Happy Friday!
The place that I had been brought to was, the men's dormitory. While I was somewhat perplexed about entering a guy's room when I have a fiance, I was pushed into the room.
It seems like this was Cain's room, but there were only the bare necessities and it didn't really feel like someone lived there.
I was urged to sit down, not by the owner of the room, Cain, but by His Highness Prince Romeo, and we sat in a circle where we could see everyone.
「You do understand that if you weren't a colossal idiot, the little one that you're taking care of would've been exposed to even more danger because of this matter.」
「Yes.」
「It was when your friend was also genuinely making a move.」
Cain stood up and raised his voice.
「Your Highness!! What are you…!!」
His Highness Prince Romeo nonchalantly conversed with, Cain who grabbed His Highness Prince Romeo. Leaning his head against his hand as if annoyed, His Highness Prince Romeo gave a small sigh and fleetingly glanced at Cain.
「It seems that she already realized it. It can't be helped that her head's no good, but it seems that she is not as weak as you think she is.」
Cain's eyes widened at His Highness Prince Romeo's words, and he turned towards me.
When I gave him a wry smile, Cain looked down with an unpleasant look on his face and grinded his teeth. He was clenching his fist and his fingers dug into his palm, so there was blood.
Wasn't it bad to clench it this hard. As I said this, I had Cain open his hand. Instead of medical treatment, I simply used magic, and the scratch quickly disappeared.
「Idiot Mira.」
「Cain…?」
「You probably just, stuck your nose into it because you were curious.」
How should I retort…. I didn't do it just because I was curious, but I had ignored Dia and Cain's warning, so I couldn't even retort.
「Because of that, this is what I propose. Since you know what's going on, why don't you help me? It's a simple job that even you can do. You'll just be a decoy.」
「Rather than saying that that's helping you, isn't that just being used one-sidedly….」
「Aah, it can also be called that.」
The matter was something that could only be called as such.
「More specifically, what should I do?」
「You can take your friend out. Of course, on that occasion, the youngest prince will also be with you. If you do that, she will, without a doubt, personally try to kill the the youngest prince.」
I turned pale. My fingers turned freezing cold.
「Do you plan on, leaving an unerasable wound, on your younger brother's heart?」
His Highness Prince Romeo hummed and smiled as if amused.
「You, are an incurable idiot. That person, by now, isn't perturbed when he is betrayed by others. The castle is that kind of place. First of all, if he was shaken with just that much, that person won't be able to continue living. It won't do if he doesn't learn to be suspicious of people. If you don't want that person to die an early death, you can not hesitate.」
Even so.
Yurii-sama trusted my friends, there was no way that it would be something so cruel like being killed by the other party whom you trust.
From the start, rather than me being the decoy in that plan, it was Yurii-sama.
「Have you not thought that your younger brother would be injured?」
「For that, isn't there you? It will be fine if you protect him. That's why, I would like it if that person doesn't go near your friends by any means when you are not there.」
「I will certainly, do that. However, it is also possible that my assistance is unnecessary.」
Rather, as a hikkikomori, my physical ability was nonexistent, so even if I was the shield for that one time, it really would be for an instant.
「That would not be a problem. If you stave off a single surprise attack, the soldiers that I have hidden will capture your friend after that. Pascal will cooperate with us as well.」
To be a prince of a kingdom, did that mean you would be able to move elite soldiers as well.
Pascal was, the knight-sama who is silently guarding Yurii-sama. After Yurii-sama came to my house, he immediately gave me his greetings. It seems that Pascal-sama, who said that he would, to the best of his abilities, guard Yurii-sama in a way where he didn’t realize his existence so that he wouldn’t frighten Yurii-sama, was the knight commander. The one who came to the Alwick estate to report to me was also him.
According to Pascal-sama, he volunteered to guard Yurii-sama himself. I had asked if Yurii-sama would have an easier time within the castle if he had the backing of the knight commander, but Pascal-sama gave a wry smile and for some reason, said that he would not be able to openly protect Yurii-sama.
「What is the possibility of using another method to aim for Yurii-sama's life?」
「I'm in the midst of of destroying them. It's quite simple. The number of personal connections of the other party has is extremely scarce. It will be over immediately.」
「I see….」
If they were caught in the act of trying to kill someone, evidence would no longer be necessary and we would be able to capture them. That was what His Highness Prince Romeo was aiming for.
The reason why I didn't immediately nod my head and agree was because, Dia's face flickered within my mind. Don't do anything unreasonable. Don't do anything dangerous. Even though he had said those kinds of things repeatedly, when I completely ignored them and moved as I please, feelings of guilt sprouted, as expected.
「Should I keep quiet about this matter?」
「You're asking something that should be extremely obvious.」
「For example, when I happen to meet, my, other friends.」
「I can't trust you.」
「If I happen to meet His Highness Prince Alan, and Juudias Roderick.」
Cain punched the wall.
「Juudias that moron, he still hasn't realized who the traitor is. Why do you need to tell that trash.」
「No. …Dia has, probably, realized it.」
That person was a little absentminded, he didn't realize that I realized it though. When I was confident of who it was, I knew that Dia was keeping it a secret when I deliberately observed him. Dia knew who had being used by the queen. That's why, when I was with that person, Dia would immediately look down unhappily.
Cain, blinked and shook his head.
「That's impossible. …that, idiot, won't doubt another person. The peace-loving young master, wouldn't be, able to, protect Mira.」
「…that person, despite appearances, is troublesome. Although he's good at forcing smiles, and I had been deceived by him.」
I didn't know as much as His Highness, but the son of the Duke House was unusually wary. He had always been nearby, so I knew. When Dia was truly smiling, and when he was forcing it. The latter occurred overwhelmingly more.
Were you distrustful of other people?
When I asked him, he said that he was just being careful.
「Fuun…. Maa, it wouldn't be surprising even if I figure out the answer, if I had aniue's strength, huh…. …it doesn't matter. If that's the case, let's have aniue do it as well. Your fiance as well.」
「Eeh…. Um.」
I nervously asked what I was worried about.
「Do you love your younger brother?」
「No way. …however, my youngest brother can not be killed. That's why, no matter how much you doubt me, it's unnecessary. I will properly, protect my youngest brother, as you wished.」
「Why?」
「I don't remember receiving anything from you that's worth me telling you that.」
Cain, who escorted me to the dormitory, was silently staring at the ground the entire time.
When I decided to go back to the school because Yurii-sama might not have been back yet, he grabbed my wrist and stopped me.
When I turned towards Cain who was frowning with a distressed look on his face, Cain gave a deep sigh, looked into my eyes, and started to talk, bit by bit.
「Don't think that you can settle things, with this.」
I knew what he was talking about. Because he was someone with a strong sense of responsibility, he would definitely, always, worry about it.
「I, as well as Dahlia, liked them. The people of Swain House. Mira, was like a real oneesan, and Madame also played with us, and the Count was kind, too kind. I thought that together with Father, Mother, and Dahlia, we would always get along with the people of Swain House.」
Smiling as if yearning for that, Cain also looked sad.
The main cause of Count Swain House falling to this level, was because Father was deceived by a certain antique dealer. First of all, speaking of how that antique dealer had come to visit our house frequently, it was because his wife was employed in our House as a maid.
The antique dealer that had come to visit our House on his wife's introduction had judged that Father would be a good source of revenue, just as the wife said. However, in the end, Father, who realized that he had purchased ordinary counterfeit goods for a large sum of money, did not let the antique dealer into the house ever again. He also dismissed the antique dealer's wife.
The reason why Father didn't think about getting revenge on the antique dealer, was because he had thought of the children who knew nothing. Those children that the antique dealer had brought along after he calculated that he wouldn't be as wary if the children were there, were extremely pure. Because of that good-naturedness, we had been looked down on, repeatedly, but it was unexpected that the maid that was dismissed stole from my house when she left.
In the end, the antique dealer approached other nobles as well with a similar modus operandi, obtained various information, and obtained a peerage due to his contribution to the country.
That was, the man named Shez Marian.
「You yourself didn't do anything bad, right?」
Cain didn't know anything. There was no mistake in that. Otherwise, there was no way Cain and Dahlia, who were still children, would hug Mother and I like that if it was not real. Besides, it was a harsh reality for the children. Even for me, it took time to understand it.
I only understood that, it had reached the point that Mother and Father were arguing, and Mother won't come back from her parents' home.
「I can't use the excuse that I didn't know. The food that I, as well as Dahlia, ate was bought with the money that was earned from deceiving Swain House. That fact can not be changed. I can not think of anything that would be able to make up for that kind of thing. But, I don't want to hurt Mira anymore. I don't want to make Mira who was hurt because of my family, sad any more than this.」
My eyes were swimming so much that, I thought that I might cry.
「I thought that, if Mira didn't realize that I distanced myself from Mira, you also wouldn't realize that you had been betrayed this time. I have yet, to think of good ideas, on what to do. However, I thought that, at least, it would be fine if Mira didn't get hurt….」
Cain, who cried in the end, looked away from me and stared at the ground once again.
「I'm sorry…. I'm sorry…. Actually, I've always wanted to talk to you. Ever since I entered the school, I've always wanted to talk to Mira, to apologize, and laugh together with Mira like we used to do. However, I didn't know how to face you now after such a long time. At least, even if I kept my distance, even if I used abusive language, Mira was kind, and I, who was acting like a spoiled child, was scared.」
I had a fiance, so I was not able to hold him tightly, I did the only thing that I could do, I patted his head.
When I thought that he would hold onto my hand that was patting him, he had put his hand on top of mine, and guided it to Cain's cheek.
「I was jealous, of Alwick….」
「You and Dahlia as well, you're like my younger siblings? It would be better if you were a little more honest, though.」
When I jokingly said this, Cain laughed a little as well, and gave a small nod.
「Cheating, huh.」
「You, know those kinds of words quite well.」
Cain and I turned around at the same time.
The one who spoke first was Yurii-sama. The one who spoke after that was His Highness Prince Alan. holding Yurii-sama, Dia was silently looking at me.
「You're wrong.」
Contrary to me who calmly denied it, Cain quickly wiped his tears and adjusted his breathing.
「Alan said that there's no problem if the cheating was not found out, but you were found out, so this is not good, Mira.」
「Shoot. He learn those words from me, huh.」
Jumping down from Dia, Yurii-sama pestered me into carrying him. When I carried him in my arms, he nodded in satisfaction.
「However, I am magnanimous. If Mira kisses my cheek, I'll even forgive you for cheating.」
Ah, cheating was something like that.
「Maa…! If you will forgive me, I will give as many as you'd like.」
「Also, if you do it to Dia too, that guy's thirst for blood would probably subside.」
This child was quite clever sometimes, or perhaps I should say, he would sometimes purposefully bring Dia and I together. If he's this considerate from now on, he would be popular in the future.
I walked towards Dia, and put Yurii-sama's lips on Dia's cheek. It was too sudden, Dia, as well as Yurii-sama stiffened for a moment.
Immediately after,「Ueeee…」, there was the sound of Yurii-sama groaning. Dia's feelings will be hurt.
「Not me, Mira should do it!」
「And then Yuriel will do it to me. Ok, come, little brother.」
「Shut up, outsider.」
When I was looking at Yurii-sama and His Highness Prince Alan leisurely arguing back and forth, I was hugged around my shoulders and I was thrown off balance.
When I looked up, Dia, who made the scariest face that I have seen in recent years, was looking down at me, and when Yurii-sama gasped, my breathing had also stopped at the same time.
Oh no. My body started trembling. That being the case, I left Yurii-sama with His Highness Prince Alan, ensuring his safety.
「Um, Dia….」
「Why are you trembling?」
It was because you being angry, which was unlike you, was scary.
「Is it because, you did something that you're feeling guilty about?」
「There isn't anything….」
I tried my best to smile, but I probably made a weird face. I was strangely sweating as well.
「Um…, Cain was just, reconciling with me. We were just going back to being friends…. I have a fiance, and I was not considerate enough and I'm reflecting on being too over-familiar, and…that….」
While my voice gradually became stuck, Dia, who was almost expressionless (this was his second most frightening level of anger), held onto both my shoulders and strengthened his hold.
「Adorable Mira…. Do you know why I'm this angry?」
「That is…um…that….」
「It's not about Cain Marian.」
He softly whispered this near my ear.
「I'm extremely disappointed in you.」