Chapter 22: Chapter 22: He’s malicious

Dante pulled Serena who absentmindedly flopped on the floor by her arm and left the classroom.

The girls who were her followers were also sitting on the floor with their mouths agape.

“… Now then, next is you.”

They came to their senses with Rishell’s cold voice though.

Despite Serena already being taken away, that Demon Lord smile of his was in a good health.

… I have had enough of this scary fellow. Someone, save me…

No, I have been just saved by this scary fellow…

“Wha, we didn’t do anything!”

“That can’t be true, right? … Right, Lilim Company’s young lady? Don’t you think that even a Ducal House wouldn’t be able to prepare this much thumbtacks?”

“Eh…”

The name of the girl whose face paled after Rishell addressed her was Monica Lilim.

The daughter of this country’s biggest company and the daughter of a Baron.

“Wha… I, I have done nothing!”

“… Is that really the truth?”

Rishell smiled remarkably beautifully.

… I hate it, I get goosebumps when this fellow smiles.

I might start crying…

“When I visited your Otousama, I have heard that several thumbtack cases have disappeared from his warehouse… it wasn’t enough to make him worry, but thinking he just made a mistake counting, he couldn’t leave it alone…”

“… Ugh.”

I can’t anymore. This fellow’s unnecessary groundwork is too scary.

Well, he’s like that. He must have thought to do it thoroughly since he was already doing it.

He’s a complete ideologist after all.

“… Now then, do you have anything else to say?”

“No… it wasn’t… me…”

Monica said in a frail voice while trembling.

“… Serge Fadkiel.”

The moment Rishell said that in a low voice, Monica stopped trembling.

She sat there with a dumbfounded face.

“… You are in love with him… you were told by Serena, right? That she will help you two get together if you help her to bully Olga.”

“Wha…”

… Sorry, who was that again?

It appears that I don’t know this guy… this Serge?

“The other side is the son of Marquis after all… marriage proposal would be difficult, but were you told it was possible if the proposal came from her House?”

“… Ugh.”

It seems he hit the bullseye, Monica hung her head down.

Indeed, Serena’s House is that of a Duke, so it might be possible to accomplish if she intended to do it.

My House is much more influential though.

Well, I don’t know whether she was told「Can do」or「Will do」though.

With Serena’s personality, I think the possibility that she wouldn’t do it is higher though.

Monica is a Baron’s daughter, but I don’t think there is anything she can do to go against Serena.

She should have been at least able to convey her intentions.

However, Monica lost to the temptation.

The temptation might have been that good, but even if she only provided some things, she can’t say that she wasn’t a part of it.

Even if she didn’t know how I was bullied, it is a fact that she was aware of it and helped Serena to do it.

That would be surely bad.

No wonder Serena had more followers than before the annulment of my engagement…

“… B, but! Unlike Serena-san and others, I had no intentions of harming Olga-san!”

Still, it’s a fact that you did it.

If that thing hit me, even though I wouldn’t die, I would definitely bleed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“… At any rate, you are thinking bad of Olga in your mind and continue to feel prejudice against her because Albert was her fiancé, right? … Wasn’t letting Serena tempt you just a mere excuse to obtain the person you love?”

“… Ugh.”

Monica fell silent again.

How many times was it today, I wonder?

… As for me, I received a little bit of shock.

I didn’t think well of Monica before, but I can’t say that I disliked her.

I can’t say that she looked favorably upon me before the annulment of my engagement, but she got along with me normally.

Because of the disagreement with Serena and Sherina, I could only hold a decent conversation with Eliza and others.

In the first place, everyone didn’t talk to me much because of my too high social status and fear of Sherina’s retribution though.

Sherina is from a Ducal house too, but she might have gotten surrounded by others because of her House’s meager power.

… I am not envious though.

“Ah, it seems I was right… everyone else must have similar circumstances, right?”

When Rishell said so, the bodies of several people stiffened.

… Just how much am I hated? I want to cry.

“… Getting tricked by Serena… are you guys stupid? Well, you had the same thoughts as her and had an ill will to begin with, but… did you think Serena would keep her promises?”

The girls bit their lips and cast their eyes down.

… I didn’t understand at that time, but seeing the girls treat me so harsh repeatedly, my confidence might have faded.

With my confidence dulled, I would love them to stop by all means, even by not wanting to be there anymore, but Sherina and her followers surely wouldn’t allow me to do that in the first place.

… Really, humans are tiresome.

Laughing to myself, I let out an inaudible sigh.