System Message

[ Time Remaining ]

[ 00 : 00: 29 ]

The world in front of me was spinning.

‘How the fuck am I supposed to survive this—!’

“Caliban, is there any way you can he—”

[I’ve never really dated anyone before, so I can’t offer any useful advice. Sorry.]

“...”

‘This useless fucker.’

 

‘What worth do you even have other than your status as a Guardian? Huh? HUHH?’

[...How harsh.]

Ignoring Caliban’s grumbling, I turned towards the other spirit within Soul Linker.

“Valkasus—!”

[...I’m afraid I can’t help either. I’m sorry.]

“...”

Even Valkasus, who I had faith in, turned his back on me.

‘You lived for so long…! You had an abundance of life experience…!’

 

‘Why can’t you give me at least one piece of decent advice…!’

[...I’ve never dated anyone either. This matter really is beyond my abilities, so I can’t help you. I understand that you desperately wish to get some kind of help. Still, how could you ask someone who has been single for over a thousand years?]

“...”

[How about practicing how to play dead? It isn't too late to start doing it. If you put your entire body and soul into acting, there is a chance she might be deceived…]

‘I am never going to ask you for advice in the future.’

 

‘You fuckers do realize that I’m about to die here, right?!’

[No, I don’t think you’ll die. If you were someone who’d die from something like this, you’d have been a corpse long before already.]

[I agree. I have faith that you’ll somehow figure things out.]

“...”

[I’m going to bed now. It’s still a bit tough to stay awake for too long…]

With that, Valkasus’s connection was immediately cut off. He actually went to sleep.

Why did I endure all those hardships to consider these fuckers as comrades?

In the midst of my dizziness, I looked towards Yuria who looked terrifying as she literally ‘ripped’ through the door to enter it.

[Mister Dowd… Why… Aren't you answering…?]

System Message

[ Time Remaining ]

[ 00 : 00: 15 ]

My blood ran cold when I saw the time remaining.

Was there seriously no way out of this? Not even one?

‘If you put your entire body and soul into acting, there is a chance she might be deceived…’

At that moment…

The words I heard just before from Valkasus flashed through my mind.

Wait.

Acting?

“...”

I quickly surveyed my surroundings.

The appropriate ‘props’ quickly caught my eye.

In my mind, I mustered up the strength of my entire body and soul to piece together a plan.

I recalled the settings of the game. I analyzed the ‘preferences’ of the person right in front of my eyes in great detail.

Honestly, this plan was fucking ridiculous.

But there was no other choice to get through this situation.

[...If you’re going to leave me again like that.]

In that moment, Yuria’s hand, which had reached right in front of me, slithered up my body like a snake.

System Message

[ A moment of danger has been detected.]

[ Determined the situation as life-threatening. ]

[ Skill: Desperation raised to EX-Grade. ]

As a series of windows popped up simultaneously, Yuria continued to speak as if she had lost her mind.

[It would. Be better. For the. Two of us. To be. Together. Forever—]

A chill ran through me. If this continued, Yuria might actually just grab my throat and strangle me.

“...”

So, before that happened.

I gently grabbed her hand and stopped her.

“This isn’t funny, Yuria.”

[...What?]

I desperately manipulated the muscles in my face. I created an expression and set the appropriate tone of voice and atmosphere.

First, before I got started...

‘...I’m sorry, Eleanor.’

She probably couldn’t hear me, but as someone with a conscience, I had to at least apologize.

‘I’m sorry. I’m really sorry.’

 

‘However, I had no choice if I wanted to survive.’

‘Please fucking work.’

“I can’t believe you got jealous over something like ‘playing house’.”

As soon as I said such words…

Yuria’s eyes widened.

[...]

The inside of Yuria’s mind was still buzzing.

Just like back when she lived in the storage room filled with junk because of the Curse of Severance.

It was incredibly similar to how she felt when she thought Dowd had completely abandoned her.

‘...Huh, wait.’

However, even when she was in such a state…

She stopped.

At the end of her gaze was the faintly smiling face of Dowd Campbell.

Somehow, his atmosphere was very different from usual.

She was aware that this man’s demeanor always had a massive gap between moments when he was serious and moments when he was not, but…

Right now…How should she put it…

It was as if he was blatantly exuding the atmosphere of a ‘lady-killer’ from his entire body.

“...”

Unconsciously, she gulped.

It was brief, but she almost drowned in the atmosphere.

Still, she couldn’t just let this situation go.

Even if it was just because of this persistent buzzing that she had felt in her head since earlier, she felt that she had to carry on.

[What do you mean…? Playing house, you—]

Before she could complete that sentence, Dowd grabbed her chin and abruptly pulled her face towards him.

In an instant, the distance between them narrowed to the point where she could feel his breath directly.

Their faces were so close that they could see the color of each other’s pupils.

“...”

Her consciousness almost flew away for a moment.

‘This man…’

 

‘What in the world did he do just now?’

Not even a jar of his usual indecisiveness could be seen in his current aggressivity.

‘A-As if he suddenly turned into a different person…!’

Wait, wasn’t it way too different from earlier? Until just now, he seemed flustered in response to her probing questions.

As she suppressed her heart that slowly started to pound, Dowd nonchalantly spoke.

“That ring doesn’t carry the meaning you're thinking of. I didn’t bother to explain because I thought someone like you would obviously understand.”

[...]

“Are you listening, Yuria?”

With blank eyes, Yuria barely managed to continue her thoughts.

‘Uh, so…’

What was she trying to say again?

It felt like most of her brain functions were impaired.

Probably because the impact of what this man just did was far from normal.

It seemed that the influence his ‘blow’ had on her was greater than she expected. The moment she opened her mouth again, the spite from earlier had significantly diminished.

[...T-Then, what meaning doe—]

“That was simply a pretense. A show.”

[Don’t lie. She was looking at the ring on her ring finger with such a happy expression, so how could such a mean—]

“If she wasn’t deluded in such a way, there could have been friction between us. I had to deceive her in advance.”

Yuria’s jaw dropped.

‘What is he even saying right now?’

‘Trash…!’

Yuria, who immediately thought of such a word, continued with a look of absurdity.

[Why would you do such a—!]

“If I bluntly rejected her, it was obvious she would become so blinded by jealousy that she would interfere with the ‘real relationship’. I hope you understand that I was making a rational decision.”

[...What?]

With those words…

Something was tied onto the ‘collar’ she always wore.

[...]

When Yuria looked down there with wide eyes, a simple scarf with a link attached came into view. Externally, there seemed to be no special features,

However, that ribbon had the crest of the Campbell Barony drawn on it. For a noble, it was common to bring around at least one of these fabrics that was engraved with the crest of their household.

It was an object used as a symbol of ‘affection’ among the academy students who found it difficult to obtain substantial objects such as jewel-studded rings.

Dowd continued to speak with a determined look in his eyes.

“A ‘mere’ ring can’t express my feelings.”

[...]

“Instead, my sincerity is contained here.”

Yuria’s pupils shook intensely.

‘That means…’

 

‘Right now, this man is saying… ‘

[I-If I understand correctly. Right now, what Mister Dowd is saying is that…]

“Mm.”

[Lady Tristan was clinging onto you too much, so me and, me and…]

The text broke off for a moment.

This phenomenon occurred because she had to catch her breath, even though she wasn’t even using her voice to speak.

[Me and Mister Dowd’s ‘true relationship’ would be interfered with and bothered by her. She’s merely a third-wheel. And you received that only in order to ‘soothe’ her feelings, right?]

Once she organized everything like that…

The person in front of her was fucking trash to an insane degree. That was the thought that came to mind.

It was to the extent that she realized it wasn’t for no reason that her Big Sis was always wary around this man.

However…

“Yes.”

After seeing him answer her question so decisively…

She felt that there was nothing more she could do.

Because whether he was trash or whatever…

“...”

He was ‘trash that liked her the most’...

And she had a feeling that she could accept any side of him.

Yuria stroked the scarf hanging from her collar with a flushed face.

With this, he had even given proof that his heart would not waver after all.

“...You aren’t lying, right?”

Instead of ‘text’, her ‘voice’ trickled out.

With just one word, the buzzing that had been continuously ringing in her head disappeared in an instant.

“Yes. I’m not lying.”

“You really aren’t lying, right?

“Yep.”

“You won’t leave me for someone else, right?”

“Of course.”

The pounding pulsation of her heart became even more pronounced.

As if possessed, Yuria fondled the scarf tied to her collar.

“...Mister Dowd…And my…token of promise.”

As she continued to repeat that to herself…

It was a sentence that felt like it was permeating her heart.

“...So, at least until we graduate from the academy, I would prefer that you don’t talk about it with others. I plan to make everything public after I've sorted everything out smoothly.”

“...”

While struggling not to show the cold sweat that poured like a waterfall down my back, I barely controlled my facial muscles, which began twitching with the onset of spasms.

After managing to pull off that Casanova act earlier, which was completely out of character for me, I couldn’t afford to get exposed now.

It seemed that my earnest efforts had paid off, as Yuria, who clearly hadn’t noticed my condition, timidly nodded with her entire face flushed.

The Devil’s Aura emanating from her entire body had long disappeared without a trace.

“Do you feel a bit relieved now?”

“...”

Nodding again.

“...Alright. I’ll see you later then.”

Nodding once more.

With her face red to the tip of her ears, Yuria, like an unoiled machine, practically creaked out of my room.

The fact that she remained in that state even until her figure had completely disappeared at the end of the corridor clearly indicated that she hadn’t fully digested everything she had just heard.

“...”

And I was no different.

‘What the fuck did I do just now?’

[Unbelievable. Incredible. I did believe that you’d somehow survive no matter what though.]

I sighed before speaking to a chuckling Caliban.

“...Caliban.”

[What.]

“What do I do now?”

[How should I know that, you fucking trash.]

“...”

I kept my mouth shut when he spit out that retort..

Yeah, sure, I deserved to be cursed at.

But, how was I going to fix this?

[I can’t believe I’ve lived long enough to see someone two-timing with Devils. Serious question, do you think you can handle this?]

“...Theoretically, yes.”

I just needed to simultaneously make Eleanor and Yuria believe that they were ‘my sole partner’.

Until I graduated from the academy, finished the entire main scenario, and, according to Atalante, bloomed ‘true love’ between the Devil’s Vessel and me to seal their aura.

[So.]

Caliban spoke in a flat voice.

[You’re talking all grandly, but doesn’t it just mean that you’re going to continue to two-time them without getting caught?]

“...”

[Against two Devil’s Vessels who could destroy the world if they go berserk?]

“...”

[Aren’t you going as exchange students with both of them tomorrow to the Tribal Alliance?]

“...Yes, I am.”

[Then there’s a high chance that those two will continue to see each other’s faces, right?]

“...Yes, there is.”

[So, what are you going to do about it?]

“Caliban.”

I took a deep breath and responded in a chilly and serious voice.

“Please stop shoving that harsh reality onto me. I’m seriously considering offing myself right now.”

[...]

‘I don’t know what I should do either, you bitch.’

 

‘You know what? I’ll just trust the future me to handle this situation.’