That was how I found myself wandering through the Royal Capital Market with Silvia.
The market was bursting with life, lined with rows of vibrant stalls. The cries of hawkers, the aroma of fresh-baked bread, the laughter of fruit sellers—the entire area was enveloped in a festive, bustling energy.
"Wow, look at all these people! The market in the capital really is something else!"
Silvia peered around at her surroundings with genuine delight.
"How does it compare to your home in Osterreich?" I asked.
"Ahahaha, oh, it’s completely different. Osterreich is just a small country. We’re squeezed between major powers, so even just surviving is a struggle."
If memory served, things were just as dire in the original game. Silvia was technically the Princess of the Duchy of Osterreich, but she was currently playing the role of an international student—essentially acting as a spy or intelligence operative.
Her entanglement with me was undoubtedly a calculated part of that role. She was in a completely different position from Princess Eliana, who was the image of the perfect, untouchable royal.
"I see. Sounds rough."
"So cold! Here you are on a date with a beautiful girl, and you can’t even pretend to enjoy yourself?"
"This isn't a date. It’s business."
Specifically, it was a mission to secure my entry into her country’s library.
"How heartless!"
Silvia shrugged, though her expression remained playful. Good grief, what was going on in this woman's head?
We continued through the market. Fruit stands, general stores, smithies, and magic tool shops lined the streets in a dizzying array. Silvia stopped every few steps to marvel at some unusual product.
"Hey, Albert-kun. Have you ever seen this fruit before?"
Silvia pointed toward an egg-shaped fruit of a vivid orange.
"Never."
"Want to try some?"
"Not interested."
"So blunt! Fine then, I’ll buy it for you, so we can eat it together, okay?"
I wished she would stop buying things and deciding my portion for me. Then again, the fruit did look a bit like a gummy; I was secretly a little curious.
A few minutes later, she returned looking quite pleased with herself. She held the orange fruit and another mysterious specimen—deep purple with crimson spots—that looked wholly unfit for human consumption.
"Here, Albert-kun, this one's yours!"
She offered me the mysterious purple fruit with a beaming smile. My appetite vanished instantly.
"Weren't we talking about the orange one?"
"We were, but look at this! Doesn't it look so disgusting that you just have to know what it tastes like?"
"Wasn't the point to buy something that looked delicious?"
"Change of plans! The shopkeeper swore this one is just as tasty as the other."
"I see. That’s wonderful. In that case, I’ll let you have the purple one and I’ll take the orange."
"I think this one suits you much better, Albert-kun!"
She practically forced it into my hands.
Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I reluctantly took a bite.
...It was surprisingly good.
I hated to admit it, so I kept my face fixed in a sour scowl while I chewed. Silvia, by contrast, let out a happy "Aha, this is delicious!" as she dug into her orange fruit.
The market was reaching its peak hour. As the crowds thickened, Silvia’s hand gently brushed mine.
"Don't wander off, okay? It's crowded."
It was true that the place was packed, but there was no need to go that far. Nevertheless, Silvia naturally took my hand and gave it a light squeeze.
The soft sensation of her palm pressed against mine.
Good grief, this girl has no concept of personal space. It’s enough to make anyone’s pulse race.
"Hey, Silvia."
"Is it so bad? Entrance to the Osterreich Treasured Library doesn't come cheap, you know~"
Silvia cut me off with a wink.
She was completely throwing me off my rhythm. Or rather, she was forcing me out of it. I was a man and she was a woman; she was skillfully using a sort of irresistible gravity against me.
The lecherous side of the original Albert buried within me began to bleed into my own emotions. The ripples of feeling were becoming impossible to ignore.
Silvia kept hold of my hand as we navigated the stalls. After a while, she went a step further, wrapping her arm around mine.
"Wow, look at that fabric! It’s beautiful!"
The contact was undeniable. I couldn't even process the conversation anymore.
Then, Silvia took a bite of her orange fruit and looked up at me with a grin.
"Mmm, so good. Hey, Albert-kun, how does yours taste?"
"I have no obligation to tell the person who forced the 'poison' on me."
"So harsh! Oh, I know! Let’s swap for a bite!"
Without waiting for an answer, she held out her half-eaten fruit toward me.
The words "indirect kiss" surfaced in my mind.
"Come on, I really want to try yours."
With that, she plucked the purple fruit from my hand and forced the orange one into my grip.
"Aha, being in a pair makes swapping so much easier, doesn't it?"
Unfortunately for her, I wasn't going to fall for her tricks. Unlike a bottle with a single opening, a piece of fruit can be eaten from any side. I made a point of biting into a section her lips hadn't touched.
—I had to admit, it was excellent.
"It’s not bad," I said, handing the orange fruit back.
"This is super delicious! I definitely picked the right one!"
The fruit Silvia handed back to me had been shamelessly bitten right where my own teeth marks were.
"Oh? Was it bad that I ate from there?" she asked, a mischievous smirk dancing on her lips.
You definitely did that on purpose. What was with that "I don't mind that sort of thing" act?
"Hmph. Whatever."
Matching her boldness, I bit right back into the spot she had just eaten from without hesitation. Either way, if I was going to finish the fruit, I’d have to eat that part eventually.
As we continued our back-and-forth, a realization finally took hold.
This was, without a doubt, an event from the original game.
In the game, there was a date with Silvia that followed this exact pattern—the player being led around by the nose by her whims. The only difference was that the target wasn't the Villainous Noble Albert; it was the protagonist, Hero Leon.
...Why the hell was I the one standing in his shoes?
Silvia might be a princess, but her primary role was a spy for a foreign power. In the original plot, she moved to vet and seduce the Hero Candidate, Leon. Her constant use of "feminine charms" was a calculated tactical maneuver.
She wasn't someone I should be getting infatuated with. She felt nothing for me; it was all a performance.
...That aside, the real question remained: why me? Go do this to Leon, not me.
"What's so fun about walking around with someone like me?" I asked.
"Oh, it’s plenty of fun. I’m intensely curious about you, Albert-kun."
She let out a soft giggle. I had no idea how much of that was sincere.
As we navigated the throng of people while talking—
"Ah."
"Ah."
A familiar person suddenly materialized in front of us.
Staring at me with wide, shocked eyes was Luna—the girl who, oddly enough, had practically begged to be my disciple.
It wasn't that I was doing anything wrong, but the situation was rife with potential for misunderstanding. After all, Silvia was currently clinging to my arm and looking like she was having the time of her life.
Luna’s voice was thin and brittle as it escaped her throat.
"...Are you two... in that kind of relationship...?"
As I thought—she jumped straight to that conclusion.