Chapter 290 - A Sweet Mark
For a while, I braced myself against the advances of the ever-forward princess, asking one question after another.
Iris, though not a woman of many words, wasn't naturally taciturn, and with her thorough explanations, I could say I more or less understood—or at least comprehended—the questions I'd listed.
Things like why the conquest had stalled ever since the 'Red' was vanquished two years ago.
And based on that, whether it was even possible to defeat the remaining four pillars within the next two years.
And the reasoning behind Iris's question, 'Isn't Yotsuya in a hurry?'… Yeah, I think so. I got the gist of it all.
"It's like… it's hard to believe you were so dejected before."
"…I don't show such an unsightly face to the outside world. You just suddenly appeared and exposed it on your own."
Well, when she put it like that, I had no room to argue.
It was pure coincidence that the state I found Iris in that day had critically struck a chord with my own identity.
To those who looked up to her as an idol, she had conducted herself as the 'Queen' to a degree that would never raise suspicion. It was perfectly clear that both her outer shell and inner heart possessed a 'strength' far beyond that of an ordinary person.
—…Three years was a long time, wasn't it?
Perhaps it was only because she was Alicia White that she managed to get by with merely being dejected.
"Well, as a 'colleague,' you're as reliable as they come."
Two years is more than enough—if the newly motivated Sword Queen-sama declares it so, then I'll do my best to rise to the occasion as well.
Even if our opponents are the 'Colored' ones, who are said to have grown stronger after the defeat of the 'Red.'
"We can discuss the details in the virtual world with the others. For now, I think this plan is fine for us."
"Yeah—'Give it our all to conquer the game, no matter what'… That goes without saying. It's a given, right? I'm all for a simple, grand goal."
"…………A given, yes."
In a way, it's a long-term time attack. There's no shortage of fuel for my motivation.
"Haru."
"Hm?"
When she called my name, I turned to meet a pair of black eyes staring intently at me.
Perhaps because the brilliant silver-blue and garnet glow were still burned into my memory, the girl's new color still felt unfamiliar—… well, she wasn't exactly a girl. She was older than me, after all. Even if only by a year.
Her features were so perfectly sculpted that if asked her apparent age, 'girl' was the only answer for this princess. To be honest, based on looks alone, she could have passed for someone younger.
"My… new normal from now on is thanks to you."
To have such overwhelming emotions constantly thrown at me so directly by a girl like her—I'll admit, it makes me happy, and to be even more blunt, there's a slight sense of superiority, too.
However, excessive gratitude is still poison to me.
"In the end, I was just the catalyst, right? I didn't even know your circumstances to begin with, so I have no idea who deserves the thanks."
Still, even without knowing the details.
When you see the 'strongest' looking like she's on the verge of tears over a form of 'entertainment,' anyone can guess the background. It just so happened that I was the one who could read the situation.
To put it another way, I was lucky enough to not only read the situation but also be a performer with a trick or two up my sleeve that could make a princess smile.
"You stuck with it without giving up because you love it, even when things got tough, right? If anyone deserves thanks, it's your own grit."
If she had given up somewhere along the way and left the virtual world, there would have been no one for me to perform for in the first place.
"…………………………Haru."
"Yeah?"
"I really do love you."
"Gah…!"
You've got to be kidding me. That leads to this…? I didn't say anything out of the ordinary.
"I think few women would be unhappy to be affirmed so directly, you know."
"Could you please stop reading my mind so easily?"
This mind-reading ability of hers might be on par with my partner's. The Sword Queen is terrifying…!
"I was also happy that you stood up for me earlier."
"Earlier…? Oh, that wasn't really me standing up for you or anything."
Iris was probably talking about when I was speaking with Chitose-san.
A grown man suddenly using a low voice with a younger girl—all I did was chime in from the side and complain that it was 'childish.'
"After you complained, 'You'll startle her,' I realized that I had been startled myself. It's impossible not to be happy when you realize someone was being considerate of you."
"No, really, it wasn't…"
"I noticed you spoke up after seeing my reaction—just as I said yesterday, you really see 'me' more than I do."
"…………"
This was a troubling turn of events.
I had a feeling I knew what she was going to say next.
"Thank you, Haru—I love you."
And that feeling wasn't conceit or anything of the sort; it was spot on.
"…………I don't mean this in a weird way, but… aren't you, you know, embarrassed? To be honest, I'm already on the verge of death over here…?"
"I have a sense of shame, you know."
I know that. The problem is that when it comes to the act of 'conveying her affection,' there's not a shred of that shame or hesitation to be seen—
"…My family, the Whites…"
"Yeah?"
"To put it simply, we're a clan of extreme 'enthusiasts.' We do what we love, go all-in on what we love, obtain what we love, and live as we please. That's all we are."
"………………I see where this is going, so you can stop there."
"So, it's the same with romance."
I told her to stop, so I wish she would have stopped…!!
"It's meaningless if they're not aware of you. That's why I don't hesitate to express my feelings. If I were to dither for no reason, and in that time…"
Her eyes, staring straight at me, narrowed as a smile graced her lips.
Still awkwardly, yet playfully and bewitchingly, the 'girl' smiled at me—
"—I would absolutely hate it if someone else took you from me."
She proclaimed it as an absolute, asserting her unwavering will.
And so, the impact point of that colossal thermal warhead—
"Haru."
"YES, WHAT IS IT?"
"Your face is red."
"That's your fault…!"
Needless to say, the target had been reduced to a scorched earth that was too pitiful to behold.
◇◆◇◆◇
"See you tomorrow."
"Meeting every day like it's normal is a bit much. Could you show some consideration for my HP?"
"If it's a bother, I want you to tell me."
"If I said 'yes' to that, I'd be a total scumbag…"
As I was leaving, our exchange continued to be one-sided, and all I could muster was a wry smile. I was the overwhelming underdog.
"Putting aside our 'conquest,' I don't think we'll be able to meet much in the virtual world. So I'd like to make my approach here in the real world. Is that not okay?"
"It's not okay, but it's the kind of thing I can't say no to…!"
No, that's right, I can't say no.
It's my own fault for leading her on, and she's not pressuring me to date her at this point, so the option to 'refuse' doesn't exist.
You could say that Iris currently falls into the category of an 'acquaintance/friend who shows affection,' and no matter how visible her intentions are, there's no way I can just brush off being friendly… there just isn't.
So far, there's nothing I dislike about this princess.
To treat her coldly just because I'm 'uncomfortable' with romance on a deeply personal level would surely earn me a merciless stabbing from her fans worldwide, and I wouldn't have a leg to stand on.
I'll choose to ignore the sad fact that just by having her affection directed at me, I'm already a lightning rod for hate.
Even if I were to say, 'I have no intention of ever getting into a relationship, so please give up,' given her offensive so far, I can already see a future where she'd say 'I understand' but refuse to leave my side…
What's going to happen to me? I have another matter to deal with in three days—
"…See you, tomorrow?"
"—……………………"
Ah…
Ah…—————That's not fair, Iris-san. That's not fair at all.
You can't just tilt your head and peer into a guy's face with such a troubled, pleading, and slightly anxious expression.
Even if I'm shutting out romantic feelings, that doesn't mean I don't find women attractive…!! Cute is cute, dammit, ahhhhh!!
"A-Alright… But let me be clear, every time in my room is a lot for various reasons, so would it be okay if we just had dinner together most of the time…?"
"So if it's not every time, it's okay?"
"…………………………………………Sometimes. Really, just sometimes, then."
"…Understood. Then, just sometimes."
"Yes…"
This is tough… The kind of tough that's also happy, which makes no sense. The double punch of guilt towards various parties is coming to murder my stomach.
"And… one last thing, if I may."
"Wha… What is it?"
Noticing a slight change in her tone, I rubbed my cheek and returned a serious expression… eh, what's with that gesture? Fidgeting with your hair like that is so out of character that my brain is about to be destroyed by the gap, so could you please stop???
"—Ashe."
"What?"
I heard it, but I couldn't grasp the meaning, so I tilted my head.
"Ashe—it's my nickname. The people close to me call me that."
"O-Oh…"
"It's a name that works for both Alicia in the real world and Iris in the virtual world."
"I see…"
"…………"
"…………"
—No, how could I not get it?
I know what she's asking for, I know, but…!
"I-I'm not saying we're not close, but don't you think it's a little too soon…?"
"You're the person I want to become closer to than anyone else. There's no such thing as too soon or too late."
I tried to squirm my way out, but she cut me down in a single stroke. The cannonballs of her words, a mix of self-awareness and obliviousness, are just too powerful…!
"…No?"
Yep, that's a guilty verdict. That was a finishing blow delivered with one hundred percent awareness of its power!!
"…Alright, fine. Just please, spare me for today. My HP is completely empty."
Seeing that she'd likely keep talking as long as I replied, I moved past her, opened the door, and prompted her to 'go home.'
"Come on, back to your room five seconds away—See you tomorrow, Ashe."
Consider the parting gift a special treat.
"Hh…—Yes. See you tomorrow, Haru."
And with that, leaving behind a rare, natural smile, the princess (Ashe) departed happily. After waving her off, I slowly closed the door and—
"—Gaaahhh…!!"
—all alone and critically wounded, I slammed my head against the inside of the door, collapsing to my knees as I exhaled a torrent of overwhelming emotions.
If the protagonist weren't so difficult, I wonder how many times he would have fallen for her in this chapter alone.