Chapter 67

I Favor the Villainess Chapter 67

Resolution

Several days after the ghost ship fight Claire-sama and I visited Louis’s home.

The reason is because Claire-sama wished for it of course.

“My my, Rei-chan. It’s been a long time”

When we entered the room, Louis’s mother – Ophria-san, greeted us with a gentle smile.

“I’m sorry about lying down like this. My health is a little poor. It’s nothing much, but…”

“No, aunt. It is fine if you remain like this”

The one who rushed over to Ophria-san with these words wasn’t me but Claire-sama.

“Ara, who’s this young lady? Perhaps Rei-chan’s friend?”

“No, she’s――”

“Yeah, that is right, aunt. I am Claire. I was friends with Louis-san?”

Claire-sama told Ophria-san with a gentle smile on her face that she’s never directed at me.

I’m jealous.

“My, with Louis? I haven’t seen him at all ever since he handed me the medicine. Is that child well?”

Ophria’s words, said with an expression that suddenly shined, froze Claire-sama for a moment.

However――.

“Louis-san has… passed away”

She clearly announced what she needed to.

“That… That, it’s a lie, right…?”

At first, Ophria-san’s face stiffened as if she heard a poor joke.

However, looking at Claire-sama’s serious expression, she seemed to soon realize it was a hard fact.

“… That child… why did he die…?”

Ophria-san’s voice seemed like it would disappear at any moment, even so she somehow managed to ask.

“Louis-san――”

Claire-sama started saying something, however she shook her head a little as if she reconsidered, and,

“Louis-san died protecting his comrades during the suppression of the ghost ship that attacked the town”

Yes.

That’s the official stance at present.

I was strongly opposed, but Claire-sama stubbornly insisted on telling that.

“Louis-san was very brave. If he weren’t there, there’d be serious damage to this town”

Saying so, Claire-sama took Ophria-san’s hand.

“Louis-san is the hero who saved this town”

At Claire-sama’s words, for a moment Ophria-san was lost for words in a daze.

However, before long she recovered and said.

“I see… I see… That child who was such a crybaby did something so praiseworthy…”

A smile showed on Ophria-san’s face.

She must feel proud of her son.

However, it was mostly tinged with a different emotion.

That’s because――.

“But… Even so, I was fine with him being a crybaby… I wish he would return to me”

After she said that, Ophria-san wept without saying anything.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Poverty… is a dreadful thing…”

When we retired for the night to my room, Claire-sama muttered these few words.

“Claire-sama?”

“I certainly did not know there are such implications to being poor”

Claire-sama had a tormented face.

Judging it’s not a scene I should make light of, I sat next to Claire-sama.

“It is not just the amount of money we possess that is different. Without money, you may even need to stray from the right path to save a person dear to you”

“I think not everyone is like that, but certainly compared to the wealthy the range of options is narrower”

I replied in the softest voice I could muster.

“Louis certainly did something bad. But, was it not something unavoidable. It is too easy to condemn him, but that is misunderstanding the essence of things”

“By essence you mean?”

I felt Claire-sama was struggling to grasp something.

“Poverty is evil. And the fact is, it is the politicians who leave poverty unattended… In other words, the very structure of the country”

“I think that’s a slight overstatement…”

I continued speaking to Claire-sama who went too far with her extremist thoughts.

“Certainly, poverty is evil, and I don’ think the country bears no responsibility. But, Claire-sama should know the best, politics don’t work on beautiful gestures alone, right?”

“Certainly, that is how it is. But――”

“But?”

When I nodded for her to continue, Claire-sama kept thinking for a while.

“Isn’t it simply running away from the ideal to reality? Is it wrong to pursue beauty?”

I desire to protect this lovely person forever.

“I think it’s good for Claire-sama to do as you wish. As I said before, I will support Claire-sama in whatever you wish to do”

Saying so, I took Claire-sama’s hand.

“Rei…”

“I respect Claire-sama’s virtuous heart. I’ll protect this resolution to not run away to reality. Please use me”

I will do anything for Claire-sama.

Yes, for example.

Even <ruby>betray Claire-sama. <rt>. . . . . . . . . .</rt></ruby>

I pray that time won’t come, but if it does, I won’t hesitate.

My priorities will never change.

That’s why――.

“Rei, thank you”

When Claire-sama said so with a smile on her face, I couldn’t look her in the eyes.

“Come to think of it, during the fight with Louis there was that dangerous moment, wasn’t there?”

I brought up a completely unrelated topic to change the subject.

It was when Claire-sama was distracted by the sound of the water current I caused.

“Yeah. That was my carelessness”

“But, Louis’s sword didn’t reach Claire-sama. How in the world did that happen?”

I found it strange all this time.

“It is just a guess, but the cause was probably this”

Saying so, Claire-sama searched around her chest and took “that” out.

“Ah, that…”

“Yeah, it is the amulet I received during the academy festival”

Which reminds me, there was such a thing.

“It’s broken”

“I think it was perhaps something like a sacrifice item”

It might have been a magical tool that protects the body of the person wearing it once , is the conclusion Claire-sama reached.

“Such an effect…”

“It is nothing but a speculation, but I cannot think of anything else”

Saying so with a wry smile, Claire-sama carefully stashed away the amulet in her bosom.

“But, what an unthinkable false advertising. No, but thanks to it Claire-sama was saved”

“Eh? … Aah, yeah! Yes, you are right!”

For a moment, Claire-sama’s reaction to my words was somewhat strange.

“Claire-sama?”

“It is nothing! Let’s go to sleep quickly! Good night!”

Claire-sama said as she quickly entered the futon alone.

What the eff.

“Claire-sama, are you hiding something?”

“I I I, I am not hiding anything do not mind me why do you always have to be so obtuse only at times like these!”

I got overpowered by her swiftly saying one thing after another.

It can’t be helped, I entered next to her in low spirits.

At any rate, breaking flags is difficult.

When I took measures with Hans-san to break the Undead Hunt flag, the course of events turned around to such a place.

After all, if I want to do something, I have to deal with the root cause.

The situation only changed on the surface, but because I was unable to deal with it using the game knowledge, it in fact became worse.

I have to be careful , I thought.

“Speaking of flags… Claire-sama?”

“What is it”

“Was the love fulfilled?”

“Go to sleep already!”

I might have been mistaken as I had extinguished the lamp already.

But, I felt like Claire-sama’s face was faintly red.