Chapter 10

“Uhuk uhuk”

When I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling, and was about to say ‘Where is this’, but my hurt throat caused it to turn into coughs instead.

My throat hurts, my body feels sluggish.

I wondered why, I was lying down on a bed but it seemed like the upper part of my body couldn’t be raised. So I strained my eyes to look around, yet just moving my eyes caused me a headache, so I closed them again.

I felt nauseous as well. However, I was not able to move at the moment, so I could not possibly vomit here. I tried to withstand it by breathing evenly.

Reorganising the information gathered from my observation just now, here seemed to be a guest chamber in the Inner Palace. I had been here a few times before when I played the game of tag with Al1.

As to why I was lying here…..

Gradually the memories returned to me.

Oh.. I ate the chocolate bonbon. I passed out and they couldn’t move me arbitrarily, so they must’ve let me lie here in this chamber.

As I recollected the searing pain in my throat, I shuddered.

Along with the pain, the story from the BL game that I didn’t remember until now emerged in my mind. So the parts of the memory that I couldn’t recall no matter how I tried before as if they were sealed off, had now returned.

There was poison in that chocolate bonbon.

In the BL game, the perpetrator was not made clear until the end. It was only stated that there was someone who planned to poison Alfred using the chocolate bonbon.

Alas, the one who ate them was not Alfred, but ‘Fania’.

Since this was a part prior to entering the academy, it was only lightly told as the background story for Alfred—a capture target. ‘Fania’ who consumed the poison instead of Alfred, suffered a certain disability as a result. In order to take responsibility, Alfred ended up having ‘Fania’ as his fiancé.

Alfred however, couldn’t accept it. There was a scene where Alfred was lamenting to Louie—the main character of the game—about how he was engaged to a male who he didn’t even like, and there, Louie would comfort him.

He hated the fact that ‘Fania’ was involved in his life. So by the time they enrolled in the academy, Alfred already hated ‘Fania’. So, ‘Fania’ in the game was thoroughly hated.

Then, how about me?

Will Al2 hate me? I became dizzy. The current reality was projecting in the same way as in the game. I tried any way I could until now, but I still didn’t manage to change the story of the BL game, not even a bit. All of my efforts were in vain.

What a laugh. I was so surprisingly naive.

I understood that this was a world of a BL game. But I thought the story was changing somehow. Al was no longer a tyrant prince he used to be, and I was not to be his fiance, but a close aide instead. So I would never become a villainous noble son. That was what I had been thinking so far.

‘The game’s compelling force’.

I discovered its existence in person. Just like in the game, I would probably end up being Al’s fiancé.

A streak of tears trickled down my cheek.

Was it the pain from being tormented by the poison. Or was it the pain that my life is going to be just like in the game?

I… Would I be hated by Al by the time we enroll at the academy, if things really flow just like in the BL game? To Al, it must be undesirable to be engaged to a male. Would he think that it is better if I simply don’t exist?

I would be in agony if Al hates me. Now I just realized that’s the most painful thing that can ever happen to me.

“Fania!” Al hurried into the chamber. A maidservant inside the chamber who noticed me squirming in bed, must have informed him of the matter.

“Fania! I’m sorry. It was because I, I..” Al clung on me while big drops of tears continued to flow down his face.

However, I could not respond to him with ‘Don’t worry’ or ‘Don’t apologize’. I wasn’t able to let my voice out, as it was even difficult for me to keep conscious.

Even then, when I saw Al bawling, I was at ease.

Al has yet to hate me. So it is still okay.

Once I managed to think like that, I fell into slumber as my consciousness faded away.