Chapter 49 - Volume 2

Volume 2 Chapter 3 part3

“Nothing will come out of revenge. What’s important is to──”

“As if you know what you’re talking about! Nothing will come of it? So what? What’s wrong with that?!”

“Aaaah! I’m sorry!”

When hearing Marie’s forced words, Clarice lost her temper. That was natural. Anyone would lose their mind when hearing the one who stole their fiance say that.

Anjie also glared at Marie with hatred.

However, Julian came out to stand in the way between the two.

“Enough already. Don’t look at Marie like that, Anjelica.”

“──My apologies, your Highness.”

Once Anjie apologized, Julian turned towards Clarice.

This guy was emitting an aura of royalty, to the point that I was envious of it.

“Clarice. I understand if you won’t forgive Jilk. However, I request that you stop this kind of conduct.”

Clarice, casting her eyes downward while making an eerie smile, looked a bit strange.

“──So that’s what you’re going to say, your Highness? Do you know how many people you’re making unhappy for the sake of just one woman? It’s not just Anjelica. Do you know what people have been saying behind the backs of the other fiancees and me? You wouldn’t know. There’s no way any of you would know.”

There were indeed people made unhappy by Marie’s aim for a reverse harem.

It seemed that the world of an otome game really is cruel.

While I was thinking about it, Julian seemed to have a sorrowful face.

“I know that we don’t have the right to say anything. However, that doesn’t mean you can keep doing this. You won’t better yourself this way.”

I then spoke out my thoughts.

“Those are about the words I would expect from an ikemen. It’s quite something to hear the persuasion of a boy who had been seduced by Marie to throw away his fiancee. After all, your dignity is what’s most important for you.”

“Leon, no! You can’t say things like that! No!”

Livia looked cute when she said “No!” while making a finger-wagging gesture. Normally, this was reserved for deviants like Marie, but I didn’t mind being on the receiving end since there was a certain charm to it.

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The protagonist’s charm was tremendous.

Like that, Julian glared at me once he heard what I had said.

I decided to close my mouth and look the other way.

Clarice turned around.

“If you appear in the next match, we’ll crush you. Even if you don’t show up, we’ll obliterate your substitute. I’ll teach you all a lesson. ──I will never forgive you.”

Clarice left while chuckling.

──The mood in the medical office was at its worst.

I sighed.

“Now it seems like there won’t be substitute for the next race. Nobody would want to take that role.”

Once I said that, Jilk tried getting up with his injured body.

“──Gah!”

“Jilk, stop!”

Julian held him down onto the bed, but it seemed that Jilk intended to participate.

“Release me, your Highness. Nobody will get hurt if I go. It’s the obvious choice to take.”

The most obvious choice would’ve been for them to not have broken off their engagements. There was no use crying over spilled milk, but I wanted to complain.

There was originally supposed to be some kind of happy ending where Livia decided which of the five capture targets to go along with.

Now that the five were disinherited, they had little supporters. I couldn’t predict what would happen in the future.

I could only worry about the future of this otome game.

Before I knew it, the first-year class executive committee members were staring at me.

“H, hey, what about Baltfault?”

“His ability just barely qualifies for a being a participant, right?”

“If someone’s getting beaten up, wouldn’t it be better for it to happen to this guy than to Jilk?”

When a plethora of faces glared at me within the medical office, Anjie stepped forward as if to protect me.

“Don’t try to make Leon participate. Do you really expect to have him go after hearing about what’s going to happen? I’m sorry, but the first-year students will just have to withdraw.”

When hearing that, Marie raised her voice. She was quite panicked.

“Wait! What about the prize money?!”

Anjie glared at Marie with a look that could kill someone.

“What about it? Do you really want to injure more people just for it?”

I started feeling relieved after Anjie gave a sound argument.

I didn’t intend to participate, but if I was forced onto there, the venue would definitely get excited wanting to see me get beat up.

I definitely wasn’t participating.

──However…

“B, but, there’s the matter of your reputation, Anjelica.”

“Right. It would be a problem if the class representative didn’t prepare a substitute.”

“Anyone’s fine, just get someone up there.”

While I was tilting my head, Marie tried to make me participate. This person was kind of shameless.

It irritated me to remember about my sisters from this life and my younger sister from my previous one.

“R, right! If you don’t participate, then that woman over there will be in trouble! Right, Julian?!”

“O, oh, right. Anjelica is the class representative for the first-year students, after all. If she can’t prepare a substitute, it will put her ability into question or otherwise affect her reputation.”

When I looked at Anjie, she made a worried smile.

“Don’t worry about me. There’s no need for you to get hurt. I can’t inconvenience you any more than I already have.”

──That was a bit of a problem for me, though!

First off, why was it Anjie’s responsibility to find a substitute? Besides, if it was someone who was supposed to represent the class, then wasn’t Julian fine?

If her reputation was on the line, then no matter how many times I fell down, it still wouldn’t have bothered me.

At any rate, it was a problem if Anjie’s reputation dropped.

Anjie would end up getting in trouble in an effort to protect me! I couldn’t allow that!

After all, I owed Anjie’s papa a favor!

Even though I picked a fight with Julian, who was the crown prince at the time, I was alright since Anjie’s papa protected me.

Thanks to that, there was the bizarre result of being promoted, though. Leaving that aside, from the point of view of Anjie’s papa, his daughter’s reputation had been wounded due to what I did.

So what if I did as Anjie said? He would definitely be enraged. He’d likely resent me.

“──I’ll participate.”

“Huh?”

Livia was surprised.

Anjie was wide-eyed.

“Leon, if you’re being sympathetic──”

“It’s not sympathy! Go through with the procedures right away. Afterwards, prepare a bike.”

Once I said that, someone from the executive committee said “Alright. I’ll let everyone know~,” while leaving the medical office.

I wondered if they were going to tell everyone that I was about to get beat up.

“Leon, aren’t you being rash?”

Livia’s face of concern was radiant. However, it would’ve been bad if I didn’t participate.

“Rash? Nonsense. This is about pride!”

Anjie had a troubled expression, and seemed like she wanted to stop me from participating.

“Y, you can’t. Many of Clarice’s followers excel in handling airbikes. Last year’s prize winner was a boy who happened to be one of her followers. They’re people who play rough and do whatever they can if they feel like it.”

“Even so, there are times when one must act!”

Anjie and Livia seemed to have given up on stopping me after seeing my spirit.

“Leon──i, if you’re going that far, then there’s not much we can say anymore. I’ll be praying for your victory.”

“I, I’ll also cheer for you! I’ll be cheering you on, Leon!”

Thank you. Thank you all so much!

After all, with this, Anjie’s papa wouldn’t get angry.

If he got mad, I would’ve been dead.

Marie was delighted.

“If you’re up, then there’s no problem. I’d be glad even if you lose. And if you win, the prize money is mine. Yup, this is okay!”

──I might have been forgiven if I had driven my fist into her face right then and there. It was certainly thanks to Jilk that I was boosted up to the final race. However, I wouldn’t forgive them if they planned on taking all of the prize money.

When Jilk looked at me, he casted his eyes downward while seeming annoyed.

Did he hate me? I hated him too! I loathed him!

“──It seems that it’s up to you now.”

“Go ahead and cry tears of joy, you sly green chap. Consider this a debt.”

I made a slight smile while saying so.

“This will likely turn out to be a huge debt.”

“I’m fine with it, since I’ll repay it soon enough.”

I left the medical office in order to prepare an airbike for my participation.

“Luxon──we’ve got work to do.”

[Alright, Master.]