Chapter 70

Re​ad ​o​n ​KatR​eadingCa​fe​

While Lucia was celebrating her newfound friendship by giving Eugene a “happy hell”, a small girl was crouching under the infirmary window that led to the hallway.

She clutched her silky blue hair tightly and trembled.

Then, cautiously raising her head, a fiery glint swirled in her ruby-red right eye.

“Ugh…”

Her emotions were spiraling out of control, and her supernatural ability leaked uncontrollably.

Alice blinked and suppressed the heat.

Straightening her hunched back, she peeked beyond the window.

The same scene she’d been witnessing was there, unchanged.

The darkened infirmary.

A male student sitting on the bed.

And the female student embracing him from behind.

They looked like a close couple, no matter who saw them.

Alice’s face crumpled as if she might cry.

She had wanted to know more about the different sides of Lucia, but not like this.

◈

A little while ago.

After helping Arin carry supplies to the classroom, Alice went straight to the infirmary.

She had planned to quietly wait for Lucia to return, but an inexplicable sense of crisis wouldn’t let her stay still.

The morning’s scene was still vivid in her mind.

The two of them, chatting familiarly.

Lucia even leaned in close, whispering with a bright smile.

When had they grown so close?

Alice was always with Lucia, so she knew. Eugene and Lucia were in the same class, so the occasional conversation wasn’t unusual. But they were definitely not close friends.

She didn’t like it.

This Eugene guy.

She really didn’t like him.

She knew he wasn’t a bad person.

In fact, she’d even appreciated his small, subtle acts of kindness before. She had even harbored a slight fondness for him.

She’d heard about his impressive feats during the field practice, and had quietly admired him.

But still, she didn’t like him.

Since seeing that scene in the morning, all she could feel toward Eugene was wariness.

No, more than that—it was fear.

Alice was scared of Eugene.

She didn’t know why.

Why was she afraid of someone so kind?

Was it because he might be pretending to be kind, like her mother had?

Was she instinctively picking up on that and reacting to it?

She felt a foreboding sense that the two of them shouldn’t be left alone together.

If she’d known it would turn out like this, she would’ve gone instead of Lucia.

But Alice was still bad at expressing her feelings.

When someone asked her for something, she often hesitated and eventually gave in.

She had practically run to the infirmary.

Peeking inside through the window before opening the door, Alice nearly screamed.

Lucia was hugging Eugene.

Her legs gave out, and she slumped to the ground. Covering her forehead with her trembling hands, she tried to calm herself.

Lucia’s hugs were familiar to her. She loved how warm and cozy they felt. Alice often threw herself into Lucia’s arms, and Lucia would always accept her with a happy smile. Sometimes, Lucia would hug her first.

She’s never done that for anyone else.

Lucia’s hugs were only for her.

Even with Arin and Anastasia, whom she’d grown closer to after the field practice, Lucia hadn’t hugged them.

Alice had sometimes worried she was being too clingy, but she couldn’t stop seeking Lucia’s embrace because it made her feel so special.

Whenever she buried herself in Lucia’s arms and let her scent linger on her, Alice felt pure joy and contentment.

Because it was a privilege only she was allowed.

It was proof that she was someone special to Lucia.

I hate this.

But now, someone else was taking her place.

The person in Lucia’s arms wasn’t her.

What kind of relationship did they have? Were they… dating? Why? How? They weren’t even close! They hadn’t even talked until a few days ago.

How had they suddenly become so familiar? What caused it? What would happen next?

If they started dating, what would become of her?

Would she drift away from Lucia?

“Friend” and “lover”.

Which was more important?

It depended on the person, but Alice thought the latter might be more precious.

That’s what the books said.

She had read countless romance novels where people sacrificed everything for their lovers.

Even though she knew reality was different, her thoughts kept drifting there.

Because fiction imitates reality.

She’s mine…

Finally, Alice understood why she was so scared of Eugene.

She was afraid of losing Lucia.

She feared that Lucia might find someone more important than her.

Arin and Anastasia were just other girls, but Eugene was a boy.

On top of that, he was handsome, kind, and extremely capable.

And what about her?

There was no comparison. Anyone could see that Eugene was superior.

Alice closed her eyes and let her thoughts wander.

She imagined Lucia with Eugene.

The two of them walking hand in hand.

Whispering love and sealing It with a Kiss

“…”

She hated it.

Hated it so much she wanted to incinerate the infirmary with her thermal ray right then and there.

◈

Thanks to me diligently massaging his abdomen, Eugene recovered quickly.

He probably would’ve been fine on his own, but I like to think my help sped up the process a little.

Fufufu, it wasn’t bad for an act of service.

If something similar happens again, I’ll step in to help.

Eugene didn’t seem to dislike my assistance, after all.

Even if it wasn’t the outcome I was hoping for, today wasn’t without its achievements.

I now had a valid excuse to act like I was close to Eugene. Even if he complained about my meddling, a simple “Because we’re best friends!” would be enough to shut him up.

This could come in handy for supporting Eugene and Alice’s budding romance from now on.

To be honest, their relationship in the original story progressed at a snail’s pace. 

Despite their feelings for each other, they were too busy hiding them to confess. They were embarrassed and afraid of rejection, so they spent most of their time misunderstanding each other and going in circles.

Eugene especially struggled with his feelings for Alice.

He agonized over whether his affection for her was genuine love or just a longing for his late sister.

Was he only drawn to Alice because she reminded him of Yui? Was he projecting his deceased younger sister onto Alice? Were his feelings nothing more than unresolved longing for Yui?

It wasn’t until the latter half of the story that he finally realized his emotions were true love. Until then, he was stuck in an endless cycle of self-doubt and misinterpretation.

And let’s not forget, in the meantime, he managed to act ambiguously around other heroines, which deeply hurt Alice. 

That idiot. 

How dare he get distracted when he already had Alice?

I could understand why, of course. His initial interest in Alice stemmed from her resemblance to Yui. But that was just the beginning. Over time, his genuine affection for Alice grew.

Still, his inability to understand his own feelings caused their relationship to stagnate.

Idiot. Fool. Simpleton.

But it’s fine now.

Because I, Lucia, am here to support them!

With the devils already wreaking havoc, there’s no time to wait for these two to figure things out at their own slow pace.

As long as I can help them clear up their misunderstandings, they’ll be a couple in no time. 

Easy-peasy.

And it’s not like Alice hasn’t already started looking at Eugene differently.

Thinking about this afternoon’s classes, I couldn’t help but smile.

Alice had been staring blankly at Eugene. Her gaze was so intense it felt like thermal rays might shoot out of her eyes. 

During class, during breaks, even after school, she would occasionally glance his way.

It didn’t look particularly affectionate, but if she wasn’t interested, she wouldn’t have been acting like that.

She’d been sneaking glances at him during lunch as well, but now her stares had become even more blatant.

Could something have happened while I wasn’t around to make her take an interest in Eugene?

In any case, it’s a good development. Alice showing interest in Eugene was key.

It’s easy for Eugene to notice Alice, but getting her to reciprocate had always been the challenge.

Even if I created opportunities for them to get closer, Alice’s personality could easily backfire.

So I’d been racking my brain over how to make it work, but who would’ve thought Alice herself would take the initiative to notice Eugene? Yep, as expected of the main heroine.

Now my job is simple: bring the two closer, shield them from external interference, and straighten things out whenever misunderstandings arise.

Great! Cupid Lucia is on the case!

For today, though, I’ll head home with Alice and enjoy rubbing cheeks with her as much as I can.

Once she starts dating Eugene, the time we spend together will drastically decrease.

It’d be a waste not to savor moments like these while we still can.

Since I can’t indulge in certain other things lately, I’ll have to settle for this to fill my heart.

…Come to think of it, it’s a little bittersweet.

When Alice starts dating Eugene, she’ll drift away from me, won’t she?

He’ll become more important to her than I am.

I’m hoping for that, and I’m working to make it happen, but it still stings a little.

Is this what being a parent feels like…? A child can’t stay a child forever. When the time comes, you have to give them the push they need to spread their wings…

Oh well, it’s fine.

Even if Alice becomes Eugene’s lover, it won’t change the fact that we’re close friends.

Maybe, in a different sense, we’ll become even closer.

Both Eugene and Alice are tolerant enough to accept my… unique preferences.

They might initially hesitate or reject the idea, but eventually, they’ll come around.

There’s a reason I’ve marked them as potential candidates to be my masters.

Especially since Alice has Frey within her…

“Hehe, I’m looking forward to it.”

When Eugene and Alice finally become a couple.

And if the two of them could own me together…

Wouldn’t that be the happiest ending for everyone?

Woof! Woof!

 

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
A love triangle that no one ever thought would happen.

No matter how much I think about it, Lucia is the bad guy.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Whenever Lucia acts, someone will always suffer. 

That someone is never her, heh.