Chapter 82

When he said that, at first, I thought I had done something wrong.

It was because I had just visited his parents' house for New Year's greetings.

Or perhaps he had grown tired of me.

Feeling uneasy, I asked my adoptive father.

After thinking for a while, my adoptive father answered.

According to my adoptive father, originally, the engagement with him was supposed to be with Yae, not me.

However, his family had nominated me.

Since I also expressed a desire for an arranged marriage, the engagement was finalized.

However...

"Perhaps he thinks that you don't really want to get engaged," he said.

I was at a loss for words and just stood there in shock.

When I remained silent, my adoptive father said, "If you don't want to, you don't have to get married. I have no intention of forcing you. If you don't want to... just say so. I'll wait for your response."

Indeed, until recently, I didn't want to.

But now, I don't mind.

To be honest, it's a bit too late to bring this up, and the words are meaningless now.

Why did he start talking about this?

Suddenly, I thought of my adoptive mother.

My adoptive mother dislikes me.

She seems to be unhappy about the engagement and the idea of me marrying him.

Could it be that she's using my supposed reluctance as an excuse to break off the engagement and have her biological daughter, Yae, marry him instead?

And since my adoptive father naturally loves his biological daughter more, he might want her to marry him...

This might be a bit too much of a paranoid thought.

But I can't deny it.

Or... could it be that someone has said something unnecessary to my adoptive father or mother?

That person is always, always, always...

No, I should stop.

It's not decided yet.

Regardless, it's clear that dark clouds have gathered over my engagement to him.

This makes me suddenly feel uneasy.

Do I really like him?

Until recently, I had absolute confidence in his feelings for me.

He has been so kind to me.

He has given me wonderful presents.

Most importantly... he wouldn't ask if he could hug me if he didn't like me.

We are definitely in love with each other.

I even thought that he might already consider me his girlfriend, which is why he hasn't explicitly expressed his feelings.

But maybe it's all just my imagination.

Maybe I'm only seeing what I want to see because I like him...

This possibility crossed my mind.

Maybe he is just being a "fiancé" and nothing more.

Maybe he only thinks of me as a friend.

When I think about it, he is close to his childhood friends.

Maybe this level of closeness is normal for him...

N-no... that can't be.

He wouldn't hug or pat the head of someone he doesn't like.

Even if it's not a strong affection, he must like me... I think. Probably.

But even so, I can't help but feel uneasy.

He is a wonderful man.

He doesn't stand out much at school, but that's because he doesn't usually style his hair.

When we go on dates, he dresses up nicely.

When he is properly dressed, he looks very handsome.

And he is tall.

He is kind and gentlemanly.

He is very considerate.

He is smart, well-educated, and athletic.

He can also tell jokes, making conversations with him very enjoyable.

And... although it might hurt his feelings to say this, the Kasegawa family is very wealthy.

Until six months ago, I was naive and didn't know how much wealth and political power his family had, but now I do.

Of course, I didn't fall in love with him because he is rich, and I won't give up on him if his family falls into ruin.

However... girls who are after his money will likely come after him.

To put it classically, they are like "cat burglars."

Of course, he is not the type to cheat.

I trust his character.

But I haven't received a declaration of love or a proposal from him.

In other words, if we take out the "fiancé" part, our relationship is just that of friends.

If he doesn't like me as much as I like him, and if a very attractive woman approaches him...

Just thinking about it makes me feel bad.

I want concrete proof.

I want him to say he likes me and loves me.

I want him to express it in words.

Thinking about it... why doesn't he say he likes me?

He likes me.

He must like me.

I have tried to show him that I like him through my actions.

I think it's about time he tells me his feelings.

But he still hasn't.

Of course, this applies to me as well.

If he doesn't say he likes me, I should say it first.

That's the right thing to do.

I know it's not good to remain silent and expect him to read my mind.

Just pointing at something I want is a bad habit of mine.

But... it might be selfish, but I want him to say "I like you."

It might sound dramatic, but I have a desire to receive a romantic declaration from someone I like.

Isn't this a common feeling among many women?

Also... this might sound like an excuse, but I think he wants to confess first.

His family is (I know this isn't a good way to put it, but) very traditional.

I think he has been influenced by these ideas.

In fact, he always walks on the street side when we walk together, and he offers his hand when we get out of the car.

I don't think he has a male chauvinistic attitude...

But he probably thinks that confessions and proposals should be made by the man, right?

That's why I want to wait for him to do it.

Let's go back to the topic.

He doesn't say he likes me, even though I'm ready to accept it.

After much thought, I came to a certain possibility.

Could he be...

Incredibly, incredibly dense?

Could he not realize that I like him?

Could our mutual affection not be getting through?

Looking back, during New Year's.

He casually took my hand.

I was very happy and also embarrassed.

I think it showed on my face.

I was blushing and my heart was racing, and I'm sure it was obvious that I like him.

But he looked confused, as if to say, "Huh? What's going on?"

He is good at hiding his emotions, so I thought he was just pretending to be shy.

But maybe...

He really didn't realize my feelings.

When he suddenly suggested we go home together, it felt the same way.

I was the only one blushing.

If he is incredibly dense and hasn't realized my feelings, it would explain why he hasn't confessed.

He is a very brave person, but it's understandable that he would hesitate to confess to someone he's not sure about.

But if he is incredibly dense, he will never confess to me.

If he is incredibly dense, he will never realize my feelings no matter how I act.

What should I do...

Perhaps it was a mistake to think about it so seriously.

I ended up catching a cold on a Saturday.

And it happened when my adoptive mother and Yae were not around.

...Well, it might have been good that my adoptive mother wasn't there, as it gave me some peace of mind.

When I told him, he was very worried and said he would come to see me.

At first, I felt very guilty.

I didn't have a serious cold, and I didn't want to infect him.

But... I was also feeling lonely.

I think he could tell this over the phone.

He reminded me of when I had taken care of him, and he guided me to accept his help.

His consideration made me very happy, and at the same time, I felt guilty.

I decided to let him help me.

In the end, this decision was correct.

My cold worsened after he arrived.

I was so feverish that I even showed him my underwear in front of him.

Having him there was a great comfort.

And... being carried princess-style by him was a bit of a perk.

After that, he took me to the hospital and even prepared a meal for me when we got back.

He brought me a tray with a bowl and a fork.

At that moment, I thought...

If I continue to act the same way, he will never realize my feelings.

Even if I say I'm waiting for his confession, it's not good to remain passive.

I need to change.

I need to be more proactive in showing him my feelings clearly.

So...

"Please feed me."

I said such a selfish thing.

Nao: "You don't have to if you don't want to."

Arisa: "A, ah, um, well... that... (silent, looking down)"

Nao: "I'll wait for your response." (I don't understand what's going on)

This is a conversation between a dense and a socially awkward person.

For Arisa, who tries to read people's expressions, Nao, who shows no expression, is a tough opponent!

If you think Arisa is a tough opponent, please bookmark, rate (change the stars at the bottom of the table of contents from ☆☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★), and support the author!

New Dere Level: 10% → 20%