Chapter 22

Since retiring as a spy, I have hardly had any dealings with those two and have been spending a truly peaceful life every day.

My status at the academy did not plummet as I feared, and the fact that I had been used as a messenger never came to light.

On the contrary, I was even misunderstood to be "close enough to be personally asked for favors by Lord Tezuka," and I even received strange envy.

No, no, we’re not close.

We haven’t really spoken much since then. Please don’t look at me with those expectant eyes.

I still occasionally exchange emails with Lady Aira. What a luxurious pen pal!

Besides advice on studies and news from the middle school, she also tells me about what happened with Tezuka and Yurie.

I learned about the success of the letter campaign from Lady Aira.

Yurie was quite quickly won over by the earnest letters and cute bouquets that Tezuka sent every day.

While Lady Aira hasn’t read the letters directly, she said that the envelopes and stationery she saw were all different types, with cute flowers and animals drawn on them.

It seems Tezuka faithfully followed my advice.

If he wrote things like "I miss you" and "I want to see you" along with his apologies every day on such cute stationery, Yurie, who had always thought of Tezuka as a cute little brother, must have been swayed by her maternal instincts and guilt.

It must have been a tearful surrender. It was probably Marujo’s idea.

In the end, he even cleverly wrote that he wanted to dance with her at this year’s summer party and secured that promise.

Impressive. He doesn’t get up without gaining something.

At the summer party, he danced with Yurie, blushing and looking a bit sullen, as if to hide his embarrassment.

Could it be that he was envious of my waltz with my brother?

Was he thinking, "Someday, I want to do that too"?

While Tezuka is still slightly shorter than Yurie, the height difference has decreased since then, and it seemed like the perfect moment.

The waltz, as expected of Tezuka, was smooth and graceful, even for a primary school student.

The young ladies were entranced.

I was gnawing on a piece of roast beef, feeling rather cynical.

Tezuka’s excessive stalker behavior seems to have truly calmed down as he has been reflecting on his actions.

He is apparently working hard every day to become worthy of the older Yurie.

At the academy, he still maintains his cold poker face and is adored by the girls, but knowing his true nature, I can’t help but want to expose him.

However, doing so would lead to my downfall, so I bury my face in my pillow and scream, "He’s actually an idiot!" "An idiot and a stalker!" "Don’t be fooled!" to relieve my stress.

One day, I received an invitation from Lady Aira, whom I secretly call my pen pal, to go out together on the founding anniversary.

A date with a knight!!

Of course I’ll go! No matter what, I’ll go!

Oh, what a wonderful thing!!

Usually, my friend Yurie plays the princess, but on this day, will I be the princess protected by the knight?

My hairstyle is arranged by a maid every day according to my mother’s taste, with a ribbon tied at the back, making me look like a fake Rococo queen.

But with this fake Rococo queen hairstyle, can’t I become a beautiful knight and a tragic queen like in the French Revolution manga I used to read?

Squee!

When I boasted to my brother about going out with Lady Aira, he said it would be dangerous for just two girls and insisted that he and his friend, Imari, would come along too.

Oh, what a wonderful thing!!

Not only Lady Aira, but also my brother and Imari!

Having Lady Aira on my right, Imari on my left, and my brother behind me—oh! Could this be the popular reverse harem situation from those shoujo mangas?!

Oh, the spring of my life...

Imari is my brother’s friend from elementary school, and I have met her several times. She is a wonderful person.

Actually, it was Imari who indirectly gave me the idea for the small bouquet.

Whenever she visits our house to see my brother, she always brings me, his friend’s little sister, cute small bouquets or little treats.

These treats are often beautiful jars of honey or boxes of chocolates shaped like flowers, things that girls really like.

Despite not having any sisters, she is already very skilled at handling girls, which gives off a rather dangerous vibe.

I always receive so many gifts from her, but of course, I like the kind and dangerous Imari. Women prefer dangerous men over safe ones. That’s why I’m... worried that Imari might become the enemy of women in the future.

Imari is a different type of handsome guy from my brother.

It seems that handsome guys tend to have handsome friends, just like Tezuka and Marujo.

By the way, who were Aizawa’s close friends?

......

......I should stop thinking ill of myself.

Aizawa has such cute, round eyes, like a squirrel.

I like his friendly face, Aizawa!

When I asked Lady Aira if it was okay to have two more people, she readily agreed.

The place we’re going to is the most popular amusement park in Japan.

Will everyone wear animal ear headbands with me?

My brother will probably hate it.

Even though it’s a weekday, it will probably be crowded. I need to eat well, sleep well, and take care of my health in preparation for the big day.

The enchanting reverse harem day is just around the corner!

By the way, according to Lady Aira, Tezuka has successfully secured a date (or so he thinks) with Yurie on the founding anniversary.

The place is a museum.

Impressive.