Return (1)
The tension was turning vicious.
Caught between Lobelia, who was staring as if at an incomprehensible monster, and Cult, who stood there beaming as though he didn't have a care in the world, I was suffering through pure hell once again.
Good grief. I told you two to deal with each other yourselves, so why are you doing this?
They had to have known it would end up like this. Why go out of their way to strike up a conversation and stir up trouble?
Just then, a presence arrived to dissolve the stifling air.
"Brother, what are you and the Princess talking about?"
Helena walked over with a bright smile and plopped down right beside Cult.
"Ah, I was simply expressing my gratitude to Her Highness for arranging an occasion such as this."
The sheer audacity of that instant shift in demeanor was breathtaking.
"Oh! That's right! I should thank her too! Thank you so much, Third Princess!"
"...I believe that gratitude should be directed toward the Chancellor, not me."
"Still, you looked after our convenience as well, didn't you?"
"Then I shall gladly accept it, Helena."
"Ehehe."
The razor-sharp atmosphere relaxed once more. Yes, thank goodness they at least had the adult decency not to make an unsightly scene in front of a child. And so, thanks to the presence of a single girl, peace was restored to the night, and I narrowly slipped free from the clutches of those two monsters.
The next day passed without any particular incident, once again thanks to Helena.
As expected, Cult seemed to have no intention of stirring up trouble on his own initiative as long as Helena was involved, and Lobelia, understanding that, appeared to give up on provoking him. The resulting picture was one of a loving pair of siblings and a kind-hearted imperial princess graciously accommodating them. That tableau must have seemed thoroughly charming to onlookers, as people from all around began showing goodwill toward Helena.
"Don't you think she's a bright child?"
"Are you speaking to me, Your Highness?"
"Is there anyone else here besides you? Pay attention to the conversation."
"My apologies. I simply assumed Your Highness was talking to yourself."
"Haha. What a witty joke."
Thwack!
"Gah!"
The back that Lobelia struck flared with heat as if the flesh had ruptured. What happened to holding back her strength?
"Now that we've drawn this much public attention, Cult won't act rashly either. Wouldn't you agree?"
"...To me, it looks like he never had much of a plan to begin with."
Watching him, it was obvious he had simply brought Helena out for a picnic. The fact that he hadn't paid the slightest bit of attention to me or Lobelia from the start made that plenty clear.
"By the way, Yohan. Aren't you growing curious about why the Chancellor hasn't shown herself yet?"
"Not in the slightest."
"No, you are curious."
Acting as if my answer didn't matter in the least, Lobelia seized me by the scruff of my neck and hauled me to my feet.
"Besides, isn't it about time you saw Ariel? I was planning to use this opportunity to arrange that for you."
"I can just see her once we return to the Cradle—"
"It's a rare outing in the open air, is it not? We shall go meet her right this instant. Think of it as community service. Volunteer work."
"Wait..."
If you're going to do whatever you want anyway, why do you keep asking for my opinion?
Held by the scruff of my neck like a stray scruffed by its owner, I was dragged helplessly into the forest.
"Am I the only one going? Wouldn't it be better if Yuna came along too?"
"Have you lost your mind?! How dare you suggest bringing your mistress along to meet Ariel?!"
"I told you, it's not an affair."
"Don't tell me you intend to claim Ariel is the mistress?"
"Not that either! Aren't we going to see the Chancellor right now? Yuna has ties with the Chancellor as well, so I merely thought it would be good to bring her along."
"She does?"
"Yes."
"...Well, that can wait for next time."
"Is there any reason to wait? Hey, Yuna, want to come with us?"
"Yep!"
At my call, Yuna materialized from right behind my back. As expected, this girl had been tailing me all along. Had she been erasing her presence to the absolute limit to protect me? Then again, she wouldn't want a monster like Cult suspecting her true identity, so wiping her presence entirely made sense.
"Wait, um... Hrm... Very well. If you say so, then so be it."
Lobelia blinked in surprise at Yuna's sudden appearance, then let out a resigned sigh. Apparently, she hadn't noticed Yuna lurking nearby at all. Though she had been getting pushed around here and there lately, Yuna truly was remarkable when she wanted to be.
"How did you know she was there? I didn't even realize she was anywhere near us."
"Well, after spending enough time together, you begin to pick up on general behavioral patterns."
"I see. Enough time..."
Lobelia sank back into deep, brooding contemplation. Inside that head of hers, she was definitely still convinced that Yuna and I were carrying on an illicit romance. Refusing to believe what people tell her like this... even if she becomes Empress someday, her paranoia is going to get a lot of people killed.
Accompanied by a sullen Lobelia and a brightly beaming Yuna, I wandered through the forest for a short while. The moment we crossed a certain threshold, the scenery before my eyes began to ripple ever so slightly.
"Is this... illusion magic?"
Having recently begun dabbling in high-tier illusion magic myself, I could detect the subtle anomaly, faint though it was.
"Impressive. I didn't expect someone of your caliber to notice."
"I'm still a human being, so I have at least one field I'm decent at."
"Now that is welcome news."
"Excuse me?"
It was the kind of admiring exclamation a master made upon discovering a brand-new function in a slave. An uncomfortable chill crawled down my spine.
"Chancellor, we came to assist you!"
As Lobelia shouted toward the empty air, the shimmering space began to reorganize itself.
"Whoa..."
In that instant, I realized that everyone, myself included, had been looking in completely different directions. It was the disorienting effect of high-tier illusion magic, designed to warp the senses of anyone caught within it. When I quietly looked around a beat later, we had arrived at the edge of the forest.
"Good grief..."
The metallic stench of blood struck my nose, thick and suffocating. Standing languidly in the middle of a heap of corpses, Olga Hermod spoke.
"Aren't you supposed to be enjoying your practical training?"
"I've enjoyed it plenty. That's why I came out here to help."
"Is that so... I don't know whether to praise your kind heart or lament how accustomed you've become to violence. Still, thank you, Cadet Lobelia. And... Cadet Yohan?"
"Why did my name end with a question mark?"
I mean, I knew the reason, but having it pointed out so blatantly rubbed me the wrong way.
"What did Cadet Yohan come here for?"
"I was dragged here."
"Ah, of course. Naturally. And... Cadet Yuna came along as well."
"Puhehe! Hello there!"
"How have things been lately? Is student life treating you well?"
"Yes! It's the absolute best!"
"That is a relief."
Despite her evident exhaustion, Olga Hermod offered a gentle smile. Yuna had seemed uncomfortable around her at first, but seeing them now, they appeared to get along quite well.
"It seems others have arrived as well. Are they accompanying you, Cadet Lobelia?"
"Ah, we agreed to gather here. Could you open the path for them?"
"Certainly."
Before long, Lobelia's retainers, including Ariel, arrived at the scene. Among them, Ariel was directing a gaze toward me that dripped so heavily with sweetness it was almost scandalous.
"Sir Yohan... have you been well?"
"I suppose so."
Having called my name in a flushed, breathy voice, Ariel quickly tacked on a formal title the moment she caught sight of Yuna standing near me. Even so, it was endearing to see her exercise restraint in front of others. Yet did that very cuteness awaken some latent streak of sadism?
Without warning, Yuna threw her arms around my back and clung to me.
"Uh...?"
"Hello! Lady Ariel, I've heard so much about you from Yohan! We've passed by each other a few times in passing, but do you happen to know my name?"
"..."
"Gasp..."
Ariel tilted her head in silence, her expression perfectly blank, while Lobelia looked like someone who had just spotted the countdown on an active bomb. And as for me, I began to hyperventilate all over again.
Why is she acting like this now? Does she want to torment Ariel? But I really wish she'd realize that tormenting Ariel means tormenting me too!
"Aw, don't look so startled. It's just a joke. Lady Ariel, I heard you're engaged to Yohan?"
"How do you... know that?"
Ariel turned her eyes toward me as if she had been utterly betrayed. I had absolutely nothing to say in my defense. I was indeed the one who told her. If she felt betrayed by that, there was nothing I could say.
After all, I was the one who insisted that our engagement remain secret because revealing it would endanger both me and Damus County, and I was the one who pushed to keep our distance even after the arrangement was made.
"...She's the only one who knows. Truly."
I just desperately hoped she would understand this was all the result of me flailing about trying to survive.
"And who might this person be?"
"I'm Yohan's bodyguard. Since accidents have been happening around him so often lately, I ended up guarding him. Oh! I even got permission from the Chancellor, you know?"
Yuna shot a wink at Olga Hermod. Since Olga also needed to keep Yuna's identity hidden, she nodded along to match the story. Did that woman even understand the exact dynamics of what was playing out right now?
"Youth at its finest, I suppose..."
She understands completely.
That damned old woman was looking forward to this as if watching a high-stakes melodrama! Just the other day, she was lecturing me about infidelity and whatnot, and now she was enjoying it more than anyone. How could someone be so wicked?
Right as that wicked Olga Hermod decided to spectate from the sidelines, Yuna spoke again.
"And I heard about your relationship, too. Goodness, how did you ever think of walking down such a thorny path?"
"It isn't particularly like that."
"Really? Judging by your expression just now, you could stand to take a few more acting lessons."
The other wicked instigator was pouring fresh oil onto the flames. Yuna began grating mercilessly on Ariel's nerves, and the fact that she remained glued to my back without letting go throughout all of this was downright villainous.
"So, Yohan and I were talking, and wouldn't it be great to put up a front so no one suspects a thing?"
"A front...?"
"Me, of course."
Yuna pointed at herself with both hands and grinned playfully.
"I'll pretend to date Yohan. That way, whenever Lady Ariel wants to see him, you can come by without drawing any suspicion."
"..."
"Who would ever suspect someone talking to a man who clearly has a girlfriend of being secretly betrothed to him? Well? Isn't it pure genius?"
Ariel's expression hardened with distaste. Olga Hermod gently closed her eyes as if she had seen nothing at all. And Lobelia had turned as pale as someone standing on the brink of death.
Wait, why is she looking more grim than the people actually involved?!
"Very well."
Yet what proved even more astonishing was that Ariel actually nodded in agreement. Didn't she realize she was being mocked? This was an overt provocation! Surely she didn't believe this was a sincere suggestion made for our benefit, did she?
"After all, I am the real one. A sham relationship hardly matters to me."
"Oho?"
She wasn't oblivious at all. Smiling brightly, Ariel charged head-on into Yuna's provocation.
"Besides, everyone present here already knows the truth..."
With an imperceptible tug of force, Ariel's telekinesis peeled Yuna right off my back.
The sheer confidence was staggering even to me. Even Yuna seemed caught off guard by the reaction, her expression stiffening for a fraction of a second. She lightly drifted back to her feet and beamed.
"Then let's do that! Yohan, you don't have any complaints with this, right?"
"I have nothing but complaints—"
"He says he has no complaints!"
Ah, sure. Just do whatever the hell you want. And don't you dare ask for my opinion ever again.
"Shall I step aside for now, then?"
"..."
Yuna spoke with exaggerated magnanimity. How was someone capable of getting under people's skin so flawlessly?
"I mean... I'm always by his side anyway, so it's nothing special to me, but every single moment like this must be so rare and precious for you, Lady Ariel."
A sentence loaded with razor-sharp thorns. The atmosphere plummeted toward total disaster.
Hey, what the hell are the terrorists doing?! This is the exact moment you're supposed to attack, you bastards!
"Yohan, come over here."
Standing still, Ariel summoned me. With the demand framed like a mandatory choice, I reflexively glanced at Yuna's face beside me.
"What are you doing?"
"Pardon?"
"I told you to come here."
"Go on, Yohan. Go ahead. She's calling you."
Going to Ariel would cause a disaster; staying here would cause a disaster just as bad. Squeezing my eyes shut, I blurted out the first escape route I could find.
"Your Highness, come to think of it, there was an urgent matter I needed to discuss with you. I couldn't find the chance earlier, but it seems now is the time. Do you have a moment?"
"...H-Huh? Me?"
And so, I redirected every scrap of aggro straight onto Lobelia.