Chapter 340 - The Villain
"—Helena."
"Understood."
A voice like the chiming of a bell cut through the suddenly noisy atmosphere of the room. At her master's order, the lady-in-waiting stepped into the center of the room, drawing everyone's attention.
"We have a private matter to discuss, so I will be borrowing those two for a moment."
Her voice was directed at the representative of the Eastern Faction, our General Commander.
Met with the business-like words from the woman who was apparently his own daughter, Goldow, who had been staring blankly at me and Alicia, responded with a textbook example of bewilderment. "O-oh, right..."
"I don't expect this to take long, so if anyone still wishes to speak with them, please wait here—Lux. As I told you earlier, you are to wait without fail."
"Hm? Yep, yep, okay, I got it!"
The situation progressed as briskly as it had during the meeting, leaving nearly everyone with a bewildered expression similar to Goldow's. The only ones who seemed calm were Alicia, Helena, and myself.
Well, I was only pretending to be composed.
In any case, what I felt most sorry about was Sora, whose eyes were currently spinning in the throes of confusion... It couldn't be helped, since I was sworn to secrecy, but that didn't mean I wasn't at fault for this surprise.
"Ah... well then, can I get your friend registrations first? I have something to do right after this, so let's talk some other time."
"In that case, I'd like to ask as well."
"Ah, yes, yes, of course, the pleasure is all mine."
After gratefully accepting their offers and completing friend registrations with the Orin & Fuji duo—
"Well then, we will be taking our leave for a short while."
"Got it. So, Sora, I'm really sorry to spring this on you, but..."
"U-uhm... y-yes, it's okay. I'm just a little... confused..."
I felt a sense of guilt, selfish as it may be, for putting such a burden on Sora with this sudden development.
Taking my partner back from the red-headed girl, who was giving me a pointedly reproachful look, I was enveloped in the light of the teleport activated by Helena, and we left the 'Southern Throne' behind.
◇◆◇◆◇
"—So, I am the one at fault. Haru wanted to tell you, but I was the one who asked him to keep it a secret."
She had signed a contract with Yotsuya Development after the last Four Pillar War, accepting an offer that had been on the table for some time.
She had orchestrated things so that this would happen, with me as her objective.
In approaching me after signing the contract with Yotsuya, she had been informed that Sora—Sora Yotsuya—and I—Haru Kasuga—were in a fake engagement.
After revealing all of these circumstances that had been in place for some time, Alicia bowed her head to Sora in apology for hiding it all by making me keep quiet.
"...So that's the situation. Well, I'm an accomplice too. I'm sorry for not telling you."
And so, alongside my co-conspirator sitting across from me, I bowed my head as well.
We were in a waiting room inside Ruvalest, one that had a similar construction to Istia's, differing only in the fine details of its decorations and main color scheme.
".............................."
In the dead silent air—my partner sitting beside me was completely frozen, looking more stunned than I had ever seen her before.
...This was, in every way, unbearably awkward.
".............................. U-um... so... what you mean is..."
After a silence that lasted ten, then twenty seconds, Sora shifted awkwardly and began to weave together a faint, broken string of words.
She looked at Alicia with dazed, almost dream-like eyes.
"You were... after... Haru... Does that mean—"
"Yes."
Meeting her gaze directly, Alicia nodded with utmost dignity, though she did apologize.
"—I love Haru. I've been in love with him since the day he made me smile."
"—...Hah!"
Sora let out a breath of pure astonishment.
And Alicia had just dropped a declaration of love with the person in question sitting right there.
What kind of face am I supposed to be making right now...? As I helplessly let my gaze wander, my eyes met with the lady-in-waiting standing beside the Princess—
"Here you are."
"Thank you..."
A tea set that she produced from out of nowhere (her inventory) was placed before me, and I accepted the cup of tea she poured, still at a complete loss.
I couldn't taste a thing.
"You are his partner, and his fiancée, even if it is a pretense. I understood that he holds you dear. That's why I wanted to be the one to greet you myself first."
Sora remained silent, either unable to find the words or prompting her to continue.
"I don't know the details of your relationship... but even if it were a simple partnership for mutual benefit, I don't think it would feel good to have someone make a move on your partner from the side."
And so, Alicia spoke dispassionately—yet with all the sincerity she could muster, she looked directly at Sora and continued to weave her words.
"I'm sorry it took so long. And... I want you to allow me to get close to your precious partner—please."
Once more, her head was lowered.
...I had heard what she planned to do by arranging this meeting, but I never expected her to go this far.
This just adds another reason why I can't treat her feelings lightly—
"—Please, don't ask that of me."
The reply was colored with confusion... and a multitude of other emotions I couldn't identify.
"I'm sorry for being silent for so long... A-ah, please, raise your head. It's not for me to permit or deny anything, this isn't my place to say...!"
Perhaps overwhelmed by shock and panic, Sora's words tumbled out in a rush before her voice caught and she let out a small cough.
"Here you are."
"Th-thank you.................. Thank you very much."
She took a sip of the tea she had been served, just as I had, and after a deep breath, she smiled shyly at Helena-san and thanked her.
The young lady took one more deep breath, then spoke again, this time with a calmer demeanor.
"Um, Princess—er... um... Ah, Iris-san."
At the sound of her name, Alicia finally raised her head.
Even in this situation, her expression was as blank as ever... but the faint tension in her face was surely not my imagination.
"Thank you for being so considerate—I'm okay."
To that woman—to the `Sword Queen`, the very symbol of a modern-day celestial being—the daughter of the Yotsuya family, while unable to hide her nervousness, managed a smile with impressive composure.
"Haru."
"...Yeah?"
And now, those eyes turned to me, beside her.
"It's the same as with the 'other person,' isn't it?"
The 'other person' was, of course, Nia. I had already told Sora about that situation, partly because Nia herself had wanted me to.
"...Yeah. I've somehow or other decided to face it."
Even if I still don't have the courage to feel romantic love for anyone, if someone likes me—if they've confessed their feelings to me—then I will face them head-on.
"Then, yes...—it's really not my place to say anything."
She wore a mature expression I'd seen several times before, the one that had made me mistakenly believe she was older than me.
"Iris-san."
"Yes."
Sora turned her gaze back to Alicia... and after a moment of choosing her words, she opened her mouth as if troubled.
"I'm the one who's in the way—"
"Wait."
This time, it was Alicia who stopped her.
"I'll say it as many times as it takes. I am the one at fault. I am the one interfering with you two.—Haru, you listen quietly, too."
And with that, she even stopped me, just as I was about to protest her repeatedly calling herself the 'villain'.
"You saved me. No matter what anyone says, you are not to blame for me falling in love with you. Not one bit. Absolutely."
Her unwavering garnet eyes were now fixed on me.
"Don't think it's your fault for making me fall for you. You are the most wonderful person in the world, just as you are. At least, to me."
"...S-so, ...!"
"..."
"..."
The heat of her words, crashing over us like a tidal wave, left me speechless, even if she hadn't told me to be quiet.
As always, Alicia conveyed her feelings without a shred of hesitation. Struck by her words, I was probably blushing up to my neck.
And oblivious to Sora, who was once again dumbfounded with her mouth agape, and Helena-san, who was also frozen in apparent surprise—
"So—I'll accept that the one who fell in love is the loser. An intruder, a villain... If you'll allow me to be in love with Haru, that's all I need."
The invincible princess, with a deadpan expression...
and a faint blush on her cheeks, made her declaration with regal dignity.
"Do you understand?"
And so, thoroughly intimidated by Alicia, who had declared that she would not relinquish the role of the 'villain' no matter what, Sora and I—
"".................. Y-yes, we understand.""
...could do nothing, for the time being, but admit defeat.