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“Rosette. You can be honest. We weren’t exactly close.”
“Whaaat? Ari, you’re still the same, aren’t you?”
“…….”
“So blunt! I thought you’d change once you started working in the real world… Well, I mean you have integrity, which is nice to see!”
She basically called her a social misfit and then tried to sugarcoat it.
“And you’re right. I actually have a dark and dangerous motive… is not the case at all! I just wanted to see if you could get me out of here a bit early.”
“You mean the rescue?”
“Yeah! What are old classmates for, anyway!”
There was a set order for the rescue. I had personally handpicked people after receiving the mansion’s employee roster, and it would be problematic if this Rosette friend tried to cut in line. Fortunately, Arianne flatly refused.
“Sorry. That’s not my responsibility, so I don’t think I can help you with that.”
“Ari. Don’t you think you’re being a bit too cold, considering the years we spent together?”
Rosette pouted openly, making no effort to hide her disappointment.
“I’ll at least ask the others in my party.”
Realizing that Arianne was just being polite, Rosette’s brow furrowed even deeper.
“It’s not like it’s that hard. You said you’re going to rescue everyone anyway. Then the order shouldn’t really matter, right? It’s not like the world will end just because I get out a little faster!”
“You only have to wait a little bit, so is there a reason you need to leave so quickly?”
Arianne asked out of genuine curiosity, but her words must have hit a nerve because Rosette momentarily bit her lip. It was only for a second, though, and she quickly went back to acting nonchalant.
“I just hate being here! Wouldn’t you feel the same?”
After offering a plausible excuse, Rosette hurriedly changed the subject.
“Oh! There was something else I wanted to ask you. Is it true that Sir Hereis is part of the investigation team?”
“…….”
Embarrassed, Arianne cooled her flushed cheeks with her cold hands and nodded.
“Wow, it must be destiny. Can’t you introduce me to him sometime?”
“If there’s an opportunity.”
“Aww~ that just means you’re not going to do it.”
-This is why quick-witted friends are…
Just then, Rosette’s eyes narrowed into crescent moons.
“Wait, do you… have something going on with Sir Hereis? Is that why you don’t want to introduce him to another girl?”
“No.”
As his name was mentioned, the protagonist’s hands began to sweat. Uh-oh. I felt like the hand holding my torso was starting to slip. Don’t tell me…?
-Ah, I guess the affection isn’t high enough.
-The hit it took last time must have been big.
-The “No” came out instantly lol.
Hmm. There are several events where heroines are asked what their relationship with the protagonist is. These usually occur when a heroine’s friend, like Rosette, asks. If the affection level is high…
“I-It’s not exactly like that…”
Or
“W-We aren’t in that kind of relationship!”
She would have shown a flustered reaction. And if we had already gone through a “confirming feelings” event…
“That’s right. No one should be by Sir Hereis’s side except for me. Just try it. I’ll kill you. Even if it’s you, I might not make an exception…”
Oops, did I just think of an example that was too extreme? For the record, that was one of Mina’s lines. Anyway, a flat-out denial like that meant her affection wasn’t particularly high.
“Oh, really? I just wondered. There were so many people back at the Academy who paired you with Sir Hereis. But you’ve never even spoken to him, right?”
“Yeah…”
-Lol three times is a bit much.
-At least they did talk though lol.
“I don’t know why everyone was like that. I don’t think you and Sir Hereis look good together at all.”
“…….”
“A relationship between a man and a woman needs balance. Sir Hereis… how should I put it? He seems like he’d suit a modest, demure woman. Oh, and of course, the same goes for you! I just mean it’s a bit much if both people are knights.”
-“Modest,” she says.
-I get what she means, but her choice of words is a bit much.
“Rosette. I’m sorry, but the Countess has invited us for breakfast, so I should probably go get ready.”
“Oh my, I must have lost track of time. I was just so happy to see you after all this time. You know how I feel, right?”
-Like hell she does.
-Get lost.
“Then, excuse me.”
“And please keep in mind what I asked earlier!”
Rosette left after one final plea. Even though we heard the door close, the protagonist and Ilian still hadn’t thought about climbing back up. Wouldn’t staying here make the atmosphere even weirder?
“Should we just drop from here?”
Kalat spouted some nonsense. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a terrible idea.
“That sounds like a great plan. Then I’ll go first…”
Just as Ilian looked down and was about to let go, the window burst open.
“Ah.”
Arianne looked down at the four of us dangling there with a pathetic expression.
“Are you not coming up? You’re making this embarrassing.”
We awkwardly scrambled back through the window… Throughout the entire conversation with Rosette, Arianne had remained calm enough to handle the provocations cleanly, but it seemed the embarrassment had finally caught up to her. She was avoiding our eyes, her cheeks flushed as she crossed her arms.
‘The atmosphere is so awkward.’
The eyes of everyone in the party except Arianne met in mid-air. Ilian tapped Kalat on the shoulder, gesturing for him to do something. Being the most thick-skinned among us, Kalat laughed sheepishly and slowly shuffled toward the door.
“…Ahaha. Well, I think our plan is all set. No one has anything else to say, right?”
Ilian waved his hand in agreement.
“Right, right. We’re all done.”
“Right? Well then, I’ll be going! Haha! Rest well, everyone, and see you in a bit~.”
With that, we hurried out, exchanging silent glances before heading to our respective rooms.
Breakfast with the Countess was uneventful. It was so dull that Kalat’s useless dad jokes and the Countess’s praises of my appearance were the highlights.
“Um…”
“I think you need to explain what’s going on…”
Ah. Today’s guests had finally arrived. Following the plan, I stood at the main gate with the protagonist to escort the mansion’s employees to the safe zone. Turning my thoughts back to those calling me, I saw six eyes shaking with anxiety.
Wait. Six? I thought I told them to send only two people on the first day as a test. The man who had spoken timidly seemed to notice our suspicious looks and spoke in a small voice.
“Well, the butler said that considering the number of people in the mansion, it would take more than ten days to rescue everyone, so he told the three of us to go…”
“…The butler said that?”
“Yes…”
“I-Is that not okay?”
The protagonist remained silent, as if leaving the decision to me.
“One more person is fine. Well then, let’s head out.”
-As expected of the Saintess.
-She stays calm even in unexpected situations.
The way the man’s eyes were darting around made it obvious he was lying, but I ignored it for now and walked toward the gate. The protagonist quickly opened it for me.
Creeeeeak—
The iron barred gate opened with an unpleasant metallic screech. As I was about to step out, the three of them frantically blocked my path.
“W-Wait! Is it just us? We heard there were five people guarding us!”
That was a lie to give the other three freedom to move—to make it look like they had left the mansion so they could search in peace.
Whoa, startled me. That was the protagonist’s monologue. This was the problem with being close to him—I couldn’t know what was happening on the other side.
‘I just have to trust them.’
I only hoped they wouldn’t cause any trouble.
“We’re traveling with a minimum number of people considering the size of the barrier. The Vice-Commander of the Imperial Knights here will be your escort, so don’t worry.”
“Oh! Are you truly the famous Sir Hereis?”
“If it’s Sir Hereis, isn’t he the heir to the renowned Rubel Ducal House?”
-Gasp.
-Not anymore lol.
“Rask, you idiot! Haven’t you heard the latest news? Sigh, I’m sorry… this boy hasn’t learned much.”
The protagonist forced a smile and replied that it was fine.
-That’s a “smiling through the pain” face T_T.
I couldn’t tell if the protagonist was actually hurt since it didn’t show in his monologue, but the employees finally seemed relieved and their attitudes became more cooperative.
It certainly does. I watched the three of them closely—the first passengers on the Belita Rescue Ship. There was a bright young woman, a shaggy-haired man who looked cowardly, and an older man who acted like a gentleman. Their names were Jamie, Rask, and Liam, and they were all mansion employees. Except for Rask, the other two were people I had carefully handpicked.
‘The story has to progress, after all.’
The reason I specifically chose Jamie and Liam was that they were fairly important characters in the Saintess route’s Garain County event. Most of the people currently working for the Count’s family have no idea the Countess caused this mess. However…
‘Those two know. They are people who watched the Countess’s atrocities and kept silent.’
They were also her accomplices, the ones she trusted. Originally, they were destined to be found as corpses due to the Countess’s schemes, but Ivanke, the Saintess who saw the future, would save them. Later, Ivanke would win them over and get them to confess about the Countess’s crimes.
‘The Countess remained silent even after her arrest, so their testimony was a huge help.’
I planned to use the two of them just like Ivanke did.
“Um, is it really safe outside? Wouldn’t it actually be safer inside the mansion…?”
Jamie asked cautiously.
-It’s natural to worry.
-But you have to break out of your shell.
-It’s fine outside.
“It’s fine for now. The demonic energy is spreading slower than expected.”
“Is that true?”
The protagonist’s blunt answer seemed to reassure her slightly.
“B-But still…”
Even after being told it was safe, entering a fog filled with demonic energy wasn’t easy. The three employees hesitated to move. It would be faster if I just showed them. I stepped outside the barrier immediately.
“See? I’m fine, right? You just need to stay inside this blue barrier around me. You must never step out.”
-As expected, the Saintess leads by example.
-She’s personally showing them.
Summoning her courage, Jamie took the first step.
“Here goes!”
Naturally, nothing happened.
“Oh! It really is okay!”
“Is it true, Jamie? You don’t feel anything weird or anything?”
“I don’t! Everyone can come in!”
“Ooh… I’m glad I didn’t end up like Hans.”
-Who’s Hans now?
Liam shuffled into the barrier, still a bit doubtful.
“Aaagh! Jamie, let go!”
And finally, Rask, who had been trembling and stalling until the very end, was dragged in by Jamie. I warned them once more not to stray too far from my side, and we were finally able to leave the estate…
“I’m not sure if it’s okay for me to leave first.”
“Are you worried about the Countess?”
“Hehe. I suppose so. I’ve been serving her most closely for the past few years. I wonder if she’ll be okay without me…”
Perhaps because the tension had eased, the survivors began to chat.
“The Countess isn’t a child, you know.”
“Oh, Rask. I know that! I was just saying.”
Then, feeling a touch, I turned my head.
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The Gloomy Maid in the Teen Romance Simulation Game is Actually A Guy
Chapter 35 / 112