Chapter 27: The Imposter
“Ah, he was like a storm, wasn’t he…?”
Rouge muttered her thoughts, and it felt as if we had finally been released from a spell, able to move again.
“Haah… Seriously. He’s always been like that. It’s like he has this intense fixation, or maybe he’s just straight-laced about everything… I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, Lecty.”
“N-No! It’s just that, um, Hugh-san protected me. Thank you so much, Hugh-san!”
“I hardly did anything, though.”
It was Lily who had chased off the Idiot, and in the end, I had mostly just been hugged by Lecty. In fact, I was still being hugged now.
“Hey, Lecty? Aren’t you getting a bit too close to Hugh? How long are you going to keep hugging him?!”
“F-Feeh? I-I’m sorry!”
Realizing her proximity thanks to Rouge’s comment, Lecty hurriedly pulled away from my arm.
“Hugh, you too! Letting a girl hug you for so long! Honestly!”
While I appreciated her jealousy, I wondered how I could soothe her…
As I pondered, Lily approached and said with a hint of exasperation, “You’ve certainly become quite popular, haven’t you?”
“Come on, praise me, Lily. I haven’t crossed any lines yet.”
“Please don’t take pride in something so obvious. If you cross that line, it’s all over.”
Lily sighed, placing a hand on her forehead.
Then, fanning herself with a hand fan, she glanced around as if searching for something. Eventually, she pointed down the street, having found what she was looking for.
“Lecty, how about we have lunch at that cafe over there? I’m so thirsty after running. Hugh and Rouge, would you like to join us?”
“Sounds good. We were looking for a place to eat too. Is that alright, Rouge?”
“…If Hugh is okay with it.”
With Rouge still sulking, the four of us entered the nearby cafe. We first bought drinks and light snacks at the counter, and just as we did, a terrace table facing the street opened up, so we took a seat.
The three girls ordered a drink and sandwich set, while I decided to get a croissant as well since I wanted a bit more to eat.
The portions weren’t that large, but the prices were quite steep. The cost of living in the Royal Capital is pretty high. Back in my hometown, it would be a bit cheaper… No, wait, it was such a rural area that there wasn’t even a cafe.
“Um, thank you for buying my share, Lily-chan. I promise I’ll repay you someday…!”
“Hehe, I look forward to it. But don’t worry too much about it, okay? I want you to rely on me more, Lecty.”
“R-Rely on you…?”
“Yes. I want to give you anything you desire, and I want you to live as you wish. I want to see you grow under my protection, Lecty…! And then, I want you to become so dependent on me that you’ll do all sorts of things… Hehehe.”
“Lecty, if you ever feel in danger, come to me immediately, okay?”
“Y-Yes…!”
Lecty nodded vigorously, and I noticed her chair inching a little closer to mine. The seating arrangement around the round table was me, Lecty, Lily, and Rouge in that order. Lily, sitting across from us, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled softly.
It seemed she was deliberately acting the fool to keep Lecty from feeling too pressured.
“Still, I was surprised by that guy earlier.”
While eating her sandwich, Rouge began to speak. She seemed to be in a slightly better mood.
“He just suddenly rubbed his forehead against the ground. I was shocked that someone from House Hortness would do something like that.”
“Is House Hortness famous?”
“Yeah. It’s one of the oldest families in the kingdom. But that doesn’t mean everyone from there is great; they’re known for having a lot of arrogant and haughty people.”
“However, that arrogance is a reflection of pride. It’s true that House Hortness has made remarkable contributions to the kingdom. Even the Idiot, while undeniably arrogant and foolish, isn’t a complete bigot or villain. He has a pure side, like when he ran off to buy a bouquet of roses after falling in love at first sight.”
“He didn’t change his mind even after realizing Lecty was a commoner.”
I was honestly surprised by how moved he was by Lecty’s kindness… But if I thought positively, I could say he had a pure heart.
“…But I really don’t like that guy.”
“Well, I can understand that…”
For Lecty, the first impression was just too terrible. While she accepted his apology, there was also the fact that she had no choice but to do so at that moment. If it became known that a noble had to bow down, who knew what kind of trouble would arise?
“It seems like he’ll keep bothering you, Hugh.”
“Me? He’s definitely coming after me…”
He had mentioned something about waiting for me to wash my neck, so it was clear he believed Lecty’s lie.
“S-Sorry, Hugh-san! I dragged you into this because of me…”
“No… It can’t be helped.”
Lecty must have been flustered too, and under normal circumstances, that would have sufficed to brush off a regular proposal. This time, though, he was a tough opponent.
“I’ll properly refuse him again…!”
“Do you think he’ll give up that easily?”
“He probably won’t. He’s the type who keeps pushing until he gets what he wants.”
“That’s…!”
“Then I guess we’ll just have to endure until he gives up.”
“Right… For now, let’s have Lecty and Hugh pretend to be a couple in front of the Idiot.”
““Huh!?””
Rouge and Lecty responded in unison to Lily’s suggestion. Both of them seemed to have raised their voices in surprise, quickly covering their mouths in embarrassment as they drew attention from those around us.
“You’re not surprised at all?”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
Since Lecty had no intention of accepting the Idiot, the only way to make him give up was to make him think he had no chance. By pretending to be a couple, we could make him realize there was no opening to exploit. After that, we could introduce her to someone else to distract her from the Idiot.
Using the Brainwashing Skill would be the quickest way, but I couldn’t keep using it on the Idiot since I only had one target. Plus, if I released it, he would just revert back. It really is a troublesome skill to use on others…
“Um, but wouldn’t that trouble you, Hugh-san?”
“I’m already in this boat. You don’t need to worry about it. Just decide what to do based on Lecty’s wishes.”
“Hugh-san…”
Lecty looked down for a moment, deep in thought, then glanced at Rouge. Watching her, Rouge let out a small sigh.
“You don’t need to worry about me, Lecty. Hugh will make it up to me later.”
“Hey, what do you plan to make up for…?”
“That’s a secret! I won’t tell Hugh!”
Rouge said with a mischievous smile, winking at Lecty. It seemed that Lecty had made up her mind. She straightened her back and bowed her head toward me.
“I may be inexperienced, but please take care of me, Hugh-san! I will do my best to be your girlfriend!”
“O-Okay. Nice to meet you, Lecty.”
I responded, slightly overwhelmed by Lecty’s enthusiasm.
Even if it was just a ruse, I never expected to have a girlfriend. My school life was starting off with a bang before it even began.
I thought to myself that I wouldn’t be surprised by anything that happened from now on… But then…
Author’s Comment:
Thank you for 100,000 PV!
From next time, it will be Lily’s turn, not Lecty’s!
I apologize for the serious elements that will be introduced from here on out, but for those who aren’t fond of them, I’m sorry!