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At a table not far from where Tristan and Bella were seated, a lively conversation was taking place among three people.

“The young lady is scheduled to go to Mojito with the Count.”

“Mojito…?!”

“Yes.”

Upon Blanshe’s announcement, Helga doubted her own ears. In this world, the word “Mojito” immediately brought to mind a certain place.

Meanwhile, Wendy, being a commoner, seemed to be hearing the word for the first time and began to imagine things on her own.

“Wow… Mojito sounds like the name of a refreshing drink…”

“A refreshing drink? It’s a famous resort for the Empire’s nobility.”

“Eh? A resort…? So, are they going there to rest…?”

As Wendy tilted her head in confusion, Blanshe kindly explained.

“No, Wendy. The young lady is going as an envoy to deliver a message to the King of Mojito, under His Majesty’s orders. The Count will accompany her on this journey.”

“Ah, I see…”

“Oh, is that so?”

Helga, who had been listening to Blanshe, crossed her legs and scoffed.

“But, Blanshe, why didn’t you tell Wendy that it’s also known as the ultimate honeymoon destination?”

“A honeymoon destination?! So, does that mean the Princess and the Count are getting married…?”

Seeing Wendy turn pale at Helga’s words, Blanshe shook her head.

“…It’s true that it’s known as a honeymoon destination, but this trip is purely for official business.”

“Why Mojito, of all places? The Princess’s intentions are way too obvious.”

“Watch your words, Helga. The young lady is going under His Majesty’s orders. There are no disrespectful intentions, as you seem to think.”

“Hmph… I’m sure that’s the case. How could someone like me possibly understand the noble thoughts of the Princess?”

Helga glanced over at Bella, clearly displeased.

Bella, sitting across from Tristan, was chatting away. Her occasional smiles, which were said to be the most beautiful in the Empire, were so enchanting that even Helga, a woman herself, found them captivating.

But to Helga, they were anything but pleasant.

The way Bella brushed her hair aside or turned her body to look more attractive—what could that possibly mean?

It seemed like nothing more than an attempt to seduce the man in front of her.

Originally, Helga didn’t feel any anxiety.

The man she passionately loved—Tristan—was the most notorious person in the country, and people avoided him. Not only that, but he had once been a handsome boy who had turned into a fat man, mocked as the “Pig Count.”

Because of this, no woman had ever shown interest in Tristan.

Foolish women only judged him by the rumors and his unattractive appearance, not knowing the immense ambition and deadly charm he possessed.

‘They know nothing…’

Thanks to that, Helga had Tristan all to herself.

Even though he was away on a mission as the Deputy Commander of Aslan, she could rest easy knowing there were no women around him who could be considered competition.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true.

Bella Izakhel, the most beautiful woman in the country, was Tristan’s fiancée. However, she despised him and never gave him her heart.

Even though Bella was close to Tristan as his fiancée, Helga believed she was the one closest to his heart. She thought she was the only one who could understand and empathize with him.

But… when Helga came to her senses, she realized many things had changed.

Tristan had lost weight and regained his former appearance, and women were now flocking to him. Women who once avoided him were now circling around him.

And Bella was no exception.

Bella, who had once hated Tristan so much, had now fallen deeply for him. She had become Helga’s biggest rival.

The way Bella was talking to Tristan now was exactly like a woman in love.

They say a woman is most beautiful when she’s in love. As much as Helga hated to admit it, Bella looked incredibly beautiful. And Tristan, while talking to her, seemed to be at ease, even laughing occasionally.

Seeing this, Helga’s heart grew anxious.

Bella’s presence was becoming more overwhelming than ever.

When Helga heard from Wendy that Bella had spent the night with Tristan, her anxiety reached its peak.

She had boldly stormed into Tristan’s room, only to be stopped by Bella, Blanshe, and Wendy.

Although the night’s intrusion ended in chaos, Helga hadn’t given up. She vowed to become Tristan’s woman at the next opportunity.

But now, out of the blue, Bella was taking Tristan to Mojito, the ultimate honeymoon destination?

She wouldn’t let that happen.

“But why is the Princess taking the Count with her?”

“That’s also His Majesty’s order.”

“Hah…”

As Helga let out a bitter laugh, Blanshe warned her.

“I’ll be accompanying this journey to make sure you don’t cause any trouble for the young lady.”

“The one causing trouble is your young lady, trying to seduce our Count.”

“P-please don’t fight, you two…”

“We’re not fighting.”

“We’re not fighting.”

“Sigh…”

Sparks seemed to fly between Helga and Blanshe, leaving Wendy caught in the middle, unsure of what to do.

“…Enough. We depart tomorrow, so go back and prepare. And take this.”

“What is it…?”

“Tickets for the passenger ship to Mojito. You’ll be sharing a room with me.”

Helga frowned as she took the ticket Blanshe handed her.

“I talk in my sleep. Can’t I have a different room?”

“No. I need to make sure you don’t cause any trouble.”

“Who’s causing trouble now…”

“Um, excuse me!”

“?”

Wendy, who had been listening in, cautiously asked.

“Blanshe, what about my ticket…?”

“Oh, my apologies. I forgot.”

“Phew… I thought you were leaving me behind…”

“That’s exactly what’s happening.”

“Huh?!”

Blanshe, with a gentle expression, dropped a bombshell on Wendy, who had widened her eyes in shock.

“Only Helga and I are accompanying this journey.”

“Wha…what?!”

*

The next day, I boarded the passenger ship docked at the Empire’s port.

I had honestly debated whether to accept Bella’s invitation.

The schedule itself was quite short—just a 4-night, 5-day trip—so leaving my duties behind wouldn’t be a big issue.

However, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was appropriate to plan a trip-like schedule at this time.

[Service begins in 77 days.]

Yes, there are less than 100 days left.

Only 77 days until the players’ invasion. It’s both a long and short period.

The only saving grace was that the expedition had given me some breathing room. Seeing how much I had accomplished compared to my initial expectations, I realized just how hard I had been working.

In the end, I decided to join Bella on this journey as a sort of vacation for myself.

Of course, part of me wanted to just stay at the mansion for a week and relax, but that seemed unlikely.

If I had refused this invitation, Bella probably wouldn’t have let it slide.

One of the things I’ve valued most since coming to this world is maintaining smooth relationships with the characters here.

Especially with Bella, who holds the position of the main heroine. If she were to distance herself from me, my plans would completely fall apart. Ultimately, saving this world would also be out of the question.

Lately, with less time spent together, Bella’s dissatisfaction had been building up. I wanted to avoid upsetting her as much as possible.

Thinking about it again, this trip might have been an event I couldn’t avoid.

Well… in that case, I might as well treat it as a vacation and try to enjoy it as much as possible.

I’ve never left the Empire before, so I was curious about what other countries were like…

“Then I’ll take care of the luggage, Count.”

“Hmm.”

After handing my luggage to Helga, I decided to take a look around the passenger ship.

I had arrived early, so I had some time before Bella arrived.

This ship, said to be the pinnacle of the Empire’s magical engineering, wasn’t as large as I expected.

This passenger ship was built with the capital of the Wolfbert Family, second only to the Ruelberta Family in wealth.

Given that they have long held key positions in the Empire’s navy, it’s no surprise they ventured into this kind of business.

Though the size was closer to a ferry than a cruise ship, the facilities were quite clean. The decorations were somewhat luxurious… It might not be a super-luxury cruise, but it was definitely a luxury passenger ship.

After touring the ship, I checked out the VIP cabin where Bella and I would be staying.

I hadn’t seen the other cabins, but this one was clearly on par with a 5-star hotel in the real world.

The luxurious furniture and shiny utensils were impressive. Plus, the cabin was located higher than the captain’s quarters, offering a stunning view through the window.

However, the bed in the center was a double bed.

I was sure the ticket had mentioned a twin bed option… Maybe there was some mistake.

I should ask the staff about it later.

As I thought this, my gaze fell on my bag on the bed.

‘I should unpack first.’

As I reached for the handle, I accidentally bumped the bag.

It fell to the floor with a thud.

“Eek?!”

“?!”

Startled by the sound coming from the bag, I wondered if I was hearing things. But no—the bag was wriggling and shaking.

What’s this? Does the bag have a vibration mode? Or is it alive?

No, that can’t be.

Carefully, I unzipped the bag.

*Ziiip*

Inside, among my clothes, was a girl curled up like a baby squirrel.

“…Wendy?”

“Oww… it hurts…”

She was clutching her head, whimpering from the impact.

Wait, why is Wendy, who should be at the mansion, inside my bag?

“Why are you here?”

“Eek?! C-Count…?! Well…”

Wendy, startled by my presence, was trembling and couldn’t get her words out.

“You’re supposed to be at the mansion at this time… Why were you hiding in my bag? Give me a reasonable explanation.”

“Eek?! W-well…! It’s…!”

Wendy hesitated, glancing at me nervously before finally speaking.

“I-I’m small, so…”

“So?”

“S-so, while packing your luggage, I… accidentally fell into the bag…”

She’s lying.

 

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