Chapter 26

Translated by Momo & edited by Mary

“Yes, both of you. Please bring your faces closer to each other! Yes! Yes, like that! Place your hand on his shoulder! Cecil, please give me a more sexy aura!”

“B-but, even if you say a sexy aura…how can I…”

“Oscar too! Try to show you’re a bit more overwhelmed!”

“…”

Cecil, Oscar, and Leanne were behind the school building. Oscar has his back on the wall of the building and he was trapped in between Cecilia’s arms.

This arrangement was exactly the opposite of the situation some time ago.*

Cecilia also had her foot in between Oscar’s knees as Leanne previously instructed.

“I was thinking of putting an illustration in the middle of the novel, but I couldn’t imagine it without a model! Thank you very much for your help, Cecil!”

“Aaah…It’s nothing….”

Cecilia, who didn’t expect this kind of situation when she offered help, replied weakly.

Then she spoke to the other victim that was caught up in this, who was also quietly following Leanne’s instructions.

“Oscar, I’m sorry I got you involved in something weird…”

“I don’t care. Unlike you, I’m just merely standing here.”

While they were talking, Leanne was frantically moving her pencil on the sketchbook. She looked dead serious.

Since they had to stay still, Cecilia decided to ask Oscar something she has been curious about before.

“Well, since we’re in the middle of this, what does Oscar think of ‘that’?”

“ ’That’ what?”

“That, the thing modelled after us, that novel…”

In addition to being a man, Cecil was from a low-rank baron family. It was one thing to be betrothed to the Duke’s daughter, Cecilia, but right now he was paired as the Crown Prince to a poor baron’s son. Normally, they wouldn’t even be able to talk to each other so casually. She felt guilty for dragging him into this awkward situation and decided to ask for his opinion.

“I don’t really care. How you treat me in that novel is completely unrealistic in the first place. I can push away a guy with thin arms like yours with just one hand.”

Oscar openly stated it. He really didn’t seem to care. Cecilia patted her chest.

“That’s right. I can’t possibly push Oscar down. Now, if it was the opposite situation…”

“Yes, the opposite would be feasible and…Huh? The opposite?”

Oscar froze up.

And when he imagined it again, his face instantly reddened.

Cecilia was closely staring at his face and noticed the quick change.

“Oscar!? Are you oka–…Aay? ”

The moment Cecilia approached him to take a closer look at his face Oscar grabbed her head and pushed it back.

“H-hey, don’t move your face closer like that! I was startled! I was just…startled, okay?!”

“I was only worried about you.”

“I have Cecilia!”

“Er…but she isn’t here now, right?”

“I’m not talking about that!”

“I’m not talking about that either?”

Recently, Oscar’s condition was a little strange.

Everything looked normal but when Cecilia would move her face a little closer or they had bodily contact, he would overreact just like that.

Even though they were getting along better, Cecilia felt a little dejected whenever he tried to put some distance between them like that.

Leanne finished her sketch and turned the page.

“Next…Oscar, can you open up two or three buttons of your shirt?”

“Huh? Another drawing?”

“It’s only natural! It’s such a rare opportunity! Cecil, move your hand up there!”

“Eh!?”

“Okay, a little bit more as if you’re about to put your fingertips inside his shirt! …Stop! It’s good! Stay like that.”

Leanne glanced back at her sketchbook. She was such an unfettered girl.

Honestly, Cecilia thought it was embarrassing to be seen with Oscar in this kind of situation, but she did her best while thinking about helping out Gilbert.

“Right! Now this time–”

“That, Leanne…”

Cecilia looked back.

As expected, it was getting increasingly embarrassing and it was time to ask her to stop.

She noticed a figure behind Leanne staring at them.

“Oh, Gil…”

Gilbert was there.

He steadily walked towards them without showing any emotion. Soon after, he grabbed Cecilia’s wrist.

“W-wai–!? ”

He started to drag her away without saying anything. At that moment, Oscar shouted at him.

“Hey, Gilbert!”

“Your Highness, please be silent now. I’m in a bad mood.”

He said, without looking back.

And just like that, Cecilia left while being pulled away by Gilbert.

They ended up in the usual greenhouse.

There was nobody else there.

Cecilia carefully sounded out Gilbert, who kept silent throughout the day.

“Umm… Gil?”

“What was that just before?”

“Hmm, before…?”

The 'just before’ he was referring to was probably when she was in close contact with Oscar.

Cecilia felt herself shrunk a bit after hearing the condemning tone in his voice.

(It’s probably better to hide the fact that I asked Leanne to help me out with Gil…)

“Ahn, about 'before’, I was asked by Leanne to help a little with her novel’s illustration…”

For the first time after he left on his own, Gilbert looked directly at Cecilia. His expression was less revealing than she expected.

“ 'Help a little’, if anyone asks for help, you would even accept doing that kind of thing?”

“No, no…”

Of course, she wouldn’t do it if she was just requested to. This time, however, she wanted to help Gilbert so Cecilia accepted Leanne’s request. And now, she ended up having to face Gilbert questioning about it.

“Well, you can pull it off quite well. Does sis have no feelings of shame? Do you know what would happen if everyone heard the Duke’s daughter was doing something like that?”

“It’s… I… but now I'm Cecil!”

“Do you think it’s okay to play along with anything as long as you’re 'Cecil’?”

Her body flinched from his harsh tone.

It would be a lie if she said she had never considered it.

“Even as 'Cecil’, you’re still a girl, and His Highness is a guy, right? You should be more modest!”

“But…”

“Well, then…”

Suddenly, Gilbert got closer. The hand that was grabbing her wrist was suddenly wrapped around her waist. Cecilia’s body froze as she was locked down in that position.

“Does that mean I can do the exact same thing to you?”

He stroked her lips with his other hand.

“Wai–, eh…?”

Cecilia reflexively tried to push Gilbert’s chest away, but he didn’t move at all.

Cecilia couldn’t do anything against his approaching face. Gilbert’s face soon came into full view.

(This…wait…It’s almost like… he’s going to kiss me…?? Eeeeeeh??)

“N-no…”

Cecilia closed her eyes tightly and stiffened up.

At the next moment, nothing touched her lips and she only heard a tired sigh.

“Do you understand now? You should be more careful in the future.”

After saying that, Gilbert released Cecilia. And turned his back away.

“Gil!”

Gilbert did not look back and left the greenhouse without responding to Cecilia’s desperate call.

◆ ◇ ◆

(I’ve done it …)

Gilbert hung his head in his dorm room.

His face became hot, remembering the touch of her lips on his fingertips.

(Even considering I felt all my blood went straight up to my head, it was too much …)

He had decided not to do anything until Cecilia became aware of him by herself, but it was too much and he lost control when he saw those two getting that intimate with each other.

At that time, if Cecilia didn’t let her reluctance show, their lips would have overlapped without a doubt.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“She seemed to dislike it…”

That fact was stuck deep in his chest.

Cecilia just closed her eyes without thinking too much, but to Gilbert, that was a clear sign of rejection.

Gilbert covered his eyes with the back of his hand while releasing out a miserable voice, whispering “Haaaah…”.