Summer vacation came to an end, and the second semester began.
I was currently lounging on a bench in the schoolyard, enjoying a quiet moment of reading. I may be an Ancient Magic geek, but even I have to admit that obsessing over it twenty-four-seven can get a bit depressing. Instead, I was leafing through a humorous essay penned by some minor noble. Indulging in a little solo leisure like this was surely one of the refined luxuries granted to me in this second life—
"Hey, Albert-kun! I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend!"
My peaceful bliss was shattered instantly by those nonsensical words.
...Ah, I could feel a headache coming on.
Lately, it seemed like the frequency of my headaches increased every time the number of people around me grew. Why were there so many people who took such joy in making my life difficult? Why did everyone only ever bring me seeds of trouble?
I looked up to find Silvia standing there. Princess of the Duchy of Osterreich, secret operative, and international student—she had far too many titles.
"...Er... did you just say you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend?"
"Yup!"
"I’m sorry, but I’m not in the business of 'pretending to be a boyfriend.' Could you try asking someone else?"
"I’m serious! I’m in a huge bind!"
It was a rare look for Silvia; she usually seemed to have plenty of composure to spare, but her current vibe was different. Despite the ridiculous nature of the request, her expression was genuinely desperate.
"What happened?"
"My mother is coming to the academy! She’s coming to check up on how I’m doing!"
"Which 'you' is she checking up on? The international student, the royal, or the operative?"
"The operative, obviously! I wouldn’t be begging you for help otherwise!"
That was the most complicated of the three. To ensure its survival, the small Duchy of Osterreich dispatched members of its royalty to neighboring nations as secret agents. In other words, her mother was her relative, her mentor, and her superior officer all at once.
"...I understand the situation. But how does your status as an operative connect to asking me to play the part of your boyfriend?"
"Because I’m an operative, I have to send in periodic reports. So, I reported that there’s a student named Albert von Kronstadt who is seriously strong, right?"
"You reported that?"
"And then they ordered me to seduce that man and turn him into a pawn for the Duchy, right?"
...It was true that Silvia had tried to close the distance between us before summer vacation.
"They ordered you that?"
"So I reported that I successfully seduced you! Okay?"
"...Wait, no, I haven't been seduced?"
"If I don’t report it as a success, they start pestering me with details. 'What's the current progress?' or 'How do you plan to proceed from here?' It’s such a pain, you know?"
"I can't say I don't understand the feeling."
Back when I was a salaryman in my previous life, it was always miserable when my boss would grill me for every little detail about a project that wasn't going well.
"That’s why I just said, 'Seduction successful! Happy ending!' and left it at that. But now there’s talk of my mother coming in person... and I’m in a total bind!"
"You reap what you sow. Good luck."
As I said that and tried to get up from the bench to leave, Silvia grabbed my arm.
"Please! Just for one day! Pretend to be my boyfriend!"
"You should just be honest and tell her you lied!"
"M-Mother is terrifying... it won't end with just a scolding..."
Teary-eyed, Silvia was trembling violently.
Of course, I already knew that.
Silvia's mother appeared in the original game and, just as Silvia described, she was strict, cold-blooded, and merciless. In the game’s narrative, she had subjected her daughter to ruthless punishments. In certain routes, Silvia would have the "Will-Reaping Curse" placed on her by her mother, turning her into a literal puppet for the royal family.
In those cases, Silvia would never become an ally.
Thinking of that severity, I started to feel like I had to help her.
"But why did you make a false report in the first place? Are you actually a bit of a rebel?"
"Hmph, that’s uncalled for. I’m fundamentally a serious person! But as for my relationship with you, Albert-kun... well, I just didn't want to report it properly..."
The end of her sentence trailed off into a mumble that was hard to catch.
"You could have just said 'seduction in progress' instead of 'seduction complete.'"
"I just hate being given all these instructions from my home country. 'Do this,' 'do that.' I wanted my relationship with you... to be more natural, and to proceed at my own pace—based on my own feelings..."
After saying that, she added in a hurried rush:
"And besides, Albert-kun, you’re responsible too!"
"How!?"
And why did she sound half-angry!?
"You're the one who said it! If I recall—"
Then, Silvia repeated the words I had once told her.
—Doing anything and everything grinds down the heart. You should value yourself more.
"I decided I wanted to value my own feelings! I’ll admit that 'seduction complete' was a thoughtless report, but... please, Albert-kun! Just this once, help me out!"
True, I did say that.
Since I was the one who said it, I felt a corresponding sense of responsibility and an obligation to cooperate. Thinking of that ferocious and merciless mother, I definitely felt the urge to protect her.
"Fine. I'll pretend to be your boyfriend."
"Really!?"
In that instant, Silvia's expression brightened instantly.
"Then, let's start with 'I love you, Silvia-san!' Go ahead!"
"Don't push your luck."
When I gave her head a light tap, Silvia cutely stuck out her tongue.
A few days later, Luna and I were led by Silvia toward a guest room within the academy.
I was there as the boyfriend, and Luna as the representative of her friends. Apparently, Silvia's mother wanted to hear about her daughter's overall academy life.
—Though it was likely just to confirm whether there were any falsehoods in Silvia's reports.
Silvia knocked on the door.
"Mother, may I come in?"
"Yes, please do."
When the door opened, the fragrant scent of black tea and cookies greeted us. Being a school for nobles, the staff would provide such luxuries in the guest room upon request.
Sitting on the far side of a large table was a woman in her forties dressed in black. She had silver hair and sharply shining blue eyes—she had the same colors as Silvia and even their faces were similar, but the atmosphere she projected was entirely different. I felt an unwavering pressure, like being faced with a solid, unyielding monolith.
As expected of the shrewd official who supported the Duchy of Osterreich.
Silvia's mother broke into a smile.
"I see you’ve been taking care of my daughter, Silvia. It’s a pleasure to meet you; I am Silvia's mother, Katerina. I’ve asked you here today because I was hoping to hear some wonderful stories. Please, have a seat."
Suddenly, her aura shifted. It became soft, like the warmth of spring sunlight.
Ah, I see.
She projects an oppressive impression at first glance, then immediately switches to a favorable one. It was the "delinquent who’s kind to cats" theory. A person's heart is more likely to open up because of the contrast than if they had a good impression from the start—meaning it was easier to make them slip up.
As expected of a veteran operative. I really couldn't let my guard down.
The three of us—Silvia, Luna, and I—sat at the table with Katerina.
"No need for formalities; it's fine to speak frankly, you know?"
"Mother, let me introduce them. This is Luna-chan, a classmate, and Albert-kun from the Ducal House of Kronstadt."
"A pleasure to meet you, Luna-san."
After responding with a beaming smile, Katerina turned her eyes toward me.
"And you must be Albert-san. May I assume you are Silvia's boyfriend?"
"...Yeah, that's right."
As I answered without hesitation, Katerina stared fixedly at me.
She looked at me with eyes that had seen through the lies of a thousand people. Could I successfully outwit this veteran operative? Forget a headache; my stomach was starting to hurt.