especially not to another girl. And never the heroine.

“Are you stupid?” I scoffed. “Just having this notebook won’t be enough to raise your intelligence level. This is real life now, so the only way to boost your grades is to study. Or maybe…you want to boost Siraiya’s affection toward you? Heh! Then, you’d better learn how to swim.”

“…Urk!”

A sinister smirk from the face of a villainess appeared to make quite an impact.

Imagining her fate, the heroine retracted her hand in fear. 

“Now farewell for real this time. I hope you’ll find your happiness somewhere far away from me,” I said as I walked away for good this time.

She scrunched up her face in defeat but made no attempt to follow me.

I could only pray that this spelled the end of our interactions.

Chapter 7: The Crown Prince

THE next day, Siraiya and I headed straight for the library.

Our school library had a space for studying separated by potted plants and pieces of furniture. Students came here, where quiet talking was permitted, to study when they didn’t have class. Friends of the opposite sex could also use this space together, since it wasn’t a closed room.

We arrived early in the morning to find that the library was empty.

The two of us sat at a small, round table that could probably seat up to four students. There, we took out our study materials.

“What? You haven’t heard anything from your father yet?” I asked, taken by surprise by the news.

“That’s right… I even asked if there was any mail for me, but he said there was nothing.” Siraiya shook his head.

“That’s strange. One of my family’s servants personally delivered the engagement request, so it should have arrived yesterday…”

The conversation naturally shifted to our engagement, but for some reason, it appeared that Duke Brooke had yet to receive my family’s offer.

“…Father is a busy man. I’m sure he just doesn’t want to make time for me.” Siraiya paused there, a guilty look on his handsome face. “I’m sorry. I know it’s an inconvenience to you and the Rhuddlan family.”

“No, it’s not an inconvenience. If you don’t hear anything from His Grace, then Father and I can request to meet with him in person. It’s somewhat discourteous for a viscount to request time with a duke, but it should be permitted, considering the subject matter.”

“That would be a big help, thank you. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

“It’s no trouble. I mean it,” I insisted. “This is all so the two of us can get engaged. I intend to do everything in my power to make that happen.”

“Cynthia… I’m so glad I met you.”

“As am I, Siraiya. I can hardly wait for the two of us to be formally engaged.”

“Me neither,” he replied as we intertwined our fingers under the table.

I hadn’t expected the engagement request to go ignored.

Siraiya didn’t know this yet, but we’d included in the letter that we were preparing for Siraiya to live at our home and undergo the studies he would need to become my future husband. Father also wrote that we would pay for his school tuition and living expenses.

The Brookes treated Siraiya like a nuisance, so I had expected them to send him away to us at once. But it seemed I was mistaken. I just hoped this was all some sort of mistake.

“That reminds me,” I began, shifting the topic. “I took a look at your notebook and could hardly believe how easily you had broken everything down. I even realized I had memorized a few concepts wrong thanks to you. You’re absolutely incredible, Siraiya. I think you have a real gift for teaching.”

“No, you praise me too much. But I had been thinking about becoming a teacher before I started planning a future with you,” he admitted. “I wanted a way for all this studying I do to be useful somehow. But if it helped you, Cynthia, then that’s all I need.”

“I’m sure you would make a brilliant teacher. We’ll be managing my family’s territory together as husband and wife, but if that doesn’t take up all of our time, why not look into something like substitute teaching or tutoring?” I suggested. “I don’t want you to give up on a dream if you don’t have to.”

“I was only looking for a way to make a living after graduation. But if you think I will be ‘brilliant’ at it, maybe I ought to give it a try. I think it could be fun.”

“Yes, I can picture you becoming a splendid teacher, Siraiya.”

Siraiya was the person who helped the heroine, a commoner by birth, become a candidate for crown princess thanks to his expert tutoring in the game. It would make sense that he had natural talent as an educator.

I didn’t want to force any path on him, but if he was interested, then I hoped he would pursue that line of work. It would probably help him recover some self-confidence, too. Siraiya’s tattered heart needed whatever forms of support it could get.

“If you’re that good at teaching, could I bother you for a bit of advice?”

A calm and commanding voice suddenly interrupted our conversation. That sexy voice, belonging to a famous voice actor from my past life, was instantly recognizable.

“Your Royal Highness!”

Siraiya spotted him first, standing up out of his chair in greeting. I stood up a few seconds later. Since we were at school, we didn’t need to address him with a long, formal greeting. We simply bowed to acknowledge his presence.

“Thanks, but please be at ease.”

With the crown prince’s permission, we took our seats and stared up at him.

He was the love interest featured in the game’s main route—the poster boy. Though we wouldn’t ever have a chance to say his name out loud, he was none other than Adelberd Alan Elzeria, the firstborn prince of the kingdom of Elzeria, where we lived.

He had the standard blonde hair and blue eyes that you might expect to be depicted in this kind of game. Anyone who laid eyes on his character could tell he could only be some sort of prince.

I already knew he was the most beautiful character depicted in the game, but seeing him up close like this in real life made my head spin. He was absolutely gorgeous. The living embodiment of art.

Of course, Siraiya was still the most appealing man to me in this world now, and that wasn’t going to change.

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” he began, “I just happened to overhear as I was passing by. Siraiya Brooke, it seems you’re not only a top student but a gifted teacher, too. Do I have that right?”

“I apologize if we were speaking too loudly,” Siraiya said. “Lady Rhuddlan thinks highly of me, but my abilities aren’t anything worthy of Your Royal Highness’ attention. I have only been able to help her because she’s already such a gifted student.”

“Yes, I’ve heard her referred to as the brilliant heir to the Rhuddlan viscounty. In that case, let me ask the brilliant Lady Rhuddlan what she thinks of Lord Brooke’s abilities.”

I hadn’t expected the crown prince to even look my way while speaking with a higher-ranking noble like Siraiya. But I certainly wasn’t going to ignore a direct question like that.

“Of course, Your Royal Highness. I’m honored to receive your praise. I believe that Lord Brooke is a very talented educator. His teaching is highly accurate, yet easy to understand,” I explained.

“I see. You were discussing a notebook, if I heard right? I won’t demand it, but if you’re willing, I’d like to take a look at it for myself,” His Royal Highness requested.

“Would you agree to that, Siraiya?” I asked.

“Of course. It’s no trouble.”

I asked his permission just to be safe, but it would be impossible to refuse a request from the crown prince without a very good excuse. Siraiya agreed, so there was no reason for me to hesitate.

“Here it is, Your Royal Highness,” I said, holding out the notebook to him.

“Thank you. I’ll be borrowing this for a minute.”

This was the notebook I’d been treasuring, making sure not to let it get a single wrinkle. I was a bit nervous handing it over, but the crown prince was gentle as he opened up the cover.

 Some pages he flipped straight through. Other times, he took his time and gave them a thorough read. Once he finished with the final page, His Royal Highness closed the notebook and fell silent in thought for a moment.

“I see. You’re right, these notes are splendid. I have plenty of qualified tutors working for me at the palace, but this notebook helped me understand concepts that I couldn’t even work out with them. Be it dressage or academics, you appear to be quite the prodigy, Lord Siraiya Brooke.”

Siraiya’s shoulders tensed nervously at the prince’s candid praise. But I saw the way his cheeks went slightly pink, too. He answered with a slightly trembling voice.

“You speak too highly of me, Your Royal Highness…”

First, he was honored at the dressage race, only to now receive praise directly from a member of the royal family. Siraiya’s self-esteem had taken a beating all his life, but he was finally getting the recognition he’d always deserved.

Despite the calm expression he was maintaining, I swore I could sense the joy radiating off of Siraiya.

“What do you say? Could I join your study sessions from time to time?” His Highness asked. “You probably have a lot of people who want to study under you, Lord Brooke, so I’d gladly compensate you with a small token of my gratitude.”

But when he heard that, instead of joy, the expression on Siraiya’s face tensed. I couldn’t hide my surprise either.

I knew Siraiya was talented, but he was still a student, after all. It seemed like the crown prince was getting ahead of himself, offering to compensate Siraiya in exchange for becoming his personal tutor.

“Please, there’s no need…! A person like me isn’t qualified for such an important role,” Siraiya rushed out.

“That’s not true, based on what I’ve seen from this notebook. Frankly, I’m a little desperate for help. I want to grow to be a better student as quickly as possible, and I’m willing to try anything at my disposal.”

“Still, your grades rank highly in our class,” Siraiya pointed out. “I don’t see any pressing need for you to improve your academics at all.”

“No, I do.” His Royal Highness gave his head a firm shake. “I’m not good enough yet… I have to be better.”

“That’s… But, I…”

The elation Siraiya had just experienced was already gone, like the air deflating from a balloon. In its place, he found himself at a complete loss. The crown prince was clearly troubled by something. With neither side willing to give in, the mood in the room grew tense.

I wonder what’s going on with the crown prince?

Siraiya wasn’t mistaken—His Royal Highness earned some of the top grades in our class. He ranked within the top ten students for every single subject. His grades certainly weren’t any worse than those of other royal family members throughout history.

Was he aiming to replace Siraiya as our class’s top student?

From my point of view, being the crown prince already made him plenty special enough…

But that was when I remembered the crown prince’s route and his story in the game. His Royal Highness harbored an inferiority complex when it came to his genius fiancée. As their relationship deteriorated because of it, the heroine arrived to help comfort him, until the two eventually formed a romantic bond.

“Forgive my interruption,” I interjected, “but may I ask if your desire is to receive better grades than someone in particular, Your Royal Highness?”

It was rude of me to interrupt a conversation between those of higher rank, so I made sure to be polite and humble. The crown prince flinched in surprise, then grimaced awkwardly.

“Yes, well… It’s not like I want to get the better of her or anything. I just don’t want her thinking poorly of me if I don’t outperform her…”

“And this would be your fiancée, Lady Estellise Gridimore, correct?” I ventured.

“How did you know that…? I don’t recall telling anyone…”

I know because I played the game. But I couldn’t say that, so I simply smiled and said, “I’m told I’m quite clever.” I ignored the look on his face, which told me he was still confused, and continued with my explanation.

“I seem to recall that Lady Gridimore is another excellent student at our school, like Siraiya. But is it just me, or does Lady Gridimore seem to be a bit down these days? I have noticed she hangs her head a lot, too, like when the two of you are together.”

“That’s because… I’m so worthless. She’s lost all hope in me…”

“You’re mistaken, Your Royal Highness. Lady Gridimore has genuine feelings for you, so she wouldn’t care about something so trivial. I respectfully ask that you take a second look at her situation. I believe she’s been pushed to her limit,” I informed him.

“What do you mean by that? Is there something you know?”

“It wouldn’t be right to hear it from me. You should ask her yourself, and everything should start to resolve, should she choose to open up to you.”

“I don’t understand. What are you talking about…?”

It probably wasn’t very convincing coming from a viscount’s daughter. His Royal Highness stared at me with suspicion written all over his face. He leaves me no choice. In that case…

“If your situation fails to improve, then Siraiya will commit to helping you with your studies.”

“Cynthia?!” Siraiya called out to me in shock. But right now, I needed him to be on board with this temporary inconvenience.

Even if the plan did fail and Siraiya was forced to tutor the crown prince, that would become another honorable achievement in Siraiya’s life, allowing him to grow closer to the royal family. It wasn’t a bad outcome at all. Of course, I would help him however he needed as well.

“…All right. I’ll come back to you here in the library at this same time one week from now to tell you if I have confirmed what you said is true. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness,” I answered without Siraiya’s permission. With that, the crown prince turned and strode out of the library.

“What’s going on, Cynthia? Do you have proof for anything you just said?”

“I apologize for involving you in this, Siraiya. You have the right to refuse, and if you can’t do it, then I’ll tell him it was my fault, not yours.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. You won’t just be able to call the whole thing off after everything you said to him, either.”

“It will be all right. His Royal Highness is very smart, and he understands that this wasn’t a formal agreement between you two, which is why he didn’t push for your personal consent. It was nothing more than a bit of humor exchanged between students in the school library. Of course, it would still be wrong to lie to a member of royalty, but at least the punishment will land on me and me alone.”

“Punishment?! I don’t want you to be punished! I’d gladly tutor anyone for your sake, Cynthia! I promise to get His Royal Highness the top grades in our class!” Siraiya came toward me, his voice raised. It was quite surprising, considering how he usually pulled away shyly whenever I closed the distance between us.

“Hehe! Thank you, Siraiya.” I beamed and muttered, “…I love how passionate yandere characters can be.”

I was never interested in yanderes in my past life, but I certainly didn’t hate Siraiya’s intensity when it was directed at me in this manner. In fact, I quite fancied it.

He’s just so adorable.

“…Yan…what? What did you say?”

“Oops, did I say that out loud?”

Was I starting to get careless around Siraiya? I needed to be more careful.

“It’s a word from a distant country. Yandere means someone who experiences love very deeply,” I explained.

“Is that right…? Well, I’m just glad you understand how I feel. But I want you to explain why you said all that to the crown prince. I’m just worried about you.”

“I know you’re my future fiancé, but I can’t tell you any of the details. All I can do is swear that I wouldn’t do anything to threaten our future together, not when it’s something I look forward to so earnestly.”

“…All right. I won’t force you to tell me. I’d rather have faith in you.”

“Thank you, Siraiya. …You’re just so adorable. May I kiss you on the cheek while no one’s watching?”

No one was nearby, but when I whispered that into his ear, Siraiya turned beet red and leaned away from me.

“I-i-it’s too soon!”

His adorable bashfulness was almost too much to bear. I wished the two of us could just hurry up and be engaged already.

✶✶✶

HOWEVER, perhaps as punishment for making my dear Siraiya squirm, I was greeted by my parents when I returned home that day—both of them with grim expressions.

The Brookes had given them an answer. They wanted me to consider their second son for marriage instead.

According to them, it was wrong to arrange their third son’s marriage before his older brother was even engaged.

According to them, the second Brooke son had feelings for me, the only Rhuddlan daughter.

According to them, their third-born son was a petty thief with a terrible personality and was probably pulling the wool over my eyes somehow if I was interested in him.

According to them, their second-born son was a wonderful, gentlemanly sort that I was sure to love.

That was the gist of it. It was the last thing I ever wanted to hear. Duke Brooke wanted to pair me with his second son instead of Siraiya.

“How dare a father speak so poorly of a wonderful boy like him!”

“To think he treats his own flesh and blood that way…”

My parents expressed their own anger before I could even react. It was clear just how deeply Mother and Father both cared for Siraiya.

“I’ve never heard anything good about the elder sons of the Brooke family. Duchess Brooke sings their praises, but everyone else describes them as brutish types,” Mother said.

“I’ll never allow a boy like that to be my daughter’s groom. We’ll reject the offer without hesitation,” Father said. “Not even a duke can force an engagement on anyone he likes. However…”

Both of my parents’ faces fell at this point. I see. I know what they’re about to say. If they were struggling to get the words out, then I would do it for them.

“It would be too impolite to refuse a duke’s request outright. I’ll have to go and meet his second son face-to-face first.”

Mother came over and wrapped her arms around me. “That’s exactly right, Cynthia. You’ll have to meet with this man you don’t want at least once or twice.”

“I understand. Nobles have a duty not to embarrass those of higher rank. I’ll accept the duke’s request to meet with his son. But I’m still concerned that, once I reject him, Duke Brooke will be so offended that he refuses to allow my marriage to Siraiya.”

An unexpected dark cloud hung heavy over our heads that day.

Chapter 8: Flirting? What’s That?

“YOU’RE kidding me! No one told me anything! You’re meeting Dylan for a marriage interview?!”

The next day, I told Siraiya everything behind the schoolhouse. Dylan was his older brother—the duke’s second son.

Siraiya was horribly shaken up by the news. It shocked him. His pale face made my heart ache for him.

“Please calm down, Siraiya. I have to meet him to be respectful, but I have no intention of marrying anyone but you.” I stroked his back reassuringly until he seemed to have regained his composure.

Still, the look on his face was one of utter despair.

“My brothers have already taken so much from me. I’ve always just given up, since there was nothing else I could do. But…but I can’t let that happen this time. I can’t give in. I don’t want to lose you. I… I love you!”

Hanging his head wasn’t enough to hide the tears streaming from his eyes, so he covered his face with both hands instead. Siraiya professed his love for me, his strained voice squeaking out of his mouth.

“You don’t have to give up,” I assured. “I won’t let them steal the things you care about ever again. It’s all right. We’re still going to get engaged and become husband and wife. We’ll be together forever. I love you too, Siraiya.”

“…!”

I pulled his body to lean against me so that he couldn’t refuse my support. I lowered his hands, too, but his eyes were still wet.

“I don’t understand why you fell for a person like me…” he muttered.

“You have more good qualities than I can even count, though I’d be happy to try. Would you like me to do that? It will take a long time, but I’m prepared to skip class if we must.”

“That’s…a bad idea. I want to graduate with full honors so I can hold my head up high as your husband someday.”

Finally, a smile returned to Siraiya’s face. I gently cupped his cheeks with my hands.

“I also love how you work so hard for my sake. …Are you sure I can’t kiss you? Just a quick one, on the cheek or the forehead.”

“Geez, you really… Kisses are special. We have to save them for our wedding.”

I was disappointed to have my sign of affection delayed, but I was glad to see Siraiya’s spirits lift. I squeezed his hands in place of a kiss.

“Siraiya. Will you come to the Rhuddlan manor after school today? My parents want to strategize about our engagement with both of us.”

“Your parents…”

“Yes. They’re eager to see us get married, too.”

Siraiya’s cheeks flushed slightly again. “I can’t wait for us to become a family,” he said.

✶✶✶

“NOTHING beats a little flirting!”

“You’ll have to flirt with each other! That’s the ticket!”

As soon as our strategy meeting at the Rhuddlan manor kicked off, those strange comments were the first things out of my parents’ mouths.

“F-Flirting…?” Siraiya repeated their words, his green eyes growing rounder than the moon.

“On the day of your marriage interview, the two of you will need to showcase just how close you are. That way, your brother won’t want to come between you.”

“Do you know how to flirt? I’m sure you’ve seen us do it. Here, take a look. You take each other’s hands, and then…”

My parents held hands and stared deeply into each other’s eyes. They were trying to show us an example, but they gradually became distracted by each other until the world around them seemed to fade away.

Their faces drew closer and closer, until…

“It’s too soon to kiss!!”

Siraiya’s shout made my parents freeze. They realized he was correct.

When he noticed all of our eyes on him, Siraiya tensed and muttered under his breath. “No, I mean… Just for Cynthia and me…since we’re not even engaged yet… B-Besides…I want our first kiss…to be at our wedding…”

My parents smiled fondly at the blushing Siraiya as if he were their own son.

“I see. We thank you for cherishing our daughter so dearly.”

“You’re truly the only one worthy of our daughter, aren’t you?”

I agreed. I couldn’t imagine marrying anyone else but Siraiya now.

Frankly, as much as I wanted to kiss him that very moment, I was happy to have proof of how much Siraiya cared about me. I needed to cherish this earnest boy just as much as he cherished me.

“My wife just looked so beautiful. Before I knew it, I was about to kiss her.”

“And my husband is the most handsome man of all. I’m the one who couldn’t resist giving him a kiss.”

My parents had started flirting with each other, so I let them be and leaned toward Siraiya, who was seated next to me on the sofa.

“Let’s try it, Siraiya! Give me your hands.” He was flustered and blushing, but I ignored that and took his hands in mine. “Your eyes are so beautiful. I could stare into them forever.”

“Ngh…! Y-y-yours too… Cynthia…”

“I also adore your dazzling silver hair. But it’s hard to see your lovely face underneath. How would you feel about letting me style it a different way?”

“You…can do…whatever you want to me…!”

“Really?! Then let’s kiss every day after our wedding! Both morning and night kisses can never be missed!”

“What?! That’s not what I…! E-Every day…? Kissing…you…?”

I could have sworn I saw steam coming off Siraiya’s face.

“Oh dear!” I cried, seeing Siraiya on the verge of fainting.

My parents jumped in at that point to give us advice.

“That wasn’t bad. I’m just worried the boy’s going to have a heart attack.”

“Besides, it’s important not to move too fast in the early days of romance. There’s no need to push yourselves.”

“Then what shall we do? Should we scrap this flirting plan?” I asked.

That was when my parents exchanged knowing looks, seeming to think of a plan at the same time. Mother left the room for a moment to retrieve something.

She returned with a jewelry box, set it on the table, and removed a pair of earrings from inside. They were simple yet beautiful earrings designed to recreate twinkling stars. My parents had each worn one of them while they were engaged.

“Why don’t you wear matching earrings and cozy up with each other? That should be all you need to convey how close you are.”

“A lot of people butted their noses in when we got engaged, too. They wanted us to marry other nobles instead of marrying within the same family line.”

“But the earrings helped a lot. Why, it only took a single look at us to understand how much we cared about each other.”

“What do you think? If you agree, we’ll have a new pair made at once.”

Mother and Father had come up with a lovely idea.

“Let’s do it, Siraiya!” I jumped at the offer out of excitement, but when I looked at Siraiya, the blood had drained from his face. “Siraiya? You don’t want to?”

“…I couldn’t possibly mar your skin.” He reached out and gently touched my ear, rubbing his finger over my unmarred skin.

Wouldn’t this be considered flirting? I thought about pointing it out to him, but decided against it when I saw the genuine look of concern on his face.

“I won’t force you if you’re against it. But personally, I’d love to share something with you that will never change,” I said.

“Never change?”

“People are always changing every single day, even though it’s hard to tell. Come tomorrow, you and I will be different people. Even these tender feelings we share toward each other right now will build up as days go by, quietly transforming us into something different. It’s a wonderful thing, but I think I’m going to miss these times too.”

I touched Siraiya’s ear, feeling his skin that was much warmer than that of my hand.

“But if we had something permanent, even if it’s small, we could carry a part of who we are today with us for the rest of our lives. That would make me really happy.”

Siraiya stared at me silently in thought. Finally, he put his hand over mine—the one against his ear—and took a deep breath before closing his eyes.

“…All right. Let’s do it.”

“Are you certain? Despite everything I just said, I don’t want to trample over your feelings either. We can find another way if you still feel hesitant at all.”

He shook his head and looked at me with gentle eyes. “I’m certain. Now I’ll see it as a treasure we share instead of something that hurts you.”

With our feelings on the same page, my family’s servants brought in special tools for us to pierce each other’s ears. It stung a bit, but I knew the pain would go away in no time at all.

Each of our ears now bore a star that would twinkle for eternity without change.

Now the two of us will truly be together forever.

At least, that was what I thought.

From the next day forward, Siraiya stopped coming to school.

Chapter 9: Siraiya Is Missing

A few days passed after Siraiya’s disappearance.

It was declared to be truancy—that the good-for-nothing Siraiya had given up on school to spend his time goofing off.But that was impossible. Siraiya had only just told me that he intended to graduate as an honors student for my sake. I knew he wasn’t lying.

I was all but certain that this was the work of Duke Brooke. He wanted to harm Siraiya’s reputation and drive a wedge between us.Or perhaps, on the day we exchanged stars, Siraiya returned home and did something to defy his father, incurring his wrath.

It was all too possible that the duke was keeping him locked away at home.

I didn’t want to think he would do anything to put Siraiya’s life at risk, but to dispel my worries, I needed to see Siraiya as soon as possible.

Frustrated, I brought my fingers to the star on my ear. But that was when I heard a commanding voice from someone nearby.

“What’s this? You’re alone today, Lady Rhuddlan?”

“Your Royal Highness.”

One week had passed since we promised to meet again. Since Siraiya was missing, I headed to the library alone that morning. I curtsied to the crown prince and was told to be at ease.

“I know you meant to meet with Lord Brooke and me both, but something has come up, and he’s no longer able to attend school.”

“I see… I’ve heard some rumors that sounded out of character for him.”

“…Out of character is right.”

“I’m curious about that, but before anything else, we have our own matters to discuss. Please sit, Lady Cynthia.”His Royal Highness smoothly pulled out a chair for me to sit in. I took the seat as offered, not wanting to be rude.

Once the crown prince was seated, too, he gave me a tired smile.

“To make a long story short, Estellise and I made up. No, that’s not quite right. I became painfully aware of just how delusional I’d been. I’m ashamed of my foolishness…”

“I’m very pleased to hear that you reconciled with Lady Gridimore, Your Royal Highness. But there’s no need to feel shame. You understood your fiancée’s feelings in the end, and that’s a wonderful thing.”

“That makes me feel better. I just wish I knew why you were privy to her private situation…”

“Forgive me, Your Royal Highness, but I’d prefer not to say. Though, as a noblewoman, I have a duty to follow orders from the royal family…”

“No, I’m not going to throw my weight around over school affairs. If I went around giving orders like that, people would think less of me as this country’s crown prince. I’m sure you understand that too. The future Rhuddlan viscount is most clever, after all.”

“Thank you for saying so.”

I was relieved that he wasn’t forcing it out of me. How would I ever explain that I knew about his fiancée from the game I played in my past life?

Lady Gridimore was one year older than us, and in the game’s crown prince route, she transformed into something of a villainess.Her father, Duke Gridimore, was an incredibly strict man. He gave her the most rigorous education so that she wouldn’t grow up to be a burden to the crown prince. If she were capable of everything her fiancé was, His Royal Highness would never have any shortcomings and would therefore never be disinherited from his right to the throne.

That was why Lady Gridimore had to outperform no matter what it took.

The more His Royal Highness improved himself, the more Lady Gridimore felt backed into a corner, and she started to lose herself with time. Eventually, she couldn’t even muster a smile toward her fiancé.

But that was when the heroine showed up in the game and stole the crown prince away from her.It was only natural that Lady Gridimore, pushed to the end of her rope, would start to do wicked things. I was just glad to hear I’d prevented that outcome.

I probably sympathized with her and felt a sense of kinship because I was a fellow villainess character, too.

“Estellise will undergo medical treatment at one of my estates for a while. I’ll also discuss the situation with Duke Gridimore to try to make him see things from his daughter’s point of view. Although, I don’t imagine it will be easy.”

“Does that mean…you won’t be joining our study sessions?” I asked.

“No, I’d still like to join. There’s no harm in being a good student, after all. I’d like to hear from Lord Brooke, too… So it’s a shame he couldn’t be here now. Do you know something about his whereabouts?”

My throat felt a bit dry, so I gulped.

I had to do this right. It was my only chance to save Siraiya.

“Allow me to be blunt. Your Royal Highness, you’re in my debt.”

“Yes, that’s certainly blunt, all right. You don’t beat around the bush like most nobles. Are you going to threaten me?”

“I apologize if I’ve offended you, but the situation calls for the utmost urgency. Your Royal Highness…please save Siraiya.”

“…One moment.”

With a snap of his fingers, a guard was suddenly standing at the entrance to the study area. I recognized him as a security guard at our school, but I realized now that he must have been personally trained to protect the crown prince.

“Now no one will interrupt. Tell me everything, and don’t hold back on account of me.”He crossed his legs and leaned back against his chair.

In contrast to his normal, regal look, the crown prince now wore an expression I’d never seen before. The gentle expression was replaced by an intense focus. The mask of the composed prince transformed into a normal young man.

I took a deep breath, set aside my obligation to speak formally to this man, and began to explain the situation.I explained my relationship with Siraiya, the marriage interview Duke Brooke requested of me, and that Siraiya was probably either being locked inside his home or was immobilized in some way.

I also emphasized that we needed to get Siraiya into safe hands as quickly as physically possible.

“Duke Brooke is loyal to his own greed and nothing else. It’s plain as day that he treats Siraiya like the black sheep of the family, and from what you’ve told me, your concerns seem valid,” His Royal Highness said. “But using my debt to you to remove Siraiya from his father is simply too impudent. You want me to rescue you two and risk making an enemy of one of this country’s most powerful dukes? Is your worth equal to that? If you’re asking me to choose which side I turn my back on, that’s not a decision I even need to think about.”

His Royal Highness’ voice was cold and piercing.

It hurt to hear him tell me that Siraiya wasn’t worth saving, but I wasn’t the next generation’s viscount for nothing. I wasn’t going to let something so trivial put a stop to me.

It was no different than how our family managed our territory. Negotiations were about convincing the other party that your proposal benefited them while minimizing risk for both parties.

“Would it change your mind if I said you would be creating a very valuable person with only a small investment? Of course, no matter the outcome, there’s almost no chance that the fallout will land on you, Your Royal Highness.”

“You’re talking like a common swindler, dear lady. But I’ll hear you out, since I owe you that favor.”

“Must I really use my favor for this…?”

“The only favor I recall you doing for me was giving me a bit of advice. Am I wrong?”

He smiled at me, but I could see the glint in his eyes—he was challenging me. Who was it that called this man the charming prince with the sweet face?

Oh, right. That was his character’s introduction in the game.

“No, you aren’t. I won’t ask you to do very much, and I’m grateful that you’re even considering it. Your Royal Highness, are you familiar with the products in my family’s territory that net the most profit?”

“Your beekeeping and your carbon gas hot springs. Am I remembering that correctly?”

“That’s right. You see, those two industries actually share a…”

✶✶✶

TEN days had passed since my discussion with the crown prince. Today, His Royal Highness and I were paying a visit to the Brooke manor.

“I would have prepared so much more to welcome you if only I knew you were coming, Your Royal Highness. You have my sincerest apologies.”

“I don’t need any welcoming. I won’t be here very long. I happened to run into Lady Rhuddlan just as her carriage lost its wheel, and since the two of us are school friends, I thought I’d deliver her here to her destination.”

“Ah, so that’s why she arrived in a royal carriage…”

I’d come to the duke’s home in the very carriage utilized by the crown prince himself. Duke Brooke came outside to greet us, though he was clearly on edge when he saw the royal carriage and large group of royal knights in tow.

There was also the issue of Siraiya. But when the duke understood that the crown prince was leaving right away, he looked relieved, assuming that the royal family wasn’t here to intervene in the matter.

“But are you here alone, young lady? I was under the impression that Viscount Rhuddlan was joining you for today’s marriage interview.”

“Thank you very much for inviting me to your home, Duke Brooke. Father intended to be here too, but sadly, he was injured in the carriage accident and is currently undergoing treatment.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Will he be all right?”

“Yes, he should be walking again within a few days, but he won’t be able to make it to today’s meeting. I was thinking of sending a messenger ahead when His Royal Highness happened to arrive, so I decided to come here myself and apologize in person.” I curtsied to him.

“I see. Since you’re here to meet with my son today, it shouldn’t be a problem that you’re alone. Please come inside and make yourself at home. We can arrange for a carriage to take you home.”

The duke was putting on an act of generosity. But I saw that calculating smile. He thought it would be easier to force a little girl like me into an engagement when I was all on my own.

This was only our first time meeting in person, yet I could already tell I didn’t need to go easy on the duke just because he was Siraiya’s father.

I was going to make this man pay for what he’d done.

“Would you like to come inside too, Your Royal Highness?” Duke Brooke asked.

“No, I don’t want to trouble you. But I would like to say hi to my friend Siraiya. I haven’t seen him at school lately.”

“…Pardon? You’re friends with him…? I’m sorry, but he’s left the house again today, and not even I know his whereabouts. He’s probably linked up with some ruffians out in the slums once again. If it escalates, I’ll have to give serious consideration to disowning him. He isn’t someone worthy of your noble presence, Your Royal Highness.”

“I see… He’s not at home? That’s too bad. In that case, I’ll be taking my leave.”

Another dark look crossed the duke’s face when the crown prince asked to see Siraiya. But now that he was leaving none the wiser, Duke Brooke smiled, thinking he’d gotten away with it.

He probably believed he’d gotten the better of mere children like the prince and me. It was hard not to burst out laughing.He hadn’t the slightest idea that he’d already made a lethal mistake.

“All right. I’ll see you at school, Lady Rhuddlan.”

“Indeed, Your Royal Highness. I thank you for your kindness today. I will inform Father of your—”I was curtsying as I bid him farewell when suddenly, the royal knights began to stir.

“Your Royal Highness! Get down!”

One of them urgently removed his jacket and threw it over the crown prince, pushing him to the ground.

The next thing I heard was the buzzing of winged insects.

“Ack! Wh-What’s going on?! It’s…a swarm of bees?!”

Duke Brooke recoiled, trembling with fear when he realized what was making that sound. It wasn’t just one or two bees—it was a great swarm.

It was almost as if someone had brought two whole beehives with them to this very meeting…

“Everyone! Let’s take shelter inside the manor! Honeybee poison isn’t very strong, but it’s dangerous in large quantities! Hurry!”

Joining the rescue operation, I guided His Royal Highness and the knights into the Brooke manor.

Duke Brooke sprinted inside, too. Once we’d all made it, the doors were shut behind us.

“How could this be?! I’ve never once seen a single bee at my manor!”

He was peering out the window nervously. To me, honeybees were gentle and adorable creatures when they weren’t hibernating, but those who didn’t spend time around them were frightened of them.

“Bees’ instincts tell them to constantly relocate,” I explained. “It’s very common for them to show up in places they’ve never been before. However, we won’t be able to go outside like this. His Royal Highness will have to stay inside until the swarm settles down.”

“I see. My apologies, Duke Brooke, but it sounds like I’m stuck here for the time being. Can you prepare a room for me?”

Displeasure colored the duke’s features for a brief moment, but he quickly nodded.“O-Of course, it would be my honor. Please, follow me to the parlor. I’ll have tea prepared right away.”

The prince, a few knights, Duke Brooke, and I headed for the parlor. But another person was quick to find our group and join us.

“This wasn’t when I’d planned to do this, but allow me to introduce my second son, Dylan. Come and greet the crown prince and Lady Cynthia Rhuddlan, Dylan.”

“Your Royal Highness! It’s been too long!” Dylan greeted. “We were quite close as children…”

“Yes, we spoke a few times on playdates. I’m glad to see you’re doing well, Dylan Brooke.”

“So you do remember me! I’ve never forgotten our time together either! Could we perhaps be called ‘childhood friends,’ even now? Since we’ve known each other so long, we ought to go on a trip together! I’d also love to show you my family’s horses! Just let me know when you’re free, and I can schedule something!”

“…Hm. I’ll think about it.”

“Thank you! I can hardly wait!”

The crown prince had chuckled slightly as he answered, which seemed more like he was ridiculing the man to me.But Dylan must have been a confident man, as he took no notice of it whatsoever. Duke Brooke’s face twitched, indicating he saw how his son was misreading the situation.

“So, this must be Cynthia. Yes, she’s not bad looking. Although, I prefer a cuter face.”

The brat seemed to have forgotten the lie about having feelings for me already. He made no attempt to hide the fact that it was his first time laying eyes on me, scanning me up and down to decide what he thought.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Dylan Brooke. I am Cynthia, the eldest daughter of Viscount Rhuddlan.”I stood up from the sofa and curtsied.I didn’t want to show this man—one of Siraiya’s tormentors—any respect at all. But I didn’t have a choice if I wanted things to play out the way I intended.

“A servant just told me you’re friends with His Royal Highness. I’d thought a viscount’s daughter didn’t rank high enough to marry a duke’s son like me, but if you’re friends with the crown prince, I guess I could give you a chance. I also heard you’re doing a lot of training for when you have to manage your father’s land. That way, you’ll be able to support a luxurious lifestyle befitting a man of my rank. I think I’ll consider getting engaged to you after all.”

Actually, I’m the one who gets to make that decision, and I wouldn’t even consider you for a second.

“You tell very funny jokes, don’t you?”

When I chuckled at him, Dylan let out a confused, “Huh?”

“I see. ‘Jokes,’ huh? You’re pretty funny yourself.”

His Royal Highness was joining me in mocking the young man. Dylan didn’t understand what was going on, but he smiled, pleased with the outcome all the same.

“Is that right? I’m funny? Ahaha! You hear that, Father?”

“Dylan! J-Just sit down already! Ah, yes, now that I think of it, we ought to save discussions of marriage for another day, since we have to entertain His Royal Highness, too. We should also have Viscount Rhuddlan present for such an important matter. You can have a seat too, Lady Cynthia. The cooks are working on a delicious cake for us to enjoy.”

Duke Brooke couldn’t try to pull any strings with the crown prince there as a witness. After trying to force this marriage interview on me, he’d seemingly turned into a much more reserved character.

Dylan took a seat on the sofa, still looking uncertain about what was going on. I did the same, and though one of the special bows on my skirt came untied in the process, none of the men in the room paid it any attention.

Before the duke could open his mouth again, a pressing threat suddenly interrupted the silence—the sound of buzzing wings.

“Your Royal Highness! Get down!”

The same knight as last time again protectively threw his jacket over the crown prince.

“Ack! More bees?!”

“Whoa! What’s going on?!”

I couldn’t tell which of the Brookes was shrieking what. But it didn’t really matter.

“Let’s run to the hallway, everyone!”I led everyone outside the parlor, hearing the heavy footsteps as the knights rushed around.

The same knight from before shouted a request at Duke Brooke.“We royal knights must conduct a search of the Brooke manor for the crown prince’s safety. We’re going to close up any gaps that could allow bees to enter the house! As a nobleman with a duty to protect the royal family, we’ll expect your assistance!”

“You’re what?! Wait a moment! Y-You can’t just search my manor without any warning!”Shocked, the duke cried out in a panic, but it was too late. The knights had already spread out to every corner of the manor.“I said to wait! This house belongs to me! I won’t let you do whatever you please here!”

“Just allow them to do what they need, Father!” Dylan argued. “We don’t want any more of those savage bugs getting inside! The knights can take care of them for us!”

“You fool! Don’t you understand?! Damn it! This wasn’t supposed to…!”

Having such an empty-headed son seemed like quite the burden. Duke Brooke’s face went back and forth from pale to flushed as he racked his brain for how to recall the knights who had already dispersed.

“I’m surprised. Duke Brooke is the last person I’d have expected to have no regard for my well-being.”His Royal Highness spoke out from underneath the knight’s jacket.

His blue eyes were harsh and cold as he crossed his arms. That was how the prince looked at people who had no value to him—an expression I’d been on the receiving end of once before.

“That’s not true! I just don’t want them looking all over my manor…!”

“Does that mean there’s something you don’t want them to find? It’s not as if they’ll be opening every drawer and cupboard. They’re just going to get a look at each room to see if any bees could penetrate them. Or are you, a duke, insisting that the royal knights stand down and leave my safety at risk?”

“Of course not! I meant no disrespect, Your Royal Highness! Ah, but, wait… Wait just a minute… Bees…? Honeybees?”Duke Brooke seemed to have figured it out. With a gasp, he turned to look at me. I watched as rage took over his expression.“Y-You little…! Did you…dare to set me up…?!”

As the truth sank in, I cast a smile at the duke.

“You tell very funny jokes, don’t you?”

“How dare you, little girl…?!”

That was when one of the knights shouted out an update.“We’ve just discovered a young man with silver hair chained up in the attic! He’s mildly dehydrated but appears stable otherwise!”

When he heard that, the crown prince ripped off the jacket draped over his head.“Duke Brooke, were you aware that it’s a crime to make false statements to a member of royalty? I believe you told me that Siraiya wasn’t here at the manor.”

“Ngh! Damn it!”

“What?! Oh no, Father! What should we do?!”

As much as I wanted to stand and watch the enraged duke and his panicked son, there was no time to waste.

“Siraiya!”

I broke out into a sprint. When my heels slowed me down on the staircase, I did something horribly unladylike and tore them off my feet.Once I reached the top of the stairs, I burst into the attic where the knights had gathered.

They’d just freed Siraiya from his chains. He was leaning on one of the knights’ shoulders as he tried to stand up.

I flung myself at him and pulled him into my arms, feeling how his body had grown skinnier since I last held him.

“Thank God you’re alive! I’m so relieved!”

“Cynthia… I never expected you’d be the one to rescue me.”

After he spoke in that weak, fragile voice, Siraiya seemed to realize something. He gasped and pulled away from me.

“Cynthia, s-stay back. I… I haven’t bathed in days. I don’t want to get you dirty… or have you… see me in this state…”

“What’s wrong with that? Nothing could ever change my feelings for you. If it were me, you’d refuse to leave my side just like I’m doing right now, wouldn’t you?”

“That’s…”

“Let’s go home, Siraiya. This isn’t the place where you belong. You should be at home with me and my family. Our family. I’m not leaving without you.”

“…All right.”

Siraiya leaned against me this time, staring at me as he began to cry.

It was the first time he ever let me see his tears. When I realized that, my heart was filled with joy.

“Even your tears are beautiful.”

Chapter 10: So Happy to Be Loved by You

“I would have gladly been the one to bathe you…”

“Stop it, Cynthia…”

Siraiya had gotten cleaned up and was currently tucked into a bed at the Rhuddlan manor. A doctor had already finished Siraiya’s examination. Tomorrow, royal knights would come to question him about the incident.

“More importantly, I need to speak to your parents… I got their beloved daughter wrapped up in something awful…and now I’m using one of their beds…”

“Don’t even think about that for another day, at least. Mother and Father told me they wouldn’t intrude on you until tomorrow. That’s because they want you to recover well, not because they’re avoiding you. So please get some rest.”

“I see… Thank you for everything.”

Well, they would also be too busy lecturing me to go and speak to Siraiya. But I decided not to tell him that part.

I alone executed this plan to free Siraiya. His Royal Highness wasn’t involved at all. He just happened to be there when it all went down.

“I should probably leave you be, too… But could I stay here just a bit longer?”

“Yes, I want you to stay, Cynthia. I’ve been dying to hear your voice again. I really thought we might not ever get a chance to talk again…”

“Siraiya…” I crawled into bed next to him and stroked his gleaming silver hair. “It’s all right, Siraiya. There’s nowhere in the world I wouldn’t go to rescue you.”

“…You’re so cool, Cynthia. The whole time I was locked up, I was wishing on a star that I would get to see you again. I’m so glad it came true.”

“Wishing on the stars at night? How romantic.”

“No, I meant this star.”

Siraiya reached up and touched the twinkling star on his earlobe. That was when I realized how our matching stars had been giving him strength all this time. Thank goodness. I’m so glad he wasn’t alone.

“But how did you pull it off? Those were royal knights who wrenched the attic door open, weren’t they? Not even the crown prince should be able to order an investigation of a duke’s home without a good reason. Besides, few nobles will take pity on me, even now that they know how I was being treated. But worst of all, His Royal Highness is going to be criticized for searching a nobleman’s manor without any warning. He could even lose his right to inherit the throne if he gets too much backlash. How could he not understand that…?”

“There’s no need to worry. His Royal Highness was fleeing from a swarm of honeybees and nothing more.”

When he heard that, Siraiya’s eyes went wide as saucers. It was adorable to see the expression on his usually mature face.

“A swarm…of honeybees? No, that would be too convenient…”

“There were many witnesses between the knights and the manor’s servants. Besides, this incident will cause two of the most influential dukes to give His Royal Highness their full support, therefore ensuring he maintains his claim to the throne. I don’t foresee any power struggles breaking out before he succeeds the king, either,” I said.

“Two? I know one of them is Duke Gridimore, since His Royal Highness is engaged to his daughter. But who’s the other?”

“Duke Brooke, of course.”

Siraiya raised one of his shapely eyebrows. As much as I loved seeing his amusing expressions, I knew his face was going to turn pale when he heard what I had to say next.

“Are you…going to blackmail my father?”

“No, because he’s already been arrested by the royal knights. There’s no chance of him escaping punishment now. Abusing a relative alone wouldn’t amount to much, but Duke Brooke made the mistake of lying to His Royal Highness, too. Therefore, his title will be stripped and passed to the next in line of succession. The knights also determined that Duchess Brooke was involved in your confinement and abuse, so she’s been apprehended as well and cannot serve as your father’s proxy. That would make the eldest Brooke son the next in line to take over the dukedom. However, both of your brothers have been investigated and found to be unfit to succeed your father. Siraiya, you are going to receive the Brooke family’s title and become the next duke.”

“…Huh? …What do you…?”

It took some time to process my words. But then suddenly, Siraiya shot up out of bed, his face as white as the sheets he’d been lying on.

“Are you joking?! I’m going to be a duke?! No, that’s impossible…!”

“But it’s the truth. As the third son of Duke Brooke, you’re already legally considered a nobleman, and it isn’t as if you aren’t his blood descendant.”

“They’ll deem me unfit and remove me, too. I’m sure of it. Then they’ll pick whichever one of my relatives is most suited for it…”

“That’s not true. Not only do you have your grades, but you’ve already been in charge of managing your family’s territory.”

When he heard that, Siraiya couldn’t hide his shock.

“How do you know that…?”

“I started looking into the Brooke family when you stopped showing up at school. That was when I noticed something strange about documents that involved the duke. Paperwork ‘written by the duke’ had the same handwriting as that credited to his aide, his eldest son. But I recognized it from the notebook you gave me. It was a perfect match. I submitted everything to the handwriting analyst employed by the palace, so when the time is right, his results should be made public. The examiner will be able to declare that you, the third son, were forced to manage the duke’s territory instead of his eldest son. His Majesty will make the final decision, but he would never ignore a verdict from an examiner. It’s all but decided that you’ll be given the duke’s title in the near future.”

Siraiya crumpled on top of the sheets, utterly dumbfounded.

I was overwhelmed with emotions when I found a signed document from Duke Brooke—written entirely in Siraiya’s handwriting. It not only proved that Siraiya was still alive, but it also assured that he wouldn’t be killed any time soon.

The duke had grown lazy. He wasn’t going to throw away the one person talented enough to do his work for him. After all, Duke Brooke was loyal to his own greed and nothing else.

Unexpectedly, it also proved where Siraiya was being kept. The crown prince had requested an urgent report from Duke Brooke to be delivered before the end of the day. What arrived at the castle from the duke’s manor was, of course, written in Siraiya’s handwriting.

We knew his location. All that was left was to carry out the honeybee plan.

Honey was the specialty product of the Rhuddlans’ territory.

I’d hidden some hives from the bees that made said honey in the back of the crown prince’s ornate carriage. Duke Brooke might have heard them if they were making any noises in the hives, so I used a natural resource from our territory—carbonic acid gas—to put them to sleep.

Even the gentle-natured honeybees were likely to sting humans when frightened. That made the gas a necessity. I wouldn’t dare put His Royal Highness in harm’s way, after all.

He teased me, saying how he’d like to know what a bee sting felt like, but I ignored that remark.

Any Rhuddlan territory beekeeper would know how much gas to administer to honeybees to make them wake up at the perfect time. They already worked with carbonic acid gas to capture bees or transfer them to different hives, after all.

Also, the “knight” who’d been the first to protect His Royal Highness each time the bees appeared was actually one of our beekeepers in disguise. He was a spirited, muscular man who told me, “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to help the young miss.” His build helped him blend in amongst the other knights. As for the name “young miss,” well, that was what he called me.

The bee inside the manor was one I’d wrapped up in one of the ribbons on my skirt.

The beekeeper said he shooed it outside after everything settled down, so it was probably busy gathering nectar from flowers at the Brooke manor now. He also retrieved the hives once we were home, returning them safely to the Rhuddlan territory where they came from.

I wanted to reward those bees for their efforts with a banquet of delicious flowers.

But I wondered how to thank that beekeeper who’d protected His Royal Highness. Perhaps a lifetime’s supply of protein powder in addition to a monetary award? I remembered protein powder existing as an item in the game, so I could probably find somewhere to buy it.

“But…I can’t marry into the Rhuddlan family if I’m a duke. I refuse to accept that. I won’t do anything that prevents me from marrying you.”

I’d been lost in thought for a moment, but Siraiya took the silence as an opportunity to sort out his own feelings. In place of astonishment, he was now full of determination.

“I don’t want that either,” I said. “That’s why I’m going to become the Brooke family’s next duchess and ask my father to delay his retirement. Once we have two or more children, both the Brookes and the Rhuddlans will have heirs to the family titles. Right now, that would be the ideal outcome.”

“Hang on a minute. That means you won’t become the next viscount, right? But that’s the goal you’ve been working toward all your life!”

“That’s not completely true. What I really wanted was to protect the viscounty I cherish. I’ll still be able to do that as a duchess, and I intend to offer Father direct assistance, however possible. I’m also considering asking my parents to grant me legal proxy powers so that I can manage our territory myself. After all, I want my mother and father to be able to rest after all their hard work.”

“Then that means… I’m actually going to become a duke…”

“You’ll be able to form a relationship with Duke Gridimore and his family as supporters of the crown prince. My family and I will be supporting you as well. The residents of your territory should accept you without any trouble, since you’ve already been running things for them. Though it’s unusual for a viscount’s daughter to become a duchess, it’s even more unusual for a duke to still be in school. But it shouldn’t be a problem with the crown prince’s endorsement. Siraiya, your hard times have come to an end. You were so strong to make it through them on your own.”

I drew Siraiya closer to me and made him lie back down in bed. I hoped to keep our conversation brief so he would have time to rest. But perhaps he would sleep better once his worries were no more.

Well, I had no way of being certain either way.

“…He’s been forcing me to do his work even before I started school,” Siraiya muttered under his breath.

He seemed to have more to say, so I kept my words of comfort to myself and nodded silently instead.

“It was hard, but I didn’t hate it. I felt like my father finally needed me for something for the first time. I thought my family would actually start to like me. But they treated me the same. Actually, it got even worse. Once I started school, I worked really hard to get good grades, expecting Father to be proud of me. Of course, he never so much as looked my way. By the time he refused to approve our engagement, I’d finally had it with him, so I raised my voice at him for the first time in my life. That was what set him off. He chained me up, told me to know my place, and threatened to disown me and work me like I was his slave.”

I gritted my teeth as I listened to him speak. I could practically feel all of Siraiya’s pain over the years. Or perhaps my pain was now welling up. The man I loved had suffered for so long, and I was only just finding out about it.

I thought about how things might have changed if I’d chosen Siraiya instead of Eddie all those years ago. I could have easily been engaged to him instead if I’d wanted to. Now, all I could do was regret my poor decision.

“One time, I asked Father why he’d taken me in if he was just going to treat me so poorly,” he continued softly. “I asked him if, somewhere deep down, he really did care for me as his son. But he laughed and told me the simple truth. He thought that if he accepted me as his son, then that beautiful, favorite maid of his wouldn’t run away. But my mother left me behind without a second thought, so Father told me I was nothing but a disappointment because of that. I was never, ever going to win his approval. No matter how hard I worked, I was still that same disappointment until the end.”

“You don’t need approval from a man like that,” I asserted. “He’s not fit to be your father, Siraiya. I’m your true family, and that’s the way it should always be.”

“You’re right… I ought to be the one who withholds my approval from him. I don’t even see him as my father anymore. I’m going to cut all of them out of my life. That way, I can protect my true family.”

“Yes, that’s exactly right.”

I embraced Siraiya, pulling his head to my chest. He wrapped his arms around me instead of recoiling shyly like usual.

“I’m so happy you love me, Cynthia. Am I really allowed to be this happy?”

“No, someday, I’m going to make you even happier than you are right now. You’d better look forward to it, Siraiya.”

I heard him start to breathe in and out gently, and I realized Siraiya had finally fallen asleep in my arms.

Chapter 11: Wonderful Days at the Rhuddlan Manor

I was wandering down the manor hallways after receiving a long lecture from Mother and Father. I’d expected to receive a scolding, but my plan was always to act without their knowing in case I somehow failed. That way, the consequences wouldn’t fall on them.

I was still a student, so if I had been caught, I probably would have been sent to an abbey and left my parents with a fine to pay, but nothing more. As much as I wanted to save Siraiya, I didn’t want to expose my family to danger.

That was why I had no other choice but to carry out the actions I did. My heart ached when I thought of how concerned my parents had been for me, but even after all their fears and apprehensions, they were just as happy as I was that Siraiya was safe.

Before I knew it, my feet were carrying me to the guest room where Siraiya was staying.

It was well into the evening. Siraiya was probably sleeping, but I couldn’t bear to be apart from him for another second. I thought that, at the very least, I could stand outside his door to feel a little closer.

The curtains in the manor were shut, and every light source was extinguished. As I walked down the hallway, tracing my path with a lantern in hand, I noticed a ray of moonlight streaming into the hallway.

From a gap between the curtains, that blue beam fell upon the head of silver hair, causing it to glitter like the stars in the sky.

“Siraiya?”

“Cynthia. Is something wrong? It’s so late.”

I was certain I wouldn’t get to see him, yet there he was in the flesh. How blessed could one person be?

“I just finished having a little chat with my parents. What about you, Siraiya? Is there something outside?”

“No, I just can’t sleep, so I came out here. But it looks like I made the right choice, now that I get to see you.”

“I thought you’d be asleep too, but I’m glad I came here anyway. It’s a wonderful thing to share a roof with the person you love.”

Despite the blue moonlight, I could see Siraiya’s cheeks redden. How long would the two of us remain shy around each other like this? But as long as I was with Siraiya, there was no form of romance I wasn’t prepared to enjoy.

“Would you like to…”

The two of us spoke at the exact same time. We both chuckled.

“…talk a bit?”

“Of course.”

We huddled together in the same beam of light. The lantern I was carrying gently warmed the cool moonlight.

“I have so many things I want to discuss,” I said. “Where should I even begin? I don’t know how to—”

Grrrrowl.

That low rumble had come from my stomach.

“Ah…” I cried out and hung my head in shame. Why did my stomach have to ruin the mood on such a romantic evening? I’d been too busy getting lectured to have dinner that night. Realizing that only made my stomach growl even louder, and there was no way to hide it from Siraiya.

“Did you not get enough dinner?”

“N-No, I just… It seems I’m extra hungry today.”

“But your chefs have probably already left for the day.”

“It’s all right! It will pass! Please don’t mind—”

Grrrrowl. My stomach just refused to read the room.

That was when I heard Siraiya chuckle under his breath. I never expected the words he said next to me.

“I’ll make you something.”

“Huh? …Make me something? You mean you’ll cook?”

“I can cook simple things. Our family chefs taught me how.”

“The chefs? You spent time in the kitchen with the help?”

“Well, that’s because I didn’t get to eat meals with the rest of my family, so I took them in the kitchen.”

“Oh…”

My face stiffened, picturing yet another painful memory in Siraiya’s life. But he shook his head.

“No, it’s not like that. Those were good times for me. Everyone in the kitchen took pity on me because they were commoners. They treated me like a human and made sure I always had food. They’re why I never starved in that house.”

A warm light flickered awake in my heart, clearing away the fog of sadness.

Thank goodness. He had somewhere he could escape to. His days had something other than pain in them.

“The ladies-in-waiting weren’t cruel to me either. But they came from noble families, so I’m sure they didn’t think highly of a boy with a questionable birth like mine. They didn’t go out of their way to take care of me, but they didn’t stop the commoner maids and servants from helping me either. Thanks to them, my life wasn’t as terrible as you seem to think.”

“I see. So the kitchen staff is why you grew as tall and strong as you did. I can tell they’re wonderful people. I’d love to meet them someday.”

“I can introduce you to all of them once you become my duchess.”

“Hehe! I look forward to it, both meeting the servants and becoming your wife.”

“Cynthia… I feel the same. I can’t wait to be—”

Grrrrowl.

Shoot. He was just about to say something I really wanted to hear.

“…We need to get you some food.”

“Thank you, I would appreciate it…”

My voice was audibly weak, so the two of us headed straight for the kitchen.

✶✶✶

“WOW, your pantry’s even more stocked than ours was. I can cook whatever I want with this.”

“We design recipes that use our territory’s honey here, too. I’m sure we have far more ingredients than most households. I look forward to seeing what you make.”

I wondered what Siraiya would cook. He was so smart and talented; I could picture him whipping up something like a pie in no time.

Then I realized that with past life’s memories, I knew how to cook, too. I couldn’t make a pie, but simple recipes were definitely within my grasp. Food in this world resembled that of my past life, as it came from a dating sim made in modern times. I doubted the cooking methods were any different.

Perhaps it would be fun for the two of us to cook for each other from time to time. I sat at the small kitchen table, pondering these things while Siraiya worked swiftly in the kitchen.

He might…be even better than I imagined. Dumbfounded, I watched him for a while until he came and presented me with a plate.

“This is an amuse-bouche.”

“A-Amuse-bouche…”

“I can’t serve you alcohol, but you had the perfect apples for apple juice.”

He brought me a glass of freshly squeezed apple juice and an asparagus sauté with garlic, mushrooms, crumbled crackers on top, and a drizzle of Hollandaise sauce. It was strange to see Hollandaise sauce in a world where Holland never existed, but you weren’t supposed to ask complex questions like that in a dating sim.

“How incredible… You could be a professional chef someday, Siraiya.”

“I couldn’t have done it without all the ingredients you have on hand. A lot of them were even precut to make them easier to work with. I’ll come back with hors d’oeuvres, so enjoy this while you wait.”

With that, Siraiya even laid out cutlery for me. It almost felt too fancy to eat anywhere else but the dining table. But my stomach wasn’t going to let me object. Instead of taking up precious time to relocate, I quickly went in for my first bite.

“…Mm!”

I couldn’t even speak. It was just too delicious. Siraiya was already on the level of a professional chef. The depths of this man’s talent nearly brought a tear to my eye. Did he have even a single flaw?

I finished the sauté in no time at all, but before I could tell him how much I loved it, he’d whisked my plate away and served the hors d’oeuvres.

The dish consisted of thinly sliced radishes with colorful vegetables placed on top for decoration, surrounded by a circle of leafy greens and root veggies. Not only was it fun to look at, but naturally, it was incredibly delicious.

He brought me something new each time I cleared my plate. After a while, he served me his final dish—dessert.

“Oh, madeleines! They look delicious!” 

“Ah, hang on. They’re even better with this…”

I couldn’t imagine what could make them better, but Siraiya had started rummaging around the kitchen. Is he going to drizzle them with honey? Or cream? Well, whatever it is, I’m sure it will taste amazing.

My heart raced in anticipation. Siraiya returned with a black bottle of seasoning. As soon as I recognized it, my mind went blank. Maybe I was mistaken. After all, how could he possibly think to put that on madeleines, of all things?

“These will be too sweet for you, right? Adding a little bit of this stuff packs a punch. I really love it, so I eat it on all sorts of things.” He opened the lid to reveal a red powder inside—crushed chili peppers. My mouth twitched.

“S-Siraiya… I think that will taste too strong…”

But before I could get my warning out, red snow had already fallen on top of the madeleines.

I looked at Siraiya to let him know that I couldn’t stomach such a dish, only to see the pink hue on his cheeks. “Go ahead,” he whispered sweetly.

No, I can’t do it.

I could never refuse my beloved—not when he was doing something so generous for my sake.

“Thank…you. I’ll…try some…” I squeezed out.

All of Siraiya’s cooking had been perfect up to this point. Perhaps I was mistaken, and this would be yet another delicious treat.

Clinging to that sliver of hope, I took a bite of a madeleine.

It felt like I’d inhaled a ball of fire. I gulped, forcing the flames down into my stomach and downing the rest of my apple juice. Siraiya grinned and refilled my glass.

“The sweet madeleines go great with the tangy apple juice, don’t they? There’s more if you want seconds.”

Sweet…?

The only sweet thing I see right now is your smile. I wanted to tell him that he was mistaken, but instead, I forced a smile and told him it was delicious.

“I’m glad to hear it. Here, I’ll get you another—.”

“No, thank you! I’m perfectly full already!”

I raised my voice to cut him off before he could finish. He blinked at me, then set the madeleine back down on the platter.

“You are? Well, that’s good.”

I was so glad that the madeleines were small enough to finish in two bites. I polished off the second half of mine, bolstered by the strength of my love for Siraiya, and tried my hardest not to cough up flames.

✶✶✶

“THIS way, Siraiya.”

I tried to ignore my stinging lips as I led Siraiya by the hand to our family library. I held up a lantern so we could weave through the bookshelves until we reached the familiar plush seats. This place, nestled between two large pillars, was my favorite spot in the house.

“This used to be my secret base as a child,” I confided.

“Secret base?”

“Did you ever make a special place just for you?”

“Just for me…? I don’t remember anything like that… My brothers might have had them, but they wouldn’t have ever taken me there.”

I hung the lantern from a hook on one of the pillars and took a seat facing Siraiya, crossing my legs in a slightly unladylike manner.

“Very well. This place will be ours from here on out. That would make me very happy.”

“Really…?”

A heartfelt smile spread across his face. From now on, the two of us would build more and more places that belonged to the two of us.

“I’ll share another one of my secrets with you. The back of the sofa has a compartment where you can store things. That’s where I keep my favorite book.” I reached inside and retrieved a thick novel. “It’s a romance story. Do you read books like these, Siraiya?”

“No, I only read textbooks and reference books to learn from. I was never interested in romance. But…”

“But?”

“But I am now. I want to know more about it.”

He looked at me so earnestly, almost as if his words were a prayer. The intense expression made my heart race and my body flush.

“Then I suppose this will be another textbook for you, Siraiya.” I chuckled, drawing a shy smile from him.

“You’re not wrong about that. I want to know what your kind of romance looks like.” He leaned forward to get a closer look. I nuzzled up against him and opened the book.

“Then why don’t we read it together?”

I began to read to Siraiya, keeping my tone soft like it was a bedtime story.

As I read, we made plans to see the stage adaptation of the story, go on a date in town, and pick up the sequel once it was in stores. We took our time with the text to slowly immerse ourselves in this shared world together. Eventually…we both drifted off into slumber.

We probably went to separate places in our dreams, but Siraiya’s warmth never left my side—not until the glittering stars like those on our ears faded into the rising sun.

✶✶✶

 I opened my eyes when I felt my body grow even warmer than before.

Siraiya and I had fallen asleep on the sofa. But now, my parents were sitting on either side of us. I was the only one awake, and I realized Siraiya and I both had blankets draped over us. Its warmth conveyed the love of my mother and father. It was such a blessing to see they’d given Siraiya a blanket of his own.

As long as they loved him as much as they loved me, then the four of us would become a true family in every sense that mattered. We were already so happy, but this was going to be a new kind of happiness that all of us could share.

I wanted to live in that moment a little longer, so I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

My special place turned into something for the two of us, and then all four of us. I felt like I’d gotten a glimpse of how joy could spread.

Chapter 12: Wonderful Days at the Rhuddlan Manor (Siraiya’s Perspective)

WHEN I awoke, a bright red color surrounded me on every side.

I’d never woken up next to anyone else before. The same loneliness greeted me every morning as soon as I opened my eyes. This feeling should have been new to me, but for some reason, this warmth was nostalgic. I savored the sensation for a while.

Viscountess Rhuddlan must have been the one to put the blanket on me. Weren’t she and her husband cold without one? I thought about getting up, but I didn’t dare move while Cynthia’s head was resting on my shoulder.

I stared at Cynthia’s beautiful features and decided what to do.

She was raised with nothing but love and became such a wonderful young woman. She told me she loved my glittering silver hair, but to me, Cynthia shone far brighter.

Once I started school, I knew from the moment I saw her that I’d never be considered as a candidate to marry her. The dazzling young woman was strong to her core. A depressing wretch like myself could never stand by her side. Realizing that filled me with shame.

I was too embarrassed to even take up space in her brain. I wanted her to forget that I was ever submitted as a marriage candidate, so each time I caught a glimpse of that red hair, I hung my head and tried to hide behind my long bangs.

That was why I spent so much time behind the school. When I heard her call my name, I was terrified. She was pure, and my name stained her lips. I didn’t want someone so brilliant to dull her eyes on a pitiful person like me.

I wanted us to stay strangers. If she knew who I was, she would see me as the duke’s creepy, illegitimate son.

I’d broken out into a cold sweat from my panic. But the second she said she wanted to talk to me, for some reason, I felt nothing but happiness. It was such a contradiction, it made my head spin with confusion.

It was only now that I could put it into words.

That feeling was “love.”

The feeling of wanting to hide my face with shame, yet wanting to jump for joy, knowing she was willing to talk to me.

Cynthia was my first love.

I looked at her sleeping face again.

This wonderful person wanted to marry me. At times, she begged me to let her kiss me. Her love was intense and suffocating. She kept me so occupied, I never had a moment to question if this whole thing was some sort of fantasy I’d made up in my head.

“I love you… Cynthia.” My feelings welled up until I couldn’t contain them anymore. “Stay by my side forever.”

Until the day I die. No, I want to stay with you until my soul is torn from my body. I said that prayer in my head as my eyes took in Cynthia and all of her beauty again. That was when I saw her adorable lips twitching.

“…You’re awake?”

“I’m sleeping.”

Hearing her respond instantly made my shoulders rock with laughter. Cynthia gave up and laughed with me, too.

The viscount and viscountess both sat up after that.

“I’m sorry. Did we wake you?” I was flustered for a moment, but they smiled at me.

“It’s a great start to the day when you get to wake up to your dear daughter and son-in-law’s laughter.”

“Yes, it’s such a blessing. I only wish the sound of my children laughing woke me up every single morning.” 

“Our son-in-law.” “My children.” Do I really get to be a member of this incredible family?

Viscountess Rhuddlan smiled softly at me. “There’s nothing left to stop you and Cynthia from getting married now. Why don’t you start calling us Mother and Father?”

“She’s right. Go ahead, give it a try, my boy.”

I gulped and tensed my fists. Was it truly all right for me to address Cynthia’s parents that way? I trembled with joy, even though it felt wrong somehow.

“Siraiya.” Cynthia’s gentle voice encouraged me. She set her hand on my clenched fist, unfolding it slowly, and bestowed words of love upon me. “Let’s be a family.”

Yes. I want to be your family.

The viscount and viscountess rose from the sofa and stood in front of me, their gazes full of affection.

No, maybe they will welcome me with love in their hearts. The Rhuddlans have enough of it to share with me.

I wanted to be one of them—part of a happy family that was burning up with love.

“…Father. Mother.”

“Siraiya.”

They smiled and called my name in unison. I’d never had a “mother” or a “father” smile back at me.

“Father…! Mother…!”

This time, my voice shook and heat rushed to my cheeks. They knelt down, took my hands, and told me they were right here with me. So this is how parents comfort their children when they cry?

It was something foreign to me, but now I realized that I probably wanted this in my life all along.

Cynthia cradled my head against her chest and whispered, “We’ll always be here for you.”

I was so overwhelmed by the ocean of love inside them. I didn’t even have time to process that my loneliness had become a thing of the past. I could do nothing but sit there and enjoy this newfound feeling of fulfillment in my heart.

✶✶✶

“SO? Why were the two of you sleeping in a place like that?”

In response, we briefly explained last night’s events to Father. Before I could apologize for using their kitchen without permission, Mother cried out enthusiastically.

“Oh my! I want to try my son’s cooking too!”

Father sounded just as enthused. “Madeleines, you say? Excellent choice! They go great with black tea.”

“I left some madeleines in the kitchen. Would you like to try them?” I asked.

“Of course! There’s still time before breakfast. What do you say we go and nab one now?”

“All right, let’s head to the dining room. I’ll ask the servants to brew our best tea!”

“Very well. I’ll bring you the madeleines with some of my delicious special topping.”

I just hoped they would like it. The foods I used to cook for myself could now bring happiness to my family.

I’ll dust my madeleines with lots of chili pepper to make sure they’re perfect…

“Mother and Father love honey!” Cynthia’s shout suddenly echoed off the walls of the library.

“Honey…?”

“Yes! Honey! They won’t take anything else! So go ahead and bring them honey for their madeleines, okay?”

She seemed tense for some reason, but at her insistence, I answered, “Okay…then I’ll use honey instead.”

My chili pepper sweets would have to wait until next time.

Chapter 13: A Very Public Proposal

“WHY hello there, future duchess! It’s an honor to meet you! What say we go on a trip together? I can show you my family’s best horses! Hahaha!”

Some time had passed since the incident at Duke Brooke’s house. I arrived at the library first thing in the morning as requested, and there I found the crown prince in his usual seat, spreading his arms out with an exaggerated grin. It was quite the warm welcome.

His guards were already standing at the entrance, which meant no one would be nearby to overhear us.

“You’re certainly in a good mood today, Your Royal Highness.”

Before I could even curtsy, the crown prince grabbed my hand and lifted it to his lips, but never let them make contact.

“How could I not be? There’s no one left to threaten my place in the line of succession. Estellise is feeling much better, too. The color has returned to her face, and Duke Gridimore isn’t so hard on her anymore. But even if none of that happened, every obstacle that could get in my way of becoming king is gone. Now I can focus on cherishing and loving my fiancée, and all I need to do is avoid any stupid mistakes on my part.”

He pulled out a chair for me like last time, so I took a seat. He sat opposite me and looked me straight in the eyes. That icy stare from before had vanished. His Royal Highness had no need to put on an act in the empty library, so if he grinned at me like this, it indicated he’d come to see me as someone with value.

“I thank you, Lady Cynthia. I was about to do something very foolish before we spoke.”

“Something very foolish?” I inquired.

“That’s right. I wanted Estellise to be freed from me. I was going to hire a woman to work for me, pretend I was being unfaithful with her, and create a scenario where I would be at fault for the annulment of our engagement. I was prepared to throw away my title as crown prince, or even as a member of royalty if it came to it,” he confessed.

I’d heard this exact story before. Is that why he started a romance with the heroine?

The game reached its happy ending when the heroine and the crown prince became engaged, but the player never found out if he was disinherited afterward.

“I can tell how deeply you love Lady Gridimore.”

“Of course I love her. I never stopped since the day we became engaged as children. But I thought she didn’t love me. After all, she’d started to hang her head whenever we met, and I couldn’t get a smile out of her no matter what I said or did. I was convinced she hated me, but it seems I was too short-sighted.”

“As the royal family’s vassal, I’m most pleased to hear the conflicts between you two have been resolved,” I said with a genuine smile.

“Thank you. Now, what happened with Siraiya? When is he coming back to school?”

“He needs to receive medical treatment for some time first. When he returns, he’ll be this kingdom’s first duke to ever be enrolled in school, so I imagine he wants everything to be perfect.”

“I see. I look forward to it. You know, I’d noticed how his uniform looked a bit small. I hope you’ll fix up this prominent backer of mine and get him in tip-top shape.”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness.”

“Oh, by the way, as long as we’re alone, I’ll allow you to use my first name. I’ll tell Siraiya the same once he’s back.” His Royal Highness rose from his seat.

I quickly joined him, but the prince was already heading for the exit, telling me that our conversation was finished. But he turned to me just before leaving the study area.

“I want the two of you to show the world that you’re backing me. That means pretending to be my followers around campus. It doesn’t sound so bad to spend our school lives around friends, does it? I’ll be looking forward to it, Lady Cynthia.”

I realized the crown prince had started to use my first name at some point. He grinned at me with perfectly white teeth. I curtsied.

“As you wish, Prince Adelberd.”

My response seemed to satisfy him, as he spun around and strolled out of the library. His guards dispersed, too.

Siraiya and I were villains in the game, but in this world, we’d become the main hero’s friends. Although having a friend like the cunning Prince Adelberd left me more uneasy than reassured.

✶✶✶

I returned to my classroom, a bit tired after my conversation with the crown prince, only to find all of my classmates staring at me the second I stepped through the door.

The perceptive ones and those from families in the know seemed to be already aware of the situation, as they came up and spoke to me. Or perhaps His Royal Highness had already spread rumors on purpose.

Only the boys wanted to talk to me when I was looking for a fiancé, but now the girls want to talk to me, too. This might get even more intense than before.

“E-Excuse me, Lady Rhuddlan. Do you intend to marry Sira— To marry the third Brooke son?”

“How lovely! A passionate romance with the young nobleman who’s down on his luck. It’s like something out of a novel! Would you care to discuss it over tea at my home?”

Those voices belonged to Eddie’s former followers. I almost respected how much they’d changed their tune when it came to me. I knew they didn’t want me to become a duchess while we were still on bad terms.

I was only a viscount’s daughter and barely participated in high society. Not only that, but I worked alongside commoners often. These girls once believed they could bully me without any repercussions, but they were sorely mistaken.

“Thank you for the invitation. However, as you’re aware, I’m quite busy at the moment… And there are many things I can’t just discuss with other parties. Most inconvenient, wouldn’t you say?” I gave them a pained smile.

“Of course! I’m sorry for overstepping!”

“Let’s do it some other time instead!”

I pictured these girls fainting if they ever found out His Royal Highness gave me permission to use his first name and counted me among his friends. Now would have been the perfect time to get my revenge on them, but I couldn’t disgrace myself when I was going to marry Siraiya and become a high-ranking noble. I chose to feign politeness as I shot them down instead of doing anything dramatic.

The boys in class saw their chance to approach next. Fortunately, it was already time for today’s lessons to start. Some of them still aimed to get engaged to me, especially the confident ones who thought they could pull it off.

This was probably because the news hadn’t fully circulated around the academy yet. I could knock them down a peg with their ridiculous fantasies of stealing me if only they knew Siraiya was to become a duke. I just needed to hold out a bit longer.

Siraiya was staying at our home for now. I could hardly wait for him to return to school and reveal the outcome of my hard work all this time. The other young noblewomen at school would probably try to seduce him, but Siraiya would never betray me. I could show him off to the world without fear.

Though I still paled in comparison to Siraiya, as the future duchess, I approached that day’s class with an intense desire to learn.

✶✶✶

“I want to see Siraiya already…”

I must have reached my breaking point if I was letting words like that escape my mouth. Was I exhausted from class or from avoiding all the students who spent the entire day trying to get close to me? Or perhaps it was all the nerves of becoming a noble of note so suddenly. 

I trudged down the hallway to my carriage, taking my normal route toward the academy’s front gates. But then someone grabbed my arm.

“Cynthia! How I’ve missed you, darling! It’s been too long! Remember how deeply we used to love each other?”

Oops. I let my guard down.

There stood Eddie, much less dazzling than he used to be when the Rhuddlan family was pampering him. His long orange hair was once a burning sunset in my eyes. But now, it was dry, tangled, and looked like a different color altogether.

How had Siraiya, in comparison, been so attractive before he had anyone in his life taking care of him? He must have had an innate beauty much stronger than Eddie’s. That didn’t mean Eddie was inferior, though I was confident that his personality was beyond salvation after everything I’d seen of him.

Therefore, I could treat him coldly without guilt.

“You’re a commoner now, so you have some nerve grabbing my arm,” I said in crisp tones. “I would let go before the knights yank you off of me.” My smile held no affection for the boy. But perhaps he would still interpret it that way.

Eddie had already been disowned by the Dorris family. They decided that there was no need to leave their disgraceful, incompetent, foolish son on the family register. That also reduced how much money they would need to repay the Rhuddlans. Eddie would have to go into debt to cover his personal expenses, but he had no way of repaying what he owed our family.

The credibility of the Dorris family took a hit, too, though they were too busy scraping together money and restoring their family name to give Eddie a second thought.

“How can you be so cruel?! You must be really angry… I see, but it’s only natural after how cruel I was to you. You loved me so much, so it must have hurt you badly when I changed.”

“What are you even doing here? Now that I think of it, some of your belongings remained on campus even after you dropped out. Did you come to collect them? If that’s the case, I wouldn’t cause any trouble in the process. You may be allowed in as a former student, but that will change if you break the faculty’s trust.”

He could probably secure school tuition if he used that pretty face of his to cozy up to someone wealthy. Paying his fees and coming back as a returning student would be easier than starting from square one. Even as a commoner, graduating from our academy would open up much easier paths to earn money in the future.

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about, Cynthia! You went too far when you forced me to drop out, don’t you think? You even ended our engagement just because I was a little cold to you… I had a really hard time after that, you know. The Dorris family disinherited me and told me to work a commoner’s job. But I don’t belong in a terrible place like that! I chipped my nails and have no time to take long baths afterwards. I can’t even remember the last time I got to use an aromatic oil. My hair and my skin are as dry as sand! Haven’t I suffered enough? Can’t you stop with this selfishness already, Cynthia, darling?”

“I don’t remember putting you through any of that. You still haven’t repaid what you owe our family, so please continue working until you have the money. Now, I’ll ask you again to let go of my arm. We’ve gathered quite a crowd, so if I make a break for it now, I can tell everyone whatever story I like.”

The other students had stopped to watch us on the way to their carriages. The more witnesses gathered, the more people could potentially report this to the school faculty. Ah, someone just took off in that direction right now.

“Ugh, there’s no use talking to you. You’re too stubborn and selfish. Someone at work told me about people called ‘sadists’ who show their love for their partners with cruelty. Fits you to a tee, doesn’t it? I’m sure you think you’re expressing your love, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. You’re going to have to change your ways before we’re married,” he nitpicked.

“On the contrary, I’m the type to spoil her dear husband rotten with love. But that has nothing to do with you anymore. Why don’t you go see Miss Elly if you’re going to come back to school like this? She’s been looking for you, you know. Now, for a third time, I ask that you let go of me.”

Eddie had been looking at me like a disobedient child up to this point. But then he gasped all of a sudden, like he figured out the missing piece of the puzzle. “I see! So that’s what you thought, Cynthia! But you’ve got it all wrong! There’s nothing going on between Elly and me! She’s a good friend, but I don’t want anything more from her! I’m your lover, your fiancé, and your future husband, Cynthia!”

Eddie’s shouts echoed off the walls of the school hall. He seriously thought I was going to be overjoyed when I heard that loud declaration of his. He could easily lose his job on top of everything else if he caused a scene here in public. It wasn’t as if I had high hopes of being repaid in the first place, but I felt guilty that my poor taste in men was going to end up harming my family financially.

I looked up to see if the guards were on their way. But then a large hand grabbed Eddie’s arm and wrenched it away.

“Ow, ow, owwww!!”

The blood drained from Eddie’s face. Finally, I’d been freed. A tall, silver-haired man was clutching Eddie’s arm. Those bangs that used to shroud his face were neatly trimmed, exposing his beautiful features to the world.

“Cynthia’s only lover, fiancé, and future husband is me. Say something that foolish again and I’ll drown you in the ocean so you can never speak another word in this life.”

So this Siraiya thinks about drowning people in the ocean, too?

“Siraiya! What are you doing here?!” When I cried out in shock, Siraiya tossed Eddie’s arm aside like trash and took me by the hand. Concern flickered in his eyes as they checked me over for harm.

“I’ve officially been given the title of duke. It won’t be announced for some time, but I wanted to tell you as soon as possible. I waited by your carriage until I was told about ‘Cynthia’s confrontation with her ex-fiancé.’ I’m sorry. I know you told me to wait a little longer before coming back to school, but I couldn’t help it.”

Siraiya slumped like a guilty dog. Despite his tall, sturdy build, emphasized by all the grooming he received at the Rhuddlan manor, he still turned into a sad puppy around me sometimes.

In truth, I’d delayed his return to school because I wanted to keep the sweet, adorable man I’d shaped him into to myself just a little longer. Perhaps I was selfish after all.

“It’s all right, Siraiya. I’m glad you came for me.”

I smiled and watched relief cross his face. But who told Siraiya what was happening…? That was when I looked behind him and noticed His Royal Highness’ personal security guard standing there. He must have left to inform the new Duke Brooke as quickly as possible.

I let go of Siraiya’s hand and curtsied respectfully. “You have my most heartfelt congratulations on your newly bestowed title, Duke Siraiya Brooke.”

A murmur ran through the crowd when they heard Siraiya say he’d become a duke, but those voices grew in volume at my response.

“So the rumors were true! He’s the first student duke in history!”

“Is that really Siraiya Brooke? He’s even more handsome than he looked at the dressage race!”

“Damn it, I’m not going to beat a duke… But I really wanted to marry into her family…”

“I would have gotten closer to that gorgeous boy if I knew things were going to turn out like this…”

I was overhearing lots of regrets. I didn’t know much about how Siraiya was treated at school, but it was easy to tell that everyone looked down on him. He was the unwanted son without so much as a single fitted school uniform to his name.

How did it feel for Siraiya now that everyone was reexamining his value? If he wanted to deal even more damage, I could find ways to help him get revenge while maintaining our manners and dignity.

“Thank you, Lady Cynthia Rhuddlan. Now lift your head.”

With Siraiya’s permission, I stared into his green eyes and saw myself reflected in them—just me and nothing else. But then those eyes lowered as he brought his weight down to one knee.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment. Will you marry me, Cynthia?” He took my hand and kissed it.

The crowd cried out, but it was of no concern to me. My heart felt like it was about to burst.

All this time, the two of us were never actually engaged.

Engagements between nobles were contractual obligations entered into by both families. But Siraiya’s father and brothers—no matter who had ended up with the title—would have complicated the matter. Because of this, we’d been discussing getting engaged only once Siraiya inherited the title.

The urge to get engaged as soon as possible must have been what made him rush straight to the school.

“Yes, I will happily marry you. May the two of us share a wonderful life together, Siraiya.” 

“Cynthia!”

He stood up and pulled me into a tight embrace. It was hard to breathe, but I wouldn’t think of breaking the hug.

We would have to fill out paperwork before the engagement was official. But a proposal in front of so many witnesses would be as binding as any legal contract in proving our relationship.

“…Huh? Hang on, what’s going on…? What the hell?! This isn’t right! I’m Cynthia’s fia—”

“Seize him.” Siraiya barked that command in a deep tone, still holding me in his arms.

This was an order from the newly appointed Duke Brooke. The school security guard wasted no time in seizing Eddie’s arms. This guard was the one who worked for His Royal Highness. He was probably the only guard at school who already knew of Siraiya’s new title and was therefore the only one who would spring to action at his orders.

Eddie made a noise like a squashed bug as the guard pressed him into the ground. I looked around and saw the fear on the other students’ faces. A single order from Siraiya had resulted in an arrest. Now they finally understood—they would never get to mock Siraiya again.

I was almost grateful for Eddie’s part in that.

“Mr. Eddie, who no longer has a family name. I ask that you please stop addressing me by my first name immediately,” I demanded. “The two of us are nothing more than strangers.”

“That’s not…! Damn it! How did this happen…?!”

“How strange. Didn’t you make the first accusations? You said the Rhuddlan family held our money over your head to force you into an engagement with me. You claimed I treated you like a slave, and you were desperate to be free. Well, your wish came true, didn’t it? Our money isn’t in the picture now, and all that’s left to do is pay us back. Our engagement is over. I know Earl Dorris removed you from the family register, but doesn’t that grant you the opportunity to do as you please, without the weight of your family’s honor to hold you back?”

“Y-You’ve got it all wrong! I never wanted this! I just wanted a little freedom to have fun!”

“Then why don’t you have your fun? You can fall in love with whoever you like. Miss Elly…doesn’t seem to be available, but… Ah, yes. You young ladies over there were very close to him, weren’t you? Why don’t you grow even closer now that he’s without a fiancée?”

With Siraiya still clinging to my arm, refusing to let me go, I called out to the girls who used to follow Eddie around all over campus. They gasped and struggled to respond, flustered over being called out.

“N-No, thank you! I’m already engaged! Oh, why don’t you take him, then?”

“No way! Don’t try to force him on me! I’d never settle for a commoner!”

I couldn’t believe she’d been flirting with Eddie all this time despite being engaged. But rejecting him for being a commoner was just downright amusing. After all, if they’d succeeded in stealing Eddie from me, they’d have been marrying a man without a title, becoming commoners themselves.

Female students tended to develop fixations on their beautiful male classmates. Thus, they became unable to consider their futures.

“What…? You don’t…want me? B-But…you said I was so handsome…” Eddie was still pinned to the ground. He looked astonished once he realized the girls weren’t interested.

His popularity with the opposite sex was probably why he was such a confident person in the first place. I could imagine this was all a huge shock. 

“Enough! Take him away! I don’t want to look at him anymore!”

The security guard brought Eddie up to his feet at Siraiya’s irate command.

“No! Stop it! Wait a minute! Cynthia! I don’t care if you chain me up! I don’t want to be free if this is what it’s like! I want to go back! I want to go back to what we had! NOOOOOO!”

Eddie’s deranged scream made the other students shudder.

Those same girls who tried to shirk their responsibilities, unable to bear it any longer, fled down the hall in an unladylike dash.

“Are you angry, Siraiya?” I asked.

“Of course. How dare he speak that way about himself when he has no idea what it’s like to be a slave? He had your love and all that affection from Viscount and Viscountess Rhuddlan, but he still accused you of threatening him. It’s unforgivable. He couldn’t even begin to comprehend how much joy he’s been blessed with. He willingly chose to throw it away.”

Siraiya knew what it was like to be worked like a slave and live without freedom. Eddie used to be doted on like one of our own. Now, the Rhuddlans gave all of our affection to Siraiya.

It seemed our family had an incessant need to spoil anyone we cared about. My parents certainly spoiled me as a child, but I hoped to do the same for them as an adult—and for the man who would become our family’s newest member.

In the back of my mind, I realized that perhaps all of that behavior had been a bad influence on Eddie. But I wasn’t going to concern myself with him any longer. Siraiya was never going to end up like him.

“You could have avoided so much heartache if only I’d chosen you instead of Eddie from the start. Forgive me, Siraiya.” I stroked his hair to console him. Siraiya looked at me like he was about to start crying.

“No, Cynthia. You’re the one who found me when all I could do was hide behind the schoolhouse. Thank you for finding me.”

“…You’re so adorable, my love.”

When I murmured that to him, Siraiya pulled me even closer.

“Let’s go home. I want to hear…even more sweet nothings from my beloved fiancée.”

“Hehe! Yes, please let me spoil you, Siraiya.”

We rushed down the hall toward my carriage. The other students timidly moved aside for us to pass.

There’s nothing to fear anymore. No one’s ever going to hurt Siraiya again.

It was the most joyous realization in the world.

Chapter 14: The Heroine Swoops In

HEROINES always swoop in just in time to save the day. Wait, no, that was heroes, wasn’t it? Well, it seemed our heroine was more interested in ruining the day than saving it.

She returned to us only a few days after Eddie’s arrest.

“Excuse me! You’re Lord Siraiya, aren’t you? I often see you studying in the library. I’ve always thought you seem very smart and beauti— Oh dear, I didn’t mean to say that out loud!” The heroine clutched her cheeks and squirmed with embarrassment.

Siraiya had returned to school and was studying with me in the library. That was when the game’s heroine trotted up and called out to him.

“You don’t have permission to use my first name. It’s rude. Don’t speak to me.”

You could practically hear the sound of crickets in the room.

My fiancé was such a wonderful man. He was decisive and blunt—the complete opposite of Eddie. Honestly, yanderes were the best.

“What?! U-Um, I was just wondering…if you would help me study…! Oh, I know. ‘I don’t care what your family thinks of you! I’m only interested in you as a person, Siraiya!’” Confused as she was, the heroine still spit it out boldly—the line that stole Siraiya’s heart in the game. However…

“And I have no interest in girls who don’t know their manners. What were you thinking, approaching me like this?”

She probably wasn’t thinking.

Siraiya wasn’t a black sheep anymore, now that he held a title. He was, in fact, the head of the Brooke family. His children would become the family’s main bloodline. 

Besides, that line from the heroine was supposed to come after Siraiya said, “No one wants me anyway…” as a means of encouraging him. The current Siraiya had a beloved fiancée, making it a terrible line to choose while interrupting our time together.

“Why can’t I raise your affection…?! It’s important that I get my academics up!”

The heroine was at a total loss, probably panicking because her back was against a wall.

I’d actually been keeping an eye on her out of fear that the game’s unwritten rules would cause her to come and interfere with Siraiya, too. She seemed to have realized that she had no future with Eddie, who couldn’t come to school any longer, so she had given up on him quickly.

Then, she tried approaching the other male love interests—even the school doctor. But there was one problem: the original dating sim required the player to choose a route on the very first day that they transferred to this school.

Starting out on Eddie’s route locked her out of scripted scenes with the other love interests. But it sounded like they wouldn’t even entertain a conversation with her in general.

This was real life now. There was no restarting life once you made a mistake.

Ending my engagement to Eddie had already changed the game’s story quite a bit, although it seemed the heroine had no other choice but to go with Eddie at this point. Either way, I doubted she would find the happiness she sought.

If we were following the game’s timeline, Eddie would have ended things with me at our graduation party. Afterwards, it was implied that he used his degree and the connections he made through the Rhuddlan family to become a wealthy man.

Given everything that happened with the crown prince, that outcome hardly seemed believable now.

Come to think of it, the game barely depicted the characters’ futures. Perhaps the developers couldn’t think of a happy future between the heroine and the man she stole from his fiancée.

Could that really be considered a happy ending?

“If you’d like, I could share Eddie’s current address,” I interjected. “I know the two of you were close, Miss Elly.”

“No way! I’d never settle for a guy like him now! Besides, I know what happened! He was sent to work in a coal mine for the rest of his life because he offended a duke and his fiancée! It was punishment for causing a disturbance at the crown prince’s school! How did it ever come to this?! Everything would have worked out fine if you had never broken up with Eddie!”

The heroine was practically sobbing as she shouted at us. She didn’t seem to realize that she was committing the exact same offenses as Eddie.

Poor thing. She’s just really, really thoughtless.

Siraiya was finally about to stand up, putting his anger on full display, but that was when a new visitor arrived in the library. The two of us righted our posture and rose to our feet in unison.

Everyone else in the library rose from their seats, too. They knew this visitor wasn’t going to look their way, but the gesture was second nature for any true noble.

“Why hello there, Siraiya, Lady Cynthia. Please be at ease, everyone.”

With His Royal Highness’ permission, the students in the room sat back down. They pretended to focus on their books, but I knew everyone’s attention was now fixed on us.

“Prince Adelberd, we’ve been eagerly waiting—”

“Wow! It’s the prince! What amazing character design! Now I see why he’s the love interest in the main route!”

Siraiya should have been the first to speak in accordance with his rank, but the heroine cut him off and jumped forward out of excitement.

“My name is Elly! My father is a baron! I’m new here at school! You’re very handsome, Prince Adelberd!”

I’d seen a lot of different expressions on the crown prince’s face lately. That was probably why I recognized the icy cold look in his eyes, despite an otherwise pleasant smile.

An empty-headed girl like Elly would have made a great pawn in the “foolish plan” His Royal Highness told us about. But now that he’d reconciled with Lady Gridimore, he had no use for her whatsoever.

“School is a place for learning before you go on to carry your family’s honor in high society. It’s only natural to commit a few blunders before you graduate. Therefore, I’ll forgive your rudeness, so head home and ask your mother and father to explain what you did wrong. Understood? Will you leave us be now?”

She should have left when Prince Adelberd gave her that warning. But if I suggested as much, it would only set her off even more.

Besides, I have no duty to look out for you. I’m keeping my mouth shut.

“What was her name again…? Your fiancée… Lady…Grim…Grimoire? You’re having problems with her, aren’t you? I want to make your troubles go away, Prince Adelberd! I smile so much more than her! Please let my smile heal your heart!”

In the game, the crown prince told the heroine, “I can’t remember the last time someone gave me a real smile. Your smile is very healing.” But now, the heroine was insisting on her smile’s power without any context. It came off as unbelievably arrogant.

Mistaking a high-ranking noble’s name, the crown prince’s fiancée’s name no less, was also unthinkable, even if she was a student.

You messed up, heroine. Her name is Gridimore, not Grimoire. Perhaps she could salvage things if she earnestly apologized and left the scene immediately.

“…I’ll have no more nonsense out of you. Estellise and I care deeply for each other. Her smile is my greatest treasure,” Prince Adelberd said, the coldness bleeding from his eyes into his whole expression.

“Oh no, the crown prince route’s glitching too! Why is this game so bugged?! The developers aren’t doing their job! Oh, if there’s so many bugs…”

The heroine turned toward Siraiya as if he was the key. She stared at him intensely, her eyes full of hope.

“Maybe Siraiya, the yandere character, isn’t a yandere either! I don’t know what happened, but he’s a duke now! Hey, is that why you went after Siraiya, since he’s not a yandere?! Then I’m gonna do the same! If you could win him over, it’ll be easy for a heroine like me! He’s even prettier than he was in the game, so he’s totally my type now! I’m gonna claim the Siraiya route for myself!”

She nearly jumped for joy, convinced she’d found her answer. While I was still deciding how to explain reality to her, Siraiya suddenly pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Enough with your insults! I am yandere! I’m a yandere for Cynthia! No one’s as yandere as I am!”

Oh, I forgot I made up a definition for Siraiya. What did I tell him again? I don’t think I explained what it really meant.

“Wh-What?! You’re a yandere?! So you’re still the same character after all?!”

The confused heroine turned to me, demanding an explanation, so I smiled and nodded.

“Yes, he’s extremely yandere. He loves me to death, and I’m incredibly happy. I could just drown in his love.”

“A-Are you stupid?! You might actually die, you know! You do have terrible taste after all!”

“How dare you call Cynthia stupid?! That’s enough! I refuse to overlook your disrespect any longer!”

“Eek! O-Oh no! Siraiya’s really scary!”

The heroine recoiled at Siraiya’s angry shout. But then the crown prince clapped his hands loudly.

“Take her away, guards. This person seems to be mentally unstable.”

After causing such a scene, any guard would have readily apprehended her. Still, it was the prince’s personal guard—the same one from before—who got to her first. The future king had a very helpful subordinate at his disposal.

“I don’t want to ever see this woman’s face again.”

Though he barely raised his voice, His Royal Highness’ words echoed through the quiet library.

The heroine wouldn’t return to our academy. Most likely, she’d be sent to live at an abbey.

“Ah! This guard’s awfully handsome! I think I’ll go with the security guard route!”

When I heard her shout that while being escorted from the library, I realized that, wherever she ended up, this girl would probably find a way to keep herself entertained just fine.

Farewell, heroine. This is goodbye for real this time. May we find happiness far apart from each other.

Though, I doubted her happiness would have anything to do with that security guard either.

The library fell silent again, and the three of us began another one of our usual study sessions.

Siraiya had to supervise both our studying methods, but fortunately, his grades never fell as ours rose. Lady Gridimore’s grades did end up taking a hit, but whenever I saw her around campus, she always had a big smile on her face.

We were in different grades, which made it hard to socialize with her. Still, I expected we would see lots of each other once I became a duchess. I hoped we could become good friends.

I thought we might hit it off as fellow villainess characters. Of course, I could never tell her such a thing.

Chapter 15: The Story’s End

THE former Duke Brooke had abused his third-born son on a daily basis and given false statements to a member of royalty. The duchess wasn’t present during the incident, but she was arrested as an accomplice to the former duke’s crimes.

“Duke” and “duchess” were symbolic titles. This was why, after a lengthy trial, their punishment was severe. They were to be paraded around the royal capital for three days, tattooed with symbols on their brows showing their status as criminals, then forcibly deported from the kingdom. It wasn’t a death sentence, but it wasn’t far off from one either.

They would need a lot of luck to survive such a scenario.

On the day of their sentencing, Siraiya told me he wanted to visit them in jail—that there was something he needed to know. I went with him to offer support. I was prepared to console him immediately if the former duke and duchess said something hurtful. But my worries were unfounded.

The pair tried to flatter him—to earn his forgiveness, but after staring at them for a moment, Siraiya’s cheeks flushed as he smiled.

“I’m relieved. It turns out I don’t feel anything for you anymore.”

Pleased, he took my hand and escorted me out of the jail. The couple screamed for his help the entire time, but Siraiya wore only relief on his face as he strode forward, never even glancing back at them.

Siraiya had been desperate for their approval, love, and appreciation ever since he was a boy. Perhaps he’d finally given up on them, or maybe not even he understood what had changed.

But he came for confirmation, and confirmation was what he got.

Those people no longer had a place in Siraiya’s heart.

Siraiya’s brothers weren’t prosecuted for their abuse. It was difficult to prove abuse among siblings. After all, they could simply explain it away as brotherly quarrels that got a bit out of hand. While they weren’t officially punished, they were still forced to leave their home now that Siraiya was in charge of the dukedom.

They lived with their mother’s side of the family briefly, as she was the daughter of a marquess. But after a lifetime of forcing all of their responsibilities onto Siraiya, they were incompetent when it came to any practical matter. Neither brother could do even the simplest of jobs. Eventually, their mother’s family kicked them out, too, refusing to feed them for free if they couldn’t work.

I didn’t know what happened to them after that. I could only assume that, wherever they were, they weren’t living very comfortable lives.

One day, Siraya started burning things in a bonfire outside the Brooke manor.

When I asked what he was doing, he said he was getting rid of everything his brothers had ever stolen from him—and things that only they received.

I decided to help him with the process. He even asked a servant to bring us sweet potatoes to roast over the fire afterwards. They were delicious, and I hoped to make them a regular treat in our lives.

Then we brought our overcooked sweet potatoes to the kitchen. I was so happy to meet the commoner servants and maids Siraiya had told me all about.

I offered to share the potatoes that Siraiya and I cooked, but the servants leaned in closely to inspect them, crying out, “Does it have the red stuff on it?” “These ones are just sweet, right?!” “Please, I don’t want to eat anything with a ‘kick!’”

They must have gotten a taste of Siraiya’s fiery sweets before, too.

I would need to have a good discussion with them about chili powder once I officially became Duchess Brooke. Perhaps we could put a lock on the spice cupboard.

Still, no one dared stop Siraiya as he poured chili powder all over his sweet potato, looking extremely pleased with his work.

None of the ladies-in-waiting, who came from noble families, went out of their way to participate in Siraiya’s abuse. They simply did as their master ordered. However, all of them ended up resigning from their posts.

There were probably too many bad memories at the Brooke manor, after all. Siraiya wrote letters of recommendation for all of them to help them find new work, and those who’d been working at the Brooke manor to learn etiquette were able to return to their families.

Siraiya had all the help he needed now that he was the only family member in the manor. He told me he wouldn’t need to hire new ladies-in-waiting for some time.

Maybe I could live there as a lady-in-waiting, since I’m a viscount’s daughter who needs to study etiquette, too.

I would have to consult him about it some other time.

✶✶✶

THE final scene in the game took place at the school’s graduation party. Now, that very party was upon us.

“This is where someone always breaks up with their fiancée thanks to the heroine’s meddling.” I wore a red dress covered in silver ornamentation, murmuring to myself in the great hall of the Rhuddlan manor.

“Cynthia! You look stunning. I’m so glad I get to be your escort.”

Siraiya came for me in a Brooke family carriage. He was wearing a wine-red jacket, subtler than my bright red dress, along with matching silver accessories.

“You look incredibly handsome as well, Siraiya. Thank you for this dress. I’m quite taken with it.”

Siraiya was able to prepare us matching outfits now that he was a duke. He’d gone to a designer to request a jacket matching my crimson hair. However, the designer refused to compromise on their own vision, resulting in a darker hue for Siraiya.

I was glad Siraiya wanted to wear a color that represented me, though from what I’d seen so far, this designer would make a powerful ally to keep around. Siraiya looked even more enticing than usual. Yes, I would definitely be paying more visits to this designer in the future.

Someday, I wanted to wear a wedding dress with coloring that represented Siraiya’s silver hair, too.

“Your hand, Cynthia.”

“Yes, Siraiya.”

✶✶✶

WE arrived at the academy to find a lavishly decorated ballroom and our classmates in their finest formal wear. It looked exactly like it did in the game, and my heart fluttered with emotions.

Then I remembered: Cynthia wore a bright red dress at this party in the game, too. She hadn’t worn any silver accessories, but it did look a little like the one I had on now.

Cynthia was supposed to be attending as Eddie’s fiancée, but she still only wore red. Perhaps she was attempting to express her feelings that way. Eddie probably didn’t prepare a dress for her, so she went with one that represented her own will.

Cynthia was broken up with and appeared to receive some sort of punishment for her actions at the end of the game, but I suspected she was prepared to break up with Eddie either way.

There was no way to know for sure—I just hoped that was the case. That way, even if it took some time, she would eventually learn how to cherish herself as a person.

The noisy ballroom suddenly fell silent as the crown prince and his fiancée entered the venue. They descended the central staircase elegantly, greeting the crowd with smiles.

The graduating students bowed much deeper than they ever did at school, including Siraiya and me. That showed we were prepared to mature into future members of high society.

His Royal Highness granted us permission to raise our heads. He shared a few words of congratulations with us, then joined Lady Gridimore in the center of the ballroom.

Once the orchestra’s accompaniment started up, the crown prince and his fiancée began their dance. Lady Gridimore had already graduated one year prior, but she attended this evening’s party to celebrate with His Royal Highness. The two exchanged loving looks as they swayed in time with the music.

The engagement-ending scene in the game always happened before their dance. Even without the heroine attending this time, the start of the dance told me we’d prevented any sort of story event from occurring.

“Let’s dance, Cynthia.”

Siraiya, the current duke, escorted me to the dance floor. That signaled that the other students were allowed to start dancing too.

I let Siraiya lead me as we danced across the dazzling ballroom. It was a lovely, peaceful moment in time together. The song concluded, and a different tune began to play.

That fast-paced melody was the game’s opening theme song. I immediately smiled, so Siraiya smiled back at me, though his was for a different reason.

“I never thought we’d get an opportunity to perform this dance.”

We danced intensely and passionately. The other guests couldn’t keep up, so they quickly left the dance floor.

Siraiya and I didn’t care that we were the last ones left dancing. We swayed and twirled wildly like the pair of villains we were. I’d been through a lot, but having Siraiya at my side was why I could still keep a smile on my face.

Life wasn’t going to be simple from here on out. But as long as Siraiya was with me, I had nothing else to ask for.

The song ended. The two of us were showered in applause.

We both smiled, our cheeks finally turning pink out of embarrassment. I giggled sweetly, unfitting for a villainess like myself, and quietly reflected in my mind.

What do you think, developers?

I’d call this a happy ending, wouldn’t you?

-Happy Ending-

Afterword

THANK you very much for purchasing my book. I’m Takara, the author.

The book you’re reading is my first published novel! I’m incredibly grateful to be doing this!

I want to thank everyone who supported the online publication, Jun Natsuba-sensei for their lovely illustrations in this novelization, Eriko Shimada-sama for her beautiful cover design, my editor I-san, who guided me when I had no idea what I was doing, B’s Log Bunko for publishing this book, Kadokawa, and my pet bird, who supported me throughout the process—even though they stepped all over my keyboard sometimes. More people supported me than I could ever fully list out, but it’s thanks to all of you that I was able to publish this book! Thank you so much!

Also, for those of you who are new to this story, it’s very nice to meet you!

The online version was actually a short story that was only six chapters long. But the novelization needed a higher word count, so I-san, my editor, suggested I add more content. Once I got to writing, I finished the book with barely any trouble at all.

I hadn’t even realized I had so much more I wanted to write about! I was shocked…!

I’d never added to one of my finished stories before, so it was actually quite a valuable experience. I’m grateful I-san suggested that idea!

The characters received more detailed backstories in this expanded story. Siraiya, for example, developed a passion for extremely spicy food. He’s a skilled chef, but if you take your eyes off him, he’s likely to add a healthy serving of chili peppers.

I actually tried madeleines with chili peppers to see what they tasted like. The peppers were so strong and fragrant that they turned out to be a pretty delicious combination.My bird eats chili peppers as a treat, so I have lots on hand. I want to try even more recipes that Siraiya might think up.

I’d never written something so long in such a short time frame before, so sometimes my fingers started trembling during the writing process, but I recovered by holding my soft, fluffy pet bird.

This bird is my adorable roommate who always comes to their owner’s rescue, all while nibbling at me to see if I might be food. They screeched alongside me when I screamed with excitement the first time I saw Jun Natsuba-sensei’s artwork of all the characters.Everyone looked incredibly beautiful in their illustrations. Their school uniforms were so cute; I wished I could wear one myself. I was genuinely overwhelmed with joy!

I’ve also included a bonus chapter depicting a cute, flirty story between Cynthia and Siraiya, so I hope you’ll enjoy this story all the way to the very end!

Side Story: Cynthia, the Lady-in-Waiting

“WHAT do you think, Siraiya? Does it look good on me?”

Dressed in a fresh, black maid’s uniform, my hair was tied up so I could be more mobile. With Siraiya in front of me, I gave a little twirl to show it all off.

“Urk… S-So cute…” Siraiya turned bright red and clutched his chest.

I was glad he was sitting down, or else he might have gotten lightheaded and toppled over. But the intense love I sensed coming from Siraiya was satisfying.