I had expected this ending, but having the warmth stripped from my arms was somewhat frustrating. Well, I couldn’t provoke any further since Kuro’s tail was enveloped in black lightning.
“Cecil! What on earth are you doing?! I’m a villainess, not the heroine!” Bertia exclaimed.
“In my eyes, you’re the heroine. Just look.”
Bertia, nestled in Kuro’s embrace, suddenly regained her composure and shot me a glare through watery eyes. Yet, her flushed cheeks diminished the intended impact. Instead, it stirred a different warmth within me.
I pointed firmly at the back of Bertia’s left hand to dispel these feelings.
With a puzzled expression, she raised her hand and looked down at it.
“?!” At that moment, her spine stiffened. Following that reaction, Kuro’s puffy tail also lifted upward.
“Why, why, why do I have this mark?! Eh?! I thought I was always the villainess; could it be that I was the heroine all along?! No, that can’t be right!! I am definitely a villainess!! A third-rate villainess, at that!” Bertia cried out in confusion.
On the back of her hand, a mark shimmered with colors that blended together like an aurora. About the size of a coin, it resembled an emblem of some sort.
“Tia, the mark on your hand is proof that I have chosen you as my partner. Spirits grant their protection to the chosen companion of their master, if the master desires it. That mark is indeed proof. Baroness Heronia referred to it as the ‘proof of the maiden of destiny,’ and she was right. It signifies that you are the ‘fate-chosen’ partner I have selected.”
Bertia tilted her head, puzzled. “Eh? Eh? Is that what it means?” She stared intently at the mark on her hand. Simple-minded Bertia was nearly ready to accept this explanation. However, that’s not quite what it meant.
If I had given the spirit’s protection to the “heroine” of the “otome game,” I would have daringly called it the “proof of the maiden of destiny.” Saying it was a mark “given to one’s companion” sounds less special than claiming it appears because “you are the fated one.” It helped make the other person believe they are ‘the only and irreplaceable one,’ an excellent tool for binding them to me.
“With this mark, if danger approaches, it will alert both me and Zeno. Even if you find yourself in jeopardy, Zeno’s powers will keep you safe. If you’re far away, or if you get kidnapped or lost, we can pinpoint your location immediately… You can’t escape me now, so get used to it, okay?”
I had no intention of letting her go; thus, I confidently made that declaration.
I may have scared her a little with my statement, but in return, I intend to cherish her so much more…
“Ah, I understand now! That’s what it is!” Inside, I held a sinister smirk, but before I could ponder it any longer, Bertia cut in with a shout.
… Hey, did you catch that last part? I mean, a bit more of a reaction would be nice, don’t you think?
“With the spirit’s mark, I can protect Lord Cecil even if he encounters danger, and if he goes missing, his location will be completely transparent! I can find him! To prevent the paths of recluses and war maniacs from unfolding, I will do my utmost to entertain Lord Cecil! For Lord Cecil’s sake, I will even learn magic tricks, belly dancing, or dojo scooping!”
Magic tricks? Belly dancing? Dojo scooping?
I couldn’t fully understand her intentions, yet it appeared she was once again veering off onto a strange path. Perhaps she needed a bit more apprehension regarding my possessiveness…
“Come on, Kuro, please help Lord Cecil too! I’ll treat you to some inari sushi! With this, we could erase half of the routes! Lord Cecil is really clever!” Bertia exclaimed.
… Hey, Bertia. It seems you aren’t really hearing me, are you? Well, if Bertia is fine with it, I would certainly accept the mark, but are you absolutely certain? You seem to misunderstand its significance… no, you’re not grasping it. You’re seeing it differently and are stuck on that.
Kuro is… oh, she seems quite reluctant. So, she can’t refuse Bertia’s request? I get it. It’s not because she was tempted by the “inari sushi,” right? I didn’t see her wagging her tail when Bertia mentioned “inari sushi.” I didn’t see it, okay?
“Go on, Kuro, finish it up! Oh, don’t I sound just like a villainess? I’m rather something, aren’t I?” Bertia cheered for herself.
Things had become quite confusing, but if the prey willingly jumps into the nest, the appropriate response is to gladly accept it.
“So, Kuro, can you do it?”
I smiled broadly and extended my left hand to Kuro. With her lips pursed as if to say, “I guess there’s no helping it!” Kuro forcefully slapped the back of my hand with her fluffy tail.
The force was stronger than expected, but I chose to interpret it not as an expression of her dissatisfaction but as a stern encouragement, a “do your best.”
As soon as her tail moved away, a black emblem mark appeared on the back of my hand.
“Yeah, it turned out great. Kuro’s mark is really cool.”
“Now everything will be fine! Next, we’ll work together, Lord Cecil, to prevent war… Ahhhh!! That’s right! A traitor was supposed to be caught through my father’s connections after my ‘gaffe event,’ but since there was no gaffe, everything got mixed up!”
“Ah, that must refer to Count Uradil. Don’t worry, it’s already taken care of.”
“Huh? Huh?! What a… situation!!”
“Are you still going on about that? The ‘scenario’ has completely fallen apart by now, especially since you’ve become my destined partner.”
“Eh? Partner?”
“I said this is the proof, right? By the way, this mark can be made invisible but can never be erased, and it can only be given to one person for life, okay?”
“Eh? Um… that… eh? I’m the partner?”
Seeing Bertia finally starting to understand, I whispered with a broad smile.
“I’m looking forward to our wedding, my beloved wife.”
Then, I lightly kissed her cheek—
“?! ?! Meeeeow!!” Bertia blushed deeply, emitting a cat-like scream.
Watching her, I was certain that our life together would be filled with joy.