The Villainess Wants To Be A Sidekick

[– Favorite over favorite (II) –]

 

“………..H-huh?”

After a long pause, I let out a dumbfounded sound, wondering if I had just heard a hallucination. Lumins replied, as he grinning widely.

“I mean, isn’t it possible that Senephin’s preference leans towards people not wearing glasses?”

“Uh- W-well, wait a second….”

I raised one hand, signaling for a pause. Stay calm, stay calm.

“I don’t recall ever making that kind of preference clear, though.”

“Let’s see then. Do you like Velkina with glasses or without?”

Velkina, with her golden hair and blue eyes.. Whether she’s wearing glasses or not, our beauty remains a beauty, but if I had to choose..

“Both would look pretty, but I guess it’s better if her face isn’t covered by glasses.”

“Then how about Jin?”

“Ummm~~~. Glasses add a unique charm to him, but still, probably the look without glasses….”

“And Crown Prince Kalt?”

“Oh, that guy? I don’t care whether he wears something on his face or not.”

At the mention of Kalt’s name, I cut him off coldly, and Lumins burst into laughter.

Ah… This is the first time I’ve seen Lumins laughing so hard while wearing glasses… My heart’s memorial album is going to explode today….

“See? Overall, it’s clear that Senephin prefers people without glasses.”

Well, I never had a preference for glasses to begin with…

But applying such general standards to Lumins isn’t right, is it!?

“…..Th-that’s..!”

However, I couldn’t possibly defend my passion for my ultimate favorite in front of the very person in question, so I could only let out a frustrated groan.

With a chuckle, Lumins grabbed the temples of his glasses and slowly took them off.

It was such a simple action, yet strangely sensual, as if I were witnessing something I wasn’t supposed to see, and before I knew it, my face was burning.

“So I guess my judgment was right. I’ll try not to wear glasses as much as possible from now on.”

He said with his usual warm smile, glasses off. My heart swelled with emotion..

Yes.. It’s not about the glasses. It’s simply a matter of whether the person is Lumins Hardelf or not!

But, well.. I do feel a little… just a little bit… disappointed….

“No, that’s not it!”

“Hmm?”

“I mean, whatever makes you most comfortable should be what’s best for you…”

Suppressing my primal desire to occasionally enjoy “glasses Lumins” like a rare treat, I said this as calmly as I could.

“….Haha, you’re right. I wouldn’t want my eyesight to get worse, so I’ll probably still wear them when I need to read.”

Perfect! That means there will still be chances to see “glasses Lumins” in the future!

“Anyway, you should head in and get some rest now. It’s been busy and exhausting in the capital, so take the chance to relax when you can.”

“Y-Yes! Lumins, you should stop reading and get some rest too!”

“Alright. Good night.”

As I closed the door behind me, I firmly resolved to organize today’s “Lumins Memorial Moments” before going to bed.

…..But, come to think of it, I never did find out the real reason why he doesn’t usually wear glasses. He said it might be because glasses aren’t my preference, but that couldn’t possibly be the actual reason. Surely not.

Lumins really has this sly way of teasing people.

But even that’s adorable!

One way or another, things will get hectic and exhausting once I return to the capital. Not only because of the “Retrieval the Vessel of Gods” plan but also because of some personal business of mine..

…. Breaking all the romantic flags Velkina keeps setting up.

Finally, the last target character, Yugo Faynance, is set to appear in the capital.

As you might guess from his last name, Yugo Faynance is the younger brother of the Crown Prince and the Second Prince of the Faynance Kingdom.

Having two princes among the romanceable characters this game not only goes overboard with its setting but also doesn’t even balance its characters properly. I guess it’s fine since his personality is entirely different from that annoying Prince’s, though…

To put it simply, Yugo is the textbook definition of a “tsundere” in industry terms. He admires his older brother but harbors feelings of inferiority toward him. He’s also blatantly bad at being honest with Velkina (The Female Lead) even though it’s clear he has feelings for her. Honestly, his straightforwardness makes him so easy to read that it’s kind of adorable. To be honest, he’s at least a hundred times better than Kalt.

Oh, but of course, my ultimate favorite is still Lumin. Lumin, my dear, don’t misunderstand.. I’ll always love you!

Anyway, in that sense, Yugo is the most direct among all the characters. Unlike Lumin, who feels more like a solid best friend, or Jin, who has a transcendent vibe because he’s not even human, or Kalt, who flirts constantly but isn’t serious at first, or Alf, the hidden character who’s difficult to pursue in the first place, Yugo wears his heart on his sleeve from the beginning. He makes it way too obvious that he likes Velkina.

When you’re just playing the game, you might think, “Oh, how cute” and move on. But from the perspective of someone who has to break his flags, he’s a real pain to deal with. And because his feelings are so straightforward, I do feel a bit guilty compared to when handling the other characters. Sorry, kiddo…

So, after arriving at the capital, unpacking in the residence prepared at the royal palace, and getting ready for the next steps, I spent a good while contemplating how to deal with Yugo’s flags.

On the day of the first meeting event, one way to avoid Yugo would be to keep Velkina occupied in the palace all day, ensuring she doesn’t leave and meet him outside. However, there’s a minor incident that occurs during Yugo’s first meeting event, which bothers me. In this event, Velkina saves someone in danger of getting hurt, so if I don’t attend, I’d essentially be leaving that person to their fate.

In that case, maybe I can keep Velkina tied up in the palace to prevent her from meeting Yugo and go out alone to secretly rescue the person who’s supposed to get hurt, then slip away unnoticed…

…The problem is that I’d have to go into the bustling part of the capital alone without raising any suspicions. Especially with Velkina, if I tell her I’m heading outside, she’ll definitely pester me to go along and have fun together.

Ah, the event is tomorrow, and I still have no idea what to do…

“Senephin, what’s got you so deep in thought?”

“Ah…”

The place where we’re staying in the royal palace is a modest guesthouse prepared for visitors. It’s a small annex with four rooms and a sitting area, a humble abode by royal standards. While I was sitting in the lounge, sipping tea and lost in thought, Lumins returned from outside with a book in hand and spoke to me.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Did you just get back from the library, Lumins?”

“Yeah, that’s right. There were a lot of interesting books.”

“I see. So that’s why you decided to stay in the annex instead of your family’s estate, right?”

Being the son of a Duke and having his family home in the capital, he could’ve stayed in the comfort of his own room there instead of this cramped guesthouse. I figured it must be because of the books, so I asked. Lumins smiled faintly as he answered.

“…Not exactly. I just thought it’d be better to stay close.”

“Oh, is the Duke’s estate far from the palace? I guess commuting back and forth like that would be exhausting.”

“Hmm~, let’s say it is.”

If that’s how it is, then so be it. But what does “let’s go with that” even mean? Lumins kept smiling gently, clearly not intending to elaborate further.

“What about Velkina and Jin?”

“They went for a walk in the royal palace garden. I told them I was feeling a bit tired and would join them later.”

“….. If you’re tired, shouldn’t you rest in your room?”

Lumins immediately looked worried and leaned in close, peering at my face as if checking for any signs of exhaustion. Gah, Lumins, I didn’t say that to bait this kind of reaction!

“Oh, no! It’s nothing serious, really! I’ll head back to my room once I finish my tea.”

“Don’t neglect being tired, it can lead to something like a cold. Like I said on the train last time, make sure to get enough rest.”

Lumins gave his advice gently and then stepped back, putting some distance between us. Phew, Lumins, my heart skips a beat when you get so close, please give me a warning next time before you do that!

“Yes, I’ll be careful.”

Still, I’m not the only one who needs to be cautious. The others should take care of their health, too. I remember hearing that hot tea made with preserved quince helps prevent throat infections. Maybe I should buy some to share with everyone.

That thought suddenly gave me an idea, a possible solution to my dilemma.

“Ah, Lumins!”

“Hmm?”

Lumins, who was about to head to his room, tilted his head curiously when I called out to him. That pose is so cute— No! No, focus, Senephin!

“I have a small favor to ask. Would that be alright?”

“If it’s a favor from you, Senephin, anything at all.”

Lumins, you don’t have to be this sweet to me! Save that sweetness for Velkina……

“…Ah, yes. Thank you. You can decide after hearing what the favor is, though.”

“It’s fine. Whatever it is, just tell me.”

“Well, actually.. I wanted to prepare a small gift for everyone. You know, as thanks for helping with the Valley of Delusion incident.”

As Lumins sat down on the sofa across from me, he nodded in understanding.

“If they see what I’m buying, it’ll ruin the surprise, so I was thinking of going out alone tomorrow to get it. But as you know, Velkina and Jin always want to tag along wherever I go..”

“….I see. So you want me to keep those two occupied while you’re out tomorrow?”

As expected, Lumins understood immediately.

“Could I ask you to do that?”

“To be honest, I’m not entirely confident. As you know, Velkina is pretty stubborn. And Jin… well, he doesn’t exactly listen to anyone, either.”

“Hmm… What about that thing you did last time? You mentioned you and those two made a bet? Maybe you could challenge them to another bet and keep them busy with a board game or something…?”

“Ah… That’s actually a great idea.”

For some reason, Lumins’ eyes gleamed sharply. Wait, what did they even bet on last time…?

“So, can I count on you?”

“Sure, I’ll do it. But…”

As he stood up, Lumins expression turned oddly pouty, as if he were disappointed.

“…. I don’t get a gift?”

“… !? No, no! Of course you do!”

“But you’re planning to surprise the others while I already know about it. Doesn’t that feel a little unfair?”

Wait a second. Is he… pouting?

Is this for real?

How can someone be this cute?

Was he born to assault my heart like this? Is Lumins true mission in life to utterly destroy my composure as Senephin Cromwell?!

I’m not even sure what kind of expression I’m making anymore.

“Ah, no, Lumins! It’s not about favoritism or anything! I just… I rely on you the most. You’re the only one I could ask for this…”

“Hmm.”

Lumins rested his chin on his hand, pretending to consider something, all while maintaining that adorably sulky expression.

“Alright. I’ll trust your words and look forward to my gift tomorrow.”

“Yes, yes! Of course!”

As soon as Lumins returned to his room and closed the door, all the tension left my body, and I slumped back into the sofa.

Lumins… You never told me you could pout so cutely.

Alright. For my adorable Lumins, what wouldn’t I do? Tomorrow, I’ll work harder than ever to destroy those pesky flags…

With that resolution, I cast aside the last remnants of guilt over Yugo Faynance and strengthened my resolve.