10
5月に入ったある日。一人教室を移動していた。『夏』は夏休みが明けた9月だし、ゲームのイベントも次に来る大きいのは8月の頭だ。シナリオでこの時期は、攻略対象たちと出会い主人公自身の『ステータス』を育成する期間で、特別事件はないらしい。現実でもエミリアが誰のルートにも入りそうにないおかげで平和である。
のほほんと歩いていたところ、小さく名前を呼ばれた気がした。
教材室と書かれた部屋の扉。そこから顔を覗かせているボブヘアの女性。こっちこっちというように、二人きりであろう暗い部屋の中へと手招きをしていた。弾けんばかりの笑顔と白い歯が眩しい。
「不審だ...」
不審すぎる。それでも近寄ってしまったのは多分、彼女の笑顔がいたずら好きの小さい子供にしか見えなかったせいだ。
「いきなりごめん。レベッカ嬢であってる?」
近づいた私を捕食動物よろしく俊敏な動きで引っ張り込んだ彼女は、閉めた扉を背にして言った。それは密室に引きずり込む前に聞いて欲しいと思わなくはない。
ええ、と答えるとニカッと笑ってくれたその人は、オリヴィエ・マークと名乗った。
「『春』一位の!」
「いやあ、私の場合は『春』が一番相性が良くてさあ」
オリヴィエ・マークといえば三強の一角であり、校内にファンも多い。
『攻略本』には「三強、第3学年、紺色の髪に茶色の瞳、戦闘全般に才能あり、父は騎士団長、幻獣は豹、備考:性格良し」とあった。なるほど。戦闘に強く豹がパートナーなら『春』はそれはもう得意分野だろう。
しかし腕っ節が強いだけで得られるほど三強の称号は安くない。彼女が私に一体何の用なのか。
「ヴァンの妹さんなんだって?あいつとは悪友なんだ」
ヴァン。ヴァンダレイだとすぐに理解する。私に兄弟は一人しかいない。
「そのヴァンに関して、忠告しにきた。あいつのためじゃなく、可愛い後輩たる君のためにだ。あのね、あいつはまともじゃない。良いやつではあるんだけどね。ちょっと気をつけて。それだけ言いにきた」
言うだけ言って、オリヴィエは手を振って去っていった。嵐のような人だと、ポツンと残された部屋の中で思った。
今の言葉をどう受け止めるべきだろうか。母の言葉を思い出す。母は兄も私のことを愛していると言った。
しかし。
そんなことがあってから数日経った日のこと。
王立貴族学園は全寮制の学校である。侯爵家も公爵家も王族も、みんな一人一つ同じ大きさの部屋を与えられ一人で生活する。
いつも通り寮の食堂で朝食をとり出発しようとしたところ、女子寮の玄関にそぐわない風貌の男を見つけて足を止めた。頭から爪先まで覆う長いローブは真っ黒。私の髪といい勝負だろうか。その下が指定の制服なのだろうか。着こなし的に問題があるのではなかろうか。
顔も見えない初対面の彼をしかし私は知っている。攻略本ではなく、殿下の婚約者としてだ。彼は今から名前をフリード・ネヘルと言うはずだ。
「殿下、お待ちだ。早く行け」
「......えっ」
名乗られなかった!
仕方ないので勝手に紹介する。この男はフリード・ネヘル、推定身長190cm。第2学年で五高の一人だ。先日の『春』では第3位という大金星を挙げた彼である。幼い頃から殿下に仕えるよう育てられた男で、殿下の腹心だ。ちなみに攻略対象ではない。確かに、大きな体のみならず顔までもローブで覆ったこの男と恋愛はしない、と思ったことは素直に謝罪する。ごめんなさい。
というか睨まれている。気のせいかと思ったがやっぱり睨まれている。心当たりならある。『春』で私を探していた殿下が9位で私が7位というのはちょっと許せないに違いない。
フリードに言われたのは校舎の『特別談話室』なる場所だった。この学園は恐ろしく広いのでそのような存在に気づいてもいなかった。秘密のお話ができる場所なんだろう。
殿下にお会いするのはほぼ1ヶ月ぶりだ。「失礼します」という声が震えてはいなかっただろうか?いつも通り優雅さを心がけて入室・礼をすると、そこにいた人物は表情を柔らかくして目を細めた。私はそんな彼が眩しいという理由で同じく目を細めた。
「久しぶりだな」
顔が原因不明の紅潮に見舞われ、心臓が謎の不規則運動を開始するから、そんな顔で出迎えるのはやめて欲しいものだ。
席に着いた私に殿下は「まず謝る」と言った。
「会いに行かなかった。すまない」
「会いに行かなかったんじゃなくて、会いに行けなかったんでしょう」
迷わず口に出した。少しだけ疲れているようなのは一目ですぐにわかっていた。お仕事が忙しかったに違いない。
だけどちょっと不敬だったろうか?殿下は私が不安になったことに気づいたようだ。気楽にしてくれと言われた。お言葉に甘えることにする。
「それで殿下、今日はどのようなご用件で」
「えっ」
殿下の形の良い眉が少し寄った。こうすると普段の仏頂面だ。
「婚約者に会うのに理由は必要か?」
まずい、心臓の謎の運動が再開された。話を変えよう。
「そ、そうです殿下。この前、私のことをいつも見ていたって仰っていましたよね。あれは...」
いや気になる!
「あの、殿下。そういう魔法があるって仰っていましたよね。もしかして前から私の生活を...」
さっきから言葉が遮られる。
あの殿下、その聞き分けのない子供をたしなめるみたいな声何ですか?
「いや気になる!」
あと誤魔化すのが下手!
「知らなくてもいいことがこの世にはある」
「殿下、言わないとこのクッキーあげません!ちなみに手作りです!」
「6年前から週に3回30分程度『窓』を作って様子を見ていたが風呂等は決して見ていないと約束する」
「すごい効果ある!」
いつもくれてばかりのエミリアへのお返しにと思って焼いたクッキーがこんなところで役立つとは!
私はその日、寮の部屋に帰ると攻略本に書き込みをした。
「ルウェイン・フアバードン 備考:無愛想、一番人気『、意外と話しやすい』」
Ch 10
One day in May, I was moving alone in a classroom. [Summer] is September, after summer vacation, and the next big game event is in August. In the scenario, this time period is a period for meeting the targets and developing the main character's [status], and there seems to be no special events. In reality, Emilia does not seem to be entering anyone's route, so it is peaceful.
As I walked around, I felt like someone called my name quietly.
The door of a room with "materials room" written on it. A woman with bobbed hair peeking out from there. She was gesturing for me to come inside the dark room, where it would be just the two of us. Her beaming smile and white teeth were dazzling.
"Suspicious..."
It's too suspicious. But I still approached because probably, her smile looked like that of a mischievous small child.
"Sorry for the suddenness. Are you Miss Rebecca?"
The girl who pulled me in with agile movements like a predatory animal as I approached said, with the closed door behind her, --It's not that I don't think you should ask before dragging someone into a secret room.
When I replied with a "yes," the person who smiled brightly at me introduced themselves as Olivier Marc.
"[Spring] First place!"
"Yeah, for me, [spring] is the best match."
Olivier Marc is one of the three strongest, and he has many fans within the school.
In the strategy book, it says "Three strongest, third-year student, navy blue hair and brown eyes, talented in all types of combat, father is the head of the knight's order, Phantom Beast is a leopard, Note: Good personality." I see. If combat is her strong point and her partner is a leopard, then [spring] would be her specialty.
But the title of one of the three strongest is not easily obtained just by having strong arms. What does she want from me?
"You're Van's sister, right? I'm friends with that guy."
Van, Vanderlei. I immediately understand. I only have one brother.
"Regarding Van, I came to give you some advice. Not for him, but for you, a cute junior. You see, he's not reliable. He's a good guy, but be careful. That's all I came to say."
After saying that, Olivier waved and left. I thought, she's like a storm, as I was left alone in the room.
I wonder how I should take these words. I remember my mother's words. My mother said my brother loves me too.
But.
Several days have passed since then.
The Royal Academy is a boarding school where everyone from Marquis families, Duke families and even royalty is given a room of the same size to live in alone.
As usual, I was about to have breakfast in the dormitory cafeteria and leave when I stopped at the entrance of the girls' dormitory and saw a man with a strange appearance. He was completely covered head to toe in a long black robe. It was as black as my hair. Was this the designated uniform? Was there something wrong with his outfit?
I don't know his face, but I know this man. He is not the man from the strategy book, but he's with the prince. His name is Fried Neher.
"His Highness have been waiting for you. Let's go quickly."
"...What?"
He didn't even introduce himself!
Since he didn't, I'll introduce him myself. This man is Fried Neher. He is approximately 190 cm tall and a freshman in the fifth grade. He recently placed third in the spring competition. He was raised to serve the prince from a young age, and he is the prince's confidant. By the way, he is not a target for conquest. Honestly, I don't think you will fall in love with a man who covers his face as well as his body with a robe, and I apologize for that. Sorry.
I am being glared at. I thought it might have been my imagination, but I am definitely being glared at. I have a feeling I know why. It must be because I am ranked 7th and the prince who was looking for me in the [spring] is ranked 9th.
Fried told me to go to a place called the "Special Lecture Room" in the school building. The academy is so vast that I hadn't noticed such a place existed. It must be a place where secret talks can take place.
I haven't seen the prince in almost a month. "Excuse me," I said, trying not to let my voice shake, and as I entered the room and bowed, the person there softened his expression and narrowed his eyes. I did the same, because he was dazzling.
"It's been a while," he said.
My face turned red for some unknown reason, and my heart started to race, so I would have preferred it if he didn't greet me with that face.
When I sat down, the prince said, "First, I apologize."
"I didn't come to see you. I'm sorry."
"It's not that you didn't come to see me, but that you couldn't come to see me, right?"
I replied without hesitation. He looked a little tired, which I could tell at a glance. He must have been busy with work.
But was it a little disrespectful? The prince seemed to have noticed that I was worried. He told me to relax, so I decided to take his word for it.
"So, Your Highness, what is the purpose of your visit today?"
"Oh."
His Highness's well-shaped eyebrows slightly lowered. This made his usual expressionless face.
"Is there a reason to meet with my fiancee?"
This is bad, my heart's mysterious movement started again. Let's change the subject.
"Um, Your Highness. The other day you said you were always watching me. That was..."
No, I am worrying!
"Um, Your Highness. You said there was such magic that... Is it possible that you've been watching my life since..."
He's interrupting me again.
Why does he talk to me like he's scolding a mischievous child?
"No, I am worrying!"
And he's not good at making excuses!
"There are things in this world that you don't need to know."
"Your Highness, if you don't tell me, I won't give you this cookie! By the way, it's homemade!"
"I've been watching through the window for 30 minutes, three times a week for the past six years, but I promise I never looked in on you while you were in the bath or anything like that."
"That's amazing!"
I never thought the cookies I baked as a thank you for Emilia, who always does things for me, would come in handy like this!
That day, when I returned to my dormitory room, I wrote in my strategy book.
"Llewayne Huaverdon notes: Unfriendly, most popular, [surprisingly easy to talk to]."
The Villainess Carries a Strategy Guide
その悪役令嬢は攻略本を携えている
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-villainess-carries-a-strategy-guide/
Fantasy Josei Romance Shoujo
Academy Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Doting Older Siblings European Ambience Female Protagonist Love Interest Falls in Love First Magic Nobles Otome Game Reincarnated in a Game World Villainess Noble Girls
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n6554fr/
岩田加奈