“…After all that big talk, this is the result?”
Yueri’s shoulders jumped.
“Now you understand? Why we won’t hire you here.”
“…!”
“I’m lending you the forge out of pity, but only until this request is over.”
“…W-Why? I wanted to be like my father…!”
Yueri starts crying, tears falling drop by drop.
Her goal was to surpass Mr. Dude.
She must have wanted to avoid failing in front of her father.
She must have wanted to show how much she had grown.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t make such a frustrated expression.
“Yueri… stop aiming to be like me.”
“…!”
The denial of her dream from the person she admired.
Unable to bear it anymore, Yueri ran out of the workshop.
She must have been scared.
Because she might have seen disappointment in the eyes of her father, whom she aimed to surpass.
It would be inappropriate to chase after her now.
This is a problem she must overcome on her own.
“Ouga, are you alright?”
“Yeah, I’m feeling fine. So I can definitely still go on our date later.”
“That’s not what I meant…”
Karen, who had been worried about me, lightly tap my shoulder.
She seemed relieved by my joking response, which showed I was at ease.
The heavy atmosphere lightened just a bit.
“…Ouga Vellet.”
“Yes?”
“If you want, I can prioritize making you a prosthetic arm. You’ll need it before the battle, won’t you?”
An unexpected proposal from Dude Luludahn, the world’s top mechanical engineer.
In this situation, anyone would nod without hesitation. I would have done the same.
If I hadn’t met Yueri, that is.
“No, I requested this from Yueri Luludahn. I want her to make it for me.”
“If you refuse now, there won’t be another chance. Are you sure?”
“My answer remains the same. Besides… your daughter will definitely complete it next time.”
“Is that so? Given her state, she might abandon the request herself.”
“You shouldn’t say things you don’t mean. It’s easy to see through.”
There’s no need to stay any longer.
Since Yueri isn’t here either, there’s no point in us remaining.
I thanked Mr. Dude and took Karen’s hand.
“…[Saint]!”
Just as we were about to leave the workshop, a loud voice calling my title rang in my ears.
…I don’t like being called by that name, though.
I turned back, waiting for the words that would follow.
“…Make sure to work her hard.”
“Even without you saying so, that’s my intention until the day I die.”
“…Heh.”
Understanding the meaning behind my words, Mr. Dude grinned ever so slightly.
After the incident at the Luludahn workshop, we headed straight to the planetarium theater that Karen had expressed a desire to visit.
Apparently, it uses cutting-edge magical technology not even available in the royal capital.
“…Ouga, are you really okay with this? Turning down Mr. Dude’s offer?”
“Of course. As I said there, Yueri is the one I want to make it.”
Besides, if I had accepted, I would have been handed a finished product and probably banned from the place.
It wouldn’t hurt Encartón one bit if their connection to the Vellet family was severed.
I think Mr. Dude, who adores his daughter, would have taken at least that much action.
“I wonder if Yueri is alright. She was crying at the end…”
“That depends on her. But if she were to give up here, their parent-child fights wouldn’t have lasted for years.”
“I hope you’re right…”
Karen, while having undergone minimal reconciliation, still has some awkwardness with her own father.
So, as a daughter herself, she’s probably concerned about Yueri.
“By the way, you mentioned ‘tsundere’ earlier, right? What does that mean?”
“It’s because Mr. Dude is deliberately acting cold towards Yueri for her sake.”
“Huh? For what purpose?”
“While I can only guess his intentions, there’s no doubt he’s doing it for her benefit.”
“He should just be honest.”
“If he could do that, he wouldn’t be tsundere.”
“Ah, I see.”
Karen nodded in understanding, lightly clapping her hands.
Just as our conversation reached a natural pause, the announcement for the start of the show began to play.
“Let’s put the Luludahn family talk aside and enjoy the planetarium.”
“Yeah! It’s a special time, after all. Plus, I get to sit close to Ouga like this…”
We’re using one of the three limited couple seats in the venue.
It’s a large circular seat big enough to stretch our legs, with one long cushion and two square cushions placed on it.
Karen and I were looking up at the projected scenery, cuddled close together.
“Wow… it’s beautiful…”
A night sky full of stars projected across the entire dome-shaped ceiling.
The scenery moves slowly, captivating the audience with its beauty.
I too was enjoying the view when suddenly, Karen tightened her grip on my hand, causing me to turn towards her.
“…Hey, Ouga, do you remember? The day you gave me this hair ornament?”
“Ah, I gave it to you at your birthday party, didn’t I?”
“Yes. The night sky was beautiful like this then too. I thought I’d like to see it again slowly with you… that’s why I decided on this place for our date.”
“…You’ve treasured it all this time, haven’t you?”
“Of course. This hair ornament, this memory… it was my emotional support. When my father hit me, when the crown prince treated me coldly, you were the one who saved me, Ouga.”
Karen’s eyes reflected me, not the night sky.
“I love you. Since we were little… I’ve always, always loved you, Ouga.”
Karen’s voice was slightly trembling as she confessed.
“That’s why I’m truly happy to be your fiancée now. But sometimes, I can’t help but think… I wish it was just me.”
Karen buried her face in my chest, as if trying to hide something.
“Honestly, I want to have you all to myself… but I understand why everyone falls for you, because you’re so wonderful.”
I continue to listen to her words without saying anything.
All I can do is gently stroke her hair.
Because the emotions Karen is pouring out now would never have existed if I hadn’t aimed for a harem.
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“But… but you know? I also believe that Ouga, whom I love so much, will surely make everyone happy.”
“…!”
Her words sank deep into my heart.
…What a fool I am.
To make her say such things when she loves me… Back then, before our date, I should have been the one to speak up first.
I should have told everyone, even if I had to force it out: “Please share your life with me.”
The four of them confessed to me despite their anxieties, yet I was running away from expressing my feelings until I was certain.
“…Karen, thank you.”
I embrace her tightly, the one who gave me that final push.
“I have something I want to tell everyone tonight. …Can you wait until then?”
I don’t ask what, as that would be tactless.
She, who has nurtured her love for me for over a decade, rubs her reddened eyes and smiles shyly.
“I’ve been waiting for years, you know? A few hours is nothing.”
“…Thank you.”
Once again, I express my gratitude for Karen’s kindness.
“The planetarium was beautiful, wasn’t it?”
“Though I feel like we spent the latter half just looking at each other’s faces.”
“That’s… well, I can’t deny it.”
Karen scratches her cheek, looking embarrassed.
After receiving that passionate confession, we remained silent, gazing at each other, then averting our eyes out of shyness, or laughing at how flustered the other looked…
Those casual moments were so precious that I couldn’t help but keep staring.
“Okay, that’s enough of that talk. …Ouga, does your hand hurt? Are you alright?”
“The pain isn’t from the arm itself, but from the ‘magic circuit’ in the arm. It’s not a problem.”
She’s holding my right hand.
My right arm will soon be replaced with a prosthetic, so she wants to create memories with my right hand before that happens.
It’s a thoughtful idea, typical of the kind-hearted Karen.
“I wonder if it hurts when they cut it off? I don’t want to imagine it…”
“Apparently, they numb the sensation and then use magic to cut it off in one go. They make sure you don’t feel any pain with magic, it seems.”
“I see, of course. It wouldn’t be possible without magic, right?”
“I’d probably pass out from the pain otherwise.”
I can say that with confidence.
The level of damage is different from having your skin torn or bones broken.
Even the physical enhancement from [Limit Transcendence Gear-Change] would be meaningless, and it’s definitely something I’d want to avoid in a fight with Florne.
“What should we do about dinner later? Eat out? I’m fine either way.”
“The hotel is the only option. …You knew that when you asked, didn’t you?”
“…Was I that obvious?”
We’ll meet at the hotel, and I’ll give my answer to everyone’s confessions.
After that, I’ll propose marriage anew.
I can’t imagine a life without any of them anymore.
I’ll defeat Florne, and we’ll continue walking towards a bright future together in a peaceful world.
—At that moment.
[Beep! Beep! Monster attack! Monster attack! Please evacuate to the underground shelter immediately!]
[Beep! Beep! Dragon appearance! Dragon appearance! Please evacuate to the underground shelter immediately!]
As if mocking my resolve, several high-pitched warning sirens echoed throughout the city.
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