I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as I watched Lucy sobbing pitifully and Rene desperately trying to comfort her.
Before meeting Rene, Lucy had been so fragile, like she could collapse at any moment.
So this was the first meeting that Joy had talked about.
It's only normal not to know how they grew closer. How could anyone have predicted that Lucy would understand Rene just by reading his heart?
‘What should I do to make her stop crying... Fine. Let her cry as much as she wants.’
At this moment, Rene reminded me of the Rene I had seen in the game, the one who had finished everything.
I suppose the kindness that seeped out of his grumbling was part of Rene's true nature.
Hmm? Thinking about it this way, it feels a little odd.
There was no reason for them to fall apart.
Since I knew her innermost thoughts, there wouldn't be any misunderstandings caused by the Mesugaki skill's distortion.
Lucy, who needed someone to take care of her, wouldn’t be cold to Rene. And from Rene's side, he wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his relationship with the heir of the Allen family.
Rene was skilled at charming women, after all. It would've been easy for him to sweet-talk a vulnerable girl.
No matter how I thought about it, there was no reason for this relationship to go awry, except for Lucy.
Ah! Could it be that Lucy had become obsessed with him? That seems plausible! To Rene, Lucy was just one of many acquaintances, but to Lucy, Rene was everything!
‘I’ll be on my way. I still have many people to greet.’
‘...Are you really leaving, abandoning a girl who's in distress? You vile, despicable trash!’
‘I’ll see you again sometime.’
‘Huh?’
‘Once the social hall opens, you’ll be flitting in and out, right? I’ll be going there too to meet with some nobles, so we’ll naturally see each other again.’
‘Heh~ You really want to see me again, huh? It’s so cute to see you so devoted to your desires.’
‘I don’t... I mean, fine. See you next time.’
‘Yes~ I hope next time you won’t be so gloomy.’
Their relationship continued, and my prediction that Lucy’s dependency on Rene would grow turned out to be correct.
Lucy, who had always been hated by others, had now met someone who didn’t turn away from her but looked at her directly. How could she not start cherishing that person?
‘Does the prince have no one else to meet besides me? Did everyone else run away because they were frightened by your gloominess?’
‘You also have no one close to you except me.’
‘I don’t need to be friendly with those losers. They might infect me with their idiocy.’
However, what surprised me was Rene’s side.
‘How can you be so reckless?’
‘Why can’t you be reckless, gloomy prince? Is it because you’re a cowardly, pathetic prince?’
‘There’s something called social standing, kid.’
‘Is that why you can’t even speak up when a child mocks you? Then just stay a gloomy coward.’
‘Are you telling me to keep being your toy?’
‘You seem to enjoy being mocked, don’t you? I don’t want to do it, but I’m just trying to meet your masochistic prince desires. You’re really vile.’
‘...Do you understand what you’re saying?’
‘What? What do you mean? What are you saying?’
‘Damn you.’
Just like Lucy led everyone to misery in the social scene, Rene also searched for her with his eyes.
Then, just like usual, he saw Lucy fighting with another noblewoman and chuckled.
‘Ha. Honestly, I’d rather stay locked up in my private room.’
‘Prince, pervert.’
‘That’s not what I meant. I meant that it’s suffocating, flattering those damn nobles.’
Despite Rene having the talent to be king, he didn’t particularly like being adored by others.
He sighed, saying that he could roughly guess what others thought of him, but it annoyed him when they openly said the opposite.
‘Those who try to get something from me. Those who want to catch my weakness. Those who flatter me. Those who try to assess me. Those who want to assert their dominance. There’s nothing normal about any of them.’
‘You really have a lot to worry about, huh? Should I call you gloomy prince or gloomy slave?’
‘That’s blasphemy.’
‘Oh? So what will you do about it? Are you going to swing your fists at a little girl?’
‘Want me to?’
‘Then I’ll tell your foolish father everything.’
‘Ha. That’s scary.’
To Rene, who could roughly guess the thoughts of others, Lucy and the outside nobility weren’t that different.
In fact, Lucy was easier to deal with. While others smiled on the outside but harbored sinister thoughts inside, Lucy, though rough on the outside, was just a pure girl on the inside.
‘But tell me, why does the gloomy, lonely prince come to the social scene if he hates it so much? Do you enjoy suffering, or do you just like me that much?’
‘Well, the main reason is that talking to you is comfortable, but the most important reason is that this is something I have to do to become king.’
‘What will you do with power? No matter what, the cowardly prince won’t be able to do anything.’
‘...What will I do? I’ve never thought about it.’
‘Are you stupid?’
‘I can’t deny that. I thought I had to become king, but I never cared about what I’d do once I became one.’
For most people, becoming king is just a means to achieve a goal. They want to gain power to accomplish their desires, which is why they fight to obtain the throne.
However, Rene wasn’t like that. To him, the throne was both the result and the goal. There was nothing beyond that.
‘I’ll think about it next time and give you an answer.’
After that, Rene left, and his next words at the social hall were rather unexpected.
‘I’ve thought long and hard, but I really don’t want to be king. I don’t want to do anything after becoming king.’
‘Are you here to brag? How pathetic.’
‘What if it’s pathetic? I’ll just be a layabout anyway.’
Rene, without leaving his private room, continued talking with Lucy about trivial matters.
Looking at Rene, who seemed to have shaken off his burdens, Lucy couldn’t help but feel envious, but she smiled with him.
After a while, Rene suddenly disappeared from the social scene.
Someone who had said we’d meet again soon hadn’t come out of the palace even a month later.
Lucy, staring at the empty space, filled her head with all sorts of grim thoughts.
Having once lost someone important, she was more aware of the despair than the hope.
Nonetheless, Lucy continued to come to the social scene because she didn’t want to let go of even a tiny bit of hope.
If she lost hope again, she felt like she wouldn’t be able to stand up anymore, so she kept waiting and waiting for Rene to return.
‘...Gloomy prince?’
However, when they finally reunited after a long time, it wasn’t the way Lucy had hoped.
Rene didn’t even glance at Lucy, turning his eyes away as if she didn’t exist, just like the rest of the people.
Why? As her hands trembled from the thought of betrayal, Lucy still waited for a chance to be alone with Rene.
After all, to her, Rene was her one and only hope.
‘Nice to meet you. Miss Allen.’
The person who greeted Lucy, who had reached her private room first, wasn’t Rene but a woman wearing a black mask.
‘Who are you?’
‘I’m the messenger of the First Queen. I’ve come to deliver a message. I’m sure you don’t want to waste time with someone like me, so I’ll cut to the chase. Miss Allen, please don’t interfere with the First Prince.’
‘What? Interfere? Me? Nonsense! It’s that gloomy loner who’s interfering with me!’
‘You know, don’t you? That his interest started out of pity.’
The masked woman pushed Lucy into a mess of thoughts she didn’t want to confront, forcing her to see things she hadn’t considered. It planted the seed of doubt in her mind about her relationship with Rene.
‘Aren’t your parents enough to hold onto? Do you really have to ruin someone else’s life to be satisfied?’
‘...You.’
‘If you’re grateful to the First Prince, I hope you’ll make the wise choice.’
After the masked woman left, it wasn’t long before Rene entered the room. His serious expression quickly turned into a long sigh, and then he called out to Lucy with a weak smile.
‘I’m sorry for what happened just now, Lucy Allen. I couldn’t acknowledge you due to personal reasons.’
‘...’
‘What’s wrong? Are you angry? I thought you might be, but please understand my situation. I didn’t want to make you wait like this either.’
‘...’
‘I see. I knew you would feel this way. So I even brought a bribe.’ He held up a bracelet. ‘Ah, did the word bribe catch your interest?’
Lucy walked over without a word, grabbed the bracelet from his hand, and tossed it to the floor.
‘Did you think you could win me over with this cheap thing? You’ve got a pretty childish brain.’
‘Lucy Allen.’
‘Did you not have enough money to get something more flashy? Tch. What a useless prince who can’t even play the fool properly.’
‘You.’
‘Ah. Enough. Please just leave. I’m getting tired of playing along with a loner like you.’
‘Did someone come here to stir up trouble? Why are you speaking nonsense that no one asked for?’
‘...Ha. You really are pitiful, aren’t you? You’re such a coward that it annoys me to see you so carefree.’
Tears rolled down Lucy’s cheek, and at that moment, the illusion she had built shattered.
However, for me, the changes happening around her didn’t matter much.
The masked woman from earlier... I recognized her.
The heir of the Karia family. That arrogant bitch who thinks she’s something special.
It’s rather amusing to see her act like that, even in this reality.
Her actions weren’t like the First Queen’s style. Would the First Queen really create a rift with the Allen family?
She’s crazy, but she’s smart enough to handle politics. If she wanted to pressure Rene, she’d have gone after him directly. That way, there wouldn’t be any trace of it.
So, what that woman said to Lucy was entirely her own decision.
Hah. Fine. Once I get out of here, I’ll grab her by the hair immediately.
I’ll make her apologize to Rene and force her to confess everything she’s done.
No, that’s not enough. I need something more intense. Something that’ll make her completely lose it.
“Welcome, future hero. I’m ashamed to face you for causing you so much trouble.”
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“Shut up. Don’t you see what I’m thinking?”
“...Well.”
“I said shut up! Do you have ears?”
“Uh...uh, okay. I get it. Take your time. Once you figure things out, come talk to me.”
Ha. Seriously, I don’t even know who this person is, but they’re already annoying me. I’m already in a bad mood, so why... Wait.
“Have you finished thinking? I’m relieved! I was wondering how long I’d have to wait!”
“What the hell is that stupid face of yours?”
“Haha, does it look stupid? I’m often told I’m an idiot!”
Despite the awkward manner of speaking, the man grinned widely and straightened his shoulders, raising his voice.
“Nice to meet you, future hero! I’m your predecessor!”
The hero has arrived.