– STORY –

[She’s always putting on that grumpy face even though she’s not
actually that upset! Oh, why can’t she just be honest with
herself…!?]

[She is a tsundere, after all? When her embarrassment levels

exceed a certain limit, she will explode into anger. However, the
point that she’s suppressing under the surface is that she
wouldn’t mind that sort of thing if it were in a less public place.]

As Endo-kun passionately reacts to the antics of Lady Liselotte,

the villainess of an otome game, Kobayashi-san provides a
painstaking breakdown of her tsundere behaviour.

Suddenly, one person could hear their voices; Liselotte’s fiancée,

Prince Siegward.

That is where this story begins.

[That’s some strong tsun! Liselotte is really pouring on the tsun now! Don’t you think
she’s taking it too far?!]

[To describe Liselotte’s move in a nutshell, it would be ‘Let me join in too!’ But even if
that’s her intention, her overly haughty attitude and tendency to excessively beat
around the bush have caused her to become misunderstood, don’t you think? It seems
that His Highness’s opinion of Liselotte has worsened once again. Oh, what a precarious
development…!]

In the tense atmosphere of the courtyard, the strange voices of a man and a woman
rang through the air.

The man’s voice was strong and passionate, whilst the woman’s was calm and measured.

The voices that sounded like opposites formed a magnificent duo, and their sonorous
call seemed to descend from the heavens. Later, when the history books were written,
they would become known as ‘Play-By-Play Endo-kun and The Colour Commentator
Kobayashi-san,’ revered as two of the upholding pillars of the divine pantheon of gods.

“Just what is it that you think you are doing here?”

The moment a beautiful girl with curled blonde hair and striking violet eyes called
Liselotte— who was both the daughter of Marquis Riefenstahl and my fiancee—
entered the courtyard, I knew that whatever happened next would give me a headache.

“A-Ah, that’s… It’s just… There’s something I didn’t understand in the last class, so…”

The girl who spoke back to her as she tried to close up the textbook that had been
open on her knee until then in embarrassment had rosy blonde hair and eyes the
colour of the sky. Her name was Finne, a friend I had made recently.
As she sat beside me on the bench, she seemed flustered over whether she should
stand up respectfully or remain seated, so I decided to calm things down with a hand.

“When I saw that she was troubled, I decided to help her study. Why are you here,
Liselotte?”

After I affirmed Finne’s words, Liselotte gave me a silent curtsey before opening her
mouth again.

“My fiancee is spending time alone with another woman, it seems. Or at the very least,
that’s what some kind passersby told me as I was walking through the courtyard. I
merely wished to witness it myself.”

‘Oh, this really is going to be a headache,’ I thought to myself miserably when her
venomous tone and angry face didn’t match her polite speech at all.

“There isn’t anything that you need to be concerned about. We are simply discussing
magic theory in a public courtyard.”

“I am sure that Your Highness Prince Siegward has no ill intentions, but can anyone
know what her true motives are?”

As Liselotte glared at Finne with blazing suspicion, the poor girl shook pitiably.

If Liselotte was going off of the rumour she had heard before, then things certainly
might lead to a misunderstanding. But, neither Finne nor I had done anything to feel
guilty about. Thinking about it rationally, there shouldn’t really be any confusion at all.

Perhaps the woman who spoke so viciously, my fiancee Liselotte, was maliciously
exaggerating what was going on for her own gain. What was I going to do about that?

“Well, it certainly would be difficult for a commoner who has never received a proper
education to comprehend the teachings of the Royal Academy of Magic. If you like,
perhaps I could instruct you? Ahh… Does Miss Finne only wish to be instructed by a
handsome gentleman instead?”

Liselotte had to take things one step further before I could open my mouth to attempt
to talk to her and calm her down.

[That’s some strong tsun! Liselotte is really pouring on the tsun now! Don’t you think
she’s taking it too far!?]

[To describe Liselotte’s move in a sentence, it would be ‘Let me join in too!’. But even
if that’s her intention, her excessive avoiding the point and typically pompous attitude
means she has been misunderstood, don’t you think? It seems that Liselotte’s favour
with His Highness has fallen once again. Oh, what a precarious development…!]

From the heavens, the <Voices of the Gods> resounded.

[Why did Liselotte make that move!? Even if she was just saying that sarcastically, His
Highness won’t take it well! Why can’t she just understand thaaaaaat?!]

The man’s voice was somber and filled with regret.

I looked around inadvertently, but I couldn’t see anyone.

Neither Finne who was sitting next to me nor Liselotte, who had been directly
mentioned, seemed to notice anything at all. Meanwhile, Liselotte continued to glare
angrily at me as Finne, who was shrinking smaller and smaller in her seat by the second,
glanced towards me anxiously.

[That is because Liselotte is what we call a tsundere. She’s genuinely worried about
Finne-chan’s reputation in a situation like this, but because she loves His Highness so
much, her words got twisted jealousy, and she can’t express herself honestly.]

I could barely comprehend what the calm womanly voice was saying in my shock.

L-Love…? Who…? Jealousy…? What does Soon d’Rey mean…?

“Your Highness, is there something wrong…?”

Noticing the sudden strange look on my face, Liselotte’s angry expression turned to
one of worry as she stared at me.

“Ah, no, it’s that just now I heard <The Voice of God> …”

That’s right, these were probably the heavenly messengers that only the royal family
could hear, <The Voice of God>. Despite realizing that, the current situation was so far
outside of the norm that I could only answer weakly, my voice trailing away.

The reason why my family came into power in this country was the ability to hear
them.

We are a family that can hear the voices of the Gods who reside in a higher plane.

The heavenly voices of the Gods descend from the heavens and teach us various things,
such as unheard of knowledge and secrets of the future.

However, being able to communicate with these eccentric Gods was usually completely
based on their whims.

No matter how much you prayed for wisdom or knowledge of the future, usually all
you would hear from them were one or two words; perhaps a hint or a warning about
a future disaster such as an earthquake, never a fluid and fluent message like this.

Moreover, there has never been a case where two voices were heard at the same time
mentioned in what I remembered of the records of the royal family.

“Have you heard of <The Voice of God> before?” I asked Finne. As I explained the
ability passed down in my family to her, I glanced sideways at Liselotte, my thoughts
cloudy.

Assuming the voices I heard just now really were Gods and I believed them, then this
girl was in love with me.

Certainly, if I thought about it, Liselotte has always been stubborn around me…

[Why did His Highness Prince Siegward start thinking about Liselotte all of a sudden!?]

[I don’t know the reason either. Perhaps His Highness heard <The Voice of God> …?
But, His Highness shouldn’t have awakened yet. This doesn’t follow the scenario at
all… Is this a secret route? Endo-kun, did you input any strange commands?]

For some reason, the voice of the Goddess seemed closer nearby than before.

But what they said was true. I was still young and hadn’t come of age yet, so it was my
first time hearing the Gods’ voices.

However, I was somehow certain that the voices I was hearing descending from the
heavens then must have been the <The Voice of God> I had learned about from my
family’s history records.

[I didn’t do a thing! I just put it on autoplay like you told me to, Kobayashi-san. After
choosing ‘Study in the courtyard’, you don’t even need to touch the controller…]

In in a passionate voice and sounding closer than before, the male-sounding God
<Endowkuhn> spoke.

“Ah… Umm… Oh Great Gods Endowkuhn and Coebyashayshan, what is it that you are
saying…?”

I stood up from the bench and spoke to the two Gods, who talked in a completely
confusing manner.

The voices from the heavens suddenly fell quiet.

Had the <Voices of the Gods> fallen silent because they were listening to me? Since
Liselotte and Finne had become anxiously quiet as well, the courtyard was blanketed
by silence.

“I am deeply sorry for calling upon you so suddenly and out of turn. My name is Crown
Prince Siegward. I am the first son of the King of Fitzenhagen. I am incredibly humbled
by the fact you have been calling me by my title, but please do call me Siegward or
simply Sieg.”

Then, with my greetings complete, I bowed deeply before the Gods.

Following my lead, Liselotte curtseyed elegantly. Meanwhile, Finne nearly lost her
balance as she panicked and stiffly bowed three or four times.

The Gods exist on a far higher stratum than even a member of the royal family such as
myself, disregarding a Marquis’ daughter like Liselotte or a commoner girl like Finne.
It wouldn’t do for them to call me ‘His Highness’.

“O’ Great Endowkuhn… Ah, I started hearing both of your exultant voices the moment
you said [That’s some strong soon!]. My family has been blessed with the gift of
hearing the voices of the Gods who exist in another world.”

I was unable to see them, but the voices of the two Gods seemed confused somehow.

[Ahh… No, I suppose there was a setting like this… Eh, wait a minute, you can really
hear my voice?! Well then… Your Highnes- No, Sieg, if you really can hear me, make sure
to give Rize-tan— I mean, Liselotte a big smoooooch!]

Smoo…!?

Coebyashayshan’s words left me completely gobsmacked once again.

Had she just told me to kiss Liselotte…!?

It was a terrible thing to consider, but all the same, they were still instructions given
by God. As royalty… No, as an inhabitant of this world, I had no choice but to obey.

In any case, Liselotte is my fiancee.

I should be forgiven for at least one kiss… Still, doing it in public would be disgraceful.

Ahh, but, those were the instructions of God…

As my thoughts spun around in my head, I stepped towards Liselotte, cupping her

cheek with my right hand.

“Y-Your Highness…?”

She stiffened up as she looked at me, her eyes wide with confusion.

God had commanded me.

But even so, this was a public courtyard…

There were so many eyes on us…

But, actually…

Liselotte’s cheek was unexpectedly soft.

The skin under my fingers was a beautiful pale hue.

Her glossy lips were a cherry-shade of pink…

“W-What are you…Hn!?”

Ignoring Liselotte, who didn’t know what was happening, I pulled her close to me and…

… Planted a deep kiss.

Pulling her close to me.

Ignoring Liselotte, who didn’t know what was happening, I pulled her close to me and…

… Planted a deep kiss.

That said, it was just on the cheek.

“…Well, is that satisfactory, Coebyashayshan?”

Of course, I refrained from impulsively stealing a kiss from her lips.

Since I wasn’t told specifically how to kiss her, I supposed that should be alright.

[There…!]

After a moment of evanescent silence, during which I pondered just how soft
Liselotte’s cheek had been, the voice of Cobeyasheshan pierced through the quiet.

Under my palm, Liselotte’s cheek was growing hotter by the second. Looking back at
her, they had grown a bright shade of red. Tears were welling in the corners of her
eyes. Her entire body seemed like it was trembling.
Just who is this cute creature?

[THEREITISTHEREITIS! THERE! IT! IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS!!]

Suddenly, Cobeyasheshan’s voice turned into a shockingly loud shout.

[C-Calm down, Kobayashi-san!]

[How!? Could!? I!?!? Because! Sieg and Rize-tan just…!! Smooch! Even if it’s just on the
cheek! Smooch! The smoooch!! Rize-tan’s so kyuuuuuute!! Oh gosh, having seen this,
I’d be fine dying right now…!]

[Please don’t! I’m not sure why at all, but it seems like he really can hear our voices,
right? In that case, why don’t we do our best to help Sieg avoid the final boss and the
witch and stuff? Let’s do our best doing that, okay!? So stop smacking me on the back,
okay!?]

[…That’s it!]

As Cobeyasheshan shouted, the two venerable Gods began to hold a conversation I

could barely comprehend.

Not wanting to rudely interrupt the two deities, I waited quietly. When they talked
about Liselotte being ‘cute,’ however, I couldn’t help but agree.

Usually, Liselotte was as stubborn as a mule, and headstrong to boot.

‘I am the fiancee of the Crown Prince, Siegward.’ Regardless of how many people
would approach her and comment on her beauty at social occasions, she would tell
them that line and coldly brush them aside with a glare, so it was hard for me to even
consider believing that the same girl would turn completely red and speechless from
having simply been kissed on the cheek.

Just what happened to her usually brusque attitude? I was prepared for a scowl that
reached below zero temperatures for what I just did.

Instead, her whole face was… No, even her neck and ears were completely red. Just
how red can one person be?

[Ahem.]
As I was standing, fascinated by Liselotte’s face, the Goddess coughed loudly.

Oh, had they finished talking?

I took my hand off Liselotte’s cheek and attempted to straighten myself.

[Umm, well, for the time being, even if we don’t really understand what’s going on with
being called Gods and such, we’ll just go with it.]

Thus declared Cobeyashayshan.

Looking towards the heavens where she must dwell, I nodded in response.

Such is the will of the Gods.

[I know the scenarios that… Um, that is to say, what shall befall the country, centered
on this academy.]

As expected of a Goddess.

[Ummm, but it would be sort of spoiling things if I suddenly said everything, and even
if I told you everything right now, it really wouldn’t make any sense to you… Moreover,
I still want to keep our club practice going, so with that being said, from now on, we
will continue providing play-by-play and colour commentary!!]

All I could do was stand in silent confusion as Coebayashayshan ordered an entirely

incomprehensible commandment.

Play-by-play and… Colour commentary…?

[Umm, I’m, uh, I mean, my name is Endo, I handle the play-by-play.]

[My name is Kobayashi, the colour commentator.]

The Gods officially named themselves <Endow of the Play-by-Play> and <Coebayashay
of the Colour Commentary>.

Perhaps they only use Kuhn and Shan when talking to each other? I must have been
exceptionally rude.
In any case, I inscribed their names upon my heart.

Ah, I should write it down too. I need a pen and paper… Does anyone have…? Ah, I can
use Finne’s. She had some, right? I’ll borrow her notebook… Wait, when did she sit back
down on the bench?

[We’ll be commentating on the events that are coming up, and most of all about Rize-
tan’s… Err, I mean, Liselotte’s feelings. I’ll be giving a detailed commentary on them.
Ah jeez, it feels like I’m going crazy by talking to myself like this, but anyways… Sieg,
just listen and think carefully, and this should all work out. It feels weird talking to
someone in a different world too. What’s more, Sieg, you’ve been kind of out of
character for a while now, so it’s fine if you don’t talk to us. Instead, you can just listen
to what we say instead. Does that work?]

Out of character…?

As I looked back at Liselotte and Finne with the Goddess’ words in mind, I could see
that both of them were staring at me with worry evident on their faces.

Ahh, right, even though I was technically talking to Gods, Liselotte and Finne could
only hear my voice. I must have seemed insane. To all of the onlookers, it must have
looked like I’d made a brilliant transformation into a madman.

It wasn’t just those two either; nobody outside of the royal family can hear <The Voice
of God>. Talking to Gods in public might cause some troublesome misunderstandings.

[Just listen] … I had my reservations about how discourteous it was to ignore the Gods,
but their proposal was a great relief to me all the same.

“…Thank you very much for your benevolence.”

With a final word to the heavens, I bowed deeply once more and turned back to
Liselotte and Finne.

That’s right, I was supposed to be in the middle of a conversation with the two in the
first place.

[Do your best, Sieg! Don’t give in, Sieg! As Sieg returns to this tense situation, will he
be able to safely overcome this difficult event…!?]
[Since Liselotte has already become well-boiled after what just occurred, is it
possible? It would be nice if all three of them were able to study peacefully together.]

That would be nice.

I agreed with Coebayashay’s statement, but I refrained from vocalizing it.

With her face still flushed as red as it was when I kissed her cheek, Liselotte was
absent-mindedly playing with her loosely curled hair. The fire with which she had
strode into the courtyard was completely gone.

I didn’t really understand what Endow meant by <Event>, but it’s clear that this
situation would have played out completely differently if it wasn’t for the intervention
of the Gods.

“I’ve already finished receiving the commandments of the Gods. Now, why don’t the
three of us study together? Liselotte, you should join us too.”

Trying to bring the two confused girls to their senses, I beckoned towards the bench,
taking the dazed Liselotte’s hand to gently sit her down.

We sat down with Liselotte in the middle, Finne on her left, and me on her right.

It seemed like Liselotte didn’t have the energy to go after Finne like she had before.
However, even if she sat awkwardly at first, it didn’t take long for Liselotte to regain
her elegant posture while Finne smiled bashfully in her direction.

Then I guess this seating arrangement is fine?

If I had sat next to Finne myself, it might cause Liselotte’s pride to flare up again.
What’s more, it could cause some malicious onlooker to spread rumours.

“Now then, Finne, which parts didn’t you understand?”

Finne had looked a little relieved that the discussion about the Gods was over, but now
she flicked through the textbook hurriedly, her expression slightly confused.

It seemed like the place that she was tripping over was, in fact, the very fundamentals
of magic.
Most of the students in the academy would have already studied them before
attending school.

But, as a commoner without a family name to call her own, they were hardly something
she could be expected to know.

“Oh, oh my, you do not even know this much?”

Turning towards Finne, Liselotte said that as if she were looking down on her.
Although having said that, she was leaning in closer to her, as if she intended to start
teaching.

“It can’t be helped if she never really had the opportunity to learn.”

But in order to help teach Finne myself from where I sat, I had no choice but to lean
over Liselotte to point out things in the book.

“When it comes to this part…”

As I began to talk to Finne about the contents of the book, I was conscious that as I
leaned past Liselotte, I was but a hair’s breadth away from touching her back.

Gulp.

She must have been aware of it too, as her back stiffened up whilst her neck, ears, and
no doubt the face that I couldn’t see were shining in a brilliant shade of red that I could
only describe as ‘cute’.

I realized that there were a number of things I could get away with and play off as
accidental.

Should I let a little bit of my breath tickle those flushed ears?

Or should I brush down her shoulder through her back with my fingers?

Actually, even if I hugged her suddenly from behind, that would be fine, right…?

Seeing for my own two eyes the wisdom freely imparted by the Gods that ‘Liselotte is
a Soon d’Rey and actually likes you’ was a divine truth that filled me with a deep and
indescribable joy.
As I kept teaching in a happy mood, Liselotte looked flustered and confused by my
sudden change in attitude. Meanwhile, Finne could barely suppress her smile as she
looked at us. It seemed like the Goddess Coebayashay forgot to provide commentary,
as the God Endow cried out [Ouch ouch ouch, s-stop it, Kobayashi-san…!]

…Just what could have been transpiring up in their heavenly kingdom?

“Wow, that was a shock…”

As we both muttered the same thing in amazement, we looked at each other and
laughed.

“In any case, I’m looking forward to working with you from now on, Play-By-Play Endo-
kun.”

Saying so with a laugh and a smirk on her face, Kobayashi-san reached out her hand
to me.

My name is Endo Aoto, a sophomore in high school. I’m currently a member of the
Broadcasting Club.

The girl smiling in front of me was Kobayashi Shihono, a fellow member of the club.

Everything began the day that Kobayashi-san brought an otome game to our clubroom.

Our broadcasting club is pretty lax.

Apart from when a major tournament was coming up, obligating us to spend a few
days in advance practising our commentating, we usually only gathered completely as
a group once a week in the clubroom on a Wednesday.

But because of the nature of the club, even outside of the days when everyone gathered
for practice, someone always had to be on duty before school, during lunch, and after
school.

So, other than after classes on a Wednesday, only those on duty will be in the clubroom,
with a lot of time on their hands.
In order to kill time, over the years members have left all sorts of stuff in the clubroom,
like manga, a television and even a gaming console.

As for my dear Kobayashi-san, she had left a certain otome game there to play.

A Magical Romance
<Majikaru ni Koi Shite> , or MagiKoi for short, is set in a world much like the
Renaissance period of European history. You play as a common girl named Finne who,
at the age of fifteen, discovered that she could use magic that was supposed to only be
usable by those of noble blood, for whatever reason.

Finne enrolled in the prestigious Royal Academy, where only the sons and daughters
of aristocratic families were permitted to attend. It is there that she encounters 5
capture targets (not including the hidden route), such as a knight and one of the
teachers, and takes part in all sorts of romance and adventure.

Technically the Academy tutors students from 15 years old until they’re 18, but the
entire story takes place during Finne’s junior year.

“Ahh jeez, that tsundere Villainess Liselotte is just too cute! Those hot boys are good
as well!”

Ever since the day she fully cleared all the routes of MagiKoi, Kobayashi-san never
stopped talking passionately about it, always imploring me to play it whenever we
were on duty in the broadcasting room together.
It got to the point where the club members, obviously conscious of how I felt about
Kobayashi-san, conspired to always make sure we were on duty together. Naturally, I
was eventually compelled to play that otome game by her.

Well, at first I didn’t really care about the game or Liselotte, but as Kobayashi-san
watched me play she laughed and cried, as well constantly looking over at me to see
my reactions then swiveling back to the screen when I turned to look at her. Maybe it
was because of this strange little dance, but eventually, I began to get more and more
invested. Well, there was also the fact that the more I got into a game that she enjoyed,
the more we had to talk about.

“So, what which route would you recommend?”

When I asked Kobayashi-san that, instead of telling me which capture target to go after
first, to my surprise she instead thrust a fan-disc into my hands.

The reason for that was apparently this fan-disc contained Liselotte’s main story.

Liselotte’s role in the story was the villainess noble girl who harasses the main
heroine, trying to get in the way of her romance. Eventually, she is possessed by the
<Ancient Witch>, and transformed into the last boss of the game. An unfortunate
character who meets a grisly fate in every ending except for the reverse harem route.

In the fan disc, Liselotte’s true character is revealed. As well as loving the Crown Prince
Siegward, she also held a secret admiration for the cute and innocent Finne, but the
evil Ancient Witch led her astray and into ruin until her spirit was completely eroded,
which ended up in her becoming possessed. In the fan-disc, this is all narrated from a
personal diary that she had written.

It was so sad and earnest that I actually teared up a little bit when playing it.

After that, Kobayashi-san recommended that I play the reverse harem route, which is
the only way Liselotte survives the normal story.

Usually, you’d have to finish all five capture target’s good endings to be able to get onto
this route, but since Kobayashi-san who was recommending it already had a 100%
save, I could play it.

In the reverse harem route, as well as having all five capture targets at her beck and
call, there is even a sudden yuri development where Liselotte becomes part of Finne’s
harem. Finne is pretty scary.

The six of them all fight both Finne’s enemies for her and with each other for Finne’s
affections, and Liselotte, in particular, is saved from the witch’s malevolence because
of her deep love for Finne serving as a sort of spiritual anchor. Since there’s no last
boss, the party beats the Ancient Witch easily, and they all live happily ever after…

My ass they do!

If a bunch of important young noblemen, a marquis’ daughter, an influential teacher

and even the Crown Prince are all still fighting for Finne, won’t there be problems!?
Will the country really be okay!?

That’s what I thought, but Kobayashi-san didn’t think it was so bad.

“Because, apart from this route, someone always ends up dying…”

According to Kobayashi-san, the knight character called Baldur had the second highest
number of fatalities when it came to the game’s endings, apart from Liselotte, and the
reverse-harem ending was the only one where both of them were able to live.

I can only vaguely remember it from watching her play but it seemed to be right, apart
from in his own route and the reverse-harem route, he supposedly always dies early
when saving Finne. He dies quickly, and he dies a lot. It’s as if he’s looking to die in
those routes.

I know that the death of a friend is important for the development of our main heroine,
Finne, but it would’ve been nice if he could have stuck around a little longer.

Because the witch is defeated easily in the reverse-harem route with overwhelming
force, Baldur also survives.

Well, living is important after all, but still…

After playing the fan disk, I was so mad when I learned that there wasn’t a route where
Liselotte and Siegward end up together! Where is that happy ending!? I remember
grinding my teeth in frustration.

“Hey… Rize-tan is super ultra cute, right? Yeah, so, knowing how adorable Rize-tan is,
I just can’t help but feel bad for what happens to Rize-tan in these routes. So, let’s play
the route again where her favourite Siegward is captured by Finne-chan!”

But, at Kobayashi-san’s suggestion, I solemnly shook my head.

“No, let’s not… I’d feel too sorry for her.”

“Isn’t that fine!? Let’s cry together! Then, we can use the despair in our hearts to write
a Sieg x Rize fanfiction together!?”

“Stop it! Ah, um, what I meant was, I want to practice club activities so… Y’know, like,
practising my elocution and stuff like that…”

I tried to weasel out of having to play Liselotte’s most miserable route by using the
club as an excuse, but Kobayashi-san wouldn’t let me get away that easily.

“No, but, Siegward on the Siegward route is so cool though! I want you to understand
just how cool he is, Endo-kun, and it makes Liselotte’s diary even sadder! Also, you
need to play it so that we can make an exquisite SiegxRize story! When they defeat
Rize-tan just before the ending, Sieg struggles to come to grips with fighting against
Rize-tan who was his childhood friend, and when Rize-tan sees Sieg spilling his own
bloo- Ah, no good! That’s a spoiler! But you’ll play it, right!? Right!?”

No matter how much she spins it, it didn’t sound like a happy ending for Liselotte and
Siegward, if anything it sounded like a bad end…

But if Kobayashi-san says it like that, maybe playing it wouldn’t be too bad…?

I’m not sold on the idea of writing a fanfic with her, but the idea of crying together is…?

As I pondered about it, a smile suddenly spread across Kobayashi-san’s face as if she
had thought of an idea.

“Oh, that’s right! Endo-kun, why don’t you do a play-by-play commentary! I’ll do the
colour commentary analysis too.”

“…Eh? Huuh…?”

Then, she said something strange.

Well, I mean, I guess I was the one who said I wanted to do some club practice.
But, doing commentary on a game like this…?

“See, it’ll be good practice, right!? Right!?”

‘Haven’t I come up with an amazing idea!?’ Her face seemed to say, her dazzling smile
left me transfixed by how cute and refreshing it was.

And, as weak to Kobayashi-san’s smile as I was, I followed along with her suggestion.
“Huh… Doesn’t the save file look weird?”

As I was absent-mindedly reminiscing about how on earth we had ended up providing

live commentary in the guises of Gods on the struggles of Liselotte, a tsundere
villainess in an otome game, I heard Kobayashi-san’s voice in my ear.

Looking at the game screen displayed on the TV, the save file definitely was weird as
she had said.

Usually, the save data tab would display the route name, the game’s data, the location
of the main character, Finne, as well as the time the save file was last opened. But for
some reason, the route name and part of the location looked garbled or corrupted.

The save file should have displayed that it was April 18th, not long after Finne was
admitted to the academy. Prior to this, we had only just chosen to go to the courtyard
to increase our favorability with the capture target we were after.

By the way, the common route runs from spring to autumn, and should you have raised
enough flags as well as your favorability rating with one of the five capture targets,
you’ll be confessed to during a dance at the Autumn Festival and enter their route.

In the reverse harem route, because all the men were holding each other back,
Liselotte was the one who danced with Finne instead.

“Huuuh…? I can’t even copy over the save…?”

Kobayashi-san bobbed her head back and forth as she fiddled around with the save file.

“Actually, Finne’s levels as well… Aren’t they all maxed out…?”

When she looked at the status screen of the save file from the menu, she looked amazed.

Because there is also an RPG element to MagiKoi, you can also raise Finne’s levels.
Though typically higher than Finne’s, the levels of the capture targets are usually
hidden, but it seems like their strength depends on their favorability rating. There’s
also a bad end if you get defeated by monsters or other enemies in battle.

It’s important to raise flags for capture targets in the after-school events, but you won’t
get very far if you don’t raise Finne’s level and she’s too weak for battle. She might be
the heroine, but she can still die. This game really is way too deadly for its characters.

“This is a high enough level to solo clear, isn’t it? Scary…”

I had said that without meaning to.

If you decide to focus completely on training Finne, apparently you can even beat an
event that you’re intended to lose in late autumn after Liselotte is possessed by the
witch. This is the secret solo clear route.

To get onto the solo clear route, you don’t have any time to raise your favourability
with the capture targets, so you never become more than acquaintances. Liselotte dies
together with the witch, and Baldur still dies a pointless death in the battle. It really is
a completely meaningless route. There aren’t even any unique CGs for it.

The battle you’re intended to lose takes place after the Autumn Festival’s dance.
Liselotte, who was treated coldly by Siegward, ran away to her room in tears while
Finne chased her. When Baldur, who was assigned to guard the two girls, catches up
with them in the garden, the event begins.

Liselotte is possessed by the witch then and there and fights Finne, who loses. Baldur
is also killed in the struggle.

Finne is saved when the partner she had danced with at the festival hears the
commotion and comes to her aid. Together with Finne, who awakened her true power
due to the death of her friend, they manage to fight off the possessed Liselotte and
escape. By the way, when it comes to Baldur’s route, Finne becomes awakened when
Baldur is wounded rather than killed.

But, with maxed levels like this, it was possible to overcome the game’s scripting and
beat a supposedly unbeatable fight on your own. In other words, right now Finne is as
strong as a gorilla. Rather, she is a gorilla. Scary.

“Ughh… I give up, I don’t get it!”

Kobayashi-san, who had run out of ideas, threw down the controller in frustration.

“Oh, did you give up? There are only two minutes left, so we should go back to the
broadcasting room anyway.”

It was almost time for an after-school broadcast that I thought I might have to do on
my own.

I called out to her while holding open the heavy, soundproof door to the broadcasting
room, and after an annoyed sigh, Kobayashi-san entered.

“I still don’t get it at all…”

After finishing our after-school broadcasting duty, we were on our way back home.

Since I rode to class on a bike in the same direction that Kobayashi-san walked from, I
decided to walk home alongside her as I wheeled my bike.

The very instant I retrieved my bike from the rack and met Kobayashi-san at the gate,
she couldn’t stop herself from going on about the mysterious phenomenon we had
encountered.

“Well, I don’t really get it, and it is sort of eerie, but since it’s all playing out on the
other side of the screen, we should still just be able to enjoy it?”

As I said that, walking slightly behind her, I watched that straight black ponytail of
hers sway back and forth with her steps.

She slowed down a little bit as I caught up to her, deep in thought.

When I walked side by side with her like this, it made me keenly aware of just how
petite and delicate Kobayashi-san really seemed.

Usually, she was so loud and full of energy, so it was rare for me to see this side of her.

“Yeah, I don’t really get it and all, but if we can see the greatest happy ending then
maybe it wouldn’t be too bad… But, I dunno, it’s kind of scary, isn’t it?”
As she said that, she looked slightly uneasy as she turned to look at me, the setting sun
stretching out our shadows.

“Then, should we stop?”

The fact that tomorrow was the last day before summer holidays anyways, but even
though she still looked trouble, she shook her head.

“…I won’t stop. Because, after all, I really do want to see Rize-tan be happy. I did get
you involved in it all though, Endo-kun…”

Our play-by-play calls and colour commentary analysis would guide Siegward not to
misunderstand Liselotte to achieve the greatest happy ending.

That is what the two of us had decided back when they were playing the game before.

That determined look she had on her face when we were playing before seems to have
come back as well.
“I’m fine with it. It should be fun, right?”

If Kobayashi-san was having fun, then so was I. That was what I wanted to say.

Honestly, if going along with this meant I could see her laugh and smile more like that,
I’d say yes a thousand times.

“Kobayashi-san, you really are a Liselotte enthusiast, aren’t you?”

As I said that, my face twisted into a bit of a grin unintentionally, but she quickly looked
up at me and closed the distance between us as she poked my chest.

“Well, obviously Endo-kun, I mean you read her diary right!? You cried too, right!?”

“Yep, I read it. I did cry.”

Only a little bit, though. I swear, it was just a little bit.

“Then you have to be a SiegxRize shipper as well, right? For me, all I want is for Liselotte
to find happiness with Sieg, that’s all…”

If Kobayashi-san looks up at me with a face on the verge of tears like that, then you
can bet I’ll be a shipper for her.

Well, there was a part of me that wanted to see more of that cute upset expression of
hers…

But I didn’t put that wish into words, I just nodded obediently.

“That’s right, huh!? If Liselotte and Siegward become lovers, or if we can at least clear
up the misunderstandings about her, then she won’t ever become the last boss. And
also, Finne’s levels are all maxed out too. The route where nobody needs to die… I can
see it…!”

“Even though the summer holidays start the day after tomorrow?”

I instantly regretted telling that to Kobayashi-san, whose dazzling expression

suddenly became a mask of shock. Did she seriously forget that tomorrow was the last
day of term? It’s written all over her face.
“Ehhh, no way no way, I want to see Liselotte’s happy endiiiiing! I can’t wait a whole
moooonth!”

I could barely suppress a laugh as she shook her head from side to side in a little
tantrum. The way she’s always so full of energy is really too cute.

Suddenly, she stopped shaking her head and looked at me with a beaming smile.

“That’s right, Endo-kun, you should come over to my place when we’re both free over
summer!”

!?

“It’s hard for me to commentate on my own without your calls, and who knows if it’ll
even work if Endo-kun isn’t there? That’s why we should get together at my house to
marathon the game during summer vacation, right!? Okay!?”

Even though Kobayashi-san said that with such a beautiful smile, I could barely find
the words to respond.

“No, I… Uh… At Kobayashi-san’s house…?”

For a high school boy to go to be invited to the home of his unrequited crush, isn’t this
jumping ahead quite a few obstacles?

When I tried to make sure of exactly what she just said with a trembling voice, she
nodded with a big grin as if she didn’t think anything of it at all.

“Yep, my house! If we don’t do that, you won’t be able to see me until after the summer
holidays! Is that what you want!?”

Oh crap! I quickly clasped my hands together as if in prayer and shook my head quickly
to deny it.

“No, I don’t hate meeting up with you at all, Kobayashi-san! In fact, I’d like to see you
every day if I could!”

Ah, crap, now I’ve done it. I said something stupid in my panic.

“Then, it’s decided! Don’t worry about it toooo much. Both of my parents will be out
of the house with work and my sis is a university student so she’ll probably be playing
around, so I’ll have the house to myself other than during Obon!”[1]

With a smile of true joy, Kobayashi-san said that. She didn’t seem to notice my
Freudian slip, but there were other problems.

“No, isn’t that actually worse!? Won’t things actually be worse if we’re alone like that!?”

Whilst I was getting flustered about the mere idea of it, Kobayashi-san just looked
confused.

“Then, if that’s no good, why don’t we go to your place, Endo-kun…?”

“That’s, uh, that’s no good either. I don’t have a console, so…”

Not having the console wasn’t the only problem.

Being stared at by Kobayashi-san’s pure and innocent eyes was painfully burning a
hole in my indecent heart.

“Then, why not just come to my place after all? I don’t think we can take the console
in the broadcasting club to your place since some of the seniors brought it, and I can’t
take the one from my place either since it’s my sister’s.”

Saying that as if she was taking my agreement for granted, I could only sigh in response.

“I… I’ll do it. I’m a man, after all.”

As I said that, a little more bashfully than I was hoping, Kobayashi turned around
beside me and held out her arm next to mine, as if examining them both in comparison.

“Yep, that’s true. Not just your arms, your height and hands are completely different
to mine, huh?”

As she said that with a laugh, I felt a little dizzy staring at her slender pale arm she
held out, and her delicate looking hand.

She’s right about that. I was always a little tall, and I do try and look after my body by
exercising.
Kobayashi-san was so small compared to me, I could probably scoop her up in my
arms easily, huh?

“Ah. Or, are you kind of bored with hearing me talk about an otome game all the time?

She asked me that completely out of nowhere. Is that what she thought I was troubled
about this whole time?

“No, I don’t mind it at all, plus we’ve come this far, right? Besides… If Kobayashi-san is
happy, then I’m happy.”

There was a part of me that was a little upset she didn’t catch on before, but if I can
spend summer vacation with the girl I love, and help her do something that she loves
as well, then I can’t complain.

When I gave her my answer with that in mind, Kobayashi-san gave me a satisfied grin.

“…That said, Kobayashi-san is a cute girl, so don’t invite any guys other than me to your
house like this, okay?”

That smile was so cute that I couldn’t help but blurt out a jealous warning like that.
Her smile turned into a slightly hurt looking frown.

“I wouldn’t invite any boy other than Endo-kun to my place at all. It would be gross,
and maybe even dangerous.”

Well, I’m glad she doesn’t think I’m gross, but what does she mean about not finding
me dangerous?

‘Hey, what does that mean? Does that mean you trust me or you don’t see me as a man
at all?’ I wanted to ask her that.

“With that out of the way, let’s make a schedule for our summer plans tomorrow!
Later~!”

Before I knew it in my troubled state of mind, we had arrived right in front of

Kobayashi-san’s house and as she waved at me with an innocent smile she left to go
inside.

My heart skipped a beat as I saw that smile, as I thought to my self that I hoped things
might progress a little between us over the summer.

[1] A Japanese religious festival held in August. It’s the one where they float all the
lamps on rivers that you’ve seen in all your anime.
Ever since the Gods’ commentary began, my Liselotte has been unbearably cute.

“Even if you are my fiancee, could I ask you to refrain from touching me so casually in
public?”

[She’s putting on that grumpy face even though she’s not actually that upset! Oh, why
can’t she just be honest with herself…!?]

[She is a tsundere, after all. When her embarrassment levels exceed a certain threshold,
she explodes in anger. However, she’s really thinking that she wouldn’t mind that sort
of thing if it were in a less public place.]

The day after the trouble in the courtyard, we met in the cafeteria at lunchtime.

Liselotte had said that coldly as she passed by me, but because of the words of the
Gods in my ear, all I could do was desperately struggle to suppress a smirk.

It’s true that if I looked closely, her expression was much closer to embarrassment
than hatred.

“So what you’re really saying is that you wouldn’t mind if it were only the two of us,
right?”

When I asked her that with a grin, Liselotte turned a lovely shade of red again as she
clammed up.

[Oooh, this is a critical situation! Liselotte has turned completely red and can’t say a
wooooord!]

[As expected of Sieg. Although, it’s such a shame that, considering the atmosphere
between Sieg and Liselotte, Finne-chan always has to be involved.]

As I heard Coebayashay’s words I turned my head around and saw that Finne was
definitely sitting near us. But just what did the Goddess mean about Finne’s consistent
involvement?

[Uhnnn, I wish we could play as Liselotte instead… Actually, if I really were a Goddess,
I’d fill up Rize-tan’s <Favour> rating with… Oh!?]

In the middle of Coebayashay’s monologue, a pillar of light struck down from the sky
like a lightning bolt, heading straight towards Liselotte.

“Kyaaaa….!?”

A soft and warm light glittered brilliantly as it completely enveloped Liselotte as she
screamed.

Her blonde hair and pale skin were bathed in divine light for a few seconds before the
light faded away.

“Huh… What… Huh…?”

Liselotte looked at herself in a state of complete confusion.

This was the cafeteria where all of the school’s students gathered to eat lunch.

So, with everyone’s eyes on Liselotte, who had just been involved in what could only
be described as a miracle, it didn’t take long for people to get riled up.

Standing up on the table, I raised my voice above the crowd.

“Just now, the venerable Goddess Coebayashay has bestowed her <Favour> upon
Liselotte!”

… I think.

I myself didn’t really understand what was going on, but I needed to say something in
order to quell the unrest in the room since it could get out of hand very quickly.

No, I’m sure that’s what happened.

I think that’s what happened.

I wonder if that’s what happened…?

[Wow… The camera moved really close to Liselotte just now! This… Does this mean
I’ve actually given my <Favour> to Rize-tan? Maybe that’s why Rize-tan was sparkling
like that before!]

As I was anxiously pondering that, I heard the Goddess Coebayashay joyous outcry. I
suppose that was it, then.

If the Goddess herself declared so, then I had no choice but to take it as the gospel
truth.

“I-I have been… favoured…?”

Liselotte said that as she trembled slightly in excitement, opening and closing her
palms in wonder.

The Gods who watch over our world from a higher plane rarely bestow their favour
upon mortals in such a way.

It is said that my—or rather my family’s— ability to hear the voices of the Gods exists
because a certain Goddess bestowed her favour upon one of my ancestors.

All of the recorded mortals in both my country and others that had been blessed by
the Gods ended up developing some sort of unique power.

I didn’t know what sort of power Liselotte has been bestowed with, but it might be
safe to assume that her magical abilities had been enhanced.

“As expected of Lady Liselotte…! What a blessing that the future Mother of the Nation
has been blessed with the favour of the Gods!”

One of Liselotte’s friends cried that with a voice full of emotion and tears welling up
in her eyes. She was vigorously clapping.

It didn’t take long for clapping to spread through the dining room, becoming awfully
loud.

Liselotte, the cause of the thunderous applause, managed to elegantly curtsey with a
beautiful smile, despite how flushed her face was.
[The words ‘Mother of the Nation’ made Liselotte blush! They already see her as the
wife of the Crown Prince.]

Eh? Is that really true?

I quickly clasped a hand over my mouth, as it had almost blasphemously questioned

the divine words of the great Endow.

[By the way, I gave my favour to Liselotte, but can you do anything like that, Endo-
kun?]

Coebayashay returned to her regularly calm and serene voice when she asked that.

[Yeah, that’s right. Let’s see if I can do anything! Baldur! I want to give that guy my
protection!]

Thus Endow declared. A pillar of light immediately shined down from the sky towards
Baldur Riefenstahl, who was standing a little ways away from me.

It was sharper and more well defined than the soft glowing light that Coebayashay had
called down, slamming into Baldur and then seeping into him in an instant.

“Wha…!? Why… Why am I…?”

The man, who had no idea what was happening, was Liselotte’s relative.

He was one of the noble sons born to a branch family of the Riefenstahl house and was
already serving as an apprentice Knight despite only being in his second year of
schooling at the Academy.

The man, whose blonde, cropped hair and blue eyes were both slightly darker shades
than Liselotte’s, was usually very calm and mild-mannered, but not even he could hide
his shock at the sudden development.

[Eh, you seriously gave it to Baldur? Endo-kun, do you actually like Baru?]

[Like… No, it’s cause, y’know, he’s number two on the fatality list, right? So, I
strengthened him, right? If I can do at least that much, then I should, right?]

[Uh huuuh.]
Coebayashay and Endow’s divine commentary was so lofty that I couldn’t comprehend
much of it.

[Ah, right, Sieg, Baldur is destined to die protecting Finne from a terrible danger, so
Endo-kun bestowed him with the strength to overcome it. Therefore, can you tell
Baldur to stay close to Finne-chan and keep her safe from now on?]

As I did my best to make heads and tails of their conversation, Coebayashay gave me
a divine commandment.

“Baldur, the God Endow has bestowed his favour upon you as well.”

After receiving the will of the Gods, I walked over to Baldur to tell him that, but he still
looked confused.

“Just, why me…? Was it for the same purpose as Liese?”

Since Baldur and Liselotte had grown up with one another like siblings, he called her
a nickname that not even I, her fiancee, could call her.

I was surprised by the wave of jealousy that washed over me for a brief moment, but
I shook my head and spoke again.

“Baldur, Miss Finne will face a crisis of grave danger sometime in the future. Protect
her. A God has decreed that he has granted you power for such a purpose. Make sure
to always be by her side as much as you can.”

When I told him that, choosing my words carefully to make its importance as an
obligation to a higher power known, colour returned to his face.

“Since Miss Finne will face a great foe in the future, I have been entrusted with her
protection… So for the sake of protecting Finne, I was given power, and similarly, to
protect Your Highness, Liselotte has also gained the favour of the Goddess?”

I wanted to ask exactly how he had gotten the impression that the last part of what he
said was the case, but considering how grave the situation was, I just nodded without
saying anything.

[I mean that being said, Finne is still basically a gorilla, right…!?]

[Well, even if he doesn’t need to really protect her from much, this should still be a
nice pairing.]

I couldn’t help but admire the willpower I demonstrated by maintaining a straight face
at Endow’s sudden words.

Finne is a gorilla.

At first glance, those words seemed horribly misplaced in describing her, since she
gave off the impression of a small and sweet young girl, but once you realized her
strength, Finne really was as intimidating as a gorilla.

Ever since the entrance examinations, Finne had easily been the best of all the first
years, all of whom, Liselotte included, had been practising and studying magic for far
longer than she had. More than that, even though I was the strongest amongst the
third year students, I couldn’t defeat her either. I doubt Baldur could beat her; she’s
just completely dominant when it came to combat magic.

Honestly, her combat ability was so extraordinary that I wondered if any of the knights
directly under the command of the royal family would be able to hold a candle to her
prowess.

Although, arguably the most surprising part of all that was just how poor her
performance was in theory classes compared to practical skills.

“On the honour of the Riefenstahl family name, for the sake of the Royal Family, the
nation and Your Highness, we solemnly swear to use this power only for noble causes.”

Saying that together, Liselotte and Baldur who had both received the favour of the
Gods bowed their heads to me.

Since the House of Riefensthal was renowned for the military accomplishments of
their ancestors, I knew that they were very serious.

Since it was that kind of house, both of them came from an excellent lineage. Baldur
was nearly two meters tall, and Liselotte was also quite tall for a girl.

She had a beautifully straight back, with nimble and long arms and legs. That said, she
seemed a little bit self-conscious about her height.
I can’t tell exactly how tall she is, but when she was wearing her high heeled shoes she
must have been around 180 centimetres, if not a little shorter. I hadn’t really thought
about it until now, but that body shape of hers really is beautiful… However…

“Baldur aside, being protected by Liselotte is a little bit frustrating…”

Because of the loud cheers that rang through the dining hall congratulating the two
who had received the favour of the Gods and me, who had received their oaths of
loyalty, no one heard me mutter that under my breath.

I guess there’s little I can do but train some more.

“Ah, that’s right, it’s about time… I need to save…”

I followed Kobayashi-san’s line of sight to look at the clock. It really was almost time.

Saving the game, we turned off the console. I fumbled with the remote before
swapping the TV reception back to the regular public channels. The midday news
report was on.

“But honestly, that was a pretty crazy misunderstanding we caused there…”

I looked at Kobayashi-san as I said that. She smirked at me and poured herself another
cup of barley tea.

“Sieg really is the only one who can hear our voices, huh? Even though we didn’t really
put that much thought into what we said, things got pretty out of hand, didn’t they…?”

That’s right.

Our idea itself wasn’t bad, but it sounded completely different when it was eloquently
reinterpreted by the Prince. Well, there wasn’t much we could do about it after the
fact.

“When you told Baldur to stay by Finne’s side, was there any deeper meaning, Kobayashi-
san?”

I took the barley tea that Kobayashi-san held out to me as I asked her that.

I couldn’t take my eyes off her pale throat that quivered slightly when she began drinking
again.

She’s… Ah, crap, stop thinking about weird things.

Kobayashi-san, who didn’t seem to noticed me staring, began talking again as she
finished her tea.

“Hm, sort of, but not really? The key to Baldur’s survival is getting close to Finne and
fostering mutual feelings for her, and since we’re dealing with that Finne, is he really
going to feel the need to protect her normally?”

That Finne… So, she was referring to our MAX Level Finne.

Certainly, if MAX Level Finne entered Baldur’s route and awakened even more power,
the Witch would probably have to flee very early on, let alone have the perfect defense.

Although we planned to do everything we could to prevent Liselotte from being

possessed by the witch, having a back up plan like that wouldn’t hurt at all.

“If it can keep someone alive, then we should do whatever we can, right…?”

We still didn’t know how much our <Favour> would affect things either.

“That’s right. By the way, I tried to copy this save over to a new slot and reload from
previous save files numerous times, but I couldn’t do it at all. I think we’ve only got
one shot at this.”

As Kobayashi-san’s expression changed, I understood how serious her words were.

We wouldn’t get any do-overs.

Somebody might really die for good.

Even if it were just on the other side of a screen, it was a hard thing to think about.

We couldn’t let it happen.

In order to keep everyone alive, we had to do everything we could.

I was a little worried that my expression had gone dark, but maybe to brighten the
mood, Kobayashi-san’s next words were cheerful.

“Besiiiides, don’tcha think that Baldur is the number one choice for Finne!? He loves
Finne the most, and his route can give you diabetes ’cause it’s so sweet! In fact, it’s
really easy to fall into Baru’s route in the game. Even though I’d be aiming for another
capture target, I’d always accidentally raise flags with Baru, and then when we’d get
to the autumn ball he’d ask me to dance, and I’d think ‘Wait, I wasn’t aiming for you!’
and stuff…”

Ah, I remember that when Kobayashi-san had been playing the game on her own, I
had heard her yell that a few times.

That said, I also remembered her yelling out something like, ‘No, no, I still like you
Baru, okay!? Actually, I like you the most! I’m just not after you right now!’ afterwards,
not to mention the deep sense of jealousy that it made me feel.

“Ah, so… Do you like him, then?”

“Hm?”

“No, I mean, I was just wondering if you liked Baldur, Kobayashi-san.”

Even though he was on the other side of the screen, just what was it about him that
she liked so much?

I didn’t know whether or not Kobayashi-san would prefer being on the other side of
the screen and finding love with someone 2D, but I felt a slight nervous sweat on my
forehead all the same.

“Hmm, well, like, I guess I like him the most out of all of the MagiKoi capture targets.”

Kobayashi-san didn’t seem to be bashful about saying it at all.

“That’s it, huh? But you’re still fine with having him attached to Finne like that?”

I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, so thinking that it was strange, I decided to ask
her. After a moment of looking confused, she suddenly sparked back to life.

“…Ah! No, I don’t mean that I like him like that! What I meant was that I like <Baldur
as Finne’s Lover>, okay? I just think Baru’s route was the most moe;

it’s not like I actually love him or anything!”

I was the one who looked confused when Kobayashi-san said that with a laugh.
“Mmm, maybe that’s it? Endo-kun, you might have a fundamental misunderstanding
about what otome games are really about, huh?”

Misunderstanding…?

‘Otome games are romance games aimed at girls’ wasn’t enough of an understanding
then?

Kobayashi-san suddenly made a peace sign right in front of my puzzled face.

“Ya see, there are two types of otome games: one where the main character heroine is
basically a blank slated self-insert and one where the heroine is her own character. So,
two types of people can enjoy otome games: those who like to be in the shoes of the
protagonist and those who like to see stories unfold from a God’s perspective.”

‘God’ again, huh?

As I overthought her use of the word ‘God’ in consideration of everything that had
been going on, she kept going.

“MagiKoi is in the latter category. When you get a CG of the capture targets, it’s not
taken from Finne’s perspective, but rather from a third person’s point of view. Finne
is drawn to be really moe as well, and she’s actually in lots of CGs.”

After that, she dropped her peace sign.

“Honestly, it makes you wonder if the devs actually loved Finne the most out of
everyone. Maybe MagiKoi isn’t actually an otome game, but a <Watch Over the Lovely
Finne as a God> game. In that case, I’ll play the Matchmaking Goddess and put Finne
and Baldur together since Baldur’s the best fit for Finne.”

I see, so that’s it.

As I nodded like a sage, convinced by her words, I heard Kobayashi-san’s next words,
which were spoken in barely more than a whisper.

“…But if I’m a God now, I’d rather watch over the cute Liselotte. Then I could pair her
together with Siegward…”

The Matchmaking Goddess Kobayashi-san sure has a lot on her plate.

At the same time, I wished I could pray to her to make my own love requited.

Far in the distance, a whirring siren sounded out like an echoing cry.

On the other side of the screen, I saw the face of my one time friend, his expression
cold and serious.

I wondered which was stronger, the feelings I once had of wanting to go to Koshien
together with him or the pleasant feelings I had spending time together with
Kobayashi-san now.

“Ah, it’s started, huh? By the way… Did you want to do some commentary? I can’t really
commentate on baseball since I don’t know much about it.”

But, honestly, when I saw Kobayashi-san grinning at me like that, I didn’t think that it
was a bad outcome at all.

There’s a fridge, heaps of barley tea, an air conditioner, and Kobayashi-san is cute.

…Honestly, this shitty weather is too hot to make good jokes.

[1] Koshien is the stadium where the Japanese National High School Baseball
Championships are held. It’s kind of a big deal.
In the first game of the season, the team from the high school we were facing was made
up of regular competitors.

Our team was decently strong for our prefecture, but we hadn’t made it to Koshien last
year either.

After six innings, it seemed like everyone had lost hope. The score was 0-7. We were
probably going to lose the first match.

“…Ahh, maybe I ought to just go home after all?”

When I said that a little louder than I had intended to, Kobayashi turned to look at me.

“You don’t want to watch the rest here?”

“I guess, the thing is that… Somehow… It feels like I’m going to cry. Pathetic, right…?”

We will definitely lose.

I didn’t know if there was only one cause for it, but whether it was the regret for my
inability to take the mount myself, the sadness I felt for the baseball club, or maybe
some other feelings I couldn’t put into words, I sensed that the only way my feelings
would leave my body was through tears.

The only thing I knew for sure was that, for now, the tears hadn’t escaped my eyes just
yet.

And that I was ashamed.

“Then, if that’s the case, let’s just watch it at your place. Endo-kun, you live alone, right?”
That’s right. Because of various circumstances, I live alone.

It didn’t seem like Kobayashi-san was very concerned about visiting the home of a
young man who lived alone though.

Thinking about that actually made my urge to cry even stronger.

“Are you saying that you want to see me crying that much? Kobayashi-san, that’s a
bit…”

Even though I tried to play off her suggestion with a joke, I felt my voice quiver as it died
away.

“I saw your crying face last year anyway, so why not now?”

When I saw her smiling at me like that, I finally felt the tears in my eyes.

I really did cry a lot last year.

I had been aiming for Koshien along with the rest of the baseball club until last year,
but during a district-qualifying match I broke my shoulder and was forced to quit.

Baseball was basically the only thing I had really known up until that point, so it had
felt like my life was over.

That moment had lead to my love for her.

I’d liked baseball ever since I was a kid.

My father, a junior high school teacher, used to play baseball in his youth and still
served as the advisor to the baseball club at school.

Maybe it was his influence. Since my only siblings were older and younger sisters, I
never really had a brother to play catch with, but my old man often took me to baseball
games.

I eventually played baseball at the elementary and junior high school level, and when
it was time to pick a high school to go to, I made my choice entirely based on the
strength of their baseball team.

In my prefecture, there was a high school that had a strong team and was coincidentally
located near the apartment where my aunty lived.

On the same floor as my aunty’s apartment, there was a room that, having been used
by my grandmother until she passed away, was also owned by my aunty. It was
decided that I could live there during my time in high school.

My aunty is a single professional who usually works late, so we don’t see much of each
other. However, since my mother is a housewife, she often comes around to check on
me. I’m not too lazy when it comes to housework though, so I haven’t really run into
any trouble.

It’s not as if I was on bad terms with my family, but I didn’t know what I’d do to keep
myself entertained in a house full of women for an entire summer, so I was only
planning on going home for a single week over the holidays.

Maybe the reason I didn’t feel very close to them is that I spent so much of my
childhood playing baseball that it felt like I didn’t see them much.

I’ve stopped playing baseball now, but it wasn’t as if I had ever wanted to quit the
sport.

It happened in autumn last year during the middle of a match.

I remember when my class was discussing who would be competing for the school
sports competition in volleyball, basketball, table tennis, and softball.

“Endo ain’t playing in the baseball club anymore, so he can play softball, right?”

Someone said that suddenly.

The club members for the specific sports weren’t allowed to compete in them, and the
baseball club was banned from playing softball.

The rule was probably put in place to keep everything fun and fair for everybody, but
naturally, people still wanted to find loopholes to give their team a better chance of
winning.

Finding someone who had played a sport for years but wasn’t in its club must have
seemed like the ultimate catch to them.

“If Endo is on the team, then we’ll win for sure!”

“Oooh, if we have a fastball pitcher like that, no one can stand up to him, huh?”

“We’ll win the next three years in a row!”

“Does anyone volunteer to be Endo’s catcher?”

Suddenly, a wave of selfish expectations for me washed through the classroom.

No, my shoulder is broken, you know?

Well, truth be told, I had recovered to the point where my shoulder didn’t hinder my
day to day life, and it hadn’t really bothered me for a while, but it would still be difficult
to play anything properly.

Maybe if I took it easy as I played it would be fine, but the idea of our team losing
because of me left a bad taste in my mouth.

At the time, I tried to appeal to the homeroom teacher with my eyes to find some way
to calm everyone down.

“Ah, Endo-kun is in the broadcasting club, so he can’t play full-time!”

Then, a high-pitched yet strong voice cut through the loud room.

“…Eh, since when?”

I wanted to know that too.

As her friend timidly asked her that, an energetic girl stood in the middle of the
classroom with a confident grin as if being in the limelight was only natural for her. It
was Kobayashi-san.

“Since yesterday. I figured Endo-kun had a good voice, so I invited him. Someone who
used to be in the baseball club would be good at shouting from their belly, right!?”

“Ehh~” “No way…?” “That’s too bad…” As various disappointed voices rang through
the classroom, Kobayashi-san smirked at me mischievously.

“Now, now, now! Being in the broadcast club means he has a job to do after all. You
guys aren’t going to play unfairly now, are you? Right?”

Sensing an opportunity, the homeroom teacher finally got involved to settle things
down.

In the end, it was decided that I’d play a small role in the social basketball matches
that took place in the morning before any of the real matches.

“…So, I apparently joined the broadcasting club yesterday?”

After school, I followed after Kobayashi-san, who was making her way to the
broadcasting club’s studio.

“Oh, you want to start today? Just be careful about the first day jitters.”

Even though I had wanted to say more, there was something about her smile that
stopped my thoughts dead in their tracks.

To put it bluntly, I was dazed by her smile.

“Well, if you don’t like it, you can just leave whenever you want, so why not join us for
now? The broadcasting club is cool, you know? Besides, if you’re involved in the
broadcasting club, you can enjoy all the sports, not just the ball games! We only have
club activities once a week too. Well, there’s broadcasting duty as well, but if you’re
not feeling up to that there’s always someone who can step in.”

Then, she opened the door to the broadcasting studio near the back of the school,
which the broadcasting club used as their clubroom.

With her bright smile never leaving her face, she held open the door and turned to
look back at me, as if inviting me to join her.
Into her clubroom, into her daily club life.

“…You saved me.”

With a quick bow of my head, I entered.

It was Tuesday, so the only people inside were two seniors from the 2nd year, whom I
greeted.

After signing my name on the club sheet, I was told I’d be meeting the other members
tomorrow.

When I delivered the sheet to the club advisor in the staff room, it was time to go home.
That was when Kobayashi-san and I coincidentally discovered that we traveled home
the same way.

“Everyone sure is being tough on the walking wounded, huh?”

Saying that suddenly, she laughed softly.

“Well, to be fair, my shoulder doesn’t cause me any trouble on a daily basis anymore.
But, still, you saved me. Thank you.”

As I lowered my head to her again, Kobayashi-san gave both my arms a light pat.

“No, no, not at all. I really did think that Endo-kun would have a good voice, so I’ve
been scouting you for a while, you know? That’s cause the people in the sports teams,
especially the baseball team, seem to have really nice voices. That’s why I’m really
happy that you joined the broadcasting club, Endo-kun!”

The smile on her face looked full of joy, but for some reason I saw a glimpse of a snake
and an apple.

“My… voice? I don’t know if I should be happy if that’s the only thing I’ve got left.”

I didn’t mean to, but a really pessimistic thought found its way to my mouth.

“Ha ha, you’re a glass half empty guy, huh?”

My negative words that seemed to beg for sympathy instead elicited a small laugh
from Kobayashi-san.

For some reason, I was happier to hear that.

“But… Even if you break your shoulder, it’s not as if you’ve lost everything, right?”

Then she said that quietly.

“Baseball isn’t just about playing, right? Even if you become a coach or a masseuse or
even a commentator… I’m sure you can use all the abilities and experience you’ve
gained somewhere, Endo-kun.”

She had always been the center of attention in class, and I had always thought she was
a noisy person by nature, but there was something about those gently spoken words
that reached deep into my heart.

“Is… that so…?”

Just why was it so? The tears that had never flowed even after listening to the doctor
at the hospital or having to hand in my club resignation form suddenly began to drip
down my face.

I didn’t say anything as I walked beside her in silence.

“…Ah, here’s my place. I’ll give you a towel and some tissues, and some tea and cakes
if you’d like.”

We entered through the gate to her house as she pulled me along by the hand.

No, I can’t.

We’re just classmates.

I would be a bother to her.

At the time, I tried to stop myself with reasons like that, but I’m glad that at the time I
just accepted it in silence.

I knew just how unreasonable I was being, but as I sat on her doorstep, the tears
wouldn’t stop coming as I wept, crying about the cruel end to all of the years I had
spent on baseball.

And, by the time my tears had dried, I realized that I had already fallen in love with
her.
“Yo, Sieg. You’ve been hanging around that first-year girl a lot lately. Won’t your princess
Liselotte be upset?”

A month had passed since the start of the new semester.

After not showing himself for a good while, a friend of mine decided to tease me the
instant he opened his mouth.

“Your information is quite out of date since you’ve been playing truant for a while, Art.
There were some misunderstandings between Liselotte and me earlier, but that’s all
settled. We’re getting along famously right now.”

Upon hearing me answer him with a smile, he looked a little surprised, but he seemed
to find my answer more amusing than the gossip since he laughed.

Art, or rather, Artur Richter. Even though he was only the son of a count, we had been
friends ever since we were young.

“Although… You’re just as flashy as ever, Art.”

In an unusual style for a man, he had loosely gathered, rose coloured hair that
stretched all the way down to his waist. It was quite a sight, especially since the ends
of his hair were dyed a deep shade of red.

His eyes were only an ordinary shade of hazel, but since they were part of such an
unusually handsome face, it was a relief to have somewhere to look that wasn’t
exhausting.

“And just as always, you can’t keep your eyes off me at all!”

Art laughed, his voice like that of a tenor.

It was hard to put into words just how much I appreciated having someone that I could
speak so openly with despite my status as the Crown Prince.

Although the Richter family had only been bestowed their countship by the Royal
family, many of their descendants had received the favour of the Gods over the
centuries, and they stood in high standing with the Church.

Art also had an exceptionally strong aptitude for healing and recovery magic, so he
split his time between studying at the academy and working at the Church.

He had been ‘playing truant’ for a while to assist the priests in recovery and
reconstruction work in the wake of the floods out in the western counties.

Although I suppose the most peculiar thing about Artur Richter, to any onlooker, was
just how we spoke as equals.

“So, just what do you think of that little Miss Finne? She’s cute, isn’t she? Any thoughts
of eloping? It’s gotta be an elopement, right?”

As Art pestered me about it, I crossed my arms and glared at him.

“Of course I won’t be eloping with her. I’m not you, Art.”

Since Art was most likely going to become part of the Church when he graduated, he
had a lot more freedom from his House due to his lack of a fiancee.

I’d already heard rumours about him and the girl who worked outside a shop in town.

Of course, I was aware of my position and wouldn’t do anything to hurt Liselotte.

As I tried to have him back off the subject with a low tone of voice, Art just shook his
head.

“Oh, so scary. Are you really the type to get angry about japes like that…?”

He’s saying that if he had asked that before… I would have had a different response?

No, even if I still misunderstood Liselotte’s intentions, I wouldn’t have ever done
anything so insincere, right?

No, truly, it’s not just because I think that Liselotte is so incredibly cute that I wouldn’t
want to hurt her feelings, okay?

“Now, now, I was just joking, but still, Miss Finne and I are pretty similar, right? The
Church asked me to look into it. Could you introduce me to her?”

Ah, so that’s it. I gleaned Art’s meaning from those words.

Certainly, it would be correct to say that Finne possessed a strong aptitude for healing
and recovery magic.

“…Well, similar, huh? Similar…”

As I pondered vaguely, Art looked at me dubiously.

“How should I say it… Miss Finne is… Well, she’s much more of the offensive type than
you are.”

He looked even more dubious as I continued.

“Eh, what do you mean by that? I heard that she and I had the same aptitudes?”

That’s right. Both Art and Finne weren’t good at using the offensive magic that typically
called for flame and water elements.

At least, when it came to regular methods…?

“Well, you’ll know what I mean when you see it. I’ll introduce you to Finne.”

I gave up on trying to explain.

When it came to things like that, seeing really was believing.

Taking the still confused Art along with me, I decided to introduce him to Finne.

“A match would probably be the best way for you to understand. You and I, or perhaps
you and Baldur, can form a team and take on Finne.”

“Eh? Wait wait wait. Two on one? I don’t think there’s anyone who can actually take
us on if we work together, you know? My cooperation with Baldur Riefenstahl isn’t
quite as strong, but we’d be quite compatible, so wouldn’t it still be too much?”
Baldur specialized in fighting by imbuing his sword with magic, so while his offensive
power was considerably high, his other attributes were lacking.

Art, who specialized in supporting magic, would probably serve as a great partner.

I focus on balancing out both defense and offense, but since I’ve known Art for so long,
our teamwork made it seem as if we could read one another’s minds.

If you thought about it normally, it sounded like I was proposing to bully a first-year
student, especially since the aforementioned student was a girl.

“But if you fought her alone, you’d be cut down instantly, right?”

To really understand Finne’s style, you have to face terror head-on.

Likewise, if Art was defeated immediately, he wouldn’t know what hit him.

As I said that casually, Art stared at me like I’d gone mad.

“…Miss Finne is a recovery magic user, right?”

There was a note of apprehension in his voice now.

“You’ll understand when you see it.”

Once again, I gave up trying to explain the unexplainable.

To put it simply, Miss Finne had a ‘unique’ fighting style.

The strengthening and recovery magic that she would usually cast on other people for
support, she cast on herself instead.

That way, she raised all of her physical abilities to incredible levels then, of course,
used her fists.

[Is this the so-called Acolyte of the Punch!?]

[Woow… She really is aggressive, huh? Just where did the cute and cuddly heroine
Finne-chan who just wanted to do her best to protect everyone go?]

As I watched Art team up with Baldur to face off against Finne in a practice duel, I once
again heard Endow and Coebayashay’s venerable voices echo through the air.

That’s right, she is incredibly aggressive.

Looking over, I saw that Finne had lit her fists on fire and was pummelling Baldur into
a corner, the latter desperately looking for a way to escape the onslaught.

They were weak flames, but they did their job to augment the already terrifying power
of her small fists, so every swing seemed to be quite dangerous.

By the way, Art had already tasted her punches.

Barely a couple of minutes ago, Finne had taken advantage of a lapse in Baldur’s
judgment to dive straight towards Art, who was relying on Baldur’s protection, and
launched him into the air with a strong uppercut.

Her magically amplified speed coupled with her small frame made her a terror to try
and keep up with in the midst of battle.

“Kuh…. I yield!!”

Baldur, who had been struggling to keep step with Finne after losing the backup of
Art’s support magic finally declared that.

[Strong! Finne is the strongest!]

[At this point, no matter how you look at it, can’t it be said that she’s too strong? This
really does feel different from the <Game> after all.]

As I watched Finne and Baldur shake hands after the end of their battle, I cast recovery
magic on Art.

“W-Woah…”

Art, after regaining consciousness, walked over towards Miss Finne.

Well, if that guy was able to walk straight away after regaining consciousness, I was
sure he could handle the rest of his recovery himself. I don’t need to worry about him.

By the way, Miss Finne is much the same. It’s said that even if she lost an arm, she
would reattach it and keep fighting until all the villains had been smacked down.
Actually, there’s a precedent for that. It was a story from before she entered this
academy.

As I watched Baldur, Art, and Miss Finne happily chat about their mock battle, I
suddenly felt a pang of worry.

I had thought that since I heard the voices of the two deities, Liselotte should be
present as well, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Why is that?

In the <Game> that the two venerable ones talked about, Finne was the main character,
and until the day that they bestowed their favours, they could only see things from
Finne’s point of view.

Yet although Coebayashay had decreed that she was following Liselotte after bestowing
her favour on her, Liselotte hadn’t appeared even though the match was over and I
could hear the voices of the Gods.

[Liselotte is secretly watching over what’s going on in the courtyard as she hides
behind the topiaaaaaary!]

[In fact, she’s watching Sieg the most, isn’t she? It seems like she’s trying to figure out
just how close he is with Finne-chan when she isn’t around, whilst also watching over
Finne-chan.]

…What the hell? That’s way too cute.

Then again, Art and Baldur are here too.

And right now, to any onlooker, it would look like the two of them are trying to
compete for Finne!

The moment I took a step towards them, pretending not to have noticed Liselotte
behind me, a sharp voice echoed before I had the opportunity to call out to them.
“My, what an awful din you are all making. Even the library was swallowed up by your
shouting.”

Liselotte finally made her appearance, brushing aside her blonde curl with a flick of
her hand.

[Well no, actually, the truth is that Rize-tan went straight to see Sieg after school, but
when she tried to call out to him, she noticed that Art was with him so she didn’t, and
in that way she kept following after him in secret until she called out to him just now.]

Just how cute can she be?

As I listened to Coebayashay calmly say that, I kept a straight face.

Not because I was particularly stoic, but rather because it was just so cute that I didn’t
know how to react.

“Lady… Liselotte…”

Because Liselotte had appeared so suddenly and so curtly, Finne looked a little cowed
as she backed away, showing none of the fiery Finne from the match a few minutes
ago. Meanwhile, Art and Baldur stepped forward as if to shelter her.

Half of that temper of hers is just her trying to cover up her embarrassment, so you
shouldn’t be so nervous.

“Wellll, you sure are in a good mood today aren’t you, princess? I admit we might have
been a bit noisy, but it’s not Miss Finne’s fault. Please be satisfied with my apologies
instead.”

As he said that, Art took Liselotte’s hand and tried to kiss the back of it.

SMACK!

Her hand slapped his aside strongly.

Every time Art tried to make frivolous passes at Liselotte like that, he was severely put
into place.

Even though Liselotte always glared at him like she would a filthy bug, it didn’t seem
to discourage him much.

“My business right now is with Finne.”

Speaking with a polite curtness after smacking his hand away, she walked past Art and
stood in front of Finne, who had changed into sportswear for her practice match and
was wearing a holster on her hip.

“Ah, it’s true after all. Such a deplorably shabby wand…”

In that way, Liselotte took Finne’s wand and held it in her hand.

“If you use such a thing, aren’t you only going to cause trouble for others?”

In the same breath, Liselotte strongly gripped Finne’s wand in the middle and broke
it apart with her hand.

“Oh my, it really must be defective after all, to be broken so easily…”

[Liselotte broke it on purpose!]

[But if Liselotte could break it with so little effort, it really must have been dangerous?
If it broke like that while Finne-chan was channeling magic, she could be really hurt.]

Looking at the shattered piece of wood that used to be a wand with cold eyes, Liselotte
threw it aside, making Art and Baldur look incensed.

But, after hearing her real intentions through the voices of the Gods, I calmed them
down with a quick gesture when they looked ready to yell angrily.

Certainly, if Finne used such a wand, it could end up being dangerous.

Well, not that she really used wands.

A magic wand is a tool that is used to channel magical energy over a distance.

If you’re casting magic on yourself or something you’re touching directly, it’s

unnecessary.

‘I don’t know if I really need to use it, but it feels like something I have to wield to be a
proper magician…’ Finne had told me earlier.

As if to back that up, Finne didn’t seem particularly shocked by her wand suddenly
being broken.

“A poor tool reflects a poor owner, don’t you agree? Therefore, I will give you my spare
wand, which should be a little better than that defective thing. Will that do?”
As she said that, Liselotte took out an incredibly expensive looking, top-of-the-line
wand that appeared as if it had been custom built to fit both Finne’s hand as well as
her magical attributes from her dress pocket.

Since Liselotte’s magic favours balance like I do, it wouldn’t suit her at all.

Ah, what the hell, she’s too cute!

I, as well as Art and Baldur, who seemed to have finally grasped the situation, did our
best to keep straight faces. Art struggled to stop the corners of his mouth from turning
up, coughing to suppress his laughter. Endure it…!

[Ohhh, it’s the wand that Liselotte had specially made but has held on to for a week
while worrying out of her mind about just what to do with it!]

[I see, so she was wondering how to give it to Finne-chan? I thought it was strange
how she was constantly fidgeting with that wand in her pocket whenever she was near
Finne-chan.]

Ah, I’m done for.

After hearing Endow and Coebayashay’s words, I covered my face with my hands and
looked up at the sky.

SHE’S TOO CUUUUTE!!

After a few seconds of bashful agony, I once again returned to my incredibly enjoyable
work of watching Liselotte.

Meanwhile, Finne didn’t seem to quite understand just how valuable the wand really
was. She stared at it in confusion, but Liselotte kept holding it out with a silent straight
face, desperately fighting her embarrassment.

“F-Finne, I suggest you take it…”

“That wand isn’t bad at all. Ah, you should think of it as an apology from Liese for
breaking your previous wand and take it.”

As Art struggled desperately to swallow down his laughter, Baldur awkwardly

encouraged Finne.
Liselotte eyes twitched as she turned to stare daggers at the two of them but, yeah,
that only made her look all the cuter.
Recently the Crown Prince, His Highness Prince Siegward, has been acting strangely.

Although the two of us are engaged, neither of us had the opportunity to meet with
the other often before attending the academy, so we’re still not very close to one another.

His Highness is calm in mind and spirit while I’m strong willed and not cute at all. It’s
difficult to say we suit one another.

I don’t want to believe it, but I know he doesn’t like me.

We have never called each other by nicknames, and unlike Artur Richter, I have never
held a casual conversation with His Highness.

There has always been a sense of distance between us.

However…

Even so…

“Finne. It is unbecoming to be so familiar with a gentleman who already has a fiancee.

Putting the case of Artur and Bard aside… His Highness is officially engaged to me.
Even if you do not care about what people think, there might still be trouble if you are
gossiped about in vulgar rumours related to His Highness and me. Do I make myself
clear?”

Just why is it that I can only speak in such a curt and uptight way?

Even though I hate how I sound, my words don’t stop.

The cute girl on the other end of my venomous words looked like she was on the verge
of tears.

“Liselotte, are you jealous?”

Yet despite that, His Highness boldly cut into the heavy atmosphere between myself
and the poor Finne with an effortlessly elegant smile on his face.

“W-What, that is… I…”

Ah, it really is strange after all.

Why was His Highness looking at me with such a heartwarming smile?

A mixture of shame for having been so easily read and a desire to cry at the stare of
those tender amber eyes washed over me.

All I could do was foolishly stand there with my mouth agape, struggling to find any
words.

My cheeks were getting warmer.

“During the practice match before, I didn’t call out to you because I didn’t know if a
lady would be interested in seeing such things. I never had any intention of shunning
you or leaving you out.”

It really is strange after all.

Lately, it feels as if His Highness can read me perfectly.

And what’s more, his eyes… Was he really looking at me with eyes like I was someone
dear to him?

“So I apologize if I made you feel lonely.”

I was lonely.

It was as if he had laid my heart bare for all to see… I’m embarrassed, I’m happy, and
I’m embarrassed for being so happy… Basically, jeez, I don’t know what to think.
“I… It’s nothing like that, however, ah, my pride and honour won’t allow… Ah! …Uu!!”

Those hateful words began to tumble out of my mouth without permission once again,
but I angrily tried to bite them back.

Feeling like I couldn’t stay around them any longer, even though it was rude and
unbecoming, I tried to escape without offering a proper parting.

“Where are you going, my adorable lady? Isn’t it important that you’re here as well, to
prevent any vulgar rumours from starting?”

But before I could, His Highness caught my hand.

As I looked back with teary eyes, I saw His Highness, Bard, Artur Richter and even Finne
with warm smiles on their faces even though I had just done something incredibly
rude.

Why?

Just why was it so?

“…au…”

Lost in confusion, a small sound escaped from my lips like a whistle.

“What on earth? That’s too cute.”

His Highness said that with a completely straight face.

“…Huh?”

What? Too cute?

He was calling me cute? Like Finne?

“Heey, earth to Sieeeg, have you forgotten that we’re here too?”

In amazement, Artur Richter called out to His Highness.

“Don’t you think you’re too mean too, princess…? Even though you smacked my hand
away, you let Sieg take it so easily.”

Despite how embarrassing it was to hear those frivolous words behind his smile… I
couldn’t shake off His Highness’ hand. It goes without saying that I couldn’t smack it
away either.

“Well that’s because she’s my fiancee, right?”

His Highness, saying that with a calm smile, slowly bent down to place his lips on my
hand just like Artur had attempted to before.

“…Ah.”

His lips touched it.

I needn’t even say it.

And when he looked up at me, I… Ah…

“Liselotte!?”

As of late, the thumping of my heart wakes me before the sun rises and I open my eyes.

Horrible, horrible dreams. Terrible nightmares that swallow me whole in a dark abyss
of envy as I sleep are enough to shake me awake in a cold sweat.

I don’t sleep well anymore, and I’m constantly irritated and wondering what is wrong
with me. I’m ashamed by it. To put it simply…

I feel like I am losing my mind.

The last thing I saw was that bright blonde hair and those amber eyes.

Prince Siegward’s colours.

My light.

My love.

I love him so much that the word love doesn’t do my overwhelming feelings justice.
I love Prince Siegward.

As I lost consciousness, that was the only thing that was clear in my clouded mind.
“…A Prince.”

The first time I met him, I was only five years old. When I forgot the polite words of
greeting that I had practised over and over again, it was as if time stood still. I couldn’t
even remember to curtsey, so I stood rooted in place stiffly as if my soul had left my
body.

“Liese… Liese… Liselotte!”

I remember that my fussing father had called out my name and snapped me out of the
trance I was in. I had curtseyed hurriedly, bowing my head to him.

It was because my first meeting with the Crown Prince, His Highness Siegward, was a
stunning occasion for me.

His pure blonde hair and amber eyes.

He looked just like Lilena, the Goddess of Creation, as if he had suddenly stepped out
of the pages of myth.

Even though he was still so young, his delicate charm and good looks were obvious to
everyone that saw him, but above all, his warm and gentle smile lit something deep
within me. He was like a fairytale prince. I still feel the same way now.

Thinking back on it now, it was probably love at first sight.

When the adults had told us to play together as they discussed business, we left for
the garden of the Royal Palace, but I don’t remember what we did.

All I can remember was how happy I was just to gaze at him. With his kind smile and
beautiful face, it was like he was an impossible ideal.

Later that day, when I was told that in the future I would be marrying this ‘Prince’
when I grew up, I was over the moon.

I remember excitedly telling my father just how amazing I thought Siegward was.
About how I liked him and hoped that he would like me. About how I would do my
best at both the Queen’s education and my sword and magic training as a Lady of the
Riefenstahl family. Even during the etiquette classes that other noble children
dreaded, I would do everything I could.

Then, with a strange sadness in his expression, my father smiled as he stroked my

head.

“I don’t mind if you tell me such things, but remember to keep these feelings of yours
a secret, Liselotte. For His Highness isn’t in a position where he can talk about what
he likes and dislikes.”

“…Why?”

“That is because he will one day become this country’s king. As the Crown Prince, if
he says he loves one thing or hates another, it could very easily impact politics because
of the influence his position holds. He too knows this all too well. Of course, no one
would be happier than I if the both of you had a good relationship with one another,
but if you try and push your own selfish feelings of liking him or wanting to be liked
back onto him, you risk driving him into a corner.”

To put it simply, even though I didn’t understand it back then, I know now that love
has very little to do with the realities of a political marriage.

Even if I expressed my feelings of affection, he wasn’t in a position to openly reciprocate

them.

But at the time, I was still just a child. “It’s so strange that he can’t say what he really
likes or dislikes. I feel sorry for him.” Even though I seemed to accept my father’s words
on the surface, those were my true thoughts back then.

Yet with those thoughts nestled in the corner of my mind, as I saw more of Prince
Siegward, I slowly began to realize that although he was the kind of person who would
smile anywhere and at any time, his eyes never reflected that warmth. It wasn’t as if
you could see horrible emotions in them. Rather, you couldn’t glean anything from
those cold eyes at all.
At first, I thought it was simply his naturally calm disposition, but when I thought
about how it was really a reflection of how much he had to hold back his feelings,
somehow it made me want to cry.

“Father, I… I want to support him. Even if he cannot love anyone, I want to love him. I
want to stand by his side.”

Last year, I declared that to my father.

Before attending the academy myself, I came to tour the grounds and coincidentally
saw His Highness surrounded by all sorts of people.

Artur Richter wasn’t there at the time, yet His Highness shared his smile equally with
all of them.

To show favour to all was to show favour to none.

Apart from Artur Richter, who was a special person to His Highness, I, who was his
fiancee for the time being, and the girl he had yet to meet then but was surely friends
with now, Finne…

Apart from a select few people, because of the shifting tides of noble political
allegiance, he had no choice but to keep the students of the school at an arm’s length.

It was only then that I finally understood.

It was so sad and lonely that I felt like crying.

In the beginning, I had admired him.

Then, that turned into compassion and sympathy for his circumstances.

The feelings that had built up in my heart had blossomed into a deep love.

Before I realized it, that person who was drowning in his own loneliness despite being
beloved by so many… I loved him. I loved him so much.

Therefore, I was happy just being able to watch him from afar.

I was happy just to be seen and respected as such a person’s fiancee.

Even if we had only ever met formally, I was happy.

It was then that it came.

I do not mean Finne. But, it was something that appeared at the same time Finne did,
that thing.

By the time I had noticed its strange existence, that thing had already burrowed its
way into the depths of my heart.

After that, whenever I saw Finne together with His Highness, my heart raged.

I felt swallowed up by all the horrible thoughts that poured into me.

No.

Please don’t hate me.

I love you.

Don’t look at anyone else.

I hate that girl.

Don’t take my light away.

I love you.

He’s mine.

I hate you.

I love you.

Therefore…

iwontforgiveyouiwontforgiveyouiwontforgiveyou, ■■■■■

Why are you pushing me away, ■■■■■■■■?

Whenever I was swallowed up by that thing, my expression would turn ugly, twisted
and warped with jealousy. Venomous bile in the form of words spewed from my
mouth, and my body did terrible things.

“Finne. It is unbecoming to be so familiar with a gentleman who already has a fiancee.

Putting the case of Artur and Bard aside… His Highness is officially engaged to me.
Even if you do not care about what people think, there might still be trouble if you are
gossiped about in vulgar rumours related to His Highness and me. Could you please
keep that in mind?”

Why is it that I can only speak in such a curt and uptight way?

If I only say things like that over and over again, I’ll be hated.

Even if he disliked or hated something, he wouldn’t say it. He couldn’t say it.

Did he already hate me? There’s no way for me to know.

Thinking back… Ah, those were the words I had said just a little while ago…

[Liselotte’s jealousy is plain to see!]

[It must be the influence of the Ancient Witch, don’t you agree? Why else would she
look so pained when she said such jealous things?]

Suddenly, I heard two voices. They were strong but warm.

<The Ancient Witch>

The moment I heard the woman’s voice say that, somehow I knew what it was
instinctively. It was that. That black thing.

That horrible existence that had driven me to bear a grudge against Finne.

The true nature of it, the real identity of that thing, was an Ancient Witch.

[Wait, Liselotte has suddenly fainted…!? Is this really due to the influence of the
Ancient Witch’s spell in an attempt to undermine Liselotte…!?]

This didn’t feel like the usual nightmares. Usually, they dwelled on things that had
happened, never letting me escape the darkness, but this was different. Just what were
these strange voices?

[We won’t let you get away with this, Ancient Witch! Rize-tan, I’ll definitely protect
you, okay!? I promise that I will absolutely not let you die, okay!?]

When I heard that woman’s powerful shout, I felt something stir in my heart.

[But unfortunately, our voices can’t reach Liselotte…!]

[That’s right. We have no choice but to hope that Sieg will do his best. All we can do is
have faith that he’ll listen to our commentary and then pray that Rize-tan can be happy,
stay alive, find love with the person she adores the most, and be strong enough not to
lose to the Witch… All we can do is pray.]

As they repeated those heartfelt words over and over again, slowly but surely, it felt as
if a warm and gentle power flowed from them, denying the power of that hateful, dark
thing.

I managed to calm down.

Ah, maybe for once, I might be able to get a good night’s sleep.

It was then that I suddenly felt the sensation of my stiff body being lifted up.

Up I went, swaying softly side to side.

For some reason, I felt relieved.

Like this, I would be alright. That’s what I thought.

[Uwaaaaah… T-That’s a powerful princess carry…!]

The woman’s voice sounded somewhat strained.

[Ah, stop it, Kobayashi-san! That hurts!]

The man tried to calm the woman down, but it didn’t seem to be going well. In fact,
she only got more excited.
[But Sieg is princess carrying Liselotte! That never happens in the game…!]

When I heard the woman’s happy voice, I felt happy too. I’m happy. I’m glad. I love him.

[I-I get it, I get it already so… Wait, Liselotte is smiling…? It’s like she’s happy just being
near Sieeeeg! As for Sieg, it looks like he’s struggling to contain himself because
Liselotte is so cute!]

[As expected of Liselotte. She possesses incredible destructive power even when she’s
unconscious.]

What nonsense were they talking about? It’d be impossible for me to be ‘cute,’ as they
had called me.

This really was just a dream then, after all. A strange and mysterious dream. A strange
dream, but… a happy one. I preferred it to the nightmares I usually suffered through.

The voices of those two faded away. I fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

But as I fell into that sleep, I only had one thing on my mind.

So long as I never lose sight of my love for Prince Siegward, I won’t fear the Ancient
Witch. I will remain myself.

And with those words, I was convinced.

When I asked Artur and Finne for a diagnosis, they told me Liselotte was ‘just asleep’,
so I decided to send her home.

After carrying her to the Marquis of Riefenstahl’s carriage, which had arrived to pick
her up, I sat down next to her.

The guardsmen employed by the Marquis had offered to carry her for me, but I
refused. I had absolutely no intention of letting any other man carry Liselotte, especially
when she was sleeping so peacefully with that smile on her face.

To be honest, my arms were getting tired, but I couldn’t hand her over.

Sitting with the still sleeping Liselotte, we rode in the carriage.

I would be lying if I didn’t say I was a little overwhelmed by the situation, but I had no
intention of doing anything inappropriate.

“…And so, this ancient witch, the same one called the Great Calamity or the Black
Death, really is that ancient witch? There’s no doubt about it?”

Soon after the carriage pulled out of the school grounds, I quietly asked the Gods that.

It’s true that Liselotte and I were the only people there, but I knew that the Gods were
watching. So, I couldn’t get away with anything inappropriate. No, it’s not like I would
have done something even if they weren’t watching. Please don’t misunderstand.

[That’s right.]

The great Coebayashay answered.

[I’m sorry. I should have explained earlier, but going by Liselotte’s diaries from the fan
disc, I didn’t think the witch would come out this soon. From now on, any time
Liselotte’s wavelength is similar to that of the witch, she’ll be targeted.]
As I listened to the terrible portents doled out by Coebayashay, I found myself
tightening the arms that were holding Liselotte.

[After Liselotte’s heart finally gives way to the witch’s influence, she is possessed and
turned into a horrible monster that tries to kill Finne. After killing Finne, her aim is to
destroy the country. After destroying the country, she wants end the world. The only
way to stop it is to take the tragic decision to kill Liselotte. At least, that’s how it goes
in the game scenario. But the key to preventing that tragedy, Sieg, is you.]

I am the… key…? Coebayashay laughed softly when I looked confused, not understanding
what she meant at all.

[That’s because Liselotte is deeply in love with you, Sieg. In the game, Sieg rejects her,
which causes her to fall into the abyss of despair. Even though she didn’t care at all if
others pushed her away or shunned her for her villainess actions, she was unable to
handle the fact that you had turned your back on her as well, Sieg. So as long as you
never come to hate her, Liselotte should be fine.]

Is it really true, even to that extent?

Does she really love me so that much her heart would give in if I pushed her away?

My cheeks were tinged with a hint of crimson.

[I didn’t want to say this so early since it feels like I’m being kinda pushy, right? Saying
that the fate of the world depends on your love, or something like that is a bit… But,
ah jeez, y’know, it’ll be fine, right?]

By the time Coebayashay had finished her speech, I realized that I was completely
blushing. It was a little shameful.

But if that meant that I was already in love with Liselotte, then that should be fine…

“Well… It should be okay, I believe? Now that I know just why she acts the way she
does, she’s surprisingly cute.”

It was embarrassing, but I had to admit it. There wasn’t any denying it. Liselotte is
really cute.

Right now, the thought of abandoning or hating her seemed utterly impossible.
“That being said, the Ancient Witch, huh…?”

Ever since the times of yore, stories of a foul witch that spread evil through the land
had been told to scare children at night. Even if its body was destroyed, it would cast
a black shadow across the earth and possess victims like Liselotte. It was the
incarnation of pure evil.

Thinking about the terrible thing that aimed for the life of my fiancee and future queen
made me hug her all the more tightly.

“Y-Your Highness…!? Liese!? M-My deepest apologies for whatever has occurred!”

At Liselotte’s home, it didn’t take long to encounter her father, Marquis Riefenstahl.

After seeing me walk through the doors, carrying Liselotte in my arms, he looked so
astonished it took him a moment longer than usual to remember to bow.

Wondering why he had come to greet us personally, I returned his greeting. It seems
that when he heard that something had happened, he had rushed home as fast as he
could. I may have overstepped my bounds.

“Liselotte fainted back at the academy. Right now, she’s just asleep. I asked Artur, the
son of Count Richter, to look at her. Please be at ease. She was just exhausted in both
mind and body and is now sleeping peacefully. I would like to take her to her room
now, if I may.”

As I finished talking, the Marquis shook his head in sheer panic.

“No, I couldn’t possibly! I couldn’t bear to burden Your Highness anymore than I
already have…! Hey, somebody, quickly…!”

I shook my head as the Marquis turned to call out to his household servants.

“No, I have no intention of leaving my fiancee in anyone else’s arms. Please guide me
to her room.”

Hearing my words, the Marquis simply stood with his mouth agape as if they had left
him dumbfounded.
Is it really alright for the foremost general of the country to be caught off guard like
this? I couldn’t help but think that.

“…”

After staring at my face in stunned silence for a while, his violet eyes, identical in shade
to Liselotte’s, began to well up with tears.

“Wha-!? W-What’s the matter, Marquis!?”

When I shouted that out in a panic, the Marquis finally opened his mouth as he wiped
away his tears.

“Ah, no, it’s just that it made me think…”

“Oh, I see. Of course, you would think ill of me doing this, as a father…”

Even if I was her fiancee, there was no father in the world who wouldn’t hate the sight
of his daughter being hauled away unconscious to a private room like this. It can’t be
helped, I might have to entrust Liselotte to her father or one of his maids instead.

“No, that’s not the case at all! It was just I was so happy I got a little emotional… It’s as
if that child’s dream really came true…”

Surprisingly, as he dried his eyes, he denied my words and instead said something
completely incomprehensible.

“Dream?”

“Yes. It was when Liese was only 5 years old. I was the only one who heard her dream
back then. Back then, I told her that it wouldn’t come true, but she never gave up, as if
she couldn’t give up. It drove her on all the time, and she never stopped thinking about
it.”

Just what kind of dream was it?

Looking at my puzzled face, the Marquis gently smiled. It seemed he had no intention
of letting me in on his secret.

“…Isn’t that great, Liese?”

As he said that, he gently stroked Liselotte’s head with an expression wholly different
to that of the general I had always seen in the royal palace. An expression he only kept
for one person, his expression as a father.

“Ah, I am deeply sorry to hold you up in such a fashion! Liselotte’s room is this way,
please follow me.”

Saying so, the Marquis started walking.

The way he suddenly changed the atmosphere like that, it seemed impossible to bring
up Liselotte’s dream as the topic of conversation once more.

[That dream of hers she had as a five-year-old, could it have been…?]

Apparently, even the wise Endow wasn’t quite sure.

[This is one of the pieces of information in the extra materials. But, it’s not exactly
something we should be saying.]

I felt a little impatient hearing Coebayashay’s coy words.

[I see, it’s something that the person themself should say, right?]

[That’s right.]

That said, even if it seemed like the Gods were having fun with their secret at my
expense… Ah, the fluttering in my chest as I looked down at Liselotte in my arms was
more than enough to wipe any irritation away.
Lady Liselotte Riefenstahl is a strange person.

Other than her, all of the noble ladies at this academy treat me as if I don’t even exist.

I guess that’s how it is. No one would bother to talk to the weeds or pebbles they walk
by on the path, after all.

I don’t have a family name or even a father, so it can’t be helped if, from a noble’s point
of view, I’m unworthy of their attention.

However, Lady Liselotte’s the only one who treats me as an equal. Even a rival. She’s
strange.

At first glance, her fiancee is also kind to me, but unlike her, he really isn’t strange.

To him, all the students in the school are under him, so it’s not strange that he’s equally
kind to everybody. It’s a rule so simple that even I can understand it.

“Miss Finne, where are we going?”

Ah, right. As he called out to me from behind, I remembered that there was, in fact,
one more ‘strange’ person. He has already spent a month and a half by my side. I guess
I’m not such a weed anymore, lately.

A God? Under strange circumstances, this man, Baldur Riefenstahl, became something
like my bodyguard.

I suppose we were equals now? No, since he was always asking me for commands and
told me to address him as ‘Bard’ without any titles, I suppose he thinks of me as above
him?

Of course, I don’t know what people would think if I suddenly started to give him
instructions and call him by a nickname like that, especially since he was older than
me, so I got him to agree to <Bard-senpai> instead.

‘MIss Finne, how could I both be your escort and have you call me such a respectful
name when I cannot best you in combat…?’ He seemed to remain hung up about it, but
thankfully for the sake of protecting my peaceful school life, I managed to get him to
agree.

Maybe the Riefenstahl family judges people based on their strength?

“I’d like to get some exercise, so I was thinking of hunting a few monsters. You don’t
have to follow me, Bard-senpai.”

That’s why I was headed towards the mountains behind the school where there are
endless amounts of monsters, but that serious knight didn’t seem to have any
intention of letting me go alone, as he remained half a step behind me.

It was a lie when I said I wanted to get some exercise. The truth was that I wanted to
hunt for my dinner. It would be kind of awkward to say it now though.

“I’m strong, after all?”

As I looked up at him, I said something even I thought was really arrogant.

He was tall and muscular, whilst I was short even for a girl, so it was a little frustrating
having to look up at him every time I wanted to talk. So, why not try and catch him off
guard with a surprise attack?

“I know. That’s why the prophecy predicting the impending arrival of enemies even
Lady Finne, who is as strong as any monster, could have trouble defeating is such a
dire one. For the sake of this country’s future, I cannot leave your side for even a
moment.”

Don’t you think it’s rude to compare a lady to a monster?

I felt myself frown at his words, but, well, I’m not unaware that I’m strange in my own
way as well. I’m not much of a lady, and I don’t really see myself becoming one anytime
soon. I guess that’s fine.

“…You won’t be wearing your wand on your waist?”

As he asked me that, I looked down at my clothes.

I was wearing the regular school uniform and had tucked away the wand in its inside
pocket. It wouldn’t exactly be easy to pull out in a crisis.

In this school, both the male and female uniforms were similar to magician’s robes,
but apart from some set standards, students were free to wear whatever they wanted.

Some of the male students seemed to only wear athletic clothes all the time, but most
of them wore a blazer at the very least. Girls normally wore skirts that were below the
knee in length, but many had beautiful, custom-made dresses brought in.

I had the mandatory exercise uniform that I was required to buy, but since that cost
the entirety of my savings, I couldn’t even buy the regular uniform. As a result, I had
nothing to wear other than the exercise uniform.

Well, that was until one day when Lady Liselotte came up to me and said, ‘If there is
such a shabby looking girl at the same school that I attend, then the academy’s
reputation will be thrown into ill-repute,’ and gave me what looked like a normal
school uniform at first, but was actually made with such luxurious cloth that I had
never touched anything like it before. What’s more, she gave me five… I still wear them
gratefully.

It was perfect for my build, so I don’t see how Liselotte could have ever worn them.
Because of how it fit my height and width perfectly… And my chest.

“Ah, no, it’s just that this wand looks so expensive, so I was thinking that I should keep
it safe, right? When I tried to return it to Liselotte before, she said something like ‘You
intend to have me use your second-hand goods? Keep it.’ I don’t really understand
her…”

Then, she and His Highness begin to flirt with one another again. It’s always like that.

Really, such a strange person. Though, to be honest, she’s a very cute person.

“When Liese has decided on something, she usually won’t back down. Besides, I’d feel
sorry for such a good wand if no one were to use it.”

I don’t really understand Bard-senpai’s words, but I don’t really have much of a reason
to use a wand in the first place.
“I don’t really need a wand though? Well, maybe if I have to back-up Bard-senpai with
recovery magic…”

I suddenly realized that I didn’t need to make a concession like that.

“Anyways, Bard-senpai, you don’t use a wand either, right?”

As always, he had his favourite sword on his waist. I’d never seen him carry a wand
before. Did he even have one?

“Ah, this sword also functions as a wand.”

“Wooow! That’s cool! Where did you buy that?”

I dreamed about having something like that for myself, maybe with knuckle dusters
or at least a machete, but Bard-senpai shook his head.

“It’s a family treasure of the House of Riefenstahl. I was adopted into the main family
as a result of my engagement and, perhaps because he doesn’t have a true son, the
present head of the house took a liking to me and granted me this blade.”

For some reason, I didn’t like the fact that he said that so indifferently at all. I felt fuzzy.

That Bard-senpai had a fiancee.

When it came to the top of this school, although he was the top competitor for the
second strongest, he had never been able to beat me.

“…Hmph.”

As I sulked slightly, Bard-senpai suddenly looked at my face.

“What’s wrong?”

When I saw the worry in his eyes, just for a brief moment, I felt like I’d won a little
victory.

“Ah, no, it’s just that I was thinking being a noble must be tough, right? For commoners
like me, the idea of having a fiancee when I’m still only in school isn’t really something
I can understand.”
“I don’t understand it well, either. Or rather, I’m not sure I even agree with it.”

I caught myself staring at his face that seemed to mirror my opinion exactly.

“Is there anything to complain about? If she’s Liselotte’s sister, she must be beautiful,
right?”

When I asked him that, he made an expression that made it seem as if he had
swallowed something awfully bitter.

“Well, the daughters of the main household are certainly beautiful, but I can’t think of
them as anything other than my younger sisters because we grew up together. What’s
more, Liese’s two younger sisters are twins, so I was told to pick one or the other…
However, both of them cry and complain about how I haven’t chosen yet, and their
other sister is only nine… Well, it isn’t something I can back out of, so one day I will
have to choose one of the three, but… just thinking about it makes me want to go to
the mountains and never come back.”

As we approached said mountains, Bard-senpai looked up at them wistfully.

“It’s unusual to hear you talk like that, Bard-senpai.”

I say that, but to be honest, it’s unusual to hear him talk much at all. I couldn’t stop
myself from smiling even though he still looked bitter.

“I just don’t know what to do about it.”

“Then… Wanna stay in the mountains after all?”

Until we’ve eaten all the delicious meat that we can hunt. Then, without words… He
gripped the magic sword on his waist.

When he turned and locked glares with me, we both grinned.

After all, both he and I were battle junkies.

Running rampant was the most fun thing in the world.

Trying to rid myself of that strange fuzzy feeling I had felt before, I sprinted forward
while he followed after me.
He’s a noble, and I’m just a commoner.

Someday, he’ll be a lord as well.

Even if I came to like him, it wouldn’t end happily.

Strengthening your entire body with magic is fun.

There’s no way to describe just how great it feels to be able to move beyond human
limits.

Running, punching, jumping, punching, kicking, punching, punching.

Running through the rugged mountains behind the academy, I slaughtered every
monster that stood in front of me.

Was the mountain cursed? It’s like there’s no end to the monsters here.

When plants, rocks, and animals come into contact with a curse or some time, they
turn into evil monsters that lose their minds and sometimes even attack people.

Well, if the monster was once an animal, then meat is meat. It still tastes good. Usually.

The mountains behind the school were actually part of the academy’s property, so the
students were encouraged to go there to train as well as thin out the monster
population. I was grateful for that.

“Where’s all the meat today…?”

After finally noticing how strange it was, I came to a stop.

For the entirety of the day’s hunt, I’d only seen plant type monsters.

“Perhaps… It’s because we’ve entered something’s territory? A monster of a significantly

higher level or something like that.”

Bard-senpai, who caught up to me, said that calmly. It was a little surprising, since I
didn’t think any normal flesh-and-blood human being could actually keep up with me.
“Oh, there was something that strong here? Then, we definitely have to hunt it, right!?”

Bard-senpai nodded at my cheerful words.

There was a barrier that was set up around the mountain to prevent any monsters
from escaping, but if there was any possibility of an abnormally strong monster
penetrating that barrier, then the monster had to be stopped.

So, there was a reward system set in place at the academy that would give out prizes
to any students able to defeat them.

“Miss Finne!”

As I daydreamed about the slight supplement to my income, Bard-senpai suddenly

grabbed my hand and pulled me behind him.

“…Eh?”

No, um, why are you getting in my way…

As I craned my neck to look around Bard-senpai’s broad back whilst thinking something
rude, I could see a large bear stalking towards us slowly.

A grizzly bear, huh?

It’s a little gamey, but it’s still edible. Let’s beat it up.

But when I tried to step forward, Bard-senpai stopped me.

“Support me.”

As he said that without even looking at me, irritation was evident on my face.

“…!”

But just as that happened, the grizzly bear suddenly began to froth at the mouth and
charge towards us, the ones who were trespassing in its territory.

Despite my unwillingness, I poured reinforcement magic into Bard-senpai.

There wasn’t any time to take out my wand, so I placed my hand on his back.

Then, a flash.

Bard-senpai, who moved at a speed invisible to the naked eye, suddenly cut straight
through the grizzly’s neck, and a fountain of blood rained into the air.

“…Bard-senpai.”

My voice was low.

After he confirmed the bear was no longer alive, he turned back to face me.

“Why did you do that?”

My voice was full of cold anger as I asked him that, but it didn’t seem like Bard-senpai
understood what was wrong since he looked confused.

“I’m strong. Besides, I can use healing magic on myself. Even if I’m gutted or lose an
arm, I won’t die.”

Shrinking back a little at my anger, Bard-senpai nodded.

He knew.

He knew, so why?

“Even though Bard-senpai is weaker than me! Even though you’re bad at healing
magic, you still tried to cover for me. What would I do if you had died again!?”

As I screamed that at him angrily, I was suddenly surprised by the words that came
out of my mouth.

…What did I mean by ‘again’?

Probably because I was so upset, I said something that didn’t make any sense.

But even though I was shouting at him, Bard-senpai just shook his head, a slightly sad
expression on his face.
“I can never beat Miss Finne, and I don’t think I will ever be able to take your number
one spot in the future either.”

Then I shouldn’t have been the one providing support. He should’ve been supporting
me, or at the very least, we should’ve stood together.

“But, that’s not because I’m weaker than you, Miss Finne. It’s because I’m weak against
you.”

The angry words I was going to throw at him disappeared into thin air as Bard-
senpai’s words echoed through me.

He’s… weak against me?

And this was coming from the man who said he couldn’t leave my side…?

“Well, I have to admit that my recovery magic can’t compete with yours…”

No, I wish you’d have let me keep thinking you were lying, Bard-senpai.

“Why are you saying something so weird, suddenly…?”

Just when did this guy start saying such embarrassing things?

He looked a little confused as he turned to look at me, then spoke as if what he was
saying was the most natural thing in the world.

“Is there any person who could point a sword at you without any hesitation, Miss
Finne, when you’re the cutest girl alive?”

Just what is he saying suddenly!?

I could barely contain my embarrassment as I desperately suppressed the strong

desire to hide what was showing on my face by punching him.

“…There were.”

Before I came to the academy, there were many people who tried to murder me.

As I said that to try and disprove his words, Bard-senpai just shook his head, his face
dead serious.

“Then they’re not human; they’re demons or beasts. At least for me, it’s impossible.”

“I-If you’re deceived by your opponent’s appearance, aren’t you unqualified to be a

knight?”

“Appearance, you say? Well, it’s because Miss Finne is Miss Finne, after all. Even if there
was a girl as cute as you, Miss Finne, so long as she was some kind of criminal that was
out to kill me, I’d cut her down without any hesitation.”

Ah, there’s something strange going on in this person’s head.

Even though I dampened the mood like that, he still came out with that weird praise.

Even though it’s just Bard-senpai, even though it’s just Bard-senpai, even though it’s
just Bard-senpai!

“…Ah, that being said, if I really think about it, I doubt there’s anyone in the world as
cute as you, Miss Finne. But even if there were, I don’t think I’d be weak against them.
So, please let me be the one who protects you, if only once in a while.”

Stop.

Oh please, make him stop.

Even though I was praying, Bard-senpai delivered the killing blow with such a straight
face.

“…Okay.”

As he finished me off with that serious face of his, I could only respond in a tiny voice.

Even if I have more I wanted to say. He had played with me in the palm of his hand so
easily that it drove me mad.

In the first place, just what did this man want from me!?

Did he want to make me his mistress or something!? I don’t want that!

What kind of place would I have next to his wife? I don’t want to think about it…
Ahhhhhh jeez!

Freaked out by where my thoughts were going, I cut them off.

I ran in the opposite direction, away from the grizzly’s corpse. Wherever the next game
was along the mountain path, I wanted to find it as quickly as possible and punch it,
hard.

Meat… The reward for a powerful monster… No, wait, Bard-senpai was the one who
defeated it, so it doesn’t have anything to do with me… As lots of different thoughts
ran through my head, I kept running, freeing myself from the strange atmosphere that
had gotten so sickly sweet.

I see, so this is the kind of thing that Lady Liselotte has to go through every day… She
sure has it tough.
“The Marquis’ daughter, Liselotte Riefenstahl, is tormenting a poor common girl out
in the courtyard, please help her!”

When asked to intervene, what would be the correct response to an impossibly absurd
accusation like that?

Should I be angry at the insult to my fiancee? My fiancee might be easy to misunderstand,

but I’ll have you know that she really is a good girl once you get to know her. Or did
you just see her serious face and assume she was being a bully?

“I understand, thank you for telling me,” I decided to tell that to the slightly dimwitted
looking girl in front of me with my usual smile.

As soon as I arrived in the courtyard, I began looking for my easily misunderstood

fiancee.

“Finne, you are living in the staff lodgings presently, are you not?”

[Liselotte’s question is so roundabout that not even I know what her true meaning is
anymooooore!]

[It seems that there is something she wishes to ask, but is it an issue of nobility or
something unique to Liselotte? She’s asking so many questions that seem unrelated to
each other that it really does feel like an interrogation now.]

Found her.

Liselotte and Finne were sitting side by side on a bench. It seemed like Liselotte was
reciting a list of questions to Finne.

As I had gathered from the voices of the Gods as well as the fact that Finne’s head was
cocked at a strange angle, it seemed like the questions she was asking were a bit too
ambiguous.
“Umm, yes. They let me stay in the staff dormitory…”

For the most part, all of the students at the academy were sons and daughters of the
nobility.

And being nobility, they typically owned an estate in the capital even if their land was
elsewhere.

Therefore, all the students at this academy travelled to class from their family’s
residence in the capital. All except one.

That one person was Finne.

So, what exactly were Liselotte’s intentions after finding that out?

“About that staff dormitory… They serve food in such a place, yes?”

[Oh, she was about to say something else but stopped herself, didn’t she? That seems
to be a common pattern today.]

As the great Coebayashay had mentioned, Liselotte seemed to be troubled about

saying what she actually wanted to say.

“Yes! It’s delicious, too! Maybe because of the budget or because we’re all women
there, I don’t think there’s enough meat… But it’s not a problem since I can just get it
myself!”

[That doesn’t seem to be what Liselotte wanted to hear…!]

[Finne-chan stays in the dormitory for female members of staff. I see, since she’s such
a crazed warrior and still a growing girl, she might feel like she’s not being fed
enough?]

Finne answered her cheerfully, but Liselotte seemed confused as she started to fidget
bashfully. It seems like Endow’s sage knowledge was completely correct.

“Liselotte, is something wrong?”

I suddenly realized that I might be the source of some unwanted rumours if anyone
saw me silently watching the two of them. As I called out to them, both Liselotte and
Finne jumped in surprise but smiled in relief when they realized it was me.

“Ahh, Your Highness, I…”

Liselotte seemed to want to ask me something as well, but even though her voice
trailed off as she tried to stammer it out, she still looked happy.

“Were you talking about the staff dormitories? Ah, now that I think about it, what are
your plans for the summer break, Miss Finne? As I recall, the school cafeteria won’t be
staffed for a period of time, will it?”

The fast-approaching summer holidays for the academy were only a week away.
Although there would still be working staff over the month-long break, all of them
were taking a one week break off during the holidays as well.

“…!”

Of course, I had only mentioned it casually, but I didn’t miss the smile that suddenly
illuminated Liselotte’s face.

[I see, this whole time, Liselotte was concerned about how Finne was going to be
spending her summer vacation!]

[In the game, Finne would always go with a capture target, but… I don’t know how an
unmarried man and woman actually spending time together alone like that would be
viewed with the etiquette of this world.]

I found myself frowning at Coebayashay’s words. Of course, there would be deep

implications if an unmarried man and woman took a long trip alone in such a way.

“Ah, summer vacation? If mama… Ah, sorry. If I can find out where my mother is
staying, I’ll spend it with her; otherwise, I’ll just have to stay in the dormitory by myself.”

If I recalled correctly, Finne’s only family was her mother.

Isn’t it quite serious for her to be unaware of her own mother’s whereabouts?

Stepping forward without thinking, I called out to ask Finne.

“Miss Finne, what did you mean by that?”

“Ah it’s… Well, my mother angered some of the high ranking nobles in the capital, so
they’re after her life. Because of that, she’s sort of on the run?”

I had asked her seriously, but Finne responded with something outrageous as if it
wasn’t a big deal.

“Thanks to that, I almost got killed as well, so for my sake, she doesn’t tell me where
she is anymore. Honestly, mother, just what did you do in the first place?”

Finne giggled as she said that, but I didn’t think it was a laughing matter at all.

“Well, since I can use magic, maybe my father was a nobleman or something like that?
Apparently, my father died around the time of my birth, so uh, basically they think
mama killed him? Was it an act of passion after being blinded by love? Is that why his
family wants her dead? Or something like that, but I didn’t really ask…”

[What a dangerous story…! Hold on a minute… Isn’t the setting for this game a little
too serious considering its title? There’s so much death in it.]

[Well, Magikoi actually ended up selling really well, you know? Although I feel like
otome players
there’s a sense of malice in trying to traumatize young women like that?]

I kept silent as I listened to the venerable Endow and Coebayashay talk.

[Ah, about Finnemama, Finne-chan’s guess is a little off. The truth is actually more
peaceful.]

Thank goodness. I breathed a sigh of relief as Coebayashay said that.

“…Is it not dangerous to be in the dorms alone by yourself? No matter how strong you
may be, Finne, you are still a young girl.”

As Liselotte said that with a determined expression, I found myself agreeing with her.

The story of Finne’s mother had caught me off guard a little bit, so I had almost
forgotten, but it wasn’t just an issue with meals. She’s still only a fifteen-year-old girl,
so someone should look after her.

There’s no shortage of guest rooms at the royal palace so it wouldn’t be hard to have
her taken care of there… No, if I did that, I would feel very sorry if bad rumours were
spread about Finne.

[Why does Liselotte have such a stubborn look on her face…?]

[It seems like she’s concerned about Finne-chan’s living conditions but is finding it
hard to just come out with it. Well, what else can you expect from a tsundere?]

As I was trying to figure out exactly what was wrong, I heard their voices again.

Ah, I see now.

“If that’s the case, Liselotte, why not take care of Miss Finne at your family’s house?”

When I suggested that, I saw the corners of Liselotte’s mouth being to tremble upwards.

“W-well, I suppose so?! I was on planning returning to our lands, but since I already
have three sisters at the main house, I do not think there would be a great burden if
there were one more!? House Riefenstahl is a family of proud warriors as well, so I do
not think there shall be any problems if there are any complications that arise
concerning your mother! What’s more, you should take this opportunity to learn many
things from me, such as proper manners and etiquette!! I do not believe a house more
suitable than ours exists? Ah, well, if it’s His Highness suggesting so… Then I suppose
I do not mind having you stay.”
That’s so damned cute.

[Liselotte’s machine gun-like ranting can’t hide her joy! No matter how haughtily she
might try to act, there’s no way you can hide that smile on your face, Liselotte!!]

[To even notice that she was getting too excited and managing to tone herself down at
the end, what a high-grade performance, I give that tsundere routine a perfect 100
score.]

Both of them were right.

My fiancee is so cute that it’s painful. I quietly looked up at the sky.

“No, I couldn’t possibly, I would be causing you far too much trouble…”

Finne shook her head bashfully as she said that.

“Hmph, are you saying that our household cannot take care of a single guest? Or,
perhaps, are you making light of the Marquisal House of Riefenstahl? Or are you
accusing my house of being some shabby and run down thing that cannot even take
care of a single girl for a month?”

Liselotte stared at Finne with half narrowed eyes as she said that, but, well,
considering that she was doing it with a nearly identical expression as she had when
giving Finne those presents of a wand and several sets school uniforms as well, I think
it’s fair to say that Liselotte is acting ‘Soon d’Rey’, as the Gods put it.

As for the people who were wondering just why her fiancee was getting no such
presents, there are more than a few.

Anyways, I understand why Finne seems to be hesitant about accepting such a sudden
offer. Especially since she was offering to have her as a guest not just for the week that
there was no staff at the school, but for the entire month of the holidays.

[The key to figuring out the peaceful truth about Finnemama is located at the
Riefenstahl house, so Rize-tan absolutely has to win here.]

Such was the decree of Coebayashay.

It’s not just about Liselotte spending the summer holidays with her friend Finne, but
there’s in fact a deeper meaning to all this. Something has to be done.

“…Miss Finne, the Riefenstahl territory is famed for breeding horses. There is also a
growing horse based cuisine developing there.”

“I will be in your care over the summer, Lady Liselotte.”

As I added on a little joke, Finne suddenly discarded all of her hesitations.

As Finne bowed her head down low towards her, Liselotte looked amazed, but there
was no mistaking the joyful smile on her face.
Two weeks have passed since the beginning of the summer holidays.

Riefenstahl Castle is very comfortable. But, well, it really is a castle.

It doesn’t feel like I’m staying over at a friend’s house at all.

I wanted to talk normally with her like we did at school, but since Liselotte is always
surrounded like with servants, it’s like she’s a real princess… It’s a little hard to
approach her.

“Finne, it seems that you have become much more well-mannered recently?”

As she said that, Lady Liselotte elegantly smiled.

No way. There’s no way I can measure up to this young lady’s standards at all. Every
time I move every gesture feels crude and I find myself blushing in shame.

‘As you are a guest in my home, I will be deeply troubled if you cannot properly
participate in tea parties,’ Liselotte said that to me a few days ago, and although I was
expecting some desperately harsh spartan training, even though she was firm, she
kindly taught me as best she could.

The future Queen, Lady Liselotte, is a truly ideal person to learn from, but when I
compare myself to her overflowing aura I sadly can’t stand beside her at all.

“I still… have a long way to go.”

As I said that, I sighed and slightly slouched in my chair.

Noticing how Lady Liselotte’s twitched as I did that, I straightened out my back again
quickly and tried not to let my nervousness show on my face.
“Yes, well done. But truly, I think you are quite a quick learner after all, Finne?”

Even though Lady Liselotte said that, I definitely didn’t think I was a fast learner at all.

“When I was small, my mother had me play the <Mother and Daughter Pretend
Princess Day> game every day for a week. Maybe because Lady Liselotte was acting
just like how mother did when she was pretending to be a princess, I might have just
remembered some old things…”

By the way, points were given for whenever I acted in a way that seemed princess-like
and deducted when I didn’t, and the quality of the food at dinner would change
depending on how many points I had. My mother’s judgements were way too strict,
though, and after I eventually started crying about the food situation she ended the
game.

“I see, so there was some foundational learning. You certainly have a good mother,
don’t you? Even so, compared to my younger sisters, you’re a very diligent and most
importantly quiet student. I’m particularly happy with how obedient you are.”

Lady Liselotte said that with a straight face.

There were three other sisters in this house, all younger than Lady Liselotte.

The twins Lady Adrina and Lady Katrina were both twelve years old, and the youngest
Lady Cecilie was only nine.

Those three girls, who were out on a horse ride today, weren’t exactly obedient when
it came to listening to Lady Liselotte.

They were still quite young so it couldn’t really be helped, but thinking that Lady
Liselotte was a bit too strict on them might be part of it as well. What’s more, the three
of them were a bit more selfish and tomboyish than their older sister.

Even though Lady Liselotte had invited the three of them to the instructional tea party
we were having, it seemed as if they’d taken their chance to escape.

Saying that, it definitely is rare to be alone with Lady Liselotte at a tea party like this,
just the two of us. Usually, she manages to ensnare at least one more person.

“By the way, I had something I wanted to ask you…”

I had been worrying about it at the academy for a while, and now after coming to this
castle and seeing those three sisters, I felt even more worried than before.

Even though I know my place in society, those words that Bard-senpai had said the
other day that had made me want to punch him still troubled me. I don’t think it’s a
good idea for someone who is supposed to be choosing a fiancee to say things like that.

After letting everything out, Lady Liselotte frowned, her serious expression only
looking sterner because of her sharp features.

After a deep, heavy and bitter sight, she finally opened her mouth to speak.

“I’m sorry… Bard might be good with a sword, but he is as dunderheaded as it gets. It’s
possible that, even though he’s saying such passionate things to you, he doesn’t even
realize himself that he is in love with you, Finne…”

“Is that so…?”

He was far too straight forward to consider it flirting, so he was probably just saying
what he thought were facts, like I thought.

But, being told that there’s no one in this world as cute as me, that has to be more of
an opinion than objective fact. Love was blind, right? If he knew what he was doing,
then he’s being insincere. If he doesn’t know what he’s doing, then that’s even worse.

Unfortunately, it seems like it was the latter.

“This is how Bard has always been. He has never really been aware of the subtleties of
people’s feelings, not even his own. Rather, it’s as if he just lives on instinct…”

When she said that like she was at her wit’s end, a part of me I didn’t control thought
she was being too rude.

“Uh, isn’t that dangerous? Is it fine for a person like that to be the heir to the Marquis’
position?”

Putting that strange feeling of mine aside, Lady Liselotte nodded soberly to my
question.
“We have always been a family that has valued brawn over brains since ancient times,
so we have made sure to hire excellent clerks and secretaries to serve under and
advise us for generations. Besides, Bard is keenly aware when it comes to detecting
malice in people, so he should be able to manage it? Although that ability of his to
sense the ill-intentions of others, I’m not so sure it comes purely from wild instinct or
his intuition honed through swordsmanship… Well, in any case, I truly am sorry. I
apologize for any inconvenience he has caused you.”

As she lowered her head, I wonder how many people had Lady Liselotte ever bowed
her head in apology like that too before?

“No, it’s okay! I… I know my place, after all. It’s just that, um, Lady Liselotte, you gave
me a warning not to be too familiar with a man who already has a fiancee, so if
something happens again, can you intervene…”

As I said that weakly, Lady Liselotte looked up and gave me a strong look.

“I’ll pummel him for you.”

“…T-thank you very much.”

Pummel, as in, just with a talk, right?

Despite my worry about that, I was still grateful as Liselotte sighed languidly.

“Having said that, that man, perhaps he really is starting to realize his feelings for
Finne after all…?”

The hell was that?

Managing to stifle down the inexcusably rude reaction I almost let out, I listened to
Lady Liselotte slowly speak.

“As soon as the summer holidays began, I heard that Bard attempted to return our
family’s heirloom sword to father after meeting with him in the royal palace. Even
though it hasn’t been completely confirmed that he will inherit the position of
Marquis, obviously such a thing couldn’t be accepted. Father, who heavily dotes on
Bard, managed to dry his eyes for long enough to force him to go home, but I wonder
if he might fall down to the status of a commoner?”
The look of ennui on her face perfectly said just how stupid she thought it all was.

Although I tried to answer her straight away, I noticed that my throat had somehow
gone completely dry, so I only spoke slowly after taking a sip of tea.

“That is… ah… it can’t happen, right?”

As I managed to choke out those words with much effort after getting some tea down
my throat, Liselotte spoke as if she wouldn’t really be too surprised.

“I wonder about that…? Although Bard was adopted into the main household as the
eldest son, he has two younger brothers and one younger sister, so if there were some
sort of scandal, such as falling in love with a common girl or some other fracas, he may
find himself unavoidably disowned from the Riefenstahl family. His engagement with
whichever of my sisters he chooses is still only a verbal agreement, after all.”

“W-wait a moment! I don’t want anything like that to happen! Titles are… maybe not
that important, but to lose your entire family over something like that, it’s just too sad
to bear!!”

“That’s… right, isn’t it…”

Saying that, Lady Liselotte trailed off into silence, sipping at her tea.

Not knowing what to say, I sipped at my tea too, but I couldn’t taste it at all.

A strange silence blanketed over us.

“Well, I understand. I’ll tell as much to Bard.”

As I was about to thank her, Lady Liselotte suddenly looked at me in a way that made
me draw back awkwardly.

“However… Is it possible that…?”

Huh?

“Well, say I tell Bard such a thing, the possibility that he suddenly realizes that he is
truly in love with you and chooses to go against the wishes of the Riefenstahl family
straight away are quite high, I think.”
Lady Liselotte wasn’t outright saying that she believed it would happen, but
something in her voice made it seem like she was confident in that.

“…Even though we aren’t together at all?”

It would make some sense if we were lovers, but I was just his underclassman. There
was no need to get disowned over something like this.

I asked her that with a trembling voice, but Lady Liselotte just shook her head.

“He’s the type of man who would put personal matters before his status when it came
to something like this. Due to that, whether it was his position as successor, his family,
my sisters, that sword, his knighthood or even you, Finne, if he truly desired one over
all the others, he wouldn’t hesitate to cast the rest aside. That’s truly what I think.”

“That’s… that’s… really bad, isn’t it…?”

I felt like I was on the verge of tears as I heard Lady Liselotte’s words.

“It truly is no good. That’s why my sisters are always saying things like ‘There’s no way
we can marry big brother Bard! Because that guy, he’s a blockhead! I don’t want to
marry him I don’t want to marry him, I don’t waaaaaaaaaaaant to marry big brother
Bard!’. That’s what I would hear the two twins say all the time. Of course, someone like
Art would absolutely not do at all either…”

No, he really wouldn’t.

That said, I felt like I could feel Lady Liselotte’s opinion of Bard-senpai dropping by
the second.

“Then… then… I… what should I do…?”

When I asked her that, she turned around to answer me with a smile.

“Why don’t the two of you get happily married as commoners after all, then?”

“That’s impossible. I would think about everything that Bard-senpai threw away for
my entire life. I don’t think I could be truly happy if I felt like that.”

As I answered her immediately, Lady Liselotte’s look of ennui returned as she sighed.
“That is… true, isn’t it…? Honestly, what should I do?”

Was she asking me that?

Or was she asking the Goddess that bestowed a blessing on her?

I wanted to ask the Gods for help as well. Help me, God.
Ah, that’s right. I should go and visit Liselotte.

During an official tour of her counties, I managed to secure myself three spare days.

When I noticed that during the course of the inspection I was only half a day’s ride
from the Riefenstahl territory, I decided I would visit my fiancee and completely
reorganized my diary.

Tomorrow, I want to visit your place. It isn’t for a public appearance, just for a private
matter, so will you allow me to go and enjoy myself there?

It was quite a sudden request, but I still received a quick approval.

Well, despite hoping it would be a private affair, there was still all manner of guardsmen
and attendants coming along. I was royalty, after all.

In addition, using me in what I assume is another scheme to skip his Church work,
Artur followed along, posing as one of my attendants.

When I arrived at my fiancee’s place, both Liselotte and her friend Finne greeted us at
the door.

“To only inform us of your arrival the day before, this is much too sudden. I thought
Your Highness would be aware of just how much needs to be done in order to welcome
a member of the royal family…”

Liselotte had an annoyed expression on her face after greeting me.

[No no, if anything, she was hoping His Highness would arrive soooner! When she
heard from an attendant about his coming, she could barely contain her excitement!]

[After receiving the news, she suddenly jumped up without any hesitation and set
about applying skincare and picking out a dress. Not to mention organizing all the
cooking and cleaning before he arrived, right? She prepared more like the entire royal
family was paying a formal visit, rather than just the person she loves and his
entourage coming over to play. Well, even if it was sudden, more than anything she’s
happy that Sieg came.]

The great Endow and Coebayashay assured me she honestly did want to welcome me,
but Liselotte continued as if she really were in a bad mood.

“Father was here just the other day as well, but since he went out to inspect a remote
castle, he wasn’t able to make it back in time to welcome you. I will apologize on his
behalf, but I hope that His Highness can realize that he is being most unreasonable.”

Liselotte said that, frowning at me. It honestly feels like she’s really mad. This is bad.

[At 4 o’clock this morning, Liselotte woke up and took a bath straight away, and from
then on until only a few minutes ago, she had been rushing back and forth without
taking any rests, applying lotions to her skin, curling her hair and putting on her make-
up. Please accept that she might be a little grumpy.]

I let out a quiet sigh of relief when I heard Coebayashay’s words.

I realized I might have done something a little unreasonable, but it doesn’t seem like
I’m about to be seriously hated or cast aside for it.

“I’m sorry, that was my fault. Although I came here with little notice, it was because I
so desperately wanted to see you. Liselotte, you’re truly beautiful today as well. Just
having been welcomed like this, I am wholly satisfied.”

After saying that, I took Liselotte’s hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. Looking up, I
saw that Liselotte’s face had gone bright red as she fell silent. Victory.

[Critical hiiiiit! Liselotte is so overwhelmed she’s forgotten that she was acting
tsuuuuun!]

[Woooow, Sieg really understands how to handle Liselotte now, doesn’t he? He really
is someone we can rely on. Good work! Keep going!]
As I was amazed by both the Gods’ benevolent words of praise as well as Liselotte’s
impossibly cute reaction, Art suddenly moved in front of me.

“Hey, Finne, long time no see! Isn’t it about time we left this stupid couple behind so
you could give me a tour? Lady Liselotte’s sisters are supposed to be beauties, aren’t
they? Where are they?”

Tired of standing quietly in the back like someone pretending to be my attendant

should, Art suddenly tried to take Finne’s hand, but suddenly a wave of water magic
cast by Liselotte separated him from her.

That being said, where exactly are her sisters? I wonder if the Marquis took them along
on his inspection?

“Don’t get close to my sisters.”

As she said that, Liselotte gave Art a cold look. Actually, it looked below freezing.

Maybe it was because Artur was here that the young sisters aren’t going to be showing
themselves until the Marquis came home?

Those girls haven’t yet finalized their engagements yet. If a playboy like Artur was
rumoured to be mingling with them, they might face some trouble in the future.

“I wonder why the princess disapproves of me so much… I might not become a count,
but one day I’ll be in charge of the church, you know? I have quite a promising future?”

[I don’t think he’s that kind of character at all, though.]

As Art looked both puzzled and sullen, I heard Coebayashay interject. Well, she’s not
wrong.

“In order to be the wife of a priest, they would have to join the Church herself. It’s
unthinkable for a daughter of the Riefenstahl family to cast aside her blade.”

Liselotte said that like it was final.

My fiancee truly is incredibly kind, shooting Art down before he could get his hopes
up like that.
“Oh, is that so? Well then, Finne, why don’t you come to the Church and marry me
instead? The Church doesn’t view swords so well, but you should still be able to punch
things.”

As soon as Art gave up on Liselotte’s sisters, he turned to Finne with a merchant’s smile.

There were many limitations on what a servant of the Church could or couldn’t do, but
if it was in the interest of self-defence or protecting the innocent, they were allowed
to fight.

“…If I remember right, the Church doesn’t allow priests to eat meat, right?”

Finne, who looked like she had been lost in thought for a while, suddenly answered
him with a serious look on her face.

“It’s not completely banned, you know? There’s an ascetic period for one or two years
as an apprentice, but after becoming a full-fledged priest there’s only one month a
year that you can’t have me-” “It’s impossible for me, so I’ll have to refuse.”

As Finne cut him off strongly like that, Art’s head drooped sadly.

“…That’s the first time I’ve been shot down for a reason like that. Why is everyone
giving me the cold shoulder lately? If I may so myself, I really don’t think that I’m that
bad of a cat-”

Suddenly, in the middle of saying that, Artur’s shoulders jumped.

“Mmmmmgh! MMMMMMGH! UGGGGGGGHHHAAAAHHH!!”

We all heard something like a person groaning loudly.

As soon as that abnormal voice echoed around us, the guards assigned as my escorts
jumped forward to protect us.

As I stood next to Artur, I glanced over to see Liselotte and Finne standing back to back,
with Finne pouring magical energy into Liselotte. They seem to be getting along quite
well?

“Liselotte! Please help us out here!!”

At the centre of the uproar taking place was the Marquis.

Looking over there, I could see Liselotte’s three sisters struggling to keep a short
looking woman from getting loose, as that chaotic looking scuffle got closer and closer
to us.

The Marquis seemed like he was hesitating to even come into contact with that woman
as he kept his distance from her.

But, the brute strength of that small woman was really something. Even with her
mouth gagged and her arms tied up behind her, that bedraggled pink hair of hers was
shaking wildly as she tried to get loose from her restraints… Ah, she got loose. It did
look like the rope was about to come loose and so it did.

As soon as her arms were free, she tore out the gag in her mouth.

“Where’s my daughter!?” “Is that the reason you came here!?” “Stop throwing
punches!” “Stop trying to escape!” “FINNNNNE! WHERE ARE YOU!?” “Why is this lady
running riot here all of a sudden!?” “I don’t know, but father wants us to keep her
restrained, so we have to do it!!” “Should we knock her out?” “Ah, watch out!”
“FINNNNNNNNNNNNE!”

They’re all so noisy I can’t even tell who is saying what anymore.

The Marquis, the woman and Liselotte’s sisters were all screaming their lungs out at
the same time.

Suddenly, weaving her way between my escorts, Finne came forward.

“…Mama?”

The moment Finne said that the woman suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Finne
Everyone’s eyes suddenly looked at our heroine, then back to the woman she called
her ‘mama’. Now that she mentioned it, they do look similar.

[Now then, the actors are all here and the stage is set. Or something like that, I wish I
had a better line prepared. I didn’t expect something crazy like this to happen suddenly.]
It seems like this absurd situation was even beyond the scope of the wise Coebayashay’s
knowledge… The person who is going to have to sort out this mess, by any chance, am
I going to have to do it?
“Eh? Finne…!? You’re wearing such a beautiful dress, and why does your skin look so
glossy!? Weren’t you being bullied by the Riefenstahls’ young lady!?”

“Lady Liselotte let me wear her dresses that she had kept from when she was around
my height, and she’s also letting me eat lots of good food every day. And there’s no way
a kind person like Lady Liselotte would bully me, since we’re friends!”

As Finne approached her mother like that, she had an angry expression on her face.

[Liselotte looks really happy at those woooooooooooooords!]

[Lately, it seems like she’s really happy that she’s become such good friends with
Finne-chan. Good on you, Rize-tan! By the way, it seems like she kept the caveat that
eight of the ten dresses she gave Finne weren’t hand-me-downs, but in fact, custom
tailored orders she had prepared.]

As I struggled to keep a straight face whilst hearing the Gods’ words about Liselotte, I
suddenly noticed the Marquis approaching Finne with an earnest look on his face.

He wasn’t looking at me, or anyone else around me either. The Marquis’ eyes were
fixed squarely on Finne, as he nervously opened his mouth to speak.

“…Please forgive my rudeness, but, may I ask how old you are?”

“Umm… I’m fifteen, but, why…?”

Finne replied just as nervously.

“Is that so? Is that… so… So it really is the case, after all. Ah, your eyes truly are similar.
Just like the colour of the sky. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, young lady. My name
is Bruno Riefenstahl. I am Liselotte’s father, as well as your father…’s brother.”

The Marquis said that with a trembling smile, though it looked like he was about to
burst into tears again at any moment.

[Finne-chan’s father was the late August Riefenstahl, the older brother of the Marquis
who passed away 16 years ago. As for her mother… Well, the woman who was going
on a rampage until just a moment ago, her name is Elizabeth (ex) Marschner. She was
once called the Fairy Princess of the Duchy of Marschner.]

…Really?

Whilst I didn’t want to doubt the veracity of Coebayashay’s testament, I couldn’t help
but impulsively think that it was completely impossible.

When one says the words ‘Fairy Princess’, the only thing that came to mind was the
tragic love story between the handsome August Riefenstahl and a fragile ephemeral
beauty that was still such a popular story amongst the gossiping circles of high society.

As I stared at her in disbelief, it was like she instinctively noticed my gaze as she locked
eyes with me.

Then, curtseying elegantly, she smiled so gently it was like a flower coming into bloom.
With such beauty and grace, she truly did reflect the stories I had heard of the Fairy
Princess, but when I considered just how she had been behaving up until now, I was
perfectly confused.

The Marquis, Finne, Elizabeth and myself.

For some reason, the four of us were left to try and untangle this situation, and we
were set up in the Riefenstahl Castle parlour.

The reason why there were only four of us now was that Artur had asked Liselotte’s
younger sisters to give him a tour of the castle. Of course, Liselotte followed along to
keep Art under close surveillance. I had wanted to go along with her as well, but since
Liselotte asked me to hear the story on her behalf, I had no choice but to stay, no
matter how unwilling I was.

“I believed that my daughter, Finne, had been kidnapped by the Riefenstahl family, so
I rushed here with all haste.”
Despite wearing a plain and simple dress that common women favoured because it
was easy to move around in, Elizabeth both sat and spoke elegantly.

“Sister-in-Law, please don’t try and act innocent now. If you were to tell the whole
truth, you scaled my castle’s walls in an attempt to recapture Finne, did you not?”

She really wasn’t an elegant person at all. Seemingly giving up acting like the ‘Fairy
Princess’ when she saw how the Marquis looked at her, Elizabeth shrugged and sunk
back into her armchair indifferently.

“As I came home, my daughters and I noticed that someone had broken in, so we set
out to subdue what I assumed to be a lone thief. By the time I realized that said
intruder was, in fact, you, Sister-In-Law, the situation had already gotten out of hand.
To show His Highness such an unsightly display, I truly cannot express how deep my
regret is…”

As he said that, the Marquis bowed his head in apology to me. No, I really just came
here to play with my fiancee, you don’t need to apologize to me. If anything, you should
save that for Finne, who has shrunk so far back into her seat it’s like she isn’t even
there as she hid her embarrassed expression behind her hands. It looks like she can
barely follow what’s happening, either.

“Ah… Well, Finne, your father, although he didn’t inherit the title of Marquis, was my
wonderful elder brother. Although if you add up all my sisters and brothers our family
had five siblings, amongst them all, my older brother and your father was always the
kindest person to me.”

As the Marquis gently called out to Finne, she listened quietly as she watched him
through the gaps between her fingers.

“But since he was so sickly, he was never truly considered for the inheritance of the
Rifenstahl lands… In fact, they said he wasn’t even going to see his adult years, didn’t
they…?”

The Marquis’ shoulders drooped despondently.

They must have been very close as brothers… Actually, I heard from my father that the
Marquis had been something of a brocon. In fact, if I remember correctly, the main
reason why the Marquis became so skilled in combat is that he honed his
swordsmanship to protect his brother.
“So, my parents, the Duke and Duchess of Marschner, wouldn’t allow me to get
engaged to August, rather they wanted to make sure that I would marry whoever
would become the Head of the Riefenstahl house, so they pushed towards me
marrying Bruno. Even when Bruno was married to Josefine instead, they still didn’t
give up, they tried to separate me from August even when I wanted to have his child…
Ah, maybe this isn’t the kind of thing I should go into when my daughter is here.
Anyways, I became a single mother. Well, I only realized I was pregnant after August
passed away, to be honest. When the Duke and Duchess of Marschner found out, they
were so angry I was certain they would try and kill me, even though I was with child,
so I stole a lot of gold and jewellery from my parent’s home and escaped. That’s why I
told you that I ‘angered some of the high ranking nobles in the capital’.”

Elizabeth told Finne that as if it weren’t any big deal.

Although the Marquis has been treating Elizabeth as his Sister-in-Law, I had definitely
heard the story about how the Duke of Marschner had barred the marriage between
herself and August. The sad tale of the tragic lovers who were torn apart by their
family circumstances, with one of them eventually dying, was such a popular tragedy
that people still talked about it today.

“Why…? Why did you run away!? Making enemies of my brother, as well as his wife
and child, I could have rallied the entirety of the Rifenstahl house to kill them!!”

“That’s exactly why! An all-out bloody feud between the Duke’s house and the
Marquis’ house wouldn’t have been a good thing at all!”

Even though the Marquis looked furious, Elizabeth rebutted him straight away.

“Ahh, jeez, think about it, will you? What would have happened to Finne if you made
her the catalyst of such a war? Or me? Or even August? Would you have been able to
keep everyone in your house safe as well? Your little daughter… Or should I say
daughters now, they grew up so well, why would you want to put them at risk? And,
look, of course Josefine wouldn’t want to fight either, right? Speaking of which, where
is Josefine?”

After finishing admonishing her brother-in-law, it was as if Elizabeth only just realized
the absence of her sister-in-law as she looked around, puzzled.

“…My wife is currently staying in her atelier up in the mountains.”

The Marquis replied with a slightly displeased look.

The Marquis’ wife, Josefine Riefenstahl, was a painter.

She was a venerated artist who made her art under a false name when she was still
merely a viscount’s daughter, so even after becoming a Duchess, she leaves behind her
work as a Marquess to Liselotte and her father and retreats into the mountains to
paint. But, well, considering what I’ve heard about her, there wasn’t much much they
could do to stop her.

“Oh, did she get heated up about some new inspiration again?”

“No, if anything, it’s because this place itself has gotten too hot. I wonder if she’ll even
come back down until autumn?”

“Ah… Well… well… Anyways, putting that aside! At least until she’s fully grown, I don’t
think this child’s history should become known! That’s why I was hiding her in the
first place!”

Miss Elizabeth suddenly turned the topic of discussion on its head. Apparently, she’s
going to pretend she hadn’t even asked.

“But, last year, the people from the House finally found us. They tried to kill me
together with Finne, but Finne is strong, you know? She barely needed my help to beat
them all up.”

I suppose that means that the incident that caused the discovery of a strange common-
born girl who could use magic wasn’t instigated by some random thugs, then?

“Finne can take care of herself. If anything, I was the one endangering her by staying
close. That’s what I thought, so I decided to let her be protected at the school. That
academy, not even the Duke’s family could interfere with it so easily.”

Well, the academy is isolated and guarded against the outside world to such a degree
that even I am permitted to walk around its grounds without an escort, so it really is
quite safe for its students. Miss Elizabeth was completely right.

“Also, I was thinking that it would be really great if Finne could catch some good strong
lad who could help protect her as well when she’s at school.”
“…EH!?”

As her mother continued on, Finne nearly choked in surprise.

After turning to look at her daughter, Elizabeth kept going after a quiet sigh.

“That house that tried to kill Finne and me, I don’t think they will ever forget about us,
and should worst come to worst, they might even try to use her. As a pawn in some
political marriage, for example. But if she falls in love and gets married before
something like that happens, she’ll have a way to refuse them and an ally to stand by
her side. Well, that’s just my selfish desire, though.”

[Ohhh? When she talks about having a boy protect her, I feel like that might be closer
to reality than she thinks!]

[Someone whose name starts with B and ends in R, if her relationship with that
unlucky lover goes well, then it’s a perfect fit, right? Well, of course, it doesn’t have to
be him, but I personally give him my seal of approval!]

Endow and Coebayashay’s voices descended from the heavens.

And for some reason, they sounded like parents trying to nudge their daughter into a
relationship.

“Well then, Finne. For the time being, I suppose that makes you my sister, doesn’t it?”

As she said that, Liselotte gracefully entered the parlour. As she passed into the room,
I saw Art holding the door open for her as she passed through.

Did someone beat him up and then heal him? Although Art’s face seemed normal
enough, when I looked down I could see that his clothes were in tatters. What’s more,
he was behaving like Liselotte’s servant.

Simply put, did he receive some sort of severe educational guidance from her?
“Me? Lady Liselotte’s… Sister…?”

Finne blushed as she looked up at Liselotte to ask that.

[Why does this feel like it might lead to a misunderstanding!?]

[I don’t think she’s talking about becoming sisters in that sense… Well, then again,
there was a yuri route between these two, so who knows?]

Absolutely unacceptable.

Feeling a grave sense of apprehension grip my heart whilst I listened to the voices of
the Gods, I broke in between the two girls who seemed like they were getting swept
up in an indescribably dangerous atmosphere.

“Then, does that mean you mean to take Miss Finne as an adoptive daughter of the
Rifenstahl family?”

“Yes, that’s right. Well, father? Don’t you think it would be wonderful if the daughter
of the uncle that father loved so much could one day succeed as the Marquise?”

When I asked Liselotte that, Liselotte turned the question back around on her father.

“I think that would be for the best as well. This position of Marquis should have been
something my brother inherited, after all. But, well, to appoint the young lady as my
successor would be… Ah, do you mean that her husband would be my successor? No,
this house already has Baldur as… Ah, well, in any case, I’ll have to talk to Josefine
first…”

When the Marquis mumbled out a vague answer, Liselotte glared at him sternly.

“That Baldur has already begun to court Finne.”

As Liselotte said that so confidently, I gawked at her in astonishment.

I didn’t know about that at all.

The Gods did mention something along those lines before, but the idea of someone
like Baldur already falling in love with Finne was so far out into the realm of fantasy I
didn’t give it a second thought.

“It may be difficult for the two of them to get engaged right away since they aren’t yet
lovers. However, both Finne’s life and virtue might be at risk if you don’t appoint her
as a successor straight away. If it is for his beloved Finne, Baldur would gladly give up
his position as successor, so this ought to all be sorted out very quickly.”

Liselotte’s assertive words had a strange power of persuasion about them.

[No, but, isn’t this still just conjecture…? Well, I mean, even if we know it’s true, she
hasn’t heard the fact that Baldur loves Finne from the horse’s mouth yet, I think. How
can she be so sure of herself when she hasn’t even heard it from the person in
question…?”

It was rare to hear Coebayashay sound so unsure.

“If Baldur can win over Finne’s heart, then there won’t be any problems. If he cannot,
then that merely proves that he is lacking ability. That’s all there is to it. For the time
being, let us welcome Finne into the main family both as father’s new daughter as well
as the future Marquise.”

“That’s… quite right, isn’t it? I didn’t train Baldur to be a weak man, after all. Even if
Finne marries another man, then I can have someone from the branch family act to
assist her.”

The Marquis nodded at Liselotte’s words.

Then, Liselotte next turned to look at Finne and Miss Elizabeth, whose eyes were still
wide in shock.

“If he loses here, then he should be thankful to even keep his position as a knight
apprentice, don’t you think so? The kind of fool who could lose Finne to another man,
wouldn’t it be unthinkable to consider such a person worthy of the Riefenstahl name?”
Liselotte said that with a cold smile on her face.

[You’re so cool, Liselotte!]

[Woaaaah, what a great evil line! Saying things like that with a smile! What a
wonderful villainess! But behind those words you can definitely sense her love for
Finne-chan and her trust in Baldur… Ohhh, it’s crazy! After all, Rize-tan really is the
greatest!!]

Hearing Liselotte’s words, I shivered in excitement alongside both Endow and

Coebayashay, as her father nodded with a wry smile on his face.

“Well then, Finne, now that’s settled, won’t you become my daughter?”

The Marquis posed that question to Finne.

“Eh, no, I… I’ve only ever lived as a commoner until now… and I never knew about my
dad… Besides, despite everything, I’m still illegitimate, right!?”

As Finne was put on the spot and blurted that out, Liselotte motioned towards Artur,
who was standing quietly behind her.

“Artur Richter.”

All Liselotte did was call out his name. That was all she did.

Yet, despite that, Artur stood to attention like he had been given a shock as he opened
his mouth.

“Yes! When speaking about marriages, one thinks of the church! I am sure that I will
find a record that states that Finne’s parents had a secret marriage and exchanged
their vows before the heavens 16 years ago! I am sure I will find that to set the
princess’ younger sister’s heart at ease!”

What’s wrong with Artur?

I felt a little bit of trepidation at the rapid change he had gone through since I last saw
him only a short while ago, whilst I perplexedly listened to the reply that he barked
out obediently like a well-drilled soldier.
The House of Richter, or more specifically his great aunt, currently headed this
country’s Church. There were a lot of other houses that served under them in the
clergy hierarchy.

If it’s Artur, if he sets out to find something, then he’ll find it. Even if it’s not there… To
put it bluntly, he’ll have it forged.

“…There are also the Kingdom’s civic records. They may be some peculiarities since it’s
quite an old record we’re looking for, but it would be worth searching for all the same.”

“Ah, yes, peculiarities. Such things can happen, can’t they?”

Liselotte very quickly picked up on what I was hinting at.

Although, as expected, it may be quite difficult to fabricate important national

documents, it was another matter entirely to just have them disappear.

So even if I couldn’t forge evidence that they were married, I could make it impossible
to prove that they weren’t either.

After hearing my words, Liselotte turned to Finne with a mischievous smile, like a
child who had just succeeded in a prank.

“Finne, it seems that perhaps you really aren’t an illegitimate child after all? Well, in
any case, if you were to be adopted into our house, the matter of your birth isn’t a
serious problem for me.”

“Eh? Eh? Ehhh…?”

Finne looked at us in disbelief as she could barely keep up with where we were going
at all.

Then, with one step… Liselotte closed the gap between herself and Finne.

“Finne, this isn’t about Baldur, I want you to think about this for yourself… Or, the
thought of becoming my sister… Do you really hate it that much?”

“That’s not true at all! Lady Liselotte, you’re kind, beautiful, graceful, hard working
and strong! And when you’re together with His Highness, sometimes you’re very tsun,
but lately, the way you’ve been acting is really cute! It’s so cute I think it’s unfair! Um,
to put it simply, I really love you!!”

When Liselotte posed that final question with a sad look on her face, Finne desperately
shook her head as she yelled that out.

[What a dastardly ambush! As Finne pours praise on her, Liselotte is trembliiiiiiiiiiing!]

[This might be a dangerous situation. If His Highness isn’t careful, Liselotte really
might be stolen away.]

I may be in trouble. I found myself nervously watching Liselotte, who was blushing
furiously at Finne’s sudden attack.

After a moment of silence, I heard Finne continue.

“The truth is… I really do want to become Lady Liselotte’s sister. But, uh, becoming the
next Marquise, that’s um, that’s a little scary to think about.”

As Finne said that, she held her shaking hands together in front of her chest. It seems
she’s trying to settle down the trembling in her body, but it’s not having much effect.

“There’s nothing for you to be afraid of, because I’ll always be there to help you,
Finne… Finne’s mother is also formerly the daughter of a Duke. So I am sure she will
help you as well.”

“…Probably,” Liselotte murmured that last part quietly, as she took Finne’s trembling
hands in her own and smiled softly.

I don’t know if anyone else heard Liselotte’s whisper, but I certainly did. Well, Miss
Elizabeth certainly is eccentric when she isn’t wearing her mask as the Fairy Princess,
but surely she would be of some help when she puts it on.

…Probably.

“Lady… Liselotte…”

Seemingly not hearing Liselotte’s whisper, Finne called out her name as she looked up
at her, those big eyes brimming with tears.

“Oh my… You won’t even address me as your sister?”

As Liselotte laughed happily, the tears finally poured down Finne’s face as she looked
up at her sister.

“I… I’ve always been an only child! And because I’m always moving, I’ve never been
dear sister
good at making friends either! So… I’m so happy that I could meet you… Onee-sama!”

Finne looking up at her bashfully with tears spilling from her eyes was definitely cute.

It was cute, but… when I saw Liselotte jump up and down adorably shouting out “So
cute! I’ve done it! At last, I finally have a cute and honest little sister!”, I felt deeply
conflicted.

[The look on Sieg’s face seems very complicated…!]

[The fact that Liselotte is able to express herself without being tsundere should mean
that she sees Finne as a sister only in the sense of being relatives, so he shouldn’t be
too worried.]

Coebayashay told Endow that calmly.

[…Probably.]

I really wish you had kept that last part to yourself though, Goddess.
After watching Liselotte and Finne exchange their vows of sistership, we quietly saved
the game.

Until we turned off the console, both of us were as silent as mice. But, the quiet that
had descended upon Kobayashi-san’s living room didn’t last long.

“…I’m so happy. I’m so happy for theeeem!”

Kobayashi cried that out as tears and mucus began to run down her face.

“I’m happy for them too. You really did well hanging in there through all that as well,
Kobayashi-san.”

I held out the tissue box I had handy as I said that.

“Thanks! But gosh, really, that was so hard to bear! Can you imagine if I ruined that
scene with my spluttering and sniffing!?”

Whilst saying so, she vigorously tried to clean her face with a fistful of the tissues from
the box.

As we had watched the two girls become sisters on the screen, Kobayashi-san had
actually begun to cry even earlier than Finne did.

In a titanic struggle to fulfill her role as a commentator, she somehow managed to

resist letting it show in her voice. That said, although her commentary had been voiced
perfectly, her face really had been a mess through all that.

“But, was it really that moving?”

Am I just not a sensitive enough person?

As I expressed a bit of doubt, Kobayashi-san blew her nose strongly, before turning
around to talk to me, still sniffling. Her eyes were red. Did she need some more time
to cool down?

“No, it’s just, how do I say it, it’s like their destinies have changed. Changed… We
changed it… It just really hit me for the first time, I guess…?”

Now that she mentions it…

We had changed the course of Finne’s life in a way that definitely wasn’t possible in
the game and even had a impacted the future of a major noble house. It definitely felt
like we’d done something big for the first time.

“Also, seeing Liselotte and Finne smiling together like that, for some reason, it makes
me feel like…”

Kobayashi-san dabbed her eyes with another tissue. It seemed like the tears had
started up again.

In the game, those two were rival characters.

Except for the reverse harem route, those two never really got along at all, much less
become friends.
Instead, they often fought to the death. Either Finne or Liselotte would have to die for
the other to survive. It was as if they were always destined to oppose each other.

But now, those two were so close that it was even making the Prince nervous. That’s
definitely a great thing to see.

“By the way, in the other routes, do you find out that Finne and Liselotte were cousins
only after Liselotte dies?”

Kobayashi-san nodded as I asked that, since I only vaguely recalled the details of the
game outside of the reverse harem route.

“It’s only in the reverse harem route that Liselotte lives after the ancient witch is
defeated that she ever finds out… But, now that I think about it, isn’t she taken in by
House of Marschner
Finnemama’s former house?”

The Duke of Marschner, so impressed by Finne saving the world with her friends, takes
both her and her mother into the House’s care. It’s a short afternote in the epilogue of
the reverse harem route.

<It was in that way that the girl who was raised as a commoner became a princess
beloved by all.>, I think was the line.

But, now that we know more about the Duke and Duchess of Marschner’s true nature,
that ending seems way sourer.

Siegward Liselotte Baldur

“To have The Crown Prince, The Marquis’ Daughter, The Future Marquis,
Artur Shota
The Elite Priest, The Genius Magician and The Scheming Teacher all completely
charmed by a girl who’s treated like a saviour, won’t the country be in trouble…?”

“Right? And if the key pieces of Finne and Finnemama are held by the Marschners…”

They could start a coup d’etat, or even rule the country from the shadows.

Kobayashi-san didn’t say it, but she was probably thinking the same thing I was. Her
expression looked fierce.

“The reverse harem ending really is a problem, just like I thought before.”
“Right.”

Kobayashi agreed with the words I inadvertently muttered to myself. Looking at each
other seriously, we nodded.

Reverse harems or fooling around with multiple people isn’t good, after all. Nobody
would find real happiness.

“So, that’s why I was like that earlier! It’s even more moving knowing that now, right!?”

Kobayashi-san asked me with a determined look on her face.

“Yeah. I got it.”

As I nodded, Kobayashi-san laughed happily.

Until now, I didn’t really realize what it meant to be ‘gods’.

It’s definitely true that I’d grown really attached to those who lived in that other world
and I wanted them to be happy. If I could, I’d like to guide them down the direction
that would lead to that.

As I felt something warm well up in me as I thought about those people in the other
world, I saw Kobayashi-san’s smile, and couldn’t keep hold of my words.

“…Everyone over there, I was just thinking it’d be great if they could all find happiness,
right?”

As she heard me say what was on my mind, Kobayashi-san’s smile looked a little
solemn as she gently nodded.

“…Right? I really think that too. We’ve done really well so far but, until the end, let’s
keep doing our best, okay?”

Then, Kobayashi-san extended that small hand of hers toward me.

The moment I grasped it, ah… It really was worth spending my summer holidays here,
that’s what I thought.

“…That’s right! Let’s go out and celebrate tomorrow!”

Kobayashi-san suddenly said that, completely changing the serious mood from before.

“To celebrate Liselotte and Finne become sisters, the two of us should go out
somewhere! We’ll have a night off from the game!”

…That’s a date, right?

The two of us going out together like that, that has to be a date, right!?

Although Kobayashi-san’s suggestion made me want to jump for joy, I managed to

wrestle down that feeling and try and play it cool.

“Ah, yeah, it would be good to get out occasionally, wouldn’t it? The summer holidays
are almost over, too.”

The coming weekend would mark the end of the summer holidays.

I’d been gone to hang out at Kobayashi-san’s place almost every day, although I could
barely remember what happened on the first few days since I was so nervous.

I was always thinking that it would be nice to go out somewhere with her though, even
if it was just once.

Barely believing my luck that it actually seemed to be happening, obviously, I agreed

to go.

“Then it’s settled! Tomorrow, we’ll go out!”

Even though Kobayashi-san’s words had me doing flips in my mind, all I did was give
her a nod.

“Nfufufu… A date, huh?”

I whispered that like a naughty kid.

Ah, jeez.

Honestly, I really love her.

But because I’m an idiot, I couldn’t say it. Where the hell are the words I need?
Guys in the athletic clubs live in sports jerseys.

Well, right now I’m actually part of the broadcast club, but as a former baseball player
I never really paid much attention to fashion. I’m happy with clothes so long as they
fit me most of the time, honestly.

But, I guess even I wanted to wear something a little nicer when I was going out on a
date with the girl I like. Not that I really have anything nice to wear.

Not too long after passing through the ticket gate at the station we were supposed to
meet at, Kobayashi-san came running up to me with a big smile. My first thought was
that she really was way too cute and my second was that my clothing would look even
worse if I walked beside her like that.

“What the hell she’s too cute… Kobayashi-san is way too cute… Damn it…”

As I muttered to myself, Kobayashi-san must have heard something as she stuttered.

“Eh? Huh? W-what’s wrong all of a sudden, Endo-kun? Um… I’m sorry I kept you
waiting?”

Kobayashi-san looking confused was cute as well.

The hair that she usually kept in a loose ponytail was braided up in a chignon. With a
sleeveless white t-shirt under a haori cardigan, a light blue knee length skirt and
pricey looking black heeled sandals, she looked neat and pretty. The straw bag under
her arm was cute as well.

“Ah, no, I just got here too early. A-anyways, I’m the one who should be sorry,
Kobayashi-san, you put in so much effort but I just came wearing…”

It was still five minutes before we were supposed to meet.

Seeing how different Kobayashi-san looked from when she was at home, with those
clothes and that slight hint of makeup, I’m sure she must have taken some time to
prepare. Considering how little time I took, I was the one who was slow to get here.
Actually, I wasn’t really slow at all. I got here fifteen minutes ago. What the hell am I
thinking about?

I was just wearing what I typically wore; a team’s shirt, three-quarter jeans, normal
sandals and a sling bag. That was it. I wanted to die. How could such a slobby existence
like me walk next to such a cute girl?

“Umm, I don’t really get why you’re so depressed all of a sudden, but Endo-kun, you
have a good build, so even if what you’re wearing isn’t anything special, you still look
cool…?”

Oh, an angel?

As Kobayashi-san tried to comfort me like that, I almost cried.

“No, we were supposed to be celebrating, and it’s a date, so I should have put more
effort in.”

When I said that, shaking my head, she had a troubled little smile on her face.

“Um, then, in preparation for our next date, do you want to go look at some clothes
after eating?”

“Thanks. I’ll leave it to you.”

Eh? Did she just say next? Seriously?

After realizing exactly just what Kobayashi-san meant, it was like fireworks were
going off in my head.

Not just breaking up after eating lunch together, but even going shopping together
with a promise of ‘next time’…

“Alright, it’s decided. Now, let’s go get some food! We’re gonna miss our reservation!”

With that, Kobayashi-san turned around and began to walk towards the station
building.
I made a reservation at a restaurant that specialized in sweets and pasta. We still had
a bit of time left before our reservation, but it would probably be best to get there
early.

As I tried to follow after Kobayashi-san who had begun to bound ahead, I panicked
when suddenly a wave of people came through the ticket gates behind us. A train must
have just arrived.

But, just as I was worried we might get separated…

“Eifa!”

“KYAAAAAAAAAA!?”

A stranger who ran out of that crowd of people suddenly caught Kobayashi-san’s arm,
yelling something incomprehensible. What the hell is an Eifa?

“N-no, let me… go…!”

Even though I saw Kobayashi-san struggle feebly as he held her, no matter how much
I grit my teeth I couldn’t push past the crowd of people between us to get there.

“…You’re… not Eifa…?”

The man, still holding Kobayashi-san’s arm, had a puzzled expression after invasively
looking her up and down. Was Eifa a person’s name? Who?

“What do you want from her?”

When I finally managed to push my way through and glared at the man, he, at last, let
go of her arm.

I started at the man’s face as he absent-mindedly looked at Kobayashi, still seeming

confused.

I assumed he was about 185 centimetres tall, but it’s hard to tell at a glance. At any
rate, he’s tall. Despite looking slightly suspicious having those sunglasses that were
slightly too big for his face on, what little I could see of his face was neatly framed and
he seemed a little stylish as well. His clothes looked like they’d come straight out of a
fashion catalogue; a summer jacket and leather shoes. Yet despite how rich and
popular he might look, there was something ultimately suspicious about him.

“…Ah. Um, sorry. Eifa was, uh, is my lover, she just looked so similar that I… um, it was
my mistake…”

Then, the man finally lowered his head. Kobayashi-san breathed out a sigh of relief. A
case of mistaken identity? Maybe he really isn’t a dangerous guy, then.

“But, you do smell slightly like Eifa, though. But for her to be in this world… No, it’s
impossible…”

Mumbling to himself, he began to talk so fast I could barely understand. Nevermind,

he really is a dangerous guy.

“Smell…? What’s with that… That’s gross… Is it my shampoo? Or, maybe the perfume
I’m wearing today…?”

Kobayashi-san slowly backed away with an expression to match.

I guess that explains why I thought she smelt so good. As the crowd kept pushing me
on, I eventually came right up next to Kobayashi-san. Well, since there was such a
suspicious person in front of us, I wasn’t going to leave her side again.

“Ahh… No, I don’t mean like… I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. There’s been a
misunderstanding. It’s just that, the person I love, I haven’t met her in so long, it’s been
hard to bear how lonely it is and, well, I was just a little confused…”

The man said that as he lowered his head in apology again.

A little my ass, get the hell out of here, you creep.

“So basically, you’re working on your pick up game? If you’re finished, can you hurry
up and leave already?”

When I finally lost my cool and angrily told him that, the man raised his head, startled.

“That’s not it! I would never do something awful like that! Pick up… Something like
that, I don’t need to, I don’t want to… Ah, I really must look suspicious to you!”

The man made his excuses as he waved his hands in front of his face.
“Ah, um, I am…”

Cutting his words short, the man looked around quickly.

The torrent of people who had poured through the ticketing gate had finally moved
on.

After double checking, the man slowly removed his sunglasses and showed his face.

What emerged from under those glasses was a perfectly groomed and stunning
beauty. I guess he wasn’t lying when he said he didn’t need to bother with pick up
lines. No, wait, haven’t I seen that face before.

“…Kuon… Kirise…”

Before I could put a name to the face, Kobayashi-san spoke.

That’s right, there was a young actor with that name, wasn’t there?

Looking slightly relieved after Kobayashi-san correctly mentioned his name, he once
again hid that gentle beauty behind his sunglasses.

“That’s right. I wanted you to believe me that I’m not the kind of person who would
try and hit on people in such a situation so frivolously like that. It really was just a
mistake.”

The man lowered his head again. I wasn’t ready to completely accept he was the same
actor straight away, but I had to admit that anyone with a face like that wouldn’t be
caught dead trying out such lame pick up routines.

“I got it. Then, we’ll be going.”

With a sterner expression than I’d ever seen from her, Kobayashi-san gave a curt nod
and began to walk again.

“…You sure?”

If it was my big or little sister here with me instead, I’m sure they would’ve taken the
opportunity to chat and take some pictures with a big name celebrity they suddenly
ran into like that. I wonder how many things they’d try make him sign…
So as I wondered if Kobayashi-san was fine with it, her stoutly swinging arms didn’t
slacken at all as she looked up at me with big eyes. Cute.

“I’m not interested. We’re seriously gonna be late if we stick around too long.”

As she kept walking, before chasing after her in earnest, I turned back towards Kuon
Kirise and gave a slight bow of my head.

It was hard to tell from behind his sunglasses, but for some reason, I felt like he had a
complicated expression on his face.

Back then I should have hugged her tight to me even though she was looking so
delicate at the time but ahhhhh jeez when she looked up at me like that it was so cute
I wish I could have just lived in that moment forever…!

As I went over and over those moments at the station in my mind, I stabbed another
piece of the pasta dish I don’t remember ordering with my fork. Just why exactly did I
get an eggplant dish? I don’t even like eggplant. As the unpleasant flavour of eggplant
spread through my mouth, I felt a little bit of my sanity return. Isn’t this throwing me
a little too out of whack?

“…Just what was that? The stuff from before.”

Finally deciding I was tired of being confused alone about the situation with Kuon
Kirise from earlier, I spoke to Kobayashi-san, who finished chewing on her salad
before answering.

“Ummm, I don’t really know anything about the whole ‘Eifa’ thing, but since it’s Kuon
Kirise, it still makes me wonder, you know?”

When Kobayashi-san realized I had no idea what she meant, she reached out and
gently took one of the pieces of bread from the basket.

“Oh, so you don’t know about it, Endo?”

“Uh, let me see… Kuon Kirise and MagiKoi are… they’re connected somehow, right?
But I can’t really say if what he said was important or not… Yeah…”
Kobayashi-san herself said that she didn’t know what Kuon Kirise was talking about
either.

“Umm… You know about the hidden route in MagiKoi, right? The God route.”

Despite being a little in the dark before, I could at least nod my head along to that.

“Um, that God character who was only a voice in all the other routes was actually a guy
you could capture, right?”

When Finne awakens after Baldur is injured or killed in the other routes, she hears
the voice of <God> speak to her and say ‘My dear child, do not weep’, but if you clear
all the other routes including every normal and bad end, you unlock the chance to
capture him too.

I wasn’t quite sure of myself, but Kobayashi-san nodded at my words.

“Right. Finnemama’s father is a Duke, so the pretty far-fetched explanation was that
Finne could hear the voices of the Gods by being a descendant of a branch of the royal
family, and that leads to the God Route. And in that secret ending Finne, who became
the bride of God, is taken to the world where he lives, which looks remarkably like
modern Japan… And, well, do you know the rest?”

I don’t.

As I shook my head, Kobayashi-san gently nodded and continued.

“You don’t know, then? I guess you wouldn’t, huh. Well, it turns out that ‘God’ was
actually an actor who goes to K University whilst moonlighting as a deity, going by the
name ‘Quon’.”

That’s… Isn’t that pretty much a one for one with Kuon Kirise?

“Even though apparently it was all coincidental, the fact that his character model
resembled him as well was too much, and eventually people started going all ‘Eh?
There’s a game where you can romance Kuon Kirise-kun, and he’s a God as well?
Kirise-kun is a God so the game must be Godly as well’, it turned into quite the rage
amongst the Kuon Kirise groupies for a while because of that, didn’t it?”

Well, coincidences do happen, so maybe that all really was one. But…
“But if you combine all that with the fact we have a strange connection to the world of
MagiKoi now as well, and adding on to that the weird things the real Kuon Kirise was
saying, don’t you feel like we’re getting swept up into something really big all of a
sudden?”

As I quietly asked her that with a slight shiver, Kobayashi-san calmly nodded.

“Hey…? I know the name that he called me before was ‘Eifa’, not ‘Finne’, so I can’t be
one hundred per cent sure, but that bad feeling, it’s still there…”

That’s right.

I really did want this to just be some kind of strange coincidence.

Kobayashi-san just had the fortune to by chance run into a good looking actor, and that
was the end of it. I wanted to think that.

As my face grew more and more rigid, Kobayashi-san suddenly called out to me with
a smile.

“By the way, I see you’ve been leaving all the big pieces of eggplant alone, don’t you
like them? Or are you saving them to eat all at once?”

I don’t like them.

But, for some reason, I didn’t want to say it.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, just who was it that first said that?

When the summer break started and I could no longer see the girl that I met every day,
I felt like I had lost something deeply important to me. Like an important part of my
everyday life had been stripped away.

It made me happy just to lose myself thinking about her, but that only made
remembering she wasn’t by my side all the more painful. It was painful. I wanted to
see her. I love her… After a while, I finally realized that’s how I felt.

So, just why was that?

Ever since the beginning, I had thought she was a very cute girl.

I had always been interested in her the moment she entered the school. About what
she went through to come here, about her incredible strength, and eventually, I found
myself worrying about that girl who seemed unbelievably pretty and lively
considering everything that happened.

After coming to be her escort, I learned even more about her power, her upright
nature, her simple way of thinking and the noble warrior’s heart she possessed, and
eventually, I realized I liked those things about her as well.

But, it was only after I noticed just how much happiness seeped out of my life when I
lost the opportunity to meet her every day that I realized those feelings were love.

I thought I was exaggerating, that I could easily console myself with thinking that I
could meet her again once the holidays were over, but as the days wore on I realized
that the thought of spending a full month without seeing her was unbearable.

Once I realized that, there was only one thing I could think of.

I love Miss Finne.

And in the same breath, I realized I had not the skill to extricate myself cleanly from
the political marriage destined for my future.

So, my only choice was to bow my head in apology to my uncle and his daughters, and
accept my expulsion from the Riefenstahl house. Oh, yes, I would need to inform my
parents and brothers in advance as well. Assuming I lost my path to knighthood as
well, should I put my sword arm to use as a bouncer, a mercenary or an adventurer?
As I thought about my feelings and what I would do with myself in the future all
through the summer holidays, I suddenly received news that Finne had been accepted
as a daughter of the main family… I didn’t understand at all.

Miss Finne was a descendant of the Riefenstahl house, and should have been the
legitimate successor should her father have lived, so my uncle adopted her with the
intention of having whoever married her inherit the title of Marquis.

If I wanted to regain my place as the successor to uncle’s position, I was to successfully

court Miss Finne.

When I received that information at the same time as the public announcement, I
didn’t really understand.

My uncle apologized to me, but I never really had much attachment to the position of
the successor, and if the reason was to protect Miss Finne then I would never have any
objections.

But… The point where it now seems that I am being told to approach Miss Finne, not
for love’s sake, but part of an expectation to lie for the sake of the family… I thought
that was regrettable.

“You’re not very honest…”

I do not want to hear that from you, Liselotte.

That’s what I thought straight away, but since Liese would get annoyingly stubborn if
I said that, I listened instead.

The summer break was over, and we were three days into the new semester.
‘Why have you not courted my adorable little sister Finne yet?’, were the first words
of Liselotte’s interrogation after she called me to the manor where she stayed when
attending the academy. It was quite irritating to have Liese, who was perhaps the least
honest girl with her feelings in the world, stare at me with such disgusted looking eyes.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore and let out a sigh.

“I’m reluctant to tell her my real thoughts because she might think that it’s just a lie…
What if I lose her trust, and she won’t even let me stand by her side as a guard
anymore?”

“Incompetent buffoon.”

Liese’s curt insult cut straight through me.

As I looked down silently, Liselotte kept speaking disdainfully.

“You should be on your knees in front of her, crying and begging her to love you back.
It was Finne who robbed you of your place as successor, after all, surely if you put on
a pathetic enough display she will pity you enough to at least give you a chance.”

“That’s why I don’t want to do something like that…”

Well, that was another problem.

Ever since returning from Riefenstahl Castle, Miss Finne seemed like she was worried
about me.

It wasn’t just my own pride at stake, I didn’t want to corner her in such a way.

“Use whatever means are at your disposal. Strike down your enemies with force. To
truly be a Riefenstahl, you must have at least a modicum of avarice.”

Liselotte said that with a wicked and cold smile.

No, Liese, that’s just your way, not Riefenstahl’s.

In order to stay as His Highness the Crown Prince Siegward’s fiancee, she has done
and would do anything to protect that place.
“…Speaking of which, I never would have thought you would accept Miss Finne as your
little sister, Liese.”

Earlier in spring, I would have sooner expected Liselotte to instead have had her
eliminated. That was part of the reason, being part of Liese’s family, I was worried
about the potential unfortunate victim, Finne.

Hearing me say that, Liselotte took a deep breath before she spoke again.

“I admit that, in the past, I may have expressed some jealousy over how well Finne and
His Highness Prince Siegward were getting along. But I decided to accept her as a
friend when she was a commoner and now she is also a daughter to a Marquis. It is
not wrong to say that she could become the biggest threat to me, either”

But then, those eyes of hers that had sunk slightly towards the ground sparked right
back up.

“However, I am his fiancee. With everything I’ve been taught, all the effort I’ve made,
all the love I feel, I cannot lose. His Highness is also a sincere and intelligent person,
so he will make a sound and rational judgement… and… choose…”

“…Don’t cry.”

Even though her words came across as strong, that single tear that dripped down her
face betrayed her anxiety.

“I am not crying.”

“If it’s worrying you so much that you’re going to cry about it, why did you not oppose
it?”

Ignoring Liese’s stubborn will, I pointed that out, but she just shook her head.

“I cannot take anything more away from Finne. That girl… For her to be hurt again, go
hungry again, suffer sadness again, feel lonely again, and most of all, fear for her life
again, I will never allow it.”

Well, we’re in agreement there.

Just as I was reflecting on what a good person she was, deep down, Liese suddenly
looked up and glared at me.

“That’s why, Bard, you should get on your knees right away, beg for her love and serve
her all your life. With that underwhelming love of yours, you can at least be her shield.”

“Returning here again…?”

“We have returned. Well… Methods of confession aside, my assertion that you love
Finne, it wasn’t wrong, was it Bard?”

Liselotte looked at me slightly uneasily.

Although it was for Miss Finne’s sake as well, the only reason I let this conversation
keep going was that I am convinced of my feelings.

If I said that I didn’t love Miss Finne here and that I wasn’t convinced to relinquish my
position as successor, then there could be strife in the future.

If I didn’t make it clear right now, I’m sure Liese wouldn’t let me leave until she got it
from me anyways.

“That’s the truth. It was only after the summer break had begun that I realized but, I
truly do love Miss Finne. Your view that I had always been looking her way as well was
not wrong either.”

When I finally admitted it, Liese breathed a sigh of relief.

“Of course, that’s right, isn’t it? On that note, Bard, there is something that I have to
apologize for as well.”

“…What’s that?”

“I’ve been told that you’ve been seeing Finne off to the staff dormitory at the academy
for the past three days now, but she doesn’t currently live there anymore. My
apologies.”

As my cousin said that with an unusually full smile, I had a bad feeling.

“She has been carrying her luggage out of the dormitory, having her dinners in the
dormitory and saying farewells to the staff and teachers there she was so indebted to,
but in the evenings she has been coming back to live here together with me.”

As Liselotte continued to brightly smile as she spoke, I stood up.

“The moving work had been going on until yesterday, but today she came back from
the dormitories in the same carriage with me.”

As Liselotte’s words continued to snake into my ear, I was convinced that not only was
Miss Finne in this house, but she was nearby… So close nearby that she heard this
entire conversation, as I desperately looked around.

“…From tomorrow onwards, please use your house’s carriage to drop her off at this
house, if you would.”

With her point made, Liselotte stood up and began to leave the room.

Her line of sight shifted for just an instant.

…There!

I threw open the doors of the walk-in closet with conviction. And there was Miss Finne,
her face bright red.
Should I detest myself for letting my guard down and not noticing the signs? Should I
admire or be angry with Liselotte, who used me as such an effective pawn to rid herself
of one of her potential rivals?

I was lost for words, but Liselotte had already left the room, so there was nothing I
could do.

Getting down on my hands and knees to beg like she suggested was only going to be a
last resort.

For now, I took her hand and quietly lead her to the centre of the room, towards the
sofa where Liese was sitting just a moment ago.

Letting her sit down, I lowered myself onto one knee and looked up at her, taking a
deep breath.

I don’t know exactly how you’re supposed to express your love.

So, all I could do was just tell her how I honestly felt.
I like Liselotte Onee-sama. I love her. Though maybe it would be an exaggeration to
say that I’m in love with her, I think.

But, I still love and respect her anyway.

When I first met her, if I’m going to be honest, I was a little frightened of her.

Onee-sama is the ideal noblewoman, who never left a gap in her armour. As a
commoner, that perfect blend of elegance, lineage, appearance and merit was actually
a bit scary to come up against.

Also, those beautiful purple eyes that I have never seen anyone other than Onee-sama
and Marquis Riefenstahl with, that mysterious shade of violet always looked so
beautiful, so serious and so fierce. I was convinced I would always be afraid of them.

But one day, I noticed her gaze when she was watching over Prince Siegward, like a
playful kitten watching a ball of yarn.

And after seeing that, as I thought back on everything I found scary whenever she
confronted me, I realized she wasn’t just tsun, there was a dere side to her as well.

Onee-sama was a truly good person, but the problem was that when she was nervous
or embarrassed, her language suddenly got stubborn and harsh to try and hide that.
Though, that was part of her cuteness.

She generously gave me a wand, uniforms, lecture notebooks, hair accessories, dresses
and even helped me study.

When she found out I was related to her, she immediately accepted me into her family.
She even made me her younger sister.
But for me, who felt like I had just been given the cutest Onee-sama in the world, I
wanted to do something to return the favour as well.

“Hey, Finne? Could I ask something of you? There was something I was hoping you
could do for me…”

So, the moment Onee-sama asked me, my mouth moved before even thinking.

“Yes! Anything you want, Onee-sama!”

As I forcefully answered her, Onee-sama smiled happily. It was a refined and elegant
smile, but there was something sexy about it too. How lovely.

“Thank you. But, it isn’t anything too difficult. However, it will require you to stay quiet
and behave yourself for a while.”

Instead of telling me what the reason was, she simply stood up and walked me over to
the room’s big walk-in closet.

As I stood next to her, I looked up slightly confused, but she gently stroked my head.

“You’re a good girl, right? Listen, Finne. No matter what happens from now on, you
can’t make a sound, okay? Just be quiet and listen, can you do it?”

As she talked to me, I nodded repeatedly, intoxicated by her hand that ran through my
hair.

I’ll be a good girl. I won’t talk. I won’t run rampant. I’ll behave myself. Definitely!

I didn’t know whether or not that determination was reflected well in my eyes or not.

But, as she looked at me, she nodded firmly as she closed the doors.

So, that’s how I got into this shameful situation.

Onee-sama had ensnared both myself and Bard-senpai.

Whilst Onee-sama had coaxed Bard-senpai into confessing that he loved me, I struggled
with all my might to stay quiet like Onee-sama had told me too in the closet.

“Please believe me, Miss Finne. I truly do love you, with all my heart. When you aren’t
by my side, there’s no colour in the world. When you aren’t standing next to me, the
world loses its lustre. When I can’t see your smile, this world doesn’t feel worth living
in. That’s what I feel in my heart. I love you. But these words, are they even enough to
express what’s raging inside of me?”

And now, Bard-senpai was attacking me directly.

Please stop.

“Wait, wait, just wait a minute…”

As I barely managed to squeak a voice out, Bard-senpai finally fell silent.

Suddenly being pulled out of the closet like that, should I apologize for eavesdropping?
Or should I pretend I didn’t hear anything? Even though I was still confused and didn’t
even know what to say, Bard-senpai had suddenly opened up with a barrage of
passionate feelings like that.

That he didn’t care about inheriting the House, that he truly only loved me, he told me
that directly.

You… Aren’t you usually the stoic kind of character!?

I was so frustrated I wanted to blurt that out. As I faced his onslaught of feelings, I felt
like I was in a battle.

Should I kill him? If I didn’t, would I die from embarrassment first?

“Bard-senpai, do you just not have any idea of the meaning of shame…? How can you
just say things like that so easily…?”

When I finally let that spill out, Bard-senpai just looked slightly confused as he asked
me back.

“Because if we’ve already come this far, what’s the point of being ashamed anymore?
Of course, I’m nervous, but how should I put it, it’s like the excitement of being in a
difficult battle? In a desperate situation, wouldn’t you agree that the best thing to do
is to throw away your defenses and focus on the attack?”

Ah, right, this guy was a battle junkie.

Whilst I’m also the type that burns brightest in a pinch, I didn’t exactly think of
applying something like that outside of a battle, and especially not in a situation like
this. But, well, maybe it could work in theory?

“This truly is such a desperate situation for me, Miss Finne, because I really do love
you. I’m begging you, please let me stand by your side.”

So, as Bard-senpai kept my other hand in his, I clutched at my forehead with my other.

Even if you say that…

Even if you beg like that…

“I… I’m still a little confused. I don’t dislike you at all, Bard-senpai. Actually, um, right…
I like you, I think.”

Although my voice trailed off towards the end, as I somehow managed to get it out,
Bard-senpai’s face suddenly lit up. Uh oh. There’s so much hope in those eyes.

“But! Something like marriage or engagement, right now it’s absolutely impossible!”

When I told him that in a panic, Bard-senpai nodded calmly. Wait, he understands…?

“I… I’ve always lived as a commoner until now. To us, marriage is something you go
through with a person you’ve loved for years… Ha… But even if there are some people
who don’t go through with it, their relationship still reaches a point where they feel
safe living together with each other first, then maybe after that, um, they think
about…”

As I spoke uneasily, Bard-senpai slowly nodded on every syllable.

“That would make sense. I wouldn’t ask you to throw away your own common sense,
either. Even if I was ordered to marry someone else for the sake of the house other
than Miss Finne, I’d flee into the mountains. But, if you truly don’t hate me, then I
would like to propose marrying using your idea.”
That was how he replied.

No, but, there’s no way anyone would normally accept a proposal in a crazy situation
like this? Besides, if I accept, Marquis Riefenstahl would be so over the moon that I
don’t think I’d ever be able to break up with him without breaking his heart as well…?
But, it’s not like I really hate the idea of having a relationship though…!

As I fretted on the spot, Bard-senpai just silently looked straight at me.

Ahh, I get it, it’s all up to my decision, then?

I hate this. It’s too hard.

Ahh, jeez, someone, anyone, help me!

Help me, somebody… Help me, Gods…!!

[Ahh… if only they could hear us…]

[We’re just outfielders if Sieg isn’t here, huh…? Seriously, if only they could hear us.
These two are way too serious…]

Suddenly, I could hear the <Voices> of a man and a woman.

Eh? What? Who? Where?

…Above us?

[I guess the protection I gave Baru is working well, if we can see his actions like this…]

I heard the man’s voice again. Yeah, he’s definitely above me. But, when I looked up,
all I could see was the ceiling.

[It’d be nice if they could get along even without us…]

[Right? Well, even if worst comes to worst, Finne can go rely on Aru at the church for
help, or go down the commoner route and maybe become adventurers with Baru,
right? Even if they don’t become Marquis and Marquise, they can still get married, it’d
just be a little more normal…]
“Hey, stop, just… wait a minute.”

Not being able to silently listen to the voices of those two anymore, I raised my voice.

[Oh?]

[What’s this?]

The voices from above suddenly stopped.

Bard-senpai looked at me like I was crazy.

He wasn’t looking up at all.

“Um, those two voices from a while ago, don’t tell me… I’m the only one who heard
them?”

I asked Bard-senpai just in case, but he still just stared at me strangely.

“Two… voices?”

“You know, the man and the woman… Huh? Wait, wasn’t this what Prince Siegward
was talking about…? The Voice of God thing…?”

As I talked, I suddenly realized the possibility and couldn’t stop myself saying it.

[OHHH, IT’S FINALLY HAPPENED, FINNE HAS AWOKEEEEEEN!?]

[Has she really awoken!? Finne-chan, if you can hear us, give us a signal! Just give us a
wink!]

…Wink.

“What the…? Cute.”

It seemed like that wink, that I was trying to signal the supposed Gods with, actually
had an effect on Bard-senpai as well.

I heard something strange from Bard-senpai’s mouth again.

[She can really hear us! I’m Endo, the Play-By-Play Commentator!]

[I’m Kobayashi, the Colour Commentator! You don’t need to reply to us, just listen to
our voices!]

“Why did you do something so cute…? If you do something like that, you’re only going
to make me love you more… Why…? I feel like I should hunt down a dragon…?”

The great <The Play-By-Play Endo> and <Colour Commentator Kobayashi>! No doubt
about it, these were the two Gods the Crown Prince was talking about!

Even though I was convinced by that, the first thing I had to do was stop Bard-senpai,
who was slowly spinning out of control. Why was this guy so restless?

“No, please stop. There’s no point in doing something so dangerous.”

After soothing him down a little, Bard-senpai, who had shot up to his feet before, knelt
back down to look at me again.

[That’s right, don’t worry about us! Do your best to talk to Baldur, Finne!]

[It doesn’t seem as if Baldur truly cares at all about the succession. How about
confirming that with him first?]

It’s true that Bard-senpai had said something like that a couple of times. Receiving
support from the voices of the Gods, I spoke.

“Bard-senpai… What if I… If I told you that I was afraid of becoming the Marquise,
what would you do?”

“Then, we can escape from this country together. Fortunately, both you and I are
skilled warriors. We can live wherever we want.”

The part that I was most uneasy about was paved over so simply.

There was something so honest in Bard-senpai’s words that I wanted to cry.

“…Bard-senpai, is that really fine?”

Even if he thought it was okay and I was happy with it, I couldn’t let Bard-senpai
overdo it.

As I asked him that fearfully, once again he answered so simply.

“When I believed that you were still a commoner, I was prepared to abandon the name
of Riefenstahl for your sake. I would never want to put you through any hardships,
Miss Finne, but if the House you succeed isn’t comfortable for you, then it’s worthless.
So long as Miss Finne can smile, then I am happy.”

“…Don’t you think it’s unfair, being able to say something like that with a straight face?”

“It’s only because I’m so desperate.”

Desperate? Really?

From how calmly he was telling me all this, I wanted to tell him it definitely didn’t
sound like it. But, somehow, those words let me relax a little bit.

“Is that so? Then… that’s fine.”

As I got pulled into this absurd atmosphere, I said that with a sigh.

Oh, damn it, I don’t think he got it.

Bard-senpai still looked confused.

“For the time being, let’s put all the marriage talk aside and just get along for now,
okay? About being together with me, I accept.”

As I felt a weight fall off my shoulders as I laughed, for some reason only after all that
did the knight in front of me blush.
In the end, we couldn’t finish the game before the end of the summer holidays, so even
after the new term began both at school and at Kobayashi-san’s house, we would still
be aiming at the <Greatest Happy Ending>.

Today was the first day after the beginning of the summer semester. “Let’s have a
strategy meeting!” Kobayashi-san suddenly declared as we were eating our
convenience store bought lunches at her place, since classes were only on for a half
day.

<The Grand Council of the Gods Who Hold the Fate of Another World in their Hands>
she may have called it, but I still thought it was a pretty cool name for what was
basically just two high school students having a chat over lunch.

“Now then, the time in the world of the game is about to move into autumn, so if the
event with the Ancient Witch happens at the autumn festival just like in the game, then
we need to take this time to build up the forces backing up Finne, right?”

Kobayashi-san said that with a surprisingly serious look all of a sudden.

But, she was right. At the end of autumn, during the festival, the monster will be
resurrected. Even if we can get rid of the risk that Liselotte will become possessed by
it and transform, we have to be ready for anything.

“Our best bet would be to get the remaining two capture targets on our side, then we
would have the same strength as the reverse harem from the game so it should be an
easy win… But, saying that…”

Taking the chocolate pudding off the desk, Kobayashi said that with a difficult
expression.

“Some kind of problem?”

“Yeah, I mean, going by the game those two had to be aggressively pursued to capture
them, it’s not as if they would be interested in Finne from the start, right?”

Kobayashi pressed her hand against her cheek as she mulled the words over.

“The last two are the oldest and youngest characters, there are the older teacher Leon-
sensei and the shota character Fabian Ortenburg, the son of a viscount… or Fabian-
kun, but… Fabian-kyun is still just a child and he’s pretty innocent in his route, so it
might not be too hard to have him lend the party a hand, but Leon… well…”

Since my only real memories were of the reverse harem route, the main thing I
remembered about these two guys were how they fought. Fabian was the glass cannon
type, with low defense but high magical power, with all sorts of loud and flashy attacks.
Leon, meanwhile, uses a lot of status magic like paralysis, sleep and poison, as well as
direct stat debuffs like lowering enemy defense. They would both be invaluable in
battle.

“Is Leon really that troublesome of a guy?”

I was always a little wary of him, since he definitely seemed like the always smiling
but secretly two-faced type, but I never got the impression he was such a bad guy he’d
abandon a student in need. Wouldn’t it be fine to try and ask him for help? Seeing the
confused look on my face, Kobayashi-san sighed before continuing.

“Leon-sensei, how should I put it, he’s the kind of character who likes to hide his true
nature. He was the son of a mistress who was separated from his mother by his father,
who sought an heir, but once his real wife gave birth to a true son, he was cast aside.
So, in order to avoid the dangerous world of politics and high society, he withdrew
from the path that had been set up for him to become a high ranking court mage to
become a teacher instead. That was strange enough for such a talented person… In
other words, Leon-sensei is trying to hide his true power in order to avoid attention
from his old house and high society in general… In order to convince him to do
otherwise, there’d have to be something drastic, like, say, falling in love with Finne-
chan…”

“Well, that’s not gonna happen now, huh…?”

Since Baldur and Finne were going together so well now, Finne wasn’t exactly going
to try and tempt another man and we definitely didn’t want to force her to either.

In the first place, Leon supposedly wasn’t the kind of person to pursue a romance with
a girl who is engaged, or at least is seemingly going to be engaged, with a person that
she loves.

“So, what I’m saying is it will be hard to get absolutely everyone on side…?”

Kobayashi-san rested her elbows on the desk as her chin sank into her hands sadly.

“But, the Ancient Witch, I think it’s sort of a demon, right?”

I decided to double check on something that has been bothering me for a little while.

“I guess?”

Kobayashi-san didn’t seem to have much motivation as she began to slowly eat her
pudding.

“If the witch is left alone then, she might not just destroy the country but the entire
world, right?”

“That was one of the bad ends, yeah.”

“…Then, why is something so important only left to students to deal with?”

Kobayashi-san looked like she hadn’t ever considered it before as I finally let the
question on my mind out.

“That’s right… If you really think about it, isn’t it strange that children are the ones left
to solve a national crisis like that!?”

Realizing what I mean, Kobayashi-san suddenly shouted that after jumping up from
the desk.

Right. It was fine if it was just a game, but if this was a reality now, then this was the
kind of thing that the adults in charge of the country should be confronting with their
full strength before it became a grave situation.

Well, Leon-sensei is an adult, but he’s still only twenty-four years old, so basically, the
party assembled to fight the final battle was made up of only young people. I don’t
think there would be any government or military that would actually order something
like that, so it seems a bit strange.
“Thinking about it normally, wouldn’t they have other people deal with it? Like the
police or the knights? Or why not the whole army? In any case, the adults in power
should be the ones to fight, right?”

As a story for a game, it was beautiful to see teenagers overcoming an apocalyptic evil
with their own power, but it didn’t really make any sense realistically. It was impossible,
even. It could never be allowed to happen.

Thinking about what I said, Kobayashi-san kept nodding over and over again.

“Right… That’s right… Actually, since it’s Liselotte and Finne who are in danger,
shouldn’t their father be the one to intervene…?”

Kobayashi-san looked deadly serious.

“Liselotte and Finne’s father, or rather, the most important general in the country with
all of his men. If we can get them to help, wouldn’t that be far more helpful than a
single Leon-sensei, no matter how strong he might be? Finne seems much stronger
right now than in the reverse harem route as well.”

Definitely, when it came to mental and physical strength, all the main characters
actually seem quite reliable right now.

Finne was a crazy gorilla, Baldur was training even harder to keep up with that Gorilla
Finne and the Crown Prince had already asked for Baldur’s help earlier. It seems like
Liselotte has been happily training alongside Finne ever since they came to live
together and Art, who looks like he has been browbeaten into becoming one of
Liselotte’s followers, has been learning how to become an Acolyte of the Punch just
like Finne. They can definitely win.

Kobayashi-san, following my train of thought, slowly began to smile.

“Alright then, let’s give up on Leon-sensei! Our immediate strategy is to get Rizepapa
to participate in the fight against the witch, and also invite Fabian-kyun into the
party!”

So, that’s our plan. As I nodded to agree with the strategy, Kobayashi-san suddenly
looked as if she realized something.

“But, for this, who are we going to have do it…?”

The two people who can currently hear our voices were Siegward and Finne. The
person we would have to ask to do it would be one or the other.

“We should have Finne ask General Riefenstahl for help, right? That old man, when it
comes to his new daughter… Since she’s the <Lovely Daughter of My Beloved Older
Brother> to him, he loves talking to her every chance he can get. Besides, he’d be more
motivated to do something for a cute girl than for Siegward, anyways.”

As I suggested that, Kobayashi-san nodded along.

“I think you’re right? Then, when it comes to Fabian-kyun, we should ask Siegward, I
guess?”

I think that’s fine.

We can take advantage of the Crown Prince’s influence to make an invitation he can’t
refuse.

So, I nodded again.

“Alright then, let’s get this strategy going straight away!”

Whilst uttering a quick apology to Leon-sensei in my head, I stood up as Kobayashi-

san jumped up from the table excitedly.

Sorry, Leon-sensei. With just one meeting, we smashed your opportunity to show off
and fall in love with a pretty girl.

Well, then again, maybe Leon-sensei shouldn’t really be falling in love with a fifteen
year old Finne in the first place, that lolicon…