Yes, Let’s Run Away [R-18]

Title: Yes, Let’s Run Away

Original: Sōda, shuppon shiyou

Author: ニノハラ　リョウ Ryo Ninohara

Link: https://novel18.syosetu.com/n7470hw/

Summary: After tumbling down the stairs in an attempt to save my friend, I regained the memory of my previous life. Thus, I decided to leave my fiancé—who’d be having an affair with a baron’s daughter (presumably the heroine) and ran away.

…But, the fiancé in question chased after me?

---

“—Arusha!!!”

Along with that scream of impatience, I lost my footing.

In the next moment, I saw that the unsteady Leticia was no longer in my arms. Her fiancée—the crown prince—had rushed to her aid. Her feet were firmly planted on the ground, whereas mine weren’t.

As a wave of relief washed over me, gravity claimed my body, and with a thud, a strong impact that left a lasting mark took away my consciousness.

When I woke up, I could see the white ceiling.

The room had a hint of disinfectant, perhaps to keep it clean.

I sluggishly woke up and looked around, only to realize that I was sleeping on a simple bed. On my right, there was a window with a lace curtain. On the left, there was a white cubicle curtain.

“Yikes, how cliché…”

An unladylike word escaped my mouth.

…I mean, to remember your previous life after falling unconscious? 

—That’s just too cliché!

In my previous life, I was the so-called corporate slave. Every day, in the early morning, I’d drag my body up the stairs of the station. Of course, it was to return home. I was the company’s livestock.

Even after I got home, I couldn’t go to sleep. After taking a shower, I’d have to go back to the office. Again, the so-called corporate slave.

Amidst my drowsiness, a woman entered the periphery of my vision. The way she wobbled on the stairs caught my attention. 

Is she alright…?

It happened when that woman had overtaken me—

—a man who was on his way down bumped on her, and she toppled over.

From there, it was like slow motion.

Due to the impact, she lost her balance, and fell backwards.

Left as it was, she’d end up rolling down the stairs.

Thus, I grabbed her arm and drew her towards me. But in the next moment, I found myself falling alongside her.

The pale face of the man who caused all of this entered my vision. He remained frozen in his place, his hands forever stuck in the loose pants pockets without any intention to reach out to me.

Somehow, my mind was calm.

Unable to defy gravity, I crashed onto the floor, and the memory of my previous life ended there.

…Perhaps, the fall was fatal. Even if that world had advanced medical technology, it’d still take time before help could reach me.  

After all, that world isn’t as versatile as this one, where people can use healing magic and treat someone right away.

Then, I guess the reason why I was saved this time was because someone casted a healing spell after I fell…

That dizzy woman and the man who bumped into her left a bad aftertaste…

—Even so, it’s twice that I’d fallen down the stairs, and not to mention, in a pretty similar situation!

The stairs sure are scary…

While processing the memories of my previous life, I tried to compare them with the memories of this life.

In this life, I was Arusha Stein, the eldest daughter of Margrave Stein. I was born in a family of four. I had a muscle-head father, a healer of a mother, and a brother who was more or less the same as my father.

However, there was a reason for it.

Our territory was adjacent to the Black Forest; a place rampant with monsters—and it was the duty of the margrave to subjugate them.

Therefore, the head of the margrave family would serve as the captain of the frontier knights, and receive training in martial arts from childhood. From an early age, both my father and older brother were trained by the burly men of the subjugation unit. The muscle-headedness was the side effect.

As for my mother, she was formerly a baron’s daughter. After her talent in healing magic became known, she was married into the margrave family.

In terms of status, my father—the eldest son of a high-ranking margrave family—was an equivalent of a marquis in the royal capital. Meanwhile, my mother was merely a baron’s daughter with nothing to her name. As a matter of course, their marriage caused a stir. 

…Nevertheless, it was a harsh frontier, where status was but a secondary matter. What was important was how she’d contribute to the subjugation.

Thus, the margrave family accepted my mother who was a low-ranking noble, yet an exceptional healer nonetheless.

After hearing my story, some might speculate that it was merely a political marriage to win over a talented healer. However, to my surprise, it was a marriage of love! Not to mention, one that involved the entire academy that the nobility attended at the time.

Due to her aptitude for healing magic, along with her magical prowess, my mother was famous as a “saint” in her academy. As a result, she was coveted by the second prince, the duke’s son, and a merchant’s son. 

As a side note, the second prince was a handsome youth with blond hair and blue eyes at the time. 

As for the duke’s son, he was the cool type with silver hair and blue eyes. …And as of the present, he was this hot uncle who was also the head of the duke family, and also Leticia’s father.

Meanwhile, the son of a merchant, who was a year younger than my mother, had brown hair and green eyes. Now, he’d become a fine gentleman… Weird, right?

Well, true to the cliché, my mother was bullied by other female students because of how popular she was. Afterwards, she ended up with my father, a muscle-headed and hot-tempered hunk. They got married right after graduation. Even if she was my mother, I couldn’t outright say if I understood her preferences…

Still, I wouldn’t judge. Each to their own, right? Besides, if not for them, I wouldn’t be born. Furthermore, it seemed that those other than my father were already engaged. If my mother had chosen any of them, she’d have to face the wrath of his fiancée, who excelled in politics. 

…As expected of high-ranking aristocrats, right?

If that was the case, then chaos would definitely ensue. Honestly, choosing my father was the best possible outcome.

—Also… Which otome game is this? 

I tried to find the answer in the memory of my previous life.

In my previous life, I seldom played that kind of game. Nevertheless, I’d often read a certain novel posting site during my commute, and was fond of the ‘otome isekai’ genre.

…Although, I only said that because the heroine was usually the “villainess”.

In this case, my mother sounded like one of those kind-hearted heroines who suffered from bullying…

Leaving aside my mother’s backstory, there was something more urgent that I had to think about. 

Right now, I had a lingering suspicion—

—and that suspicion was…

…At that moment, I sensed another presence outside the curtained window.

Since the room was intended for sick students to rest, it faced the backyard, which was seldom visited by people.

Therefore, I had a reason to believe that they deliberately chose such a place to keep their activities secret.

Upon gently removing the drape to take a peek, as expected, I saw a pair of man and woman in an intimate atmosphere. 

…Ah, it’s a tryst.

The girl tugged at the boy’s cuff, seemingly appealing for something serious.

Due to the distance, I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but her tears seemed to incite the gentleman’s urge to protect her.

Thus, the man responded with a word or two.

Overwhelmed with emotions, the woman covered her face and leaped into his chest.

Unable to watch it any longer, I averted my gaze and drew the curtain.

It wasn’t because I wanted to give them some privacy, but more so because that man was my fiancé.

Indeed—that marvelous sight just now? It was none other than the sight of my fiancé having an affair!

With that in mind, my lingering suspicion was confirmed. 

…Could this world—or rather, this current timeline—be the second season of a certain otome game?

After all, I recognized the backstory of his affair partner.

Until recently, she was living as a commoner. But soon after, her hidden magical talent blossomed, and she’d proven herself to have a great aptitude for healing magic. In fact, she became a hot topic from the moment she enrolled in this academy.

…Yeah, I think she’s the heroine.

Moreover, she was also very adorable-looking, with strawberry blonde hair and round garnet eyes. Exuding an atmosphere akin to a tiny creature, many men strove to protect her.

I mean, her hair color alone already confirmed that she’s the heroine.

Even so, I still didn’t expect to see pink hair in real life…

Upon attending this academy, a student would be educated for three years from the age of 16 to 18. Even commoners could enroll as long as they possessed the necessary skills. It was a place for one to learn everything that was necessary for their future; ranging from academics and territory management, or even martial arts and magic.

Despite spending my entire childhood in the territory, I traveled all the way to the royal capital to attend that academy. Of course, the same went for my brother. My brother mainly studied territory management, while I studied magic in general—especially healing magic—which I had shown aptitude for. 

…That’s right, I also have healing skills.

What a way to write a distinctive character… not.

At the same time, I couldn’t help but think that this characterization was causing the current situation. If this really was the world of otome games, would the specifications change depending on the capture target?

That was how an otome game was usually like, right? As a player, you’d be required to raise some specific parameters to win over a certain capture target.

I don’t know…

Finally, the fiancé in question was the eldest son of a marquis who resided at the royal capital. His name was Rufus Turan. Not only was he the same age as my brother, who was 18-years-old, they matched each other in terms of strength.

After all, the Turan family itself was a warrior family that’d served as a knight commander for generations. It went without saying that the current knight commander was Rufus’ father.

A handsome man with silvery hair and dark blue eyes. Yes, I have to repeat—he’s handsome. Considering that this was the world of an otome game, I bet he was one of the capture targets. Perhaps, he was the cool and aloof type, ’cause’ he was a man of few words.

Looking back, he was really aloof. Even if I spoke to him, he’d answer with, “Okay.” or “I see.”

Even so, “I” still loved him… Well, my former self did…

After all, even if he was like that, we’d often meet from time to time, correspond, and go on dates… As such, I had no reason to doubt our relationship, but…

About half a year ago, the presumed heroine started chasing after a high-ranking aristocrat—or to put it bluntly, the crown prince, who was in the same grade as my brother and Rufus. As a result, I was summoned by Rufus.

Then, he informed me.

“From now on, there may be rumors about a certain woman. However, it’ll only be half a year until my graduation, so I ask for your understanding.”

—But when asked for details… 

“It has nothing to do with you.”

I was subsequently told to leave.

Despite being born in a margrave family, I was the reserved type… Was what I hoped to say. But in reality, I was just this meek person who was too afraid to assert my opinion, so I didn’t say anything back. 

After that, he no longer sent me any letters or gifts, let alone invite me out… 

…Following that, rumors about his meeting with the presumed heroine began to circulate.

I was dejected—truly so. How could someone I love treat me like this? I wailed…

Apparently, those words were his silent admission to the fact that he was seeing someone else behind my back.

To make matters worse, the political implications made it impossible for me to annul our engagement.

In addition, I wasn’t a villainess that’d drive a wedge between the two… Because of that, people had been gossiping about me.

I guess being told, “I’ll never love you.” On the first night was way worse? But considering that our first night had yet to come, the possibility still stood.

I sighed deeply.

After tumbling down the stairs, the memories of my previous life also resurged at full force, leaving me rattled. As if that wasn’t enough, I had to witness my fiancée flirting with another woman.

I sighed again.

What did I do to deserve this…?

Since I died saving someone else, at least give me a better life!

…Ah, I was starting to lose faith in everything.

With such an unfaithful man as my future husband, only misery awaited me. It didn’t even matter if he did it “before marriage.”

People’s feelings didn’t just change over time. In the first place, those who cheat at this stage were likely to cheat even after marriage. The cool-looking older sister (Alafor), whom I often met at the tavern, said that!

If it was my former self, she might silently endure it. After all, to her, a political marriage was part of an aristocrat’s duty. But now that I’d regained my memories, I couldn’t take it anymore!

Since it was a political marriage, I wouldn’t force him to love me, but to have an affair? At the very least, stay faithful to me! In the first place, it was a monogamous kingdom, so spare me the infidelity!

“…Yes, let’s run away.”

From the beginning, the purpose of the political marriage was to connect the marquis family with the margrave family, and also to bring in a decent healer (me) into the marquis family.

Due to their line of work, the warrior families were constantly injured. As a result, they seek connections with powerful healers. At the same time, competent healers were few at best.

…To put it simply, I was to be his family’s first-aid kit.

If that was the case, why didn’t I just adopt the heroine and matchmake the two? As a cream on top, she was also aiming to be a healer.

That way, the two would fall in love, get married, and have their happily ever after. As for me, I’d also be happy because I’d be spared from a loveless marriage.

—I mean, being unloved is just… sad, you know?

A single droplet of water rolled down my cheek.

It may have been a sliver of the feelings that I previously had for him. 

Then, there was a knock at the door, along with a voice asking to enter. Thus, I hurriedly wiped my cheeks and replied. My brother—Alfredo—emerged from the door.

“Oh! You’ve woken up! Are you in pain? Do you feel any discomfort? After all, you’ve received a tremendous amount of healing magic—or rather, defensive magic—so there shouldn’t be a scar left…”

“…I don’t feel any pain anywhere. Did I bleed? I feel somewhat dizzy, as if I’m anemic.”

I answered my brother, who seemed flustered.

…In truth, I knew I felt dizzy because my memories had returned.

“No, you hardly—actually, you didn’t bleed at all. If anything, Lady Leticia fainted upon witnessing your fall. Upon seeing that, His Highness made a fuss. Afterwards, someone used all their magic—the entire scene was just a mess.”

Hmm?

If I fell from that height and didn’t bleed, that’d be more dangerous…

What if it turns out that I have a brain hemorrhage!?

Although, it seemed that someone casted a healing spell on me—

—Anyway…

“Did they find out who pushed Lady Leticia?”

“Well, obviously? There’s no way His Highness would overlook someone who tried to harm Lady Leticia.”

That’s a relief, then.

Indeed, the fall itself wasn’t an accident, but the result of someone’s malice.

When Leticia and I were walking in the hallway near the stairs, someone pushed her from behind.

I tried to support her, only to fall alongside her. 

Eh? Isn’t that just like in my previous life? 

…Fortunately, I survived.

Otherwise, the fact that I died because of the stairs—again—with the only difference being that it happened earlier in this life would’ve brought tears to my eyes.

“I’m relieved to hear that.”

“The culprit is probably regretting it to death. Although, I doubt she’d be granted that…”

My brother spoke with a nasty grin.

The crown prince adored Leticia. 

Honestly, after being interrogated, the culprit better pray that she’d be granted a swift death. I pitied her—but then again, she did it to herself.

“Let’s wait for Rufus. He should arrive soon. After that, let’s go home. …Maybe, His Highness will give you an exclusive reward for helping Lady Leticia?”

“…I’m feeling unwell, so I want to go home right now, Brother.”

—If it was Rufus he was waiting for, then I was tempted to point at the backyard, but I’d just put up with it for now and go home.

…Why do I—the victim of this situation—have to wait until he’s finished with his tryst?

I felt so sorry for myself.

“But Rufus was really worried… At the very least, let him see that you’re safe and sound?”

Seeing that my brother was reluctant, I forced myself to sit up and spoke.

“…I want to go home as soon as possible so I can rest in my room.”

My brother rushed at me, which was staggering. At that moment, I embraced myself and pleaded to him in the most pitiful way possible.

“…If you’re that unwell, then it can’t be helped. Even if you’re unharmed, you must still be in shock from falling down the stairs. Alright, I shall carry you to the carriage!!”

“No, wait, Brother, nooo—!!”

Before I could refuse, my brother had carried me in the so-called princess carry.

I was so embarrassed; I lowered my face the entire time. Fortunately, we didn’t pass by anyone else on our way to the carriage, which was already waiting at the carriage stop. If possible, I didn’t want any more baseless rumors to spread.

After I had calmed down, my brother asked while staring straight at me.

“…How is your relationship with Rufus these days?”

I found myself gasping.

“…Well, who knows?”

I answered as flatly as possible, but my brother didn’t miss it. His next words shocked me.

“…About that, please be patient until next week, since he’ll be graduating. I’m sorry.”

Apparently, my brother was covering for him. 

What a shock.

—And here I thought that my brother loved me, but was I mistaken?

“…Are you asking me to turn a blind eye? Brother, if it’s Sister-in-Law—no, Lady Rosa, would you still say the same?”

Rosa was my brother’s fiancée, whom I admired as if she was my own older sister. At the mention of her name, my brother simply shrugged his shoulders.

“As a noble who serves the royal family, I can’t go against the orders from above.”

“…Is that so?”

In other words, was he saying that since they’d be married anyway because of the royal decree, it was justified that she’d want to fool around before marriage? 

Well, my brother and sister-in-law were childhood friends and lovers even before they got engaged. Therefore, their marriage wasn’t exactly political. In a sense, they were following their hearts.

Nevertheless, my sister-in-law was also a fine healer, making her a crucial part of the margrave family.

Perhaps, the engagement isn’t purely out of love, either…

So maybe that was why even if his fiancée cheated on her, he could just sweep it under the rug by saying, ‘It’s a noble’s duty.’ 

I was honestly disappointed in my brother—so much that I began to tear up.

“Brother, you’re the worst…”

“Huh!? Wait, what!? What did I do!? Why are you crying!? Did you get hurt!? Are you injured!?”

When my brother rushed to my side, I kept a distance from him. Why did he suspect that I got injured all of the sudden? 

How out of topic…

Looking out the window, it seemed that we were about to arrive at the margrave’s townhouse.

“I’ll definitely tell Sister-in-Law about what you said earlier! I hope my brother, who condones cheating, will be dumped by her!”

“Huh!? Wait, what!? Don’t say ominous things like that! Why would Rosa dump me!? In the first place, what do you mean by ‘condoning cheating’!? Did you misunderstand something? No, you definitely are!?”

I ignored my panicked brother and leaped off the carriage as soon as it stopped.

“Brother, you idiot—!!!”

After saying that, I rushed into the house and into my room. Along the way, I asked the confused servant to brew some tea. Of course, I also told them that I was feeling unwell. It wasn’t a lie, though, since I did fall down the stairs.

When I shut myself inside my room, my brother was making a fuss outside. I ignored him and wrapped myself in the blanket while pondering about the future.

While I could just ditch my current fiancé, my status as a noble lady dictated me to marry someone. Even if he was the one who had an affair, I was still the one who got cheated on, and to top it off, abandoned by my fiancée. At the end of the day, I’d still be considered a damaged good.

Later, even if I managed to find someone who was willing to marry me, there was no saying he wouldn’t cheat on me.

Now that I had regained the memory of my previous life, I’d like to marry based on love…

In my previous life, I was a corporate slave who spent most of my life working. It went without saying that I didn’t have a lover, either. I’d barely count as a virgin, but the fact remained that I had little experience in love. If anything, I was a withered woman.

After being reborn, I’d like to marry someone I love and live happily with them. Then, a child will be born between the two of us. In the future, I’d have a grandchild. When I became a grandma, I’d like to relax on the porch with my lover while sipping green tea.

Although, this world has neither green tea nor a porch…

Also, compared to my previous life, my appearance was much more adorable. If I didn’t have high ambitions, it’d be a waste, right? In that case, my status as a noble lady would only serve as a hindrance.

“…Alright, let’s run away.”

With the memory of my previous life, I could live as a commoner.

Fortunately, just like any other fantasy worlds, there existed an adventurer’s guild in this world. By hiring a guard, I should be able to move safely from one place to another. If anything, I might even be able to become an adventurer myself! I didn’t have any legendary power, but a healer should come in handy, right?

Then, while developing my healing magic, I’d try to find a lover…

Wouldn’t it be great to return to the frontier as a full-fledged healer someday? In a way, I was contributing as a citizen.

Surely, that’d be a more worthwhile life than merely lamenting my unfaithful husband at home.

By the way, I was still registered as an adventurer in the margrave’s guild. After all, it was necessary for the lord to develop a good relationship with the adventurer’s guild because we sometimes required their help in subjugating monsters.

Therefore, as a member of the lord’s family, as soon as we were of age, we registered and accepted simple requests. In such a way, we were acknowledged by the guild. 

However, I was still inept back then. As a low-ranking adventurer, I could only undertake foraging requests. At the very least, it was honest work. Besides, I’d always been good at steady leveling, even in my previous life.

As a side note, my brother was so invested in the quests that he’d become a high-ranking adventurer. Even my sister-in-law, Rosa, inadvertently became a high-ranking adventurer due to teaming up with my brother. 

…Err, which means the future of the margrave family is bright?

As expected, even if I wasn’t there, the frontier would still be safe.

—Then, why shouldn’t I aim for my own happiness!?

I want to marry someone I love!

“—Brother, shut up already! Women hate fussy men!”

All of the sudden, the other side of the door became quiet…

---

“So, as a villainess, you’d be condemned under false charges!? From which web novel are you!? This is hilarious!” 

“No, if anything, reality is stranger than fiction because the development coincidentally matches that of a web novel…”

In a relatively large town about a half day’s walk from the royal capital. To be more precise, in one of the mid-sized rooms of the inn, I summed up the current situation to Lisa, who was enjoying a fruit wine. She was a mage who also had the memory of her previous life.

While enjoying juice of the same fruit, I ate fried potatoes that I bought for snacks.

As for why I, a high-ranking noble lady, was suddenly staying at an inn in the city, it was because I had decided to escape the very same day.

…Actually, the letter came from my cheating fiancé. Inside the letter, there was only a single sentence.

“I can’t escort you to the evening party after the graduation ceremony.”

—No, before, ask how I’m doing!? I just tumbled down the stairs, y’know!

You’re still my fiancé, right!?

No, if anything, I recognize this pattern… The memories of my previous life were calling to me—!

This, isn’t this just a villainess’ plotline…!?

The evening party after the graduation ceremony was a grand event attended not only by graduates and current students, but also by their parents and the royal family. Moreover, the crown prince would also be graduating this year, one could only imagine how big the party would be…

…But I could imagine what kind of fate would await me there.

I’d be accused of bullying the heroine and would have to kiss my engagement goodbye…

Yeah, if I attend THAT, I’ll die socially.

Besides, I never even spoke about the heroine, let alone bully her!

Since I didn’t particularly care about her, I also didn’t listen to the disparaging rumors about her.

On the contrary, I took the fall for her! Literally—!

In the first place, the target was Leticia, the fiancée of the crown prince—!

What kind of development is this—!?

Is this what they referred to as the coercive power of a storyline—!?

…As expected, God doesn’t exist! 

I was seething for a while, but soon made my preparations. 

After all, faltering was the last thing I should do.

By the time I received the letter, it was three days before the graduation ceremony. If I escaped before the evening party, it was my win!

When I researched the guild in an attempt to flee from the capital with the commoners, I saw that a certain party was heading to a neighboring town. What was more, they were recruiting a temporary healer, so I decided to join them.

—God does exist!

My faith was restored because the party turned out to consist solely of women. Furthermore, one of the members—a mage—namely Lisa, was also a reincarnator! Not only that, she was previously Japanese, as well!

By the way, there were quite a few reincarnators in this world. As a result, I was reunited with my dear shoyu and miso. However, it didn’t end there. The suspension of the carriage and the springs for the bed were also taught by those reincarnators. 

…Despite that, capitalism and democracy were still not widespread, why?

Aside from that, even if I used the term “reincarnator”, there were also those who came from a parallel universe. As such, it was quite fortunate for me to meet someone who came from the same world, same Japan, and roughly the same timeline as my former self.

—And so, in a simple and effective manner, I explained my circumstances to Lisa.

“—The force of otome game!!! Condemned villainess!!!”

With just those two lines, Lisa understood everything.

As expected of a reincarnator.

I thanked fate, no, God, for the fact that we’d be leaving the royal capital in three days—a.k.a. the day of the graduation ceremony.

Thus, I wrote a letter and left my house this very morning.

I expressed my wish to annul my engagement to my family, along with my desire to train my healing magic so that I’d be useful for the frontier. Furthermore, I also wrote that I’d like to find my marriage partner on my own, and that I was relinquishing my title.

As for that fiancé of mine, well…

“—Be happy with the baron’s daughter (heroine)!!”

There were many things I’d like to say, but I stopped when I realized that I’d just be writing a book.

Thus, we quickly departed from the royal capital and safely arrived at the next town. After completing the subjugation request together, we decided to spend a night in that town.

In the evening, we arrived in the city, found an inn, and had dinner at the town cafeteria

After that, when we were chilling in the room of the inn, accompanied by alcohol and snacks, Lisa said, “Let’s have a girls’ party!” Then, we discussed my suspicions about this being an otome game world with her! However, when I told her about all the events in the past six months, she laughed at me…

“…Usually in a web novel, doesn’t that sort of stuff usually happen to the heroine? After all, Arusha didn’t do anything. Not only that, you even fell down the stairs because you tried to save the crown prince’s fiancée! Don’t you think it’s weird? Despite being the main love interest, he’s openly doting on his own fiancée. If so, why would the heroine be condemned at the evening party?”

Although, when she put it like that, it was kind of…

No, certainly, the crown prince was doting on Leticia. 

—Nevertheless, the fact remained that my fiancé had cheated on me!

“Maybe it’s because the heroine isn’t looking for a reverse harem? Still, the fact remains that my fiancé fell for the heroine! Therefore, I shall look for my own happiness!! I want to marry for love!! I want to meet someone new!! Hopefully, it’s an ikemen!! Wheee—!!”

While raising a strange roar, I stirred the fruit juice in my glass. It shouldn’t contain alcohol, but when I spoke to Lisa, I couldn’t help but reminisce about my previous life and get excited…

“…Hmm, I wonder about that. What if in reality, Mr. Fiancé is frantically looking for you?”

“Lisa… don’t jinx it? You do know what a ‘flag’ means, right?”

Upon hearing that, Lisa refilled her glass with fruit wine while sporting a Chesire cat-like grin. The female knight, Shal, who sipped a liquor similar to whiskey beside me, interjected.

“Ahaha… By the way, I can’t help but notice your earring, Arusha. It’s imbued with tremendous magic power, such as defense and then—huh…? It feels different from your magic.”

“Oh, this? I forgot to remove it. It was a gift from my cheating fiancé, so I better get rid of it.”

When I touched the clasp on my left ear to take off the stone earring that bore the same color as Rufus’ eyes, I felt the earring heat up.

“…Something’s coming!?”

The archer, Luca, who was enjoying the same fruit juice as me, sensed something and issued a warning.

Due to her keen senses, she was entrusted with the role of a scout. We didn’t doubt her, and immediately went on alert.

“Wow! What’s this!? What’s with this strange sensation!?”

Lisa quickly put down her glass and retrieved her cane. While leaning against the wall, she stared at a certain point in the room.

In front of me, an unbelievable amount of magical power began to gather.

I didn’t know what’d happen, so I tried to secure an escape route for the time being. Unfortunately, a vortex of magical power began to swell and blocked the door of the room. With no choice but to open the room so that I could escape at any time, I stared at the pool of magic.

The vortex of magical power converged, soundlessly dividing the space within the room. From within the crack, two silhouettes emerged.

“—Arushaaaaa!!”

“Huh? …Mugu!?”

Suddenly, something jumped at me.

Did I get attacked!?

Amidst my confusion, a familiar scent tickled my nose.

“Lord Ruf—ungh!”

The moment I tried to utter his name, my mouth was sealed—

—In the next second, a hot mass of meat invaded my half-open mouth, wandering freely as if it had a mind of its own, and stole my breath away.

“…Nn, Lor—”

“—Haa, it’s a… Misunderstanding…”

The overflowing saliva dribbled down my chin.

“…Mmh. I have no choice, since the order came from His Highness…”

His tongue had ensnared mine.

At the same time, he seemed to be desperately trying to convey something. Unfortunately, I—who was at the mercy of his sudden kiss—couldn’t comprehend him.

“—Oi, what if Arusha dies from oxygen deprivation?”

…My brother’s voice sounded rather distant.

No, what’s he doing here in the first place?

The “intruder”, who was too close and appeared like a vague black shadow to me, was taken aback by my brother’s words and withdrew a bit.

Thus, his blue eyes greeted mine. They were the usual calm, subdued, indigo color—

—yet, for some reason, they were also cloudy…

“Lord, Rufus…? But why? …No, more importantly, release me!”

I twisted myself in an attempt to escape from the confine that was his arms. However, his indigo eye suddenly flashed.

“…I won’t let you escape…”

As soon as he said that, he drew me closer and I went straight into the gap in space that they’d created. In the next moment, a floaty sensation pervaded me, making me feel as if I was made of nothing.

“…We’ve arrived.”

Before I realized it, I had closed my eyes. It must be due to the foreign sensation. I had arrived to a couple’s bedroom, with a bed wide enough for four adults to sleep comfortably.

However, it was a stark contrast to the room at the inn, since it was someone’s private room.

…And the fact that it wasn’t room could only mean that—

“—Where is this?”

Even though I asked, I wasn’t enthusiastic to hear the reply.

“This is the townhouse of the Turan family. The room itself is intended for a couple to spend their time.”

Lifting me up, Rufus explained and walked briskly towards the bed.

“—Wait a minute! We aren’t married yet! Besides, didn’t I ask to annul the engagement!?”

“…Do you honestly think that a single letter will be enough to annul our engagement?”

Then, he plopped me down on the bed. Again, I twisted my body in an attempt to run away, but Rufus restrained both of my wrists above my head.

When I looked up, I saw how unusual Rufus seemed.

In the eyes of Lord Rufus, who’s usually expressionless…

…Are those anger and sorrow—?

“…Unhand me.”

“No, you’ll just run away again if I don’t do this. I’ll never let you go, ever.”

To top it off, he was also unusually talkative—but that didn’t matter.

My anger rose.

“—Let go of me! In the first place, isn’t Lord Rufus the one who started seeing someone else! I even gave you an opportunity to be with her! What do you want from me, now!? Or what, do you want me to be your trophy wife!?”

“There’s no way! You’re my one and only wife! As if I’ll love anyone else beside you! Why would you think that!?”

Upon hearing that, my stubborn personality from the previous life reared its ugly head.

“Huuuuuuuh—!? Let me guess, you’re going to say that, ‘There’s nothing between me and the heroine’ next. So, it’s just a physical relationship!? That’s just awful!! Don’t touch me!!”

“What is this ‘heroine’ you keep mentioning!? My heart and body have always been yours! You’re the only one I wish to feel!”

While arguing fiercely, I kept resisting. Before I knew it, Rufus slipped his knee between my legs, pinning down my magician robe.

“The heroine is the heroine! That baron’s daughter who aspires to become a healer! You love her, don’t you!?”

When I put it into words, my heart was torn asunder. The blade of the invisible words pierced me, and my tears began to overflow.

“Huh? The baron’s daughter!? The same baron’s daughter who was arrested for perjury, attempted treason, and illegal use of charm magic at the evening party!?”

“…Attempted treason!? Wow, that’s huge!”

“Hence why after her crime was brought to light, she was swiftly arrested!”

My tears stopped.

…I see.

Apparently, the woman Lord Rufus loves is a villainess through and through…

I feel sorry for him…

I involuntarily stared at Rufus pitifully.

“…Somehow, I feel like you still misunderstand…”

“…How pitiful. The woman you loved turns out to be a criminal. Now that it has come to this, I can’t support your marriage by adopting her into our family. After all, we can’t welcome that kind of person to our house… Then, what if we go back to the original plan? We can fulfill our obligations through political marriage… No, I think that’s what Lord Rufus intended. Unfortunately, I can no longer put up with that. Therefore, I don’t mind if you were to annul our engagement. I shall accept the risks, so please do as you see fit.”

“…Why would that be—!?”

Is there even a need to ask?

‘Once a cheater, always a cheater.’

The bar owner, Alafor (also a reincarnator) said that.

“Like I said, I can’t trust a gentleman who once had a tryst with someone else. As a noble lady, I know this will sound selfish, but…”

“—Like I said, I’ve only ever loved you!?”

…How persistent.

In the first place, wasn’t Rufus the one who admitted to cheating half a year ago?

“…But, didn’t Lord Rufus himself advise me against interfering in his relationship with the baron’s daughter? Wasn’t that why you told me to wait until graduation?”

As soon as I said that, Rufus was in a huge shock. If I were to use the emoji from my previous life, then ‘orz’ would be the perfect fit to describe his current expression. 

Uhm, don’t drop your head in the middle of a conversation?

“…I-is that how it is? No wonder you’ve been acting weird for the past six months… And here I thought that you fully understood…”

He was now mumbling for some reason…

Uhm, before that, get away from me first?

When I pondered that, he lifted his head and glared at me.

“…Apparently, there’s a misunderstanding, so please allow me to explain.”

“…Well, it doesn’t really matter, but…”

I mean, I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes.

Somehow, I felt that if I were to point that out, things would only get messier. In the end, I silently listened to him. That way, it might end faster.

“In the first place, His Highness, the Crown Prince, was the one who tasked me to approach the baron’s daughter. Ever since that baron’s daughter entered the academy, there has been an anomaly. For example, despite her lackluster manner, she was treated so well by everyone in her surroundings,

“From the lower-ranking aristocrats, the anomaly gradually spread to the higher-ranking aristocrats. At last, she began to approach His Highness himself. Deeming her as a potential threat, the crown prince decided to investigate her. Alfredo and I were tasked to do so, along with two other people…

“For the purpose of the investigation, I was trying to keep her away from His Highness. The aim had always been to redirect her attention to one of us. Unfortunately, she started vying for me. At that time, I didn’t really think much about it,

“Hence why I told you to stay away. After all, we noticed how she’d often try to eliminate those who might get in her way—especially the female students. I said those words in an attempt to keep you away.

“Furthermore, I was also worried she’d caught notice of the letters and other forms of contacts that I may send you.

“…As you may expect, Lady Leticia’s life was also targeted.”

“—Lady Leticia, too!? Then, the accident at the staircase…”

“That’s right. Apparently, the baron’s daughter—who was targeting Leticia—blackmailed another female student to do the deed. Well, it doesn’t matter. That viscount’s daughter did push my Arusha down the stairs, after all. Death is too lenient for her.”

…I feel like I heard something scary yet familiar?

“—Before anything else, I didn’t suffer any serious injuries, so please let the viscount’s daughter atone for her crimes according to the law,

“Also, if you discovered that she’s been practicing charm magic, why didn’t you charge her on the spot? Why the need to wait until the graduation party? Wouldn’t that ruin the special occasion?”

“Certainly, there’s that… Nevertheless, a lot of people fell victim to her charm magic. Therefore, the graduation party was the perfect place to gather everyone and dispel the curse all at once. A magic circle of disenchantment was spread on the entire venue. But of course, there are other reasons…”

He glanced at me. It had become quite a long story. By the way, I was still pinned on the bed. 

Why am I listening while in such a pose…?

“In order to keep her away from His Highness, we acted as if we were enamored by her. Since I became her prime target, nasty rumors soon spread about me. Thus, we decided to convict her in public. At the same time, we’d also be reassuring the public and our fiancées that we merely did it for the investigation. That way, we’d be able to restore our honor… However, you didn’t come to the party. because you had run away.”

Even if he were to stare dejectedly at me, I didn’t know what I didn’t know…

…On the other hand, I was glad he wasn’t having an affair?

“I-I’m sorry about that?”

I, who couldn’t be honest, gave such a pathetic reply.

“…Do you finally understand? I’m not having an affair.”

Despite the fact that he was smiling, I felt a shiver down my spine.

“I-I understand… I’ve misunderstood, and caused you trouble. I deeply regret it, so can you please release me—?”

With a stiff smile, I asked him to let go.

“…I refuse.”

…What?

“…B-but the misunderstanding has been resolved? A-also, this kind of position is too inappropriate for an unmarried couple?”

Even though an alarm was blaring at the back of my mind, I spoke as calmly as possible for the most civil outcome…

“…Even if it was only a misunderstanding, the fact remains that you gave up on me so easily.”

“Hyii—!?”

Struck by his chilling murderous intent, I instinctively tried to escape.

However, said action only fueled his anger, and Rufus began to remove his cravat. As I was distracted by the fact that it bore the same color as my eyes, he began to tie my wrist.

While the restrain didn’t feel all that tight, I couldn’t undo it no matter what. As expected of the knight of a frontier, even his capturing procedure was impeccable…

“L-Lord Rufus…? What are you doing…?”

Deep down, I already know what to expect. Nevertheless, I still struggled, perhaps due to lacking experience.

“…Preventing you from escaping?”

He answered while tilting his head.

What are you trying to look cute for!? Don’t you realize that you’re an adult man who’s also over 180 cm in height—!?

—But that same 180 cm tall adult man was also good-looking.

Not to mention, it was indeed cute.

Before I knew it, I was swooning.

“Huh—!?”

As I stared absentmindedly at Rufus, he fished for a dagger in his pocket and sliced my clothes in half.

…Aah, the magician robe I bought. Not only was the price reasonable, it provided decent protection and buffs.

As I was thinking about the robe that’d been reduced to rags as if to escape from reality, the cloth that wrapped my chest was also torn, exposing the twin mounds to the night air.

“…Aah, how beautiful…”

Flinging his dagger away, Rufus’ fingers trailed down from my cheeks to my lips, caressing my neck, tracing my collarbone, before passing between the two mounds.

“…Uuh…”

I couldn’t help but react to his touch, and let out a sigh.

Rufus’ palm caressed my belly, his thumb lightly dipping into my navel. Then, he covered the area below my navel with his palm.

Perhaps due to the fact that his temperature was higher than mine, I became conscious of his palm. Was it due to the heat that emanated from it? Or was it because he placed it right above my womb?

Upon realizing that, numbness spread through my lower back. From the depths of my womb, something was overflowing.

I tried to close my legs, but his knee obstructed me.

“Let me… go…”

What was left of my rationality made me realize that I’d let out such a pathetic voice. Nevertheless, it wasn’t like I could retract those words.

“Hm? Can you feel it? That’s right. I’ll go inside you, satisfy you, and soon enough, this place will be brimming with my seeds. Know that you’re mine. Prepare yourself.”

With a bizarre smile, he began to caress my body.

“W-wait, we aren’t married, yet…!?”

“Hm? But not only am I 18-years-old, I’ve also graduated? Besides, the marriageable age for a lady starts at 16, right? Isn’t that why it’s common for young ladies to drop out of school? Above all, we’re going to get married, anyway. Why can’t we just do it now? I can’t stand it anymore.”

Thus, Rufus leaned in towards me… I could feel something stiff and hot rubbing against my thighs…

“B-but, hmm—!”

A single, gentle kiss, as if to mark the end of my struggle—

“—I won’t let you escape, so why don’t you just give up?”

My body relaxed at his smile.

“—Uh, ah! Mm…!”

“Haha, it’s reddish and cute… Not to mention, it’s also erect, as if begging for me to have a taste…”

When he licked the tip of my chest, I involuntarily bucked my hips.

“Hehe, even though I’m licking here, why are your other mouth twitching…? Aah, look, your honey is overflowing again…”

“Hyii—! That’s not—!?”

Rufus suddenly spread my leg apart, and drew closer to my soaked crotch.

I struggled to push him away with my bound hands, but I lost all my strength when I felt the caress of his tongue on my folds. In a futile attempt to stop him, my hands merely brushed against his sleek silver hair.

“…I guess this is the most sensitive spot for women? Ah, it looks so inviting…”

“—Uah—!! Aah…!! S-stop!!”

He began to suck on my clit, nibbling on it from time to time. Occasionally, I could feel his hot breath directly, and pleasure rocked my entire body.

When Rufus slid his finger into me, my insides contracted as I bent my hips in search of further stimulation.

“Hey, behave yourself. If I don’t prepare you a little more, you’re going to get hurt.”

With that, Rufus slid another finger in, spreading my inside. Along with that, obscene wet noises rang in my ears.

…Why is this quiet man so chatty when it comes to this!?

…Indeed.

The guy who usually spoke a word or two unleashed verbal attacks on me.

Starting with general compliments such as “cute” and “adorable” he’d spit out some lecherous words as he teased me; his fingers and tongue leaving me breathless.

“…It’s about time.”

Merely hearing the sloshing sound made me want to cover my ears. After licking his fingers, Rufus removed his underwear.

“Hyiie—!”

He pulled out an absolute beast out of his pants—it was unlike anything I’d seen before, including in my previous life. My hips literally froze.

Then, he approached me. One of his hands went to my wrists, while the other went to support his lust. As he ushered it close to my entrance, I began to shiver.

“It’s alright, don’t be scared…”

…Even if he casually said so, I couldn’t stop gazing at that tower.

With a faint noise, the glossy and bulbous of his member went inside my cunt.

Again, I felt as if I was being spread apart from the inside. Being filled to the brim, my back began to crawl.

“Now, everything’s in… Ah, how warm, you’re devouring me whole, it’s as if I’m being sucked in. So, this is how it feels to be inside Arusha…”

I’d been staring at his rod since a while ago, but before I knew it, it was already deep inside me. The pain of defloration stung me, but only slightly.

Deeply connected with each other, my heart was beating rapidly.

“Ah… Arusha, don’t tighten so much…”

…Although, the noise didn’t only come from my chest, but also our connected parts.

When I turned to look at Rufus’ face, it seemed as if he was desperately enduring something, making him look extremely sexy.

Upon seeing that, my insides clenched around him.

“—Uh, I’m going to  move…!!”

As if unable to endure it any longer, he rammed into me.

“—Hyaa!! Aah—!!”

Before I knew it, my wrists were no longer bound, so I wrapped my arms around his back and clung to him.

Since his skin was glistening with sweat, I could barely latch onto him. However, if I didn’t do that, I felt like I’d lose myself…

“I love you…! I love you, Arusha…! Ugh…!”

For some reason, when I heard that, the words from a gyaru who’d often accompanied me in the bar in the previous life resounded in my mind.

“—Don’t trust a single word a man said when having sex!”

Nevertheless, the pure ecstasy made it so that I couldn’t even think straight.

Like spring water on a barren land, his words rejuvenated my desiccated love.

“M-me, too—! Aaah—!”

“—You’re the only one! You’re the only one for me! Arusha, only you—! Let’s stay together forever…! Guh…!”

At the end of that sharp thrust, Rufus stopped moving as his entire body began to tremble.

Somehow, the heat made it feel especially blissful, and my lips curved in a smile.

Furthermore, since Rufus was towering over me, his rough breathing spilled into my ear, and it felt especially comfortable.

“Haa… I feel like I can get used to this. This is how a pair who love each other is supposed to communicate, after all. Nothing can compare to this.”

“Lord Rufus…?”

I was flushed at the somewhat blunt remark.

“It’s the truth, isn’t it? Aren’t we a pair of lovers? Or am I being conceited? Does Arusha still want to escape?”

He slightly furrowed his eyebrows—and that alone was enough to fill me with guilt.

“N-no, of course not! I also love Lord Rufus! …Huh?”

Along with my remarks, Rufus—who was still inside me—went rock hard once again.

“W-wait, aren’t you finished…!?”

“No way!! As if I’m finished with just that!! I’ve been waiting for so long! Alright, what should we do next?”

As he kissed me, Rufus showed me a benevolent smile. Yet at the same time, he began rocking his hips, and I had no choice but to surrender to the pleasure.

…It was in the afternoon of the next day that I realized a guy like him didn’t only exist in TL novels…

◆◆◆

“—I agree, his words sounded like an excuse that only a cheating bastard would come up with.”

At the words that a high-ranking noble lady—namely Leticia—spewed, the atmosphere froze.

Today, after the series of turmoil had ended, the crown prince hosted a tea party to explain the circumstances to me, who didn’t attend the evening party.

The participants were the crown prince, Leticia, Alfredo, Rufus, and me.

When I brought up Rufus’ remarks that led to my misunderstanding, Leticia interjected.

“L-Letty…? Rufus was merely following my instructions…”

“I know that, but shouldn’t he explain it properly to her? In the first place, why did he suddenly lose the ability to hold a conversation when it came to Arusha? I saw it, he bickered a lot with Lord Alfredo. But when he was in front of Arusha, he became this mess.”

Without allowing the crown prince to explain, Leticia cornered Rufus.

Well, I had my suspicions about that, as well. Due to how silent he was, I thought Rufus was the cool type, but apparently he wasn’t so. After all, he seemed to be able to hold a decent conversation with anyone who wasn’t me, including the baron’s daughter. Thus, my doubts grew, and I came to the conclusion that he didn’t love me.

…Furthermore, the night we spent together only strengthened my doubts, because I saw how chatty he was.

“T-that’s…”

Rufus awkwardly spoke. 

“Because Lord Rufus seldom spoke to me, I thought I was hated…”

Now, I no longer think that was the case, but in order to clarify the truth, I pretended to be sad.

“—What!? But wasn’t Arusha the one who mentioned that she hated nosy men in the first place!?”

…What is he shifting the blame for?

“Did I ever say that to Lord Rufus?”

“Yes, I heard it clearly with my own ears. Hence why I refrained from talking too much in front of Arusha.”

…I have no clue.

“…When did that happen?”

“Before our engagement was decided, the three of us—Alfredo, you, and I—used to attend a tea party with each other. At that time, you said to Alfredo that women dislike nosy men… Hence why I wondered if you have a penchant for quiet men…”

—I tried to recall my memories of that time.

Uuuh?

“—Huh!?”

“Oh my, did you remember something? Did Arusha truly prefer the silent type?” Leticia tilted her head in amusement.

“No, you’re wrong! In the first place, that line was meant for my brother!”

“W-wait, me—!? Hey, spare me from whatever this is—!!”

My brother leaned back as if he was about to escape.

“That’s right! In the first place, at that tea party, you were telling Lord Rufus a bunch of nonsense about me!”

“A-a bunch of nonsense…!? I was merely trying to reassure you, though!? Besides, I only told Rufus about how adorable my sister was! Like when you were running around the garden and fell into the pond, or when you secretly ate some food in the kitchen, or when you got mistaken as a man in the guild and got ripped off…”

“—Noooooooo!! Shut up!! This is why I said that women dislike loose-mouthed men—!!”

My face turned beet red at the mention of my childhood.

After all, this time around, the crown prince and Leticia were also present to hear my secret. I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t bear to look at them.

“…I agree. Women do dislike such men.”

“…To think that his wife almost escaped because of his brother-in-law.”

“No, isn’t it because Rufus took the extreme method!? Good thing it was resolved. Well, all’s well that ends well, right?”

While covering my face, I couldn’t comprehend the crown prince’s conclusion. At that moment, Rufus placed me on top of his lap, before whispering gently into my ear.

“To express my love for you, may I be the most talkative man in the world?”

…Of course, my answer to that was—