A Tiny Sprout (2)

"Wh-what was that just now...?"

"The bars... the world...?"

The words, slathered in butter as they were, dyed the banquet hall in sheer disbelief.

Some cringed so hard their fingers went completely limp. Some felt a sudden thirst at the sheer greasiness and shoved wine down their throats. And there were those who let out an "Ugh..." too quiet for anyone else to hear.

Then again, how is anyone supposed to endure hearing a line like that out loud?

Damn it. Even I hated having said it.

Still, no one dared open their mouth any further. And when I tossed out one more saccharine line about the two of us needing some time alone, someone even stammered out that yes, of course we should.

Taking full advantage of the opening, Harnie excused herself for a moment and was heading toward the terrace faster than she ever had in her life.

With my hand held tightly in hers.

"Uuugh!"

Goosebumps crawling over her entire body from the cringe-worthy line, Harnie bristled and squirmed, trying to shake off the sticky embarrassment.

Thanks to that, the self-loathing that had been buried away the moment we entered the terrace came flooding right back.

"Those were my words, but isn't that reaction a bit much, Harnie?"

"I didn't know you were such a slimy person..."

"And whose fault is that, exactly?"

At that, she either guessed where this was going or simply couldn't meet my eyes—her lips fluttered and her gaze kept darting away.

A sigh escapes me first, I see.

"...Haah. Why did you deceive me like this?"

"D-deceive you? We agreed to help each other, didn't we?"

"And that 'helping' involved demolishing my image?"

"Y-you said yourself you'd help me! Th-there's no real problem here. Not with something like this."

"It's hard to take you seriously when you won't even look at me."

Yes, I know. I did think that helping each other would be the more efficient way to keep both of our plans running smoothly.

But this is a different matter entirely.

"The math doesn't add up, if you ask me. You've gone and completely transformed who I am as a person."

Harnie shrugged her shoulders in a half-playful gesture of feigned ignorance.

"Doesn't add up? I've helped you plenty of times."

This woman? She's actually going with that?

"I helped you at the trial. And I personally sought you out back in the knighthood days too... F-for the public good, I have stepped forward, you know? Ahem."

Harnie turned her head away with a sniff, saying all this.

Judging from the way her eyes still trembled, she knew perfectly well that she herself had crossed the line.

And yet she was going to play it this way, was she?

I reached out without hesitation, caught her chin, and locked her gaze onto mine.

Startled, she lost all control of her expression.

"...!"

"Because of that, I've become the love-struck fool of the century who can't live without you. So as payment, shall I steal a kiss from those lips of yours?"

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-what are you saying!!"

"You were the one who brought up settling debts fairly. So by that logic, I'd say I'm well within my rights to legally claim your lips this time."

"N-no! That's...!"

Harnie's face began to flush red.

Her reaction is rather cute, actually. Should I tease her a little more?

"Frankly, a kiss from a beauty like you? I'd welcome it any day. It feels like even love that never existed might bloom."

"Ugh... do something about that greasy mouth... W-wait a moment! Are you sneaking closer right now? Stop it. I said don't come closer?!"

"I told you already, didn't I? From you, I'd welcome it."

"M-my first kiss! Do you really think you can just steal it like that?!"

"It's fine. It was my first kiss too. But since you're the one who turned me into the love-struck fool of the century, you ought to know how to pay up with at least a kiss."

"D-don't say such ridiculous things and let go of me!"

Unfortunately for her, pinned against the wall like this, she couldn't put up any resistance.

Now then. Less time making a fuss, more time making a choice, hm?

Was she going to throw away her precious first kiss just like this?

Or was she going to make a proper deal?

Reluctantly bowing her head, Harnie admitted her fault.

"I-I'm sorry for deceiving you. So please stop..."

"No buts? If you go back on your word later, then I really will..."

"Fine...! I said fine."

Face burning red, she patted at my shoulder impatiently, telling me to get off.

As I withdrew the arm pinning her to the wall, she hurriedly fanned herself with her hands to cool down.

"So... what is it you want?"

So the concrete choice falls to me, does it?

Hm. Let me think.

I hadn't agonized over it that deeply to engineer this situation, so I hadn't actually planned anything.

But come to think of it, haven't I been the one getting a raw deal lately?

"You see, I've been getting hit out of nowhere quite a bit these days. There were at least two palm prints on my back alone, if I recall."

"...You don't mean. You...?"

A hopeless little sound escaped Harnie's lips.

How about you get a taste of it yourself, then?

I flashed her a sly grin.

***

"Y-you're saying you're going to hit me? Right now?!"

"Do you know what it's like to be struck for no reason? Because let me tell you, it's really frustrating."

"That's because you're so hopelessly oblivious—!"

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"..."

The moment Karsein asked her to repeat herself, Harnie's mouth snapped shut.

She knew perfectly well that pressing further would only fan the flames.

But that remark of hers had just backfired spectacularly—in my favor.

"Oh, and for the record, I'm every bit as hopelessly oblivious as you say. Consideration? Never heard of it?"

AAAGH!

Why would you say that out loud!

Harnie was inwardly on the verge of tears, itching to grab her own head in despair.

No, realistically speaking, he wouldn't actually do something like that... right?

He surely wasn't going to actually hit her.

Healthy... well, not exactly healthy, but no man would demand repayment from a woman through violence.

He couldn't be serious.

It had to be a joke.

Swallowing hard, Harnie asked carefully.

"B-but you're not... actually going to hit me... right?"

He gave a Meaningful smile and took another step closer.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because... because that wouldn't be very gentlemanly of you?"

"No problem there, then. I'm a commoner by origin, remember? Not a gentleman."

"B-but! Karsein, you've always had a rather good temperament, haven't you? You're big-hearted enough to generously forgive something like this..."

"I'm actually quite the petty man, you know. Didn't I pay back that money I borrowed from you awfully late?"

"Wh-what are you talking about?! No! The you I know is truly merciful—the kind of man who'd consider a maid's circumstances and lend her a helping—"

"Wouldn't it be better to finish this quickly instead of spending the time making excuses, Harnie?"

She threw out desperate plea after desperate plea, but Karsein didn't budge an inch.

Appealing to his character, wrapping flattery in pretty words—none of it landed.

It meant he had no intention of letting this slide.

"..."

Before she knew it, he was standing right in front of her, haa—breathing warm air onto his fist.

Harnie spoke in the tiniest of voices.

"P-please go easy on me..."

Karsein stared at her for a long moment, then let out a faint sigh.

Even so, the fist warmed by his breath rose into the air.

It'll definitely hurt when it lands, won't it?—and with that thought, Harnie squeezed her eyes shut.

At the same time, her body shrank in on itself.

She looked as though she was steeling herself to endure the pain that would come at any moment, but in truth she was trembling like a leaf.

And then—tap.

A finger lightly touched her forehead.

"Eh?"

At the touch of that finger, Harnie opened her eyes in bewilderment.

Her violet eyes now held the reflection of Karsein, chuckling to himself.

"Surely you didn't actually think ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'd strike my own fiancée with my fist? Heh heh."

"..."

"You caused all this mess and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠didn't so much as warn me beforehand. So I just wanted to tease you a little. I don't hit people."

He said it as if that single touch of his finger had been the whole extent of it.

Though whether I'll let this debt slide is another matter.

Sinking into a chair with a plop, Harnie finally let herself breathe easy.

"Haah. Reeeally... why do you have to be so mischievous?"

"You're the one who slathered my mouth in butter. I'd say this much teasing is well within bounds, wouldn't you?"

"Even so, I seriously thought you were going to hit me! They said you beat down the knights this time too—I was terrified!"

"Aw, come now. I usually reserve my beatings for people who pick fights with me. What grudge could I possibly hold against you, of all people, Harnie?"

Right. That's exactly the kind of man he is.

Hadn't she already experienced it back in the carriage?

That rather than striking anyone down, he was the kind of man who'd throw his own body in harm's way to save someone else.

If she'd only thought of that a moment sooner, she would have known this was all a joke.

Then he could have told me from the start. And now he gets to tease me on top of it.

Still, puffing her cheeks and grumbling about it was only natural.

"First, let's find out how the situation has developed. We'll need to figure out a plan, won't we?"

"Uuugh. Just thinking about it is already giving me a headache... but you're right."

"Sort yourself out for now. I'll go grab us something to drink—we need an excuse anyway, and you should wet your throat."

With those words, Karsein stepped outside.

For Harnie, left alone on the terrace, more than enough time had been granted to catch her breath.

Now was the time to rack her brain, just as he'd said, over how she was going to smooth everything over in this banquet hall.

And yet, strangely enough, it wasn't contingency planning that came to mind first, but something else entirely.

"...How many times has it been now?"

Her contract with Karsein was ongoing—for the sake of both their goals and the public good.

But looking back over the time that had passed, there was hardly anything she could point to that had actually been of help to Karsein.

"Most of the time I handle things on my own... so why is it that with him, all I ever do is receive help?"

She had given him a handkerchief, sure, but since she'd used that as her excuse for meeting her fiancé, it was hard to call it true repayment.

She'd lent him a paltry sum of money, but he'd already paid that back.

She'd sacrificed another handkerchief entirely, but at best that counted as only indirect aid.

She'd helped him at the trial, but even without her, he'd surely have managed on his own. It wasn't as if her etiquette lessons had contributed anything worth mentioning.

On the other hand.

Once in the carriage, with their entire bodies pressed together.

And once more just now, pinned against the wall.

That made two near-injuries already.

And how many threats had she escaped thanks to his help?

During the Snowflower Festival, when high society tormented her, he hadn't betrayed her—instead he wielded the Bagrand name against the young ladies to shield her from their pressure.

Spending a day at the Bagrand Ducal Estate, which spared her from the Marquisate's crushing pressure, had eased her burdens in more ways than one.

And now, this time as well.

Even though she'd taken a wild gamble on the question of whether she had a fiancé, he hadn't dodged—he'd stood his ground and matched her play.

"...I can't keep doing this. Harnie."

Executing the plan certainly required a ruthless heart, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she had no intention of morally swindling him out of what he was owed.

Society had branded him a troublemaker ignorant of all decorum, but the truth was nothing of the sort.

He simply never had the chance to properly learn etiquette—and he showed the will to uphold it all the same.

The rumors of him going about committing scandal after scandal were nothing but fabrications.

The decisive point was that he was not a bad man.

He was the kind of man who could extend boundless, generous mercy to the very person who had tormented him at the closest distance.

And at first, she had treated him as no different from any other man.

It was shameful.

"Yes. I will repay him. Properly this time."

Nodding to herself, Harnie steeled her resolve.

She made up her mind to repay Karsein for this without fail.

Although,

"...But I have no idea how I'm supposed to answer all those questions they'll be throwing at me out there...?"

She would have to settle matters on her own end first, of course.

***

Harnie would need time to put a plan together regardless.

In the meantime, I slipped out onto the terrace with a convenient excuse.

The reason I was studying this status window was because there was one thing I needed to test.

There's no episode in progress right now... but could I rearrange the order of the episodes and run them early?

Back in Chapter 1, I'd never once considered completing a fixed event ahead of schedule.

But by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠coming here with Harnie ahead of time, I'd realized that I was originally supposed to visit this place much later—and seeing sub episodes popping up made me wonder: couldn't I clear them in advance too?

Certainly worth attempting, no?

The problem is... I'm not exactly free to move around in here.

As it stood, I was drawing the nobles' stares like a magnet.

I could play it off as stepping out for drinks, sure—but in this state, quietly running a sub episode would be difficult.

Especially when the very character who could resolve this sub episode was wandering around right in front of me.

Well then, no choice, is there?

CRASH!

"You. Where exactly do you think you're pointing those eyes of yours? Can you not even manage the simple task of carrying drinks properly?"

Nothing for it but to act the utterly hopeless wretch, loud and proud, and get myself taken away.