I Became the Second-in-Command in a Romance Fantasy Novel

Without hesitation now, a warrior who could throw a punch.
No, looking at the Saint, I dragged two half-corpse dark mages toward her.
“You’ll get yourself killed doing that.”

Thud! Thud!
Hearing the sound of fists pounding flesh, I couldn’t help but wonder.
Both Ellen and I had been trained since childhood in the kingdom, used swords, so we were somewhat less sensitive about injuring people.

But to hit someone barehanded like that without hesitation?
Either born with the talent to be a supreme warrior—
Or just a thug.

For some reason, I suspected the latter, but maybe that was just a feeling.
A thug as a romance fantasy heroine… feels like I’ve seen that somewhere—kind of horrifying.
“Oh, right. I was supposed to keep them alive as much as possible.”
With a face like she’d just remembered, Daisy started casting healing magic on the dark mage she’d punched, which only strengthened the thug theory.

“Anyway, speaking away from the Pope, why do you keep acting like that?”
It was a bit sorry that a new fake lover had suddenly appeared, but weren’t we bound by a solid contract?
Yet she kept giving me the side-eye in front of the Pope.

“Oh, that?”
If she said she really fell for me and was jealous, I was ready to run away from being a fake lover or whatever.
“But I do have a conscience. I wanted to help Adam.”

“By turning me into trash?”
“Yes!”
Daisy’s bright smile had that charm fitting a romance fantasy heroine.

If this were a webtoon, petals would be fluttering around her.
The problem was, that smile came after acting like such a thug.
“Hm, that sounds like it could be misunderstood. I’ll explain right away.”

“Yes. If the explanation is insufficient, I’ll believe the Saint is a legendary psychopath.”
“Since you already stopped calling me that, I better explain quickly!”
She broke the ankle of the dark mage who was mostly healed and began to explain.

A method to lower mobility so they couldn’t run away—well learned.
“First, unfortunately, our contract lasts only until winter break.”
“Don’t say things that can be misunderstood. Until before winter break.”
Hearing that, it kind of felt like if we stayed together through winter break, the contract would continue.

“That’s petty. Anyway, after that contract ends, our bond will continue... but the lover relationship ends.”
“I hope even the bond ends.”
“Wouldn’t that be difficult because of Ellen?”

True.
Seeing her act like that knowing it, this romance heroine isn’t exactly innocent.
…Violet doesn’t get anything right.

“Anyway, so during the little time left, we should show fighting like this so there’s no argument when we break up later.”
“Preparing plot consistency ahead?”
“Right. Especially since the Pope seems really interested in us…”

“I thought she knew it was fake.”
“She doubts even that, suspicious to the point of suspicion.”
So they show fighting in advance for that.

“Then tell her beforehand.”
“Violet said, ‘To fool the enemy, first fool your allies!’”
“…Maybe better not listen to her.”

“Now you’re trying to steal even my friend?”
“That will never happen.”
“But splitting the sky… that’s worth a try.”

I don’t know why I wasn’t skeptical about her grumbling.
“Really, won’t you come to the fencing department next year?”
“Why? You want me there?”
“You’re from Leon. It’s weird for a fencing talent to walk the magic user’s path.”

“Wow… I’ve never heard anyone say that. If they do, our head professor might come looking for you.”
“Then we’ll put our head professor up as a shield.”

If you can’t call a magic user a magic user, you have to call a fire user by their real name.

…What was it again?
To avoid awkward situations later, I can’t give up calling them Fire User.
“Anyway, that’s why I showed a bit of anger.”

“Doesn’t seem like you were really angry.”
“……”
“Hey?”

Silence at this timing is weird.
“Ten percent.”
After a brief pause, Daisy muttered shyly while kicking something.

“Huh?”
I couldn’t hear properly, distracted by the dark mage stirred by the kick.
“About ten percent was genuine anger.”

Daisy answered with a displeased face and louder voice.
“So you were angry.”
“Think about it, Adam. When you suddenly hear you have a new lover!”

I closed my eyes briefly and thought.
Emergency… super emergency!
“…Was it Prince Ellen?”

“No, it wasn’t!”
Emergency lifted.
“Then it’s fine?”

“…Oh, I see?”
Crunch.
Was that the sound of something breaking, or just my imagination?

“If Ellen confesses later, I have to seriously think about it.”
“…That’s a breach of contract.”
“The contract needs to be precise. You said you won’t accept confessions unless you’re serious. You didn’t say you won’t think about it.”

Basically, a threat that if she confesses casually, she’d say she’d think about it and not give an answer.
“You turned me into trash…”
“To be honest, I wouldn’t have done that to others. I did it because it’s you, Adam.”

“So I’m someone you can treat like trash?”
“You’re someone I treat like trash but don’t care about. Honestly, you’re not the kind to be shaken by fleeting academy rumors.”
That’s true.

In fact, it’s easier if rumors like that keep the flaky people away.
Those I meet in the knight department weren’t the type to care about such rumors anyway.
The romance fantasy leads seemed to gain more favor.

And the club members probably know all the backstory.
…Now that I think about it, I’m curious about Uncle Aerin’s reaction.
I even got the right to make him do errands in exchange for acting as Lorelia’s fake lover.

I wonder if he knows.
“Besides, I’m faithfully paying the promised price, right?”
“That’s true.”

As payment for being a fake lover, I received holy water made by the Saint every week.
Potions including top-grade holy water, rare even in the kingdom.
Originally, these items should have gone to the Holy Nation, but by the goddess’s permission, they ended up with me as compensation for being a fake lover.

I wondered if this was really allowed, but since the goddess permitted it, whatever.
“This time I asked the goddess to send a bit more to the Holy Nation. Please endure a little longer.”
Who cares if my reputation tanks a bit?

Unlike the academy, which graduates in three and a half years, holy water and potions last almost indefinitely.
When I return during winter break, I’ll cause some trouble at the royal court to gain favor.
I’ll send a few bottles to my family as filial duty.

“I don’t care if I become the academy’s biggest bastard.”
Maybe my sincerity came through, because Daisy’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You’re going to cheat on me again?”

“You’re really pushing the gossip.”
Far away, the Pope’s expression hardened, and Daisy alternated glances teasing her.
All I could do was kick the passed-out dark mage to vent frustration.

Contrary to Adam and Daisy’s expectations, the Pope’s hardened expression wasn’t /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ anger.
It was the exact opposite.
‘It’s not a love quadrangle? It’s worse!’

Heart pounding.
The Pope, who had only read about love quadrangles in romance novels, was now witnessing one in person.
When she first heard about Adam’s two-timing.

‘Of course he’s the kind of man Violet and the Saint would care about!’
She accepted the news as obvious.
If it were some nobody, she’d be mad.

But the rival was the daughter of the Empire’s top family.
The fiancé of the Empire’s prince.
Someone so attractive she could even tempt him.

Meaning, basically more attractive than the Empire’s prince!
So she thought Daisy’s light grumbling was just simple jealousy.
That’s how it usually goes in romance novels!

“Pope, I think there are more suspicious people in the academy. It’s dangerous; shouldn’t you return?”
Despite the Saint’s advice to retreat somewhere safe, the Pope shook her head strongly and showed determination to follow the two.
“If I ran away here, I wouldn’t be the Pope. For the sake of a peaceful festival, we must give even more effort!”

“Pope…”
Seeing her grown-up form, Daisy looked moved.
“……”

Adam frowned, thinking, No, that’s even more dangerous…
‘She’s upset because her date was interrupted!’
The Pope, soaked in romance novel clichés, saw even that as a flowery field.

The Empire’s prince Esid’s shadow.
Also the shadow of Duke Jayka’s family.
A man named Aerin Cleed (19 years old).

Officially working under that name and age, the man shouted with a grim face.
“Hey, you vermin! Move quickly!”
At his words, dozens of agents disappeared into hiding.

Top-tier agents of the Empire’s intelligence agency.
Though somewhat inferior to first-class and special agents operating outside the Empire,
they were still the best inside agents.

Yet, during the entire Founding Festival, they were called vermin.
Despite being beaten like that, they said nothing.
Because—

“There were more dark mages?”
It was a message from that damn Adam.
-Uncle, I’m disappointed… they showed up again.

Honestly, suspicion was inevitable.
Dark mages were already hard to find even when the Empire and intelligence agency combined.
But whenever I dated the Saint, I caught a dark mage like picking radishes in my backyard.

Is it farming? Are dark mages farmed and caught nowadays?
Maybe for shadows and intelligence agents, it’s the best way to build their reputation.
Just thinking about that briefly, he rubbed his aching head and poured magic into another communication device.

“Master. This is Aerin.”
-……Yes. What is it?
Back when the Empire was called a kingdom, one of the founders.

The current master of Duke Jayka’s house with the greatest influence.
A noble leader even the Emperor feared.
Drain Jayka.

When he got Aerin’s message, he avoided eye contact.
“Master. I heard you plan to break the engagement with the royal family.”
-Yes…

“I worked a week to prepare for that.”
-I’m always grateful.
“But yesterday! Suddenly! The lady! Her lover! Even if fake, the Saint’s man! That’s…”

Hearing Aerin’s desperate screams abandoning language, Duke Drain lowered the volume on his communicator and muttered:
-Interference from dark mage sabotage? Communication isn’t working right.
In a world full of romance tricks,

even a noble head couldn’t manage his daughter.
All he could do was raise the miserable worker’s salary.