Chapter 12: Everyday Life

Chapter 12:
Everyday Life

 

THE DAY AFTER wrecking Noelle’s wedding, we returned to Marie’s estate. Noelle and I sat opposite one another in her room, where she promptly slapped me across the face. I could have avoided it, but I decided to take it like a man.

“Feel better now?” I asked.

“You really are the lowest of the low. You don’t even give a crap about me, yet you come to save me like that? Don’t get my hopes up!”

Her anger was rather complicated. She was grateful I had come to save her but annoyed because I already had fiancées of my own. I understood her feelings, though honestly, I struggled to understand why she’d even fallen for me.

What was with my sudden rise in popularity with the opposite sex? I’d never had any such luck in my previous life. Maybe to make up for it, I was getting double my share this time.

Noelle sobbed, wiping away her own tears with the backs of her hands. “Don’t give me hope. I want to forget my feelings for you, but if you do stuff like this, I won’t be able to.”

In less than a year, I would be returning to Holfort Kingdom. We still hadn’t decided what to do with Noelle, but even if I did manage to take her back with me, the two of us couldn’t be together.

“I’m sorry, but…even so, I wanted to save you.”

Noelle shook her head. “No, I do want to express my gratitude. And I will—as many times as I need to! But…give me a break, would you? Falling for someone who’s already engaged to two other girls is heartbreaking enough.”

Seeing her weep made me want to reach out and embrace her, but I stopped myself. Even if I showered her with gentle words, that wouldn’t actually help her. I could only apologize, and since I’d already done that, I excused myself, leaving her alone in her room.

Luxion and Cleare were hovering in the hallway, waiting for me.

“Oh? You’re not going to embrace and console her?”

“You’re such a bad boy, Master. I have mad respect for you!”

These two AIs, different as they were, were equally annoying as hell.

“Say whatever you want,” I muttered. “Hey, Cleare, when are you going back?”

“ASAP! I’m sure the girls are worried too. I also need to check on some other mischief-makers as well.”

“Mischief-makers? Who?” I quirked a brow.

“Oh, that’s my little secret!”

What is she hiding? I felt the need to dig into that at some point, but if Cleare was heading back to the kingdom, I wanted to send some letters and gifts along with her. A number of preparations therefore needed to be made, so I started down the corridor with the two robots floating after me.

“As for Loic,” said Luxion, “he really did try to kill you, Master. Most of his actions were indirect attacks, I will admit, but there’s no doubt he was an unpleasant man to face.”

“Yeah, he was actually kinda terrifying. A little too capable, I’d say. Is it just me or are all the love interests in these games way too competent?”

I glanced into the inner courtyard to find Julius and the other boys having a barbecue. Julius was standing in front of a grill, handing out skewers to everyone.

“Yeah, this one is nice and juicy. Take it, Jilk.”

“I couldn’t possibly, Your Highness. You’ve been cooking for us this entire time. Allow me to trade places with you.”

“I’m doing this because I enjoy it. Don’t worry about it, just eat up.”

The lot of them had helped me infiltrate the Temple grounds, so I’d given them a temporary allowance as a bonus. They’d poured all of it into setting up a barbecue pit. It seemed they were having a good time.

Meanwhile, Marie sat nearby, gulping down a large mug of ice-cold beer. “Aah, that hits the spot!”

Her ability to knock back alcohol was impressive. She looked like a teenage girl, but she drank and ate like a middle-aged man.

Carla brought Marie a couple of skewers. “Lady Marie, you certainly seem to be enjoying your drink! Here, have some of these. There’s plenty of meat to go around. And vegetables too!”

“Mwa ha ha! This is amazing! Carla, make sure to eat your fill as well. Better get some of the good stuff while you can. Never know what will happen next.”

“Yes, my lady!”

Why did I always feel like crying when I looked at Marie? It was hard to see anything beyond the tears welling up in my eyes.

Kyle normally never strayed far from the two girls, but at that moment he was busy dealing with Miss Yumeria.

“Look, Kyle! I brought us some skewers. Say ‘ah’!”

“I-I can eat them just fine by myself! Anyway, you need to stop gorging yourself on meat and start eating some vegetables too!”

He always got so hot and cold with her. I figured he didn’t want anyone to see the two of them acting too close, but whatever the reason, it still left Miss Yumeria dejected. I had a feeling Kyle wanted to be kinder to her, but he struggled too much with his own embarrassment to do it properly.

“Hah, puberty,” I said.

“The same thing you seem to be going through,” Luxion interjected.

I ignored him and turned my attention to Cordelia, who was standing in the courtyard with a disapproving look on her face. The five boys had once all been prominent members of their houses, and she had a hard time accepting how far they’d fallen.

Jilk held a strange, cracked plate, upon which he placed his skewers.

Brad glanced over at his friend as he fed some scraps to his bird and rabbit. “Jilk, that plate is little more than garbage, is it not?”

“How rude. You simply fail to understand its exquisite lineage.”

“You know, I really didn’t want to say this, but… Did you really succeed as an antique seller? Because I find the whole operation awfully suspicious.”

“And what of you, Brad? It seems ludicrous to me that you had any success as a performer. Your magic tricks are ridiculously awful.”

“Who cares if they’re bad? The magic is a side act. What I’m really selling is a ticket to a show where they can witness my perfect existence.”

I’d worried for these boys when I first heard that Marie had chased them out, but they’d survived the ordeal none the worse for wear. They had the vitality of a pack of cockroaches. If there was any notable change, it was that they’d each come back even more…unique than when they had left. Greg and Chris were particularly changed in that regard.

Chris glanced at Greg. “Why don’t you put on some clothes?”

“Huh? I’ve got clothes on.”

“What part of those briefs gracing your nethers qualify as proper clothes?”

“You dummy. Take a good look! See my amazing pecs?!” Greg struck a pose, his skin glimmering in the light.

Although Chris fussed at Greg over his man panties, he was little better, once again wearing a loincloth.

“That’s basically underwear! And muscles do not count as clothing!”

“You don’t have any room to talk! All you’ve got on is underwear!” Greg snapped.

“Now who’s the dummy? I also have linen wrapped around my chest.”

I almost wanted to interject “That’s not the problem here,” but I bit my tongue. No wonder Miss Cordelia was at such a loss.

Curiously, Julius looked the sanest of the bunch as he stood in front of the grill, sweating up a storm. That teenage boy grilling skewers was a far cry from the crown prince he’d once been.

Cordelia cleared her throat before saying, “Uh, um, Your Highness?”

“Yes?”

“Why have you been cooking this entire time? Will you not switch places with anyone?”

Julius removed the grill grate, scraping off the bits that had burnt onto the metal. “Everyone keeps asking me to switch off, but this is where I feel most comfortable. Besides, if I am to become a true barbecue pitmaster, I need many more years of experience. This is my opportunity to learn.”

What an admirable…load of crap. What the hell was he saying?

Miss Cordelia eyed him coldly. “You are still a prince of Holfort Kingdom. You will never be permitted to become a ‘barbecue pitmaster.’”

A logical thing to point out.

Julius clicked his tongs together. “I don’t see any problems with a prince who has mastered the art of barbecue. Do you?”

“Yes, I do,” she answered instantly.

Huh, I think maybe me and Miss Cordelia could learn to get along, considering we both possess some common sense.

As I stared down at them from the second story window, I felt silly. “They sure seem to be having a blast,” I muttered.

Cleare glanced at me. “Well then, why not invite Elle and go join them?”

“Moron. I’d just make things awkward if I did that. Anyway, I have some things to get done before you leave for Holfort. Come on, let’s get going.”

I dragged the robots along with me as I made my way to the harbor.

 

***

 

The barbecue party didn’t end until that evening. At almost the exact same time, Louise arrived, and Marie left the others to keep her company. No sooner had Louise entered the estate than she requested to see Noelle. Marie obediently fetched the girl, but the atmosphere in the room was dismal. Marie wasn’t particularly close with Louise, and on top of that, Louise and Noelle weren’t on good terms either. As if to make matters worse, Noelle was still down in the dumps.

Is my brother really the type to make a run for it if he senses things are going south? Every single time crap like this happens, he disappears. Does he have a sixth sense for trouble or something? No, that can’t be it. He’s too useless to possess something like that.

As Marie preoccupied herself with her own thoughts, Louise breathed a sigh and stepped close to Noelle. She raised a hand…and the sound of skin connecting with skin echoed through the room.

Reaction a bit delayed, Noelle snapped, “Wh-what do you think you’re doing?!”

Louise stared back at her, smiling mockingly. “That pitiful ‘woe is me’ expression was begging for a slap. You truly are spoiled rotten. Do you have any idea how much effort Leon put into saving you?”

“W-well…that’s because he’s a nice person.”

“One doesn’t pick a fight with the entire republic simply because they’re nice. You truly are a brainless buffoon.”

Marie knew the truth of the matter. Leon had saved Noelle to avert a worldwide disaster. However, she hadn’t the least bit idea what he was thinking on the inside.

Knowing him, he might well just have saved Noelle because he felt sorry for her. Yet he won’t even bother responding to her feelings. He really is—and always has been—a scumbag.

He had done something similar in his previous life, though on a much smaller scale. Marie had made a point of not involving herself in his love life since it pissed her off so much, but now that she thought back, he’d been pretty slow-witted then too.

Louise leaned in so close that her nose almost touched Noelle’s. “I hate you. I hate your blissful existence, ignorant of everything else around you. Even now, you fail to realize how happy your life really is.”

“You have no idea how much my sister and I struggled! And it’s all your house’s fault!”

“Oh, really? And who do you think you have to thank for being able to peacefully attend the academy even after your entire house fell to ruin? Don’t tell me you honestly believe your house’s retainers were able to hide your existence all on their own.”

Noelle averted her gaze. “Well, I…I don’t know anything about that. We were told to attend, so that’s what we did.”

Louise crossed her arms. “How truly insufferable. Although the most annoying person of all is Leon for having saved you. Tell me, what do you plan on doing now?”

Noelle lowered her gaze to the floor. “I haven’t decided yet. I can’t.”

“For now, continue attending the academy as you have. My father said he’d permit that much. He also said you’re free to go join Leon and the rest when they return to Holfort Kingdom. Although if you’d prefer to stay, that’s fine too.”

“What?” Noelle lifted her chin.

Louise shrugged. “Do whatever you like, in other words. Decide what you’re going to do with yourself before Leon and his companions leave. That’s all I came to say today.” She marched out of the room.

Noelle stood there, frozen in her wake. However, Marie was the most troubled of them all.

The last boss and the villainess pitched in to save the protagonist?! What the heck is going on? Aaargh! I have no idea what’s happening anymore!

It would be so much easier if things were cut and dry, Marie thought as she raked her hands through her hair. But as things stood, she had no idea where the story would take them next.

 

***

 

After Cleare left, it took until the middle of their second term for things to settle down in the republic. Between the events in the first term and summer break, chaos had reigned for a good, long while. That subsequently derailed all the romantic events—to put it in otome game terms—that were supposed to happen at the school. Part of the blame for that lay with the Six Great Houses, who’d been responsible for the consecutive scandals.

I was sitting on the rooftop, enjoying some bread for lunch. I gave half of it to Marie as I chatted with Lelia. We were discussing what would come next—or we were supposed to be. It wasn’t the most productive of conversations. As usual, Lelia was full of complaints.

“What are we going to do?! Seriously! It’s not long now until we get another extended holiday, but we already ruined all opportunities for the romance scenes at the school, so the story is completely off track!”

I went ahead and agreed with her, if only because it was my understanding that women didn’t respond well to logical arguments when they were angry. The way I heard it, the best way to react in these situations was to empathize.

“Yeah, sure does suck how things are going,” I said. “Hey, Marie, knock it off! Don’t scarf it all down!”

I had a small brown bag full of croissants, but it was nearly empty a few seconds after she got her paws on it.

“What?! Oh, sorry. I guess I started stuffing my face without thinking.”

Lelia scowled as the conversation got off topic. “This is all your fault!” she snapped. “Pierre’s gone, and now Loic’s gone too. You may have done well by disrupting Hugues’s engagement, but he hasn’t gotten any closer to my sister in the meantime. Professor Narcisse has been called away to help with his house, so he’s not even at the academy. Now what are we going to do?!”

Loic had used his injuries as an excuse to stop attending the academy. As for Hugues, they had cited him running off without Miss Louise at the Temple as a good reason to cancel their engagement. That was the public explanation at least. In reality, it was due to the fallout between Fernand and Mr. Albergue after the former turned traitor.

As the Six Great Houses dealt with the resulting turmoil of this clash, Professor Narcisse had been called back and loaded down with a bunch of duties. The nobles were scrambling to fix the mess they’d created. On top of smoothing over domestic problems, they had to settle things with other nations, as well as apologize to Holfort.

Lelia put her hands on her hips as she sat in front of us, trying to emphasize just how angry she was.

I snorted. Aw, how cute.

“Are you even listening?!”

“I hear you loud and clear. Basically, you have no idea how to deal with the last boss now, is that right?”

“Exactly. Now tell me: What are we going to do?”

As Lelia held her head in her hands, Luxion finally spoke up—though he barely had time to utter a single word before Lelia squeaked in surprise at his presence. He dutifully ignored her. “There is no reason for us to worry about that at this point. Master’s more pressing concern is what to do after the last boss has been dealt with.”

“What? What do you mean ‘after’?”

“I am still in the process of analyzing the Sacred Tree, but I believe my real body is fully capable of dealing with any of its attacks. What’s more important is how well we will be able to smooth over the chaos that follows.”

Lelia’s eyes nearly bulged from her head. “Y-you can really handle the Sacred Tree?”

“Yes. I could sink this entire continent right now if commanded.”

Lelia grabbed me by the collar. “Hey, what’s all this about?! Explain yourself. That little robot thing is spewing some seriously terrifying threats! It almost sounds like you intend to sink the republic if things don’t go to plan!”

There wasn’t much I could say, considering Luxion had spoken the truth about his capabilities. Unable to come up with any better response, I decided to play it off with a laugh. “Aha ha ha!”

“Don’t try to distract me! The fact that you’re even trying means I’ve guessed correctly, right?! Can you really do that? Or I guess what I should be asking is—are you planning on making this little robot do that?!”

“Only if we are left with no other choice,” Luxion faithfully responded. “I certainly have no qualms with doing it right now, but Master won’t give me his approval.”

“See? Nothing to worry about!” I said. “I want to resolve this in the best way possible, and I’ll cooperate with you to that end. So you don’t need to worry about the last boss. If all else fails, we’ll handle it.”

Marie continued munching on a croissant as she nodded. “Yup, so no need to fuss over it.”

What are you, a barbarian? Don’t talk with your mouth full.

Lelia put some distance between the two of us before dropping her gaze. “That means our entire country could be wiped out based on how you feel at any given moment.”

“Give us a little more credit. We won’t do something like that.”

We tried to continue our discussion, but Lelia wouldn’t listen to anything we had to say. Maybe we’d gone a little overboard on the threats?

 

***

 

Lelia’s feet were heavy as she headed back home from the academy. Emile had offered to send her in his car, but she’d turned him down. She wanted to walk alone so she could work through her thoughts.

This is bad. Luxion is far more dangerous than I thought. Come to think of it, he’s one of those cash shop items from the first game, right? No wonder he’s out of his mind.

The first installment of the series had suffered from terrible balance issues. A player would have had to buy items from the cash shop to have any hope of clearing the story. Luxion had been a weapon the players could purchase—one with ridiculous specs.

I have no idea how to handle that thing. They could destroy the whole country at the drop of a hat, and if I don’t watch myself, I might be caught up in that destruction.

Considering everything the republic had done to Leon, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to harbor resentment. There was no telling when the dam holding it all back might burst. Worse, he was provoking the Six Great Houses. Lelia had no way to stop him, or them.

He basically told me there’s an even more fearsome enemy for me to worry about than the last boss—him.

Leon literally controlled whether Lelia and everyone she knew lived or died. It was hard to relax in such a situation, especially since she trusted Leon about as far as she could throw him. He’d shown the extreme measures he was capable of when he went to such radical lengths to rescue Noelle.

Lelia was drowning in anxiety. With things as they are, I’d at least like a way to fight back, but…is any weapon in this country capable of opposing Luxion? Maybe if there was another cash shop item out there… But there’s no way I could get ahold of one all on my own.

Unlike Holfort Kingdom’s academy, the school in the republic didn’t teach the basics of adventuring. Lelia had little in the way of combat expertise either, so acquiring a cash shop item on her own was out of the question.

But hey, wait a minute. I do know where one is. All I need to do is get my hands on it.

There had been one such item in the second installment of the game—one she hadn’t yet retrieved.

As Lelia contemplated how she might acquire it, a man suddenly blocked her path. Despite the cool temperature, his shirt was unbuttoned, and beneath it, muscles peeked out. He was tall, with black, combed-back hair and a healthy tan.

He raised a hand to greet her. “Heya, Lelia. It’s been a while.”

“Serge!”

Serge Sara Rault—one of the five love interests.

Lelia gaped for a moment. “Wh-where have you been all this time?!”

“Were you worried about me? Happy to hear it. If you wanna hear my tales of derring-do, why don’t the two of us go out for a bite? It’ll take a while, though. My trip this time was a rough one.” He smiled. “I mean it about eating together, by the way. There’s no harm in it, right? It’s been a long time since we last saw each other.”

Despite Serge’s incredibly casual attitude, he was House Rault’s heir—Albergue’s adopted son. While a bit rough around the edges, Serge dreamed of becoming an adventurer, which meant he was a good man to rely on when it came to dangerous ambitions.

Suddenly, Lelia was struck with a thought. That’s right! I can ask for Serge’s help! She nodded. “All right. Let’s eat together then.”

Serge’s eyes widened. “That’s rare. I figured you’d turn me down flat. You really cool with this?”

“What? Do you not want to go with me?”

“Dummy! Of course I want to go with you! Anyway, what are you craving? Since it’s such a rare occasion, I’ll be happy to treat you to whatever.” Serge grinned.

Lelia inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Serge developed an interest in me.

And so, they went off to enjoy dinner together.

 

***

 

When Lelia returned home, Emile was there waiting for her. He’d gone so far as to have a meal prepared for them.

“Lelia, dinner is—”

“I already ate.”

“O-oh.”

“Sorry.”

She had returned to a mansion located near the school, which the Plevens had graciously prepared for her. It was far more spacious than her previous residence had been, and she and Emile had been spending their days together there. It housed only a few servants, but it wasn’t large enough to warrant any more than that. Emile was also highly attentive to her needs—he could cook and clean, and more importantly, he was kind. Lelia had no complaints about him at all.

But she did feel as though something was lacking.

He should have eaten without me. This just makes things awkward. Lelia shook her head. “Emile, about our next long break… Something came up. I won’t be able to go back with you to your family’s estate.”

“What? Really? But we planned it forever ago.”

“Please don’t ask any questions,” Lelia begged. Leon is too dangerous. No matter what it takes, I need to obtain the same level of power he has.

Lelia intended to go out adventuring with Serge as a way to combat the threat Leon posed, but she couldn’t tell Emile as much. It would only put her in an awkward position if he asked for details.

Emile’s face fell. “O-oh, all right. But let’s at least leave early to say hello to everyone before you go off. My older brothers are waiting, and we have our future to discuss.”

“Okay.”

Having agreed to this compromise, Lelia retreated to her private room.

 

***

 

As Alzer’s academy went on break, the Licorne arrived at the republic’s harbor, its unmistakable white exterior making it stand out. Livia clambered down the exit ramp with an enormous travel bag in her hands. She paused to turn around, waving a hand at the companion behind her.

“Come on, Angie, hurry up!”

Angie was hauling her luggage along as well. She grinned at Livia. “No need to rush. Leon’s not going anywhere.”

They had set off for the republic as soon as vacation began, which had required them to sort out a variety of matters back home beforehand. Livia had barely slept a wink because she was so anxious for this day.

“I want to surprise him as soon as possible!”

“Okay, okay. I’m with you there.” Angie had been all smiles from the moment they landed because she, too, was looking forward to this. The last time they’d come, they hadn’t had an opportunity to really sightsee. This time, they intended to enjoy themselves.

Cleare glanced between them. “You girls are in high spirits. Meanwhile, those guys are drowning in work.”

Angie followed the robot’s gaze to see another kingdom airship.

“Yes, they do have their work cut out for them.”

This time, theirs wasn’t the only ship from Holfort—a number of them had arrived. Some were acting as Angie’s bodyguards, but others carried high-ranking officials who had been dispatched to Alzer to engage in talks with the republic. Alzer had suffered repeated scandals, from Pierre to Loic. Holfort had been unwilling to keep quiet about this second one, and their dignitaries had made repeated visits to continue discussions. This time, they had sent high-ranking officials to finalize agreements.

“Leon’s sure to be shocked this time,” said Livia.

Angie nodded. “I bet he will be. Well, work aside, I do have some questions for him about what exactly went down here in Alzer. Not much information made it to us in the kingdom. Cleare won’t give us any details either.”

“Oh? Are you trying to pin the blame on me?” Cleare cooed. “I have my reasons, you know!”

“You’re incorrigible,” Angie said, still grinning. She paused when she spotted another ship landing in the harbor and furrowed her brows.

Livia tilted her head. “Is something wrong?”

“The Holy Kingdom of Rachel sure has an unusually large presence here.”

 

***

 

Our second term was at an end, which meant another long break was upon us. I took Noelle with me and left Marie’s estate. The reason? Miss Cordelia.

She fussed at me, saying, “If you continue to stay here for weeks and months on end, you will only give Lady Angelica more reason to worry.” I couldn’t really argue the point with her, so I conceded.

It was the first time in a while I’d returned to my residence, and the rooms were covered in a fine layer of dust.

“Ugh, this is going to be a nightmare to clean.”

Miss Cordelia rolled up her sleeves. “Our first priority should be the bedroom and kitchen. I will begin by opening the windows so we aren’t suffocated by the dust. We’ll also need to hang the bedding so it can air out.”

Miss Yumeria hurried after her to help. I’d told Miss Cordelia she could stay at Marie’s estate, but she’d stubbornly refused, citing her role as a watchdog and maid. Her dedication to keeping an eye on me was admirable, save for the fact that those in the business of covert work weren’t usually supposed to openly out themselves like that.

Honestly, she’s so clueless, it’s adorable.

As the two women headed upstairs, Luxion stared at the baby bed we had left behind. I made my way over to him.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot we brought this thing in.”

Elle—uh, the dog that Jean owned, that was—had used this bed while in our care. With her gone, we had carried it down and left it with our other unused luggage.

Noelle’s face softened as she looked at it, the memories rushing back. “This is the one you used during summer break, isn’t it? I didn’t realize you left it here.”

Noelle still had that collar around her neck. She was finding ways to cover it up while she attended school, and she had returned to her previously cheerful self, but there was something forlorn about her.

“You sure you wouldn’t have been happier staying at Marie’s place?” I asked. “You really think it’s a good idea to be with me?”

She scratched her head. “That’s a blunt way of asking, and honestly, I did kind of want to stay there. Every day was fun, and Rie is always very kind to me.”

“What? Marie? Kind?”

“That’s right. She is kind. The only problem is… Well, you know. Whether I mean to or not, I keep intruding on her and those boys when they’re trying to have a moment together.”

Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting, but I guess those boys are Marie’s lovers.

That also meant one naturally walked in on them from time to time. Noelle had left partly out of consideration for them.

“Seemed to me like Marie didn’t want you to go, though,” I said.

She’d been practically inconsolable after she heard that Noelle would be leaving, on top of Miss Cordelia and Miss Yumeria—namely because all three had helped her around the house. She did have more servants now than she had previously, but there weren’t enough to cover all the chores. Plus, that mansion was ridiculously huge. All that said, if Noelle still wanted to come live with me, there was no need to refuse her.

“Well, it’s fine, I guess.”

Noelle folded her arms behind her back, her cheeks coloring. “Hey, Leon… When men travel, it’s not uncommon for them to have a girl in every country. Did you know that?”

I could find no words with which to respond.

Noelle giggled. “I think I’d be fine with being your girl while you’re here. What do you think?”

As a man, I found the offer enticing enough, but would Noelle really be happy with that?

“Are you sure that’s really what you want? You wouldn’t regret it later?”

Noelle’s face fell. “Sorry. I don’t know if I can go through with it. It was embarrassing to even mention in the first place, and it kind of bums me out to think about it.”

“I figured. Let’s keep the line drawn at friends, then.”

We were already more-than-friends but less-than-lovers…and it felt like there was nowhere else for us to go from there.

Luxion waited quietly while we finished our conversation before turning to Noelle. “I have a report, if you don’t mind.”

“Wh-what?! If you were there this whole time, you should have said something!” Noelle grumbled.

Luxion turned his gaze to my left arm. I had attached the bracelet to my wrist in order to secure Noelle’s safety, but I’d never had any reason to use it.

“I have discovered a way to remove your collar.”

He’d only just figured it out? Seriously? “Sure took you a while,” I said.

“Yes, due to safety concerns. I actually discovered a way to remove it immediately, but I had to research a few more to ensure I identified the way least liable to cause injury. The best technique—which will cause the least burden to your bodies—would be to manifest the chain, then sever it.”

“Doesn’t sound that complicated to me.”

Noelle agreed. “In that case, we should have done it sooner.”

“A reckless application of power will cause the collar to tighten. In other words, it would take off your head.”

“Uh, is this really going to be okay, then?” Noelle asked, her eyes filled with fear. “And you said this is the safest method of removal?”

“I located a spot in the chain that will not trigger said effect. If we destroy it at that precise point, we can safely remove the collar. I have already perfectly mapped it out.”

I glanced at Noelle. “Well? Want to get that thing off?”

She hummed thoughtfully. “Actually, I think maybe I’m fine leaving it the way it is—and that’s not the fear speaking.”

“Huh?!”

“B-because it’s one of the only things I have that really ties me to you, Leon.”

The way she said that was adorable, but if anyone else heard it, they would have gotten the impression that I was into some really kinky stuff. People who knew the collar was a cursed item would take one look at it, notice the bracelet on my wrist, and shake their heads in disgust.

“No,” I said. “It’ll only get in the way while you’re trying to live your daily life. We’re taking it off.”

She pouted. “Meanie.”

“The weak point is the link closest to the collar,” said Luxion. “Master, pull the chain and I will use a tool to sever it.”

“Got it.”

I manifested the chain, drew it taut, and waited for Luxion to do his cutting. It was awkward just standing there. Nervous, Noelle snapped her eyes shut. My heart started pounding for some reason.

“Very well. I will leave to retrieve said tool, then. I left it on the Einhorn, so it will be a moment before I return with it,” said Luxion.

“You could’ve said that sooner!”

“You were the one who assumed I had it with me without bothering to ask. I digress, I will be back momentarily.” Luxion floated out the window, heading toward the Einhorn.

Noelle and I exchanged glances before breathing a sigh.

I cleared my throat. “Uh, sorry, I thought we could get it off immediately.”

“It’s fine. I misunderstood him too.” She gripped the chain and jangled it. “You know, I don’t really think much about this thing around my neck, but seeing the chain attached to it really drives home the fact that it’s a collar.”

Now that she mentioned it, this did suddenly feel a bit…lewd. “Yeah. It’s kinda kinky.”

“Leon, you perv.”

“Is this where I’m supposed to say, ‘And? What’s wrong with that?’” I lifted my hands, groping at the air as I inched closer to her.

Noelle wrapped her arms around her chest and pulled away. “Dummy—why would you do that in broad daylight?” But she was grinning despite herself.

I was glad we could joke at a time like this. It helped lighten the air.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Miss Cordelia’s cold gaze landed on me.

“Lord Leon, just what do you think you’re doing?”

“Huh? I’m only messing around like I always do,” I said with a chuckle.

The door opened wider to reveal she wasn’t alone. Miss Yumeria was standing there with the sapling in her arms, trembling. But the bigger issue was the other two behind her.

Livia was smiling eerily. She pressed her hands together and tilted her head to the side. “Oh? So you’re always messing around like this, hm?”

“L-Livia!”

Angie was there as well, but she wore an impassive poker face.

“I’m here too, you know,” she said. “I remember now that we didn’t visit this house before. I never dreamed it was because you were hiding something from us here.”

“H-hiding something?! What do you—ack!”

They were both staring at the baby bed.

As if this misunderstanding wasn’t already bad enough, their eyes then turned to the chain linking Noelle’s collar to my bracelet.

Livia’s grin spread wider—which only made it that much more terrifying. “Mr. Leon, would you care to explain that?”

“W-well, you see, this is—”

I paused midway through trying to introduce Noelle when I realized I was about to step on a land mine—metaphorically speaking.

During my first term here, I’d cared for Jean’s elderly dog while he was hospitalized, and her name had happened to be Noelle. The girl beside me? Also named Noelle. The only problem was that I’d never told Livia and Angie about Elle—the dog—passing away. I’d thought it would only cause them undue concern. Now, however, I was regretting my choice.

Noelle pulled a face. “Um, I’m Noelle. Noelle Beltre, that is. Leon and I attend the academy together. Uh, wait. Didn’t I introduce myself to everyone last time?”

Yes, she had, in fact. And that made this whole situation much worse. She’d just poured a whole bucket of fuel on the fire.

“That’s right,” said Angie. “We did meet before at Marie’s place. Wait—Noelle, you said? Aha. Now I see what’s going on. How silly of me not to have noticed before.” Her lips peeled back in a smile.

Miss Cordelia stood a little straighter. She then retreated a few steps back, trying to slip away from anyone’s notice.

Stop right there! Don’t you dare run off and leave me behind!

“Noelle…” Livia murmured. “I thought that was the name of a seventeen-year-old dog. Now it makes sense. I was mistaken this whole time—you were talking about a human, not an animal.”

“No, no! There really was a dog here, I swear!”

“I never realized you were into this kind of thing,” Livia said with a solemn expression.

Cold sweat poured down my face.

Angie’s gaze turned to the baby bed. “So, you were trying to build a little nest for yourself and this Noelle, huh? I never dreamed you would secretly share news about your lover in your letters to us. You’re cleverer than I gave you credit for, Leon.”

It sounded like a compliment, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t. Angie’s eyes were burning with rage. If I made one more wrong step, she was likely to explode—literally, I feared.

Shit! I can feel a chill running down my spine! Even if I wanted to make excuses, the deck was already stacked against me.

“Miss Noelle,” said Livia, “we met you before, didn’t we? I thought something was strange back then. You did know that Mr. Leon was already engaged to us, didn’t you?”

Noelle hung her head. “I-I’m sorry.”

Wait! Don’t apologize! We need to correct their misunderstanding first!

I sucked in a breath.

That’s right! If Noelle will just tell them that they’re mistaken, it will… Wait, will it actually resolve anything?

I looked at Cordelia, hoping for help, but she averted her eyes.

Is she seriously going to abandon me now, when I really need her?! Come to think of it, she always gave me cold looks before!

I turned my pleading gaze to Miss Yumeria. Her lips parted and closed as she tried to form the words to offer me a defense. “Uh, um… Lord Leon crashed Miss Noelle’s wedding and kidnapped her! Then the two grew even closer, and um…” She was too disoriented to offer any coherent explanation, and it only amounted to, once again, more fuel on the already raging fire.

Nope, I don’t think that was fuel. She literally threw a bomb into the blaze.

I appreciated that she was trying to help, but alas, it only made the misunderstanding worse.

Angie furrowed her brows. “You kidnapped her during her wedding? Leon, I expect you have a good explanation for all of this. And while we’re at it, you can tell us about your bedroom preferences as well, since we are your fiancées.”

“You must be really in love with Miss Noelle if you went so far as to buy a baby bed for her,” said Livia.

Wait, what? Did neither of them know anything about what had been happening here? Sure, I’d been keeping communication to a bare minimum, but Cleare had gone back home to them. Hadn’t she told them anything?

There was one other thing I found conspicuously suspicious. Why hadn’t Luxion informed me that the two of them were on the way? Knowing him, he’d known they were coming well before they arrived. Even more suspicious was the timing with which he disappeared.

“It was a trap. You laid this trap for me, Luxion!” I howled.

Livia and Angie pressed their faces close to mine.

“Leon, you’re going to tell us everything.”

“That’s right, Mr. Leon, because this time, you’ve done an extra big no-no!”

This had been set up to make it look like I was cheating. Those rotten AIs had totally betrayed me, and my own actions had compounded to make the situation that much worse.

I’m totally screwed now, aren’t I?!