"Why don't you come to my side?"
It was a sudden confession.
"...Huh?"
Alicia didn't understand what he meant at first, but as the meaning gradually sank in, she felt her face grow hot.
"E-eh? What does that mean? I don't really understand…"
Could it be… am I being confessed to?! By Absolute of all people! No, maybe it's just a roundabout way of inviting me to his faction.
Alicia mistakenly thought Absolute was trying to recruit her in a roundabout way, but Absolute's answer was simple.
"It means exactly what I said, Alicia Mirai. I'm telling you to abandon the headship of the Mirai House and the Hero, and come to my side. Preferably in the form of an engagement, which would be most convenient for me."
H-he confessed! No way, why me?
Alicia had grown up as the Hero's fiancée since childhood, and hadn't experienced anything like romance. And the Hero, her fiancé, was always just dragging her around, so honestly, she had never seen him as a man.
"W-why me? You're going to be the next head of the Ark Duke House, Absolute, there are plenty of other women out there, right?"
"Are you serious?"
"...Sorry."
Alicia couldn't answer.
The Ark House had such a bad reputation that they had trouble even finding a fiancée. Villain, the current head, even brought a bride from another country to produce an heir, but the story goes that she divorced him soon after giving birth to Absolute. She could understand why Absolute had no romantic prospects.
Moreover, engagements between nobles were usually made between those with similar peerage, so there was no one in the Ark faction, which was mainly composed of lower nobles, who could serve as his first wife.
There was no mention of Absolute having a fiancée in the original story either. No one in the country, or in other countries, would want to marry Absolute, who was hated by everyone, except for that beastkin girl who had known Absolute since childhood and shared his pain.
"Well, I don't have any ulterior motives. I'm just proposing something that I think would benefit both of us. You'd be freed from the Hero and your family, and be able to relax mentally. Well, you'd become just as hated as I am, but I'll protect you from anyone who tries to harm you. As proof, no one in this academy who's under my protection would even think about doing anything to you, right? It would also help me if I had a fiancée soon. I'm being pressured by some troublesome people right now. That's the reason."
Freedom from mental stress was a very appealing prospect for Alicia.
"Hey, let me ask you something. What do you think of me, Absolute? Do you… maybe like me?"
If he says he likes me… what am I going to do? I'm getting so nervous even though I'm the one who asked!
"I have no romantic feelings for you. However, I value your strength as a person and your magical talent. You have the potential to become a hero in the future."
"Hmph. I see. Well, it's not like I'm not happy to hear that, but I think this is the part where you're supposed to say you like me!"
She was immediately told he had no romantic feelings for her, which wasn't quite what she was expecting, but she was honestly happy that he had looked at and valued Alicia Mirai as an individual.
"So, what will you do?"
Alicia thought.
She honestly respected Absolute now, and if she looked at his face without prejudice, he was actually incredibly handsome, totally her type. But she still had some regrets.
"...What about the Mirai Territory? If I, the next head, am gone, the Mirai House will only have my younger sister, who is still young."
Alicia was the next head of the Mirai House, and was supposed to take in a husband. If her father stepped down from the headship, her retired grandfather would probably serve as a proxy. But she didn't know how long that would last. She couldn't overlook the fact that if she married, there would be no one to govern in the future.
"Didn't I say? Abandon everything and come to my side."
It seemed he was telling her to abandon the Mirai House. Certainly, if she abandoned everything, only Alicia would be saved. But Alicia didn't want that.
"...I'm sorry. I can't. It's true that I only have painful memories of Alto and Father, but even so, the Mirai Territory is my territory, and I am a noble. I can't do something as irresponsible as abandoning my territory residents to become happy alone. Even if it's a faction, the Mirai House also has a faction, so I can't be under the Ark House."
"Do you understand? There's a chance that the annulment of your engagement with the Hero will be canceled once he finishes paying the compensation. He has the ability to pay off that huge sum. If that happens, you'll just go back to having to clean up after the Hero every day. Is that alright with you?"
"I understand. Even so, as someone born into a noble family, I have a duty to serve the Mirai Territory. It's a natural duty as a noble who protects their territory."
Her hometown, the Mirai Territory, her retainers and territory residents, and her younger sister, who was still young. When she thought about what she would lose by going to Absolute's side, Alicia had no choice but to run away.
She looked into Absolute's eyes with a determined gaze.
"...I see. If that's what you've decided, then I won't say anything more."
"...You're giving up surprisingly easily."
She had been expecting him to be a little more persistent, so she felt a little let down, or rather, a complex mix of emotions.
"I said it was a proposal, right? It's not like I'm going to be in trouble if you reject me. But, as I said earlier, the Hero will return to the Mirai House once he finishes paying the compensation. If he does anything to us again at that time, I won't let him off with just this."
Absolute warned with pressure. Alicia felt the strong pressure on her skin and swallowed.
"Well, if the Hero is planning anything bad, let the Ark House know. If you do that, I'll spare your life."
"I don't think Alto can repay ten billion, but… yeah, I'll keep that in mind."
With that conversation, the settlement negotiation between the Ark House and the Mirai House ended.
◆
Several days had passed since the settlement negotiation at the Ark House.
Alicia's father was told to step down as head of the house because his negligence in the Hero's education was the cause of the incident, and was then placed under house arrest at the Mirai House's villa. As for the Mirai Territory, her retired grandfather would govern as a proxy until Alicia graduated from the academy.
And when the Royal Family sent a notarized document, Alicia had a talk with the Hero about the annulment of their engagement.
The Hero sat in front of Alicia with an awkward expression.
Alicia began to speak calmly, as if it were a clerical task.
"Now then, Alto, you and I are annulling our engagement. The annulment will be finalized when you pay ten billion in compensation by the time I graduate from the academy. The country will be paying it on your behalf, so you'll be repaying the country. And of course, you'll be suspended from the academy until you finish paying the compensation. Do you have anything to say?"
The country was able to bind the Hero with a chain called compensation.
The Hero would be conveniently used by the country until he finished repaying the debt.
The Hero, sitting across from Alicia, listened with his eyes closed as if he were chewing on something.
Before the settlement negotiation, the Hero Alto had been yelling without showing any remorse, but judging from his current state, he might be starting to understand the situation a little.
"...I'm sorry, Alicia. Something was wrong with me at the time. My body felt better than usual and my head was unusually clear, but I felt a strange sense of euphoria and my reason didn't work. I couldn't control myself!"
"...Are you on some kind of weird drug?"
The Hero's explanation was very similar to that of a suspicious drug user.
Alicia gave him a suspicious look.
"I'm not! Anyway, I wasn't myself at the time. I never intended to pick a fight with Absolute so soon. You said you were going to gather supporters, right? Just understand that! Maybe Absolute set something up."
She thought he had repented a little, but Alicia internally groaned and felt anger welling up as the Hero continued to make excuses.
"Do you understand? You laid your hands on an innocent person and ambushed them! As the Hero, you know that if you attack someone, you'll inflict serious injuries on them, right? And you're trying to win by cheating, don't you have any pride? You're treating Absolute like a criminal without any evidence, have you thought about how he'll be seen among the nobles and in class from now on? Honestly, I'm completely disappointed in you. Everyone says Absolute is evil, but unlike you, he's serious about his matches and a proud person! I won't forgive you if you insult him any further."
The Hero was speechless at Alicia's vehemence. It was the first time he had seen her so angry in all the years they had known each other.
"...I'm sorry about Teach. But I honestly thought that if I defeated Absolute, this country would be even better. The Ark House is evil. They enslave young children and lend money at illegal interest rates. Everyone is talking about how the Ark House is involved. I saw a girl being tormented by the Ark House with my own eyes and I was convinced. Someone had to do it."
"Whether the Ark House is evil or not doesn't matter right now. But, Alto, it's the country's job to correct it if the Ark House is tormenting people. You can't just do whatever you want with your own discretion, and the Hero's power isn't something you can use selfishly. You hurt someone, you understood that, right?"
The Hero fell silent. He had realized that as a result of selfishly using his power, he had hurt people and made the people around him unhappy. He realized that he was no different from Absolute, whom he had repeatedly called evil.
"We have to atone. From now on, you'll have to leave the mansion and work as an adventurer. Ten billion is an amount you can't earn normally, but if you're an adventurer, it's not impossible to repay the debt depending on the request. Of course, you'll be monitored, and if you try to go abroad without permission, your life will be in danger. Contribute to the country as an adventurer. That's the atonement you can make."
"Alicia… I…"
"The conversation is over. Get out."
She cut off the Hero's words as if to reject him. She had no intention of talking any more, she felt like she was saying. The Hero sensed Alicia's atmosphere and tried to leave.
"…I'm sorry, Alicia. Take care."
The Hero said goodbye without showing his face, and left the mansion.
Alicia watched the Hero leave the room, and finally looked relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She suddenly remembered the days she had spent with Alto.
"...We've known each other for a long time, and it's not like I hated you, but I didn't like you either. You were like a super annoying younger brother. But this will make me feel better mentally. The Royal Family has Alto on a leash now, and even if he causes trouble as an adventurer, it has nothing to do with me."
The outcome of this incident was beneficial for Alicia. Her father, who irrationally forced responsibility on her, and the Hero, whom she was always made to clean up after, had both been eliminated.
"Could it be that you knew and got rid of them both? …Surely I'm overthinking it."
Alicia thought of Absolute. Then, her heart began to feel warm as if it were throbbing.
"'Let me take all the blame so you can relax.' What kind words, even though it's impossible for me to do that. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever been treated kindly by a member of the opposite sex before. Even though we were together for so long, that's just how you are, Alto."
Alicia had a memory of the words Absolute had said to her, which remained in her heart.
"Marriage, huh~, maybe I should have done it after all?"
She tried saying it out loud, but Alicia still couldn't marry Absolute. Alicia, with her strong sense of responsibility, couldn't abandon everything.
Even if she had abandoned everything and gone to Absolute's side, she would only have had days of guilt crushing her.
◆
Alicia went to school for the first time since that incident.
When she entered the classroom, she was surrounded by friends who were worried about her, and she told them that she was fine.
While she was dealing with them, Absolute entered the classroom. Every time Absolute entered, the class would tense up, but Alicia was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to care.
Ah, it's Absolute. What should I do, is it okay to say hello? It's my first time back at school in a while, so I should at least show my face.
Alicia approached Absolute and called out to him.
"Good morn–" "Good day! Absolute!"
Christina Zen interrupted Alicia as she was about to say hello.
"If I didn't know better I would say you were trying to be loud on purpose…"
"Yes, yes, it's me. You'll have a match with me today, won't you?"
Alicia was upset.
(Eh?! For Christina to call him by his first name… and with -kun on top of that… he doesn't seem interested in anyone other than his own subordinates, whom he only ever calls by their family name, how did those two get so close?)
"I won't. If you want to rampage that badly, I'll lend you Mist, so you can go play with him."
"Absolute… you should value your friends more, you know? Well, that's fine. I'll come and invite you again later."
Christina said that and returned to her seat. Absolute noticed Alicia's presence, who had come to him.
"Are you next, Alicia Mirai? What business do you have?"
Alicia had frozen. She was shocked that there was someone other than his own people who would talk to Absolute, who was hated, so casually.
(I thought it was just me…)
Alicia glared at him as she spoke.
"Absolute, you're such a flirt."
"...? What are you talking about?"
Absolute was being misunderstood for no reason.
After that, Alicia was able to live a less stressful life thanks to being freed from the Hero and her father.
Until the Hero returned…
