Villainess Wants to Live Freely Ch. 40

http://ncode.syosetu.com/n5260fe/51/

 

Sophia-sama left in order to inform Will-sama about what was going on as soon as possible. I stood up to leave as well, but for some reason Julius-sama remained seated.

(There’s something awkward about this…….)

[Julius]: “….Hey Roselia-chan, about before”

[Rose]: “Before…..you mean when you asked me to be your fiancee?”

[Julius]: “Yeah, that. You know, if you become my fiancee, people will no longer think of you as the top contender for Prince Eric’s fiancee right? And since Miss Erina would no longer have a reason to pick a fight with you, wouldn’t that be killing two birds with one stone? Not a bad deal if I say so myself.”

(Except Erina is looking to get herself a reverse harem, so even if I did become your fiancee, she’d still end up picking a fight with me.)

[Rose]: “It certainly does sound like it is full of merits for me, but I cannot find where such a deal would benefit you. What do you get out of this?”

He is already the son of a duke, so marrying me won’t benefit him much. And with Julius-sama’s handsome face, he’s popular with all the girls and could probably marry whoever he wanted. As a matter of fact, he’s so popular with the girls that there is no end to the rumors circulating around about him. I can’t think of any reason why he would actually benefit from an engagement with me.

[Julius]: “There are loads of benefits for me too. Your beauty is like that of a goddess, so everyone will see us as the ultimate couple. Plus we’re both from a duke household, so nobody should have any issues with our statuses either. Full of merits right?”

[Rose]: “Perhaps that’s true, but couldn’t you say the same thing of numerous other girls as well?”

[Julius]: “And yet if Roselia-chan says the word, I promise not to look at any other girl.”

Julius-sama stood up from his chair as well. He brushed his hand against my hair, trying to entice me with a sweet smile and sweet words that could make just about anyone fall in love with him.

[Rose]: “Hah! What kind of joke is that? Or do you think that doesn’t count as a lie so long as you only think about the woman you really love while only looking at me?”

[Julius]: “……!?”

That sweet smile he had been showing me until now suddenly twisted into a frown.

[Rose]: “Did you think I wouldn’t notice? I suppose with your social status, most girls’ cheeks are dyed red just from seeing your handsome face, and you have them falling in love with you after stringing together a beautiful melody of sweet words.”

[Julius]: “……I figured you’d be the same way.”

[Rose]: “I have more than just a field of fresh flowers for a brain. Even Julius-sama who enjoys his time with all sorts of different girls can be wrong every once in a while.”

[Julius]: “Well I didn’t think that far ahead. But, there’s no way……”

[Rose]: “You think I haven’t figured out who you are in love with? You’re a lot easier to figure out than you think then. You asked me to be your fiancee, but you’ve never asked to be alone with me. Whenever you came to see me, I was always with her…….but even then, just comparing how you look at me and how you look at her made it perfectly obvious.”

[Julius]: “…..so you’ve seen through me……because of my eyes……..”

The second I pointed it out, Julius-sama hid his eyes with both of his hands and turned his head towards the ground.

[Rose]: “Well I wasn’t certain until I saw you alone with her.”

The look in his eyes when he is talking to me is the same look he gives every other girl he flirts with in this school, but with her…….it’s clear he’s trying his best to hide it, but the overflowing passion in his gaze when he’s talking to Sophia-sama is impossible to cover up completely. With that being said, I don’t think Sophia-sama has realized it herself yet.

[Julius]: “…..I got to meet her several times when we were both small. I don’t think she remembers about that though…… Still, she was my first love. By the time I had realized that fact though, she was already engaged to somebody else.”

[Rose]: “…..and so you play around with other women?”

[Julius]: “Yes, I’ll never be able to have her after all…..I could never compete against that guy, and it’s clear to me that she’s already fallen in love with him. I’m always looking for someone else…….but I can’t find anyone I love more than her. Everyone else looks the same to me. …..I started thinking everything would be fine so long as she is happy. I know it’s a bit rude, but with your looks and family pedigree, I figured my parents wouldn’t have any complaints. Plus you’re her best friend……so”

[Rose]: “So because I’m close to her, you figured you might get a chance to see her even after we had gotten married?”

[Julius]: “Yeah, sorry. Roselia-chan……I’m a terrible man.”

The face staring back at me looked like it was about to cry, knowing that his unrequited love was one that would never come to fruition. And then, mixed in there just below the surface, is probably some guilt for what he had tried to pull with me.

[Rose]: “Indeed, you really are a terrible man. But, I believe someone is allowed to think whatever they want. Ordinarily I would think it is the lowest and most idiotic thing for someone to try and steal someone away……but we can’t help who we’ve fallen in love with. And who said you had to forget about her right away? The more you try to forget someone, the more heavily they will be engraved in your memories…… One day I’m sure you will meet someone new and fall in love all over again. So how about moving forward with that thought in mind instead?”

I gently stroked the top of Julius-sama’s head as the tears slowly trickled down his cheeks.

[Julius]: “…..Roselia-chan……I……”

I gave Julius-sama a handkerchief inbetween his tattered sobs and stayed with him until he had finished crying.

Chapter 39 ⊥ Chapter 41