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nVolume 5 Chapter 1

nChapter 1 – Now in the Middle of Cheating!

n.

nPart 1

nThis happened before the summer vacation.

nA large commotion happened in Alzer Commonwealth. During that time there was a period when the people at Hohlfahrt Kingdom didn’t understand the situation there because of the large distance between the two countries.

nLeon’s two fiancées were worried for him and the group who studied abroad at the commonwealth.

nOne was a duke’s daughter, Angelica Rafa Redgrave(アンジェリカ・ラファ・レッドグレイブ).

nShe was a girl with shiny blonde hair that was braided into a bun and a strong-willed face.

nHer red eyes gave off the strength of her will, but right now she was smiling eerily.

nThe second fiancée was Olivia, unlike Angelica──Ange, she was a commoner.

nShe was a girl who was given special permission to enroll into the kingdom’s academy. She had the position as the main character of the first game of that otome game.

nShe was a girl with flax colored hair that was kept in bob haircut. She had a cute appearance that normally gave off a soft and comfortable atmosphere.

nHowever, right now she was emitting an air that made it hard to approach her.

nShe was expressionlessly waiting for their arrival to the commonwealth inside the cabin of the airship Licorne(リコルヌ) ──the second Einhorn(アインホルン) class airship.

nRight now the two was heading to the commonwealth by using their summer vacation.

nThe reason was their fiancée Leon.

nAnge talked to Olivia──Livia.

nHer arms were folded below her large breasts. Her right hand’s index finger kept tapping on her own arm in irritation.

n「When is the infamous inspection of the commonwealth going to start? We have been made to wait for more than an hour. Don’t you think it’s vexing that we can’t even move despite the commonwealth right before our eyes like this?」

nLivia nodded and looked outside the window.

n「They are only getting near, but they show no other movement. Really, just what are they thinking?」

nLicorne was the same type of ship like Einhorn.

nIt had a characteristic horn on its bow.

nThe only difference it had with Einhorn was only the ship’s color.

nIts beautiful white hull looked dazzling due to the illumination of the sunlight.

nLuxion was the one that created the baseline design, but Creare was the one who constructed the second ship without permission.

nShe had the same spherical body like Luxion’s extension, but her color was white.

nThe lens of her eye was blue unlike Luxion’s red.

nIt wasn’t just that, her personality was also really different from Luxion.

nThe electronic voice she used to speak also sounded feminine.

n『I wonder, perhaps they are admiring Licorne’s beauty?』

nAnge stood up from her chair at Creare’s guess.

nShe was looking outside the window with a cold gaze.

n「They’re really easygoing if that’s the case. Creare, connect me with the commonwealth’s guardship. Tell them we’re going to push through if they made us wait longer than this.」

n『Oh, how extreme. Aren’t you too hurried just because you want to meet with master quickly?』

nAnge smiled coldly.

n「It’s because I’m so bothered by how Leon is doing in Alzer that I can’t help it. That thing you picked up, “chat log” was it? If there is something like “in the middle of cheating now” in it, then even I won’t be able to stay calm.」

nThe two of them came until the commonwealth in this summer vacation because they were suspecting that Leon was cheating.

nBut these two had different thinking in regard to this.

nAlthough Ange was angry, she could forgive Leon.

n「Good grief, there is an order of sequence even if he want to play around. Just what is he thinking doing as he please while leaving us behind.」

nFor Ange who was born in a duke house──a noble house, she knew that it would only ruin their health physically and mentally if they got angry when a man was cheating.

nBut it was different with Livia.

n「I can’t believe that Leon-san would do something like cheating. Because, he has never even laid his hand on us, how can he then cheat on us at other country in only this short time.」

nAnge looked at Livia with a troubled expression.

n「Leon is also a man after all. Livia, it will only break your health if you worry too much about it.」

n「B-but!」

nThey were born and raised in two different environments, their way of thinking also differed.

nCreare interrupted the two’s conversation.

n『Oh? The guardship of the commonwealth is running away.』

nAnge tilted her head when she heard that.

n「What about the inspection?」

n『It seems it’s fine for us to pass through. It’s really strange.』

nLivia pondered for a bit, but she then shook her head and switched her feeling.

n「But we can enter Alzer with this. Now we can find out whether Leon-san has really cheated on us or not.」

nCreare spoke in worry seeing Livia’s serious gaze.

n『I-is it really alright to not tell master? I think it’ll be better to tell master that the two of you are coming.』

nAnge had her own thinking in regard to that.

n「Luxion will detect us whether we like it or not if we got nearer to the commonwealth right? If we informed them of our arrival beforehand, it will give them more time to erase the evidence. It will be better if we make Leon the one who contact us instead so we also won’t need to march into his place.」

nAnge’s worry wasn’t just about Leon cheating.

nShe was also bothered whether Leon was only playing around or serious with the cheating, but more than that she wanted to know who he was cheating with.

nIt would be problematic if the woman was someone troublesome.

nShe couldn’t allow it if it was a wicked woman who led Leon by the nose.

nIf that was actually the case, she intended to sever their relationship at any cost.

nBut, the worst case would be if the woman was someone with authority.

nIt would be extremely troublesome if Leon was having relationship with Alzer’s noble.

nIt would still be better if the woman was a noble with low rank.

nBut it would be a big problem if the woman had high status.

n「That Leon, is he really alright?」

nCheating was unforgivable.

nAlso Leon was a hero of the kingdom──even if he was cheating, with his status he had to be careful with whom he was doing it.

nAnge was also worried with one more dangerous possibility.

n(I hope he isn’t cheating with Marie.)

nThe woman who ensnared a lot of noble youths including the crown prince Julius──Marie.

nSuch existence was right beside Leon.

nAnge’s mind was really weighed by it.

n(Leon──don’t you dare betray me.)

n.

nPart 2

nI came to Alzer’s harbor.

nThe airship entered the harbor slightly later than the expected schedule. The people of Alzer were clamoring.

nThe military officers were nervous.

nThere were three ships that came from the kingdom.

nHowever the onlookers that gathered here only focused on one ship.

nAlthough that white airship had different color from Einhorn, their shape was exactly the same.

nIf it had the same color than perhaps no one would be able to tell the difference.

n「There is some little difference I think? What do you think Luxion? Luxion?」

nWhen Licorne was anchored beside Einhorn, Luxion was trembling seeing that.

nWas that his expression of anger? This guy was really attentive to detail.

n『Now you have done it Creare.』

n「Eh, what? It wasn’t you who constructed that white one?」

n『I’m not! Creare used the spare parts that I prepared for Einhorn as she pleased and constructed the second ship without even asking for permission!』

nLuxion was angry.

nBut, when I looked at the white and beautiful airship, I forgave Creare.

nBecause it wasn’t something that hurt me in the slightest anyway.

n「It’s fine isn’t it? I can feel relieved if it has the same capability with Einhorn. Ange and Livia can make use of it.」

n『She modified my blueprint. Its specs are unknown. Something like this is unforgivable. I’ll interrogate Creare for a bit, so excuse me.』

nLuxion flew away.

nWhile I saw him off, a ramp extended from the white airship.

nI saw the silhouettes that walked down the ramp and waved my hands energetically.

n「Oo~i, you two!」

nI ran toward them for the long awaited reunion. The two of them welcomed me with smiling faces──eh?

nStrange.

nThe two of them were certainly smiling but, I wonder why──they looked really scary.

nI wondered if perhaps I had done something. I was gradually curling up into myself.

n「D-did something happen today? Both of you, look a bit scary with that smile.」

nI tried inquiring for the reason. In respond Livia brought her face closer.

nIt was really close.

nOur noses even touched.

n「Long time no see, Leon-san.」

nLivia greeted me with a smile, but then her expression immediately vanished.

n「By the way, is there anything that you’re hiding from us?」

nShe asked me something like that. My eyes turned round in surprise.

nAnything I’m hiding?

nIt was too many that I didn’t know which one she was referring to.

n「W-what could you possibly mean?」

nIt would be dangerous if I started talking without knowing more, so I turned my gaze toward Ange.

nAnge was smiling.

n「I’m relieved seeing you looking lively like this. No, perhaps you’re too lively? Now Leon──I’ll have you tell us everything.」

nLuxion should be helping me in this kind of time, but he had entered the white airship and showed no sign of returning.

nI was asking for help inside my heart.

nCome.

nCome here!

nWhen are you going to help me if not now!

nI’m begging you, come back Luxion!

nI was looking for help with twitching smile, but sadly we were master and servant whose hearts weren’t connected.

nThere was no way my voice of heart would go through to him.

nLivia grabbed my arm.

nEven though I would be able to shake off her hands if I wanted, it felt like my arm was grabbed by a very strong power mentally.

n「Leon-san, first we’re going to check your residence.」

nAnge hugged my other arm with her own arms and whispered into my ear.

n「We have cancelled all of our plans for the summer vacation for this. Don’t think that you’ll be able to escape.」

nJust what had I done to deserve this!

nThe possible reasons were too many that I couldn’t imagine which one had caused the two of them to be this angry.

nWas it that?

nBecause I had rampaged as I pleased at Alzer?

nOr was it because I had worked Julius and others had like laborer? ──I didn’t think they would be angered by that one I guess.

nOr perhaps, was it because of my letter to Mylene-sama that was filled with sentences that would set one’s teeth on edge?

nCome to think of it, I also sent souvenir and letter to Clarice-senpai.

nPerhaps that was a wrong thing to do?

nOr else, was this about me having fun shopping with Deirdre(ディアドリー)-senpai when she visited as diplomat a little while ago?

nAh, I also had tea with her.

nWe had fun in a really expensive restaurant for dinner.

nOther than those──other than those──I see! Perhaps it was about me supporting Marie’s livelihood! Surely such thing would make these two angry.

nWould it really make them angry? But, if they knew about the reason then──I guess they would still be angry.

nMarie had stolen Ange’s fiancée.

nIt was unthinkable that Ange and Livia would sympathize with Marie after such thing happened.

nShit! I didn’t know which one of them had set off their anger.

n「Leon-san, please tell us the truth.」

n「Prepare yourself. Because depending on the situation then I’ll have to get serious too.」

nThe two of them dragged me away from the harbor.

nReally, just what had I done to anger the two of them like this?

n.

nPart 3

nA problem occurred in Marie’s mansion.

nMarie was in summer vacation right now. But thanks to that she needed to take care of the five from morning until night.

n「Wait! Who was the one who ate the soup for lunch!?」

nMarie who had to prepare breakfast, lunch, and dinner worked hard the first thing at morning to cook a large pot of soup.

nShe thought the soup would be able to hold until dinner──no, until lunch if there was this much.

nLeon went out at morning, even so there were five male students who were big eaters in this mansion.

nShe also couldn’t find other foods that she had prepared for lunch like bread or ham.

nIn addition, there were also some tableware that looked used left behind on the table.

n(U-unbelievable! Even though everyone should have known that I was super busy cleaning this mansion since the morning!!)

nMarie heard from Leon that Ange and Livia would be coming, so she hurriedly went to clean the mansion.

nKyle(カイル)──the half elf boy who was Marie’s personal servant and also Cara were busy cleaning the mansion too.

nIt was after such hard work that Marie finally entered the kitchen at noon and found the place in this state.

nThe one who came with a worried look because Marie raised her voice like that was Jilk who seemed to be preparing tea.

nHe was holding a teapot in one hand.

n「What’s the matter Marie-san?」

nMarie pointed at the kitchen with a trembling hand when she saw Jilk.

n「Who was the one eating everyone’s lunch?」

nThere wasn’t even one hour until it became twelve o’clock.

nIt would be difficult to start preparing a lot of food from now.

nShe would have to go shopping first.

nIn the worst case, after the boys finished eating, she might have to take Kyle and Cara to eat out.

nHowever she couldn’t forgive the one who ate the lunch as they pleased.

nHearing that question, Jilk looked embarrassed without any sign of guilt at all.

n「Aa, that. Actually Greg-kun said that he was hungry.」

n「I see. ──So it was Greg.」

n「No. We also felt hungry, so the five of us searched for something to eat. And then we found the pot of soup, so although it was a bit improper we brought out the ham and bread and cooked by ourselves. It was fun to do something like that sometimes.」

nMarie looked at Jilk with her eyes opened wide.

nShe was thinking of how to vent the rage whirling inside her small body.

nBut, Jilk didn’t notice how she was feeling at all.

nHe dared to claim that simply heating up a finished soup in the kitchen and cutting bread and ham was cooking.

n(How can you call something like that cooking! What are you guys planning to do for your lunch now!)

nMarie suppressed her desire to yell and immediately asked Jilk to gather the five boys to scold them.

n「Jilk──gather everyone. I was wrong. Now that we are living in this mansion I should have teach everyone the basic first.」

nShe was ashamed of herself who was thinking that these five should be able to understand simple things like this.

nShe should have beaten up the basic into them right from the beginning.

nThe time had come to finally face the problem that she had ignored until now because of the busy days of studying abroad.

nMarie thought that but──.

n「Eh? Everyone is out right now though.」

n──It seemed everyone other than Jilk was going out.

n「They are out you say!?」

nEven though they were really busy cleaning since the morning, these guys were gallivanting around instead──Marie reached her limit when she learned that.

nJilk talked to Marie to calm her down seeing her greatly agitated like this.

n「Marie-san, please calm down. It will be noon soon, don’t you feel hungry right now? I’ve just obtained a nice sweet that I’m going to enjoy with tea. How about enjoying them before lunch?」

nMarie was angry, but her stomach was also hungry.

nMarie thought to eat something for now to calm down.

n「Alright. Even so, is there really any sweets here? The sweets that big br──Leon brought had already run out yesterday.」

nMarie almost said big bro before she corrected herself midway.

nLeon’s hobby was tea. He often bought sweets that matched well with tea.

nMarie couldn’t complain because she would also received his leftover, but she also felt irritated seeing her big brother always buying expensive sweets.

nHowever, it was also Leon alone who was financially supporting them, so she couldn’t say any complain.

nMarie went out of the kitchen and entered the dining room. There Jilk was already preparing the tea.

nMarie was shocked when she saw the table.

n「What’s that!?」

nIt was normal that there were tea set and sweets lined up on the table.

nHowever the amount of sweets was too many.

nSteel cans filled with the purchased sweets were piled up.

nAll of the sweets looked obviously expensive.

nJilk started boasting without noticing the shock that Marie received.

n「Actually I have also just returned back from outside. I happened to see a nice tea set at where I was going and purchased it, so I also bought the tea leaves and sweets that matched the tea set.」

nTea set? Tea leaves? Marie was trembling when she heard Jilk had not bought only sweets, but also those things.

n「You bought them!? What about the money!?」

nOf course she was also giving Jilk some allowance, but she had never let him brought a lot of money.

nJilk looked confused.

n「Eh? Ah, I found some money when I searched for food with everyone, so I split the money with everyone before we were going out. It’s the basic to split the reward according to the number of people.」

nThat was of thinking was really typical for descendants of adventurers──that wasn’t what Marie was thinking.

nTreating looking for food the same like treasure hunting, and splitting the spoils of war evenly──when Jilk said that, Marie was unable to laugh.

nAfter all, if there was a large amount of money inside this mansion, then that would be Marie’s money.

nTo be more accurate, it was the living expense that she received from Leon.

nMarie ran out of the dining room and rushed into the room where she kept the money.

nShe let her guard down because there were only acquaintances living in this mansion, so she hid the money here without putting it into something like a safe.

nThe hiding place was a desk drawer that she remodeled to have double layers of bottom. That hiding place had been splendidly discovered and emptied now.

nThe household account book was placed on the desk. She wrote how to make do using the money she received from Leon in it but──everything had become pointless.

n「NoooOoooOOooOooooOoooo!!」

nNot a single cent of the money was left.

nMarie fell on her knees from shock.

n*Gan!* Such nice sound resounded.

nThe one who noticed the sound and came was Noelle who carried a transparent case where the sacred tree’s sapling was kept.

nShe was just passing through in front of the room at that timing.

n「Marie-chan, what’s wrong!?」

nSeeing Noelle rushing in, Marie became panicked from something else.

n(Nyaaaa!! Why is Noelle still in the mansion!? Even though I heard that today she is returning home!?)

nAnge and Livia were coming here from the kingdom.

nBecause of that Marie didn’t want Noelle to stay in this mansion.

nBecause──Leon hadn’t noticed Noelle’s feeling.

nNoelle helped Marie standing up with the sapling’s case held under her arm.

n「What’s wrong? You even made such strange scream.」

n「N-no. It’s nothing. There was just a bit──or rather a really large problem.」

n「That’s really serious then!」

n「I-I’ll take care of it so it’s fine! More importantly, why are you still here? Didn’t you say that today you are going home?」

nMarie thought that Leon would come back soon based on the time, so she wanted Noelle to leave the mansion quickly.

nOriginally she wanted to tell Noelle the truth──and made her gave up on Leon.

nBut, Noelle was too much of a good girl──so she couldn’t say it when she saw the way she was looking at Leon.

nThere was also how she was the main character of that otome game’s sequel, and she was also being chased around by a nasty man right now, so Marie wanted to keep her close by.

nHowever right now the timing was bad.

n(Why do I have to go through this much trouble for the sake of my dense brother huh! That stupid big bro, even though he himself said 「I hate dense protagonist」 . There is a limit even in being insensitive!)

nLeon didn’t understand Noelle’s feeling at the slightest.

nAlthough he was her blood-related brother──no, her brother from the previous life, this made her thought of him as pathetic.

nNoelle looked shy.

n「E-err, it’s because I forgot to move this child to a bright place.」

nNoelle held the sacred tree’s sapling with both hands. Her face was gentle.

nShe was looking at the sapling lovingly.

nTo Marie it looked as though the main character and the key item were attracting each other.

n「I-I see. Then you better hurry──ah!?」

nMarie was thinking of how to lead Noelle outside of the mansion, but then the sacred tree’s sapling started shining faintly.

nThen the back of Noelle’s right hand also started shining. A crest formed there.

n“The priestess’s crest” that Marie remembered even within her fading memory about that otome game was forming there.

nNoelle watched that in surprise, but her expression then gradually softened. Her cheeks were also blushing faintly red.

nMarie’s feeling had gone past confusion and straight into chaos.

n(Wait. Just wait a second! Even though there are still events that haven’t happened, why would the priestess’s crest come out at this time!? Or rather, with this──could it be that Noelle’s partner is)

nNoelle stared at the back of her right hand while muttering happily.

n「With this if a crest also appeared on Leon──that would means that our hearts are connected wouldn’t it?」

nMarie recalled something when she heard her muttering that.

n(D-damn ittttt!! I haven’t told Noelle that big bro has the guardian’s crest!?)

nThe problems that they had been postponing until now were rolling out one after another in a bad timing.

nMarie wanted to cry.

nAnd then──.

n「I’m home~. Eh? Where is everyone?」

n──A carefree voice came from the entrance.

nIt was Leon.

nNoelle made a taken aback expression, then she left the room while pulling Marie’s hand.

n「Marie-chan, it’s better if you rest for now.」

n「Yeah. Yeah──I’m already at my limit now.」

nLeon came home in the worst ever timing.

nMarie was already──at her limit in everything.

n(What’s going to happen now?)

n.

nPart 4

nAfter Noelle brought Marie to her room, she went to meet Leon with the sapling’s case in her hands.

nIf a crest also appeared on Leon──it would also meant that Noelle’s love was realized.

nLespinasse House where the priestess would appear and was also the representative of the seven great nobles in the past had a legend that they believed in since a long time ago.

nThe legend said that the young man who possessed the strength that was worthy to be the guardian and the priestess would fall in love.

nShe felt incredulous toward that legend when she was little.

nAfter all she was living in a world where political marriage was commonplace.

nIt was unnatural for such legend to exist.

nAt the same time──she was also thinking that it would be nice if such legend was actually true.

nAnd then right now Noelle’s wish might come true.

nNoelle went down the stairs while hugging the case.

n「Please. Sapling-chan──make my wish come true.」

nThe mysterious foreign student who came from the kingdom──Leon.

nFor Noelle, Leon was a reliable existence.

nHis guts to pick fight with the six great nobles was also amazing but, his strength that won against them was also amazing.

nHe also got quite a problematic personality but──Noelle didn’t hate Leon.

nHe would help her when she was in a bind.

nHe got a slightly bad mouth but, he was a broadminded man.

nNoelle was born as a noble, but she was raised mostly as commoner.

nBecause of that her sense of value was closer to a commoner than a noble.

nFor such Noelle, it would be great if she could go out with Leon normally.

nShe felt a peace of mind when she was together with him, and she also wanted to be together with him forever from now on.

nNoelle loved Leon.

nBut──when she came down from the stairs, there was another voice that didn’t belong to Leon coming from the entrance.

nIt was a girl’s voice.

n「Good grief──I was surprised when I heard you’re living together with Marie, but that was what actually happened. Still, if that was the situation then wouldn’t it be better if you tell us sooner?」

nThere was a girl wearing a red dress.

nShe was standing really close to Leon. Noelle noticed when she saw the girl’s gaze toward him.

n(──Eh?)

nThe girl’s appearance gave a slightly strict impression, but she was looking at Leon with a really kind gaze.

nThere was another girl at the opposite side of the girl.

nThat girl gave a completely opposite reaction from the other girl, but Noelle could see a color of jealousy in her eyes.

nShe was hugging Leon’s arm.

n「That’s right. Does Leon-san know just how worried we were!?」

nShe was angry, yet at the same time she was acting spoiled at Leon.

nAnd Leon himself was accepting of those.

n「Sorry. There were a lot of commotions here and it had only finally calmed down recently. I should have contacted both of you sooner.」

nLeon’s gaze toward the two of them was really kind.

nHe had never looked at her with such eyes.

nWhen Leon noticed Noelle, he addressed her just like usual.

n「Eh? Aren’t you going home today? Oops, I forgot to introduce them. These two are my fiancées. They’re Ange and LIvia.」

nIt was a bitter fact for Noelle.

nThat he never treated her as woman right from the start.

nIn the first place she had never even heard anything about him having fiancées.

n(What. So it was just me who was getting excited by myself)

nNoelle immediately donned a smiling face and brightly greeted the two girls.

n「Nice to meet you! I’m Noelle. I’ve been in the care of everyone here until now. More importantly Leon. If you have two fiancées this beautiful then won’t it be bad for me to live here? You’ll get misunderstood.」

nShe acted so that the two girls wouldn’t misunderstand the relationship between her and Leon.

nAnge smiled at her.

n「I’ve heard what happened. It must be hard on you.」

nAnge looked sympathetic toward Noelle. She might have heard what happened with Loic.

nBut Livia was──looking like she had noticed something.

nBut she didn’t show it in her attitude.

n「Err, I’m Olivia. Thank you for taking care of Leon-san.」

n「I’m the one who have been in his care so don’t mind it.」

nNoelle was talking with them with a smile, but inside she wanted to disappear from here right away.

nNoelle walked toward Leon and handed the sapling’s case to him.

n「What’s wrong?」

nLeon looked puzzled.

nShe couldn’t forgive that.

nBut, the one she couldn’t forgive the most was herself.

n「S-sorry, I’m going home now.」

nShe held back her tears and left the mansion.

nShe left the mansion and ran back to her home while crying.

nShe returned to the home that she had left for quite long. Inside her little sister Lelia was also home and called out to her, but she ignored her and entered her room. She immediately threw herself on her bed and buried her face onto the pillow.

n