Chapter 19
The big day of the date had finally arrived. I changed into some casual clothes suitable for going out and headed to the central square where I'd promised to meet Polo.
It was the weekend, and with the festival overlapping, the square was packed with people. The crowd density was insane, but finding Polo in there wasn't much of a challenge. I just had to follow the direction of all the women's stares.
"There he is."
Trailing the vanishing point where every woman's gaze converged, I naturally found our ever-handsome friend right in the epicenter, as expected. Just then, Polo was gazing at the fountain in the middle of the square with a look of wonder. Even though he was just checking out the fountain, his radiant looks made the whole scene feel like a photoshoot—not just my imagination, surely. I could hear the women around him gawking in awe at his figure or whispering plans to ask for his name.
I knew getting wedged in between those Amazons wouldn't end well, so I wanted to pretend I hadn't seen him and bail. But abandoning the herbivore Polo in the midst of those predators pricked my conscience too much, so I steeled myself and called out to him.
"Yo, you're here."
"Ah! Mars, you made it! It's fine, I haven't been waiting long!"
The women, upon hearing he'd been waiting for me, started glaring at me like I deserved to die. Their eyes screamed, How dare a nobody like you keep Lord Polo waiting? If this were the innocent Mars without memories of his past life, he'd probably have pissed himself from the pressure.
"What's up with you inviting me out for once? You always whine about how annoying this stuff is and hole up at home."
"Well... it's the first festival since coming to the academy, and even I feel like getting out and having some fun sometimes."
Polo was spot on, honestly. If it weren't for the love coaching gig, there's no way I'd waste my precious nap time on some stupid festival. I didn't have the superhuman willpower to tour a couple-infested hellhole like this one-on-one with another guy. Even now, the girls swooning over Polo were shooting daggers at me for hogging the spot next to him, making me regret coming out at all.
"Who the hell is that guy... What makes him think he can stand next to him...?"
"Damn, I was purifying my eyes, and now some ugly mutt comes ruining it."
"Wonder who's top and who's bottom? Personally, I'd love it if the ugly one topped... hehe."
What the fuck?! Who the hell said that last one?!
A chill ran down my spine at that creepy line. I shuddered and quickly dragged Polo out of there. For some reason, as I grabbed his hand and pulled him away, a few squealed in delight, but I couldn't stick around any longer or my dignity would shatter into pieces.
"You okay, Mars? You look pale."
"...It's nothing. Anyway... wanna walk around and check things out?"
"Sure!"
We still had a bit before the meeting time with the young lady, so I figured we'd scout the route while wandering nearby. Polo agreed without suspicion, and we started strolling, admiring the decorative flowers. Honestly, I couldn't care less about flowers—my impressions were just stuff like "pretty colors" or "nice smell." But Polo seemed to enjoy it, peeking around curiously, and it wasn't a bad sight.
His inexplicable taste in women aside, he was a genuinely decent guy on a human level, which made me feel a twinge of guilt for deceiving him.
Time's up!
I noticed the appointed time had arrived and subtly led Polo toward where the young lady was waiting.
"Kyaa!"
"Whoa!"
Right on plan! The young lady, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, had pulled it low over her face and deliberately approached Polo. He was focused on dodging the crowd and ended up bumping into her.
"S-Sorry! I was distracted and didn't see you!"
"N-No, it's fine... Huh? Young master of House Helios?"
"Lady Celine? What brings you here?"
As fellow members of the same club, Polo quickly recognized her. Buoyed by the successful encounter, I stepped in.
"Hello, Lady Celine! Fancy running into you here!"
"Oh, you're here too. You two came to see the festival?"
"Yes, thought we'd make the most of it. You here to enjoy the festival too, my lady?"
"Yeah. Weather's nice—feels like a waste to stay cooped up inside. Gotta soak up some sun now and then."
Her acting was a bit stiff, but she nailed the "accidental meeting" vibe. I'd worried she'd flub her lines, but as the center of high society, she had some solid skills.
"Hm? Message from the professor... Oh, right."
"Mars, what's up?"
"Ah... I forgot the professor wants to make up the lessons I missed when I was hospitalized. Gotta head back."
"Really? That's a shame, but—"
"No, you've barely enjoyed the festival because of me. Oh! Lady Celine can show you around instead! That cool with you, my lady?"
"Uh, y-yeah... Sure, I'm fine with it."
Polo eyed the sudden development suspiciously but didn't refuse.
"Alright, if it's school stuff, no helping it... I'll leave you in Lady Celine's care. Good luck with the makeup lessons."
"Sorry about this. Have fun at the festival, Lady Celine!"
I waved goodbye and slipped away, quickly changing clothes in a secluded spot before circling back near them. With my presence suppressed and disguise perfect, they wouldn't spot me easily. I plugged in the mini communication device the young lady had given me beforehand, and their conversation came through crystal clear, like they were right beside me.
-Sorry for interrupting your solo festival time...
-N-No! I'm actually looking forward to touring with you! Don't worry about it!
The atmosphere between them was still awkward. Walking side by side with space between them, it felt like an invisible wall stood in the way. Frustrating. At this rate, they'd never make progress.
"Hey, Lady Celine. Take his hand."
-What?!
-Pardon?
-N-Nothing!
"This won't get anywhere. Use the crowd as an excuse—say you might get lost and grab his hand."
No matter how awkward, skinship makes people aware of the opposite sex. Contact opens the door to the next steps.
-Ughhh...!
The young lady hesitated, then grabbed Polo's hand.
-Lady Celine?
-I-It’s just... we might get separated in the crowd! Holding on tight like this means we won't!
Her hand was trembling so hard I could practically see it from here, but she'd mustered her courage, so I'd let it slide.
-Ah, got it. Understood.
Polo's calm acceptance without a hint of fluster nearly turned my stomach. It was lunchtime anyway, so I directed them to the restaurant I'd reserved.
While waiting for food, the young lady tried starting conversations, but Polo just gave half-hearted "Yes" or "I see" replies, showing no initiative.
-Ahh~ Here!
Feed Polo right away!
The legendary "ahh~" from a beautiful girl—every guy's dream scenario.
-H-Here, Po-Polo... Ahh~
Tears welled up at her courage as she tremblingly offered him a bite from her own food, but Polo accepted it without batting an eye, the epitome of enlightenment.
-Not bad, but a bit salty. The juices have drained out too much, so it's lacking chew too.
I wanna deploy my aura...
Polo, filming a gourmet critique instead of the rom-com I scripted, had me itching to smack my forehead. Even after that—pretending to be startled and pressing her chest against his arm, fixing her hair to show her nape, wiping sauce from his mouth—none of her charm offensives worked on Polo, who was already in nirvana.
"I... need to use the restroom."
After an hour or two, the utterly exhausted young lady dragged her weary feet toward the bathroom.
Should I just go beat him up now?
I barely suppressed the urge and waited for her to finish up.
* * *
Celine slipped into the restroom to freshen up a bit. Luckily, it was empty, so she could relax in front of the mirror and adjust her posture.
"...I went to all the trouble of dressing up cute."
Was he just oblivious, or did he have no interest? Polo hadn't commented on her outfit at all. Disappointed after secretly hoping for praise, Celine started doubting her choices.
-Your upturned eyes might seem sharp at first, but when you smile, they make it even prettier. You're so slender, clothes fit you like a model no matter what. Don't worry too much about outfits—just smile more.
"Wh-Why is that coming to mind now?!"
Mars's sudden compliment popped into her head. His eyes had held not a shred of flattery—they were sincere. Realizing that, she'd shooed him away in a rush of embarrassment, calling him a flatterer. She'd tried to forget it, but deep down, his words had stuck with her. Now, she struggled to push away the memory of his genuine praise.
"Lady Celine?"
A voice from the side snapped her out of it. She'd been in there longer than she thought. Turning, she saw one of her escort knights—a woman—had entered.
"Ah, sorry!~ I took too long! It's nothing, don't worry..."
That was when it caught her eye.
The dark red liquid dripping from the knight's sword.
And then—
Pshk—
"Guhk...!"
A stabbing pain in her back, and a wave of drowsiness crashed over her, swallowing her consciousness in an instant.
* * *
While the young lady was in the restroom, I took out the communication device. I'm not a pervert—I didn't need to hear her doing her business.
15 minutes of waiting later...
"...She should be out by now, right?"
Even accounting for women's longer bathroom times, this was ridiculous. But reconnecting and hearing something embarrassing...
"Maybe they're out of TP? She could've asked her escorts... Wait."
As I muttered blankly, a chill shot up my spine. Spreading my senses, I realized the presences of the escorts nearby had vanished.
I'd noticed them from the start of the operation, but since they were there for her protection, I hadn't minded. For them to disappear from my senses all at once...!
"What the hell...!"
Rushing to a nearby alley where one escort had been, I found a man already dead, throat slit, his cold corpse lying there. The still-wet blood pool reeked, underscoring the gravity.
"How the fuck did this happen...! Damn it!"
I bolted to Polo, who was waiting with a worried face.
"Mars? Didn't you head back for something urgent? How'd you—"
"Polo! Get to House Euse right now! Tell them the young lady's been kidnapped!"
"What?! You show up out of nowhere saying—?!"
"Hurry! No time!"
"O-Okay! What about you?!"
"What else...?"
I'm going to rescue my lady, obviously.