I’m a Second Male Lead in a Romance Fantasy, but I Don’t Like the Female Lead

“Finding a hobby? How?”
“Mikhail, have you decided which club to join?”
“Club? No, not yet. I don’t even know what clubs there are.”

Hestia smiled as if she had expected that. Then she rummaged through her bag and pulled something out.

“It’s a club promotional booklet. I picked one up in the corridor.”

Hestia placed the booklet on the table and spread it wide.

“Let’s see if there’s a club you might like.”

If I’m going to join a club, I’d like to be in the same one as Hestia. I asked her:

“What club are you thinking of?”
“Me? I’m thinking of the travel club.”

Travel? I looked through the booklet Hestia had brought. Soon enough, I found the travel club.

“Found it. Travel club. Release the stress accumulated from a week of studying through travel. Wait, can you travel in just one day on Friday?”
“You apply for an overnight stay at the dormitory in advance and include the weekend.”
“Wow. It must be incredibly popular.”

Not many people dislike traveling. Plus, they say you can leave the Academy on Friday morning. Just from the brief explanation, it sounds like there would be a flood of applicants.

“That’s right. I heard they even conduct interviews.”

It’s quite tempting. Above all, what I like is the fact that Hestia and I can travel together every week.

“Should I go for that too?”
“It’s better to think more carefully. Once you join a club, you can’t change it for a semester.”
“There’s nothing else that catches my eye. And wouldn’t it be fun to travel together?”
“If we both get accepted.”
“Come to think of it, if I hadn’t asked, were you planning to join the club alone?”

It feels a bit unfair when I think about it. Were you going to disappear over the weekend without telling me? That’s really too much.

“Are you upset?”
“A little.”
“Hmm? Did you really think that?”
“Wasn’t it like that?”

Hestia puffed her cheeks as if she was miffed.

“Hmph, I didn’t know what clubs there were until I got this booklet today. Don’t you trust me at all?”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”

I apologized without further explanation. It was something I could have figured out with a little thought, but I suspected her unnecessarily.

“It’s okay. It’s understandable why you thought that.”

Hestia chuckled and forgave me.

“So from today, my hobby is traveling?”
“What if you get rejected at the interview? Let’s look at other clubs just in case.”

She began to look at other clubs.

“How about this?”
“Ballet? You’re joking, right?”
“Hmm, I would like to see it once.”

She trembled slightly, perhaps imagining me in ballet attire.

“I don’t like it, okay?”

The search for my hobby and club roughly came to an end. We concluded that nothing beats the travel club.

There was a momentary pause in our conversation. I took this opportunity to create a serious atmosphere. I intend to ask what Cordelia had told me to ask directly. I don’t want to drag things out unnecessarily.

“Hestia, can I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Why did you accept me?”
“Accept what?”
“Me.”

She frowned, seemingly not understanding the intent of my question. Then she soon spoke:

“I already told you earlier. I was suspicious at first. That’s why I suggested taking this class.”

“No, not just about the class. You had a hard time because of me, right? But I feel like you forgave me too easily.”
“Are you the one asking that?”

Hestia made an incredulous expression at my question.

“Is it wrong of me to ask?”
“Yes, it’s a bit wrong.”

Nevertheless, Hestia thought for a moment and then spoke:

“Hmm, because you’re handsome?”
“Really?”
“Would that be the real reason? Well, that’s a tiny part of it.”
“Then?”

At my urging, Hestia hesitated before starting:

“Well, you might not remember, but when we were very young, before we were even engaged, we met once.”

This is completely new to me.

“The Mikhail I saw then was a smiling, kind child.”

She took a moment to catch her breath.

“Seeing your changed demeanor reminded me of that Mikhail. So I thought, let me trust you one last time.”

In the end, she forgave me because of the past Mikhail. I couldn’t speak due to a strange sense of guilt. If she found out that the Mikhail she saw then and I now are completely different people, what would she think?

“Why are you silent? After making me say such embarrassing things.”
“Hestia. What if the me you knew and the me now are different people?”
“What? What are you saying?”
“Just wondering. How would you feel if they were different people?”

Hestia let out a small sigh. Her beautiful brow furrowed. After quite a long contemplation, she spoke:

“It doesn’t really matter. After all, I accepted the current you. While it’s true that I recalled your old self… if you hadn’t changed, nothing would have happened.”

Wow, she’s truly an angel. I was amazed by her answer.

Still, I couldn’t shake off a certain uneasiness. Hearing such things makes me feel like I’ve stolen someone else’s life.

“Good job, everyone. You can now go to lunch.”

As soon as lunchtime came, the teacher who had been quietly reading in front got up and left the classroom. She left swiftly without looking back. She’s practically stealing tuition money.

Other students also began to stand up one by one. I jumped up as well.

“Hestia, let’s go eat.”
“Alright. Oh, how about eating with Lady Cordelia as well?”

I readily agreed. Without us, Cordelia would probably have eaten alone.

“Lady Cordelia! Let’s eat together.”

As we came out of the classroom, Cordelia was standing there. It seems she was thinking of eating with us too.

“How was the class?”

Cordelia asked as she came to our side. Given the unusual nature of the subject, she seems curious about the content of the class.

“It wasn’t much of a class. We just sat and talked to each other.”
“Really? Nothing else?”
“Yes. Saying that conversation is important, she made us talk to each other for the entire 1 hour and 30 minutes.”
“I’m jealous. My class was so boring I thought I’d go crazy.”

Cordelia grumbled. Honestly, if a class where you just chat for an hour and a half is called a class, it’s worth being jealous about.

“We’re going to the student dining hall, right?”
“Yes, it’s the first day after all.”

Hestia affirmed my question. Given the ample lunchtime, dining at a restaurant outside the Academy would be fine too. But since it’s the first day, we decided to go to the student dining hall.

The dining hall was in the basement of the Academy’s main building. The area near the entrance was crowded with no room to step.

“There are too many people.”
“I guess everyone had the same idea as us.”
“Should we just go out and eat?”

Cordelia suggested, seemingly tired of the large crowd.

“Do you have any restaurants to recommend?”
“No! Hestia, do you know any places?”
“I don’t either.”

Such unprepared friends. I desperately need the list of good restaurants near the Academy that the duchess told me about. I regret letting it go in one ear and out the other. It’s all about survival.

While the three of us were hesitating, not knowing what to do, a familiar voice was heard.

“Oh my, Mikhail! I see you here.”
“Ugh. Lily von Adamas.”

Cordelia made an expression as if she saw something she shouldn’t have. Hestia’s expression isn’t particularly bright either. It seems Lily is uncomfortable for them.

“What is it?”
“Have you had your meal yet?”

Lily gave a soft eye-smile. It seems like she’s flirting with me. I turned my head to check Hestia’s reaction. Judging by her grim expression, it’s not just my imagination.

“Where is His Highness Wilhelm?”
“Do I have to talk about another man?”

Her approach is becoming increasingly blatant. The way she stands extremely close, looking up and addressing me, is not ordinary. I wonder how many men have perished in her fish tank.

“No, I haven’t. I was about to.”
“That’s great! Then shall we eat together?”

Lily asked as if she couldn’t even see the two people behind me.

“No, I have company, so it would be difficult.”
“Then let’s include those people and eat together. I know a very delicious place.”
“It’s not a decision I can make on my own.”

At my firm rejection, Lily makes a tearful face. Her eyes are brimming with tears.

“Mikhail, perhaps… am I burdensome to you?”
“Yes, you are.”
“That’s really mean.”

Not a chance. Does she think I’ll fall for it? I answered firmly. At my response, she dropped her sad face and smiled wryly. It was acting after all.

“How about eating together, you two?”

Changing her strategy, Lily now asked Hestia and Cordelia instead of me.

“No, it seems a bit difficult.”

Hestia politely declined, and Cordelia didn’t even pretend to hear and turned her head away.

Lily thought for a moment, then approached Hestia with small steps and whispered in her ear.

“… Lady. Jealousy … woman… accept?”

What is she saying? Jealousy? Being whispered, I couldn’t hear well.

Hestia’s expression immediately contorted at Lily’s words. Then she whispered something to Cordelia. After briefly conversing in whispers, they eventually accepted Lily’s proposal with not-so-good expressions.

“Fine. If you want it that much, let’s eat together.”
“Alright. I’ll guide you. You won’t be disappointed.”

Lily hopped up and down in place, then immediately approached me and stuck close.

“Let’s go, Mikhail.”
“Why are you acting like this, really.”

I flinched and pushed Lily away. I was startled to feel my face flush the moment she clung to me. My body becomes honest when dealing with her. I hope Hestia didn’t notice.

I glanced slightly at Hestia. She looks displeased, but it doesn’t seem like she noticed my disgraceful reaction.

“Hmm? It’s nothing. Let’s really go then.”

Looking dubious at my attitude, she tilted her head, then led the way to guide us.

I quietly asked Hestia:

“Is this really okay?”
“Mikhail, do men truly dislike women who get jealous?”

Instead of answering my question, Hestia replied with a trembling voice. It seems Lily provoked Hestia with talk of jealousy or something.

“No. Rather, I’d dislike it more if you didn’t get jealous.”
“Really?”

At my answer, her expression brightened as if she had never been upset.

“Yes. So you don’t need to be swayed by Lady Adamas. Don’t you trust me that much?”
“Heheh. A little?”

Hestia answered with a smile.

“But how did you persuade Lady Deneb?”
“We agreed to give her a formal warning over the meal. To stop clinging to other people’s fiancés.”

She smiled fiercely. My goodness, even her jealous side is this cute.

Displeased with us having a private conversation, Lily suddenly turned around.

“Please don’t leave me out and come quickly.”

She puffed her cheeks. I feel guilty for unconsciously thinking she’s cute. No matter how I think about it, she’s a woman I need to keep at a maximum distance.

I followed her to the restaurant, keeping as much distance as possible.