Chapter 415

Outaishihi ni Nante Naritakunai!! Chapter 415

She and the Sixth Day 3

Bang. Raid hit the wall. Witnessing her self-harming action, I grabbed her arm with both hands in a fluster.

“Raid, don’t.”

“Don’t stop me. It was the same earlier. The beastman boy. By all rights, I should’ve been the first one to extend him a helping hand. And yet, for an instant the boy appeared like Sister-in-law and I couldn’t act. Like that, the feeling of disdain for beastmen that I should’ve contained came out. Deep down, I agreed with everyone discriminating against a beastman. I’m the worst.”

“That’s not true.”

“You’re lying!”

“It’s not a lie!”

Clinging onto Raid as she tried to strike her fist into the wall once again, I explained.

“If you really were the worst, you wouldn’t condemn yourself like that. Raid, you know your thoughts are wrong. You’re troubled because you want to do something about them. I think that’s amazing.”

“But, I couldn’t act like you.”

Feeling like I was listening to a confession, I said.

“The situations we are in are different. I think it’s natural. If my beloved also loved a beastman, I’d probably think like you, Raid. By chance, I have many beastmen friends, so I could act right away. That’s all.”

Ilya, Rena, Ms. Tithi, and recently Levitt. There are surprisingly many beastmen around me. And, they’re all amazing people.

Because I know them, I can’t imagine discriminating, and I can say it out loud that beastmen are good people.

I hugged Raid tightly. She was trembling.

“I want to change myself.”

“Yup.”

“I hate being envious, and I want to be free from Elder Brother… I decided to tell you this story because you protected the beastman boy without hesitation. You hold no prejudice against beastmen. Because you’re like this, I wanted you to hear my confession.”

“… Yup. it’ll be okay. Raid, I’m sure you can change yourself. After all Raid, didn’t you promise him? That you won’t let this continue. That wasn’t a lie, right?”

“… Naturally.”

The words Raid muttered were so filled with emotion it hurt. I nodded to them.

She wants to change. She’s trying to.

There’s no way such a person wouldn’t be rewarded.

“Then, I’m sure you’ll be able to. I’ll also cooperate as much as I can.”

“… Yeah, thanks, Lidi.”

After making sure her trembling stopped, I released Raid’s body. Her eyes were red, but even so, she was smiling with a somewhat refreshed face.

“I’m truly glad to have become friends with you.”

“I’m the same.”

She’s a friend of the same-sex I can talk to without being self-conscious. Moreover, Raid goes out to town like me, so we’re on the same wavelength. Being together with her is really fun.

“Please take care of me in the future too.”

“Likewise.”

I grasped back the hand she offered.

It was the moment when I felt I became true friends with Raid. I was happy about it, but I suddenly thought.

“Raid, you loved His Highness Hendrik, isn’t that right? So why did His Highness misunderstand that you love Sir Lantinotz despite that?”

I’ve heard from Freed that Prince Hendrik had seen proof of Raid being in love with Edward. But there’s no way such a thing would exist going by what I heard.

As I tilted my head, Raid agreed.

“It’s really strange. I know it’s become a rumor in the Royal Palace, but I don’t remember ever saying that I love Ed. But, it’s the fact that I’ve found it convenient and haven’t completely erased it. Naturally, I don’t want anyone to know about my love for my real brother. The rumor about Ed has been perfect camouflage.”

“It has even become a rumor in the Royal Palace. Then, since you haven’t erased it, it might have spread on its own in various ways. Perhaps the proof His Highness Hendrik has seen was itself born from a rumor?”

Baseless rumors are a common thing. When I spoke with that in mind, Raid grimaced in displeasure.

“There should be no proof… Haa, it’s the right time. I think I better talk with Elder Brother once to solve this strange misunderstanding. He got everybody involved to marry his beloved, and yet he’s trying to marry me to Edward, who I don’t love. He must be joking. If Elder Brother had accepted a marriage of convenience, I’d have also quietly married Ed. But, the reality is what? Isn’t he too self-centered? Moreover, Elder Brother will eventually relinquish the Crown and force it on me. Isn’t it natural that I’m angry?”

“… Raid. The Crown…”

Did she know? When I looked at her wondering about that, she nodded with a bitter face.

“There’s no way I wouldn’t know. After all, Sister-in-law is a beastman. Even if she hides it now, it’ll be obvious if she has a child. So what does Brother think as he can’t have children? I’ve been watching Brother since I was a child, so there’s no way I wouldn’t notice.”

“… Yeah.”

Raid’s words that she watched her brother more than anyone sounded persuasive.

“Studying in Wilhelm would be a stepping stone for that. I perfectly understood he wanted me to be alone with Ed, so I wasn’t motivated in the slightest. That’s the real reason why I refused to study in Wilhelm even for a while. Afterwards, I started completing ignoring Brother. It’d be one thing if he only wanted me to get married, but don’t you think it’s excusable to ignore a brother who’s thinking of doing something as stupid as handing over the Crown?”

“… It’s excusable.”

The more I listen, the more I can’t imagine supporting Prince Hendrik.

Raid let out a large breath, probably satisfied to have more or less said what she’d wanted to say.

“I’m glad you listened to my story. How should I say it, I feel refreshed by putting what I wanted to say into words. With this momentum, I’ll talk to Elder Brother tomorrow. Of course, I won’t tell him that I loved him. I’ll take that to the grave, but there are a lot of things I want to tell Elder Brother. It’s a good opportunity to talk to each other. Lidi, will you come with me? Of course, His Highness Friedrich too.”

I blinked my eyes at the invitation.

“I don’t mind, but… is it fine to include foreigners in such an important conversation?”

“You’re my friend, right? And His Highness Friedrich is Elder Brother’s friend. It’s better to have others present so we can talk calmly. And I want those people to be both of you.”

“Got it. Raid, if you insist, I’ll do it with pleasure.”

“Thanks.”

Raid smiled with relief. Then her face abruptly turned serious.

“By the way, Lidi. Um… I apologize for selfishly asking, but… if possible, don’t tell this story to His Highness Friedrich. Particularly… the part where I said that I loved Elder Brother…”

“I know. Of course I won’t tell him.”

It’s a secret she said she’ll take to the grave. I won’t expose a secret of my precious friend, even to Freed.

When I firmly looked Raid in the eyes and nodded, saying “I’m grateful,” she clasped my hands.

“I leave everything else to your judgement. I don’t think it’s a bad idea to pass some information to His Highness Friedrich before tomorrow’s conversation. As long as you keep silent about my love for Brother, feel free to talk about anything.”

“… Can I really?”

Talk about anything. I looked at Raid with surprise, but I immediately realized she was serious from the earnest look on her face.

“Of course. I think both of you are trustworthy. You aren’t people who’d talk about something you shouldn’t. I think you’re the same as Elder Brother and me.”

“… Yup.”

I was happy that Raid trusted me.

I discussed tomorrow’s schedule with her for a while then left her room.

Editor: Valkyrie