The Worst-Case Scenario
Today was the day Dandelion Academy opened for the new term.
Had it been me three years ago, I would have beaten my chest, wailed, and trembled at the uncertainty of the future.
But the me of today, the me after meeting him, was different.
What was more, I had recently received some shocking news from him.
In a positive way for me, of course.
As his graduation from the academy drew near, he was slowly preparing for marriage talks with other families.
How did I find out? I had asked my father to gather information related to the Teufel family, especially any important news regarding Rofel.
My father, feeling guilty about the various unpleasant incidents—the countless accidents and mishaps I had been caught up in after he forced me to enroll in the academy—granted my request without much complaint.
Soon, a letter was sent in our family's name, expressing our desire to establish a positive relationship with him, as well as addressing the marriage talks.
For a count's family receiving a letter from a ducal house, the contents of his reply were stiffer than expected.
It was polite, but should I say it felt overly cautious?
But I didn't give up and sent a letter directly to Rofel afterward, which turned out to be an excellent choice.
When I first read in his reply that he already had someone he had set his heart on, my chest tightened. But soon, the letter hinted that the person was none other than myself.
Even now, just thinking of that sentence made the corners of my mouth curl up.
I had always thought my relationship with Rofel was just a one-sided crush.
I never imagined that he and I already shared feelings beyond friendship.
Really, if I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have wasted my time cooped up in the estate developing this potion.
Anyway, putting idle thoughts aside, I had to focus on what lay ahead—the moment I would meet him at the academy.
Ever since I received that reply, I had agonized over what to wear and how to look when we met again.
I spent hours in front of a wardrobe I usually wouldn't even glance at, trying on outfit after outfit and selecting various perfumes.
And for the first time in my life, albeit with the help of my maids, I even put on makeup.
Having woken up at dawn to prepare, I was now at the academy, wearing a neatly designed dress, wearing perfume, and adorned with expensive cosmetics.
Was that why? The gazes of the students around me felt very different from before.
Unlike when they used to ignore me, everyone, regardless of age or gender, turned back to look at me again.
Being stared at like this was a first, so it was a bit embarrassing, but at the same time, it gave me the confidence to face Rofel later.
I fiddled with the ceramic jar inside my pocket, which was enchanted with spatial storage magic.
It was a jar I had made together with Rofel in the past, and inside were handmade snacks I had prepared for him.
Mmh... And... since I would soon hear him officially ask me to be his lover... I mixed a tiny, just a tiny bit of a potion with beneficial effects into the snacks.
I... I might be getting a bit ahead of myself on the very first day we start dating! But still, he and I have been together for a long time.
And even though he doesn't remember it, we've... shared our bodies multiple times...
...Until now, I had been the one unilaterally enjoying his body by using drugs on him, but from now on, it would be different.
He would undress himself, come to me, and show me his well-toned, masculine body.
He would embrace me with that massive, reliable frame, and press that dangerous thing—so unfitting for his pretty face—against me.
And then, he would whisper sweet nothings in my ear, wrapping his thick arms around my waist...! Hehehehe...
As I indulged in these slightly wicked thoughts, the main gate of the academy came into view.
Ah! I could see Rofel just ahead!
Hehe. Sneaking up behind him to surprise him wouldn't be a bad idea.
Huh?
As I drew closer to him, I couldn't help but feel a sense of confusion.
Right now, in front of the gate, he was walking hand-in-hand with Lilit Tistina.
No, it wasn't surprising to see another woman by his side anymore.
Considering his usual behavior, he had often given me reasons to misunderstand as well.
Besides, Lilit Tistina was originally close to him anyway.
But what mattered was his current behavior.
Of course, Rofel was unusually close and friendly to others, regardless of gender.
Lilit, too, often rubbed herself against him like a slutty cat.
But Rofel had never actively initiated actions dripping with romantic affection toward someone else, especially a woman, like this.
He had patted heads or held hands before, but I had never seen him pull someone close in a near-embrace and rub his cheek against theirs.
This can't be.
It shouldn't be like this.
I received what was practically a confession from him in his reply not long ago.
The one receiving those gestures by his side right now should be me.
At that moment, I replayed the contents of his reply in my mind, word by word.
...Could it be...? No, no. That can't be... It shouldn't... Never.
For a split second, a terrifying doubt flashed through my mind, but I absolutely could not accept it.
And because I was terrified of what answer I might hear from him, I couldn't bring myself to approach.
...I decided to watch the situation just a little, a little bit longer.
The two of them stuck together the entire time they were at the academy.
Even during Principal Rium Kitokal's opening ceremony speech, they sat right next to each other as if by design, holding hands tightly until the long, tedious address finally ended.
When the principal finished speaking and the students moved in a crowd, the two of them slipped away in a different direction by themselves.
Every time he acted like a lover toward Lilit and smiled at her, my face contorted further.
Just like in the past when I watched him accompany Lilit to help her with her date, my chest throbbed, my head spun, and I clenched my teeth.
It felt as if that past nightmare was resurrecting.
And the doubt lodged in my heart grew larger and larger, swelling in size.
Before I knew it, I had followed them into this alleyway like a stalker.
Come to think of it, it was strange. Lilit had been talking as if explaining something, and then they entered this deserted, damp alley.
...!
Before I could even process that doubt, Lilit suddenly began to act unexpectedly toward Rofel.
She slipped her hand under his shirt and began to caress his crotch!
It was a lewd touch, loaded with blatant sexual intent.
And in that instant, our eyes met.
With none other than Lilit.
Her eyes were staring straight at me.
It wasn't a misunderstanding or a coincidence.
She had known I was there from the very beginning.
Since when? No, that didn't matter.
What mattered now... was what Lilit, who had turned her gaze back, did to Rofel.
She brought her face close to his enticingly colored lips and pressed her mouth against his.
Then, she began to savor him, their tongues tangling loudly enough to be heard in the surroundings.
Most of all, Rofel did not resist this sequence of actions at all; instead, he actively accepted it.
No.
No.
Please...
The one I loved was engaging in physical intimacy with another.
And I could not intervene, forced only to watch.
No one would welcome such a situation.
The shock left my mind in chaos, rendering me unable to think straight.
My legs and my clenched fists trembled violently with rage.
Tears of despair and sorrow were already spilling from my eyes.
...I hate this...
Right now, I prayed with all my heart that this was just a nightmare.
I wanted to open my eyes this instant and wake up to a completely opposite reality.
Unfortunately, wishing for it did not change the situation.
Then, Lilit, who was greedily devouring Rofel's lips, turned her gaze toward me once more.
Even for someone like me, who was slow to notice others' emotions, the feelings in that look were unmistakable.
Superiority, joy, achievement... and... ridicule.
Soon, as the wet, lewd sounds of tangling tongues echoed endlessly in the deserted, dark space, I was forced to realize the truth.
The doubt I had harbored the entire time I followed them had finally turned into certainty.
I had misunderstood the contents of the reply Rofel had sent me.
I had mistakenly believed that the person he had set his heart on was me.
Long ago, the man I loved had already fallen into someone else's hands.
Dropping the ceramic jar I had been holding so carefully onto the ground,
I fled the scene in a frantic panic.