Chapter 63
Chapter 63
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 63
Chapter Title: How to Steal the Protagonist's Woman
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"Hey, Lena de Peron, you really take sleeping pills to sleep, right?"
"…."
A line I couldn't just let slide entered my ears.
Curiosity piqued, I quietly eavesdropped on their conversation.
"Berius definitely said so."
"Ah, that blockhead?"
I asked Armonia.
'Who's Berius?'
'Ah, right.'
I vaguely remembered, but hadn't paid much attention, so I'd forgotten.
The guy using the word "blockhead" was the marquis's heir.
For him to talk about his own kingdom's prince like that meant the prince really was a blockhead.
He did seem lacking in judgment when we first met.
"Where'd you get that stuff from?"
"Not sure exactly."
"But even with sleeping pills, wouldn't she lock the door? Anyone here know how to pick locks?"
"What do you take us for...? Think we'd learn such petty skills?"
What bullshit. They're already planning something even street thugs wouldn't touch.
"Berius is holding onto the key, in case something urgent comes up and they need to wake her."
"Ah, then we just snag the key from him."
"But the pills might be too weak to wake her, so we'll need some rope and cloth."
"She's a brute who's rolled through wars; it'll be tough without tying her up."
"So, when do we do it?"
"After the visitors here head out."
I carefully opened the back door and slipped out of the warehouse.
'Let's go.'
'Nah.'
It was so absurd I had no desire to hear more.
I got it, though.
The lady was drop-dead gorgeous, after all.
And if they waited until after I left, it wouldn't matter.
I left the warehouse and cautiously made my way back to the garden, avoiding the massive monster.
By the time I arrived, the lady was already there with a cart of food.
"...Were you looking for your companions by any chance?"
"Nah, just stepped out for a bit."
I sat in one of the ornate chairs at the gazebo's lavish table.
The quick-witted lady immediately began setting out the food.
It was exactly one serving.
The cart still had one more serving left.
"The rest for when your companions arrive..."
"Nah, no one's coming. Set that out too."
"...?"
I looked at her puzzled expression and said,
"Sit. Let's eat."
"...Where's this?"
When Lena opened her eyes, her vision filled with a dim corridor bathed in sunset glow.
"Right, heading back to my room after finishing my duties."
She muttered unconsciously and started walking down the hall.
As she walked, she spotted a group in the middle, chatting away.
Men around her age.
"... ."
She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but they were so absorbed they didn't notice her at all.
"Lena de Peron? Gotta be a virgin, right?"
"Nah, she's been through wars; bet she's hooked up a few times."
"Out there banging soldiers left and right."
Lena frowned at their crude talk. She felt utterly lost on how to handle situations like this.
Their conversation showed no signs of stopping.
"Maybe we pin some blame on her and go for it?"
"Yeah, let's test the waters."
"Fuck, we're in this mess because of that bitch; she owes us something."
Lena's legs nearly gave out, almost collapsing.
Up front, they'd cheer her on while slyly dumping work on her.
Tears welled up from their words, but she clutched her chest and barely held herself steady.
The men were already gone.
"Yeah... it's all because of me."
She muttered and resumed walking.
This time, she saw a group of noblewomen.
They didn't notice her and began talking.
"Heard the guys are up to something shady with Lena de Peron lately?"
Lena instinctively ducked behind a nearby pillar.
"Shouldn't we tell someone?"
A smile crept onto Lena's face unbidden.
'I've got allies.'
The thought that she wasn't alone lifted her spirits.
These noblewomen had always been quick to shove their mistakes onto her whenever something went wrong.
She'd take the blame, get whipped, starve.
Even so, in this moment, Lena felt endlessly grateful for their apparent concern.
But that fleeting hope crashed to the ground in an instant.
"If something happens to her, who else can we dump shit on?"
"Right? Those idiot men have no idea how useful she is."
"Ugh, so annoying! If only the demon race would take one look at her face and buy the bitch so we could go back home!"
Huddled behind the pillar, Lena's ears went deaf to the women's voices.
All she could see were the tears falling onto her sleeve.
After shedding silent tears for a while, she shakily stood up, trembling.
"Gotta... go. If I sleep... it'll all be fine..."
If she could just sleep, she could forget everything, if only for a little while.
Even if hell awaited tomorrow, that moment would bring happiness.
As Lena staggered down the corridor, a young boy came running up.
"Lady!"
"Haa... haa..."
The kid, wearing a grave expression as he ran, was Berius.
To avoid worrying him, Lena steadied her body, wiped her cold sweat, and asked,
"What is it, Prince Berius?"
"Well..."
His current behavior was exactly what he did after screwing something up.
Lena held back and asked the fidgeting Berius again.
"...Did something happen?"
"They told me to organize the warehouse! I'm the prince of Bethel!"
"Ah..."
Dizziness hit Lena.
Whenever Berius caused trouble like this, all the blame fell on her.
At first, she'd pitied the young prince so much she'd handled everything to help him adjust.
But his childish antics showed no sign of improving.
And when he messed up like this, her punishment was always the same.
Wandering the Demon King's castle without sleep, replacing spent mana stones.
She began feeling a exhaustion she'd never known, even after three sleepless days on the battlefield.
Suddenly, Berius grinned and said,
"Good thing, Lady!"
"...Pardon?"
His final words delivered the killing blow.
"You said you can't sleep, right? At least you're not bored!"
"Ah... ah...!"
Lena's vision shattered, and everything vanished.
When she opened her eyes, a man was staring blankly at her, offering a handkerchief.
"You okay?"
"...I'm sorry."
The lady stood, steadying her tearful voice.
She turned her head and wiped her tears with the handkerchief I'd given her.
As I watched her, a message came from Armonia.
'...I didn't.'
'Didn't touch a thing.'
She'd refused to sit at the table with me, so I mentioned Gardia and forced her to join me for the meal.
After eating and feeling drowsy, before she could clear the dishes, I cast Sleep and Dream Dive to enter her dream.
This time, wanting to learn about her, I didn't manipulate the dream—just tailed her secretly.
And what a sight it was.
The battle-hardened lady was good at hiding her presence, so she inevitably overheard the humans she had to live with.
Even I got pissed at the gossip I heard.
'Fucking trash...'
'Nah, just annoying. She's an idiot too.'
She seemed to have known about the men's plan for a while.
One thing I couldn't understand, though.
'Why give the key to that prince punk?'
I didn't see him as a cat.
More like a rat pup.
She'd handed fish to a rat pup.
The most ridiculous part was the prince.
'That little shit follows her around saying he likes her, and he's the root cause of this mess.'
The kid was the source of all her misery.
Causing trouble daily, making her cover for him, slowly eating away at her sanity.
'He changed after nearly dying to Gardia last time.'
The guy snarling while hugging Viola and the one trembling in the guest room seemed like different people.
But the one in her dream matched the first impression.
His last words in the dream had even me gaping in shock.
It was so outrageous I'd almost believe I manipulated it myself.
In short, while he might genuinely like her, he also saw her as a shield.
After coming to her senses, the lady returned the handkerchief.
"Truly, I'm sorry."
"Hey, everyone needs sleep sometimes."
"Then I'll clear the dishes."
She began loading the tableware onto the cart.
One thing bugged me, so I asked,
"Oh, got a question."
"...Yes, what is it?"
"Anything you like?"
"...Nothing."
Liar...
I hadn't expected her to tell me anyway.
"Got it. Leave those and come back. We'll hang out a bit more."
"...Understood."
After she returned the dishes, we quietly toured the garden—no Sleep or Dream Dive this time.
Whether from guilt or pity, it gave her some peace of mind.
"She really likes you."
"Hehe, isn't it cute?"
"Ugh... this is tough-nya..."
Back in the guest room that evening, Viola was hugging Beatrice on the bed.
Seeing them like this made me want to pounce on both.
'One's a succubus, the other's just a bit clueless about sex. 3P material?'
Watching them roll around on the bed, I thought about bringing Beatrice along too.
'How much to register Beatrice?'
'Her skills are mediocre, huh.'
Not a bad price.
The lady, if recruited, would bunk in the ship's corridors for a while.
Viola's quarters were the only living space, costing 100,000 Enel—running low.
The corridors were huge anyway; I could crash on a blanket there too.
Still worlds better than here, so no complaints.
"Beatrice."
"Ugh... why call me-nya."
"And why are you even here again?"
"...Nyaa! Stop that-nya~"
Sudden subject change.
She feared Viola but visited daily.
'She likes Viola that much? But she still seems scared.'
'?'
'Me?'
Out of left field.
No real connection.
'...Succubus... catfolk... could be.'
Beatrice had been forward from our first meeting.
I'd pegged her as just a playful kitty...
Catfolk with keen noses and lewd succubi.
Makes sense, but not certain.
'All that nya-nya-ing makes it hard to tell.'
'Like, "Do you like me?"'
'...Places that like stuff like this.'
Leaving Armonia—who didn't get old memes—I approached the two on the bed.
Looking closely, Beatrice was definitely glancing at me.
"Viola, sorry, mind if I borrow Beatrice for a sec?"
"Of course! Go on, Beraberache."
"Ugh... It's Beatrice-nya."
Beraberache? What even is that...
I took Beatrice outside the room.
Her tail and ears a mess, she looked drained, barely glancing up at me.
"Ugh... what is it-nya."
I loomed over her arrogantly and said,
"Hey, do you like me?"
Beatrice stared up at me, frozen in shock, and replied,
"...Are you insane-nya?"