Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Fiancée
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[She was like a small white bird.]
[The kind that stirred a man's protective instincts—and even his desire to possess her—]
[Her skin was exceedingly pale.]
[Paler than her pure white dress.]
[Paler than her pure white hair.]
[The sort of skin that would normally give an impression of pallor.]
[But the girl's skin simply conveyed an impression of purity.]
[Her blue eyes were so clear.]
[As if a mere touch would cause droplets of that blueness to well up and fall.]
[She was truly bewitching.]
[Paradoxically, because she was so utterly harmless and fragile, she had an immense effect on others.]
[He gazed quietly into the girl's eyes.]
[Those clear pupils were rippling with deep emotion.]
"Don't you recognize me?"
[He felt a fierce impulse.]
[He wanted to comfort the girl right then and there.]
[He wanted to stroke her innocent face with these hands.]
[And if possible, he wanted to thoroughly dye this girl in his own colors.]
[Daringly.]
[He dared to covet this girl.]
[But that was an overreach not permitted to him.]
[For she was a being he could never hope to reach.]
[So all he could do was yearn.]
[For her love.]
[...For his master's attention.]
I'm not some cordyceps fungus clinging to Rishir's sense of self.
I'm more like a mutant born from a fantasy world character becoming aware of their modern reincarnated self.
There might be sudden changes in personality, emotions, and values, but my memories aren't altered or anything like that.
...So, who exactly are you?
"Rishir. I've missed you so much. I'm Fienne. I've been counting the days until I could see you again today."
We'll never be parted again.
The girl murmured in a voice filled with resolve as she hugged me even tighter.
In truth, calling it resolve and tighter—
Her fragile, whispery voice and the clingy pressure were perfectly described as cute.
When I looked down, I saw the girl's head pressed firmly against my solar plexus.
Her hair was pure white, clean and soft like fresh fallen snow.
A small head that could fit in one hand.
She was like a little bird.
Faint and fragile, paradoxically making her all the more striking.
A bastard can't survive with a bad memory.
My memory wasn't so poor that I couldn't recall a girl like this.
I wanted to ask carefully.
Had she perhaps undergone intense dieting, plastic surgery, and hair bleaching all at once?
"Rishir..."
As I stood still, Fienne burrowed even deeper into my embrace.
Wasn't this her way of saying, Hug me?
"..."
I felt piercing glares.
From behind Fienne, a middle-aged man was glaring at me.
Judging by his attire, he seemed like a knight from another family—
And since he'd been sitting at the same table as Fienne until moments ago, I assumed he was her escort.
When our eyes met, the man's gaze sharpened even more.
Hug me, wasn't it?
Whatever.
I moved my arms to return Fienne's hug properly.
"Ah... Rishir..."
The girl let out a sound of pure bliss as she surrendered her body to my arms.
"...!!!"
Crunch.
The escort's eyes bulged as he clenched his fist.
This was awkward.
Wasn't this all agreed upon?
"Rishir... Are you not happy to see me...?"
At that moment, the girl lifted her head and looked up at me with anxious eyes.
Rishir, locking eyes with the girl, thought:
'I wonder if having a real little sister would feel like this?'
If anyone had overheard, their eyes would have widened at that inner voice.
Rishir sorted out his thoughts.
He figured out how to treat the girl before him.
He didn't remember her, but for some reason, this girl followed him.
Thus, the attitude he, as the elder, should take was clear.
"What are you talking about? Of course I'm happy."
"..."
Fienne doubted her own ears for a moment.
If this man's tone sounded like he was talking to a little kid, it had to be an illusion, right?
"Then will you hold me? Tighter. So I can feel you more clearly..."
"Shall I?"
As Fienne requested, Rishir hugged her with all his strength.
And so, at the very moment the pure white girl was about to flash a strange smile in a place where the foolish bastard couldn't see—
"Wheee!"
"?"
Flail flail.
Fienne kicked her legs.
Her expression hardened.
'What are you doing?'
Rishir had suddenly lifted Fienne up.
And he didn't stop there—he started spinning in place.
A spinning world. The two, trapped in their own little bubble, gazed at each other.
It might look romantic at a glance.
'What the hell are you doing?'
But that speed.
No romantic nonsense could keep up with it.
The girl stared at him with cold eyes.
Demanding an explanation for this behavior.
Rishir grinned confidently.
Ah, this is centrifugal force.
Fun, right?
'What are you doing?'
After giving Fienne one round of fun(?), Rishir set her down.
Then he matched her eye level and patted her head.
"Satisfied?"
Fienne blinked.
'With what?'
Fienne was confused.
This was clearly not the look of a man subjugated to her.
Not the appearance of someone dominated by false memories.
No way?
No, that couldn't be.
It was a power that could even dominate a fifth-rank knight.
There was no way this worthless bastard could be free of her mental interference.
After hesitating for a moment, Fienne spoke with emotions surging across her face.
"I've missed you, Rishir."
Once more, Fienne hugged Rishir fiercely.
Rishir smiled kindly and stroked her head.
Fienne's passionate attempt to heat up the surrounding air fizzled out lukewarmly.
At this point, it went beyond perplexing to utterly ridiculous.
'What kind of guy is this?'
The effect of mental interference tends to scale with the target's disposition.
It manifests more strongly in emotional people.
Weaker in the insensitive.
By Fienne's own assessment, her mental interference was more than sufficient to dominate the man before her.
No, it was overflowing.
Normally, the man in front of her should already be her slave.
But look at him now.
"Fienne, mind letting go soon? Your friend back there is glaring at me like I'm a monster."
This was his response to the fervent hug.
A hollow whisper devoid of any heat.
This wasn't the attitude of a servant worshiping his master.
It was how one treated a cute, obedient little girl.
Fienne's head hurt.
How was his mind structured that her mental interference—
"Sorry. Our Gallant can be a bit overprotective."
A violently insensitive idiot.
That was Fienne's evaluation of the man called Rishir.
The reason her mental interference wasn't fully effective was surely due to this damn guy's thick-headed nature.
"It's a shame, but no need to rush. After all, you and I will be together from now on, right?"
Fienne smiled innocently while clicking her tongue inwardly.
It seemed her plan would require more hassle than initially expected.
["Does the Diltan Family have a lady too?"]
[She appeared out of nowhere one day and became part of the Diltan Family.]
[That hair color.]
[That appearance.]
[She was distinctly different from the Diltans, yet no one questioned her existence.]
["She's our youngest daughter. Due to her frail health, she's been confined to her room since childhood."]
["The priests and physicians said she wouldn't live past ten... So we tried not to get attached... But look, she's grown so strong..."]
[Who would dare question the word of the family heads?]
["Maybe because she spent so long indoors? She was spotless in behavior and personality, like pure white silk."]
[How could anyone point a finger of suspicion at such a lovely, delicate girl?]
[She received all of the Diltans' love.]
["Father's unwell? Oh no..."]
[She received all of the Diltans' love.]
["Mother, please rest. You've gotten so thin lately."]
[She received all of the Diltans' love.]
["Brother? Your face looks dark. Are you okay?"]
[She received all of the Diltans' love.]
["Gallant. Is it okay for my escort to tire out before I do? Hehe. Just kidding. I've been holding back too. Let's rest here a bit."]
[She received all of the Diltans' love.]
[...She monopolized the Diltans' love.]
["Haa..."]
[She let out a dreamy sigh from within the bathtub.]
["Everyone. Thank you so much. You don't need to fuss over me like this—"]
[It was a bizarre sight.]
[Several people surrounded the girl soaking in the tub.]
[They stared blankly into space with unfocused eyes, reaching out toward the bath.]
[Blood trickled from scratches on their fingertips.]
Drip.Plop.
[The bathwater she soaked in gradually turned red.]
["I'll gratefully accept your kindness and excuse myself for a bit."]
[The girl smeared the bathwater onto her body with her slender arms.]
["Haa..."]
[With sensual touches that didn't suit her.]
["Feels good..."]
[The pure white girl smiled innocently.]
"Rishir! Instead of this, let's go for a walk! A walk!"
Not many men could refuse a girl like Fienne saying that.
My mentor's voice echoed in my head.
—My disciple. Go home and rest well~ Rest well~ Rest well~… Rest… (echo)
Sorry, Mentor.
I want to follow your advice, but I also want to protect this innocent child's smile.
Besides, her escort Gallant is terrifying.
When I tried to refuse, he glared with bulging eyes— Embarrassingly, with my current skills, I'd lose easily in a straight fight.
"Rishir, Rishir! Look at that!"
Fienne and I left the mansion and strolled through Haeren's streets.
Clinging tightly to my arm, Fienne excitedly dragged me this way and that.
Her wonder and joy at every little street sight even brought soft smiles to passing pedestrians.
Some looked at me enviously.
Looking at Fienne stuck to my arm with faces saying not 'how heartwarming' but 'heh heh heh'.
Those guys are in big trouble.
Leering like that at a girl who looks maybe middle school age? Heh heh heh?
Be grateful you were born in this era.
For a while, I dutifully showed Fienne around Haeren's streets.
Watching her explore was quite enjoyable.
How much time passed?
Does this kid never get bored?
I was just about to think that when—
"Rishir... Sorry... Just a moment..."
The outing took an unexpected turn.
Her pull on my arm weakened; I thought she was getting tired, but suddenly she stopped, breathing heavily.
Her complexion looked poor.
We stopped in a quiet alley we'd entered following her lead.
"Lady!"
"Gallant... I'm fine, so don't make a fuss. And if you can, could you step away for a bit?"
"...Understood."
"Fienne. Are you okay?"
"Sorry. Just for a moment. Can we rest?"
That fragile smile left me nodding helplessly.
The weight on my arm grew heavier.
Fienne clung to my arm like that for a while, steadying herself.
How much time passed after that?
"Thank you, Rishir."
Instead of ragged breaths, her voice came. Looking over, Fienne's complexion had somewhat recovered.
"Feeling better?"
"Sorry for worrying you. Embarrassingly, I've been frail since I was young."
Since young. At that keyword, Fienne's gaze drifted far away.
Beyond the end of the street.
"Rishir. Do you remember?"
"Huh?"
"Long ago, when I got lost on Haeren's streets like this, you helped me."
"...Ah, that."
I nodded, looking where she was.
Sorry, but I don't remember at all.
Not exaggerating— I could confidently say no such thing ever happened.
Finally.
The unease I'd felt solidified into reality.
Something was off.
About Fienne and my relationship.
No, about this girl called Fienne.
From the start, I'd sensed something strange from her.
What to call it?
Unease?
It was faint, almost nonexistent, so I hadn't paid much attention.
"Rishir."
Fienne faced me.
Her slender hands wrapped around my right hand.
"What do you think of this marriage?"
"Marriage? Ah, you mean the Diltan lady who's my political marriage partner?"
Fienne smiled bitterly.
"Actually, this marriage talk started entirely because of me. I earnestly begged Mother."
Hehe.
Fienne giggled playfully.
"I'm not usually the type to ask Mother for favors, you see? So this time, even she granted my unreasonable request."
Fienne carefully brought my hand, wrapped in both of hers, to her left breast.
"I couldn't hold back my feelings for you anymore. Can you feel it? My heartbeat?"
"..."
That was the moment.
The unease from Fienne sharpened into clarity.
What the hell was this?
I frowned involuntarily.
"No way..."
Seeing me like that, Fienne muttered in dismay.
"Rishir? You're not affected at all right now? Looking at me brings up nothing?"
Fienne's demeanor changed abruptly.
No longer the fragile pure white girl, but a suspicious woman fidgeting anxiously.
"Rishir..."
"Wha-wha—"
Fienne pressed her body against mine.
Her slender fingers trailed up my thigh.
Too sticky for Fienne's touch?
I tried to shake her off, but her frail grip made me hesitate.
Shaking too hard might hurt her.
"...Rishir? Be honored. You're the first I've gone this far for."
"Isn't this honor a bit premature for us!?"
Suddenly a different person, Fienne stood on tiptoe to kiss me.
That was the moment.
"...!!!"
Fienne's eyes widened in shock.
Touching her lips, she recoiled as if thrown backward.
"Wh-what are you...!!!"
"?"
"What did you do to me?!?!"
"???"
This is confusing.
You're the one who led.
(Blushing shyly.)
"My power... My power..."
Fienne's hands trembled as she collapsed to the ground.
"...Why am I here?"
Gallant's bewildered voice came from outside the alley.