episode_0146

“It must have been great to be among the ladies?”

As soon as I heard that, I was speechless.

No, how could that be good?

I deliberately chose this time to avoid attracting attention from the nobles.

I entered this place only after closely examining the internal movement and structure of the building that was given as a perfect clear reward, and I did not do anything that would attract attention.

In other words, I did my best to somehow avoid the eyes of the people here. It can’t be a good feeling to be in trouble due to a sudden influx of nobles.

I can’t say this out loud because it’s how I feel as a player, but even if it’s for other reasons, it’s not so much that I can’t say it.

So I feel unfair.

Those women came after me unilaterally, so why are they so angry?

I wanted to refute it right away.

however…

‘…For some reason, it feels like you’re going to get punched if you say that?’

Perhaps as I gained more experience, a strange sensation appeared on my back along with a ray of cold sweat.

First, let’s slowly clear up the misunderstanding.

“Well… I was just passing by this road…?”

“Hmm. Yes.”

Oh… this is a scolding.

My fiancee seems to be in a worse mood than before.

Does this mean that you can’t explain it by just saying that you were passing this road?

“Hmm… Hey, those people aren’t even the people I called?”

“Yes. But what?”

“…It was a sudden one-sided influx from over there. Aren’t you lying?”

Then Harnier asked in a sharper voice.

“For something like that, you’ve been held on for a very long time, right?”

“You were held captive. If something goes wrong, it’s obvious that news will reach the Duke’s house again.”

“So you are saying that you intentionally stayed still even though the ladies were touching you one by one?”

She suddenly puts her face in front of me.

I naturally took a step back.

“If you refused, that’s fine! Don’t say anything, just stay there!”

“If I hear something bad, I can’t help it… Wow!”

As I walked away, Harnier’s face approached.

Instinctively, I took a step back.

“You can just say you don’t like it. Don’t cause an accident, just be polite. Isn’t it okay to just say bow?”

“No, I want to do that too, but it’s difficult…!”

She took a step closer.

I swallowed and took a step back again.

“You have a schedule, so you can pretend to be in trouble and withdraw. You can make the excuse that you’re tired and say you want to rest! You could say that you came to see where the dukedom would stay, or that you had to go first because of an appointment. You can say that you’re tired, but you’re hungry, or that you’re busy preparing. It’s the worst, but it’s okay to say your stomach hurts! There is nothing difficult about it!”

Each time an alternative to escaping from the ladies was presented, Harnier came closer.

As I pushed back one step at a time, I was all the way behind the wall.

“You’re the one who didn’t say a word! I didn’t ask you to resolve the issue through violence. It only takes a few words. Why don’t you do it? Do you know how much you have to say in that situation?”

I feel a hard wall on my back.

Now I was cornered and had no place to retreat.

“Also, there is the best method, so why don’t you use it? If that were the case, I would have walked away right away!”

“…What is the best way?”

Was there such a thing?

As I tilted my head, Harnier narrowed the distance significantly.

Now, there was nowhere to retreat.

“Is it that hard to say that you have a fiancee? Since there are people I’m meeting with, I’m free to draw a line and say no to flirting!”

I want this.

I scratched the back of my head and opened my tightly closed lips.

“That…”

“What is it!”

For some reason, the increasingly sharp voice made me break into a cold sweat, but I had to say this.

“Isn’t it too close?”

“…Yes?”

Harnier is confused by the unexpected noise.

-Cook, cluck.

I pointed my index finger into the air at the space between us.

“You said you dislike skinship. If you keep coming, you will reach it.”

“…”

phew. I’m finally going to let go for an hour.

Only then did Harnier step away from me, who was like a rat in a corner.

She turned back, was silent for a moment, then shook her head and glanced this way.

“That… I didn’t mean to.”

“…I guess so. I also didn’t intend for those ladies to approach.”

When I had some free time, I added, calming my voice a little.

“Then why weren’t you saying anything?”

“I was a little confused when it arrived, but I was wondering how to take it off.”

“You were thinking about it?”

“Yes. If you accidentally remove it and get it into your family’s ears, it will usually be distorted.”

“Ah…”

She sighed briefly as if she understood.

But as if this wasn’t enough, his eyes soon became sharp again.

“But just saying that you have a fiancee was enough. I can’t say anything about this.”

“Hmm. It’s certainly not that I didn’t think about it.”

“Is there a reason why I shouldn’t use it?”

“Yes.”

“No, what is the reason for that?”

Harnier glared at me again with a puzzled expression.

“Even so, it’s just a contract. Yours and mine.”

“But, I thought you might not like it.”

“…Yes?”

“It’s a contract engagement, right? Considering that you suffered from all kinds of harassment and flirtation from men, I thought that such words should not come out of my mouth.”

Harnier told me at the time of signing the contract.

Other men said that anyone would become his fiancé.

Someone said that there was a time when they tried to use it to create some alone time.

I’m not sure, since I’ve never been in that position, but I don’t think it would be surprising for her to be disgusted, as she’s been through this countless times herself.

Such was the significance of the contractual engagement she proposed in the first place.

This was to overcome the risk of being sold into an arranged marriage and at the same time avoid having to experience such a thing again. That’s why I even used the Jewel of Oath and suggested that we ‘pretend to be lovers’.

Harnier made that decision to protect himself.

But what happens if I use this here?

So I just didn’t say it.

“Well… I may have said it too abruptly. Someday, you too should meet a decent man and get married. Isn’t it?”

“…”

“If you give me permission, I should use it then…”

Harnier looked at me blankly without saying a word, then turned his head in shock.

“Well, you can say things like that without getting permission! We said we would cooperate… Oh, from now on, you can say out loud that you have a fiancee!”

“Uh, um… yes.”

Was this a very strange answer? I felt embarrassed and scratched my cheek.

A quiet silence came.

Perhaps this was the end of this story, but Harni didn’t say anything else.

Well, since it was just the two of us, I decided to ask a question.

“Harnier. You asked me to make an appointment first, but why didn’t you reply to my letter?”

“Ah… that.”

Perhaps certain that something had happened in the meantime, Harnier sighed.

“You have to dance with me.”

…yes?

Hey, fiancee?

What does that mean?

***

“Ha…”

Karssein buried his face in one hand and sighed deeply.

The sigh was so deep that it felt like it would burst through the table and all the way to the ground.

He removed his hand from his face, scratched his head as if troubled, and asked again.

“So, is it like this? Before you signed a contract with me, you had to lie about having a fiancé thanks to the pressure from the social circles. The reason was to dance at the party being held today. The last time I sent a letter, the reason I couldn’t reply was because of the marquis’ surveillance.”

“…”

Harnier nodded silently at the answer that was not wrong at all.

I had nothing to say.

This was clearly his fault.

“…I’m just wondering, when does the ball start?”

“G, about an hour from now… right?”

“No. So you’re saying that it has to be a dance so perfect that the ladies of society will be speechless? And you and me?”

Common sense suggests that this could be an easy question.

Cold sweat was flowing down the back of Harnier’s head.

“…Is there any other way?”

“Uh, none…”

“You don’t know. Think about it carefully.”

“If you ask me that…”

I’ve already decided that I’ll dance, so what can I do?

In the end, the fact that I had to go on stage remained the same.

Karssein let out a deep sigh again.

“For your information, I can’t dance. I’ve never danced before.”

“Well, if you practice from now on, everything will work out!”

“I’ve never danced before, so how can I do anything? Yes?”

“Do you know anything? Maybe you have a talent for dancing!”

“Huh, indeed. There will be a lot. I heard you only practiced with mannequins.”

“Oh, really. Just wake up! I know how to dance, so let’s practice as soon as possible.”

Karcein reluctantly gets up from his seat.

Harnier slowly examined Karssein’s body.

‘what…? He’s quite tall…’

I realized it too late, but Harnier was looking up at Karssein.

I felt a difference, so I took another step, and when I adjusted the distance again, I realized that it wasn’t my mood.

It has definitely increased.

Karssein was originally a little larger than himself, so he didn’t have to look up this much.

Not only that, but even his body was like that.

It seemed as if his body got a little wider and if he stretched out his arms, his body would be completely covered. This thing, which felt sturdy through the slightly touching collar, was clearly different from back then when I had a skinny body.

and…

“Why are you doing that? Is there something wrong with my body?”

The other side too.

It had definitely changed.

So much so that the young ladies like it very much.

“Harnier?”

“Oh, yes?”

“Wasn’t it urgent? You have to practice right away.”

“Well, that’s how it should be. Yes… first, please hold my hand lightly with this hand, and with the other arm—”

Although he taught Karsein like that, he didn’t seem to be teaching with proper concentration.

Somehow it happened.