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
“It’s actually pretty spacious.”
The lounge Aisia showed me was about the size of a classroom. It was furnished with sofas, tables, and cushions, and looked quite comfortable.
I tried sitting down, and the sofa sank deeply beneath me. The cushions were really soft.
“I could live here.”
“Do you want to?”
“Nah, not really.”
Iris gave me a sidelong glance, and I shook my head from side to side. I don’t want to live at school.
“But staying over just once might be fun. It just sounds like fun.”
“If I’m with you, anywhere would be fun.”
Aisia casually said something charming. I just took it as “That sounds good!”, but Iris’s reaction wasn’t great. Is she wary of me, or what?
Is she just not good with Aisia, or does she just have trouble socializing?
I hug the cushion to my chest. It’s soft.
“So, does forming a faction just mean renting a salon? Is that all it takes to declare, ‘We’ve formed a group’?”
“There aren’t any official procedures, after all.”
That makes sense.
Unlike a club, there’s no way anyone would go out of their way to report to the school that so-and-so has formed a faction. It’s usually just a matter of people gathering on their own, and the word spreading as others come to recognize it.
“If I spread the word subtly, I think the number of people who come bothering us… will go down.”
“I wanted them to disappear completely.”
Aisia makes a bitter face at my disappointment. I’m not blaming her, so I just wave my hand lightly. It can’t be helped to a certain extent. Being able to brush off that kind of jealousy lightly is a basic skill for a noble. It’s still a hassle, though.
“Well, you should be grateful just to have a place where we can relax within the academy.”
“Right?” I asked Iris, who was already slouching in her chair, seeking her agreement. “Yeah,” she replied. Leaning her upper body against the desk, Iris glanced softly at Aisia.
“Thanks, Aisia.”
“If I’ve been of service to Lady Iris, there is no greater honor.”
She behaves just like a knight.
Even though she’s wearing a girls’ uniform, she still looks the part—her natural potential is just too high. If this were a young lady with no immunity, it wouldn’t be surprising if she fell head over heels, but Iris just narrowed her dark eyes slightly, as if she couldn’t care less.
She is a princess, after all. Being attended to by a knight is probably just part of her daily life.
“I’d like to thank you as well.”
“Haha, don’t worry about it. I’m happy if I could be of use to Lady Iris and Lucian, and above all, there’s a benefit for me too. It’s a win-win.”
“A benefit?”
She tilted her head.
“Because I’m joining this faction too.”
“Huh? Why?”
It was Iris who voiced her confusion. Just a moment ago, she was slumped over the table, but now she’s sitting up straight, looking shocked. I was surprised too, but not to that extent. Was Lucian joining the faction really that shocking to Iris?
I’m curious too, though maybe it’s just a difference in how strongly we reacted.
“What about the Student Council?”
“Of course, I’ll keep doing that.”
“……Does that even make sense?”
I don’t see the benefit Aisia mentioned.
It’s not like joining the faction means we’ll actually do anything. It’s just a safe haven, a pretext to avoid trouble. On top of that, I thought it was a good deal since we get a salon too, but it shouldn’t mean anything to Aisia.
“I just want a place where I can spend my days in peace.”
A faint smile played on her lips, tinged with a hint of weariness.
“But more than anything, it’s because I want to spend time with you, Lucian.”
“Oh, really?”
My interest vanished instantly.
This girl has been spouting these sickeningly sweet lines ever since we met. Since he says them to everyone, they ring hollow. It’s enough that only innocent young ladies take them seriously and blush.
If a guy like me says it, it’s just awkward.
“It’s okay, right, Lucian?”
I couldn’t bring myself to say no to that refreshing smile.
After all, it was Aisia who’d looked after me with such kindness all this time. I couldn’t possibly be so heartless as to refuse a request from her, and I couldn’t think of a reason to say no anyway.
“It’s fine, right?” I tilted my head back, only to find Iris’s eyes narrowed and her lips pressed tightly together. What’s with that face?
“Iris?”
“……Well.”
It was a stiff voice that sounded reluctant.
“This is mine, you know?”
Once again, Iris made this remark to me, and Aisia simply smiled.
◆ ◆ ◆
“—So, what’s your relationship?”
I had just returned to the mansion and was relaxing on my bed when Iris barged in without even knocking. There was no introduction or anything. The way she started the conversation, practically forcing it upon me like a threat, had something of a barbarian about it.
I let out a sigh and slammed my book shut. I flung it aside and just lay there, staring up at the ceiling.
“With whom?”
“With Aisia.”
I figured as much, but I guess this was just a formality.
“She’s just an acquaintance.”
“She didn’t look like it.”
“Those eyes of yours are made of ice, just like Aisia’s.”
“Want to touch them and see for yourself?”
That’s scary.
I don’t even want to touch my own eyeballs, let alone someone else’s. I know it’s a joke, but I couldn’t help but imagine it—even though I hadn’t touched them, I felt a squishy sensation on my fingertips.
Just as a chill ran down my spine, the bed creaked and sank. Iris’s face was framed by the white ceiling. Even at a time like this, I found myself captivated by her beauty. Maybe it’s because the background is all white that her dark allure stands out so much.
“Touch me?”
“No.”
“Then tell me.”
What kind of trade-off is that?
“It’s not a big deal, but… are you really interested?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded honestly.
Oh, I see—so you’re curious. It’s not exactly the kind of thing you’d talk about formally, and if she were a noble, she could probably make casual acquaintances just by showing up at parties or tea gatherings.
I wonder what it is that’s got Iris so curious.
It actually piques my interest, but if I ask, she’ll probably pinch my cheek and say, “Hurry up and tell me,” so I’ll save that curiosity for another time.
“Ah, well, when I say ‘meeting’… it was just at a party for people my age that my father forced me to attend, where I met Aisia, who was dressed as a man.”
“…Dressed as a man?”
“Yeah.”
Dressed as a man.