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“Hey, Ouga. Good morning, what a coincidence.”
“…”
“Oh? Ouga, did you guys come to the library too? I did, actually.”
“…”
“Oh, Ouga. Actually, um… about lunch… well, forget it! Don’t mind it!”
“…”
“It’s nothing, really!!”
As soon as she greeted me, Karen dashed away in a hurry.
That’s what happened a little while ago.
“What was that all about? What’s with her?”
It’s been a week since I had a conversation with Karen after a long time.
Since then, I’ve been encountering her with a frequency that feels like a lie.
“Hehe. It seems even the perfect Lord Ouga still has things to learn about communication.”
Alice, who was brewing warm tea, said with a smile.
Is there something wrong with my communication skills…?
“She thinks you’re cute, like a big dog.”
According to Mashiro, it seemed like Karen saw me with a tail or something.
It was a bit disheartening to feel excluded, even though I’m the main character.
“Next time, why don’t you invite her instead?”
“Me? Why?”
“Well, um… Alice’s cooking is delicious~. What do you call this?”
“It’s a hamburger. I made it based on a recipe devised by Lord Ouga.”
“Ouga can cook too. That’s amazing!”
“If you feel like it, you can ask Ouga-kun to cook for you sometime.”
“Oh, Ouga! Can you cook for me?”
No, listen to me.
But, if eating delicious hamburgers makes Mashiro’s chest grow and further develops it, well, I guess that’s fine…
Besides, I like girls who eat a lot.
It’s fun to have a meal together and enjoy the atmosphere.
“By the way, isn’t it against the rules for me to invite her?”
“Against the rules? What do you mean?”
“What, you don’t know? Karen is engaged to Prince Arnia.”
“The Crown Prince!? But Levezenka-san dresses as a man, right? Why?”
“…Explaining that would take a long time.”
*/*/*
***
[Scene transition]
***
*/*/*
Karen is the only child of the Levezenka family. The current head of the Levezenka family had no luck with having male children and had taken multiple wives, but never had got it.
The problem was that the current head was stubborn in his thinking.
He only recognized male heirs. But at the same time, he wouldn’t accept anyone who wasn’t related by blood.
And so, the solution was to raise Karen as a “boy.”
…The complicated part is that Karen was raised as a “boy,” and things started moving a year ago. Karen was chosen as the Crown Prince Arnia’s fiancée by the king himself.
The Crown Prince’s fiancée is traditionally chosen from one of the Four Great Ducal Families.
Although there are other daughters of the current dukes, Karen was the firstborn and is of the same age as the Crown Prince.
As the most senior heir of the Levezenka Ducal Family, and being the only daughter, the decision was made without any objections.
“So, Karen has been accustomed to wearing men’s clothes for a long time, which she prefers to wear regularly. But this is just my imagination, you know.”
“There must be deep reasons even for nobles like Karen. Nevertheless, it’s really unfortunate for her in the Levezenka family…”
“It’s probably her biggest misfortune to be born into the Levezenka family.”
“Um… In that case, isn’t the current situation bad for the Crown Prince…?”
Mashiro anxiously looks around, scanning her surroundings.
“That’s why, on that day, I rejected Karen when she tried to hold my hand. …It’s fortunate that the Crown Prince has absolutely no interest in her.”
The letter from my home that arrived last night mentioned their cold relationship.
The engagement was arranged by both sets of parents, and Karen and the Crown Prince were not originally close to each other.
Moreover, the Crown Prince’s character is evident from just the first meeting; he has his flaws.
Karen must be going through a lot… and it’s still ongoing.
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“That womanizing Crown Prince is busy playing around with other girls.”
“Huh? Womanizing Crown Prince…?”
“He’s not interested in Karen at all. Look over there.”
Alice points her finger toward the rumors surrounding the Crown Prince Arnia, who is surrounded by senior female students.
“Arnia-sama, open wide.”
“Mm, delicious. Your cooking is the best in the world.”
“Oh, stop it… I’m so happy.”
“Your Highness! Next, me! Please try mine!”
“No need to rush, I’m not going anywhere. Ahaha!”
It looks like a rather enjoyable meal scene.
The Crown Prince has been enjoying his youth by escorting girls other than Karen since he enrolled.
At first, other students held back due to Karen, but lately, they’ve been disregarding her.
Karen keeps her distance from the Crown Prince’s actions, but her entourage seems uneasy.
“But even so, there’s no reason for her to be friendly with me…”
– Wait, hold on? I feel something strange about saying this out loud.
Repairing the relationship with the Crown Prince should be the top priority for the Levezenka family. They probably even issued her orders from home.
However, what benefit does she gain from approaching me, another person of the opposite sex… I see, that’s it…!
“Hahaha, Karen… using me like that…”
“Using…? Do you have any idea about what it means, Lord Ouga?”
“I thought she was talking to me recently to recruit me for the Student Council. But there’s another reason.”
Alice doesn’t understand female emotions because she has always been dedicated to martial arts.
Well, I can’t blame her. It’s the responsibility of a superior to help their subordinates grow.
Let me explain it to her.
“Karen wants the Crown Prince to be jealous of her. That’s why she’s actively talking to me, someone she knows.”
“…………”
“She can easily make excuses for talking to me, a Duke, you see. I never thought she would use me as a shield… She’s really grown, that girl.”
“………… Alice, can I have another serving, please?”
“Yes, of course.”
However, just being taken advantage of like this isn’t ideal.
…That’s it! Maybe I can ride along with her plan as well.
Karen must think that I wouldn’t fall for her.
But if I were to pretend to genuinely like her, it would definitely cause her trouble.
If she gets too close to the infamous me, her reputation would suffer as well.
For the daughter of the virtuous Levezenka Ducal Family and a member of the Student Council, there’s nothing more painful.
She’s really a genius… This might make things interesting.
I’ve decided on my future plan regarding Karen.
“By the way, I have a question too.”
As she says this, Mashiro sends her gaze toward the Crown Prince and his companions.
“Do you want to experience something like that, Ouga-kun?”
“Hey, don’t underestimate me. I’m still the firstborn of a duke. Doing something like that in front of the public…!”
“I was thinking of doing it for you, though.”
“…I’d like that.”
“Here you go, ahh~”
Delicious!!
It’s even more delicious because I’m being fed by a beautiful girl.
“Oh, you’re making a mess with the sauce all over your mouth.”
Mashiro reaches out to me and wipes the sauce off the corner of my mouth with her finger.
“Sorry, could you pass me a handkerchief?”
──By the way, I have a question.”
A chill runs down my spine.
“Ouga-kun, aren’t creating harems for some reason, are you?”
What…!?
I feel an incredibly intense pressure from Mashiro.
Even though she’s usually all soft and fluffy with negative ions…!?
“Oh, uhm, of course not. I treat each person sincerely.”
Even if I create a harem, I’ll treat each person sincerely.
I don’t want to end up in trouble by surrounding myself with women who are only after my money.
“I see. Then it’s okay.”
It seems like she’s convinced.
Mashiro, who was leaning forward, leans back, returning to her usual demeanor.
“Well then, let’s have lunch. The lunch break will be over soon.”
“Y-yeah…”
I don’t really remember the taste of the hamburger after that.
***
My days were a constant struggle.
My life was not my own.
It was taken away for the sake of my father, the Levezenka family.
My dreams of marrying the one I love, precious friendships, everything was taken away.
But now I have something to look forward to.
“Phew… Alright.”
I hide behind a pillar, tighten my tie neatly, and create the ideal image of Karen Levezenka that everyone expects.
Nobody wants a weak and unattractive me.
The only one who accepted me back then was him…
“Ouga…”
I call the name of my friend who has always been my pillar of support.
I endured each painful day because when I entered the Magic Academy, there was a possibility of meeting him.
Ouga Vellett.
He follows his own sense of justice without caring about others’ opinions and loves his own way of life.
He helped Leiche-san, who was being bullied just because she was a commoner, and he seems to be actively involved in cleaning up the area where the orphanage is.
He hasn’t changed since the day he helped me.
On the day of the entrance ceremony, even though we hadn’t seen each other in a long time, he immediately recognized me.
He probably doesn’t know how happy that made me.
Since then, while busy with student council duties and accompanying the Crown Prince Arnia, Leiche-san, a cute rival, has appeared… I was surprised.
Translator Note : If you like misunderstanding comedy, checkout, Sir Black Knight who does not want to be an additional rangers, a new novel that recently I picked up
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