CH 33

“…!?”

Mimosa opened her lips with a face like she had been completely hit in the back of her head. The students and Libby, who heard my unexpected remark, all looked at me with surprised faces.

“Don’t lie! Why are you going to Damian’s personal lab?!”

“I told you from the beginning. That I have that rouge too.”

“But your lips are pink right now? The rouge is dark red!”

I lied blatantly. “Because it had been erased. I haven’t repainted it.”

Mimosa grumbled and tried to refute something, but I opened my mouth first. “Mimosa, do you remember what time it was when you found the coffee cup?”

Mimosa answered my question with a displeased look. “…It was probably around 9:30. Because I got out of the carriage before that.”

“Damian and I met on the way from the dormitory to the main building around 9:00, went straight to his lab, and drank coffee. By the way, you know I live in a dormitory, right?”

Judging by Mimosa’s sullen expression, she must have heard the news.

When I began to logically solve the situation, the students listened with interest. I looked back at Libby.

“Libby, what time did you arrive today?”

“It was probably around ten o’clock.”

That’s right. That’s the school time set for Libby.

You have to go to school early on purpose to meet Damian. The stamina required for the ‘special action’ was consumed at that time. Usually, in a game like this, when working on a certain character’s likeability, it is like using a ticket that allows you to see someone once a day or using the stamina from the stamina gauge.

[The Constellations cheer and applaud.]

I heard the constant sound of notifications in my ears, but now wasn’t the time to look at the system windows.

Murmur!

“What? Then the time matches, right?”

Mimosa responded with a red-hot face when she was cornered. “That’s just your claim!”

“We can tell immediately when the time the carriage came in just by looking at the logbook.”

“Hiik…”

I kindly suggested. “How about it? Do you want to go check it out together?”

Mimosa could not answer.

The game is over.

Mimosa also only stared at me with an expression of realization that she had lost. I gladly waited for her to say something first and admit her own defeat.

She’s rude but not a character who forces someone to do anything. It was because she was crazy about her love for a moment. Still, Mimosa was able to distinguish her own matter as she was a princess with imperial blood.

Mimosa admitted with a look of resentment on her face. “…I admit my mistake. Libby Squire, I’m sorry I doubted you. I will write a formal apology for today and post it on the bulletin board.”

Ding!

[Quest: Get an apology from Mimosa.]

▸Reward: Decrease the number of Demisa members, and increase the number of Clybe members.

…How is this a reward? Now that I saw it, it was clear why the system didn’t show the reward because it was terrible.

“But Theresa.”

The quest was over, but Mimosa and I weren’t yet done.

“Why were you and Damian in the lab together?”

Mimosa looked very cold and rational, unlike before,  when she was like a mad colt running wild angrily.

No. What is rational? Her eyes are averted. Those light purple eyes, as pretty as jewels, glittered with madness that she wouldn’t stand still if I didn’t explain accurately.

I definitely knew this question would come up… though I hoped it wouldn’t come out.

I frowned with an expression that I didn’t understand Mimosa asking this question. “Damian has succeeded in becoming the vice president of Valhalla. There’s no reason I, the Squire Scholarship Foundation board member, shouldn’t be alone with him.” Of course, I had never been left alone with him in the original.

Theresa, as the direct blood of Squire, didn’t have significant power in her family. The most valuable thing was the Squire Scholarship Foundation, which she didn’t even operate properly and was left to others.

Theresa was only interfering with that operation to put Damian at a disadvantage. Mimosa was well aware of that face, so she put on an expression she couldn’t understand.

“What’s the point of being alone with him when you always bullied our Damian?”

I took a deep breath for a moment. The moment I said these words, the ‘event’ would begin.

“I will select Damian West as my escort wizard.”

“…!”

This was originally an event triggered by Theresa in <God’s Play> when the player filled Damian’s two red hearts. Damian was originally a scholarship student who stood out from an early age. If it hadn’t been for Theresa’s interference, he would have become an escort and vassal of the family. So this was quite natural.

I didn’t want to make that obvious, but… My escort is an assassin. I didn’t know he would protect me or try to kill me.

Mimosa bit her lips with a furious look. No matter how imperial or princess she was, she couldn’t interfere in the matter of using someone else’s family scholarship student as an escort.

I smiled, then turned my head toward Libby. “Let’s go, Libby.”

“Yes!” Libby’s answer was exceptionally lively.

* * *

After the confrontation with Mimosa, things went peacefully. I had safely finished reading the book Professor Ilya gave me. I was going to throw away the rouge from Jannelle but decided to leave it alone. I mean, I was the one who revealed I went to Damian’s personal lab, but do I have to throw it away?

What was surprising was that Damian came to the dormitory that evening.

“Hi, Theresa.”

I looked at him with a puzzled look. “…You know it’s against school rules to visit the girl’s dormitory at this time, right?”

“I know. That’s why I’m here without being caught.”

His expression, as if asking, ‘I did well, right?’ made my blood pressure soar.

Of course he didn’t get caught. He’s an assassin.

“…Really? That’s a relief.”

Damian hesitated a little and opened his mouth carefully. “I heard what happened today. They said you would pick me up as your escort. Is that true?”

I nodded my head gently. “That’s right. It’s late, but I’ll sign a formal contract if you don’t mind.”

This was a guarantee of Damian’s right to enjoy. Becoming a vassal of a noble family is like promising a commoner, like Damian, to be treated as semi-noble. Damian wasn’t a person who would hesitate if he had the opportunity to naturally infiltrate the noble family. He would probably be happy with my offer.

As expected, Damian readily agreed. “I will. Become your escort.”

Ding!

[The Constellation ‘Romance Pass’ has sponsored 1,000 coins.]

[Let’s get married.]

I ignored the notification window and nodded. “Okay. I will tell my family.”

I was about to tell him to go now that his business was over. Damian suddenly got down on one knee and held my hand. It seemed that he was about to perform an oath to pay his respects to the lady he was supposed to guard. However, this wasn’t an action needed now as he hadn’t been officially appointed as my escort.

“You hadn’t been formally selected yet, so this—!”

Before I could finish my words, Damian kissed the back of my hand. Only the surface of his lips barely touched my skin, and the very light, itchy touch felt for a brief moment and parted away.

Damian raised his head, looked at me, and grinned. “Is that how you do it?”

Why is this assassin smiling so brightly…

Damian stood up, brushed his knees, and smiled brightly like a lamp. “I will get going now. Good night, Theresa.”

Am I mistaken if the warmth I feel comes from his smile, not the lamp’s light?

“Yes. You too.”

It was when Damien smiled with his eyes as if in response to my greeting and turned around.

Ding!

[The Constellation ‘Stock Genius’ has sponsored 1,000 coins.]

[Let’s check this character’s likeability. Doesn’t it smell like a sudden rise?]

I also had a strange feeling, so I immediately checked his likeability.

[Likeability: 1]

Huh? When did it change to red heart?

It was clearly a black heart until the morning, but I didn’t think I did anything to overturn his thought. Even in the original work, if there was a decisive event, the black heart could change into a red heart at once or vice versa. It was like choosing well when the answer options popped up or solving a major event well.

No matter how much I think about it, the change is too immediate and fast. Of course, this wasn’t a game, so it was natural. I could see their likeability, but they’re human beings, not AI.

“…”

It was a bit scary and depressing. I didn’t want to give affection to the characters. I also didn’t want to be connected emotionally. That way, I could escape to paradise without regret.