Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: A Battle for Love or Something?
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Eventually...
'They all ended up coming along.'
The atmosphere had sunk into an awkward silence.
With Tail at the center, Cecilia and Chloe sat on either side of him, glaring daggers at each other.
A commoner temple monk who was an orphan without a penny to his name, flanked by two highborn ladies and a knight.
The bizarre combination drew furtive glances from passersby.
Tail subtly gauged the mood in the heavy quiet, while Allen, sensing the discomfort, stayed silent as well.
They simply exchanged looks, sharing a silent understanding.
'This is rough for you too, huh?'
'Yeah. You too?'
As Tail and Allen locked eyes in mutual sympathy, Chloe spoke up first.
"Lady Cecilia, won't it be hard for Tail to eat if you're clinging to him like that?"
Sure enough, Cecilia had wrapped both her arms around one of Tail's.
But even at Chloe's remark, Cecilia responded with brazen confidence.
"Well? If Your Highness holds his hand, can Tail eat then?"
And indeed, Chloe was gripping Tail's hand tightly.
With both arms sealed off, Tail couldn't even pick up his food.
In the end, Tail hesitantly spoke up.
"...Please let go. Both of you."
At Tail's words, Chloe and Cecilia shot each other fierce glares.
"You first. Your. High. Ness."
"As Imperial Princess, I command you—Lady Cecilia, let go first."
Cecilia let out a scoff at Chloe's words.
"Using imperial authority here? Are you in your right mind?"
Chloe's eyes flashed at that.
"What did you say? Are you insulting me—the imperial family of the Bellenuus Empire—right now, Cecilia Duvier?"
"Hmm? No way. That was just to myself. Did you hear it?"
As the situation escalated, Allen's gaze toward Tail grew desperate.
It was as if his eyes were pleading, 'You're the only one who can fix this. Please!'
Tail let out a sigh and slowly pulled his arms free from both of them.
Pretending to be stern, he turned to Cecilia.
"Lady Cecilia, you can't talk like that."
Cecilia's expression turned pitiful at his words.
"...But Her Highness keeps saying stuff..."
The sharp-tongued Cecilia who'd been snapping at Chloe vanished, replaced by one gazing up at Tail with teary eyes.
For a moment, Tail's resolve wavered at the sight.
'But I can't back down here.'
Cecilia's habit of speaking so carelessly was a real issue. To fix it, he had to be firm.
"Lady Cecilia, I'm saying this for your own good. If you talk to people like that, you'll end up hated someday."
That was the fate of the villainess Cecilia from the original story.
Glorious and beautiful like a peony flower, yet always alone, no matter where she went.
He couldn't let that happen to her in this life.
"I don't want to see you hurt others and end up alone because of it."
Cecilia pouted at Tail's words.
"I'm not alone."
"...Pardon?"
"You've got Tail. So I'm not alone."
Tail couldn't help but chuckle at her response.
"Still, please apologize to Chloe for your rudeness this time."
"Ugh... Fine. If that's what Tail wants."
Cecilia glanced sideways at Chloe.
"Your Highness. Sorry for being rude."
Her surprisingly straightforward apology widened Chloe's eyes in surprise.
"Then shall we get back to eating?"
The moment Tail's gaze shifted to his food...
Cecilia, catching Chloe's eye, stuck out her tongue teasingly.
"Bleh."
She flicked it provocatively.
Just then, Tail turned to Cecilia.
"Lady Cecilia, have you tried this one?"
She beamed innocently, as if nothing had happened, and put on an adorable act.
"Nope! Feed me a bite, Tail."
Cecilia parted her lips cutely.
'That...! That little vixen!'
Chloe's face hardened.
Cecilia savored the bite Tail fed her, then glanced at the fuming Chloe.
"It's delicious! Is it tastier because Tail's feeding me like always?"
Like always.
Tail.
Feeding food.
To Cecilia?
Flames seemed to shoot from Chloe's eyes.
What the hell had that crazy lady been doing with him in that tent?
Grit.
Chloe ground her teeth.
If things kept going like this, those two would run off together in some lovers' elopement.
'Get a grip, Chloe.'
Was she just going to let him be stolen away?
In that case...
'I've got my own way.'
Swish.
Chloe slipped off her cardigan.
Beneath it, she wore only a thin white camisole dress.
Her budding breasts from the onset of puberty and her surprisingly sensual figure for her age drew instant stares from around them.
Chloe brushed her long hair back and murmured.
"Ah, it's hot."
Allen panicked, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything against Chloe's set expression.
What she'd chosen wasn't seduction.
'In a situation like this, Tail would probably...'
Tail draped his outer garment over her shoulders.
"Chloe, even if it's hot, please wear this for a bit."
'Just as I thought.'
That's how Tail was.
She'd figured he'd worry and offer his clothes if she played it right.
His scent wafted strongly from the garment.
It made her heart flutter in a strange way.
As a subtle mood formed between them, Cecilia's cheeks puffed out.
She tugged lightly at Tail's sleeve.
"Tail, Tail."
Cecilia's eyes sparkled.
"Feed me a bite of this too."
"Lady Cecilia, you should try eating it yourself."
But Cecilia pouted and insisted.
"It's tastier when Tail feeds me!"
Knowing she wouldn't budge once she got stubborn, Tail had no choice but to feed her again.
At the sight, Chloe smiled sweetly.
"Lady Cecilia, don't you have hands? Or did your fingers break?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
As Cecilia responded with a sharp edge, Chloe's smile deepened.
"You can't eat by yourself. Tail needs to eat too, but he hasn't had a single bite thanks to you."
This time, Cecilia's face crumpled.
"Mind your own business and eat your own food, Your Highness."
"Mind my own? Meddling is what unrelated people do. And I'm very much related."
"Related how? I'm dying to know."
"Right? You must be curious. Hehe."
As their verbal sparring dragged on, Tail wanted to scream.
'Please... just go fight outside!'
His mind was utterly fried.
A little while later.
"Haa."
Tail dragged his completely drained body back to his room.
Cecilia had gone to meet the Duchess Duvier after a long time, and Chloe said she had business too, so he finally had some time to himself.
Slumping onto the bed, he let out a long sigh.
'I wanna go home.'
This was his home, but somehow he felt like going home anyway.
Well, today had been exhausting beyond belief.
"Haa..."
Tail sighed deeply.
'No way I have to deal with this every day, right?'
Just then, the door opened and Yujin walked in.
He froze at the sight of Tail, half-melted in exhaustion.
"What? You're back already?"
"Already? You say some scary stuff, man."
It had felt like an eternity of torment to him.
Yujin clicked his tongue sympathetically.
"Rough being stuck between Lady Cecilia and Chloe, huh?"
"How'd you even know that?"
"It's all over the rumor mill about you."
Tail furrowed his brow and took a sip from his water cup as he asked.
"Rumor mill?"
Yujin nodded.
"Yeah. They say Lady Cecilia and Chloe got into a battle over you—like a fight for your love."
"Pfft."
The moment the water hit his mouth, Tail spat it out.
"Ugh... gross."
Yujin grimaced at the spilled water, but Tail didn't care.
'Sure, I know they like me to some degree, but...'
A battle for love?
Chloe and he were like siblings.
Cecilia and he were like family—almost parent and child.
Besides, he was just a penniless orphan commoner, while they were impossibly high imperial and noble blood.
The kind of nobody who could die on the street without anyone batting an eye.
In other words, they were way out of his league.
'And it's a battle for love?'
Tail let out an incredulous chuckle.
Human imagination really was something else.
Then Yujin glanced at him cautiously.
"Hey... it's not true, right?"
"What isn't?"
Even at Tail's curt reply, Yujin pressed on.
"That you like one of them—Chloe or Lady Cecilia."
"What?"
What fresh nonsense was this?
"No?"
"You think?"
Tail snapped back.
He should've been more careful around people after all.
Being too casual had led to misunderstandings.
'Gotta be more cautious starting tomorrow.'
He needed to draw clearer lines from now on.
'Can't have these mix-ups.'
As Tail resolved himself inwardly, Yujin breathed a sigh of relief at his answer, patting his chest.