Chapter 7: The Maids’ Opinion of Me Changes Completely
From the next day, I immediately started running within the mansion grounds.
To get stronger, defeating monsters and leveling up is the best way, but in this world where the game has become reality, if you die, it’s probably game over.
To avoid getting killed, I need to ensure a sufficient safety margin.
So, I decided to start by building up my basic physical strength.
If I have stamina and speed, I can escape from monsters, after all.
“Ugh… this is tough!”
But, as the lazy villainous noble, I’m paying the price for the undisciplined life I’ve led, getting out of breath after just a little running.
Especially this past year, I’ve been living wildly, eating and drinking to excess. I’ve even put on some flab.
The maids in the mansion watched me with cold eyes.
“Haaah. I hear he boasted that he’d win the Martial Arts Tournament a year from now, but…”
“There’s no way someone like Cain-sama, the very picture of laziness, could do something like that.”
“He’ll probably give up soon anyway.”
Having been ill-behaved, I was disliked by the maids, and I could hear their whispers.
That’s subtly disheartening. But I ignore them and keep running.
The Martial Arts Tournament a year from now was mentioned in the game’s prologue, and Hero Abel was supposed to be its champion.
Hero Abel is the protagonist of this world, a cheat character specially favored by the gods, who adds numerous beautiful girls to his harem, starting with Servia, the Saintess.
To beat him, I can’t afford to waste a single day.
Because there’s no way I’m letting him take Servia, my absolute favorite character.
“But why did the Master change his attitude 180 degrees, deciding to treat Lady Servia warmly as family?”
“Well, apparently Cain-sama appealed directly to the Master. He supposedly gave Lady Servia a bouquet of baby’s-breath and vowed his love, saying he would absolutely protect her…”
“Eeh!? Isn’t that incredibly romantic!?”
“I think I might be starting to see Cain-sama in a new light!”
After running for a while, the maids’ gazes changed into something sparkling and ardent.
I can’t hear them very well, but it seems like rumors about yesterday’s events are spreading rapidly.
“Cain, do your best-oooooh!”
With a loud shout, Eris Onee-san ran up to me. She was in shorts, generously showing off her beautiful legs.
Servia was also in the same gym clothes, accompanying Eris Onee-san. Around Servia’s neck was a collar with a chain, like a dog’s.
Yeah, why…?
“Yahoo, Cain! We’ll join your special training too!”
“Really, Onee-san!? Thank you so much!”
I wanted to test if my game knowledge would work in this world, so this was extremely helpful.
There’s a limit to what I can try on my own, after all.
“Brother Cain! This is fun, like the games of tag we used to play, the three of us.”
Servia, smiling with her long hair fluttering, was as lovely as a fairy, and my heart couldn’t help but pound.
Servia being my fiancée is truly a dream too good to be true.
“Ah, yeah. It’s like old times, it’s fun!”
I clear my throat, trying to hide the grin that’s about to spread across my face.
“Brother Cain, I am your property. Please hold this collar’s chain tightly.”
Servia offered me the collar’s chain and dropped a bombshell statement.
“Huh!? Wha… What are you saying, Servia!?”
“Brother Cain! It’s an act. When we’re outdoors where people can see, I have to pretend I’m being abused…”
“Eh, ah. R-Right, that was the plan…”
We discussed and decided this just this morning, but actually doing it felt quite difficult.
But, it can’t be helped.
After all, Prince Leon seems to doubt whether I’ll properly follow his orders.
A gift and a written order from Prince Leon that forced me to think so were delivered this morning.
“Eris Onee-san, did you bring the Magical Camera that arrived from Prince Leon?”
“Yes, yes! Here it is!”
What Eris Onee-san took out was a portable Magical Camera—basically, a camera—that Prince Leon had sent over with the order, ‘Take a picture of Servia suffering and send it to me.’
It’s a magical item, one of only a few in the entire kingdom.
When you photograph a subject with this, it can transfer a still image onto paper. It was a magical item like a digital camera and printer combined. How convenient.
“With this, if we photograph Servia when she’s exhausted and prepare ‘A Picture of Servia Being Collared and Abused by Cain,’ it’ll be perfect!”
Eris Onee-san clapped her hands and exclaimed.
Even if it’s an act, it felt like such an immoral deed.
I couldn’t help but gulp.
“…This is all for a happy future with Brother Cain. I’ll do my best.”
Servia repeated her dashes until she was wobbly and exhausted.
“L-Like this…?”
I grabbed the collar of Servia, who had collapsed onto the ground, and looked down on her arrogantly.
“Yes, yes! Both of you have great expressions! Cain, you really have the imposing air of a villainous noble who’s working a pitiful beautiful girl like a slave and making her suffer!”
“R-Really…?”
“But you still look a bit embarrassed. Cain, let’s have you say some villainous noble-like lines to really set your expression!”
Eris Onee-san, holding the Magical Camera, started giving acting directions.
Come to think of it, Eris Onee-san did say she wanted to be a stage director or a scriptwriter. She’s really getting into this.
“What kind of request is that…!”
Th-This is troubling.
But this is also to deceive Prince Leon’s eyes and protect Servia to the end.
I gulped and delivered one of the game Cain’s famous lines.
“‘You are mine for life, Servia. Don’t even think you can escape.'”
“‘Yes, Brother Cain. I am yours alone for life.'”
Servia looked up at me with teary eyes.
Woah! Th-This expression of Servia’s is practically cheating, isn’t it?
It simultaneously stirred my sadistic impulses and my desire to protect her, leaving me with an indescribable feeling.
“Ooh, the expressions on both of you right now are GOOD! That’s it, that’s it!”
Eris Onee-san enthusiastically snapped photos of us like that.
“Th-This is seriously embarrassing…”
“But it’s fun.”
I-Is that so. Well, if Servia is enjoying it, then I’m glad.
My guilt lessens somewhat.
“Next, I’d like to try taking a picture of me being tied up with ropes by Brother Cain.”
Eh…?
“N-No! Th-That’s… please, spare me from that, seriously.”
“But, wouldn’t such a scene also be necessary…?”
Servia tilted her head, but there were just too many problems with that.
I really need to win the Martial Arts Tournament as soon as possible so we don’t have to do this weird acting anymore.
I renewed my determination.