First Year First Semester – Q of Hearts – Mansion (Part 7)

Note: Please don’t read it in the little pop-up for the reader. For some reason it doesn’t reflect my later edits (which I often make a lot of after publishing), so please click ‘view original’.

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“Huhu, I’m glad, Camille. You and Achille like each other, right?”

I get the feeling that information gets leaked to Royce-sama, each and every time. How mysterious.
Did Achille tell him about it?
No matter how good it is, even Royce-sama would find it impossible to actually peep on what happened inside the carriage.

Having returned to the castle, right now I’m having tea with Royce-sama who’s finished dealing with the post-processing of the incident. Achille was apparently busy with work or something, so he isn’t here.
The tea I have in Royce-sama’s room is very delicious, and each time it feels like I’ve gained a little something for free. Today’s black tea is exquisite as well.

“I’m glad… you say? You are, Royce-sama?”

“Of course. The two of you are my important friends, after all… That you two are openly in love with each other feels like a load off my back, you know.”

“…Was there some sort of burden that you had in regards to this, Royce-sama?”

“There was, you know. You were having trouble graduating from me, after all. I got watched pretty badly by Achille…”

Achille? He did that sort of thing?

“G-, Graduate, you say…?”

Speaking of which, at the count’s hideout he said the same thing as well, but… Just what does he mean?

“I said it earlier, right? That you overlapped me with somebody else, and adored them through me. For a long time now, I’ve always been wondering about it, but am I really that similar to that person…?”

“Something like overlapping somebody similar to you, I wouldn’t do…”

Having thought that far, it suddenly hit me. Could it be…

Just one person, comes to mind.
He’s incredibly similar him… But, I’m certain that he’s different to the one that’s before my eyes in real life.

“It couldn’t be…”

Is the person that Royce-sama talked about, the in-game him?

I unconsciously, unwittingly, overlapped and compared Royce-sama with the in-game him…?
While I was aware that this world was real, I looked for points that were similar with the game’s characters, and without realising it myself, compared them.

What I’ve been holding onto for these ten years, were love for the game’s Royce… No, a yearning for him. I sended up stacking those feelings onto the real him.
And Royce-sama who’s good at reading other’s feelings, has probably always noticed this.

“Royce-sama… I,”

What a rude attitude I’ve taken towards him for almost ten years. Instead of the real person, I’ve been yearning for a fake existence of my own convenience.

“Camille, did you like that person?”

“…No, rather than love, it was just yearning, I think. I understood that being with them was impossible, after all.”

I mean, it was a game character. And someone completely different from the current Royce-sama.

“I see…”

Royce-sama gazed at me.

“I’m sorry. It must have been uncomfortable, right? To have an imaginary person like that overlapped onto you for so long…”

I’d definitely hate it. To be seen through the filter of the in-game Camille.

However, inexpectedly, Royce-sama shook his head.

“That’s not true. The fact that you’ve always been by me, and protected me, is because of that imaginary guy after all.”

“Royce-sama… You’re too kind.”

What a magnanimous prince.
Accepting even me, who was holding onto selfish delusions, and always keeping me as a friend.

“From now on as well, I intend to protect you, Royce-sama. Because you’re my friend, and an older brotherly, or perhaps younger brotherly… important person to me.”

Royce-sama softly smiled. Even now, after he’s grown up, that smile is still the same as always.

“Me too. You’re my important friend, and though older sister is impossible… I think of you like a little sister, you know.”

He just declared that ‘older sister’ was impossible for meee!

※

After my chat with Royce-sama, I turned up to work for the first time in a while and was discovered by Achille, and he speedily walked towards me. Has he already finished work or something?
He stopped in front of my eyes, and with a grave expression, placed his hands on my two shoulders.

Since that incident in the carriage, I feel that the sense of distance between us has shrunk again.
It seems that Achille is completely in boyfriend mode. He’s been treating me even more protectively than before… I can’t get used to being treated like this, and it’s embarassing.

“Achille, what’s wrong? You’re making such a serious expression.”

“Who’s the person that you yearn for?”

“Yearn for? Ah-, could it be…!”

Achille… Didn’t you hear about this too quickly?
Even though I only just told Royce-sama, what a formidable guy.

Maybe Royce-sama and Achille don’t hide anything from each other. The friendship between men is a mystery.
But still, Royce-sama, you’re too loose-lipped… Even though you’re a prince.

I’d decided that I would also tell Achille the truth.
I-, It’s not perfect, but we are lovers, so I’d like to avoid weird misunderstandings.

“…I’ve said this to Royce-sama too, but it’s not a person that exists in reality, you know.”

Ah, he’s giving me a weird look. I might look like a cringeworthy woman right now.

“What kind of person are they?”

“Mnnnn, an ideal prince. He’s a little bit like Royce-sama, but… As expected, I’ve understood that they aren’t the same.”

“Hmmn… I wonder if it’s like the princes on white steeds that Déborah and Désirée have spoken to me about. Girls seem to like those types of stories, don’t they?”

“R-, rightright! He’s like that! An existence you yearn for!”

It’s a little different, but the point about being a prince that you yearn for is the same, so I’ll just go with this. If I don’t, it seems like things will get complicated.

Achille didn’t look like he was accepting it, but it looks like he’ll spare me more questioning, which saved me.

“Then, you really do like me back, right?”

“Mmn…”

When he asks me face to face, I get shy no matter what, and end up being stiff.

“Other people that you long for…”

“D-, Didn’t I say that there aren’t any!?”

No good, I was panicked and accidentally let out a bit of a loud voice. So embarassing.

“Really? You won’t cheat on me?”

“I said that I won’t, geez!”

To begin with, since it was the imaginary Royce-sama from the game, it’d be impossible to cheat anyway.
Achille… Surprisingly, I’m sort of seeing elements of a possessive boyfriend just under the surface, you know.

“You should know it too, right? I don’t have someone like th-… Ah-!?”

When I glared at Achille and was trying to refute him, I saw from over his shoulders a pair of blue eyes, sneakily watching us from a corner of the hallway.
It seems that Achille noticed the presence behind him as well, and turned around.

“Wh-… Royce-sama, what are you doing spying from the shadows!? Do you have business in the Magic Building?”

Even though he should have been resting in his room until just a moment ago. Honestly, he’s a prince you can’t let your guard down around.

“No, I was just watching over you two. I want to use you guys as a reference later, okay?”

I’m hugely questioning what exactly he plans on using this as a reference for.

“Not, ‘okay?’! Even though you’re a prince, aren’t your information gathering skills getting too good? Why was there no hint of your presence!?”

Achille tsukkomi’d Royce-sama. But, I also don’t think that Royce-sama’s presence erasing abilities are ordinary.
…But still, we sure showed him something embarassing, huhh.

Looking at the three of us together like this, I start to think that we’ve grown quite a lot since that time.
Each of us, in different directions.
The first time we met, we chatted in this Magic Building as well, huhh… Our personalities were completely different though.

Now, Achille is using his genius intellect in his job, and is going fullspeed down the path to becoming an elite.
The competence that he had when he was Royce-sama’s right hand man in the game was plenty as well, I think. The calculating side of him that was laid bare when he was a child has also calmed down, but he’s good at hiding what he doesn’t want to show, so I have no idea what he’s actually thinking though.
Royce-sama was originally a prince whose kindness was his only merit, but lately, perhaps due to Achille’s influence, occasionally he shows a highly calculating side of him.
Also, he erases his presence and moves about stealthily like a ninja, so it seems that he’s making various secret manoeuvres in places I don’t know about. I’m sure he’s already got a hold of my weaknesses. A secret intelligence-type prince… He’s ended up growing in a surprising direction, huhh…

I’m developing in the direction that I originally aimed for, and became a professional magician who’s mastering magic.
Right now I’m a student, as well as a “Red” magician, but in the future I plan on becoming a “Black” magician who can guard Royce-sama.
I’ve also g-, gotten Achille as a fiancé and lover… so my future as the daughter of a marquis also seems stable for now.
To think that I’d end up in this kind of relationship with that Achille… I wouldn’t have thought it when I first came to this world, huhh. The world is a mysterious thing.
But this world isn’t a game; it’s reality. Achille, and Royce… and I as well, are people living in reality.
Through our choices, the future is something that changes unendingly.

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/First Semester END

Author’s Note: The Mansion Arc has basically finished.

*imouto*

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First Year First Semester – J of Hearts – Mansion

Note: Please don’t read it in the little pop-up for the reader. For some reason it doesn’t reflect my later edits (which I often make a lot of after publishing), so please click ‘view original’.

Heyyy, French people. If I mess up any names, would it be okay if you commented and told me? I’m being pretty irresponsible with my googling, so I’ve already gotten two names wrong before. Thanks (:

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His Highness Royce’s kidnapping incident was treated as more or less concluded, and we guarded His Highness to the castle.
We boarded various carriages.
It would be faster to fly on a broom, but because there were a lot of knights who couldn’t use magic, we ended up travelling on ground. It seems that the knights all hurried their horses and had come running here. It was probably quite forced.
Because the guards for His Highness on the way back were specialised knights, Camille and I were relieved of our duties.
Because knights had a strong sense of self respect, they wouldn’t leave the duty of guarding to we who were nothing more than His Highness’s hanger ons.
Even amongst the knights themselves, they were always kicking and fighting for a better position, so it can’t be helped I guess. As long as no harm comes to His Highness, I don’t really care, but I’m a little worried.
Far from cooperating, Knights also holding each other back… It’s a sad thing that they aren’t heading in a direction where they try to strengthen each other.
When it comes to my managerial position, I’d like to think that we don’t engage in such pointless quarrels.

Camille and I rode in the same carriage.
Count Tito and his daughter Claire were in cells in carriages for prisoners.
The carriages were borrowed from a nearby noble. It would certainly take quite a long time to bring some all the way from the castle.

Camille was starting to doze off in the seat opposite mine. She seems like she’ll fall asleep any moment now.
We were allowed to ride a carriage as well, but strictly speaking we’re borrowing a carriage. Having Camille ride a carriage in this situation is much too risky.

“Uuu…n”

While moaning for some reason, Camille was frantically trying to keep her eyes open.
It’s probably a given that she won’t sleep until she knows that Royce-sama has safely arrived at the castle. In that respect, she’s been a conscientious one since a long time ago.
Since there’s no other choice, I speak to Canille. If I speak to her, she might wake up.

“During the events this time, I’ve been thinking.”

“Nn… Thinking what?”

It seems like Camille’s consciousness is returning a little.

“Camille, you consume too much.”

She woke up after hearing those words.

“Certainly this body’s consumption rate is bad, and I immediately feel hungry again, but in exchange I have the benefit of not getting fat-”

…To say “this body”, it’s almost like she’s talking about somebody else’s problem.

“Not that, Camille, I’m talking about your magic power. I’ve been thinking this since I see it from up close, but when you use magic, you spend more than necessary and let off a lot of wasted mana. Like that, you’ll suffer mana exhaustion again, you know?”

“Uuu…”

At the count’s mansion, I got injured saving Camille after she blundered.
Seeing that, Camille repeatedly used healing magic before my eyes, but… though she has a lot of power in magic, accompanying that is too much wasteful discharge of magic power. As a result, she suffered mana exhaustion.
Even though she’d normally be able to use more magic, to be unable to utilise her full power because of her magic power shortage when the time came, is too much of a waste.

“I’ll try my best to take care. After all, I can’t use magic in an efficient way like you can, Achille…”

It’s not that you can’t do it, but that it’s annoying so you simply don’t, isn’t it?
Camille is sketchy with absolutely everything. You can see it even in the way she uses magic.
Paying no heed to magic power, and firing off huge magic again and again.

“Even though your magic knowledge and technique is towering above everyone else, the way you use your magic power is crude, so it’s really a waste, isn’t it?”

Camille made a difficult expression.

“By the way, isn’t there some trick to using magic power efficiently?”

This is also one of Camille’s habits. She immediately starts drifting towards convenient methods.
Trying to gain the maximum effect through the minimum effort can also be taken as a good point, but when it comes to her, her biggest motivation is because she can’t be bothered.
She really can’t be helped, huhh…

“It’s not that hard, you know? Shall I teach you?”

“Is that really okay?”

It’s probably unconscious, but when Camille looks at me with those sparkling eyes, it’s cute enough to kill.
However, I musn’t be fooled by that. When the topic turns to magic, she always makes that face.
I restrained myself.

“Of course. You’re always teaching me in magic after all.”

The reason I’ve been improving in magic so quickly is not only because I’m being taught by my father. It’s because Camille always showcases practical and unique modified spells before my eyes as well.
And, because she cheerfully imparts that knowledge onto His Highness and I without reluctance…

“But you teach me schoolwork in exchange, don’t you?”

That’s nothing more than the fact that if I leave her alone, she won’t study at all, so there’s no choice but to teach her.
As expected, having the daughter of a marquis stay an idiot would be pretty bad right? Or so I was thinking, so I poked my nose in, and the result was that I ended up in the present situation, stuck with the job of acting like a private tutor. It’s also the truth that it’s a good excuse to be with her, so I’m fine with it though.

This time, it’d probably be fine to treat mana control as part of her studies as well. Camille is conscientious only in these regards.

“Well then, we’ll do it in addition to studying. I’m worried. Finding out that without knowing it, you even got involved with forbidden arts… It seems like one day you’ll do something that you can’t take back…”

I’m honestly worried about this.
Before I knew it, in some place I don’t know, Camille’s been stocking up on knowledge of forbidden arts.
She probably intruded on the royal palace’s archive or something on her own.
Even if a door is heavily locked with difficult to dispel magic, she’s a lock picking expert who’ll easily dispel it. That acts as a good impetus for her to arbitrarily open and close doors in the royal palace, and go in and out of various places.
From now on, I’d better keep an eye on her, or else…
It looks like His Highness will be giving her permission to the forbidden archives, but when she goes, I’ll come with her.
Camille always, always, does what she pleases when she’s in deserted places…

“…Hahh.”

Tired from my one way feelings, I ended up wanting to sooth myself a little.
So I decided to poke at Camille just a little. She’s given me plenty of good reactions so far, so she’s someone worth poking at.

“So, Camille. When am I going to get a reply to my confession? I’ve been waiting the whole time since then, but…”

I moved to her side.

“Fue-?”

…What’s with that stupid sounding reply? With that, Camille sank into thought about something.

“…Camille, are you spacing out? Are you planning on pretending this didn’t happen?”

“Nah, but I mean, I’m your fiancée, so isn’t that kind of conversation unnecessary by now? Or so I was thinking.”

I wonder if in Camille’s mind, just having the title of “being engaged” is enough, and our feelings don’t matter.

“Even though I told you my feelings? Are you saying you’re fine with a loveless marriage?”

I know what a real political marriage is. My two parents are like that.
My stepmother who gave birth to children out of duty, and desperately tries to have her own child become family head.
My father who, being overwhelmed by that kind of woman, felt that being around her was oppressive, and so went outside to have affairs.
Is it fine even if we become like that?

“No, like I was saying, it’s not that, umm…”

…It’s Camille though, so perhaps there’s a good chance that she’s just not thinking anything.
Or rather, that’s probably the correct answer.

…Is this reaping what I sowed?
Because Camille grew up, and her circumstances changed accordingly, I panicked and used the title of ‘engaged couple’ to keep her surroundings at bay.
All while leaving her feelings behind…
I’m sure that this is the compensation for that.

“Honestly, I regret mixing up the order. I don’t regret getting engaged to you, Camille, but making sure of your feelings first would’ve been the correct order, huh?”

“Achille…”

Her large, raspberry coloured eyes widened.

“If you stay quiet, I end up misunderstanding it in a way that’s convenient for me, you know?”

“Misunderstand?”

“I mean, even when I hug you or kiss you, you don’t resist at all, right?”

“…Th-, at’s-”

Honestly, I think I have a chance.

Lately, Camille has been acting bashful and embarassed a lot around me, after all. Her behaviour is like that of a normal noble’s daughter of her age.
I’m properly being viewed by her as a member of the opposite sex.

“I-I-I-If I told you frankly that I was rejecting your confession, what would you do?”

Camille’s voice was getting agitated and shrill.
That she lets her unrest show like that is adorable, and it’s relieving that I don’t have to read what’s under the surface like with other people.

“Then I’d continue putting in more effort until you looked at me. I’ve already waited ten years, so a little more is nothing, right?”

But, I’ve waited that long already, so Im starting to want a reply… Is what I’m really thinking.
Camille turned bright red.

“T-, Then what would you do if I accepted?”

“Then it’d be mutual. We’d openly behave like lovers.”

“I… do I like you, perhaps?”

…Is that something you’d usually ask me? Would it be okay if I intentionally took that as an affirmative?

“…Even if you ask me, I’m stumped, you know.”

Camille looks like she’s fretting about it. Her expressions are rapidly changing about, so I don’t get tired of watching her.
I wonder if there’ll come a day when she loves me…
I do feel somehow or other that I have a chance, but it might be early for Camille who’s still like a little kid. Does this need to take more time…?
While I was worrying about this, I met my eyes with Camille, who surprisingly was suddenly looking hard at me.
It looks like she wants to say something.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, Achille… Um, you see,”

“Mn?”

“Y-, You see. Umm, that’s… ermmmm…”

Whilst fidgeting, Camille began looking into space.
Her preface was too long, but because she was giving her all, I stayed quiet and watched over her.

“I-, I also… might like you. It’s surprising when you hug me, but I don’t particularly dislike it, after all.”

Her voice shrank during the second half, but I heard it all.

“Camille…”

If you tell me that while averting your gaze with all your might, you lose your credibility you know…
But we’ve known each other for many years, so I understand that she’s just earthshakingly embarassed.
The ones who would understand this, are probably… just His Highness and I.

“I said it, okay!? I properly replied, okay!?”

“Seems so.”

“With this, this conversation is fini-…”

“With this, we’re openly in love with each other, huh!”

Our levels of enthusiasm are a little different, but we can deal with that step by step…
And, I have no intention of letting the conversation finish like this.
I finally got a chance to hear the words I’ve been longing for from Camille’s mouth, after all.

“You, like me?”

“Like I said, I’ve already said it, haven’t I!?”

“Do you like me?”

“…I, I like you.”

As usual she’s averting her gaze with all she has, but her face is as red as a boiled octopus, so she’s probably saying this from the heart.

“Well then, can we kiss?”

“GUFUO-! Geho, gohoh-”

Why did she choke there?
…It’s Camille, so I guess it can’t be helped, huh? Honestly, she really is an expert at destroying the mood.
I love that kind of Camille even so, so there’s no way I can be shaken by this degree of coughing.
I’m prepared to accept her no matter how she is. It’s been ten years now, after all.

My first move is… interpreting that coughing as an ‘okay’, you know.

“I see, I see. So it’s okay, huh. Well then, I won’t hold back.”

“GEHO, GEHO-! Eh? Achille, I haven’t said a thing ye-… Nnnnnn-!”

Even though her mouth says various of things, when I actually kiss her, she goes docile. She says that it’s just being frozen from shock, though. There’s no real resistance either.
When it comes to her, if she really didn’t like it, on top of going on a rampage, she’d even start go berserk with magic, after all.

“Nn, Camille… so cute.”

“Hyaa-…! Nn-, Achille.”

Right now, there’s nobody but Camille and I in the carriage, and His Highness the peeping expert is under close guard and can’t freely move about.

Going by the speed of our carriage, we might reach the castle around noon tomorrow, huh…?
Knights who came to pick up His Highness, good job!

*imouto*

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First Year First Semester – Q of Hearts – Mansion (Part 6)

Note: Please don’t read it in the little pop-up for the reader. For some reason it doesn’t reflect my later edits (which I often make a lot of after publishing), so please click ‘view original’.

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Count Tito and Claire were taken away by burly men from the knight order, and the parent and child were put on separate carriages for criminals and carried away.
They would probably be confined in the castle jail for a while, and questioned about various things.
I received Royce-sama’s permission to read the forbidden books, and plan to look up on forbidden magic.
If it’s the forbidden books in the castle, then a way to undo Claire’s magic might be written somewhere.

Royce-sama was heavily, heavily guarded and transported to the castle.
It was after a kidnapping incident, so I guess it couldn’t be helped even that he was confined in the carriage…

After knights were dispatched from the castle, Achille and I were quickly removed from Royce-sama’s guard. Kiiii! So frustrating!
Even though we were the ones who saved Royce-sama… No, Royce-sama escaped on his own, though.
Because of this and that, right now our job is done, and I’m in the same carriage as Achille.
We’re riding this carriage to accompany Royce-sama until he reaches the castle.

Our hours of sleep were cut down, and then we chased after Royce-sama, so riding the rocking carriage like this makes me feel like my consciousness is going to leave me.
Even though we have to be prepared for an emergency, so there’s no way it’d be okay to fall asleep.

I was nodding off, when suddenly Achille spoke to me.
I’m grateful, since I feel like I’ll fall asleep any moment now.

“During the events this time, I’ve been thinking.”

“Nn… Thinking what?”

Probably about the Royal Prince Faction’s schemes, or possibly…

“Camille, you consume too much.”

It’s about me!?

“Certainly this body’s consumption rate is bad, and I immediately feel hungry again, but in exchange I have the benefit of not getting fat-”

“Not that, Camille, I’m talking about your magic power. I’ve been thinking this since I see it from up close, but when you use magic, you spend more than necessary and let off a lot of wasted mana. Like that, you’ll suffer mana exhaustion again, you know?”

“Uuu…”

Because I made that kind of failure before his eyes, I can’t even refute him.
Also, in truth, there are cases of magicians running out of magic power various times while on the job.
At the time, a companion will have a recovery potion, and they’ll make do somehow, but… what Achille is pointing out is for me, something truly difficult to hear.
The mana recovery potions for emergencies that appear on the market have too weak an effect.
Even if you say they’re potions for recovering magic power, it’s not as if all your magic power will return after drinking it. Even now, an effective mana recovery potion has yet to be created.
That’s why Achille is also worried about emergency situations.
Honestly, this childhood friend of mine is really overprotective, huhh.

“I’ll try my best to take care. After all, I can’t use magic in an efficient way like you can, Achille…”

“Even though your magic knowledge and technique is towering above everyone else, the way you use your magic power is crude, so it’s really a waste, isn’t it?”

“By the way, isn’t there some trick to using magic power efficiently?”

Achille can already perfectly use only the necessary amount of magic power.
It’s unbelievable how compact and methodically he can convert magic power into magic. It’s enough that I admire him each time.

“It’s not that hard, you know? Shall I teach you?”

“Is that really okay?”

Asking Achille to teach me in magic is curious. Even though it’s always the other way around.

“Of course. You’re always teaching me in magic after all.”

“But you teach me schoolwork in exchange, don’t you?”

“Well then, we’ll do it in addition to studying. I’m worried. Finding out that without knowing it, you even got involved with forbidden arts… It seems like one day you’ll do something that you can’t take back…”

The fact that I knew about forbidden magic was exposed to Achille as well, wasn’t it…
But I’m not that much of an idiot, you know!
Forbidden arts are dangerous. Even if I gain knowledge about it, I won’t actually use it you know!

※

Suddenly, Achille closed the distance.
We were in a carriage, so it was cramped, and it was difficult to move about. Inevitably, Achille ended up stuck to me.

“U-, Umm…”

“So, Camille. When am I going to get a reply to my confession? I’ve been waiting the whole time since then, but…”

“Fue-?”

The very instant I comprehended the contents of what he slowly whispered to me in a sweet voice, I froze.

“The conversation has suddenly jumped way ahead again, huhh…”

Certainly I did get told something confession-like, but I didn’t think that a reply would be required.
Mm~mn… What should I do?

“…Camille, are you spacing out? Are you planning on pretending this didn’t happen?”

Achille’s voice brought me back to my senses. I apologised in a panic.

“Nah, but I mean, I’m your fiancée, so isn’t that kind of conversation unnecessary by now? Or so I was thinking.”

“Even though I told you my feelings? Are you saying you’re fine with a loveless marriage?”

Why did he interpret it like that?

“No, like I was saying, it’s not that, umm…”

Is it my imagination that I can feel some sort of pressure from Achille?

“Honestly, I regret mixing up the order. I don’t regret getting engaged to you, Camille, but making sure of your feelings first would’ve been the correct order, huh?”

“Achille…”

Certainly, we got the order backwards. We’re in a relationship like that of a political marriage.

But Achille directly told me his feelings. Always, with his words and behaviour.
Compared to that, I use being engaged as an excuse, and always leave it half done.
This attitude… might be a little bit insincere.

“If you stay quiet, I end up misunderstanding it in a way that’s convenient for me, you know?”

“Misunderstand?”

“I mean, even when I hug you or kiss you, you don’t resist at all, right?”

“…Th-, at’s-”

Just because I was surprised and frozen, though…

“I-I-I-If I told you frankly that I was rejecting your confession, what would you do?”

“Then I’d continue putting in more effort until you looked at me. I’ve already waited ten years, so a little more is nothing, right?”

Ten years…?
In other words, since the time I was six, Achille has liked me… and has been looking at me in that way?
Suddenly, heat started gathering in my face.

“T-, Then what would you do if I accepted?”

“Then it’d be mutual. We’d openly behave like lovers.”

I was agonising over it.
I don’t dislike Achille. But I don’t have any confidence that these feelings are the same as Achille’s.
I mean at any rate, including both this life and my first, I’ve never looked at a member of the opposite sex in that way even once before.
Even the people I went out with in my old world were people who confessed to me, so it was nothing more than me just going out with them to try.
But…

Achille is always putting off his own convenience, worrying about me, and prioritising my opinions.
There are a lot of times when he teases me, but we trust each other the most.
Or rather, he’s basically the only member of the opposite sex.

On top of that…
That time, in the count’s secret base when I fell into the hole without a word… Achille jumped into the hole to save me, and even used his body to protect me.

When he was squashed under me and wouldn’t move… I was really scared.
When I thought that I might lose him like that, it couldn’t be helped that I was really helplessly terrified.
More important than rescuing Royce-sama, more important than making sure Mei was safe, what I did first was use the highest class of recovery magic out of worry for Achille, in spite of running out of mana.

This feeling is…?

“I… do I like you, perhaps?”

“…Even if you ask me, I’m stumped, you know.”

Somehow or another, even being hugged by him or kissed by him, I’ve felt surprised and bewildered, but never angry at him.
I wonder if that’s because I didn’t dislike it.

The one who’s always closest, watching over me, is without a doubt him, after all.

---

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.Her final dialogue line,

“I… do I like you, perhaps?”

in Japanese first reads
“I like you…”
before going into something that roughly means
“do I perhaps?”
「watashi, Achille no koto suki…… nano kanaa?」
「……ore ni kikaretemo komarun dakedo」

*imouto*

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<Previous Chapter | Imouto | Next Chapter>

First Year First Semester – Q of Hearts – Mansion (Part 5)

Note: Please don’t read it in the little pop-up for the reader. For some reason it doesn’t reflect my later edits (which I often make a lot of after publishing), so please click ‘view original’.

---

The most pitiful one, was the count’s daughter who remained.
Her face had already gone past pale, and had become white. She did nothing but wholeheartedly gaze in Raiga’s direction.

“Raiga, is this young lady one of yours, I wonder?”

Royce-sama who had noticed the girl’s gaze asked, and Raiga replied curtly.

“I don’t know such a woman.”

“R-, Raiga-sama… She’s one of the students in the Spades class, you know?”

Mei interjected from the side.

“The count’s daughter, Claire Tito is certainly enrolled in our academy, isn’t she.”

Achille supported her words as well. Achille, for you to even remember students from other classes…

“Raiga-sama… I… was…”

Claire began speaking in a feeble voice.

“There’s no worth in listening to somebody like you. Immediately shut that mouth of yours that spews nothing but unpleasantries.”

“…-”

Raiga shows no mercy even to the noble daughters of the Royal Prince Faction.
Claire began to shed large tears.

“-… This, cockroach womann-!”

Suddenly, squeezing out a voice that seemed to have crawled out from the bottom of the earth, Claire glared at Mei.
Being father and daughter, it seems that they direct their attacks in the same direction. They blamed Mei, who was the weakest one here.

“Just what kind of things did you say to deceive Raiga-sama!? Why would Raiga-sama, with the likes of you-!?”

Up until just now, I thought she was curling herself up, but she suddenly began spouting abuse at Mei.
I felt something wrong with her lack of consistency.

“Well!? Even though you’re a woman who never, ever does anything except hide behind someone else, and gets protected! Why is it you?”

Claire screamed as her hair became violently disheveled.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll exterminate this cockroach woman again and again! Until Raiga-sama opens his eyes!”

While screaming, her face contorted in ugliness due to the pain of trying to crawl out of the thorny vines.

I walked towards the nobles daughter who was mad with rage.

“Hey, Claire, won’t you calm down a bit?”

“What do you want!? This has nothing to do with you, right!?”

“You’re unhappy about the fact that Raiga-sama and Mei-chan are engaged, right? You like Raiga-sama, right?”

“It’s not something that has anything to do with the Tattoo Woman of the King Faction!”

As planned, the brunt of Claire’s attack switched to me.

“Were you rejected by Raiga-sama?”

“Shut up! Shut up!”

“Did you tell him your feelings?”

“As if you could understand my feelings! He couldn’t even remember my face, even my name! Without even being given a chance to speak to him, he always shook me off annoyedly… I couldn’t even get close to him! In those kind of circumstances, there was no way I could confess, right!?”

“But despite that, before you knew it, Mei-chan and Raiga-sama were engaged…”

“That’s right! Even though I’m overwhelmingly more suitable for him! I can’t forgive that cockroach woman! Even though she just happened to be assigned a job close to Raiga-sama! That’s why I spoke to Otousama, you know, and I asked him to use me in his plan…”

“Are you saying that you knew about Count Tito’s conspiracy from the beginning?”

“No, a certain person told me about it. That father was scheming to overthrow the king, and would soon be putting it into action. When I told Otousama about my plan, he said it was a good idea and happily let me! Otousama would gain power, and I would gain Raiga-sama!”

“Did you think I would love you or something? How stupid.”

Ahh, Raiga retorted from the side.
He should also have a slightly better way of wording things.

“I didn’t think something like that! But if you were close, I’d have chances to talk to you, and someday…”

“Hmph, how worthless. Something like that will be impossible all my life.”

Claire’s eyes widened enough that her large pupils seemed like they could spill out.

“Why… Why that woman…? I would be…”

As though her vigour from before was a lie, Claire’s words suddenly became weak. Her eyes were hollow.

“Could it be…”

Having recalled the symptoms for a certain something, I drew even closer to her. It’s not as though I’ve been reading magic books for show.
I discovered on her neck, a bruise probably given by magic.

“How cruel… Who did this sort of thing?”

“What’s wrong, Oneesama?”

From a place far away from me came Mei’s concerned question.
Even being subjected to something so frightening, it looks like she was worried about Claire.

There was a curse on the girl’s neck. Even if I say curse, it’s a kind of magic.
Only, it’s not a normal magic, but one that belongs to a type that acts on the mind.

As one of the types of magic that are generally considered unacceptable for use, these magics are referred to as forbidden arts.
In this country, with the exception of certain occupations, the use of mind affecting magic is forbidden by law.
By certain occupations, I mean those such as the interrogation bureau. They have permission to use confession magic only.

“It’s likely that she, Claire, has a forbidden art cast on her.”

“What did you say!?”

Realising the seriousness of the issue, Mei covered her mouth with her hands.
Royce-sama who was near me asked me a question.

“Camille, you’re certain that’s a forbidden magic? You can tell what magic it is?”

“Yes, Royce-sama. I’ve never used it, but if it’s just knowledge about it… This is a magic that works on the mind, and primarily amplifies hatred. In ancient times, it was a magic used to increase the morale of soldiers, but in modern times, it is forbidden due to its immorality.”

“…Let’s leave aside the matter of why Camille knows about forbidden arts. For there to be a person who readily uses curse magic is a grave situation, isn’t it.”

“…QUITE SO. (monotone)”

I was exposed! I accidentally spilled it out of my mouth!
Books on forbidden arts are strictly managed, and you can only find them in the royal palace and academy in the sections of the archive that are forbidden for reading.
Aahh, even Achille… Don’t look at me with those eyess… I just snuck in because I was a little curious, that’s all!

“Can you undo it, Camille?”

“I can… but, there’s one more forbidden art that even I don’t know about, cast on top of it. I’m not sure it would be a good idea to carelessly undo it without understanding it…”

There might be a bad effect on Claire’s body due to the backlash.

“That would be troubling, huhh. Camille, I’ll give you permission to read the forbidden magic books later, so could you have a scan through them? We’ll be bringing the captured count and his daughter to the castle.”

“Understood!”

Hooray! To think I’d be able to openly read the magic books in the forbidden section! It’s a little imprudent though.
In the meanwhile, Claire continued making a hollow expression.

*imouto*

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<Previous Chapter | Imouto | Next Chapter>

First Year First Semester – Q of Hearts – Mansion (Part 4)

Note: Please don’t read it in the little pop-up for the reader. For some reason it doesn’t reflect my later edits (which I often make a lot of after publishing), so please click ‘view original’.

---

How many times have I already dropped the soldiers into a pitfall?
Not a single man of valour has made it to where I am.

“Camille, how long are you going to play around for?”

Achille brought me in front of the door.
When I saw that the number of icicles had increased, I realised that while I was busy dropping soldiers into holes, the number of Achille’s victims further increased.

“Nnnnn, I’m not playing, you know.”

I raised my voice in protest, but Achille paid it no heed and took my arm.
With my arm still linked with his, we walked to Royce-sama’s side.

“I wonder what we should do with these.”

With sparkling eyes filled with amusement, Royce-sama was watching the count and his daughter who were both coiled up by thorny vines. What a nice smile!

The count had probably struggled quite hard to get out of the vines. His clothes were worn and tattered.
As for his daughter, she had no energy. She’s a girl with a familiar face, but this girl has been acting strangely ever since she saw us entering the room.
Her complexion worsened, and she was fearfully looking in Raiga’s direction.

As for Raiga, because he had burst in here by himself and began fighting, his body was wounded all over. Kai was covered in similarly harsh wounds.
Count, even though Raiga is the son of the Royal Prince, you attacked him? Isn’t that no good…? Even if it was in self-defence, this is overdoing it.
Guess there’s no choice, huh. Shall I heal him?
When I made to heal the two of them, I was stopped by Achille.

“You don’t have much magic power, so I’ll do it.”

“But…”

“Camille, just leave it to Achille.”

For some reason, Royce-sama stopped me with a smirk.
I don’t really get it, but I’ll take Achille up on his offer.

Achille precisely sent off healing magic at a distance. How skilful…
I was looking at Achille with a sidelong gaze, when Royce-sama spoke to me in a quiet voice.

“Achille has a surprisingly strong desire to monopolise you, doesn’t he? He doesn’t want you to treat other men, you know.”

“Eh-…”

I was bewildered by the unexpected response. Is that why he stopped me just now?

It looks like Raiga and Kai’s injuries have healed. A smile has returned, just a little, to Mei’s face.
Raiga called out to Mei about something, but because they were too far, I couldn’t really hear.
Is it a lover’s conversation? Or is it asking about the events that led to this?
On the side, Kai is watching the two of them with a dissatisfied expression.

The Spades faction are here in full force, but why is Kai in a place like this…?
I’ve been having my doubts about that for a while now, but as I thought, I can’t really figure it out.
After all, there’s also the fact that I feel that he arrived a little too quickly for somebody who found out about danger to his sister by chance.

“So, Count Tito. Is what Mei said true?”

Raiga suddenly spoke to the count.
That’s it! It was Count Tito! So vexing! Even though I even recalled as far as ‘Ti-‘…!

Still wrapped up in the vines, Count Tito shouted.

“Raiga-sama! Why are you getting familiar with those of the King Faction!? You are the son of Royal Prince Kuuga!”

It seems that he’s dissatisfied about the fact that Raiga is with us.

“Who I get familiar with is my right. It’s nothing to do with you.”

“But, they are the enemy!”

“To me, you lot who did this to Mei are more the enemy!”

Raiga glared at them with a furious expression. The daughter began trembling even more.

“It was a plot to separate Mei and I, and have me marry that woman over there, wasn’t it? Was turning your blade even towards me because you wanted to capture me weakened and have me move as you pleased?”

With a wicked smile, Raiga approached the count and his daughter.

“That was for your sake…”

“It was for your sake, wasn’t it!? Using Royce to depose the king, separating Mei and I… You wanted to turn me, who would be your future son-in-law, into a puppet and seize control, right!?”

“Hii-!”

Raiga’s anger wouldn’t stop. There’s enough momentum that Count Tito will end up killed at this rate.
The cornered count continued giving even more excuses.

“It’s that woman! That woman’s in the wrong! She whispered something into your ears! She’s a spy of the King Faction!”

Count Tito started attacking Mei.
You could tell what a small fry the count was from how he mercilessly attacked only Mei who wasn’t resisting.

“That’s enough, okay?”

Suddenly, one of the vines constricting Count Tito rose into the air, and then came down on his butt.

“Higii-”

“Royce-sama?”

The count let out a cry of anguish. It seems that Royce-sama had his own anger about this.

“Well? Who are the others that you’re connected with?”

“Kuu… I have nothing to say to say to you!”

“Really. Even if I do this?”

Another vine came down on him.

R-R-R-Royce-sama, is this an interrogation? Just when did you learn something like that!?

I was panicked. As the thorny whip swung down at the count, Royce-sama questioned him with a smile. It seems that he’s an expert at it for some reason, but this isn’t something a normal prince does.
The count’s huge bottom was swollen bright red, pants torn.

“At any rate, after having father step down from the throne, you were planning on killing me together with him, right? It’s uninspired, isn’t it? Who did you receive those orders from?”

Frankly speaking, he’s several times scarier than Raiga.

“Or was it something you thought up yourself? Just how did you gather up this many soldiers, I wonderr?”

“Guahh-”

Achille who had noticed that I’d paled subtly pulled me towards him, and blocked my sight with an embrace.

“Royce-sama, let’s leave the rest to the interrogation service. People from the castle should arrive before long.”

“Hmph, guess there’s no choice, huhh.”

Royce-sama looked a little discontented, but he obediently followed Achille’s suggestion.
Being freed from Royce-sama, the count wet his pants in relief, and lost consciousness.

*imouto*

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<Previous Chapter | Imouto | Next Chapter>

First Year First Semester – Q of Hearts – Mansion (Part 3)

Note: Please don’t read it in the little pop-up for the reader. For some reason it doesn’t reflect my later edits (which I often make a lot of after publishing), so please click ‘view original’.

Random message of the day~

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I opened the door.
The scene before my eyes dumbfounded me for a moment.

“What is this?”

In the middle of the room were burly men, and again, a huge number of them.
Unlike the lot below, these guys seemed quite skilled. Mei was crouching in the corner of the room.
And fighting while protecting her was…

“Kai?”

Eh-… Why is he in here? Even though he should have gone missing after leaving the castle.

Opposite them was a fat, middle-aged noble and a dressed up noble’s daughter standing there spectating.
Ahh, if I rememeber correctly, he’s Ti… Ti- what again?
Count Ti something or other.
Hm? But the noble daughter is for some reason looking towards the intruding Raiga with a paled face.

Raiga is surrounded by the burly men in combat.
I’m glad that he made it to Mei safely.

“Raiga-samaa, people have come to help!”

“Look after Mei’s wounds for me! She got done in by them!”

Is that the first thing you say to me?

“Roger!”

I ran towards Mei. Kai is kind of glaring at me…

“I won’t do any harm to Mei, you know.”

Thinking about it, Kai has looked at me with suspicious eyes since the beginning, huhh.

I promptly crouched down by Mei and started treating her.
I carefully use healing magic so that it doesn’t end up like the time with Achille.

“How cruel.”

To injure a gentle girl like Mei to this extent.
I could see things like the signs of a beating, and claw marks.
To scratch her like this, no matter how you look at it, the one who did this was that woman, huh…

“Mei-chan, it’s okay now.”

Mei’s wounds were receding. There probably won’t be scars or anything either. I definitely won’t let something like that happen!

“Oneesama, thank you…”

Despite having her injuries healed, Mei has no energy. Though since she went through something like that, if you ask me if it’s natural, then it’s natural.

“Royce-sama, this way. Please wait somewhere safe.”

I called out to Royce-sama. He was also someone being targeted.

“Being next to you two is the safest.”

So stated Royce-sama with a gentle smile… There’s a limit to working your subordinates to death, you know.

“…I understand, so please stand back with Mei-chan. While you’re at it, it would be of great help if you cast a shield.”

“Mn, leave it to me.”

With this, concern about what happens behind me has lowered a great deal.

Again, when I return my sight to Raiga, I find that he’s suddenly begun to struggle.
It looks like the enemies have a magician with them.

”Achille.”

“Camille, be careful.”

In the past, I struggled because of an enemy magician.
But this time, I won’t lose.

The enemy had one magician, and turning our way, he fired a spell like an electric shock.
Achille immediately defended.

“What, it looks like he’s no big deal.”

“Mn, he’s not a magician of the castle, is he? I’ve never seen him at work. Even short on mana, I think I’ll be fine.”

As a test, I opened up a hole in the floor with magic. So that Raiga and the others didn’t get mixed up in it, I aimed for places where the enemies were tightly packed together.
You dared drop me in a hole earlier! Taste the fear of pitfalls!
Because the ground suddenly started disappearing, the enemy were shaken, and fell downstairs without even a scream.
The height of the ceiling backfired on you, huh!
Once again, I closed the holes. A number of them were probably fine, but there seems to be only one door to this room, so…
I decided to aim for the survivors positioned in front of the door. If I did so, then it’d use less magic power, and I’d be fine with a potion.

Because I dropped them downstairs, the number of enemies had fallen by half.
While I was dropping soldiers into a hole, it seems that the magician and his buddies were frozen by Achille, and the remaining enemies were being cut down by the raging Raiga.
Royce-sama was shielding Mei and himself with magic, while binding the count and his daughter with thorny vines so they wouldn’t be able to escape. A prince who really does too good a job.
Those thorny vines are a magic I taught Royce-sama earlier, but is it my imagination that the thorns on his vines seem sharper and more brutal than mine?

Ah, the surviving soldiers have finally returned from downstairs. I’ve been waiting for you!
To show respect to Count Ti-something’s soldiers who faithfully behaved just as planned…

“Shall we have you try going once more? ♪”

Again, a large hole opened up in the ground on which they stood. I wonder how many will come back this time.

*imouto*

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<Previous Chapter | Imouto | Next Chapter>

First Year First Semester – Q of Hearts – Mansion (Part 2)

Note: Please don’t read it in the little pop-up for the reader. For some reason it doesn’t reflect my later edits (which I often make a lot of after publishing), so please click ‘view original’.

---

Raiga swung his sword with violent intensity.
You understand once you see this, but he’s strong. He might be as good as the guards in the castle, or maybe even better.
What he’s using is a sword imbued with magic. As expected of royalty, they have nice things. His sword is a special one that blocks magic, and can tear through magical barriers. …The things called ‘magic items’ are troublesome stuff.
I’m really glad that I didn’t make an enemy out of Raiga!

Flying the quill around, I fired wind magic as I toyed with the enemies. The men who were sent flying by the wind collided with the wall and lost consciousness.
So that I wouldn’t burn down the mansion, I held back on ignition type magic.
Even I consider that much.
Losing unexpectedly, the enemies were brought down by Achille with certainty.
Probably because he wanted their statements as evidence later, Achille encased them all in ice. It was a magic that would return the people inside back to normal, once you thawed the ice.

Unlike ten years ago, I could feel us making progress. I could even feel that we had leeway.
We’ve grown. Both Achille and I.

All too easily, we suppressed the forces in the hall.
Probably because they were hired soldiers, once they lost leadership, their strength also varied. They weren’t professionals who had undergone training. That was also one of the reasons we won.

“Let’s hurry up and chase the lights.”

Raiga hurried on ahead. We nodded and were about to follow him… But.
In the hall, the lights that had up until now been together went two separate ways.
The light that showed Mei’s location continued straight ahead, whilst the light for Royce-sama was wandering about in the centre of the hall.
It seemed that Royce-sama and Mei were in different places in this mansion.

“Raiga-sama…”

If you asked me who I would be going after, then Achille and I prioritised Royce-sama.

“It’s fine, you two came here for that, right? Royce is here too, huh… I’m going to go after Mei.”

“Sorry. We’ll be going after Royce-sama, it seems.”

Since arriving in this room, the light that was chasing Royce-sama had become a little unstable.
Wandering this way or that way, heading towards the floor…

“It’s weird huh, this odd movement. It’s heading towards the floor.

“His Highness may be moving around, perhaps.”

If Royce-sama is being moved, then we have to hurry.
Thinking that, after taking a step towards the light, my foot stepped on something. I heard a ‘click’ sound.

“Eh…”

“Camille!”

Achille called my name in a panic, but it was already too late.
A hole suddenly opened up at my feet.

“Gyahhh! Another traaap!?”

I was sucked into the pitch black hole.
I shut my eyes in terror. I absolutely hate confined places, and dark places.

“I’m falling!”

It’s over, I’m just going to hit the ground. I didn’t have the composure to manipulate gravity to lighten myself. It’s already too late.
I wonder just how well the automatic defence tattoos will work… Or so I was thinking, when something caught my body.
After making a revolution in the air, I fell with a thud.
There’s no pain. In exchange, I can feel something like fabric on my skin.

I slowly opened my eyes, and what I saw was… bright blue.

“Achille!?”

What I fell on, was Achille.
The moment I fell down the hole, he’d probably fallen in with me to protect me… He’s good at looking after people, so he’s liable to do it.
My god! Even though the blunder was mine! Even though there was no absolutely no need to become a sacrifice for the sake of someone like me!

“Achille, Achille!”

What do I do, even when I call him and shake him, there’s no response.

“Achille, get up…”

Even still, he’s not moving, and is showing no signs of opening his eyes.
Because of me. W-W-W-W-W-What do I do?
For now, I’ll try spamming my strongest healing magic. It’s something that uses no trifling amount of magic power, but Achille’s life is more important.
Even if I collapse from mana exhaustion, if it saves Achille then it doesn’t matter.

“Achille, get up. I don’t want you to diee!”

“…-, Camille.”

“Achille?”

Achille’s expression changed. After that, he opened his eyes, and I could see his beautiful cobalt pupils.

“You don’t have to make such a tragic expression, you know. I just got hit… You’ve already healed it, so I’m fine already, though.”

“You’re really honestly okay? You’re not forcing yourself?”

“I’m not. I immediately used magic to reduce the impact, after all. I should be asking you. Firing away advanced recovery magic for something like that… Are you okay? Can you stand?”

Speaking of which, I’m still on top of Achille.
I tried to stand in a fluster, but just as Achille said, the mana consumption was too great, and I was lightheaded from the response, so I fell right back down on top of him.
This time alone, it seems that my mana economising tattoos didn’t have much use.

“Uu… S-, Sorry.”

Even when I propped myself up with my arms and tried to raise my body, I couldn’t find the power.

“Honestly, you really don’t think about consequences.”

Still on the ground with me on top of him, Achille embraced me, and then rolled a half-turn.

“Wha-…”

Before I knew it, I was squished under Achille, in a position like I was being pushed down.
This is bad, my heart’s starting to go thumpthump. I really, have no resistance against Achille.

“Umm… Achille?”

“Magic power. You’re out, right? I’ll give you some, so sit still.”

“G-, Giving magic power… not through a potion, but directly?”

“Giving it directly recovers it more quickly, right? The potions I have with me right now are all weak ones.”

When you run out of magic power, besides recovering through potions, it’s primitive, but there are also methods to transfer magic power from person to person.
The method being what it is, there are few amongst magicians who will actually put it into practice, though…

Transferring magic power from the insides of one person to another… In other words, orally. Kissing.
……Kissing!?

“Ah-, Achille, wai-…”

But I wasn’t allowed to speak to the end.
In a position where I was being pushed down, slowly coming down on me, my lips were stolen by Achille.

“Nn… Nnnn-”

Hang on! Unlike last time, isn’t this time a little bold? If it’s mana transfer, is there any need to suck on each other’s lips like this?
Achille’s tongue ran along the lip of my lips, and I unconsciously parted the lips that had been shut until now.
Achille didn’t overlook this chance. A tongue entered my mouth and forced my lips apart, and mana flowed in.

While this was happening, I could feel Achille’s mana flowing into me. Little by little, the power in my body returned.

I recovered my magic power, but it feels like something else has been considerably worn down.
But, is my dizziness gone now, perhaps?

But I wonder why. Achille is showing no signs of getting off me.
Clad in this amorous atmosphere, he’s gazing at me.

“Umm, could you move a little…”

“Shall I have you recover mana for a little longer?”

After saying that, with his amorousness increasing, Achille’s face drew near a second time…

“Ahh, ahem ahem. Could you possibly leave it at that, you two? If any more of that stuff happens before my eyes, I’ll be troubled for a reaction. Also, Achille, please don’t forget that this is enemy territory.”

“I know that.”

Turning in the direction of the familiar voice that suddenly rang out, Achille replied. Using that chance, I crawled out from under Achille.

“Royce-sama~!”

The owner of the voice was the person we had been looking for.
I can’t believe it, that Royce-sama would just be normally in front of my eyes like this…
He’s safe, he’s sound. I’m really so glad.

“I’m glad that you two are both safe as well. I believed that you two would come for me.”

“Isn’t that a given!? We wouldn’t leave you by yourself in such a place, you know.”

I declared reassuringly.

“By the way, Your Highness. Why were you wandering about in such a place? I was sure that you would be chained up somewhere…”

Achille asked Royce-sama. Mn, I’ve been wondering that too.

“Originally I was shut up in a jail cell, but because I heard an explosion outside, I made a break for it. Because the guard was getting slack, I easily escaped. I guess that nobody thought the sheltered prince would do something like a jail break, huh.”

He seems extremely satisfied, having stolen a march on the enemy.

“Well then, what shall we do?”

Normally we would now bring Royce-sama outside and complete our duties.
Achille already contacted the castle, so even if we leave them alone, soldiers from the castle will arrest the abductors.
However, right now Mei is here too. I’m sure she was captured as well.

Right now, Raiga is heading to save her.

“Going to save Mei Zakro, right?”

“Royce-sama, why do you know…”

“I heard one of the guards on watch speaking about bringing her here. The criminal is an ambitious count, so I understand his aim.”

“He’s probably starting to go on about how he’ll hand the throne over to the Royal Prince, huh.”

“Yeah… Alright, let’s go save Mei Zakro!”

“Royce-sama? …Is that alright?”

I was shocked at Royce-sama’s response.
Even I thought that he would say something about leaving it to the soldiers.

“Don’t you think that if we buy some favours now, things’ll be fun later on?”

Royce-sama said something like what Achille would.
Why do I get the feeling that his personality is slipping in a weird direction.

“Camille, is your magic power okay now? Did Achille give you lots and lots?”

“Ah-… Yes. I’m absolutely fine!”

I’m afraid about what Achille who’s next to me would do, if I said that I didn’t have enough.

“It’s about the guy who aimed for me, but he was an abnormally strong guy… And I get the feeling that I’ve seen him before, huh.”

“In other words, the culprit is an acquaintance?”

“Might be. If we question the mastermind, I’m sure we’ll find out.”

We once again made for the top floor.

※

I created another light for searching for Mei-chan.
The light continued straight down the basement hallway, before going up the stairs.
Halfway up the stairs, another arrow came, but they were all blocked by Achille. Achille’s magic is exact, and wastes little.

“Camille, make sure you don’t waste too much magic power… Even if we say that you recovered, you’re not in your normal condition, right?”

“Uu… Are you okay, Achille? You did give me mana.”

“I’m still completely fine. If you want more, say so at any time.”

He used a flirtatious sidelong glance just now! Foul play!
My heart rate and breathing were a mess, so I averted my eyes in a panic. This is bad for my heart…

Advancing together like this let me understand that Royce-sama was also quite a war potential.
He wasn’t specialised in fighting the same way Raiga was, but he was quite adept with magic too, and rather than holding us back, on the contrary he contributed a lot.
Also, finding enemies in hiding, or finding traps and the like seemed to be his specialty as well. He really is too reliable.
Just because we spent so much time together, when it came to combat even our breathing was perfectly in sync.
With us three together, aren’t we quite amazing?

“But still, you two have sure gotten close like engaged couples are supposed to be, huh. I’m relieved as well, you know.”

“Wha-…”

Royce-sama suddenly brought us up.
He probably completely saw all of that mana transfer from earlier. I couldn’t sense his presence in the slightest though…

“It seems that Camille has finally graduated from idealising me by overlapping some other person onto me, so I’m glad.”

Royce-sama continued.

“Idealised?”

“You weren’t aware of it yourself? You’ve been looking at me, but not really, you know? Through me, you’ve been looking at someone else, right? Or maybe it was that you were comparing me to somebody else.”

“That’s…”

“Originally I was wondering if you perhaps had an interest in me, but I immediately realised that that wasn’t it.”

“Royce-sama…”

Looking at somebody else through Royce-sama… I had no intention of doing anything like that, but… What does he mean?
Just who is he saying that I overlapped onto him?
While I was holding confused feelings about this, we arrived before the door of the room Mei was probably in.
I timidly placed my hand on the door.

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TL Note: Was just a little bit worried it would turn into Fate/Stay Night for a moment.

*imouto*

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