Chapter 6

Oswald, that’s me, ended up getting engaged to Sophie, the younger sister of my ex-fiancée, Reila, due to a series of events.

Her impression had changed quite a bit from the first time we met.

When we first met, she seemed timid and willing to listen to anything I said.

But her true nature was that of a fierce and uncontrollable girl when it came to her sister.

—And today.

Her impression has changed once again.

It’s like a kaleidoscope, constantly changing its shape.

“Wow, really?!”

Sophie was a good listener.

The frequency of her nods, the timing of her questions, and her reactions—everything was perfect.

I’ve never had such a comfortable conversation with anyone before.

It’s as if she can see and hear my thoughts.

—No.

This must be what it means to have a fated partner.

Reila was just a fake, chosen by our parents.

In the midst of our conversation, I became convinced of this.

“Well, but Sophie, you haven’t changed much since back then.”

“Come on, don’t say that.”

Her appearance hasn’t changed much in the past five years, and it seems to bother her.

I think being seen as young is a good thing, but it doesn’t seem to be the case for Sophie.

“But, I’ve grown up inside.”

“Sure, sure, you have.”

“Do you want to check?”

“Huh?”

She gripped the hem of my clothes and looked up at me with a shy gaze.

“Um, what do you mean by that?”

“...My family has a separate research building in the annex. We can be alone there.”

“—!”

I correctly understood the meaning of her words.

—

“I’ll go say goodnight to my sister, so please wait a moment.”

“Ah.”

As soon as Sophie’s figure disappeared, I clenched my fist and shouted in a low voice.

“Yes! Finally, spring has come to me...!”

I never dreamed that things would progress so smoothly.

“Maybe, Sophie has always liked me.”

Thinking about it, a lot of things make sense.

She proposed the engagement to me.

She deliberately linked her arm with mine.

She suddenly said she wanted to have dinner together.

She even invited me to spend the night with her on the same day.

The first time she hit me... well, that was because...

If she had accepted my engagement right away, she might have feared that her relationship with Reila would deteriorate.

Their relationship is bad.

Despite the rumors, they get along well.

There’s no doubt that Sophie loves Reila.

But, more than that... she likes me.

“Mwahaha...”

Reila was beautiful, but she wasn’t my type.

I just want a girl who listens to me, respects me, and spoils me.

A nagging Reila is no longer necessary—!

Engagement break-up, hooray!

“But Sophie is taking so long...”

Bored, I carefully examined her laboratory.

The dark carpet, the dim lighting, the scattered documents, and the bookshelf that took up an entire wall.

In the adjacent room without a partition, there was a simple bed, probably for taking naps.

It didn’t seem like a room for a duchess’s daughter, but the thought of being with Sophie soon made me excited by this down-to-earth atmosphere.

She apparently writes various papers, focusing on the application of her fire and heat magic.

I glanced at the titles of the unfinished papers on the desk.

"Application of Fire Magic in Blacksmithing and Ironmaking"

"Prevention of Frost Damage Using Heat Magic"

Not only fire and heat, but other fields as well.

"Methods for Hypnosis and Control of Personality"

"Magic to Transcend Time and Space"

"Is the Existence of Other Worlds Possible?"

I took a brief look inside, but the complex symbols, numbers, and phrasing made me stop reading quickly.

Reila was also an excellent magician, but she wasn’t this advanced.

“...Hmm?”

I noticed a strange gap between the bookshelves.

Curious, I peered in and felt a slight breeze from the back.

When I pushed the bookshelf, it easily slid to the side.

It seemed to have a sliding mechanism on the bottom.

Behind the bookshelf was a small passage.

“A hidden room...? Impressive, this is a duchess’s mansion, after all.”

Old mansions often have hidden rooms.

The royal palace also has several such rooms.

“Maybe there’s a fluffy bed in there, and we’ll do it there tonight.”

In the spirit of exploration, I stepped into the room at the back.

“Huh?”

There was a small room at the back.

When I saw what was inside, I whispered in a trembling voice.

“What... what is this?”

“What are you doing here without permission?”

“!?”

Startled by the response, I turned around and was slapped across the face.

“Gah...!?”

Stumbling, I was hit by a merciless kick.

The force was so strong that I felt a hole open in my stomach, and I crashed into the wall with a loud noise.

“Cough... cough”

“Didn’t I tell you to wait? You’re worse than a dog.”

“S... Sophie...”

In front of me stood Sophie, now in her nightgown.

The smile she had just moments ago was gone.

Sophie sighed deeply and scratched her head.

“Well, it doesn’t matter. Seeing it won’t affect the plan.”

“Sophie. What... what is this room?”

What was in the hidden room...

“Oswald’s death flag doesn’t stop” — if you think so, please bookmark and give it ★★★★★.

Comics Chapter 3 (pages 22-30) + Chapter 4 (pages 1-9, partway)