༺ Poor Guy ༻
I was leaving the mansion’s courtyard, making my way to Isolet’s house.
“Phew…”
My heart was already troubled, but it became even more so due to what happened just now.
“……..”
Lulu and Irina, who had been sticking close to me, seemed to have noticed my mood, quietly observing me.
“Um, Frey…”
After gazing out the window for a while, Irina, who was by the window, cautiously spoke up.
“A-Are you okay? I mean, really okay?”
“…Yeah, don’t worry.”
“Hmm…”
My response, while somewhat reassuring, didn’t seem to satisfy Irina, and she continued to wear a concerned expression, lost in thought.
– Ssk…
After a while, she unexpectedly leaned her head towards me.
“D-do you want to pet it?”
As her dog-like ears, which were still perked up, came into my view, I couldn’t help but smile.
“B-but being a pet is my duty…”
However, Lulu, who had been restless beside me, shouted loudly while closing her eyes tightly, causing a brief silence.
“Ah… I see. That’s right. This is what they call ‘a pet,’ isn’t it?”
Irina nodded with a newfound understanding.
“Huh?”
Then, she suddenly grabbed my hand and guided it towards her.
– Soft.
“T-touch me, Frey.”
And after a moment, as I was feeling the soft and squishy sensation, Irina blushed and spoke in a shy voice.
“If there’s a methodology to touching pets, then there must be a separate method for touching humans.”
After saying that, she continued to move gently while still holding my hand.
“Transformation magic… You… a dog…”
“…I-If you don’t like it, just forget it!”
However, she suddenly let go of my hand and turned away, her face flushed, looking out of the window. Why was she acting like this all of a sudden?
By the way, it seemed like Lulu was trying to say something.
“M-Master.”
While I was thinking about that, Lulu, who had been discreetly watching me, poked my side and cautiously asked a question.
“That Roswyn… What are you going to do about her?”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you tell her that if she wanted to have a talk with you, she should bring a flower…”
Upon hearing that, I furrowed my brows slightly and replied.
“There’s no way Roswyn still has my flowers. So, the reason for me to keep visiting her… I mean, in one way or another, she won’t have a reason to come looking for me.”
“Ah…”
“But why are you asking about that?”
Lulu quickly averted her gaze before saying.
“It’s natural for pets… to guard against strangers…”
“…Pfft.”
Finding her cute, I quietly petted her head as my mind began to wander .
‘From now on, I need to completely distance myself from Roswyn.’
I had to treat Roswyn coldly until the final battle was over.
Rumors had already spread that I had feelings for her, so I needed to let everyone know that our relationship had changed so that she wouldn’t become the Demon King’s target.
Therefore, even if she sent letters or gifts, I would return them all.
She would become the closest aide of the Fake Hero Party in the second year and would be monitored by the Demon King. So I had to be thorough.
– Frey.
While I was thinking about that, suddenly, Irina’s voice echoed in my head.
“…..!?”
– I just have something I’m curious about…
I wondered if I misheard, but the voice echoed in my head again. It seemed like Irina used telepathy magic.
‘…In any case, it’s quite impressive.’
How could she use such top-level magic so easily? Moreover, Irina hadn’t even fully recovered her mana circuit.
Is this girl really a human?
– I-I’m a human! I’m a human, okay!
‘Huh?’
For a moment, I had a foolish thought while looking at Irina, but when my thoughts seemed to have been exposed to her, Irina sent a message in her sullen voice.
– That girl, Roswyn, if she apologizes later and tries to cling to you, you won’t act like a pushover and accept her back as if nothing happened, right?
“Huh?”
– You’re always so kind, almost like a pushover, aren’t you? It’s to the extent that I wonder how there can be such a good person like you in the world. I’m worried about you, you know? I’m worried.
Upon hearing that, I smirked and replied inwardly.
‘There’s nothing for you to worry about, so put unnecessary concerns aside. I also clearly know what I should do.’
– Really?
‘Yeah, initially, I only needed you.’
“…Heiiikk!”
I didn’t know why, but she sounded quite anxious, so I jokingly put on a sly expression and conveyed it like that. But then, Irina, who had been looking out the window, screamed.
“So annoying… It was obvious that you were only joking… but I’m always the one who feels all flustered…”
‘What I need right now is not the Helper System but you, you know?’
– S-shut up!!
When I once again slyly said that through telepathy, she clutched her chest and slumped by the window.
“Hmm.”
As I briefly observed Irina, who was acting like that, I soon found myself lost in thought after looking at the system window in front of me.
‘Although there was a hint of exaggeration, it wasn’t really a joke.’
Over the past few days, I have studied the Affection System and discovered a few things.
The Affection System list included people with whom I had a potential connection.
I must also “like” the other person to progress into the relationship or complete the conquest.
Note that in this context, “liking” someone meant liking them as a romantic interest.
“Hmm…”
Therefore, the conquest status of many sub-heroines had changed to “suspended” because right now, I simply didn’t have a reason to like them romantically.
Lulu
[Conquest Complete]
Details…
Well, things might change if there was a catalyst, like in the case of Lulu.
Roswyn Solar Sunset
[Conquest Route Closed]
Details…
For the most part, some people might never change, no matter what.
– Ding!
A light sound suddenly rang out while I was absentmindedly gazing at the system window, causing me to furrow my brows deeply.
Isolet Arham Bywalker
[Conquest Progress: 81%]
Details…
“This is driving me nuts…”
Now was not the time to think about Roswyn. At the very least, I already decided on all the countermeasures for her.
For me, the most urgent matter right now was “Isolet.” The Conquest Progress hadn’t been going up for the past few days, but for some reason, it went up by another 1% just now.
If it continued like this, the Conquest Progress would reach 100% the moment we met, right? That would be quite troublesome.
I put in so much effort to ensure she wouldn’t worry about me; it would be a waste if everything went in vain.
By the way, if her Conquest Progress was still ongoing, did that mean I have feelings for Isolet?
But I didn’t really feel any such emotions. So, this situation was just a mystery to me.
– Beep! Beep!
With an uncanny expression, I closed the system window and was about to lean back when I heard a signal coming from somewhere.
“Serena?”
I rummaged through my inner chest pocket and took out a communication crystal, and it turned out that Serena was calling me. Why was she contacting me all of a sudden?
“What’s going on?”
Daytime Serena was definitely a target I needed to deceive, so I asked in a cold voice. However, a sweet voice responded from the crystal.
– Hehe… Freyyy… the things that you just said, is it trueeee, oh?
“…What?”
– A-about getting married. You said y-you’ll marry me… Continuing the lineage means… that you’ll have a child with me, right?
Upon hearing those words, I could intuitively sense how things had unfolded.
Perhaps, Daytime Serena had attached some sort of surveillance device to Roswyn.
– P-please give me some more time… I haven’t studied how to maintain a good relationship yet. I’ll diligently study by borrowing documents and books from the Imperial Library.
“Listen…”
– Um, what should we name the child? Since the moon and the stars have met, I’ll come up with several words related to that. Oh, and I’ll prepare clothes and baby toys…
“……..”
Daytime Serena was so excitedly muttering that I found her adorable, so I listened to her without saying a word for a long time.
– Human? Why are you rolling on the floor? Have you finally lost your mind since you cannot handle that level of intelligence?
“Phew…”
Upon faintly hearing Miho’s voice, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
– I should have realized it when you foolishly laughed for hours while holding the ring in your arms…
– S-shut up, Miho!
“Pfftt…”
“……..”
Amidst the chilly atmosphere between Irina and Lulu, I couldn’t help but laugh while listening to Serena’s insignificant actions.
“…Don’t get the wrong idea.”
Soon, I began to whisper coldly while hiding a deep sense of regret.
“It was not something I did because I like you.”
At that moment, Serena’s endless chatter abruptly stopped.
“It was just an excuse to get rid of that annoying woman. I have no intention of living a lovey-dovey life with you.”
In such a situation, I should act completely opposite my true feelings.
“Complete the request well. If you mess up even a bit, there won’t be any date.”
After maintaining my voice until the end of the sentence, I tried to disconnect the communication crystal.
– Sob, sob…
Just before cutting off the connection, I stopped my hand when I heard a miserable whimper from the crystal.
– B-but I’ve already ordered… baby clothes and toys…
“……..”
– Human? Why are you drooped on the floor again?
– I also just purchased [101 Ways to Satisfy a Man]… Sob…
Despite Miho’s question, she continued to murmur in a miserable voice.
– But still… Roswyn. I won against her, didn’t I? Y-yes, that’s right. Then it’s fine…
She paused her sobbing and then spoke with a forced cheerful voice.
– The fact that you used me means you still have some interest… F-Fine. I-I’ll work hard…by looking forward to our date!
She continued to mutter to herself for a while, then finally ended the connection with the crystal.
“…Gulp.”
My fiancée was so cute that I might go crazy.
Was she always this cute?
“We’re almost at our destination~!”
Truly, for the first time in a long while, I felt a flutter in my heart and was immersed in a pleasant afterglow. But then the coachman informed us that we were almost at our destination.
“Hm.”
Probably, once we get off here, we will soon meet my younger sister, Aria, and Isolet.
Is Aria doing well? Is she eating properly?
How should I treat Isolet? I’ll have to somehow lower her affection level. Is there any way?
“Let’s go.”
As I prepared to get off the carriage with such thoughts in mind, I spoke in a low voice when the slowing carriage came to a halt on the road.
“As expected, I’ll need help from both of you.”
.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, at that moment…
“What…?”
“Well, Frey is here?”
Isolet, who had been lying on the bed, heard unbelievable news and had a dumbfounded expression.
“Why is that guy…?”
“I don’t really know either. I just received a message a moment ago.”
“Uh, um…”
After hearing that, Isolet had been dazed for a moment.
“…Then I should start getting ready.”
“Huh, huuuuh?”
She forced her tired body to rise and murmured.
“There are some things to check… I can’t meet him like this.”
“The doctor clearly said you wouldn’t be able to get up for a week…”
“What are you doing? Let’s prepare to greet him.”
“Y-yes!”
As the servant hurriedly left the room, Isolet headed to the door with a sigh.
“…Hmm.”
She stopped her steps and looked down at the paper in her hand.
– Letter of Appointment –
[You are hereby appointed as the official swordsmanship instructor for the Youngest Paladin of the Church.]
[As the Youngest Paladin will visit your home today, there’s a special note you should keep in mind…]
Isolet had been staring at the letter of appointment the Sun God Church sent for a long time.
“…Poor guy.”
Saying that, she left the paper on the desk and walked out of the room.
“He always only receives hatred…”
Soon, the sun was high in the sky.
TL/Note:
Seems like author had a massive brainfart. It was 85% before but now it’s 81 again. We’ll maintain what the author has written so far.
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