34 – 034 – Spring Comes Spring # 4
034 – Spring Comes Spring #4
It was still early afternoon for dinner.
I called Flora to the cafe “Fairy Teacup”.
After waiting for a while, a woman with platinum blonde hair hanging forward like a bun came up to me with a sigh and put down the letter.
“Come to the cafe by 6:00. What are all these words? Do I look like someone who obediently follows what you said, Viktor?”
“But you came here.”
“Because there are so many things I want to ask about.”
“Then I’ll listen to everything, so sit down.”
“Really, I don’t know who is an aristocrat and who is a commoner. I am in 3rd grade. Shouldn’t we be polite as juniors?”
Even as she said that, Flora sat down with a pouty expression on her face.
“So, what do you mean?”
“Nothing. After the news of the breakup spread, I just wanted to ask about the nature of Arclight.”
“What do you think? Everyone was upset. especially father… The head of the household was very angry. If you do, you’d better lower your stiff head.”
It was a largely expected reaction.
If this is enough, you can just move smoothly according to your plan in the future.
So now the real point.
“Did you say you’re in third grade now?”
“Yes. Soon, this damn Ludens will be graduating. I will return to the splendid and luxurious mainland. You have to suffer a little more here.”
Covering her mouth with the back of her hand, she was an aristocratic lady with an oh-ho-ho smile.
It feels very strange to hear this myself.
For reference, this strange laugh can only be heard when Flora’s favorability rating is negative.
Flora’s favorability rating is tolerable, so it’s not easy to go negative.
Viktor This guy, did you really have a bad relationship with Flora?
Pushing that sentiment to one side, he asked.
“Third grade is an important period. What are you planning to do next?”
“well. I’m just thinking of graduating safely and safely. Why should I tell you that?”
“There is no obligation to do so. But don’t you think that’s a waste of time? How about setting a goal?”
“goal?”
“For example, the goal of winning the Miss Ludens contest to be held in the second semester. yes, that would be nice.”
At that, Flora laughed. It wasn’t an exaggerated laugh like before, it was a despondent and empty laugh, as if the wind was a little out of whack.
“Victor, while I couldn’t see you, you became a person who said something funny. I am a person who has fallen out of the student council and delegates and did not even get into Class A. Do you think you can win the Miss Contest?”
“do.”
“Can you do it or not? Why are you so sure?”
That’s right, until I saw such a future.
But I can’t honestly say that.
So I decided to use one of my lying chances of the day.
“… It’s just a feeling.”
Once to hold hands with Victoria.
and now once.
Now, there is only one chance left to lie.
It’s hard to bear the pain in my stomach.
“I’m sorry, it’s funny. Viktor I can’t believe you were the one who clung to such uncertainties. More than that, it’s about breaking up this marriage.”
Flora was not an easy conversation partner.
Grab your head and shake it in the direction of the story you want to talk about.
“Why did you take part in such a reckless thing? What’s more, he broke off his marriage just because he had another woman. Doesn’t that only add stigma to you?”
“… … .”
“I’m here, so tell me honestly. You’ve already broken up, right? Victoria is lying to me.”
It seems that Victoria couldn’t completely convince Flora.
I am in serious trouble in this situation.
“If you really broke up, what are you guys going to do?”
“I don’t know what to do with my family, but I’m in the third grade. It is possible to make your Ludens life a little uncomfortable. They say that the club’s food is not delicious and give it a rating.”
That’s kind of annoying.
Club ratings are pretty important.
can’t you do it
I decided to consume the last lie.
“As Victoria said, our breakup is a trick. But you have to keep it a secret from everyone.”
“… … .”
Flora put on a look of surprise for a moment. Then he looked around and said with a rather serious face.
“… Is it true that there are enemies inside?”
“… … .”
Now that I’ve used up all my chances to lie, the only options I can choose are the truth and silence. I keep my mouth shut because I think silence is better than the truth.
“Looks like you have no intention of talking. Is it because you’re afraid I’ll be in danger if I find out?”
“… … .”
“Victor, you didn’t say it, but are you really worried about me?”
What logic goes like this.
However, there was one thing I realized when this situation came to pass.
The chance for silence was not infinite.
I can’t write the next few times.
At most, at least once in the future.
Is it right to break up the story and leave?
“Is asking me to enter the Miss Contest, by any chance, one of your plans to deal with that enemy?”
“What does that mean?”
“Isn’t it to make me a hot topic and protect me from enemy attacks? If I become Miss Ludens, even those so-called enemies won’t be able to touch me carelessly.”
It was a pretty good guess, but it wasn’t.
I could talk about this honestly.
“No, that’s not it. It’s a slightly simpler story. Flora, you have the potential to win the Miss Contest. If I can help.”
“I… ? A contest to choose the most beautiful woman in Ludens?”
“yes.”
“Do you consider me the most beautiful woman in Ludens?”
“no.”
“I don’t really worry about it in the slightest. Normally, at times like this, it would be okay to say something flat.”
“But I think it’s beautiful enough to win Ludens’ contest.”
Flora’s bun-like hair stands up from side to side.
“What, what are you talking about now? ha, true Totally funny. Whoever wins the ludens contest is no different than the most beautiful woman.”
Flora covered her face with a hand fan.
Are sisters sisters?
The reaction when panicked was similar.
“It is not a lie. You win the Miss Ludens contest. I will make it.”
And give me the trophy.
Oh, ask
So, did the persuasion work?
Looking at Flora’s complexion, he opened his lips with a calm expression for some reason.
“Victor, there are days when I cried.”
“The day you cried?”
“You didn’t comfort me back then. Did you keep your distance because I was beautiful enough to win the Miss Contest?”
I couldn’t figure out what this was all about.
The day Flora cried?
consolation?
Recall the brain of victory!
Among Flora’s lines, were there any lines that said she cried?
No, I don’t remember!
If it’s not in my memory, it’s not there!
So what’s the most similar story?
– Actually, I’ve been kicked a lot in the past. My partner abandoned me and cheated on me. I’m very happy to beat that cheating opponent in the contest. exhilarating!
This is it.
Flora is a sad woman who has been dumped by her fiancé.
Other than this, there is nothing to point out.
It must have been before Victor and Flora entered Ludens.
At that time, Victor did not comfort Flora, who was soaked in sorrow, but rather treated her coldly.
He’s a guy who lives a really difficult life.
The problem is that the arrow came back to me.
“Victor, you distanced yourself from me because I am that beautiful… ? Are you afraid that your engagement will be in trouble? Is that why you acted cold on purpose?”
If I say no here, will Flora’s Miss Contest pass?
No, even if I participated as per the episode, the trophy might be given to Luke instead of me.
You really should get that trophy.
There is no such thing, and the level of life content changes between normal and hard mode.
So I just close my eyes
I decided to tell the fourth lie out of quota.
“Grueheh—.”
… Uh, why are you talking about this?
Why is the floor coming right in front of you?
* * *
“It’s an invisible ceiling.”
When I opened my eyes, I saw a white wall.
“Is this the infirmary?”
When I got up, my body was very nauseous and I felt like I was going to vomit. There was a time in the past when I was exhausted after three days without sleep, loading and unloading parcels, and that’s exactly how I feel.
“The fourth… .”
The fourth lie is that if you do really well, you could die.
To the extent that it feels life threatening.
Victor, you bastard.
Do you hate being so dishonest?
So what happened?
I looked around.
1 occupancy room.
As soon as I saw it, my thoughts were the same as when I was exhausted from loading and unloading.
This will cost a lot of treatment.
It was a time when I thought that the expenses went out unexpectedly.
I saw something beside me.
it’s a letter.
It’s the same cheap stationery I gave Flora.
On the back of a simple promise I had written, it read:
“The goal of the third year. 1 year remaining. I’ll think about it.
P.s. I paid for the treatment, so be grateful, commoner.”
Medical bills are tight Honey.
Then the door burst open.
“Victor, I heard you fell down?”
“Victoria.”
“My sister told me. The two of them collapsed while talking. what the hell… , no. I guess. What were you talking about with your sister?”
“Miss Contest.”
“Miss Contest? I don’t know what it is, but my sister has gone back to the mainland. It looks like I have to rush out without packing my things and come back.”
“Right.”
“And, my sister said she would be on my side. Guess he’ll persuade the head of household or my brother somehow to break up our marriage. Of course, she doesn’t know that we really broke up.”
That was a good thing.
It was worth my exhaustion.
But it was an experience I would never want to do again.
really never again.
Everyone gets scared after experiencing such a terrible burnout.
At the same time, I realized one thing.
Wasn’t it because of this powerful eccentricity that Viktor was honest?
He also had to be honest.
forced beggar.
Viktor must have been exhausted like me.
The quirk given to this guy is «Steel».
I haven’t had enough time to question it until now, but I’m starting to wonder why Viktor is endowed with this eccentricity.
In the first place, unlike skills and stats, this ‘eccentricity’ would never arise without special conditions.
It was then.
“Victor, I bought porridge here.”
“you?”
“yes. This is what fiancees usually do.”
“But we… .”
“Know. But you cheated on your sister. You don’t know when and where you will hear what your unnie will tell you, so you should practice in advance.”
“… … .”
I was hungry.
But I didn’t have the strength to lift a finger.
perfect discharge.
Thanks to that, I had to eat the porridge that Victorica scooped out for me.
“I’m feeding you porridge. It was something I could not have imagined even a month ago.”
“Me too. Rather, where did you buy this from?”
It’s like chicken porridge, but it tastes better than I thought.
Shall we make the next menu with porridge?
Then Victoria spoke to me.
“Victor, if there were no problems in our family. What were you and me like now? Was our engagement still the same?”
“no. If there weren’t any problems with your family, we wouldn’t even be engaged in the first place.”
“Well, getting engaged from the age of five. My father is not normal.”
Victoria’s expression darkened when she said that.
Do you have a sense of who you have to deal with?
I wanted to say this one thing to a guy who might fight a huge enemy.
“But if I could have made a better choice, I would not have broken up with you.”
If the arclight was fine.
Even if you stick closely to Victoria, it’s an automatic career path, do you think I need to kick that fortune?
So, this was absolutely sincere.
I can’t lie now
Victorica smiled lightly and said, “What is that?”
Come to think of it, isn’t this the first time I’ve actually seen this guy smile?
With Chara, I feel like the special CG has been unlocked.
“Victoria, you smile like that.”
“Well, I’m a human too, so I have to be funny. These days, it seems like I’ve only been angry because of someone, with nothing to laugh about. Do you know that I am just as stiff as you?”
“I laugh sometimes too.”
“really?”
“yes.”
Victoria looked at my face.
This time, however, he did not blush and talk gibberish like before.
“Come to think of it, Victor. I’ve never seen you smile.”
Then he said a little bit.
“I think I’ve talked to you more lately than I’ve said in my entire life. And when you talk to Ms. Moke-Moke, don’t you just speak very firmly?”
“Is it so?”
It seems so.
It seems that the me inside Viktor is protruding little by little.
Is this a good sign?
Victoria sweeps down the blanket on the bed in the infirmary with the palm of her hand.
“If I had known this was going to happen, I would have talked to you more before breaking up. If so… .”
if.
If so.
regret.
Regrets won’t help you move forward.
The only lesson to be learned from regret is ‘let’s not do that in the future’.
I wanted to tell that to a young man who was still green.
“What do you regret so much? Victoria, you still have a lot of time. We are only in the second year of Ludens. I am at an age where I can build a castle even if I start over.”
“What are you saying, like an old kid.”
I am not even twenty now.
An age where you can really do anything in the future.
“New beginning… .”
Victoria muttered, “A new beginning,” as if the story of me, who could be called a senior in life, was very impressive.
Victoria will do just fine without worrying.
And I think I can do well no matter what.