NOVEL NEXT Chapter 50
In truth, Jake Lindbergh is a character who has quite a bit of unfairness.
Despite the internal setup of being in a love that is difficult to achieve, the external appearance setting has led to him being portrayed negatively in various fan works. Of course, the number of such fan works isn’t too many, given that the game itself is well-known.
Although many of those images have disappeared in the sequels, this time, due to the ‘pure love’ setting, there are works where someone steals the person he likes… Well, he was just a pitiful character in various ways.
“……”
“……”
The problem is that we don’t really have much to talk about.
At this point, Alice would have more conversations than I would. Alice was in a position to become the emperor and would likely be perceived that way by other nobles too. Honestly, even if I tried to become friends…
Ah, wait, no? After all, I was someone who was almost always by Alice’s side, so from that viewpoint, it wouldn’t be bad to get closer. The fact that it’s hard for them to approach due to my image was another story.
By the way, the girls next to me slowly slipped away the moment Jake and I started talking.
“I’ve often heard stories about you, Your Highness. I apologize for not greeting you sooner as a fellow classmate.”
However, the other party is a rather easy-going individual who knows how to chat with women without hesitation. Just because there was a moment of silence, he doesn’t get awkward around me.
Even at this moment, isn’t he surrounded by girls on both sides?
… Come to think of it, he is also a ‘clueless harem protagonist’ type character. Although, unlike the heroines around the protagonist, the heroines next to this noble seem to be almost all supporting characters. They may have names since they’re from a noble class, but at best, they just appear briefly to play the jealousy role.
And those supporting characters were stealthily backing away as Jake and I began our conversation.
Even if a scene of jealousy and isolation comes out, in the end, they are daughters of noble houses. Regardless of their background, there is no one among them who can openly challenge a person like me, who has even been rumored as a noble killer in some noble houses.
Even the nobles who directly converse are rare.
“I don’t care.”
I answered that way while looking at the maid standing a little behind Jake.
Though there’s a noble class and a commoner class, the design of the uniforms isn’t that different. It seems that, aside from the characteristic skirt pleats, it’s challenging to distinguish between military uniforms and school uniforms. It’s like they’re trying to convey the message that ‘all students are the same’… but among nobles, most already know each other, so it doesn’t really mean much. Plus, even if they don’t know each other’s faces, the rumors spread quickly.
“However, at least within the school, we are just the same students. There’s no need to call me Your Highness just because you see me.”
“Oh, then…?”
Hmm, Jake pondered for a moment and then spoke.
“Can I just call you Sylvia?”
“……”
No, well.
That said, calling me ‘adult fanggriffon’ felt a bit ambiguous too. After all, it was a royal name, so it felt a bit wrong to address it casually… But on the other hand, the fact that he immediately called my name like that makes me wonder if he’s bold or not.
But hey, it was Jake. He was a character who calls every character by name from the beginning, so it wouldn’t make much sense to point that out.
Rather, I looked towards the maid who must have brought Jake to me.
Her skin was a bit darker. There were events in the game where people were discriminated against based on skin color. However, it wasn’t just a dark complexion. After all, she was of mixed race from the start.
‘If they’re going to discriminate against people based on skin color, does that mean I should be discriminated against too?’
That was something Jake had once said while defending this girl.
Others knew that Jake’s skin color was sun-kissed, and that’s why some people would mention it’s different, but…
‘Just because skin color changes with sunlight, does it make sense that someone can’t do something just because of that?’
I couldn’t say anything to Jake, who had said that. He probably had a lot he wanted to say. But what could I do since he was a duke?
“Oh, this is…?”
Did Jake notice that my gaze was directed back? He reached over, patted the back of that girl next to him, and stepped her forward while speaking.
“This is Roti… She says.”
He introduced the somewhat petite girl.
Just like in the orphanage, she didn’t have a surname either. In this world, if a child doesn’t inherit a surname from their parents, they end up living without a surname unless they marry someone later or create a surname themselves.
Roti was an illegitimate child from Lindbergh. Even if a commoner gave birth to a child, they wouldn’t recognize it as their own, so it would be even more so for a child born between a maid brought from the colonies.
Roti had lived as a maid since birth, and Jake had been a noble since the moment he was born.
Though they were a sub-couple, they were quite interesting characters.
“I am Sylvia Fanggriffon.”
“…I am Roti. I’m sorry for not introducing myself earlier.”
Usually, maids wouldn’t introduce themselves directly. Though she’d been raised alongside Jake since childhood, Roti must have been acutely aware of her situation.
Roti’s face was… perfectly expressionless, enough for me to consider copying her.
“Did you have something to do? I’m sorry for suddenly talking to you. Roti said it’d be better to talk to you to get the girls away.”
“Master.”
“……”
I quietly stared at Jake’s face.
There was no hint of negative emotion in his expression. As a member of the duke’s family, the most noble existence among nobles, he would know how to handle words. So, the remark he just made was somewhat indirect.
But still, I didn’t think it was a comment to test me. Rather, it seemed genuine, taken literally.
“Don’t worry, Roti. Sylvia is not that kind of person.”
Jake assured her in response to Roti’s remark.
I couldn’t quite tell where he got that confidence from.
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
To my question, Jake nodded and replied.
“Other people might think differently, but I don’t think you’re that bad of a person.”
The game doesn’t indicate whether Jake has good or poor judgment of people. He was simply a character who treated everyone kindly. In parts where the protagonist’s party was on the run, he casually lived in a port town, mingling with commoners and fishing leisurely enough to lie about being newlyweds with Roti.
Thinking about it that way, it did seem like he had a good eye for people. If he hadn’t trusted the people around him, he wouldn’t have been able to live so carefree.
It could also be attributed to luck, but still, wouldn’t it be better to have a bit of doubt?
I slightly raised my guard towards Jake.
“So… yeah. It’s kind of similar to Roti.”
“……”
“…Master.”
Roti’s expression didn’t crumble, but seeing me remain silent, she once again called for Jake. Yet, his expression remained unchanged.
I looked at Roti once. Her gaze fell beneath my feet. Since it was the eldest son of the duke speaking, she couldn’t dare to collect her thoughts in that moment, nor did she have the authority to apologize instead. Although her face was still expressionless, her attitude conveyed a sense of fear.
“It’s not that one can’t be completely different.”
When I answered that way, Roti’s face rose slightly. She still couldn’t meet my eyes.
“The reason you spoke to me was just that?”
“Ah, yeah. It was just to have a casual greeting. We’re in the same class, after all?”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah.”
“Then, I shall take my leave.”
“Alright, see you tomorrow.”
After catching a look at Jake, who waved cheerfully while smiling, I turned back without necessarily needing to say anything else.
In fact, I was getting close to my limit of fatigue. I had gone to bed early after rewinding time, but waking up at dawn had dealt a critical blow.
… First, I should take a deep nap. I can think about the two later when I wake up.
Thinking so, I hurried towards my room.
After all, it wouldn’t matter if at least resting went according to plan, right?
*
“……”
“……”
As I quietly watched the two walk away with firm steps, the first one to speak was Roti.
“Master.”
“Yeah?”
“…Do you know who you just spoke to?”
“No, it was Roti who told me to speak to her, right?”
“…Master.”
Unable to hold back from grumbling about the many girls surrounding us, Roti shot a glare at Jake, and he recalled that he had executed it. Taking advantage of the absence of the princess and the other princess who always hung around him.
And the result was remarkable. In fact, all the female students surrounding Jake had dispersed.
“It was effective, after all. Hmm… Should I start hanging out with that group too?”
“Master.”
“No, really, it’s fine, right? With the princess of the Kingdom of Velbur here, and a potential future empress in the crown princess. And Grace’s Estate is said to have close ties to the royal family, even more so than many dukes. Each of them is the perfect companion for making acquaintances, right?”
“……”
Ultimately, Roti fell quiet, and Jake chuckled.
“No, well… alright, I admit. Initially, I was just saying that to mess with you.”
“……”
Roti still kept her mouth shut, but Jake just shrugged his shoulders and continued talking.
“But talking to you made me realize something. Sylvia doesn’t seem like a bad person at all.”
“… How can you be so sure of that?”
“Well…”
When Roti questioned him, Jake tilted his head slightly, pondering.
“To be honest, there isn’t really a logical reason.”
“……”
“You’re somewhat similar. Sylvia. She herself didn’t claim to be really different. If she were an ordinary high-ranking noble with that kind of personality, how would she react when compared to you?”
Certainly, Sylvia Fanggriffon’s reaction was unexpected. Even if she wasn’t a noble, most imperial citizens… No, white people would be pretty upset if they were compared to someone of a different skin color from the colonies.
Yet, Sylvia, despite being a princess, didn’t seem to be bothered by it much.
…Though she was expressionless.
“The princess hardly shows any changes in expression from the start.”
“I know. I saw it right in front of me.”
Jake replied immediately to Roti’s words.
“But I know someone who maintains a blank expression almost all the time. Even if I look like this, I’ve been learning to read expressions for over a decade. Thanks to someone.”
“……”
“Why, are you trying to say you and Sylvia are different?”
Jake said with a smile.
“So, want to make a bet? Whether Sylvia is a good or bad person.”
“… Is this really the right time to say that? If Your Highness… if she were…”
“Really, do I need to worry if she’s that kind of person? Thanks for the concern.”
“……”
Roti seemed at a loss for words, but Jake didn’t hold back either.
“Even if it’s certain that Sylvia is the kind of person who has killed someone, well, you know. I doubt that someone like Sylvia, who has a similar vibe to you, would kill someone for no reason.”
Looking at Jake, who said that with a bright smile, Roti sighed as if she couldn’t communicate with him.