Volume 1 - CH 23.2

VOLUME 1: Chapter 23 – Job Change

The next day, what was waiting for me when I went to the Princess’s room was a commotion as if the engagement has been established.

For some reason—rather, I know the source of the rumors—the rumor was spread far and wide at a fearsome rate because I went to work wearing the bracelet of the goddess Refelia, so it’s no wonder other people misunderstood. Even if I tell them that is an amulet, a magical tool, no one will believe me.

—But, but! I do not mind dreaming that this bracelet operates on a different manner.

To me who desperately explained amidst the fuss of my fellow ladies-in-waiting, the words of the female thief Milly-sama who barged into the room was the finishing blow.

“Aria, you got the bracelet?! Congrats! Earlier, when Greed was doing [Analysis], you underwent a job change!”

“—Huh?”

“Job change. Your occupation has changed, Aria. Or should I say, it is more like it was added?”

“What? Added?”

Not understanding her meaning, I gaped. Occupation? My occupation is a lady-in waiting, but what was added to it?

Milly-sama told the befuddled me with a radiant smile.

“The [Fiancée of the Hero] was added. Congrats, Aria!”

“……[Fiancée of the Hero] . . .”

………

………Fi—

—Fiancée of the Hero?!

Is, Is that . . . because of this bracelet . . .

Oh yeah, that’s right. Whether it is a magical tool or an “amulet’ as what the Hero insisted, wearing the bracelet on the left wrist means that it is an engagement bracelet!

……Ahaha!

Hahahahahahaha……ha…….

I felt dejected on the spot; my knees and hands fell on the floor.

—What to do?

Engagement? Is the engagement established?

Is the outer moat filled up? Eh, completely? My mob life’s biggest—no, including the scene in the hall, this is the second shocking event in my mob life.

A beautiful woman approached me, who was shocked about the engagement—it’s the Princess.

Princess Louise came beside me, who was crestfallen, and not minding that her dress would get dirty, she kneeled and asked me.

“Aria, do you hate Greed-sama?”

I slowly raised my face.

“I—don’t hate him.”

It is mysterious. Even though I’m driven into a dilemma like this, even though I was in trouble, I don’t think I hate Greed-sama.

Is it because he saved the princess? Or maybe because I remembered how he comforted me when I asked him to help the princess? At that time, he was certainly my hope. The Princess was kidnapped even though she was by my side but Greed-sama gave me, who was in the abyss of despair, a light of hope.

……Of course, it is not because I got the finest tea leaves, okay?

The Princess smiled when she heard my answer.

“That’s what I also thought. Even in my eyes, you do not seem to hate him. Is that why you cannot refuse him bluntly?”

“It’s only because it is a situation where I can refuse easily.”

The other person is the Hero, a state guest. There’s no way I can treat him cruelly.

“But if you really hate him, Aria, you would have told him blatantly. But since that is not the case, doesn’t it mean that deep inside, you are responding to Greed-sama’s feelings? It’s just that right now, the situation changed quickly and you just don’t think about it because of what you heard from the people around you. I think that it will surely bear fruit if you deepen your relationship more slowly over time…… I also wish that Greed-sama shouldn’t have carried such things hastily and should have waited for Aria’s heart to decide. I wonder why he is in such a hurry.”

After thinking for a while for the words to say, I replied. “Maybe he does not want to be married on the same day as the Princess’s marriage.”

Well, he told me about going home to Elusion with me.

“My marriage is still being discussed by the two countries so it is not going to happen soon. So I think there is plenty of time……”

After mumbling suspiciously, the princess suddenly smiled at me and said. “Although it is not good for you, I was thinking, what if Aria will come to Elusion with me? Actually, Rufus-sama seems to have decided to visit the territory including the summer villa and the village where Greed-sama lives. So with the villa as the residence, Rufus-sama, as well as Greed-sama and the others, thought to make it as their base. Everyone will live together while there is no request for the suppression of demons, Aria.”

My jaw dropped. Since when was the future of the Princess and Rufus-sama laid out? It was just a few days ago when I was proposed to in the hall, right?

……You work fast, Rufus-sama!

“Ufufu.” The princess laughed delightfully. “I will feel reassured if Aria will unite with Greed-sama and come to Elusion. Living without having to change our lifestyle until now, the two of us will wait for the return of the Hero’s party while drinking tea. Won’t it be fun?”

A life that is same as it is now…… As soon as I thought about that, a certain image appeared in my mind.

—It was a beautiful afternoon. I brewed a carefully selected tea as usual and handed it over to the princess, who was surrounded by elegant furnishings.

The princess smiled as she drank it. However, she suddenly looked out the window, frowned and said.

“I wonder if the Hero and the others are all right.”

To appease the princess’s anxiety, I answered with a smile.

“It’s alright, Princess. Because Greed-sama and the others are not mob characters.”

“You’re right. Our husbands will not be beaten so easily.”

Face to face, the Princess and I laughed with each other.

Such a gentle afternoon scenery, surrounded by favorite things and people I like—

My heart shook.

—It seems nice but that won’t do.

It was a life that is almost the same as now. However, there are no haughty daughters of nobles who say hateful things! I will not receive a scolding from the senior lady-in-waiting!

“See? Isn’t it nice?”

Apparently, it seems that I said out loud my delusions. The Princess grabbed my hand and smiled.

“Ye-Yes, it seems nice……”

Forgetting about something, I returned a smile.

Milly-sama, who was observing us, mumbled, “Hey, although you said, ‘our husbands’, is that okay—?”

She used tsukkomi, but it did not reach my ears.

The brilliant, golden engagement bracelet caught my eyes and remembered something I had forgotten—that is, Greed-sama  is going to be a constant in that life—and I threw the delusion I had five seconds ago into the trash bin in my brain.

“It’s not nice after all——!!”

Six seconds later, my scream echoed throughout the Princess’s room.

My name is Aria Milford, 18 years of age.

My occupation is Princess Louise’s lady-in-waiting A.

But apparently, it seems that my job was changed into “The Fiancée of the Hero” from now on——

*** END OF VOLUME 1 ***

Ah, ah, ahem… Mic test.

Hello, everyone. Thank you for putting up with my amateurish translation. I am fluent in English but I am not a literary writer so translating this was a struggle for me. Anyway, I want to give my comments as a reader of this novel. This novel focuses more on Aria, as the POV is hers, and her struggles with the Hero, Greed. I’m a little dissatisfied, because Greed doesn’t have his own POV.  He is always described in a negative way by the heroine. I want to know his side, too. I can’t just judge the situation based on Aria’s POV.

And . . . even though this story is classified as a ‘romantic comedy’, I can’t help it but feel melancholic. Hey, don’t you guys think that this is bittersweet? Aria is troubled because of the attention of the Hero on her, and as a woman, I can sympathize with her. She has a complex, since she is used to the fact that she is only a side character, a person of little value. I don’t know about Greed but based on the facts so far, I pity him. He possessed enormous powers but I think he is lonely. He puts up a wall and guards his heart well, even to his childhood friends, in order to control the spirits. He does not allow himself to feel emotions. Isn’t that sad? And now that he met Aria, he wants to love her. But because of his status as a Hero, there is the possibility of Aria being harmed. Isn’t it painful when the one you love suffers because of you?

Sigh . . .

Ah, before I end, I will be super, mega, ultra busy starting September with school (T^T). And I still don’t have raws from Oniisan. I don’t know when will be the next release but please, be rest assured that if I haven’t posted for a while, this novel is not dropped. Okay?

See you next time! Happy weekend!