First Meeting with the Protagonist
Stories flowed freely among the cluster of young ladies. Gossip about some detestable peer, boasts about one's own fiancé — the chatter circled and circled, yet every conversation inevitably bent back toward Shari-one.
"What do you think, Lady Shari-one?"
"Heh. I find it perfectly acceptable."
"Oh my, I feel exactly the same as Lady Shari-one."
Whatever Shari-one uttered, the other young ladies rushed to affirm it without limit. Watching their reactions, she felt a quiet satisfaction. In this little flock she was queen and absolute ruler. A single word from her could shift the entire mood; a mere change of expression could drain the color from their faces. Each time it happened, her certainty only deepened.
Even among counts, renown varied wildly. And Shari-one's house was a founding merit family that had sworn loyalty from the very birth of the Empire. That lineage alone granted her every privilege of high society as if by natural right.
But that was true only within the borders of her own little kingdom.
"Good evening, Lady Shari-one."
A lovely, clear voice slipped into her ear. Curious, she turned her head.
A woman stood smiling at her.
The moment those brilliantly shining amethyst eyes met hers, Shari-one's face went pale. Before this woman, even she was no different from any ordinary young lady.
"L-Lady Viviana."
Without a heartbeat of hesitation, Shari-one answered with the utmost courtesy. Viviana returned the greeting with elegant poise, a thin smile touching her lips, and regarded Shari-one with eyes full of mild curiosity.
"Forgive the interruption. There was something I wished to ask."
"O-Of course. Anything."
"Is the one they call the Pet Young Lady present tonight?"
Shari-one's eyes gave a tiny, involuntary twitch. She had believed Viviana cared for nothing but the sword — never once had she imagined that even Lady Viviana might take an interest in Tina.
"Hoho… You mean our Tina, then. I'm afraid Tina is not here at the moment."
"Is that so?"
The sudden chill in that voice sent a shiver through her. Shari-one had tried to put a little thorn in her reply, and instantly regretted it. This was not someone before whom one could afford pride.
"I-If Your Grace is looking for her, shall I fetch her? I believe she stepped out toward the garden…"
"Mm. No need to go that far. I don't want to see her that badly — just a light curiosity, nothing more."
"Curiosity… of what sort, if I may ask?"
"Isn't it fascinating? How does one stick the word 'pet' in front of 'young lady'? Pfft."
"Ah—ahaha…"
When Viviana laughed, Shari-one laughed at once. It was not genuine amusement. Just as the other young ladies forced smiles at Shari-one's every remark, her own laughter was nothing more than a bow of the head before the stronger presence standing in front of her.
In Viviana's presence, even the renowned Shari-one was no different from any ordinary young lady.
"Thank you. I'll take a quick look around the garden, and if she isn't there I'll simply leave. Good evening."
Viviana offered a brief farewell and turned her back. From any other noble the gesture might have seemed rude, yet from her it only sharpened the brilliance of her presence.
Shari-one watched Viviana's retreating figure and prayed desperately in her heart.
Tina… please, do not catch Lady Viviana's eye.
If the ducal heiress ever took a true interest in you, Tina…
You would no longer belong to us.
Smack—!
"Ahk…!"
A sharp, stinging pain flared across my backside. Even enduring the searing heat of it felt nearly impossible. Yet as if she neither knew nor cared, Mardian raised her hand high once more.
Smack—!
"Aah! Lady Mardian…! It hurts!"
"Tina. You're supposed to call me Unnie."
Smack—!
"Ahk! U-Unnie, please, just a little slower…"
"Hah. What a filthy little thing."
Words no noble lady ought ever to speak. If Mardian's coarse language ever became public knowledge, her reputation would suffer a devastating blow. But she knew better than anyone that I would never spread a single rumor.
"Fuck. Just thinking about it pisses me off all over again. Prancing around flashing those coquettish little smiles at every other bitch in that ridiculously cute voice of yours. Keep the flirting in check, Tina."
"L-Lady Mardian, I—"
"I told you to call me Unnie!"
Smack—!
"Aagh!!! I-It hurts!!"
Pain far beyond what I could bear flipped my vision for a moment. Mardian's hand showed even less mercy than usual, and at last the dam of my tears burst.
"Hic… n-no, it hurts too much, please stop…"
Tears I could no longer control slid down my cheeks. But my crying only fed Mardian's sadism further.
"Tina. Your sobs are sweeter than any instrument. So cry your heart out for me."
"Hic… huuh… stop, please stop…"
Damn villainess…!
Damn sadist…!
Damn perverted bitch…!
If only I'd been born into the imperial family, I would have crushed a witch like you under my heel! I would have beaten you until you begged for forgiveness a thousand times over!
I swallowed the vicious curses and simply wept. Rage boiled inside me, yet all I could do was plead for her to hit a little more gently.
As a man with a macho heart, I hated crying like this.
But what choice did I have?
Tina's body was fragile. The slightest scrape left an immediate red mark; even light friction brought a stinging burn. In my previous life I could have whistled through whatever Marianne threw at me — but this body of Tina's was cursed with weakness!
"Tina…. My Tina."
With hazy eyes, Mardian slipped her thumb into my mouth. That slender finger wandered over my tongue, and when it brushed the back of my throat I nearly gagged.
"U-Unnie, I really can't take any more… please, forgive me now…"
I looked up at her through eyes brimming with tears and begged. Perhaps my desperation finally reached her. After staring down at me for a long while, she let out a short sigh and swept her hair back.
"Haa… Fine. When Tina asks so sweetly, how can I refuse?"
"Th-Thank you, Unnie…"
"Heh… Meeting you might just be the greatest stroke of luck in my entire life."
Still stroking my hair, Mardian handed me a small paper bag. Inside were elegantly wrapped sweets and a tiny silver tin. When I opened the tin, a fragrance both sweet and bitter rose from the ointment within.
"It's the finest salve. We can't have any scars, so make sure you apply it. And have some sweets to restore your sugar."
"…Thank you."
So this is what they mean by giving the disease and then the cure.
Experiencing it firsthand is thoroughly unpleasant.
"Hehe. I'll head back first. Apply the medicine and come along at your leisure."
Mardian offered a radiant smile and withdrew. Left alone deep in the garden, I spent a long while rubbing my backside and wiping away tears.
"You bitch… you absolute…"
How much time passed after that?
Once I had cried myself out, I decided it was time to return. I let out a short breath and pushed myself up from the ground.
"Augh…!"
A sharp pain shot up from my lower half and dropped me straight back onto the grass. The agony was far worse than expected; my mind swam. I desperately wanted to check the state of my backside, yet fear of making it worse kept me from moving at all.
Just how hard did she hit me?
For a game character, she's ridiculously annoying.
The tingling pain refused to fade, and I couldn't summon the courage to walk all the way back to the banquet hall. I wanted to apply the ointment Mardian had given me, but without being able to see the damage I couldn't even tell where the wounds were. And lowering my skirt again would only bring the pain crashing back — I had no desire to invite more suffering on purpose.
"…What do I do?"
Should I simply wait until the pain subsided? But every minute that passed only made me later; I couldn't just sit here forever. Besides, being alone in this deep, secluded garden was starting to give me the creeps.
I swallowed dryly and looked around.
The absolute silence made me tense without meaning to.
I-I'm not scared. Not really.
A macho guy like me wouldn't be frightened by something like this.
Ghosts or whatever? Absolutely not.
It was just… I couldn't hear a single human voice.
And what if some criminal showed up?
I was only worried about my own safety. That was all.
Hoo— hoo—
An owl's cry drifted through the quiet night. On any other evening the sound would have been peaceful; now it only sent a chill down my spine.
Growing restless, I glanced about. I swallowed once more and, as carefully as I could, raised my voice.
"I-Is… is anyone there?"
"Pet Young Lady?"
"Hyaak?!"
The unexpected answer raised goosebumps over my entire body. Startled beyond reason, I let out a shriek on pure instinct. I jerked my head up — and met a pair of eyes watching me from within the thick darkness.
"Wh-What…?"
I stared blankly at the woman who had appeared before me. The mere fact that anyone was here was shocking enough, but what truly stunned me was her identity.
Those violet eyes, gleaming like amethysts, held a hypnotic allure as if they possessed magical power. Jet-black hair contrasted against skin as pure and white as fresh paper, heightening her noble bearing still further.
Viviana Merdelia.
One of the protagonists of this world.
Why is she here?
Viviana was never the type to wander this deep into a garden out of mere curiosity.
"L-Lady Viviana?"
"The ground is cold. Get up at once, young lady."
Viviana offered a brief smile and extended her hand. In a daze I took it. She tried to help me rise, but as my folded legs straightened, the pain I had momentarily forgotten crashed through my entire body once more.
"Augh!"
I let out a pained groan and sank back down.
Viviana looked at me with startled eyes.
"Young lady? Have you injured yourself somehow?"
She appeared genuinely concerned — but as someone who had played this game, I knew better.
That's all an act.
As if I wouldn't know what kind of person Viviana really was. For all I knew she had already noticed my injury and was simply watching my reaction.
Even so, I had no choice but to play along. If someone who couldn't even stand up to Mardian got on Viviana's bad side, the consequences would be unmanageable.
So, as always, I looked up at her with the weak, trembling gaze of a helpless girl and spoke in a faint voice.
"I… accidentally fell into a thorn bush… My backside is quite scraped…"
"…Hmm. A thorn bush, is it."
Viviana looked down at me with a smile whose meaning I could not read. An awkward silence settled thickly between us.
She regarded me with the fascinated eyes of someone observing a rare creature. Shame and displeasure rose from deep inside, yet I refused to show them and steeled my resolve.
Fine. Since it's come to this, I have no choice.
I was in no condition to return alone anyway. Better to swallow my pride just this once and accept Viviana's help. She was the sort who took little interest in others; she would lose interest in me soon enough. By tomorrow this whole incident would be forgotten.
"Y-Your Grace. Might I… if it isn't too forward… ask one small favor?"
"Of course. Speak freely."
Viviana answered with a bright, smiling gaze. The thought that she was enjoying my reaction behind that beautiful smile sent another chill through me.
"C-Could you… perhaps apply some ointment for me? I want to put it on myself, but I can't see the wounds…"
"Ointment?"
"Yes… j-just a little, only on my backside…"
Viviana's previously still eyebrows gave a faint twitch. The smiling light vanished from her face, leaving only those softly luminous violet eyes.
"…What did you just say?"
"Is it not possible…? I'll repay you properly, I promise — you only need to apply it to my backside…"
"…"
No answer came.
Anxiety pricked at me — had I offended her? Looking back, it had been a reckless request. How would a future duchess look upon the daughter of a declining barony?
From Viviana's perspective it might even feel filthy. Panic rising, I thrust out a trembling hand and spoke in a shaking voice.
"Ah— f-from Your Grace's standpoint it must seem dirty. I-I'm so sorry…! I-If you just tell me where the wounds are, I'll apply it myself… or is even that too much? I-It's fine if you refuse!"
"…"
"N-No, really! You can simply ignore me and leave. For someone as insignificant as me to waste Your Grace's time is practically a crime…!"
"…"
…What?
Why aren't you saying anything?
When you do that, it scares me.