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Riche came to find me.

Just when I thought I might finally get to eat in peace.

“I have a favor to ask.”

“I don’t want to.”

“No… just hear me out…”

“I said I don’t want to.”

Why on earth are you asking me for a favor in the first place?

If you really need something, there’s someone around who would give you their all.

“No, it’s not about asking for information this time…!”

“Still, I don’t want to.”

“Can’t you just tell me the reason?”

Because it’s annoying.

As soon as I replied that, Riche made a face as if she couldn’t believe it.

But honestly, it’s me who finds it ridiculous.

Who would be happy to have someone suddenly show up asking for a favor when they’re just trying to eat?

Even my dog wouldn’t be disturbed while I’m having my meal.

If there’s any basic courtesy in asking a favor, this isn’t it.

“Besides, you have nothing to offer me anyway.”

Putting aside whether I should grant your request, where in the world is there such a thing as a freebie?

When you ask someone for something, you should show some sincerity, right?

But do you even have that kind of sincerity?

Riche twirled her fingers and rolled her eyes before giving a shocking response.

“I’ll do anything for you…!”

She must know, even saying that, what it implies.

Surely she doesn’t think it means a massage or something, does she?

It could be seen as a passionate pursuit for a goal, or maybe just a sign of desperation.

‘Is this how she normally is?’

I don’t think so, but maybe this is how she really is.

Arthur, the black sheep protagonist, is the type to shower everyone with “unconditional kindness” that doesn’t exist in this world.

In the novel, he didn’t go that far because there were people willing to help him, but in reality, isn’t he the kind of person to use any means necessary to achieve his goals?

These modern heroines are really strange.

“Go to Arthur.”

“He’s weak, so that won’t work.”

I’ve never heard anyone say that a reincarnated person is weak before.

This isn’t the beginning of the reincarnation either; in a few months, he’ll be fine to take the top spot at the Academy.

“And I just don’t like his personality.”

“True, someone as intelligent, healthy, and educational as me is rare.”

“…”

“What?”

The premise itself is odd.

I’m not a charity case; if I wanted to, I could just pick anyone around me.

“Are you perhaps a whore?”

“Ah, no!”

“That answer doesn’t sound like something the daughter of a duke would say.”

“…I have no choice.”

“But you’re not saying you’d pay with money, are you?”

If she were a duke’s daughter, she wouldn’t resort to offering her body to ask for a favor.

As a noble, she could just pressure someone with money, yet she chose this extraordinary offer.

“Well, her family abandoned her, so there’s no way they’d give her money.”

“…!”

Riche’s face morphed into shock at my casually dropped statement.

It was as if she was asking how I knew that. Her expression flickered between shock, surprise, and sadness.

The successor of the Winchester family had failed to defeat and had sealed the Demon “Hex”.

That seal has been passed down through the women of the Winchester family for generations.

Of course, Riche was no exception. Her mother was already gone.

But it’s hilariously ironic how they treat her like a dangerous person after shoving her into a human body without her consent.

It’s like looking at a ticking time bomb, isn’t it?

That’s how Riche’s family views her.

“How did you…?”

“I saw it in a novel.”

“……?”

Riche stared at me as if I’m some weirdo saying strange things.

Well, I’m not lying.

If you’re the main heroine, isn’t it essential to have some flashbacks, no matter how many chapters it takes?

There was certainly a description of Riche’s family, along with how she’s treated in it.

“Luke, can anyone know about that?!”

“Shouldn’t it be told more?”

Isn’t it funny to think about?

Reincarnated characters in novels try to keep the secrets of this world hidden, but I just think they should be the ones who know the truth.

Isn’t this entire world’s story just a hidden camera to them?

The way of life, lovers, and even the ending are all predetermined—a huge setup where only the victim feels bad.

And if no one tells them, they wouldn’t even realize they were played once the trick is over.

“Ms. Luna, is that really true…?”

“Sadly, yes.”

I’m not some shepherd boy. Why does everyone keep not believing me and asking Luna instead?

Are they going to keep this up forever? Should I just clamp my mouth shut?

“Then… do you have that novel right now?”

“Oh. It doesn’t exist in this world.”

Riche regarded me as if I were a lunatic with that ambiguous answer.

Of course, it wouldn’t be here. There are no smartphones.

“To gain that much power, you’d have to be mentally unstable… yeah. I’m fine. I’m confident in my mental strength.”

“No, I’m completely sane!”

Honestly, I feel like slapping her. What is this conversation?

And come to think of it, she’s funny too.

“Do you realize you sound like a greedy fraud right now?”

From the start, she’s a real greedy person, wanting to get stronger even though she’s already the top of her class.

Even when she came to make this request, she hadn’t been quiet about it; it’s totally obvious.

Not that aspiration is a bad thing.

But the way she’s constantly coming over, saying she’s weak or that she has to get stronger, just sounds like a joke to those who can’t even reach the top position.

“It’s… whatever.”

Hmm, her mindset’s not bad.

Even I would say being weak is their fault.

“Anyway, what I’m saying is, there’s no way I’m going to help you. You can’t offer me anything, so why should I listen to you?”

“…”

No matter how smart you are, you can’t argue against the truth.

Arguing against the truth is just stubbornness.

“…You said you don’t like it when it’s annoying, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then if you don’t help me, I’ll follow you around forever. You’ll find me annoying.”

Whoa… that’s a truly unhinged girl!

The method of asking for a favor changed from negotiation to blackmail.

For the record, I think it should be a knife for negotiation and a noose for blackmail.

“My lady… I’m sorry… I didn’t want to pull you in again…”

The moment I placed my hand into my inventory to grip the sword’s hilt…

“Luke, wait a moment!”

“That’s too harsh! I think killing her is a bit extreme…!”

“Hey, let go.”

Luna and Yui grabbed my arm, desperately trying to stop me.

Whether they’re heroines or not, they’re being bothersome.

If one heroine disappears, it’s just one less girlfriend in the protagonist’s eyes.

It’s a harem anyway, so what’s the big deal if one heroine gets taken out?

People die eventually. Riche just happens to die a bit earlier than others.

Or I could just keep one heroine around and kill all the rest before going for a pure love route.

-Creak! Creak!

As I was trying to get up, Yui and Luna were blocking me, causing the chair to creak.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make a delicious beef noodle soup.”

“Ms. Riche, run away quickly…!”

“No? I doubt she could run away.”

How many times does she plan to try getting away?

She’s been desperately avoiding the reality of her mother’s death, fleeing to the Academy from her family.

She has a history of running away, so why would she do it again?

Knowing Riche’s personality, if it really came to life or death, she wouldn’t run.

And given my personality, I certainly would kill her.

“…I don’t know how, but according to his words, I can’t run away, Ms. Luna.”

See? With the will to die, she came here, and not killing her would be disrespectful, wouldn’t it?

“And why are you being so protective?”

You all just watched when I was killing others before.

Have you developed some bond without realizing it after witnessing a few instances?

“No, Luke! We’re professors now, aren’t we?! If we kill a student, we might turn against an S-Rank Adventurer?!”

“I’ll leave the aftermath to my future self.”

“No, no! If we cause a commotion, we’ll get kicked out of the shop! You need to eat breakfast, right?!”

Hmm. Can’t argue with that. Even if I leave everything else to my future self, I have my limits with hunger.

If I delay here even a little, I might just bite the one in front of me.

Tsk, clicking my tongue, I put my hands back in place and sat straight in the chair.

“Haah…”

“Then I’ll eat and kill her.”

“Wait a moment, Luke! Just hear me out.”

“What? Your thoughts need to change mine, Luna. Otherwise, you’re both accomplices.”

Am I really going to act like I’m protecting the one I’m about to kill?

That’s definitely an accomplice no matter how you slice it.

Luna took a moment to gather her thoughts, and when she seemed ready, she spoke.

“That Arthur guy, you said he’s the protagonist, right?”

“That’s right.”

“But he doesn’t seem trustworthy.”

Normally, it would flow like the original without interference, but that idiot reincarnated to mess things up.

“So, wouldn’t it be better if Riche got stronger?”

“Then why?”

The rest of what she had to say seemed to be something she didn’t want Riche to hear, so she whispered in my ear.

“Seeing Riche involved with Arthur all the time, she must be one of his lovers. If she goes around with Arthur, won’t she be able to prevent the incidents that happen around him?”

“Oh… ”

In other words, if the toilet is clogged and can’t function, we make a plunger, huh?

“That’s a pretty good idea!”

Alright, Riche. From now on, you’re my plunger.

You can handle cleaning up the shit of your future lover, right?

It might seem like your likability is at rock bottom for now, but Arthur will handle that in due time.

“Okay. I’ll help.”

I lowered my gaze into crescent moons and looked at Riche happily.

Noticing my strange expression, Riche furrowed her brow in confusion.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m making you my plunger… uhmm…!”

As I prepared to repeat the earlier conversation, Luna clamped my mouth shut.

“Ugh… mmm…!”

“……?”

“Luke, it seems the food has arrived, so how about we eat while we talk?”

As I squabbled with Luna, food began to fill the table.

 

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