少し太った月がぽっかりと空に浮いている。
雲のない、晴れた夜空だ。きっと空を飛んで走る馬車だったらよく景色が見下ろせただろう。
けれど、夜空の下で静かに馬車を走らせ、屋敷まできちんと送ってもらえるのも、手順を踏んでもらえているという静かなときめきがある。
「今日は本当に、有り難う御座いました」
ドニが作った馬車から降りたアイリーンは、ドートリシュ公爵家の玄関前に立つクロードに素直に礼を言った。
「約束通り、完璧なエスコートでしたわ」
「一曲踊るだけで帰ってしまってよかったのか?」
「ええ。オベロン商会のことは父の耳に入ったでしょう。オベロン商会への取り次ぎをドートリシュ公爵家に誘導しておけば十分、利益になります」
誰も知らない噂のオベロン商会の情報を、既にドートリシュ公爵家がつかんでいる。商会が稼ぎ出す金銭より何より、その先見性こそが、ドートリシュ公爵家の利になる。
「セドリック様との婚約破棄も、クロード様が隣にいてくださったおかげで、惨めにふられたなんて周囲には見えなかったはずですし、誘拐事件の疑惑も落ち着くはずです。リリア様も見つかりましたし......」
そこまで言って、アイリーンはちらとクロードを見上げた。
「......クロード様でしょう」
「何がだ?」
「リリア様を肥溜めに落とすだなんて」
「なんのことだか分からないな」
空とぼけるクロードに呆れてしまう。
クロードと一曲踊ったあと、すぐに行方不明だったリリアが王城の肥溜めの中から見つかったという報告が入った。場所が場所だ。アイリーンの計略で魔物に誘拐されたなどという緊迫した空気は一気に霧散した。誰もがお気の毒にと頬を引きつらせるしかない現状だ。
アイリーンの仕業と疑う心の余裕も失ったらしく、セドリックは魔王の森から取って返してきたマークスと一緒に、報告を聞くなりすっ飛んで行った。その後は夜会の主催がいなくなってしまったため、ルドルフ含む大物貴族たちがそれとなく体裁を取り繕っていた。
(......セドリック様とリリア様の評価は下がったわね。夜会の主催もまともにできない、しかも魔物と一戦交えようとする軽率さも......)
若さ故の暴走である程度のお目こぼしはされるだろうが、これからが不安だ。
誘拐事件らしきことは起こったがセドリックとリリアの婚約発表はなしになってしまい、ゲームの進行も分からなくなってきた。前向きに考えればセドリックルートのフラグが折れたのかもしれないが、油断はできない。
たとえば。
「......でも、可愛らしい方だったしょう、リリア様は」
ぽつんと呟いてしまってから、後悔した。なのに口は止まらない。
「に、人気あるんですのよ、あの方。笑顔が癒されるって。わたくしみたいな派手な美人ではないけれど、肌もすべすべで髪もさらさらで、きちんとお化粧してドレスを着ると見違えるほど綺麗になられますの。初めてドレスアップした姿を見たとき、わたくしも驚きましたもの」
「......そうか?」
「料理や裁縫だってわたくしよりずっとうまいんですのよ。別にリリア様を意識したわけではありませんけれども、わたくしはここ一年でやっつけで学んだだけですから。それに物言いは柔らかいし、何より素直だし、殿方をきちんと立てられるし、こき使いませんし」
「アイリーン」
クロードのルートは解放されていないはず。だが、彼女はヒロインだ。自分と違い、ゲーム通りに会話をし、フラグを立てればそれだけで、クロードがセドリックのようになることは、否定しきれない。
「男性は、ああいう方がお好きでしょう。わたくしは――いたッいたたたたたた!」
「意外とよく伸びるな」
「何をなさいますの!」
まだ頬をひっぱろうとする手から逃げ出す。クロードは肩をすくめた。
「心配しなくても君は可愛いし、彼女は僕の好みじゃない」
ぽかんとした後に、頬が赤らんだ。自分が何を不安がっていたのか理解したからだ。
「余計な心配をしてないで、もう今日は休むといい。疲れただろう」
「そ、そうしますわ......え、なに」
引き寄せられて、アイリーンはまばたいた。その睫毛の先で、クロードが確認する。
「完璧なエスコート、だろう」
別れのキス。ここでどうしてと口にするほど野暮ではない。礼儀と言えばそうだ。
でも、クロードの赤い瞳には、くすぶった熱情みたいなものがあった。その視線に灼かれたように頬を赤らめ、どきどきしながら瞼を下ろす。
らしくない。たかが挨拶の口づけひとつを待つだけで、こんなに緊張するだなんて。
そっと軽く、羽のようにクロードが頬に唇を落とした。そこから火傷したみたいに熱が全身に広がり――瞼の裏に、叫び声が焼きつく。
滅びろ。滅んでしまえ。もう僕が守りたい人間など、一人もいない――!!
見開いたアイリーンの瞳に、一日分だけ足りない月が見えた。
そっと体を離したクロードがささやく。
「おやすみ、アイリーン。よい夢を」
「お、やすみなさい、ませ......」
ぎこちない笑顔は、照れ隠しで誤魔化せただろう。まず目の前から馬車が消えた。次に煉瓦の床を蹴ったクロードが、月を背に浮かんだ後、消える。
頬を手で押さえ、へたり込みそうになった体を柱にもたれて支えた。
「だから、記憶が戻るタイミングがいつも、おかしいと......!」
おかげでときめきに浸り損なったではないか。絶対に許さない。
しかも今度は、あと一週間もないなんて。
「でも、そう......そうだったわ。クロード様......あなたはだから、魔物になるのね」
思い出した。どうして彼が、人間に絶望してしまうのか。
彼は裏切られるのだ。幼い頃から唯一信頼してきた人間に。
A slightly plump moon floated across the sky.
There were no clouds; it was a clear night sky. Surely, a bird's-eye view of this scenery could be seen if one were to ride a carriage running in the sky.
However, in the carriage that ran silently underneath the night sky, there was a heart fluttered in silence. Following a proper escorting procedure, Claude was currently in the same carriage sending Irene back to her residence.
[Thank you very much for today] (Irene)
When Irene descended from the carriage that Donny made, she directly expressed her grat.i.tude to Claude who was standing at the D'Autriche Ducal House's entrance.
[As promised, it was a perfect escort] (Irene)
[Is it okay for you to go home after dancing only to one song?] (Claude)
[Yes. The Oberon Company matter has reached my Father's ears, right? It will be good enough for a broker to introduce the Oberon Company to D'Autriche Ducal House to help us gain profit] (Irene)
The D'Autriche Ducal House had already caught a piece of information regarding the rumored Oberon Company that no one knows. More than anything, the D'Autriche Ducal House would be benefited from its foresight rather than the money earned by the company.
[In addition to breaking off my engagement with Cedric-sama, thanks to Claude sama for being next to me, the people around me shouldn't see me as someone who was wretchedly dumped by her fiancee and their suspicion of me regarding the kidnapping incident should've been abated as well. After all, even Lilisama has been found......]     (Irene)
Having said all that, Irene looked up to Claude.
[......it's Claude-sama, isn't it?] (Irene)
[What is?] (Claude)
[The one who dropped Lilisama to the cesspool]  (Irene)
[I don't know what you're talking about] (Claude)
Claude who was feigning ignorance looked exasperated.
After Irene finished her one dance with Claude, an immediate report came in about Lilia whose initial whereabouts was unknown. She was found inside of the Imperial Palace's cesspool. The location was well, the place. The tense air initially surrounding Irene and the accusation that there were demons involvement behind Lilia's disappearance instantly vanished afterward. At that time, everyone had no choice but to say sorry with a forced smile on their face.
Having seemingly lost a room for suspicion that it was Irene's deed, Cedric rushed off to listen to the report from Max who had returned from the Demon King's forest. After that, Rudolph including the great aristocrats indirectly tried to keep up appearance for the sake of the missing organizer of the evening party.
(......Cedric-sama and Lilisama's a.s.sessment had fallen. He can't organize the evening party decently. Moreover, he thoughtlessly trying to pick a fight with the monsters as well......)
Maybe they would overlook it under the youth's reason for behaving recklessly to a degree, but she was worried about the things that will happen later.
Because of the kidnapping incident, the announcement for Cedric and Lilia's engagement didn't happen; and, the progression of the game is now lost. Thinking positively, maybe the flag for Cedric's route has been broken, but she couldn't be careless.
For example.
[......But, she's lovely, isn't she? Lilisama that is] (Irene)
After she muttered those few words, she regretted it. And yet, she couldn't stop talking.
[She's popular, you know? That person. I heard her smile can heal people's heart. Although she isn't a flashy beauty like me, she has a smooth skin and a silky hair. To a certain degree, you can barely recognize her if she wears make-up and dresses properly. I was surprised too when I first saw her dressing up.] (Irene)
[......Really?] (Claude)
[She was always better than me in things like cooking and sewing. It's not like I was conscious of Lilisama, but only because last year I've been studying in depth about her to beat her. Moreover, her manner of speaking is gentle and above anything else, she's very obedient. She's capable of making gentlemen look good, and she isn't the type that pushes other people around] (Irene)
[Irene] (Claude)
Claude's route supposedly shouldn't be released. However, she's the heroine. Unlike Irene, if Lilia had a conversation as per in the game and managed to raise a flag, it was undeniable that Claude could become someone similar to Cedric.
[Men like that kind of person, aren't they? I'm----It hurtsssssss!] (Irene)
[Surprisingly, it can be stretched out] (Claude)
[What are you doing?!] 
Irene was still trying to run away from the hand that was pulling on her cheek. Claude shrugged his shoulders.
[You don't have to worry. You're lovely. And, she's not my type] (Claude)
She was flabbergasted and after a while, she blushed. Because he understood what she was being anxious about.
[Don't worry about unnecessary things, and you should take a rest for today already. You're tired, aren't you?] (Claude)
[I, I'll do that......Eh, what?] (Irene)
Irene blinked her eyes when she was pulled towards something. She confirmed that it was Claude who was in front of those long eyelashes of hers.
[It was a perfect escort, isn't it?] (Claude)
Farewell kiss. It wasn't boorish to say something at this point. It was in accordance with the etiquette.
However, Claude's red eyes had something similar to smoldering ardor. That gaze was like burning into her causing her to blush; she closed her eyes while her heart was crazily pounding.
It was unusual for her. For her to feel this nervous when she was only waiting for one salutation kiss.
Softly and as light as a feather, Claude's lips fell onto her cheek. From there, heat spread all over her body as if she was burning----A sound of someone screaming was etched at the back of her mind.
Perish. Let it all be ruined. I've no longer have any the likes of a human that I want to protect----!! (Claude)
Irene opened her eyes wide and saw almost a full moon.
Claude whispered to her as he gently kept their bodies apart from each other.
[Good night, Irene. Have a sweet dream] (Claude)
[G, good n, night......] (Irene)
She glossed it over by laughing awkwardly; she certainly was trying to hide her embarra.s.sment. The first one to vanish from her sight was the carriage in front of her. After that, Claude stomped on the brick floor underneath him, and he also vanished after he floated to the back of the moon.
Irene pressed her hand on her cheeks and leaned against the pillar to support her body that was about to lose her strength.
[Gosh, the timing for the memories to come back is always strange......!] 
Thanks to that, she missed an opportunity to immerse herself in her heart pounding experience. It was absolutely unforgivable.
Moreover, she has no more than a week before something happens.
[But, yeah......that's right. Claude-sama......isn't that why you become a monster?] 
She remembered. The reason why he despaired over mankind.
He was betrayed by the one and only person he ever trusted ever since he was little.
Villainous Daughter Aims for the Last Boss
悪役令嬢なのでラスボスを飼ってみました
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/villainous-daughter-aims-for-the-last-boss/
Drama Fantasy Romance School Life Shoujo
Adapted to Anime Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Beautiful Female Lead Bloodlines Broken Engagement Business Management Businessmen Calm Protagonist Demon Lord Demons Female Protagonist Handsome Male Lead Hated Protagonist Kuudere Multiple Reincarnated Individuals Nobles Otome Game Politics Reincarnated in a Game World Royalty Saints Sword And Magic Villainess Noble Girls
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2766dz/
永瀬さらさ