Anoseka Volume 2 Chapter 15

This is MTL. So, I cannot guarantee that the translation 100% contextually accurate or appropriate.

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Chapter 15 "Jar Pudding"

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Part 1

Around the time when the royal capital regained its calm after the Offley family incident.

At the school, a long-awaited event is approaching for the students.

It's a school trip.

In the name of spreading knowledge, school trips are held every year for all grades at "that otome game academy".

It's something the students look forward to every year, but it's the same for us too.

Me and Marie are having lunch in the student cafeteria, sitting across the table from each other.

Marie is leaning forward and talking happily about the school trip.

"Ah~, it's so nice to be able to go on a school trip on the government's expense!"

I'm taken aback by how happy she is to be able to have fun with other people's money.

"I've given you the living expenses, and I told you I'd pay for those expenses."

"That's true, but when it comes to this kind of thing, it's all about mood! Besides, we have to pay for our own activities there, don't we? If I can save money on travel expenses, I can use it to have fun. I'm so happy to be able to take a cheap sightseeing trip~"

For some reason, it makes me sad to see Marie unable to get out of her poor tendency to be frugal.

With Luxion, no financial worries exist for us.

Even so, her eyes light up when she hears the words "free" and "cheap," just like before.

——It must be the influence of being forced to live a difficult life from a previous life to this life.

Sometimes I ask this person what kind of life she had, and every time I do, I can't help but feel sad.

Even that Luxion spoiled Marie by saying, [——I see you had a hard time,] which is quite a feat.

Luxion, who is invisible and on our side, enters into the conversation.

[If it's a sightseeing trip, I can take you anytime.]

This guy is as always, he doesn't understand Marie's feelings.

Marie had an indescribable look on her face.

She is happy about Luxion's feelings, but she might want to say that it is not like that.

"I like the idea of school trips. A bunch of people going to a tourist attraction and having fun together ——Aa, it brings back memories of the good times in my previous life. Fufu, I feel like I'm going to cry."

I give Marie a handkerchief.

"It would be troublesome if you cried here."

However, Marie was immersed in her memories and didn't listen to me even though she received the handkerchief.

"At night, we talked about love stories and all sorts of other stuff, keeping an eye out for the patrolling teacher. Who's going out with who, who's going to confess during the school trip, and so on——"

When the word confession came up, I quietly averted my gaze from Marie.

I look at today's set menus.

"I think the meat dish today was the right one. Tender and full of flavor, just the way I like it."

Marie was smiling at me, who was clearly trying to change the topic.

Only her eyes are not smiling.

"——Oi."

"——Y-Yes."

Marie looks at me coldly as I answer while looking down.

"Do you think it's appropriate to say "I love you, please go out with me" to someone you want to get engaged to?"

I confessed to her a while ago, but I went with a half-hearted attitude out of embarrassment.

This was a bad idea.

Marie, who had been looking forward to my confession, became furious and chased me around like a demon.

——Even though I have a previous life, I ran around screaming with no shame or honor.

"I-I thought if I made a serious confession, you would just laugh at me——haha."

I tried to cover it up with a laugh, but Marie swung her fist down on the table.

Boom! At that sound, I straighten my posture.

"I'm sorry!"

Marie looked at the frightened me and let out a deep sigh.

"I understand that for us it's just a contract and there is no love. ——But still, you should at least confess properly."

For some reason, I noticed that Marie seemed dissatisfied, but since I didn't want to make things complicated by talking back, I honestly apologized.

"As you say."

"I mean, do you really have a previous life? You don't have much life experience, do you?"

"In my previous life, I was a member of society, but on my days off, I stayed at home and played games."

Honestly, speaking in terms of life experience, I don't think I can beat Marie.

"Haah, you are really really no good."

Why is Marie saying no good to me, including my previous life?

As I am depressed, a group of poor boys gather at our table.

"Marie-sama, I am here to offer you today's pudding!"

Rukul-senpai, who was a caring person, is shown a scene where he offers Marie a pudding.

What kind of face should I make?

When I averted my gaze, I saw Marie happily receiving the pudding.

"There's no suffering, no suffering. Fufu, why is it that school cafeteria pudding tastes so good?"

The pudding, which comes in a small jar, seems to be made with great care by a craftsman.

It certainly looks delicious.

Marie immediately put her hand on the pudding and put it in her mouth, and the boys seemed to smile when they saw her happy face.

"A goddess. There's a goddess."

"I can't believe how happy she is with just one pudding."

"Just looking at her makes me happy~."

——As the boys surround Marie and worship her, she can't help but attract the attention of her surroundings.

I'll just finish my meal quickly and take a nap until class starts.

As I was thinking about this, a female student came into view.

The person looking for a table in the distance was Olivia, the protagonist.

The surrounding area is already filled with students.

Even if there are empty seats, it seems that if there are noble students nearby, she is too nervous to sit down.

I find that scene strange.

"She is kind of unreliable."

The people around me were so absorbed in Marie that they didn't seem to hear my voice.

Luxion approaches me invisibly and makes whispered conversation with me.

[It looks like she is having health problems. The healthy values are worse than when I got the data before.]

"Do you even know that?"

[Yes. However, I got the data a long time ago. If Master ordered me to investigate, I would have more detailed data.]

"That's nice."

For a moment, an evil thought crossed my mind.

If Luxion gets serious, he will be able to get her three sizes.

However, at that moment, I saw Marie eating pudding in my field of vision.

Seeing Marie's truly happy face makes me feel a bit foolish.

"——No, after all, I don't want to. Let me know if there's a problem."

[Are you sure? I don't constantly monitor Olivia, so I may not be able to respond immediately in the event of an emergency?]

Just when I thought it was worrying, there was someone to help Olivia in need.

It is His Highness Julius.

"Olivia, if you haven't eaten yet, would you like to eat with me?"

Olivia looked troubled as Prince Julius spoke to her in a friendly manner.

Gazes pouring in from the surroundings —— the cafeteria becomes quiet as the students fall silent just as His Highness Julius calls out to Olivia-san.

All you can hear is the clinking and clattering of dishes.

The odd silence created a strange tension, but His Highness Julius didn't care.

Olivia nods silently.

"If you don't mind with me."

His Highness Julius, who received Olivia-san's approval, had a big smile on his face.

"I want to have a meal with you. Now, where shall we sit?"

When His Highness Julius looked around, the students who had finished eating quickly stood up and offered their seats.

Apparently, they stayed and chatted even after the meal was finished.

As the two of them head towards them, Jilk, who has been watching the situation, approaches.

"Your Highness, you're awful to leave me out of this. May I join you, Olivia-san?"

"Eh? Y-Yes."

As the three of them sit around the same table and begin eating, the people around them start talking in whispers.

"They seem awfully close."

"What is this?"

"——O-Oi."

At that moment, Angelica appeared in the school cafeteria with her entourage.

She stops, and her gaze catches sight of His Highness Julius and the others enjoying their lunch.

When the strange tension in the cafeteria comes back again —— Angelica-san is leaving with her cronies.

When I was relieved that a conflict had been averted, Marie had finished her pudding.

She looks seriously at His Highness Julius and the others —— Olivia-san, so I am concerned and call out to her.

"What's wrong?"

"——It's nothing. Or maybe it's just my imagination."

"I see. Anyway, we're done eating, so let's get out of here too."

I get up from my seat with my tray and Marie follows me.

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Part 2

Olivia, who was eating lunch in the school cafeteria, was surprised by Julius and Jilk's story.

"You are going to provide me with an exclusive servant? But I don't have any money and I can't hire a servant."

There is a special system in the school.

Exclusive servant —— a slave who is allowed to take care of personal needs only for female students.

They purchase sub-race slaves from slave trading houses, where they sign firm employment contracts.

Although they were considered slaves, they also had rights.

Depending on the employment conditions, the slave can refuse.

However, because of the large amount of money required to purchase them, even noble girls could not have them unless their parents had great financial resources.

Julius and the others will provide such exclusive servants.

"You've been looking lonely lately. Come to think of it, you must feel a little nervous when you are surrounded by nobles, don't you? Then I thought it would be good for you to have someone to talk to."

Olivia felt hope in those words.

"Someone, to talk to?"

Jilk, who nodded with a smile, had gotten information that there was a good exclusive servant through a message.

"There is a famous slave trading house in the royal capital, and I hear that there are elves there who can do the work. I have heard that they are a little young, but I am sure they will support Olivia-san so that you will not have any trouble at the school."

Olivia finds their offer attractive, but then she remembers the problem.

"——But the money"

Then, Julius tells her not to worry.

"For that much, I'll get it for you."

"Is that —— so?"

(It's a lot of money for me, but for His Highness Julius, the crown prince, it's only that much. After all, he really is from a distant world.)

Olivia realized that there was a deep gulf between herself and Julius that could not be crossed.

"If so——I'd appreciate it."

(If I can get out of this painful life, even just a little bit)

Clutching at straws, Olivia decided to accept Julius and his friends' offer.

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Part 3

As Angelica left the cafeteria, she was shaking with rage so much that her cronies dared not speak to her.

They are walking down the hallway, but the students in front of them are in a hurry to give way.

For some reason, Angelica can hear Stephanie's voice in her mind.

(Be careful with Olivia. She's really going to take His Highness Julius.)

She frowns, thinking it was disgusting.

(Don't be fooled by the words of that small fry! His Highness Julius is the crown prince. Even if he is obsessed with a commoner's girl, he will eventually realize it. ——He will come back to me.)

Although she thought it was practically impossible, she couldn't get Stephanie's words out of her head.

That's why she was irritated.

(There is no way I can lose. There is no way my love for His Highness can be defeated by such a woman —— Olivia!)