As I enter my third year of high school, I once again take on the role of student council president, a position I also held during my final year in middle school. Around the same time, Bertia started high school; however, during this period, she began to actively avoid me.
When Viscountess Eirin was condemned, Baroness Heronia said something terribly harsh to Bertia. The small knot that formed then has grown larger over time. Before, she would come to me crying whenever she faced trouble, but now she seemed like she wanted to say something, yet she hardly ever actually consulted me about her concerns. She also often showed a kind of restraint that didn’t suit her.
All of this is a result of the words thrown at her by Baroness Heronia.
“You are nothing more than a presence to highlight me. You can’t even qualify as a rival, just a third-rate villainess. If you abandon your role, Prince Cecil won’t be saved. Are you going to steal the happiness that was meant for him? You could never take my place. Because I am the ‘maiden of destiny’!!”
No matter how often I think about it, it always leaves a foul taste in my mouth.
I was contemplating what action to take against Baroness Heronia. However, Bertia’s friends and those likely to become my close aides are exceptionally capable. As a result, without my needing to intervene, they had reduced Bertia’s interactions with Baroness Heronia early on.
I also tried to arrange more time with Bertia and indulged her a bit. Although our time together decreased due to the busyness surrounding the “Cultural Festival,” at the “Post-Festival” event, we were chosen as the best couple, which allowed us to reaffirm our closeness to everyone.
I had hoped this would reassure Bertia, but her attitude stayed the same. Indeed, once she entered high school, she started to avoid me more noticeably.
Considering the situation, I had only one option remaining. “If she runs, I’ll just have to catch her, right?”
—One afternoon, a month after school started, I decided to catch her. The moment Bertia spotted me, she bolted like a startled rabbit. I gave chase… or at least that’s how it seemed, while actually guiding her to a secluded area of the back garden.
While pursuing Bertia, her maids and I ‘accidentally’ got separated. In this back garden were only Bertia and myself, with Zeno and Kuro watching at a distance, so there was no need to worry about prying eyes and ears.
I smiled broadly, cornering Bertia against a wall. I placed my hands on either side of her face and trapped her with my legs.
She muttered something unintelligible, “So this is the famous ‘wall slam,’ huh?” Upon realizing what she had said, she blushed, and her eyes darted around in panic.
“Isn’t there an option for you to let me go?” she asked, tears welling up as she glared at me. My lips naturally curved into a smile.
“Did you know? Predators instinctively seek to catch prey that is directly in front of them.”
“I am not prey!” Bertia protested, gazing at me with the frightened eyes of a small animal.
“But you do look very tasty.”
“… I may have gained a little weight, but I assure you, I’m not tasty at all! Please don’t eat me!” Her response made my gaze wander to her chest, which was filling out nicely, but I held back.
—I truly believed she appeared tempting, yet she might misinterpret the meaning of my words.
“Tia, you really take things quite literally, don’t you? Look, when a predator chases its prey, it isn’t always with the intention to eat. Sometimes, they chase just for fun, right?”
“Please don’t treat me like a toy!! And what you’re saying is devilish!!”
I guess I should reject the label of “devilish,” but isn’t the “toy” aspect a bit ironic now? Bertia is so direct; I can’t help but wonder if she hasn’t yet noticed how much I enjoy observing her reactions. She’s genuinely adorably foolish and endearing.
“Look, Tia, you’re adorable, just like a doll. I can’t help but want to play with you.”
“Goodness! To say I’m as cute as a doll! Flattery won’t get you anywhere! I won’t be fooled!”
Bertia’s cheeks flushed pink despite her words, revealing a rather eager expression. She appeared to be easily swayed.
Based on her behavior, it was clear to me that she had grown quite fond of me. So, why does she try to run away? I suspect it has something to do with the previous mention by Baroness Heronia of the “Maiden of Destiny.” Bertia remains stubbornly silent on this matter.
She always finds an excuse, such as “I don’t want to hurt Lord Cecil,” to flee. This isn’t just avoiding the topic—it’s a literal escape, as she physically runs away.
Catching Bertia, like today, isn’t difficult. However, even when I catch her, she won’t speak up. And as adorable as my fiancée is, it’s not right to force the conversation, so I reluctantly let her be.
I’ve thought about asking others who might know about this, like Baroness Heronia, but that would certainly complicate matters, so I’ve kept that as a last resort. I really don’t want to become too familiar with someone who torments Bertia.
As I pondered, it seemed Bertia continued her rant. Unbeknownst to me, she started to get carried away, tears welling up in her eyes as she furrowed her brows and pleaded.
“At last, Lord Cecil, the coercive force has started to take effect! Fate is already at work! In roughly a year, I’ll dramatically fail and be dismissed from the stage. It will be farewell to you, Lord Cecil. To properly embody this role, it’s only sensible that I maintain my distance from you!”
My eyebrows naturally furrowed deeply.
That’s not good. Recently, whenever I think about Bertia, I find it difficult to control my expression. With other matters, regardless of what is said or done, I can easily brush it off with a smile… why is that?
“What do you mean by ‘coercive force’?”
I managed to swallow the follow-up question I had about whether Baroness Heronia had done something again. It’s not good to suspect someone without evidence, especially for someone like me, whose position lends weight to my words. I must be careful with my speech.
I took a deep breath, striving for composure. I consciously smoothed the wrinkles between my eyebrows and returned to my usual smile, prompting Bertia to timidly glance my way. I deepened my smile further, encouraging her to continue. She pursed her lips tightly and wore a serious expression before beginning to speak in a grave tone.
“I’ll tell you because it’s you, Lord Cecil. Honestly… I’ve put on some weight.”
“… Hmm?”
“So, I’ve gained weight!”
“… Um, what do you mean by that?”
As serious as I was about listening to Bertia, her sudden and puzzling claim made me tilt my head in confusion. Then, as if she had made up her mind, Bertia opened her mouth to explain.
“Since last fall, right after the cultural festival ended, I’ve gradually started to gain weight. At first, I didn’t understand why, but then I realized! This must be what they refer to as the coercive force!”
Bertia, with her cheeks cupped in both hands, spoke with a look of shock, but I still couldn’t quite understand what she was trying to convey.
“Tia, there are a few points I’d like to address, but for now, could you please explain why you believe gaining weight is related to this ‘coercive force’?”
Bertia looked rather displeased by my question, as if to say, “How can you not understand?… I believe my question is perfectly reasonable?”