That World of Otome Games is Tough for Us - Volume 2 - Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

A Contract

SCHOOL HAD ENDED for the day when Olivia found herself making her way down one of the academy halls. She flinched at every little sound, eyes sweeping her surroundings. Every time she sensed someone’s presence, she stiffened. Her face had grown gaunter since she first enrolled, and she was frequently gripped by fear.

Olivia soon arrived at an enormous bulletin board that prominently displayed a map of Holfort. There was nothing particularly odd about that. Today, however, workers were taking down the map to alter it.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she approached. These workers weren’t nobles, and they knew nothing about her, since they weren’t associated with the school. In fact, the moment they spotted her, they assumed she was an enrolled aristocrat and offered polite smiles.

“Pardon me,” Olivia said. “May I ask what it is you’re doing?”

“To tell the truth, we got this task so out of the blue, we’re surprised ourselves,” one worker said, stepping aside so she could look more closely at the altered map.

Existing lines on the map distinguished the kingdom’s regional borders. Each territory name was listed alongside the name of the family that ruled it. A worker had drawn a red line through one such family name.

Olivia’s eyes widened at how the map had been revised. “Wh-why is their name crossed out?”

“The Lafans’ status was revoked. Their lands have returned to the crown’s control, so we need to remove their name from the map. A new map will be drawn, of course, but it’ll take a while before it’s done.”

“Revoked, you say? All of a sudden? How come?” Olivia pressed. It was difficult for her to fathom how a whole family could simply be wiped off the map out of nowhere.

The workers searched each other’s faces as if wary of sharing what they knew. Finally, the man who’d been speaking whispered, “This is all rumor, you understand. But it seems they upset the royal family, so they were disposed of.”

Blood drained from Olivia’s face. That was the reason? All they did was upset the royal family, and they lost everything? That quickly?

If she hadn’t already been convinced that her tormentors’ threats were serious, she was now certain they had to be.

Oblivious to her distress, the worker continued, “It’s actually not only the Lafans. We’re removing the Offrey name as well. They’ve been deposed, too, and a different noble will inherit their title and enact the law in their territory.”

“Someone else will step in?”

“There was a conflict between their house and another noble family,” he explained. “It all happened so quickly, everyone’s shocked. The Offreys’ enemies annihilated them.”

Annihilated. The word was a rock in the pit of Olivia’s stomach. Living in her village, she’d never realized this kind of thing happened. Back then, she’d assumed Holfort was a peaceful country. Enrolling at the academy had relieved her of that illusion. This kingdom was anything but peaceful.

Olivia stared at her feet. “Wh-why were they, um, ‘annihilated’?”

The man scratched his head. “I can’t tell you for sure, but rumor has it the Offreys angered the wrong noble—someone really, terrifyingly dangerous who took out Earl Offrey and his family in a single day.” He shrugged and laughed. “But like I said, that’s all gossip.” His expression indicated he was skeptical; he’d long since learned that rumors were often embellished.

Embellished or not, the details twisted Olivia’s stomach into knots. If even an earl’s entire house can be destroyed that quickly, my village wouldn’t stand a chance. 

She jammed a finger in her mouth and bit down; it was the only way to control the overwhelming fear that seized her. Her body wobbled as she stumbled away from the worker and left.

***

Once the hearings ended and we’d paid Carla that brief visit, we went back to the academy. Orange rays of evening sunlight spilled through the windows of our classroom. Something about the scene was really nostalgic; it reminded me of my school days in Japan, making me a little homesick.

What would’ve been a sentimental moment was ruined by Marie. No sooner had we returned to school than she was summoned to the headmaster’s office, which issued her tons of paperwork to fill out.

Marie slammed her open palm against her desk. “It’s not my fault the Lafans fell from grace!” she sobbed.

Since her entire family’s lands and titles had been revoked, Marie was being stripped of her aristocratic status as well. She was fully entitled to her tears; we’d all confirmed she bore no fault in this scandal.

I should mention that, under ordinary circumstances, Marie would’ve been punished alongside her family—to some degree, anyway. She’d only received leniency because the Roseblades, poor barons’ sons, and I all vouched for her innocence. Alas, regardless of her lack of involvement, her house’s downfall meant she lost her status. 

Marie would at least retain her position as a protected citizen, unlike Stephanie. Still, this meant she couldn’t keep attending the academy. Olivia had enrolled as a commoner thanks to a special exception, but the school had made it clear Marie couldn’t do the same. 

The paperwork they’d foisted on her was for her withdrawal. She had no right to attend; the Lafans were no longer aristocrats.

“Aren’t they being a little ruthless? I mean, ‘You’re not one of us anymore, so get out of here!’ Seriously?” Marie had been very eager to attend the academy. She was having a hard time coming to terms with leaving it.

Marie and I were the only two people in the classroom, so Luxion didn’t bother with his cloaking device. “No need for alarm,” he said, drifting between us. “I have the utmost confidence in your intellect and abilities. I will prepare a far more optimal learning environment for you than the academy could provide. That should resolve your concerns.”

“What Marie wants is the academy lifestyle, not its learning environment,” I sighed. “She wants to enjoy her youth, and you’re floating here telling her you’ll make her study even more. How’s that at all reassuring?”

“Is that truly the issue at hand?” Luxion asked dubiously, gazing at Marie for confirmation.

Marie lifted her head. Her cheeks were damp with tears, and a fresh wave of new ones was on the way. She nodded. “Of course that’s what I’m after. I wanted a second chance to be a teen. My last life sucked so bad by the end, I thought I could at least recapture a moment of joy. Instead…” She sniffled.

There was a long pause. “I see,” Luxion said with great exasperation.

I fished a handkerchief from my pocket and handed it to Marie. “This is at least better than marrying Ricky, right?”

“Yeah, I guess. But still.” Making a very unladylike noise, Marie blew her nose into the handkerchief. 

Although it made me grimace, something about seeing that was a relief. Marie reminded me of someone, and I needed to discuss something important with her—something that involved, and would affect, both of us.

“Hey,” I said. “Remember I mentioned to you that I had a little sister in my last life?”

“Yeah.” Marie nodded, turning her head away. Perhaps she reacted that way because she realized what I was getting at.

My little sister had been good at putting on an act in front of people to conceal her otherwise atrocious personality. In her defense, I will at least say she had more common sense than Stephanie.

“We were a family of four. My parents, my little sister, and me,” I continued.

Marie nodded. “My family was the same.”

We should’ve pieced this together sooner. We’d basically dismissed the idea, thinking it wasn’t possible, and I regretted that we hadn’t considered it seriously. If we had, neither of us would’ve gone through so much crap.

“I knew it,” I said. “I should’ve connected the dots as soon as you said you foisted this game on your older brother.”

I hadn’t outright voiced what I was getting at. Marie sensed it, though.

“Yeah. Neither of us thought it was possible. How did this happen? Especially since we died at totally different times.”

Based on what she’d shared, she’d outlived me by many years. It didn’t make sense that we’d reincarnate here at the same time and wind up classmates. That was a big part of why I’d dismissed the similarities as mere coincidence.

“You said it. All of this has been weird. Us getting reincarnated in an otome game world is pretty fantastical to begin with.”

Marie laughed. “Yeah, you’ve got a point there.” Despite the mirth on her face, she still looked sad.

We’d received this chance to reunite—nothing short of a miracle. It was awful that neither of us were delighted about it. Part of me wondered what would’ve happened if we’d never caught on, but I couldn’t entertain that thought.

“You sure were a selfless little sister, you know,” I teased.

“What’re you talking about?”

I was mostly razzing her, but part of me also wanted her to look back and see where she’d gone wrong. Or maybe I had no ulterior motive. Maybe all I wanted was to reminisce with family. Marie was the only person in this world I could have this kind of conversation with, after all.

“You remember, don’t you? How good you were at putting on a show. You won our parents over every time, so you were their favorite, and I was always in the doghouse.”

“Yeah,” Marie began, nodding, before doing a double take. “Wait—what?” She pulled a face. Apparently, she hadn’t seen it the same way. “Just a sec. You’re saying our parents trusted me over you?”

“Well, yeah, they did. You were always good at getting your way,” I said with a laugh.

Marie glowered. “That doesn’t sound right. My parents always trusted my brother over me.”

“Huh?” Something about our experiences didn’t add up.

Luxion, who’d kept silent until this point, interjected. “Judging by your conversation prior to this moment, it did seem you were siblings in your previous life. However, these discrepancies are certainly curious.” 

Was it just my imagination, or was he enjoying this? Whatever. I knew I was right. I’d seen my little sister in Marie so many times; they had too much in common for it to be coincidence.

“I know what you’re thinking,” I said to Luxion. “She has to be my sister, though!” I turned back to her. “Marie, you couldn’t clear the game yourself, so you forced it on your big brother, right? That lines up perfectly with my experience.”

Marie scowled, indignant. “I’ll admit it was a little unfair fobbing it off on him, but I asked him to play it as a favor. I didn’t force it on him. While we’re on the subject, you keep talking like I was a monster of a little sister, but I wasn’t that awful.”

“You’re kidding me.”

“Of course not! Why would you think that?”

She wasn’t that awful? Hold up. Self-reporting is always flawed, so it’s not like I can trust that she’s representing herself accurately, but… Any doubts were worth investigating further to make sure.

“Okay, fine,” I said. “Tell me what your older brother was like, then.”

It was a little embarrassing to ask; it was like fishing for compliments (or complaints, if I was unlucky). Marie was probably equally uncomfortable, because she grimaced at first, but her expression brightened as she spoke.

“Pretty much your run-of-the-mill, normal brother, I guess. He had a habit of going overboard, but I think he was pretty average otherwise. That’s why I had such an easy time leading him around by the nose. But let me tell you something—he was terrifying once you pissed him off! Oh, and absolutely oblivious when it came to romance. We’re talking dumb as a post. Totally messy relationships with women.”

If she’d only described him as run-of-the-mill, normal, and average, I would’ve fit the bill perfectly, but the rest of her description… “Going overboard” and “terrifying once you pissed him off” didn’t sound like me at all. And “messy relationships”? I’d never been in any romantic squabbles in my last life.

“Was this brother you’re talking about actually a real person?” I shook my head. “If you were so scared of him when he was mad, I’m surprised you had the nerve to mess with him.”

“Duh, he was my brother. I provoked him, but there was a line, and I knew better than to cross it. Now that I think about it, though, he was pretty soft on me.”

He doesn’t sound like me at all! For one thing, my little sister had unquestionably blackmailed me into playing that game for her. But I’d never have let her manipulate me like Marie did her brother. What’s more, I was most definitely not “dumb as a post.”

What the hell was with that guy? He sounded like your quintessential light novel hero, but I loathed dense male protagonists. If I met someone like that, I’d want to smack them. Anyway, I’d never doted on my little sister—at least, not as far as I was concerned.

He had to be someone else, right?

“My little sister was utterly insufferable. She became a totally different person the second she stepped out the door, and she was flexible enough to handle any situation. She got away with everything because my parents believed her over me.”

Marie shook her head vigorously. “She couldn’t have been me, then. She sounds like the kind of girl I’d hate. Your sister was a serious piece of work.”

“Yeah…yeah, she was.”

By this point, we’d already confirmed we weren’t related. It probably wasn’t worth bringing up my sister’s obsession with BL to see if that matched; Marie obviously wasn’t her.

Marie struck a sexy, suggestive pose, the sort you’d see in a gravure magazine. “While we’re on the topic,” she added, “I was drop-dead gorgeous in my last life. Seeing me now, you might not believe it, but I was slender with perfect curves.”

My little sister had been…cute enough, I guess? I wasn’t sure I’d say she’d had “perfect curves.” She’d been skinny, yeah, but it hadn’t been worth bragging about. At least not the way Marie was.

Our stories clashed in too many ways. As we realized our mutual mistake, the atmosphere grew awkward.

“Sorry,” I blurted, unable to stomach the uncomfortable silence. “I thought you were my sister, but obviously I was wrong.”

“Come on, don’t even joke about that! I really seemed awful enough to be her? That’s pretty mean!”

“Uh, yeah. My bad. But in my defense, you thought I was your brother, right? I’m nothing like him. Not scary, and definitely not dense.”

I was a totally normal guy, not the eccentric weirdo Marie had described.

“Well, excuse me! I thought it was possible.” Her cheeks flushed. “I guess we’ve pretty much established we’re not related, right?”

That did make sense. Fate would’ve been awfully twisted to reincarnate siblings side by side here. We grimaced, then broke into laughter at the whole situation.

“Man, I guess we really had it all wrong,” I noted.

“You said it. Us being siblings wouldn’t even make sense. It’s kind of silly that we so much as entertained the idea.”

“It is a great relief that you resolved this misunderstanding,” Luxion threw in, sounding suspiciously cheerful. “That means we can resolve Marie’s issue as well.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. “What issue does she have, besides being forced out of the academy?”

“She—oh, it appears a professor has arrived. I will conceal myself for now.” Luxion engaged his cloaking device and vanished only a moment before someone strolled into the classroom.

“M-Master?!” I gasped, shooting up from the desk where I’d been sitting.

My master motioned me back to my seat, but I couldn’t possibly sit in his presence. “I heard you two had returned and came looking for you,” he said. “It sounds like you both had a rough time during this incident.”

My master was the epitome of the perfect gentleman. He was also the academy professor in charge of our etiquette classes. I admired him greatly, not least because he’d introduced me to the art of tea. I referred to him as “Master” with great affection.

“You had only to summon us, and we would’ve come to see you,” I said.

Marie gave me a judgmental look. “You sure act different with your master than with everyone else.”

I glanced back at her and tilted my head. “That should be a given. He’s my master. I have to show him respect.”

She rolled her eyes.

Master glanced between us before finally approaching Marie’s desk, where she’d spread out her mass of documents. “Withdrawal forms?” he guessed.

Marie shrugged, a shadow falling over her face. “There’s really nothing I can do about it, is there? With the Lafans’ rank gone, I’m no longer a noble.” She sighed. “I wish I could’ve stayed at least a little longer, especially with the school trip on the horizon.” She looked genuinely dejected.

Aw. That kind of tugs my heartstrings. “I’ll take you on a trip,” I promised her. “Don’t get too down about it.”

“I appreciate that, but I wanted to go on the school trip! I was really looking forward to it.”

Her obsessive insistence astonished me, but I filed it away in the back of my mind. Then I turned back to Master. I didn’t want to gape at Marie and look stupid in front of him. “Anyway, Master, what brings you all the way here to see us?”

I was anxious to wrap up whatever this was so I could drag Marie out to eat. That would surely improve her mood.

Master smiled at us. “You’re acting awfully coy, Mr. Leon. Why let Miss Marie suffer, thinking her time at the academy is over, when you already know exactly what you must do to ensure she can remain?”

“What?” I blurted, shocked.

Marie shot out of her chair. “You’re kidding! Leon, you’ve been messing with me this whole time? You’re heartless! Is it really that fun watching me squirm?”

“Don’t twist things to make me sound bad!” I snapped, voice rising in panic. “If Master gets the wrong idea about me, I’ll burst out crying!”

“Really?” Marie scoffed. “Why do you care so much what some guy thinks?”

I had no idea what she found so weird about that. I glared at her, and she glowered back.

Master raised his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. “Ahem.”

We both glanced at him and muttered apologies.

“Seeing the two of you here, I realize there’s no need to worry. I was indulging in a bit of nosiness, so I’ll get out of your hair now and take my leave.”

With that, Master excused himself. Once his footsteps faded down the hallway, Luxion dropped his cloaking device.

“Your Master seems well aware of the best means through which to resolve this issue,” he told me pointedly. “What will you do?”

He was staring intently at me. Unable to stand it, I retreated back to my desk. Marie did the same, though with a big frown on her face.

“If you know how to fix this, spit it out already,” she said. “It’s really cold to keep me in the dark. You’re just like my older brother in that way.”

“Don’t lump me in with that guy. Anyway, uh…” I hesitated. “I don’t know how to put this.”

There was in fact a way to keep Marie at the academy, and I knew it. My hang-up had been that she might be my little sister from my last life. That would’ve meant this solution was off the table. Since we’d ruled it out, though, there was a way to keep her here—a way only available to me, really.

Marie glared daggers at me while Luxion fixed me with an expectant look. They’d bore a hole straight through me at this rate.

I heaved a deep sigh and threw my head back, staring at the ceiling. “Marie,” I said, in the most casual voice I could, “want to get hitched?”

“Huh?!” The pouting Marie’s jaw instantly dropped. Her voluminous hair seemed to fan out around her. Perhaps it was my imagination, but there seemed to be more color in her face, too, as if she was blushing. Maybe that was just the setting sun’s light tricking me.

Marie’s whole body quivered. “Wh-where is this coming from all of a sudden?”

“If we get engaged, you can stay at the academy,” I explained.

“Se-really?!” Marie slapped a hand over her mouth, embarrassed. She was probably trying to say “seriously” and “really” at the same time, only to mash them together in excitement.

I chuckled, then explained, “Your parents were deposed, so you’re former nobility. If we get engaged, though, you’ll eventually be a baron’s wife, right? That’d qualify you for the academy. Of course, we’d still have to pay your tuition.”

“How did you know this?” Marie asked, still surprised. “Did you look into it for me?”

I shrugged, avoiding her eyes. “Well, yeah.” 

“Master consulted that professor he so reveres ahead of time about this whole debacle,” Luxion explained—rather unnecessarily, in my opinion. “As I am certain you can imagine, the topic of how you would be treated in the aftermath arose. Master wrongly suspected you were his long-lost sister, so the original plan was to arrange an engagement between you and one of the poor barons’ sons. Such a match wouldn’t have been quite as ideal as one between you and Master, however, given the difficulty it would have presented.”

“What do you mean by that?” Marie snuck a glance at me.

“Since your family was deposed and excised from the aristocracy, your husband-to-be’s reputation will inevitably suffer.” Luxion moved his lens side to side as if shaking his head. “I struggle to comprehend the values these new humans hold. Based on what I do understand, I imagine finding anyone willing to take your hand would be virtually impossible. New humans prioritize optics over a partner’s qualities.” Then he added, “However, one man is unconcerned with reputation.” His gaze cut to me.

Marie stared at me, opening and closing her mouth as if trying to find words to express herself.

“Well, there you have it,” I said, a little embarrassed after that whole drawn-out spiel. “On top of that, if we get engaged, I don’t have to keep hunting for a bride, right? And you get to keep attending the academy. It’s a win-win for us both. I understand that it might not be what you dreamed of, but just deal with it. It’s not like I entirely want it, either.”

The point I was trying to make was that our engagement would be more or less a contract. We wouldn’t pair up out of love but because the arrangement was mutually convenient. I guess this is a sign that I’m getting used to this world’s bleakness.

Marie preferred handsome guys like the love interests over ones like me. She probably wouldn’t be keen to settle for me. She wasn’t exactly the partner of my dreams either, though. I hadn’t told her as much, but I preferred girls with ample chests. She was about as far from that as was humanly possible.

Dorothea was more my type: slightly older and well-endowed. Dorothea’s personality would’ve been the problem. I’d laughed at Nicks as she dragged him away, but in his shoes, I would’ve refused the engagement vehemently. Dorothea was gorgeous, sure, but life with her was bound to be miserable.

I kind of feel bad for Nicks now…

That aside, proposing to Marie meant giving up the busty woman I’d wished for. I swallowed my (admittedly metaphorical) tears and resigned myself.

Marie frowned at me, a wrinkle in her brow. “No.” Her refusal was curt, and she said it with strong conviction.

“What?! Why?! I get that I’m not your first choice, but you’re not exactly mine, either!” I shouted.

Tears beaded in the corners of her eyes, a shudder running through her body. My anger instantly deflated, replaced by suffocating guilt.

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

Marie wiped away her tears with the heels of her hands. “I want a proper marriage proposal, with the right mood and in the right place!” she barked. “Why would you ask here, in a classroom after school? And saying I’m ‘not exactly your first choice’! I can’t with you, I swear!”

“Wha—?” I pulled a face.

Luxion studied us. “Am I to understand that you are willing to accept Master’s proposal so long as it meets your requirements?”

Marie glanced surreptitiously at me, nodding. “Yeah.”

“It seems we more or less have accord, then. I am pleased to hear it.”

I stared at them with a blank face, completely put off by this development.

“Marie, under what specific conditions do you wish Master to propose?” Luxion asked.

Her face brightened. “Let’s see,” she said, interlacing her fingers. “It’d be nice to do it somewhere we can see the stars. An outdoor lookoff would be lovely, but I’d be satisfied with a classy restaurant. I also want an engagement ring. I never got one in my last life.”

“Is that all?”

“No, hold on! His proposal itself was terrible, too! How could you say that stuff about us not being an ideal match, Leon? I couldn’t say yes to that. Try to get more in the mood! I don’t care if you have to lie. I expect corny, cliché lines that make my teeth rot. At the very least, you need to tell me you’ll stay and protect me forever.”

After an exasperated pause, Luxion asked again, “Is that all?”

“Let’s see. Aside from that…” Marie in fact had a whole laundry list of additional conditions for Luxion, who dutifully listened and clarified.

Luxion took this far more seriously than me. From the moment Marie refused, I’d been so done with her that I let her demands go in one ear and out the other. What was with her request for corny clichés, anyway? “I’ll stay and protect you forever”? Mentally, Marie was way older than me, but she acted like a starry-eyed teenager.

Marie was in high spirits as she negotiated with Luxion. He let her go on at length, never interrupting. I sighed as I watched. Fortunately, they started wrapping it up.

“I have grasped your conditions,” Luxion said. “I will create your engagement ring immediately. I can prepare a mithril band set with a gem in an hour. As for your requested nighttime scene, I identified several locations that meet your specifications. We can commence with the proposal in three hours.”

The emotion drained from Marie’s face. “Huh? Three hours? Are you serious?”

“Indeed, all your stipulations will be accommodated by then.” Luxion turned back to me. “Master, I will draft your proposal speech right away. I only ask that you memorize it.”

I pressed a hand to my forehead. This whole affair annoyed me. “Just make it as short as possible, would you?”

“I will do my best.”

“Let’s not be so flippant!” Marie said. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. One I’ll never experience again! You need to…” She paused, searching for words. “Dedicate more time to it. Make sure everything’s completely perfect.”

We couldn’t really wheelspin on this, but I understood what she was getting at. Her protests bewildered Luxion, though. “The difference between doing this now or later is negligible at best.”

“The point is, a proposal you threw together in three hours will feel pretty half-hearted and flimsy,” she explained. “And I’d really like Leon to come up with the speech himself.”

Luxion and I traded looks.

“Asking me to come up with ‘corny clichés’ is a tall order. It’s not really my style. I think you’d be much happier with whatever Luxion wrote,” I said, perhaps a little too insistently.

Luxion moved his lens up and down, nodding. “It would be foolish to expect poetry from Master. Since you have misgivings, perhaps an extra half hour? By then, I can have fireworks readied as well. That would require only three and a half hours total. Is it acceptable?” He made this compromise sound like a big favor.

Marie vibrated with anger, fists balled. “You…you morons! Would you treat this proposal with the gravity it deserves?!”

“I guess we should tell the academy about this first, right?” I glanced at Luxion.

He returned my gaze. “That seems the best course of action. The bottom line is to enable Marie’s continuing attendance. As for whether she will enjoy her youth engaged to you, Master, that I cannot predict.”

“Hold it right there. Are you implying she’ll be unhappy with me?”

There was a substantial pause. “No,” Luxion finally said.

“You took way too long to answer that! Do you have some kind of problem with me? Huh? Is that it?”

Marie grabbed the front of my shirt, forcing my attention back to her. “Stop ignoring me!”

The atmosphere was no longer at all appropriate for planning a proposal, so we ultimately decided to see to that in the coming days.