The Beginning of Deviation (9)

It might be stating the obvious, but Reinhardt and I are engaged. Although it wasn’t me who did it but ‘Ariel’, neither I nor Reinhardt have said anything about breaking off the engagement, so our relationship as fiancés is still maintained.

And being engaged means we had an engagement ceremony. Needless to say, being an engagement between the royal family and a ducal house, it wouldn’t have been done carelessly. In fact, I heard that it was held grandly at the imperial palace with an enormous number of people invited. And naturally, if there was an engagement ceremony, there should be engagement rings.

However, until now, I had never heard of such things existing. To be precise, I didn’t have the chance to think about it. I was well aware of the engagement relationship, but I hadn’t thought there would be rings. No, really. It’s something I would have known if I had thought about it even a little, but I truly didn’t think about it.

“You’ve never heard of it?”

“No, Your Highness. I apologize.”

So I had no choice but to confess the truth. No, nobody told me in the first place! Not Father, not Brother, not even Meurie! This isn’t my fault.

“Of course. Because I have the rings.”

“Pardon?”

What’s this about now? They’re engagement rings, so why do you have them? Well, of course, as one of the parties involved, it’s natural to have one. It’s a very natural thing. But from what he’s saying now, it sounds like he has both of them.

“Do you mean… you, Reinhardt, have both of them?”

“That’s right.”

No, why?! Why do you have both of them? Isn’t this strange?

“There’s no need to worry about what’s already passed. What’s important is what’s to come.”

Although it sounds like he’s saying something profound, essentially, this is close to changing the subject. I didn’t know Reinhardt had this side to him… I’ve witnessed quite a rare sight.

I could probe further here, but somehow I feel like whatever comes out won’t be much different from what I expect. Roughly speaking, the past ‘Ariel’ probably caused some trouble, and he got fed up with it and did this. It’s obvious without even looking. The fact that he’s returning them now is not good. Not good at all.

Why is it not good? It’s obvious. The fact that Reinhardt is bothering to return them means he’s no longer treating me as the past ‘Ariel’ and is acknowledging me as a proper fiancée. If that happens… no further explanation is needed.

I must stop this. This must be stopped at all costs!

‘But how?’

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any brilliant strategy to turn this situation around. When fiancés say they’re going to wear their engagement rings, what more can I say here? A way to make Reinhardt take back the rings with disgust.

Hmm, the first thing that comes to mind is to act like ‘Ariel’. What would the ‘Ariel’ from the original story have done in this situation?

[Ah, Lord Reinhardt! You’ve finally understood my feelings! That’s right. Only I, someone of noble lineage like me, is suitable to be by your side. We don’t need any other lowly beings! If you wish, I can contact my family right now to prepare for the wedding…]

Wow, wait a minute. How could anyone say such things? I’m feeling dizzy… Do I have to say such things to a man? Really? Moreover, the way she refers to herself is incredibly cringeworthy. I don’t think I could say such things out of embarrassment. No, I can’t!

L-let’s skip this. I need to find another way, another method. I need to find a way to protect my pride(?) and lower Reinhardt’s favorability at the same time.

But as they say, even if the sky falls, there’s a hole to escape through, and salvation came quickly.

“I didn’t bring them with me now, so I’ll return them when we get back to the dormitory.”

“Y-yes… I understand.”

Great! This is a chance. A chance to kill two birds with one stone… no, to achieve even more. Right now, Reinhardt is raising his favorability towards me to a suspicious degree. I can tell that much just by looking! I’m quite perceptive, you know!

Generally speaking, falling from a high place has more impact when you’re trying to climb up rather than just standing still. What do I mean? If I cause trouble in this situation where his favorability is rising? He might think I’m even more unpleasant than before. No, he definitely will!

“What are you doing standing still suddenly?”

“Huh? Oh!”

Oh no, was I zoning out too much? Reinhardt has noticed something is off. But I’m a professional villainess. I’m not so amateurish as to falter at this level of trial.

“It’s nothing. I was just wondering if this was a dream…”

I can say this much. It’s not particularly a lie anyway.

It is a dream. It’s just that the dream is a nightmare. A nightmare is still a type of dream. I’m only speaking the truth. This statement is also a kind of manipulation. I’m not brazen enough to say what I was thinking earlier, but I can say this much in a roundabout way!

And unless he’s a fool, it’s clear how he’ll interpret what I’m saying now. Of course, my intention is exactly the opposite of that!

“If that’s what you say, then I suppose it is.”

Huh? But Reinhardt’s reaction seems lukewarm somehow. I thought he would frown or resign himself or show some negative reaction… What’s with this ambiguous response? Is this how it’s supposed to be? It doesn’t seem right…

“Do you have any plans after this?”

“Ah, well… It was getting late, so I was thinking of having dinner soon.”

“I see. Do you have a place in mind? If not, I can guide you.”

“I-I do have a place.”

I’ve picked out just the right place for this. It’s a location I found through thorough prior research. It was certainly difficult to find a place considering the optimal location, menu, and atmosphere, but I did it. I had to do it!

Now all that’s left is to go there, have dinner, and realize the final plan.

“May I ask where it is?”

Ah, I suppose he wants to take the lead since he’s trying to escort me. There’s no reason to refuse, so I tell him the place I was planning to go to, and Reinhardt’s expression slightly crumples. Huh?

“That’s not an appropriate place.”

“What?”

Is there some problem? No, it seemed like a decent place to me? From what I found out, it’s a place where quite a few customers come and go, and it’s located in a corner so even if something happens, it won’t be a big issue. Plus, the menu is incredibly simple, so it’s easy to eat…

“Ariel, how many times have you dined out?”

“Um…”

Dined out? Ah, he probably means eating at restaurants, not just eating outside. Hmm, let’s see…

“About three times? I think it’s about that many.”

“I see.”

Somehow, I hear a deep sigh. No, why! Is there a problem?! What’s wrong with the place I chose!

“That place is mostly used by commoners. Have you thought about what would happen if you went there?”

No, what’s wrong with commoners using it and nobles using it? When I made an expression of genuine incomprehension, Reinhardt put his hand to his forehead. What’s with this atmosphere? Did I do something wrong?

“I see. So that’s what it meant…”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing. Anyway, let’s eat dinner somewhere else.”

“No, you don’t have to go that far…”

“Ariel. How do you think the commoners would react if you and I went to a place where they eat?”

Well, that is…

“Nine times out of ten, we wouldn’t even be able to eat properly. The owner would be nervous too. And after that, customers would stop coming to avoid us.”

“Ah…”

Come to think of it, he’s right. Unless it’s an exceptional place like earlier, if nobles suddenly barge into a place where commoners usually eat, they wouldn’t be able to eat properly because they’d be too conscious of us.

Even if it were a place where it wouldn’t be strange for either commoners or nobles to come, the place I was planning to go to is practically exclusive to commoners. What if big shots like me or Reinhardt showed up there?

Wow, come to think of it, it’s like ordinary citizens eating peacefully and suddenly the president or some famous foreign dignitary comes in and causes a commotion…

Huh? Wait a minute. Thinking about it, wouldn’t this be good for the restaurant? They could put up an advertisement saying “The Crown Prince and Duke’s Daughter dined here” at the entrance, and they might get a ton of customers?

‘No, this is a different case.’

Come to think of it, this all applies when the influence of the class system is weak. If you’re with people who could have your head off at the slightest mistake… Even a strong heart wouldn’t be enough.

I think I understand a bit now.

“They have their own circumstances too. Remember this for the future. If you really want to go, I recommend going in disguise later.”

“…Yes.”

I wanted to find a mouse hole to hide in if there was one. But there’s no way there’d be a mouse hole in a place like this. Yes, I know that well.

“If it’s alright with you, let’s go to a place I have in mind. Since I’m changing your plans, I’ll pay for the meal.”

“No, you don’t need to…”

“Then are you saying you’ll pay? Ariel, are you trying to make me someone who lets his fiancée pay for the meal?”

“No, that’s not what I mean…”

Let’s go Dutch, Dutch pay! But if I say Dutch pay here, he’ll probably ask what that is. How do I explain Dutch pay?

“Just each…”

“It’s getting late. Let’s go.”

“Y-Your Highness?”

No, hey! Didn’t anyone teach you to listen to people until the end?