I Have to Try Something

To make something move, you need to use it consistently first. For example, if you want to be good at using a certain magic, you need to use that magic consistently first. You learn how to use magic power according to that spell and figure out how to produce more effective results.

The human brain, even though it might not seem like it, is something that needs to be moved consistently. Brain training doesn’t exist for nothing. Although as time passes and we age, that brain gradually withers, if you’ve been consistently training it from before, they say you can endure better than others.

The reason I’m having these pointless thoughts is simple. Despite constantly pondering what to do since earlier, nothing comes to mind. It’s truly surprising how no method comes to mind. At a time like this, when the brain should be working actively, it has declared a strike as if it’s none of its business, and as a result, I’m facing the current situation without any countermeasures or future plans.

“This is delicious. Where is this tea from?”

“I can’t say for certain since I didn’t look at the label, but judging by the taste, it seems to be from Vincent Trading Company. It’s better than I expected.”

“Ah, if it’s tea from Vincent Trading Company…”

There’s an unfamiliar feeling emanating from Amy and Elizabeth, who are enthusiastically chatting in front of me. Originally, these two had no scenes of getting along in the original story.

Amy had a strong feeling of being a library ghost, and Elizabeth was a character never mentioned in the original story. However, considering the image I saw last time, Elizabeth was closer to the type Amy disliked. She had the feel of an arrogant villainous young lady who wielded power and looked down on those below her.

That’s the type Amy dislikes the most. That’s why she was the first to reach out to Mari, who was in the position of a one-sided victim in the original story, and didn’t hesitate to use her brain against Ariel.

But now, to see Amy talking so amicably with Elizabeth like this. It’s an extremely awkward sight in many ways.

We were now sitting at a table set up outdoors after leaving the dining hall, enjoying a simple dessert. Thanks to finishing our meal faster than expected, there was still time left in the lunch break, and we needed a place to wrap up any remaining conversation.

For me, this is the last chance. I need to clear up their misunderstanding somehow. I have absolutely no intention of marrying Reinhardt! But at the same time, I need to appeal that there’s no problem right now.

So, to summarize… I need to make them think that while I have no intention of marrying Reinhardt, I’m currently maintaining our engagement relationship without any problems.

‘Crazy.’

It’s a difficulty level that makes me want to swear involuntarily. I felt like finding whoever created this unbalanced game and confronting them.

But if I don’t do this, I’m doomed. I won’t die, but at this rate, I’ll inevitably be swept along by the trend and become the Crown Princess. That must not happen! That absolutely must not happen!

The reason I’m okay with maintaining the engagement relationship with Reinhardt is because I know it’s not a relationship that will last long. Come on, I’ve decided to become a villainess, so what’s the big deal about being engaged to a man for a short while?

Moreover, even though we’re engaged, Reinhardt doesn’t particularly touch me or anything. It’s to the point where I suspect we’re almost at the level of just friends of the opposite sex, despite being called fiancés.

Of course, if you look at how he treats me compared to other noble young ladies, he is treating me as his fiancée in his own way. At least, I think it’s already enough that he doesn’t particularly try to associate with other women and comes to me as much as possible.

So, I might not have properly recognized the current situation. To be honest, the fact that I’m engaged to Reinhardt wasn’t something that felt real or tangible.

Did I have an engagement ceremony? Did I even wear a ring? What did I do? By the time I opened my eyes, the situation was already over, and I can’t completely deny that I’ve been living with the mindset of “Fiancé? I see.”

It’s karma, it’s retribution. I shouldn’t have done that. I didn’t know that fact. Damn, how should I…

“Lady Walpurgis.”

“Yes. Please speak.”

Thanks to not losing my mental grip even while being immersed in various thoughts, I was able to quickly respond to Amy calling me.

“As I mentioned earlier, we at Jernia have decided to treat you as a member of the imperial family if you ascend to the position of Crown Princess as things are.”

“Yes.”

My mouth tastes bitter. It’s not my imagination that the tea I’m drinking now tastes exceptionally bitter, right?

“This is not just our opinion, but the common opinion of families loyal to the imperial family.”

“Y-yes…”

No, no! I have no intention of becoming the Crown Princess like this! I want to quit right now! Someone, quickly call Mari! Tell her to come and take Reinhardt instead of me!

“Although you haven’t held the ceremony yet, please let us know if you need any help. Although I’m insufficient, I will help you with all my heart and soul.”

“Th-thank you…”

I’m dizzy. I feel like I’m really going to collapse. I feel like I’m going to lose my mind. I feel like my lunch is going to come out…

In the end, I couldn’t provide any proper explanation and the lunch break ended in a blur. Huh? I didn’t clear up any misunderstandings, is it okay to leave things like this?

‘Of course it’s not okay, you idiot!’

I screamed internally while glaring at the target Professor Elaine had deliberately created to test new spell formulas.

‘No, but there wasn’t anything I could say there either…’

This is the biggest problem. I want to clear up the absurd misunderstanding that Reinhardt and I are getting married, but the only way I can think of to clear this up is to break off the engagement. To put it bluntly, if I have no intention of getting married, what reason is there to maintain the engagement? But the problem is that if I do that, it will cause an uproar in both my family and the imperial family. And the aftermath will naturally fall on me.

It’s a dead end. It’s checkmate. I want to somehow prove my innocence(?), but there’s no way other than to overturn the board. But it’s still too early to overturn the board. If at least Mari and Reinhardt were in a situation where they were developing feelings for each other, I might have tried something…!

Checking discreetly, Mari still has no interest in Reinhardt at all. Well, that’s inevitable. In typical romance fantasy clichés, Reinhardt would swoop in and save Mari when she’s being bullied by nobles, but these days, you can’t find anyone deliberately bullying Mari even if you look hard.

The reason is simple. It’s because I’ve been talking. To be precise, I didn’t tell them not to bully Mari, and I didn’t even mention Mari. I just politely told them not to spread strange rumors about me and Reinhardt.

But for some reason, perhaps due to what I said when I first met Elizabeth, the rumor spread, and everyone explicitly confirmed that they would absolutely not bully Mari. This is not good. It’s really not good.

It’s true that I tried to check other nobles from interfering because I wanted to bully Mari myself. It would be a lie to say I didn’t have such intentions. After all, the main villain bullying Mari should be Ariel Walpurgis.

But it’s not good that they don’t even dare to try like this. They should at least have the will to join in later when I trigger it, even if they’re holding back now. If things continue like this, even if I deliberately step forward to bully Mari, there’s a high chance they’ll just wonder, ‘Why is she doing that?’ or think it’s strange and leave it at that. That shouldn’t happen.

BOOM!

Where did it go wrong? It should have been a perfect plan. I destroyed the target with my troubled feelings and prepared the spell formula again. The electricity gathered on my fingertips began to spark threateningly.

Magic formulas are created so well like this. Why isn’t the most important thing progressing at all?

Crackle!

While experimenting with the spell formula, a new formula suddenly came to mind, so I immediately tried it out. The formula I just created is an improved version of the electron cannon I used before, narrowing the range and concentrating the power, but this time, the result of extremely widening the range was successful.

Seeing the electricity bouncing in all directions, it feels like it turned out better than expected. You know, like when a composition suddenly pops into your mind unconsciously, as if you’re suddenly getting into rhythm. This time, it was a great success. I should make a note of this too.

“Um, Lady Walpurgis.”

“What is it?”

As I was noting down the spell formulas I just used, Mari suddenly spoke to me. What’s the matter?

“Do you perhaps have something troubling you?”

“Pardon?”

“Your performance just now was certainly amazing, but somehow, how should I say it, you seemed to have a troubled expression… Anyway, you looked like you had something on your mind…”

I wasn’t crazy enough to say, “It’s because of you, because of you!”

“It’s nothing. It’s not something you need to worry about.”

When the root cause (?) brazenly spoke to me, I unconsciously responded a bit curtly, and Mari’s face suddenly darkened noticeably.

“I-I see…”

Huh? This isn’t right?