The Beginning of Deviation (6)

I ended up alone with Reinhardt. On the surface, there couldn’t be a better combination. One is the crown prince of this country. The other is the daughter of a renowned ducal family. Moreover, they are even engaged. To others, wouldn’t this scene look like a date between a handsome man and a beautiful woman?

It might be stating the obvious, but Reinhardt is handsome. Being the main character who ends up with Mari in the novel, the author put a lot of effort into his appearance, and even when I was a man, I thought he was good-looking.

Even now, seeing him in reality, that assessment hasn’t changed. He’s still handsome. It’s the kind of face that would catch your eye even if you were the same gender.

But that’s as far as it goes. Just enough to glance at and think, “Oh, he’s handsome,” before going on your way. After all, I was originally a man. There’s no reason to show any more interest than that. And that thought hasn’t changed even now. Reinhardt is a handsome man, but that’s it. For me, with a man’s consciousness still remaining, he can never be anything more than that.

This is why I don’t feel any excitement when I see Reinhardt. And the following is why Reinhardt is uncomfortable for me.

It might seem like a sudden statement, but to be honest, I find Reinhardt uncomfortable. It’s not that I dislike him, but I can’t help but feel uneasy.

The reason is simple.

[You are now an enemy threatening the empire.]

[I, Reinhardt von Farnia, as the crown prince of the empire, will execute the witch.]

In the original story, Reinhardt directly pointed his sword at Ariel and declared he would kill her. Of course, even that was a lenient situation. At the time, Ariel had sold her soul to demons for power and was causing indiscriminate terror. As the crown prince, Reinhardt did the right thing. Objectively speaking, this is something to be praised for, not criticized.

But that and this are separate matters. Although Reinhardt might be a hero who saved the country, to me, he’s the man who killed Ariel. And now, I am Ariel.

I’m trying to make Mari grow while also being wary of her to avoid becoming like the original story. It’s the same with Reinhardt. Especially since Mari is showing a strange kind of favorability towards me, there’s a bit less wariness there, but with Reinhardt, I can’t lower my guard because I can’t figure him out.

In the original story, Reinhardt wasn’t a character with particularly rich emotional expressions. Of course, that doesn’t mean his emotions were dried up or cold. He’s the type who would quietly stand beside someone who’s crying and start talking when they’ve calmed down a bit? He actually did that with Mari. Anyway, that’s the kind of feeling. He looks a bit cold on the outside, but warm on the inside.

Needless to say, this type is prone to misunderstandings. Because Reinhardt favors capable people and is capable himself, such incidents are rare, but on the surface, he might appear to have dried-up emotions. As a result, it’s uncomfortable to approach him familiarly, and considering his behavior in the original story and the current situation, it’s even more difficult.

Being affectionate to the person who killed Ariel in the original story? That’s impossible for me. A somewhat businesslike relationship like now is the limit. Of course, if we took time to slowly work it out, maybe the relationship could improve somehow, but at least not now.

‘Above all, he’s not saying a word.’

It’s very annoying that he hasn’t said a word until now. I really wish he would say something, anything.

Meanwhile, Reinhardt found the current situation very awkward.

‘I don’t know what to say.’

He’s alone with Ariel. For Reinhardt, this isn’t such a rare occurrence. There were many times when they were left alone when he visited the Walpurgis mansion.

‘It’s a slightly different situation though.’

But those were all at Ariel’s home. He had never been alone with her outside like this. Because both Reinhardt and Ariel are precious people, they always had attendants or guards with them and had never been far from their sides.

But this is the academy. No one has followed them here. There are clerks, but they’re just clerks. They’re not companions.

Reinhardt quietly gazed at his fiancée standing in front of him.

With her hands neatly folded and standing silently, she looked like a painting. Credit where credit is due. Ariel was extremely beautiful on the outside. Especially now, she wasn’t wearing her usual simple attire, but something that gave a somewhat bright impression.

“Has your taste changed?”

“No. Lady Elizabeth dressed me up.”

“The Scrania lady, I see.”

The first words he uttered were neither a compliment on her clothes nor her face, but something that sounded like an interrogation. If Franz, who had left earlier, had remained here, he might have coughed up blood and fallen over. But Reinhardt didn’t mind. He just asked what he was curious about. It’s not like he said anything inappropriate.

On the other hand, Ariel’s expression began to change very subtly. Has this man suddenly gone mad? Why is he suddenly speaking in a confrontational tone? Usually, he treats me so politely, maintaining all sorts of manners to the point where I want to tell him to stop, but suddenly he asks such an insensitive question. He’s truly an incomprehensible person.

And Reinhardt began to add a follow-up blow to Ariel’s confusion.

“I’m relieved.”

“About what?”

“That you also have someone to go out with on weekends. To be honest, it was something I was concerned about on one hand.”

At this sudden uppercut-like statement, Ariel’s lips quivered, and she let out a sigh so small it was indistinguishable from a deep breath.

“I’m not as lonely as Your Highness thinks.”

“Is that so? That’s unexpected. In the past, you would have pounced at this opportunity.”

Oh no! Should I have pounced here? Ariel’s expression noticeably hardened at the thought of missing another good opportunity. Seeing this, Reinhardt interpreted Ariel’s expression differently.

“I apologize. I won’t talk about the past anymore. My current fiancée is you, not your past self.”

“That… might not be the case, Your Highness. My, my past self is still me after all.”

Her awkward smile and words carried no convincing power at all.

‘Is it painful for her to recall the past?’

It’s not incomprehensible. Ariel is currently in a state where she has lost all memories of her past. Of course, she is now living a clean slate without the negative influences of the past. But that doesn’t mean the things the previous ‘Ariel Walpurgis’ did have disappeared.

And the past ‘Ariel’ was not someone who could be called a good person, even as a polite lie.

‘I was too insensitive.’

Until now, he had avoided it almost miraculously by coincidence. As a result, Reinhardt had unconsciously forgotten. He had unconsciously thought that Ariel wouldn’t care about the past at all.

This is the result. Although it was a mistake, he had touched a bomb, and he was at a loss for words.

“I’m sorry.”

“Your, Your Highness?!”

Ariel was shocked to see a member of the royal family bowing his head. Why is this man suddenly acting like this? Reinhardt is not a man who bows his head so easily. He’s not unnecessarily stiff, but he knows his position well and acts accordingly. But to bow his head to someone clearly below him, even if she’s his fiancée.

“I was too insensitive. I’ll say it again, I won’t mention the past in front of you anymore.”

“I, I really am fine, Your Highness. Please raise your head.”

Seeing Ariel flustering more than expected, Reinhardt almost smiled without realizing it. Looking at her like this, there really isn’t a more harmless lady.

“It might be awkward to say this as a substitute, but today I’ll fit into your schedule.”

“Pardon?”

At Reinhardt’s sudden declaration, Ariel blinked her eyes blankly.

“I only came out today because I couldn’t resist Franz’s pressure. I don’t have any special plans, so I can clear my schedule for you.”

“No, Your Highness?”

“Don’t worry. I don’t intend to interfere or comment on wherever you go.”

At this sudden declaration of trust, Ariel’s expression began to change subtly again. According to her original plan, she was going to spend money extravagantly here and then go for dinner.

And the place for dinner was…

‘Well, no problem.’

It’s not like she was going to an indecent place, and rather, she had planned to eat dinner at a fairly respectable restaurant befitting a noble. If that’s the case, there’s no problem even if Reinhardt joins.

No, come to think of it, this might be even better.

‘A chance to clean up afterwards or lower favorability!’

This time, I’ll seize the opportunity I missed earlier. It’s a chance to kill two birds with one stone. Determination filled Ariel’s eyes.