LIGHTNOVELWORLD Episode 20
Chapter 20
“In the second floor, there are three rooms, and it doesn’t matter which one you choose since they all serve as guest rooms.”
“Three rooms, huh? One of them could have been used as a storage room, I suppose.”
“Orto has a wide circle of acquaintances, and he often has many people visiting. Since many of them are strong individuals, he asks for their cooperation when they come. Well, I guess it’s useless to ask for more when you already have some powerful allies.”
“Indeed, if they’re acquaintances of that old man, they must be strong.”
They say birds of a feather flock together, and if Orto’s acquaintances are tough and reliable like him, then it’s natural to trust them to some extent.
The likelihood is that many of them are strong individuals to be called his friends.
“Feel free to choose any room you like. They’re all built in a similar way. The only difference might be the amount of sunlight.”
“Got it. Then I’ll choose one first.”
The second floor has a layout with a staircase at the far right end of the L-shaped corridor. There are two rooms on the right side and one on the far left end.
When she said “choose,” I picked the room closest to the stairs since I didn’t want to overthink it when the insides were practically the same.
“So, why is the young lady following me?”
“Huh?”
As I opened the door and entered the room, Alshade naturally followed in from behind.
I intended to point it out and ask her to go to the next room, but she tilted her head with a puzzled expression.
Her gesture was cute, and it made me wonder if I had said something wrong.
“Um, could you stop making that ‘what is this guy saying’ face? Also, please go to the next room.”
“What are you talking about?”
Intentional or not, her nonsensical conversation made me lose my motivation to investigate further.
“Come on, calm down. How about sitting here for now?”
Whether she knew my feelings or not, Alshade sat on the edge of the bed in the room, patting the spot next to her as an invitation.
“No, I’m dirty, so I’ll sit on the floor or a chair.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. It’s your lord’s order, so sit next to me.”
“You really don’t need to bother ordering such trivial things.”
“Even so, I don’t dislike that you obediently follow my orders.”
“I’m a knight of the young lady, after all.”
Reluctantly, I sat on the edge of the bed as Alshade laughed cheerfully.
Trying not to be captivated by her charm, I averted my gaze and looked around, searching for a topic to talk about.
“Don’t worry about the bed. I’ll ask Orto to get a new one for you later.”
“Don’t pick something too expensive and trouble him.”
“It’s okay, I know that much.”
Honestly, I was worried that if she, as a noblewoman, chose the bed, it would end up being too pricey, causing trouble for Orto.
But then I remembered that she often visited the commoners’ area, so I decided to trust her judgment, even though I still had some concerns.
After that, we sat in silence for a while. Suddenly, I felt warmth and weight on my thigh and turned my gaze towards it.
“Hey…!”
“I won’t move.”
As I expected, Alshade’s head was resting there. Before I could say anything about it being dirty and ask her to move, she beat me to it and nailed me with her words.
“(What should I do in this situation!?)”
“Hey, can you listen to what I have to say?”
“Sure.”
Unable to move my hands or feet, I struggled to find a way to break free from this situation.
Alshade spoke in an unusually subdued tone.
It seemed like this situation wouldn’t end unless she was satisfied, and it was the first time I saw her in such a weakened state, so I obediently nodded, encouraging her to speak.
“This is about Vivian, right?”
“Yeah.”
“She was my personal maid from when I was young. When I lost my mother at a young age, I thought of her like a mother or an older sister…”
Alshade’s voice, as she spoke slowly reminiscing about the past, lacked its usual cheerfulness.
Based on what Orto said, it was certain that Vivian was someone close who betrayed him.
I wondered what Alshade’s feelings were about that person.
But gradually her voice became more ominous.
“At that time, we were having a secret tea party too. Looking back, her behavior seemed strange, but at that moment, I was excited about the tea party and failed to notice her change.”
I could tell from the way she phrased it that this was a story from before she was abducted, before she was drugged and taken to that underground room.
Expecting what would come next, I frowned slightly.
With a slight hesitation, I reached out and gently stroked her head, just as my mother did for me when I felt down in my past life, which always calmed my heart.
“Hehe, it tickles a bit.”
“Ah, sorry.”
“… It’s alright. Please continue.”
As Alshade’s voice regained its serenity, I felt relieved and continued to stroke her head, retracting the hand that almost withdrew.
“Orto mentioned it too, but Vivian’s loyalty was genuine. It might sound conceited, but I’m confident that if she had to choose between her life and mine, she’d choose mine without hesitation.”
“That’s impressive.”
To weigh one’s own life against that of their lord and willingly choose their lord’s life is truly remarkable.
“…What about you?”
“……….I think I’d choose Alshade.”
“…I see. Thank you.”
In my past life, I despised characters who betrayed their companions or their leaders for the sake of greed or self-preservation, as depicted in anime and light novels. Even now, I still dislike such individuals.
Thus, when faced with a similar choice myself, I didn’t want to go against my own principles. If I were to betray someone close to me, it would make me no better than those despicable characters I despised.
Still, the fact that I momentarily hesitated was frustrating. So once I made my decision and spoke it aloud, I had no intention of going back on it.
“Let’s get back to the topic. When Orto mentioned that Vivian’s family might be taken hostage, I had an idea. She had a husband and a seven-year-old daughter.”
“That’s… difficult.”
To choose between one’s beloved family and a long-serving young master, it must have been an excruciating dilemma for Vivian.
“That’s right… I should have been relieved to know that she wasn’t fundamentally a traitor but…”
“……!”
The atmosphere changed. A heavy sense of pressure loomed, and a cold sweat began to trickle down.
I instinctively paused the hand that was gently caressing Alshade’s head.
“I couldn’t help but think… why didn’t she choose me at that moment?”
“…It’s not strange to want someone to choose you.”
Wanting someone close to you to choose you is a normal sentiment. I tried to convey that while also trying to comfort Alshade.
“And then, I realized something. No matter how loyal or close someone is, in the end, when faced with the most important choice, people will choose what’s most precious to them.”
“T-That’s…”
I had no evidence to refute Alshade’s words. At a loss for words, I watched her continue to speak.
“I trust you, Rios. I really do.”
A foreboding feeling accelerated.
While Alshade’s time in captivity was short, I had believed that she hadn’t become completely distrustful of people. However, it seems I was mistaken.
She must trust and rely on Orto as well. But in her mind, she’s carefully considering the possibility of betrayal. She neither fully trusts nor fully relies on anyone.
“I was glad that you honestly answered my question earlier. Hey, do you have anyone more important to you than me right now?”
“N-No, I don’t.”
I felt that if I gave the wrong answer, the situation would become irreparable, seeing her hollow eyes.
Without lying, I carefully chose my words in response.
“I see… Rios, you wouldn’t betray me, right?”
“Ah… I’m a knight of the young lady, after all.”
My words didn’t reach beyond Alshade as they dissolved into the darkness of the night.
[T/L: sometimes Yanderes also hve their own charm, no one can deny that]
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