“Wait, Claire. Even if you can't do it right this second... do you think you can persuade Zenon by tomorrow?”
“Eh...?”
Startled by his words, Claire turned back to find Hugo walking toward her.
Though a flicker of hesitation still crossed his face, a spark of resolve burned in his eyes as he looked directly at her.
“To be honest, I don’t really hold a grudge against Zenon. If I were asked to help, I intended to, and I was already planning to fight Isaac as his substitute. But... after hearing what was just said, I’ve changed my mind a little. I’m willing to help Zenon, but I’ll need you to accept two conditions first.”
Hugo made his intention to help clear, but he remained firm on his requirements.
As Claire held her breath, he calmly laid out his terms.
“The first is exactly what Melt just said. I want Zenon to apologize for everything he’s done. Can you convince him to bow his head and apologize to me tomorrow, before the duel with Isaac begins?”
“O-Of course. But is something like that truly enough?”
“Yeah. Like I said, I don’t hold a grudge. But I realized that helping him unconditionally wouldn’t actually be for his own sake. You came here and made this request despite the shame. If that’s the case, I think he should at least do that much for you.”
Thinking back on Melt’s argument, Hugo explained his reasoning to Claire.
For Zenon, who had looked down on Hugo so thoroughly, bowing his head to someone he had called trash would be a massive humiliation. But if he truly cared for Claire, he should be able to manage at least that much.
If he couldn't even do that, then he would never be able to make Claire happy. Though Hugo felt it wasn't exactly his place to say, he agreed with Melt’s sentiment and proceeded to the second condition.
“The second condition is for when I win the duel. If I beat Isaac, I want every single material he wagered.”
“Yes, that is fine. I had already decided to give those materials to the substitute as a token of my gratitude.”
“Then if you promise to uphold these two conditions, I’ll fight Isaac in Zenon’s place. This is the final check. Do you agree to these terms?”
“I do. However—”
Claire nodded, surprised that the conditions were much lighter and less burdensome than she had anticipated. She shifted her gaze from Hugo to Melt, who stood behind him.
Anxious about how the girl who had just condemned her felt about the terms, Claire watched as Melt let out a soft sigh.
“...I’ll respect Hugo’s decision. If Zenon actually bows his head and apologizes for everything, I won’t say another word. But if it turns out he can’t bring himself to do it, I’m dragging Hugo home whether he likes it or not.”
“Yes! I will definitely persuade Lord Zenon. Thank you so much for agreeing to this...!”
“Save the thanks for when this is all over. For now, focus on talking sense into Zenon.”
Hugo urged her to head back quickly as she bowed deeply, her eyes brimming with tears.
He watched her depart to fulfill the first and most vital condition. Once she was gone, Hugo turned to Melt with an awkward, sheepish look.
“Ah... sorry, Melt. It ended up turning out like this after all.”
“It’s fine. I know you’re not the type of person who could just abandon them. But tell me the truth. Do you still have feelings for your former fiancée? Did you accept because it was her?”
Melt puffed out her cheeks, a faint note of jealousy coloring her voice as she questioned him.
Hugo considered the answer for a moment before slowly shaking his head.
“No, it’s not like that. I think I would have stepped in as a substitute no matter who asked. Isaac is dangerous. Someone has to stop him. The opportunity just happened to present itself this way, so I have no reason to refuse. Still... I’d be lying if I said guilt didn't play a part. The reason Claire is in this state now is because I wasn’t a good fiancé to her. I bear some responsibility for how things turned out. I have to fight to settle that score.”
“I see. I understand.”
Melt nodded, satisfied with his answer. It wasn't lingering romance or old feelings that drove him. Relieved that she understood, Hugo continued.
“Thanks, Melt. What you said really hit home. You can't just help someone blindly just because they're in trouble. If you really care about them, sometimes you have to be firm. I'm sorry I made you play the bad guy.”
“It doesn't matter. Just like she’s acting for Zenon’s sake, I’m only acting for yours. And don’t think I’m totally over this yet! If Zenon doesn’t apologize tomorrow, I’ll put a rope around your neck and drag you back!”
“Shageee!”
Melt raised both arms in a mock-intimidating gesture while making a strange sound, leaving Hugo with a wry smile.
He eventually looked away, narrowing his eyes as he stared in the direction Claire had gone.
I don’t have any memories of being engaged to Claire, he thought. I’m not really her fiancé; I’m just a person from another world. But since I’ve decided to live as Hugo Clay, I have to take responsibility for that past, too.
Hugo’s responsibility was also Yugo’s responsibility. Since he was the one living as Hugo Clay now, he had an obligation to make up for the original’s failures.
Believing that this was the duty he had to fulfill as a reincarnator, Hugo let out a quiet breath and let his thoughts drift toward the coming duel.