Side Story 2:
It was all a dream...
It was the first night in the academy, after a long journey.
I contemplated what had transpired today…
Now that I reflected on it, there were just too many things...
-I still can’t believe it is real… A capture target changing gender? How are we going to figure things out now?
[I share the same concern. But now it's clear who's superior between Claire or me. Master, may I hear your final verdict?]
The tone of Luxion, this arrogant AI wanted me to change my assessment; it must presume I was still clinging to the fact that I once said Claire was more reliable.
Of course, I can’t deny such presumption is entirely wrong; but I’m not planning to appear defeated in front of such detestable familiar, so I decided to ignore the matter: -I'm going to sleep, so give me the medicine.
[... What a pity, and here I thought you were going to have a change of heart. As they said, silent service often goes unrecognized. Moreover, I've already told you countless times that I can't let you take medicine, right?]
-I wish to clear my mind, since there has been nothing but troubles today... you were with me the whole time, you must be aware of that.
A male capture target… turned into a full-fledged woman; I supposed it wasn’t completely unusual, but it was so out of the blue, and I’m too tired to process information any further.
Anyway, I just want to sleep without thinking about it.
[No need for drugs then.]
-Whatever, I know where you put it anyways.
I had seen Luxion stockpiling the drugs before, so I easily unveiled the stash.
I Saw that, Luxion interfere, which was unusual; you don’t see a flustered Luxion every day.
[Master, you shouldn't.]
-Why? Are they not sleeping pills?
[That’s not what I meant, it's still a sedative medication. A new antidepressant formulated by Claire that's already been passed trials but has some side effects.]
-Side effects? Huh? It's not a dangerous drug?
[It is not dangerous and there aren’t many downsides to its use. It is certainly safer than most agents out there, however-...]
-Then there is no problem.
[... Wha...!]
Luxion was trying to elaborate something, but at that point I couldn't care enough.
It's something researched specifically for my body. There might be side effects but that’s obviously a given; if the drug was life-threatening in the first place, Luxion would have thrown it away.
Must be a mild side effect, but I could put up with that much.
[I don't know what the side effects are. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.]
-Then, prepare a safer product next timeee… Fua~, it's making me sleepy...
I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes.
The effect took over swiftly, which was unheard of. I was pleased to be able to sleep so soundly.
◇
[Wake up, Master. You’re going to be late at this rate.]
The next morning, I woke up feeling awful.
-Pardon me for sleeping so much, can't be helped.
I got out of bed with a sleepy head and yawned as I stretched.
-Luxion? Flash briefing.
Luxion replied in a manner as if he was dumbfounded by something:
[Please be firm. Today is the entrance ceremony. May I remind you that your cousin has signed up, so I suggest you put on a respectable appearance to not displease your surroundings.]
-...C-Cousin?
[You must be sleepwalking, Master? Your father, Baron Balcus has a younger brother, and his daughter will be attending the academy this year. Have you forgotten about the important task he has entrusted to you? Detestable...]
-I beg your pardon. Luxion, your jokes are getting less and less funny, I’m disappointed. I’m aware I may have a few cousins here and there, but nothing you just said clicked with me the slightest…
Interrupting me, Luxion played one of his audio logs. It was a conversation between me and my dad back home.
{Leon, your cousin will be enrolling in the Royal Academy this year, you’re the most capable one in position to take care of her}.
{Cousin? Huh? Did you just say “cousin”?}
{I don't think you know each other. My younger brother, your uncle, was assigned to a Border Guard regiment stationed far away after serving his time as a volunteer. However, his family stayed and this year the daughter is coming, so I received a letter requesting that our house keep an eye on her.}
{Mmm...}
{Are you even listening? Haaa... I'd feel more at ease if Nicks was available.}
The recording was short, but now it was clear whose voices were speaking.
I could tell that at the time, I wasn’t really in a mood to listen to his words.
-H-Hey, so… assuming I really had a cousin? No, wait... of course I do. But a cousin that I have never heard of joining the academy?
Sure, I have relatives, that shouldn’t come as a surprise; but I didn't expect having anyone other than Finley to attend.
I guess it’s partially my fault in the first place, since I did not pay attention. Strangely enough though, even if I had forgotten, my father would have reminded me.
I'm a little worried, before I depart for the capital, he surely must have consulted me about this “cousin” numerous times.
Could it be that even he had forgotten?
An uncle serving the military at the borderland? I have never heard of that either?
While I was lost in thought, Luxion, a scoundrel always so eager to jump in my mouth and detest my mistake, continued amusedly with the briefing.
[You are scheduled to meet before the entrance ceremony. I'm looking forward to seeing her too]
-You’re… looking forward to it? Why?
[Ah of course. One can hope that girl possesses Old Mankind’s gene, after all she’s your cousin, Master.]
Shouldn’t have expected more from this AI.
I can’t give a serious thought to this whole new vs. old human grudge, but I suppose these AIs were just… built differently. While I sometimes was actually curious, I refrained from inquiring about it, knowing Luxion would just ramble all day long.
-Anyway, a meeting in person after breakfast, you said? Let's catch up with the timetable, shall we?
◇
After getting dressed and eating breakfast, I headed to the academy building. Around the campus were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed freshmen in their shiny new uniforms.
-So, this is how a new semester begins...
[You’re talking nonsense again, Master. Weren’t you there at the time of admission?]
-Things have changed now, no more stressful marriage hunting. The scenes of this year just feel so… fresh.
None of the female students had any exclusive demi-human servants following them. A simple change, yes; but it made a significant difference.
Is this really the same Royal Academy? For a moment I thought I was dreaming.
Together with Luxion, I arrived at the academy’s central square. Many students had taken a liking to its beautiful flower carpets centered around the fountain; thus, it has become a go-to spot for gathering.
-As expected of the first day, there is a flood of people in this place. If you’re so superior to an AI surely you have come up with a better option?
Luxion didn’t seem to care about complaining about the unusual amount of people; he sped up ahead and guided me with its crimson-shaded lens.
[This way.]
-You know exactly where she is?
[Yes, that much is within my capability. Look, she’s over there.]
I looked toward the particular direction, only to notice... a spherical droid with a striking resemblance to my Luxion, aside from an extra accessory in the form of a ribbon on its side, that unit was floating next to a female student’s shoulder.
With long black hair, at first glance she looked like a normal girl. However, because of the Luxion-with-a-ribbon-on-the-side, they easily caught my eye.
-Why does that girl also have a unit, is it also a lost item?! Is this good news or bad news?
Contrary to my vigilant demeanor, Luxion replied with a nonchalant attitude.
[Master can rest easy; she's an artificial intelligence manufactured, by yours truly of course, to escort your cousin. Isn’t she... cute?]
-C-cute? Cute? It just has a bow on top of it!
[The construction material is different; not to mention, the size of the lens has been tweaked. I can assure she gives off a different vibe.]
Saying such things… Of course, if I were looking closely, I might be able to differentiate; but I could not simply discern them from the corner of my eye as they looked all too similar.
The only clear distinction was the ornament, otherwise I would be royally confused.
-I-I see…
As we proceeded toward the other party; the girl turned around and politely greeted us, perhaps that AI too, detected our presence. The black-haired freshman was holding onto a bag with both hands, and gave off an atmosphere of refinement.
After accompanying Finley yesterday, this much was enough for a positive impression.
-Nice to meet you. Uh...
I suddenly realized I did not know my cousin’s name, just as I was trying to say hi.
-It’s Linette, marquess. It’s an honor to finally meet you.
-Ve-very well. Allow me to introdu-...
-You're Leon Fou Bartfort, am I correct? I have heard of your far-reaching fame. I know I have a lot to learn, but I'm looking forward to working with you.
Linette bowed slightly and gave out a gentle smile, as we slowly broke the initial formality.
Up-close, she was quite a belle.
But I felt uneasy, as if something was off.
Abruptly, the Luxion-with-a-ribbon-on-the-side dashed forward, face to face with me:
[Hey, hey! Quite fascinated, aren’t you? If you lay a hand on Linette, even the likes of you won't make it back in one piece!]
-This Luxion imitation seems to be quite loyal, unlike someone else here…
In front of such unexpected vehemence, I took a step back to create some distance. Luxion, otherwise, was unmoved and unusually cold.
[Her designation, or name, is "Lucria"]
-Y-You came up with that on your own?
[Is there a problem?]
-Nothing, just a weird hunch...
When Luxion and I were exchanging small talks, the other party also got a bit lively:
[Hey, Linette! You must be more self-aware; those men, all of them are wolves in sheep's clothing. Especially not that man! That man, absolutely not! He’s the Fiendish Knight for a reason.]
-But he’s my relative though, don’t judge him so harshly…
[My dear Linette, you look gorgeous. You need to be on guard, don’t let those men get too close!]
-No, no, I heard he has fiancées and I'm sure he's a decent gentleman.
They were chatting with such harmony, I wished Luxion could be half as hospitable. That aside, it seemed being a cordial and companionable person is Linette’s default mood.
Perhaps noticing my stare, she hastily tried to fix her appearance.
-Pardon my vulgar manners. I was too caught up with conversing.
[You look very pretty trying to make amends, Linette!]
Lucria circled around her like a satellite and called her cute.
Linette had a strained smile in front of me, showing an apologetic attitude.
-Quit with the formality, you should not be too cautious of etiquette. After all, I too started off from the backwater; being so formal is not natural of me.
When I said that, Linette was visibly relieved.
-Pardon? It’s fine to drop formality, you said? I got such a privilege from the marquess himself, huh? Haa~, What a relief. I was going to get depressed with these stiff acting.
Her complete shift in manner gave me a strange impression of an athletic club member. She must have tried very hard to maintain a formal stance.
Whilst I’m lost in thought, Linette unexpectedly shortened the familiarity.
-Then how should I address the marquess? I (Boku) think it would be quite a hassle to just refer to him as “Marquess Leon” all the time…
She used “boku” - 僕 to refer to herself, an informal expression compared to “watashi” - 私 ]
She was a feminine girl when she kept silent, but the way she spoke revealed a whole new person inside.
-You can refer to me as “senpai” or use my name Leon, whatever floats your boat.
-I don't feel comfortable calling you like that. It would be safer to refer to you as “Leon-senpai”, or maybe something else, maybe…“Onii-chan”?
When the "me (boku)" girl, Linette, called me “Onii-chan”; for some reason my heart jumped. It wasn’t necessarily a feeling toward a member of the opposite sex, but it felt like bestowing upon myself a responsibility to protect.
Linette went on asking my feedback on her suggestion:
-”Leon-senpai” or “Leon Onii-chan”? Casually calling a marquess “Leon Onii-chan”, it would be improper, isn’t it?
-”Leon Onii-chan” is fine by me.
Seeing what was going on so far, Luxion and Lucria joined in the conversation.
[Your Master just chose Onii-chan without any hesitation, Luxion Onii-chan]
[You will have to put up with this sort of thing, Master Leon is like that. Always ranting about how much he despises younger sisters, but now he must be cheering on the inside.
Master is… detestable.]
... Huh? What? Did my ears play tricks or did Luxion really let Lucria call him…”Onii-chan”?
Impossible.
-Oi, and you are not detestable yourself huh, Luxion? You’ve got some nerve, when Lucria just referred to you as “Onii-chan” too. As her creator, wouldn't you rather be her father?
Lucria argued against me with a scornful tone.
[What's wrong with calling him whatever I want! In the first place, if Luxion Onii-chan is my father, who's my mother? Who is she?!? Bring her to me!]
-Claire, I suppose?
[Haa!? Why would that be the case?! Nonsensical! Explain why within 400 characters.
Explain it in a way that makes sense to me!]
That patronizing posture was very annoying.
Her attitude towards Linette was very forgiving; but when it came to dealing with me, she just flipped the table.
Luxion calmed Lucria down.
[Lucria, leave it there. Yes, it was nonsense for Master to define Claire as your mother; but it's useless to go on.]
[That's my Luxion Onii-chan. You know all about this guy.]
[Think again.]
Do all AIs in this world have a default function to turn me into a laughing stock?
Just when I was in despair due to these troublesome artificial intelligences, Angie and Livia arrived at the square.
-So, here you are…
-You’re with another girl again, Leon?
Getting seen with another girl by your fiancées who were looking for you, talking about being unfortunate. Before their suspicions arise any further, I explained the circumstance of the meeting: -She is the daughter of a relative who serves in the military, her name is Linette. It was my father who tasked me with taking care of her.
Angie's appearance softened considerably:
-Is that so? I'm Angelica Rapha Redgrave, it’s a pleasure to meet you...
Livia also greeted Linette:
-And I’m Olivia. It's nice to meet you too, Linette.
Linette hurriedly bobbed a curtsy. By that attitude, she certainly has heard of who my fiancées are.
-I-It's an honor to meet both of you.
With the greetings over, I was thinking of how to wrap this meeting up, when suddenly Angie and Livia approached Linette.
Angie lifted Linette's chin with her finger once she had closed the distance with her.
-A relative, huh? You do have the image of Leon, somewhat.
-L-Lady Angelica?
Behind her, Livia pressed her large breasts against the bewildered Linette's back.
-That's right. I can feel Leon’s aura from her.
Being cuddled, stared at, and pressed.... Linette turned to me for salvation, her eyes dazzling.
-Leon Onii-chan~.
To help my confused cousin, I forewarned them both:
-That's enough. Stop troubling little Linette.
When I said that, Angie brought her gaze to me. Angie's smile was enchanting yet cryptic.
-It's all right. I like her. See, she looks just like you, aren’t that… good?
-U-Uhm…What?
Angie gently grabbed Linette's face with both hands, their faces were just millimeters apart. Linette stood frozen like a statue with her cheeks burning red in front of Angie.
And then Livia said something astonishing:
-Angie likes girls, you know.
I could not find a proper facial expression for what she just declared. In front of me, who was speechless, Angie spoke to Livia.
-I've had enough men; I think you would understand. You're not interested in men either, are you?
-Nope.
Looking back with hindsight, I acted sloppily; but on the spur of the moment, I questioned them:
-He-hey, I’m a man too, ain’t I?
Angie and Livia simultaneously looked my way with a smile. Were they surprised? They clearly looked so. Although if anyone had any right to be dumbfounded, that would have been me. Then, it was Livia who wondered.
-Leon is Leon, isn't he?
-Yes, yes. That's right.
“Sure, I'm Leon, but I'm also a man, you are making me confused here.”
-If that's so, it's okay.
-What? It's not okay at all, is it? You’re holding something against me because I'm a man, aren’t you?
It was Angie who calmed the tension:
-I might not like men, but that’s not a problem here. We like you for who you are, not because of your gender.
...
-That’s why I’ve taken a liking to this girl here, who resembles you so much…
-Hmm? Wait… pardon?
Damn it! I was, for a moment, convinced of Angie’s confession, but she really did me like this. These girls never cease to amaze me. And as if the situation cannot get more baffling, Marie was already standing next to me before I knew it. She immediately clung to my clothes.
-Big bro, how long have you been fooling around over here?
She looked at Linette with fiery eyes:
-I'm his one and only younger sister! Onii-chan, don’t you get carried away by this impostor!
I frantically covered her mouth with my hand when she shouted in public that I was her
“Onii-chan”.
-Dumbass! Why are you saying that here? Shut up before you are blowing this whole thing up...
I glanced at my fiancées fearfully, but they weren’t there.
-...Huh?
Marie, whose face I was holding a moment ago, vanished without trace. The square was quiet and eerie. The only one left other than Luxion and I were… Linette and Lucria.
-Wait… wait… hold on… This isn’t good. This isn’t right! Luxion, status report!
Just when I called out for Luxion; without warning, a thunderous sound pierced my ear. It was the… alarm clock.
◇
[Wake up, Master. You’re going to be late at this rate.]
I found myself back on the bed, just like when I was getting up last… time.
As I got up, I could hear Luxion's usual sarcasm.
[Oh? Master obediently got up today.]
Luxion was being his usual self. I felt… relieved.
Were all the events up to this point a dream? A premonition? It felt way too real. Skipping the morning briefing, I consulted Luxion.
-The side effects of Claire’s new sedative, what are they?
[Poor Master, from the looks of it, you’ve gotten quite a scare, haven’t you? Seeing a dream so vividly one can mistake it with reality, is a side effect of that drug.]
I let out a deep sigh.
-It was completely ridiculous. In the dream I had a cousin I wasn’t aware of. You too, Luxion, you had a younger sister. Now just mentioning it, that was senseless…
[I have no younger sister, can confirm.]
-I know right! I’m glad none of that was real, especially what Angie and Livia have said…
batshit insane!
[From now on, listen to what I have to say before doing things recklessly. Now that’s out of the way...]
Luxion continued with his flash briefing:
[Julius and his entourage’s younger sisters are going to enroll in the academy. Your presence was specifically requested before the entrance ceremony.]
...Those idiots had younger sisters? For a moment I thought yes, but then the question came to mind. They had never informed me about this, it was all too sudden…
What is this? Another layer of a twisted, long dream? What is real?
… When will I reach the truth?
BOOK WALKER Limited edition bonus:
Yumeria’s remittance
It was spring break.
Having returned to the Royal Academy in the capital with his master Marie, Kyle received a letter - which was expected - and package - an unfamiliarity - from his mother, Yumeria.
Kyle shed a tear when he slowly and carefully opened the letter in his room.
-... Mother.
Though he was weeping, the words he mumbled to himself were of contentment.
As usual, what concerns Yumeria is her son’s wellbeing, and that concern was expressed into words of tenderness.
Are you hurt or sick? Are you eating well? Are you sleeping well?
Although she was relatively young and inexperienced for elves, you could tell she is a very caring mother.
Needless to say, even a normally-cynical Kyle was touched.
-I'm pitiful for worrying you like this...
The plain package wasn’t wrapped in any eye-catching technique, but one can say with certainty it is Yumeria’ labor of love. The gifts inside were all just plain sweets and couldn’t compare with delicacies sold in well-known stores of the capital.
Nevertheless, Kyle was crying for joy.
-I have to share it with Marie and the others late-… Huh?
Kyle was busy rummaging the package full of candies, only then did he find an envelope.
This came as a bit of a surprise to him, as in nowhere did the letter mention an envelope; Kyle could only guess.
His excitement built up as he touched and felt the content. Inside was a modest amount of money, surely insignificant for life at the capital; be that as it may, it meant a lot of the young boy living away from homeland.
-G-Going out of your way, mother....
It should have been him that supported his mother. Kyle thought to himself, for a moment feeling as though he’s a liability.
-What should I do with this money? It's important money, should I keep it? But that's a little difficult.
Life in the capital, especially with the prince's entourage, is hard; hence Kyle was tempted to use the remittance for living expenses. However, it wasn’t usual that Yumeria would send money from the countryside, so he wished to save it for a rainy day. If possible, he would like to keep it on hand akin to a good luck charm, but saying is easier than doing due to their harsh circumstances.
While his mind was wandering about, someone knocked on the door.
It was Carla Fou Wayne.
Another close confidant of Marie, but unlike Kyle who is a demi-human, Carla was an academy student picked up by Marie to be her servant.
To Kyle, she is more of a genuine friend than an uninvolved coworker.
He opened the door as he casually replied:
-Coming~.
In front of him was Carla that looked like she had been in a rush, desperately gasping for air.
Kyle also sensed an air of urgency about her.
-Trouble! Kyle, there's trouble! Those five! those five again...
Kyle didn’t need further elaboration to understand the situation; being Marie’s servant, this sort of thing is expected.
-What is it this time?
Speaking of “five people”, it's a group of former court nobles, in which Julius is the ringleader. Ever since the disinheritance they had been the cause of Marie’s constant downfall; luckily, they had grown a bit more sensible after spending time in the Republic. “A bit”.
”The fools” are living testaments to the idea that people won't change at a rate of knots.
Still barely catching her breath, Carla explained:
-Listen! His Highness has set up a chicken coop on his own, Brad built a show tent, but of course everything went nuts and part of the building got damaged, not to mention Greg remodeled his room, saying that he was making his room into a training gym.
-Good lord, I assume we will have to pay for the repair? What about Chris and Jilk?
Carla answered with an air of dismay:
-Chris has taken the liberty of redecorating the bathrooms on his own. Fortunately for now it seems he can keep it like that, the catch is.... the remodeling gobbled up way more money than the other three’s mess.
-What hot garbage! So-... ugh, let's just address the worst garbage. What did he do?
Kyle’s and Carla’s mood showed no courtesy to anyone except Julius. Any respect they held for them, disappeared thanks to them causing so much trouble. Julius, while wasn’t without
some wackiness, was more tolerable, so the group still referred to him as “His Highness”, owing to the former crown prince’s position.
And on the opposite side of the spectrum, was Jilk. He was the biggest rapscallion of them all, after his numerous blunders, both of them had no qualm calling him “scum”.
The color drained out of Carla’s face.
-He boastfully declared that if he can't buy pottery, then he'll make them himself. And so, he commissioned a gigantic kiln, AT SCHOOL, to make his own pottery!
Kyle is flabbergasted upon hearing about Jilk.
-He knows no shame!”
-What a bunch of hopeless people who can’t grow up! I just don’t get them! Oh-... have you checked on Master?
Above all, Kyle was getting concerned for Marie, who suffered every time.
Carla covered her face with both hands.
-Not like I was looking forward to it, but Master Marie broke down as usual…
◇
When Kyle and Carla rushed toward Marie’s room, she was sprawling on her bed. With a thousand-yard gaze, she muttered the same phrase again and again and again: -He's going to be mad… He’s going to be mad... He's definitely going to-...
She appeared as if she was haunted by a sinister force.
It was Kyle who walked over to Marie and called out to her first:
-I hope you have gotten a hold of yourself, Master?
When Marie noticed Kyle and Carla, she bursted into tears and started speaking; at first her words were coherent, but soon despair overtook her balance of mind.
-Who would think those fools could create a big mess so quickly! What do you mean!! “A-worthwhile-investment-to-ride-a-profit-wave-in-the-future”?!? What’s with these menchildren? H-How… just how long must I put up with this?
Marie and the others were now vassals under Leon. So naturally, their living expenses were
“graciously” covered by Leon, and in no small amount.
But thanks to the happy-go-lucky quintet’s wasteful use of money, Marie’s budget was virtually emptied. More so, the additional sum they had borrowed from Leon was nowhere near enough to pay for all the damage done.
Marie looked up to the two with teary eyes:
-Claire…oh no, Claire is out and about! What terrible timing! He'll be mad at me again, even though I didn't do anything wrong!
Just when Marie thought the group could lead a stable life after being officially taken in as Leon’s beneficiary, this happened. Kyle and Carla not only felt pitiful watching their Master going through a plethora of extreme emotions due to the idiots, but they also worried for their own since the situation meant they were going to be in deep trouble too. Still and all, what’s done is done, it could not be helped; seeing as things won’t magically turn around if they just stood there throwing insults at the clowns, Kyle suggested:
-Master, I suppose this is an appropriate circumstance for this...
-H-Huh?
Kyle revealed Yumeria's remittance, which he had been cautiously keeping under his attire, and showed it to Marie. He did not want to carelessly misspend the money his mom surely has earned through blood, sweat and tears; at the same time, he must help his miserable Master somehow .
“I’m sorry mother; but if it is for a greater good, I hope you will understand…“
And so, Kyle handed his Master the envelope with both of his arms.
-This should be enough to live on for a while.
A spark of light shined in Marie’s eyes as she accepted Kyle’s proposal; but soon enough, her expression visibly darkened: -Hold on… This doesn’t make sense. How do you have so much money, Kyle?
Standing by her side, Carla also seemed to realize something didn’t add up.
-Could it be… he saved every penny up until now? Really?
Kyle confessed with a bit of hesitation:
-No, it's a remittance. My mother had some extra income, and she wanted me to spend it however I saw fit. So, I thought it’s only natural…
When Carla heard that, she got misty-eyed:
-Kyle…
Marie, in contrary, had a sook:
-N-No! I can’t, no!
-Master?
Slamming the envelope back on Kyle’s hand, Marie stood up from the bed and put her hands on her hips in front of the bewildered Kyle.
-You expect me to take it after hearing that? That would be improper of me! Listen, use it carefully. Use. It. Carefully. Your precious remittance must not be used for something like this!
-B-But...
Despite being in a desperate situation, Marie couldn’t abuse her servants’ trust like that.
She would never, not when she still had some dignity.
-I'll handle the matter myself. So, PUT THAT ENVELOPE AWAY!!! Hurry up while I'm still sane!
Like anyone with a bit of self-interest, deep inside Marie wished she could count on Kyle’s money, but she held back; it was wrong, she thought.
-Y-Your wish is my command.
Kyle formally accepted the remittance and bowed slightly. Seeing that, Marie and Carla nodded with a smile.
-Very well. If your mother hears of this, I’m sure she will be pleased.
-Miss Marie is right, you know... But milady, what should we do with those five?
When Carla asked her about the money issue, Marie replied with a wry smile.
- I-I'll manage… somehow....
◇
Marie was burying her head in her hands:
-Unbelievable, how could he use Yumeria’s allowance for… that!!? Besides, the circumstances are ridiculous, I will probably just bring shame to myself!
Left on her own by the two, Marie exploded and went on a rampage inside the deserted room. She clutched a pillow and angrily lobbed it across the room, all the while screaming at the walls like an absolute lunatic.
-It's karma! It's definitely karma! This world wants me to suffer! For me, who used to play with my parents' money in my previous life, it's a damned stab of guilt and it hurts! Oh…
my heart, my poor heart...
In her previous life, Marie lied to her parents, saying she needed money to study for a certificate, and traveled abroad with her friend. This was followed by a series of misfortunes and the loss of her parents' trust; though not appearing like it from the outside, the sudden passing of her onii-chan still traumatized her.
-At all cost, I cannot take Kyle’s money for granted. I would rather get down on my knees in front of my bro than guilt-tripping myself again.
Just like that, Marie resolved herself to… beg for money from Leon.
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