CH 41

“So, what’s going on?”

“You-you’re too close! What is this?”

“I mean… as soon as I take my eyes off you, you’ll run away.”

“I’m not running away from you!” That was what I thought, but my blood flow pulsed at an extraordinary speed because of his hand which was firmly placed on my stomach. Certainly, it was me who got into trouble when Mika took his eyes off me for a moment. But still, the current situation, where it was like I’m being hugged from behind in between Mika’s legs as he sat on the bed, was clearly out of the ordinary.

Come here, his hand gestured to me. Because I had wandered up to him, I was put in a frightening situation.

We are both wearing clothes made of soft fabric after bathing, so I think the close contact is extraordinarily high.

(Huh… Really, what is this!?)

After that time…

A discussion was held bridging Tillois and Leon about the mayor’s misdeeds. As an outsider, I couldn’t be present there, so I asked Tillois to take care of the mayor, then Mika and I returned to the room that had been prepared for us. We split up for the day, with everyone agreeing to talk about Vivienne again tomorrow. I took off my muddy clothes, bathed in turn with Mika, and then he called me over.

I’m barely sitting on his lap, but there was no way I could talk with him holding me from behind like this.

When I returned from the mine, I was so grateful that Mika was there, but now I just wanted to run away.

The smell of Mika after bathing, the smell of clean soft cloth, and the warmth of Mika’s body temperature spread slowly. I mean…

“I can’t talk when we’re in this position!”

“Shut up. It’s your fault for going missing on your own.”

“Ugh.”

When he said that, I remembered how sorry I felt and stopped moving. This situation was definitely weird, but I couldn’t argue with Mika and had no choice but to hold his hand from above, which was clutched tightly around my stomach.

“Like I’ve told you, Vivienne said she remembered her previous life. I’m sure we’ll hear more about it tomorrow, but it seemed kind of credible.”

“She remembered her previous life? What is that supposed to mean?”

“It seems that she had read a book about this world. And so, Vivienne knows the future. She will be executed next year because of Baroness Tessier. She said that Brother Seth is going to be executed for assassinating His Majesty, and I’m going to be called a devil and get executed. She wants to prevent that from happening, so she asked for help.”

“……Did you believe that?”

I could feel the tension in Mika’s hands.

It’s obvious, but if I believed such a thing, it’s the same as strutting along as a proud member of the crazy people group. I didn’t know what to say, so I decided to tell him the same thing I told Tillois.

“She said something that only I knew. And then, she also knew about the cave-in.”

“What’s something only you know, Nagi?”

To be precise, she only asked me a leading question. The truth was that the future that Vivienne had told me was right according to my first life, which was already a reason to believe her, but I didn’t have the courage to tell Mika about it.

“It’s a secret, because I’m the only one who knows about it.”

“Is it something that I don’t know?”

“Yeah. Something that you don’t know.”

Exposed to Mika’s probing eyes, I quickly looked away.

Just because we were childhood friends, just because I chose him as my personal knight, it didn’t mean I had to share everything with him.

“Besides, even you must have a secret or two, Mika.”

When I said this while glancing back at Mika, he stopped moving for a moment, then narrowed his eyes with a somehow suggestive air, and said meaningfully,

“Well, I guess… I do have a secret?”

“What is it?”

“I won’t tell. You won’t tell me your secret either, Nagi.”

I’m a little annoyed, wondering why he said it in an atmosphere like implying something. Again, for some reason, I almost remembered Mika surrounded by beautiful women the other day, and I shook my head a little bit.

I don’t know what his secret is, but then Mika said, “Well, I guess it’s mutual,” and seemed to think about it for a bit. Then he changed the subject and asked me.

“Why are you getting called a devil and got executed, Nagi?”

“I don’t really understand it. Vivienne says I indulge in debauchery to spite my unfulfilled love. A devil who seduces and discards both men and women, she said.”

“…Unfulfilled love?”

“She said it was a forbidden love with Brother Seth.”

Hearing that, Mika burst out laughing.

I thought he would react to the word “seduce and discard” or “indulge in debauchery,” but he unexpectedly responded to the word “unfulfilled love,” which made me feel nervous inside. But I decided to tell him about the fact that Vivienne really thought so when she read the book.

Because Mika knows how much I adore Brother Seth. He knew, and he asked me a question while laughing as if making fun of me.

“I knew that you liked your brother, but to that point?”

“Of course that’s not true.”

“Then the future that she was talking about is wrong.”

“But if my brother is really going to be executed, I’ll be in trouble.”

That’s right. For some reason, the future that Vivienne mentioned— that is, the story of the book, is somehow a little different from my first life. I do think her story is based on facts, but something is off.

I’m not quite sure what it is.

If what she says is the real future, then I would indulge in debauchery. What would make me do that? I wonder if I really had an unfulfilled love affair with Brother Seth in the book.

I feel like it would be wrong to base my thinking on that book, which may or may not exist.

As I was thinking, Mika’s hand rubbed my stomach.

Unlike Mika’s ripped abdomen, I don’t like having my unreliable stomach touched, it feels uncomfortable. I was about to complain, but Mika spoke up first.

“Hey, earlier… When I went to pick you up, didn’t you seem so close to Miss Vivienne and that miner?”

“Yeah. Vivienne said I had a beautiful face, so I thought I’d practice my seduction technique.”

“What? Huh, you did that on purpose? Being a seductive evil.”

“Of course not. I have nothing to offer but my face.  I just thought it would be nice if I could make use of it.”

Yes, I knew that even though I had run away from a lot of social gatherings, I was still appreciated for my face.

The silver hair I inherited from my mother is uncommon, and although I don’t know for sure, people said I have a well-defined face.

I can also tell from Vivienne’s attitude. She talked about my face so much, so I guess I should count that as a weapon.

It wasn’t something I had to work on by myself or anything, which was embarrassing, but I start to feel grateful that I have it rather than nothing.

…That was until Mika, who got carried away, said something strange.

“Hmm. Then, do that to me, too.”

“What?”

“Seduce me, too.”

“What the hell is he talking about?” I thought in annoyance. With that conversation flow, why did he say that he wanted to be seduced? But, that’s right, when I thought about making an effort to be liked, I remembered thinking about using Mika as a test subject. Though, I was really thinking of using him as a test subject, like testing a magic plant or a love potion on him.

But when I thought about it, I realized it was the easiest thing in the world to seduce Mika.

I don’t need to remember the scene where Antoine the Villainess is trying to manipulate various nobles.

All she was doing was acting and creating the mistaken impression that perhaps she has feelings for the other party. Also, the impression that she only has feelings for that one person. And then, those men who mistakenly believed that they could understand her, simply contributed to the fantasy of a girlfriend they imagined themselves.

(After all, I don’t have to pretend to like him…)

I looked at Mika, who was smiling widely, and muttered quietly, “Okay.” I also ended up getting carried away. I slid my fingers on Mika’s cheek that was around my shoulder. I stare into Mika’s wide mouth, and perhaps this is what I really want to do… I ended up thinking that way. Slowly, and naturally, my lips opened.

I didn’t want to think about what it was that I wanted. But I had the urge to want it. My eyebrows naturally relax. I might have looked at Mika’s lips lustfully. A pant escapes me. Then I raised my eyelashes and slowly looked into those jade eyes.

A raspy, whispery voice slipped out of my mouth.

“Mika.”

“……Ah. Wait, stop. I was wrong. You’re right, that could be very effective.”

“Is that so?”

Mika, with his eyes wide open and looking surprised, held his mouth with his hand and looked away awkwardly. Look at his reaction, I thought.

(I won!)

No, on second thought, this was a state of winning a game and losing the tournament.

Slowly, I began to wonder why I had looked at Mika’s lips so lustfully, and a feeling of impatience spread over me. I hurriedly changed the topic.

“Even if you don’t fully believe in it, it shouldn’t be a bad idea to consider such future possibilities.”

“The Rubrum you mentioned earlier?”

“Right. I felt like Rashed Rubrum was unfathomable. And I think it’s true what Machina’s brother said about being afraid of the silence of the Rubrum Empire.”

“So, for the time being, we should be careful with Baroness Tessier and protect Mistress Vivienne?”

I was hoping for us to get more details from Vivienne tomorrow, and then I want Mika to make a decision after hearing her explanation.

But hearing the name of Baroness Tessier from Mika’s mouth makes me a little nervous.

“T-that’s… I hope Baroness Tessier doesn’t get too close to you as well, Mika.”

“Huh? Well, if His Highness Vincent is always that close to her, I wouldn’t be able to get close even if I wanted to investigate.”

“I see.”

I wonder why Mika seems so strangely happy. But as I was thinking that, I was hugged from behind and my face scrunched up.