Chapter 112 Unwanted Meddling
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I had Elliot—that sad fool who must be deeply upset by Elenor’s engagement—and his friend Aldrick seated in the Grimlock family carriage, taking them to my theater. All to encourage the poor wretch.
The strong smell of leather seats. The rhythmic clatter of wheels against stones.
Inside that quiet carriage, Elliot had been staring at me the whole time. He turned his gaze to the large man sitting beside me.
”Aldrick. Why on earth are you working with this awful criminal? Depending on the situation, I’ll have to report this to His Highness–“
”Man, I had no idea you were loving Lady Elenor.”
Aldrick cut off Elliot’s questioning with a lazy, somewhat wrong reply from the opposite seat.
”Wha–?! How do you know about that?! Don’t tell me you noticed all along?!”
”Nah. Just heard it from Grimlock over there. Found out today, actually.”
Aldrick answered with a bright smile.
”…You again. You really can’t help putting your nose where it shouldn’t be, can you? You terrible person.”
Elliot shot me a look of true dislike.
(Honestly. Anything involving this guy, and somehow it’s all my fault.)
Sure, I did spill the truth about his love life—but that was purely to support him. So what’s the harm?
”Come on, don’t be so angry. When you’re going through hard times, the best cure is a good meal, some drinks, and some distraction.”
I deflected his angry look with the ease of a tree bending in the wind.
”Yeah! He’s got a point, Elliot! You’ve always had a habit of keeping everything to yourself! Times like this, you gotta let go—it’s better that way!”
Aldrick chimed in with strong agreement.
”Tch…! I’d love to tell you both to mind your own business and leave right about now… but with two big guys teaming up like this, I don’t exactly have a choice, do I…”
And here I am, worried about him out of the goodness of my heart.
—What an unthankful bastard.
Before long, the carriage arrived at my theater–
[[Star of the Desert]].
The sky was colored bright red, and the beautiful buildings of the Royal Capital stood as black shapes, floating quietly in the darkening twilight.
Given the season, the temperature dropped sharply at this time, a cold feeling seeping in.
We passed through the entrance and lobby, heading for the private VIP room on the second floor. I’d sent word ahead of our arrival, so the table was already lined with a big spread.
I’d told them to use whatever food they had on hand–leftovers, supplies, whatever. But even so, my chef had prepared a excellent dinner, looking stunning and perfectly tasty.
I didn’t save money hiring top-tier chefs and staff. And this was the result—even on short notice, they could put together a spread like this.
That’s the privilege of being me.
”Well, let’s eat first. A broken heart won’t heal on an empty stomach.”
At my words, both of them obediently took their seats. It seemed Elliot had finally realized resistance was useless and given up.
”Whoa! This looks amazing!” Aldrick shouted, eyes going wide.
”Hmph. Hard to believe a piece of trash like you owns this place,” Elliot mumbled, though he couldn’t quite hide his appreciation.
As we enjoyed the good food and drink, the stage below came alive with a bright, intense dance show led by Pharma and her group.
”Whoa! This is wonderful!” Aldrick yelled, leaning forward in his seat.
”Tch… It’s not bad, I suppose,” Elliot admitted reluctantly.
Both of them seemed to be having fun.
”Oh, right. Go get Kyle from the guard detail.”
I sent one of the workers on an errand.
A moment later–Kyle, the elf who’d used his [Ring of Transformation] to appear as a normal human person, walked in with an annoyed look.
”What do you want? I’m busy with guard duty,” Kyle said flatly.
There hadn’t been any strange activity lately, so him stepping away for a bit wouldn’t be a problem.
”Sorry about that. You see, this pathetic four-eyes just got rejected by the woman he’s been loving forever. We’re all cheering him up right now. –You should join in,” I explained.
At my words, Elliot’s face turned bright red. “I did NOT get rejected!”
Ignoring him completely, Kyle shot Elliot a cold, totally hateful glare.
”…Oh? So you haven’t been turned down. Which means… you haven’t even told her how you feel? How totally weak. You really are a sad excuse for a man–” Kyle said, his voice dripping with hate.
”W-What did you say?! I’ve told you before! We nobles–unlike commoners like you–can’t focus on our personal feelings!” Elliot shot back.
”Spare me the weak excuses. ‘Noble’? You’re just a coward. Don’t use your status as a reason to run from your own feelings. What an idiot,” Kyle said.
(Ah, here we go again.)
Elliot and Kyle started their usual pointless, regrettable argument. Well, if it helps take his mind off things, I suppose that’s fine.
As I was thinking that, another worker approached, announcing a visitor.
”–Who is it?” I asked.
”Yes, sir. His Highness Prince Liam has arrived,” the worker replied.
The Prince? What could he want?
Elliot and Aldrick were too busy with their meal and their pointless argument to pay any attention.
”…Very well. Show him in,” I said.
After a short wait, Prince Liam entered the room, accompanied by his attendant.
”…What exactly is going on here?” the Prince asked, looking around.
The Prince looked completely confused by the messy scene before him. Fine dining. A lively show. Elliot and Kyle arguing. And his own helpers being fed a meal by his sworn enemy–me.
He turned those confused eyes toward me and asked, “…I heard a rather scary report that Elliot had been taken by force by you. I rushed over at once, but…?”
It seemed the mixed rumor–that I’d dragged Elliot out of the Student Council Room and taken him away–had spread like fire, reaching the Prince’s ears.
”Well, Your Highness, you see–this pathetic four-eyes has been in love with your elder sister, Lady Elenor. And now that his beloved is happily engaged, he looked like he was going to pass out from sadness. So I gathered everyone here to lift his spirits with a proper celebration,” I explained with a look of sympathy and pity.
Prince Liam’s face registered true surprise. “…I see. Elliot had feelings for my sister… I had no idea.”
His expression held not only surprise–but also a hint of confusion at having never noticed his friend’s secret feelings.
—
Summary:
The hero takes a heartbroken Elliot to his theater to cheer him up, but Elliot stays angry and resentful. Aldrick joins in to help, and Kyle is called to join in, starting a heated argument between Elliot and Kyle. Prince Liam arrives, having heard scary rumors, and discovers the truth about Elliot’s unrequited love for Elenor.
—
Trivia:
The hero owns a theater called [[Star of the Desert]] in the Royal Capital.
The hero called Kyle specifically to help cheer up Elliot.
Elliot’s argument with Kyle is described as their “usual pointless, regrettable argument.”
The hero uses the nickname “four-eyes” for Elliot.
Prince Liam rushed over after hearing Elliot was taken away.
The hero uses the word “gorillas” to describe himself and Aldrick teaming up.
The hero mentions he paid for “top-tier chefs and staff” for his theater.
Elliot’s feelings for Elenor were so private that even Prince Liam didn’t know.
Kyle is an elf who uses a [Ring of Transformation] to hide his real appearance.
Elenor is Prince Liam’s elder sister.
Notes:
• Grimlock – Xenos’s family name.
• Aldrick – Job: Aide to Prince Liam; Relationship: Subordinate to Liam; Appearance: Green-haired giant; Note: Battle-obsessed and simple-minded. Job: Holy Knight; Note: Muscle-headed battle maniac.
• Elenor – Princess Elenor, the haughty, analytical “Saint of Light” and sister to Liliana, is a silver-blonde swordswoman and healer with gray-blue eyes. Though a noble princess and Grimlock’s fiancée, she is the protagonist’s submissive, magic-sealed slave. A tsundere torn between royal dignity and affection for Xenos, she balances sharp retorts with intense devotion, often appearing in revealing cosplay.
• Elliot – Elliot Valias, a tall, slender, blue-haired noble and intellectual aide to Prince Liam, masks his deep, unrequited love for Elenor with crude, condescending arrogance. A pseudo-intellectual prone to quick accusations, he harbors murderous, freezing hostility toward Xenos Grimlock, driven by intense jealousy over Xenos’s intimacy with Elenor.
• Pharma – Job: Disguised identity; Relationship: Alias for Fatima; Note: Working at the theater under a false name.
• Kyle – Job: Elf operative; Relationship: Pawn of Xenos; Note: Patrols theater perimeter, given permission to attack suspicious individuals. Job: Elf; Note: Bystander turned participant in argument with Elliot. Job: Elf; Note: Present at the scene watching the proceedings out of curiosity.
• Liam – Liam Asgard, the golden-haired, emerald-eyed First Prince of Asgard, is Liliana’s older brother and the liege of Elliot and Aldrick. Betrothed to Elisabeth, he is an arrogant yet fundamentally kind man who speaks with elegant grace. Though he underestimates his rival Xenos’s Zero Mana status, he shows consideration toward him, even as his obsessive pursuit of Cecilia threatens his political standing.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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