Volume 2 Episode 7 – Behind the tree trunk, a large small animal is making a noise.

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I Just Wanted to Call Off the Arranged Marriage With the Princess—Someone I Could Never Possibly Be a Match For—But for Some Reason, She Took a Liking to Me and Is Now Closing in on Me

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I was slacking off. I was skipping class.

Even I wonder what the hell I was doing on my first day of school. But hey? If you were subjected to a public execution like that in front of the entire student body without any warning, even a priest serving God would turn into a little girl and run away.

Even I don’t have the mental fortitude to go from that to giving a greeting as a new student in the classroom.

“……I hope my parents weren’t being nice just because they were worried about their son heading into a death trap, right?”

They had such unnervingly kind eyes.

If I’d seen this coming, I would’ve put up a bit more of a fight. Though with everyone piling pressure on me, the outcome might not have changed anyway.

I let out a sigh in the shade of the trees behind the school building.

A belated wave of anxiety washes over me—I wonder if Iris is angry right now. After all, I did brush her off and run away. I was worried about the next time we’d see each other.

“But I didn’t do anything wrong, though.”

“Achoo!”

“……”

I heard a sneeze. From behind a large tree.

The cute voice sounded like a small animal, but I couldn’t imagine there being wild animals inside the school grounds. She probably doesn’t keep any pets either. Peeking quietly around the trunk, he saw something chestnut-brown curled up in a small ball.

“A squirrel…? It’s pretty big for one.”

“Meow, meow.”

It let out a little cry.

“Even for a cat, it’s huge.”

“Meow.”

“A tiger, then?”

“Roar!”

This was starting to get interesting.

Her voice trembled with embarrassment, and her snow-white skin was flushed. Hugging her knees and curled up like that, she looked a bit like a cat sleeping with its face buried, but despite the resemblance, she was a human girl. I knew that from the start, though.

She’s in a school uniform, so she must be a student here.

Does she want to hide her face, or does she just not want to be found? Classes are in session right now, so the fact that she’s here means she’s skipping class just like me. We both don’t want to get caught, so pretending not to see each other is the unspoken rule among fellow truant buddies.

I lean against the tree trunk, returning to my original posture.

I really should get back to class, but the weather is mild after the rainy season, and the sky is high. Small clouds drift by like sheep, and watching them makes me drowsy.

“Um… are you okay with skipping class?”

“You’re actually going to ask that?”

I was trying to pretend I hadn’t seen anything, but she spoke to me normally. Her voice was soft, but her actions were bold. It seems I was the only one who thought there was some kind of unspoken understanding; this girl apparently saw things differently.

Since she apologized, she probably didn’t mean any harm. Maybe the silence felt awkward? For someone skipping class, she might actually be quite sensitive.

“If you’re made to make a declaration like that in front of the whole school, of course you’d get flustered.”

“……Did something happen?”

“Sorry, forget what I just said.”

Since she didn’t seem to know what I was talking about, I decided to let it slide.

It was such a bold public humiliation. It wasn’t just some boring story from a teacher. Since she wouldn’t have forgotten it if she’d heard it, she must not have been there. I felt relieved, thinking, “Good,” but at the same time, I knew she’d probably hear about it through the grapevine anyway, so it was just a cowardly way to buy time.

“Got it.”

“…You’re so honest it’s worrying.”

If this were Iris, she’d definitely be smirking and thinking, ‘What should I do with this?’ or being mean about it.

“People tell me that a lot.”

It was a voice laced with a wry smile—or rather, self-deprecation. I can’t see her face, so I don’t know, but maybe she has her own thoughts about being called honest. If someone told me I was honest, it’d feel like they were calling me an idiot, and I wouldn’t feel good about it either.

Maybe it wasn’t a compliment after all?

“If it bothers you, you can just say so.”

“Eh, but—”

“I did say to forget about it, but whether you actually do that is up to you.”

There’s no need to dutifully follow a one-sided request.

“Is that okay? Isn’t that selfish?”

“It’s admirable to consider others’ feelings, but you’ll only end up losing out if you do that.”

If I were to worry about others, I should have accepted Iris’s engagement proposal ages ago. Regardless of my motives, it takes guts to turn down an invitation from a princess.

“Put your own happiness first. If you have the energy left over, worrying about others is just the right amount.”

I feel like I’m sounding a bit preachy. It’s a little embarrassing.

Besides, it feels like I’m telling this to myself. Maybe I’m just frustrated because life hasn’t been going my way lately. Even though I resist, I’m still being forced to attend this school I don’t even want to go to.

I need to blow off some steam every once in a while.

“……I’ll give it a shot.”

“Good luck!”

So, I’ll just make a quick exit.

I let my guard down and said something weird. Maybe I got complacent because I didn’t even see her face—she was just on the other side of a tree trunk. I’ll go somewhere else, I think, and stomp on the grass.

“Um, could I ask your name—”

“Give me a break.”

I don’t want to make friends. I mean, I’m skipping class, so we don’t need to go out of our way to acknowledge each other, right? Besides, they were the ones who avoided me first.

“I wonder if there’s a place with no one around…” I thought as I rounded the corner of the school building, only to nearly bump into someone.

“Oops, sorry.”

“Yeah, you’re sorry?”

“What the hell, is this guy gonna pick a fight?” I thought—but it turned out to be Iris.

Her eyes weren’t just not smiling; they weren’t smiling at all, and deep shadows covered her eyes. A strange sound escaped my throat: “Higgg.”

“I-Iris? What about class…?”

“I skipped it since you weren’t there.”

“Oh my, a delinquent.”

“Oh, really?”

It was a tiny, high-pitched voice. It sounded like it was coming from somewhere deep inside.

Was it a mistake to run away without saying a word after what happened? Her already sullen expression had grown even more grim, making it unbearable to look her in the eye. Unable to withstand the silent pressure, all I could manage was to say, “I’m sorry.”

Iris let out a long, weary sigh.

“It’s fine, though. It’s my fault for doing that without saying a word.”

“So you were aware of it?”

“Of course I was.”

“Did you think I wasn’t?” she asked, glancing at me with half-closed eyes.

“Yes, I did think that.”

“I know it was wrong to act on a whim, but it was necessary.”

“That public execution?”

“A declaration of ownership.”

She denied it, but am I the only one who feels like we’re both equally at fault here?

“I’m not an object. Besides, nobody would ever steal someone like me. Iris is just weird.”

“……Huh.”

“What’s with that look?”

“Nah, nothing.”

That definitely wasn’t a ‘nothing’ look. She gives me a glare that says, ‘You’re the one saying that?’ Does she want to tell me I’m the weird one?　Hahaha, you little rascal.

“I’m well aware I’m a weirdo.”

“That’s not the point… but you’d be surprised how hard it is to tell.”

“Can you stop being so cryptic?”

“You’re the one who’s being cryptic.”

She gives me a sidelong glance with her dark eyes.

“You should stop being so cryptic.”

I’m not acting like that, but what is Iris looking at?

　　◇　◇　◇

I look at Lucian with a cold gaze as he grumbles, “I’m just an ordinary person anywhere I go.”

He really doesn’t get it.

I manage to hold back a sigh.

Lucian treats everyone the same.

He doesn’t discriminate or make distinctions. He doesn’t hide himself, nor does he put on airs.

He is true to himself, and he never wavers.

It must be hard for him to survive in aristocratic society, where flattery is the norm.

—But some people say that’s exactly why he’s so appealing.

The more frustrated and weak a person is, the more they tend to become obsessed with him.

I know very well that I’m certainly not the only one who feels that way.

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