The Villainess in the Romance Fantasy Is Strange - Chapter 67



67. Nineteen, the time to become an adult (3)

Meanwhile, this is the waiting room on the first floor where Leah and Iris are.

Iris, who watched the duel between Cain and Bern with her close friend Leah, was filled with pure admiration.

“Wow… … . Leah, did you see that just now? Your fiancé is really amazing… … !”

My man felt good because he was being praised, but the person he was talking to was none other than Iris’s second older brother, Bern von Edward, who was kept secret. It would be a lowly thing to show happiness here.

“Ahem. Well, it seems like the opponent wasn’t bad either. It was a close match until the middle, but my boyfriend won by a single point.”

So, on the outside, she pretended it wasn’t like that and said it was a close fight, but she couldn’t hide the pleasant breath flowing out of her heart. Leah smiled secretly and shrugged her shoulders.

“Seriously, that’s the level you need to be the 2nd place student in your 3rd year… … But if 2nd place is this good, how strong is 1st place student Leah?”

Iris muttered as if she was truly impressed and glanced at Leah.

“You know, Leah. If Leah and your fiancé had a serious fight, who would win? But Leah is the top student, so Leah would win, right?”

“No, I lose.”

“Huh? You’re saying you’re going to win? Why? Leah is top of her class. She beat her fiancé, so she’s going to graduate as top of her class, right?”

“Well, that’s true, but… … .”

As Iris said, all the official ranking matches held within the academy were her victories. However, those were victories that Cain got for free because he insisted that he would rather die than lay a hand on Lady Leah in front of others. The reality was completely different.

10 wins out of 10 official matches.

2 wins, 98 losses in 100 unofficial matches.

The winning percentage of a duel between just the two of them in the Elebeth family’s training hall, where no one is watching, is only 2%.

98 to 2. That’s the current gap between himself and Cain.

“Yeah, that’s true, isn’t it?”

However, I couldn’t tell Iris about these miserable actual odds.

Since it was an unofficial match, the record itself was confidential, and if I were to honestly confess that I won only twice out of a hundred fights, and that victory was achieved after I made Cain let his guard down with a surprise kiss, wouldn’t that be embarrassing?

Even after winning twice like that, Cain was always conscious of surprise kisses during sparring, so he never won.

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“Oh, maybe.”

As if something had come to mind, Iris tapped Leah on the shoulder.

“What does the word ‘jin’ mean? Win during the day and lose at night… something like that?”

‘… … What is this brat talking about?’

Leah, who was about to slap him without realizing it, barely stopped herself right before she could speak and swallowed. However, Iris, who misunderstood her reaction, laughed and poked Leah’s arm.

“Ah, that’s right? Well, Leah’s fiancé was gentle in front of others, but he would get violent when they were alone together.”

“… … .”

“Normally he would give in with a smile, but at night he completely changes and beats Leah… … ?”

I don’t really know why there’s an accent on the word ‘eat’, but I guess I do.

Leah pretended not to hear what the third princess, Iris, was saying.

“Ah, Leah would be nice~.”

“… … .”

As Leah stared straight ahead without saying anything, Iris began to think that it was time to stop teasing her.

“Leah, your fiancé. What are you going to do after you graduate from the academy?”

“… … We are talking about this and that.”

Cain himself said that he wanted to join the Black Lion Knights, but his older brother, Ruin Reinhardt, the acting head of the Reinhardt family, told him not to. He was still young, so he could join later after experiencing many things in the wider world, and he was trying to persuade Cain to do something else for now.

“Nothing has been decided yet, right?”

“Oh, really? Haven’t you decided what you’re going to do yet?”

“Yeah, whatever.”

That’s true, but why are you asking?

The moment I opened my mouth to ask if there was anything I was curious about.

“Well then. If it’s okay with your fiancé, could you ask him if he’d like to be my bodyguard?”

Iris made an unexpected suggestion.

“Cain, you are Iris’s escort knight… …?”

“Yeah.”

I asked again without realizing it, wondering if I had heard correctly, and Iris nodded.

‘… … There must be many other talented people, so why our Cain?’

When Leah, who suddenly had such a question, asked with only her eyes, “Why?”, Iris quickly replied with a slightly excited face.

“Oh, that’s right. I’m also going to enter Bern Academy next year, right? But my father said that he absolutely needs at least one escort knight, and that he wouldn’t let me enter the Academy if I didn’t bring a knight with me.”

“ah…….”

“So, in order for me to go to the academy, I needed someone to be my exclusive escort knight. And right now, there’s a great prosecutor who’s like Leah’s fiancé in front of me, right? So, if my fiancé could be my escort knight, I think both my father and I would be able to feel at ease… … .”

In other words, during the three years that Iris attends the academy, she needs someone to protect her if something happens, and also run errands for her.

If Cain would take charge, it would be a good opportunity to connect with the royal family.

‘……however.’

Why don’t you want to do that?

I know in my head that it would be beneficial for both parties if Cain took on the role of Iris’s escort knight.

For some reason, I couldn’t accept it in my heart.

“… … No.”

So, before I could even start my logical thinking circuit, my mouth started moving on its own and started spitting out words.

“Huh? No? Why?”

Iris asked again, blinking her eyes in confusion.

“Uh… … . Well, that’s it.”

For some reason, I felt like I shouldn’t put Iris and Cain together, so I tried to deny it for a moment. But I couldn’t think of a good reason, so it was difficult to answer.

‘… What excuse are you making?’

This is a proposal that would be foolish to reject unless there is an overwhelming ‘reason’ that makes it impossible for anyone to reject it.

He knows it himself, and Iris probably knows it too. Even though she may have a naive side, she’s not a fool who can’t tell right from wrong.

So, I really need to come up with a plausible excuse… … .

“Him. That’s our him.”

Leah, who was thinking of an excuse while licking her lips, added stammeringly after five seconds.

“I’m going to be super busy starting this week.”

“You’re busy? Why? Aren’t the third-years not having any classes this week?”

“… … Oh, that’s it.”

“Your fiancé is the third son, so he won’t be receiving any training as a successor, and nothing has been decided yet, right? Then, wouldn’t it be okay for you to take your time thinking about your future while performing your duties as my bodyguard?”

“Oh, no. Not publicly, but privately, I’m going to be incredibly busy.”

“Huh? You’re going to be busy with personal matters? What do you mean… … ?”

Iris tilted her head as if she didn’t understand and stared at Leah. At that moment, Leah realized.

With his hastily made excuses, he could no longer dodge the conversation.

So she seriously thought about how to overcome this difficulty.

‘… … Ah, I don’t know.’

I opened my mouth with the mindset that whatever happens will happen.

“Us. You know that we’re getting married next year, right, Iris?”

“Yeah, right? I know that. But why?”

“… … That’s, that’s why. Before we got married.”

Indeed, is it right to say such things in front of a sixteen-year-old girl?

Leah was pondering for a moment, wondering if it was okay for her to live like this.

‘I know she knows everything anyway, she’s just being cheeky… ‘

I decided to just say it.

“We travel together, do fun things, and spend time together… … until the wedding time comes.”

“huh?”

“… … Ah, a child. I decided to have a child.”

“Uh… … ? Uh, ah. Ah… … .”

“But, the child might not be born as quickly as we thought. Maybe within a year after graduation, so if we don’t start working hard starting this week, we might not be able to make it.”

Leah, who had been rambling on without even realizing what she was saying, added a word.

“I’m going to be a little, no, a lot busy as I’m planning on trying hard with him as soon as the coming-of-age ceremony is over. So, although I really appreciate Iris-sama’s offer, I think it’ll be difficult for me to accept it… … .”

“… … Ah, aha! I see. Yeah, then there’s nothing I can do. Ah, child. No, the successor, the successor to the family is an important matter. Of course it can be like that… … .”

“Yes, yes… … .”

“… … .”

“… … .”

“… … But, Leah?”

Iris, whose cheeks turned bright red as she imagined something harsh, gently grabbed Leah’s sleeve.

“Well, if everything you just said is true.”

“Oh, yes.”

“Well, then. After you graduate, are you two going on a trip together? … … Oh, to have a baby?”

“… … .”

I feel like I was being a bit strict on purpose because I felt like he would give up if I showed him that the free time allowed for himself and Cain was limited. Did I go too far by saying that I was going to ‘try hard’ starting this week?

I felt regret right away, but the water was already spilled.

If I say no now, I’ll be lying, but if I say yes, I’ll have to go on a trip that wasn’t in my plans… … It’s a real dilemma.

Iris was wondering what to say to give the correct answer, but seeing Leah’s hesitation, she must have misunderstood something. Iris covered her mouth with a ‘Huk… …!’ face.

“Sir, you’re not going to go any faster? Like Leah just said, starting this week… … ?!”

“uh…….”

It was such an unexpected question that I paused for a moment. Iris seemed to have judged it as an unspoken affirmation.

“If you’re leaving this week, when are you leaving? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? Or this weekend?”

“… … But I still have to see the coming-of-age ceremony festival. It’s, it’s this weekend, right?”

“This weekend… … . Oh, then. If I do really well, I might be able to have a baby next year?”

“Well, really? If everything goes well during the trip, it’ll be fine as a baby… … .”

“Then, then! If it goes well, please contact me first. We’re friends, right? So I want to be the first to congratulate Leah. Got it?”

“… … Ah, yes.”