The airship port in the royal capital.
It sat on a floating island a short distance from the capital itself. Ships came and went in an endless cycle, and to me the whole place looked less like a port and more like a train station or bus terminal.
After taking a small airship that carried a few dozen passengers from the capital to the port, I found my own airship, the Partner, already waiting at the designated spot.
"Oh, you're here. Right on time."
Luxion, hidden among my luggage, responded.
"This is a piece of cake for the Partner."
The Partner was an exact replica of Luxion's disguised form.
Luxion's shape was too futuristic—or rather, it simply didn't look like any airship in this world. In fact, it was a spaceship. So I had him disguise it, but that only made even more people want to get inside.
If anyone discovered Luxion's secret, there were those who would kill me to seize him. That was why I had a second ship built: the Partner.
That guy Luxion kept showing off the Partner to anyone who would listen.
Was he some kind of doting parent?
"...Master, did you notice?"
"I see them."
Sure enough, near the Partner I could see Wayne and... Livia. Wayne's luggage was in Livia's hands.
When they spotted me approaching, Livia handed the bags back and waved as if nothing had happened.
She clearly thought I hadn't noticed.
I hadn't been told Livia would be here. More than that, Livia's attitude was... how to put it—she was clearly downcast.
"Baron, over here~!"
Looking at Wayne, I was reminded once again that women were terrifying.
"Women are scary."
"Rest assured, Master—they're scared of *you*."
"Pretty sure it's 'hate,' not 'scared.'"
When I reached the two of them, a pair of familiar faces was closing in.
Red and purple... Greg, shouldering his spear, and Brad, wearing a thoroughly unpleasant expression.
"Gah!"
"...Why is Bartfort here?"
Their attitudes cut right through my fragile, glass-hearted ego.
"Got something to say, you losers?"
When I shot them a glare, both Greg and Brad stepped up and got in my face.
These guys really were bad news. With their hair colors on top of it all, they looked like straight-up delinquents.
"Wanna go, bro?"
"Don't think you can keep up this attitude forever."
When the two of them started threatening me, I obediently ducked behind Livia.
"I've got plans with Livia and the others. Scram."
Neither of them budged.
Greg raked a hand through his hair, and Brad fixed Wayne with a dead-eyed stare.
"So... what's going on here?"
Wayne averted his gaze, looking troubled, and he gave the unmistakable impression of hiding something. Well, he was hiding something.
"Ahaha... ha ha ha... well, the ride to my family's estate is on the Baron's airship."
Hearing that, we all exchanged looks.
"Hah!? You want me to put these delinquents on my precious airship!"
My words set both Greg and Brad off.
"Who are you calling delinquent?!"
"You really are the worst, you know that?!"
With Livia between us and the three of us glaring at each other, Wayne offered an apology.
"I-I'm sorry! Actually, I also extended an invitation to Lord Brad."
When all eyes turned to Brad, he gave a reluctant explanation.
"...My ex-fiancée's foster child asked for my help, so I agreed. There's a reward involved, and the pirate has a bounty on his head. I decided to join the subjugation thinking it might help Marie."
He sounded reasonable enough on the surface, but what he was actually saying was completely insane.
A student joining a pirate subjugation—wasn't that wrong? No, that wasn't the issue.
This was the world of an otome game. A world where men pursued visible achievements like pirate subjugation in order to win girls' favor.
...Come to think of it, this world had been crazy from the start.
Greg slammed the stone pommel of his prized spear against the floor. He cut quite a figure standing there with it.
"Once I heard that, I decided to join too."
What could he possibly do with just one spear?
The characters in this otome game really were out of their minds.
"What about the other three? You know—the ones in black, green, and blue."
Brad snapped back.
"Stop calling us by our colors! All three of them were summoned home by their families. Marie has business to attend to and isn't coming. Well, even without that, she wouldn't let them go because it's dangerous. So it's just us."
...These guys were crazy. What did they think two people could accomplish?
On top of that, they were barely armed.
Pirates were expected to have airships—so how exactly had they planned to fight?
Wayne urged us along.
"A-Anyway, let's do our best with this lineup. Come on, Olivia asked you too."
Livia was looking down at the ground.
When I said nothing, Wayne let out a tiny, barely audible tsk under his breath.
I scratched my head.
"...Just get on. And don't pull any stunts."
Greg clicked his tongue.
"I'm not gonna act like a kid."
I snorted.
"That's exactly why I told you. You *are* a kid."
"You wanna go, punk?!"
"That temper tantrum is just more proof you're a kid, moron."
I grabbed Livia's hand and fled onto the Partner, with Greg and Brad—plus a grinning Wayne—following behind.
◇
The student dormitory.
It was Angelica who had come to the dormitory used by the girls in the general class.
She was carrying a gift and looked somewhat tense.
"Is... is this right?"
She had bought it for Livia, but Angelica, who never did her own shopping, was at a loss.
She considered consulting Leon, but he had already departed for the Wayne family's estate and wasn't at the academy.
"That idiot. Offering a ship to the people trying to use him."
She was worried about Leon, who had said he was going despite her objections.
She had notified her family, but Angelica had no airship at her personal disposal. She couldn't just act on a whim the way Leon did.
Before chasing after them, she had wanted to say something to Livia first.
But what should she say?
When Angelica reached Livia's room, she was stunned.
"What... what is this?"
It was nothing like the rooms used by the academy's girls.
Livia's room had been set up in what was essentially a storage closet. On top of that, it had been defaced with graffiti, making the mistreatment all the more glaring.
Angelica knocked, but there was no answer.
"L-Livia, it's me..."
She called out, but when no reply came and she thought maybe Livia wasn't there—
"Oh my, if it isn't Lady Angelica."
She turned to find a third-year girl and her entourage.
"...You."
Angelica, who addressed even her elders with a familiar "you," narrowed her eyes and looked down on them. The other girl understood this perfectly well and scowled in return. The atmosphere between them was openly hostile.
"I hear you don't care for upstart viscount families."
"How generous of you to speak well of your own household. The daughter of a family that clawed its way up through cruelty really has some nerve."
The reason Angelica detested this girl was simple: they belonged to opposing factions.
At the same time, the girl's family had accumulated quite a few dark rumors.
Rumors would have been one thing, but it was well known that they had their hands in actual criminal activity.
Her family had gone to tremendous lengths to climb the social ladder.
And this girl happened to be Brad's former fiancée.
She traveled with a large retinue of personal servants, and her entourage was clearly a lavish, pleasure-seeking bunch—you could tell just from looking.
(Nouveau riche tastes that make even Carla's look cute. Every last one of them dragging around demi-human slaves...)
They were the very picture of academy girls.
The other girl clicked her tongue.
She seemed to have just enough sense not to lay a hand on Angelica, who was a duke's daughter.
"Going all the way to greet your favorite commoner—you really do dote on her, don't you?"
"...What's your point?"
The girl leaned in close.
The overpowering smell of perfume made Angelica grimace.
"Lady Angelica, you really ought to keep your favorite commoner on a tighter leash. It would be such a tragedy if something happened to her, wouldn't it?"
Facing that vulgar smile, Angelica glared daggers.
"...So it *was* your doing."
"If you'd known, you could have stopped it. You duke's daughters are so cold."
However, Angelica was not rattled.
(Fools. Do you have any idea who you're dealing with? If you think Leon is nothing more than a decent guard dog, you're done for.)
Angelica had been suspicious of Carla's request all along.
That was because she knew whose entourage Carla belonged to.
Normally, an academy clique was assembled from close associates—children of foster families and vassal households. The fact that Carla hadn't求助from her own foster parents was already suspicious.
(Leon, did you know? Why did you help her? As usual, I can't read you at all.)
In that moment, Angelica felt a pang of pity for the girl standing before her.
"Oh, right—your favorite commoner isn't here. She's gone out."
"Gone out?"
"Mm-hm. She went with Carla to Carla's territory. Said they were friends, so she wanted to bring her along. Carla is so eccentric, bringing a friend to a dangerous territory where pirates show up."
—In an instant.
Angelica seized the girl by the front of her clothes and slammed her against the wall.
She pinned her throat, pressed her against the wall, and lifted her with one arm.
"Hey. What did you do to Livia?"
"G-Gasping—"
As the girl's feet left the floor and she thrashed, her entourage and personal servants rushed to help, but Angelica shot them a single look.
"Don't touch me."
Her voice was low and cold enough to freeze bone. Everyone froze in place. Then she turned back to the girl.
"I'm not a patient person. Start talking. What are you people planning?"
"L-Let me go—do you think you can get away with this?"
She hadn't expected Angelica to make a move, and was somewhat panicked, but she tried to put on a brave front—perhaps thinking Angelica wouldn't actually do anything.
"I'm the one asking questions. If you want to make a scene, go right ahead. Duel disputes, insolent attitudes from fools who underestimate me—I've dealt with plenty. This would make a fine example."
The annoying part for Angelica was that most of those "fools" happened to be girls. At least the boys were somewhat more sensible.
The girl was laughing.
"Go ahead and see for yourself."
Angelica threw her to the floor, then calmly walked away as if nothing had happened.
"I intend to."
Angelica went a short distance, turned the corner, and broke into a run.
(I need to contact Leon right away. No—I'd be faster going myself. But if he left in the Partner, catching up won't be easy.)
◇
A room aboard the Partner.
Brad, Greg, and I were playing cards.
Of course, with bets.
The two of them wore agonized expressions.
"Come on, what's the holdup?"
Greg was groaning.
"Wait! Let me think a bit more!"
The money I'd won from the two of them had grown into a respectable sum. Both of them had cash from the school festival, apparently.
Of course, the cards were stacked.
—I was hustling them with a few tricks.
Well, consider it the price of the ride. These two needed to learn some street smarts. Better I teach them the harshness of the world before someone else scams them properly.
I was only playing to kill time, but I never imagined I'd end up playing cards with these two.
With grim determination, the two of them set down their cards.
"Take that!"
Brad looked confident too. His hand really did look like it could win.
"This time I'll beat you!"
And then I slowly revealed my cards. Since my hand was better, it was my win once again.
"Sorry. I win again."
Greg buried his head in his hands.
"You're kidding! This has to be cheating!"
Brad slumped over too.
"How many rounds have I lost in a row?! This is impossible!"
As I collected the cards, I said to the two of them.
"You really are hopeless."
They glared at me, but their wallets were empty and they said they couldn't play anymore.
As I was tidying up the cards, Greg asked Brad.
"By the way, what was your ex-fiancée like?"
Brad glanced at his depleted wallet before answering.
"...She was a rare type. Didn't seem like the daughter of a family above a viscount's rank."
As he spoke, Brad seemed somewhat dissatisfied.
"I only met her a few times before enrolling at the academy. It was a simple political marriage, so there wasn't any drama like with the prince or Jilk."
Greg, who was unfamiliar with noble affairs, apparently didn't know about Brad's former fiancée.
I put away the cards and listened.
"She had no interest in me at all. What she wanted was blood—the blood of the Field family. Her family had risen from merchants, you see."
In the Holfart Kingdom, where adventurers had become nobility, being born a noble meant you were descended from an accomplished adventurer. And even if you'd risen from nothing, as long as you'd succeeded as an adventurer, you were considered respectable.
You might be treated as an upstart, but you were still treated as nobility.
Even so, this kingdom had its exceptions.
That was Brad's former fiancée's family.
They had originally been a small baron family, but a merchant had forcibly taken over the household and climbed to viscount.
It was enough to make any kingdom-born noble furious, but they operated in a gray area, skirting the law and doing as they pleased. Of course, that made them plenty of enemies.
Greg suddenly looked up and recalled something.
"Come to think of it, that was the family that distinguished itself in diplomacy with the Grand Duchy."
"That achievement is part of why I was chosen as a marriage partner. My family is close to the Grand Duchy, you see. After the negotiations concluded, her family reportedly asked mine to consider a marriage arrangement. My parents thought it would be nice to no longer fear the 'Black Knight.'"
The Field family, being a border count, had a difficult time whenever war broke out with the Grand Duchy. Brad's marriage to the daughter of this family had been arranged to prevent that.
"Setting aside the circumstances, they're a capable family."
"That's exactly what makes them troublesome. In fact, Wayne came to me sniffing around the broken engagement, asking for cooperation. Sly, isn't it? The father is one way, and the foster children follow suit."
Greg nodded with a solemn expression.
"My situation is the same. Even though she was my fiancée, I only met her a few times. There's no way you'd develop real feelings."
...These guys had it rough too. Come to think of it, Greg's and Chris's fiancées didn't appear in the game. What kind of people had they been?
As I listened to their conversation, Luxion's transmission reached my ear. The two of them couldn't hear it.
"Master, it seems we have a welcoming party."
There was still time before we reached our destination.
A welcoming party meant—
"Pirate airships. Two are closing in on us."
I stood up and began preparations.
"You two—time to work."
The pair stared up at me, mouths agape. Judging by their sluggish reactions, they hadn't processed what I'd said.
"I said enemies are here. Get ready."
Greg stood up.
"O-Oh right."
Brad stood too, but both of them looked bewildered.
"M-More importantly, what should we be doing?"
...Completely useless. I'd just have them stay out of the way.
◇
The pirate airships flew a black banner bearing a skull and crossbones.
One of the captains of the Wing Shark pirate crew whistled at the sight of the Partner through the viewport.
"If we can get our hands on that, the boss will be thrilled."
A pirate subordinate agreed.
"That's a big one. And there are only four kids on board?"
"Yep. Three guys and one girl."
"Should we finish off all four?"
"Idiot. The three guys are all rich noble brats. We'll sell them to some old crone for pocket money. As for the girl, we'll have our fun and then dump her. She's a commoner—no ransom value."
The crew perked up at the plan, and the airship flying alongside began its descent.
It moved directly above the Partner, preparing to pin it down from overhead.
The captain cracked his neck.
"I hear one of them is abnormally strong, but he's still a school kid. Let's teach him how real sky pirates fight."
"Sir! Everyone is standing by."
One after another, armored pirates launched from the airships.
Over twenty armored figures from both ships leaped toward the Partner.
Though they were called armor, they were more like powered suits.
In this world where the earth itself floated, even armor could fly.
"Looks like these dumb kids are making our job easy today."
"Indeed."
All they had to do was pin the target with their own airships, preventing escape, and then take it.
The captain thought this would be a routine job—until something launched from the Partner and closed in on the pirates' armor.
It was larger than any of their suits—a heavy, gray behemoth.
"What's one guy gonna do? Strong or not, he's still a kid. Surround him—"
Before the captain could finish his command, the armor that emerged from the Partner grabbed a pirate suit in each of its free hands and crushed them together, destroying both.
It hurled the wreckage into its own airship, then proceeded to tear through the surrounding pirate suits one by one with its bare hands.
It kicked away a pirate suit that had leveled a rifle.
The captain screamed.
"What the hell is that thing...! Pull up! Pull up—"
But before he could finish, the airship lurched violently.
He grabbed the nearest railing and shouted.
"What happened?!"
"Sh-Shelling! The target is firing on us!"
"Don't be ridiculous! We're directly above them!"
Aerial combat in this world's airships was generally won by the side that held the high ground. Cannons were inaccurate to begin with, so the strategy was to line them up along the sides and saturate the area with fire.
Magic barriers protected the ships from bombardment.
The pirates had been wary of shelling, which was precisely why they'd attacked from directly above.
"That ship is huge—how could they fire cannons? And there's no way four people could operate it—"
The Partner was so large that it would normally take thousands of people to run it.
That was why the captain had assumed that with only four... five people aboard, there was no way it could function properly.
That was common sense in this world.
The captain screamed.
"Surrender! Surrender now! Raise the white flag—"
Realizing escape was impossible, he ordered the white flag raised for surrender.
◇
Greg watched the Aroganz set down on the deck.
Brad, meanwhile, was busy restraining the pirates who had been thrown onto the deck, and he had already told Greg to "Hurry up and help, you meathead!"
But Greg just stared at the gray giant—the Armor—and thought.
(...I can't beat that thing.)
The Aroganz was far larger than any standard armor and bristling with heavy plating, yet it moved through the air with extraordinary agility.
The pirates' crude suits hadn't stood a chance.
Greg wasn't thinking about Leon's strength being unbeatable.
(What good is "combat experience" when, the moment I'm on my own, I can't do anything?)
He had always relied on his retainers to function in battle. Facing Leon had made him painfully aware of this.
When an enemy appeared, Leon had moved instantly, but Greg realized he himself couldn't fight properly without someone backing him up.
"...A kid. So I was just a kid playing at being grown-up?"
When Leon had called him a kid, it made perfect sense now.
Greg felt utterly pathetic.
◇
Inside the Aroganz.
I surveyed the area.
"Is that everyone neutralized?"
The answer came from Luxion inside the Aroganz.
"Yes. Both airships have shut down their engines. Resistance is no longer a concern. We can simply shoot them down."
"Don't be stupid. We're taking them back to sell."
The crude armor suits were valuable, and so were the airships. The pirates themselves, too.
That was why I had decided to capture everyone. Better than leaving them to rot.
"Wouldn't shooting them down have been faster? Bringing them along will only cause trouble."
"Nope—I'm not the kind of person who can kill with a cheerful face. At least when it comes to using you in combat, I exercise restraint."
Luxion's electronic voice sounded colder than usual at my words.
"Master, are you prepared to fail because of that decision?"
"...That's exactly why I didn't want to get involved."
This was the kind of judgment call I'd inevitably face, which was why it had been better to watch from the sidelines. If I was ordered to fight, I could use that as an excuse. But if I involved myself willingly, there would be no excuse.
...How had things come to this?
"More importantly, warning shots should have been enough. Why did you shoot through them?"
"...I will not permit anyone attempting to envelop the Partner."
Who was this guy to talk about *my* judgment?
An AI letting personal feelings get involved.
Was this impressive, or was it a flaw? Well, it was an AI in an otome game world. And when it came to my partner, this was about right.
A truly rational AI staging a rebellion would be far scarier.
◇
A room aboard the Partner.
Carla was trembling.
"You've got to be kidding me. How did I lose so easily?"
Carla, who had lured the pirates into this, was stunned by how quickly everything had fallen apart.
She never imagined Leon was this powerful.
And the Partner, no less.
Only five people, including Carla herself, were on board, yet it operated flawlessly. She couldn't believe it.
Normally, even an average airship required a substantial crew to function.
"You called it a 'lost item,' but this is straight-up cheating. At this rate... I'll arrive at my family's estate."
Carla had acted on orders from Brad's former fiancée, luring Leon and the others to this location.
Her plan had been to slip away and save herself later.
But the communicator she had brought along had been acting up ever since she reported in before departure.
"Why did it have to break?!"
The signal was terrible—static everywhere.
Communication in this world was poor to begin with. You could only exchange messages if the other party was nearby.
Carla's plan had failed, and she was panicking.
"I haven't sent any word to my family..."
Leon had captured the pirates and was now resuming course toward the Wayne baronetcy's territory. If that happened, her family would find out.
"R-Right! I'll use that commoner girl against them. I'll make it look like she was the one who... Y-Yes! Even that Bartfort guy goes easy on the commoner, so he'll definitely forgive me! A-As for the other two, I'll talk them into it somehow... No, wait. Right—I don't even need to worry about them anymore. They've been disinherited, they have no power."
In the corner of the room... a tiny camera was faithfully monitoring Carla's every move.
◇
The Partner arrived at the Wayne baronetcy's territory in the evening.
"The sun sets earlier now."
On top of it being cold.
Since the baronetcy had no port where the Partner could dock, we had disembarked on a smaller airship.
But here was the problem.
Brad came up to me, complaining.
"Why are you so calm about this?!"
We were currently surrounded by the baronet's soldiers.
I stood there magnificently with both hands raised.
"Don't panic. ...I'm just as troubled."
Greg was fuming.
"I can't tell if this guy is incredible or completely useless."
The soldiers were wary of us because we'd arrived with a pirate airship in tow.
While all this commotion was going on, the baronet appeared.
Wayne—Conrad Fou Wayne, Carla's father.
He was a middle-aged man with a tired face and a slightly noticeable paunch, and he looked surprised when he saw us.
"Lower your weapons immediately!"
When the soldiers dropped their weapons, I lowered my hands too.
And then he greeted—not me, but Brad. It seemed he had realized that Brad was the son of a border count.
"You must be Lord Brad? It's been a while."
"Huh? Oh, uh, yes."
But Brad apparently didn't remember the baronet and gave a vague response.
The other man noticed and laughed self-deprecatingly.
"We met at a party at the Count's estate. You've grown quite a bit since then."
Since the other man let it slide, Brad relaxed and spoke.
"More to the point—why are we surrounded? We came here because your daughter asked for our help."
Conrad looked confused.
"She asked for help? My daughter?"
When the others turned to look at Carla, she frantically began making excuses. Luxion had been keeping an eye on her, and this was just pitiful.
"N-No, that's not it. I consulted with this person, and she overreacted. So—"
All eyes shifted to Livia, who had been put on the spot.
"Eh? Um, well, I was asked to—"
Livia seemed absent-minded, completely off her game, and she stammered when suddenly thrust into the conversation. She had been listless lately.
Conrad was about to press her for answers when I stepped in.
"Your daughter had Livia introduce us because she wanted to request our assistance. So we rushed over—what's the problem?"
He looked at me like I was some kind of lunatic, which hurt, but Brad vouched for me.
"This is Leon Fou Bartfort. You've heard the rumors, surely?"
At that, Conrad took a step back and apologized.
"So you're the Baron. I apologize for the misunderstanding. However... our territory isn't in that much trouble. Did she really ask for rescue?"
Brad narrowed his eyes and looked at Carla.
"What's going on?"
Carla, unable to wriggle out of it, tried to glare at Livia, but I stepped between them.
Her face crumpled like she was about to cry.
Conrad bowed his head.
"My sincerest apologies. My daughter seems to be in a state of confusion. Please, allow me to invite you into our home for now—"
At that, I snorted.
This world was an otome game—a world that was kind to women, especially young women. Letting this slide would only create more problems.
"*She's* the one who called us here. She promised a reward and asked for our help. You understand that, right, Baronet? This isn't a game."
I leaned in, threatening and intimidating.
Positions in this world were meant to be leveraged. I had never wanted the title of baron, but I was going to use it for all it was worth right now.
"Two future barons—and I'm already one. I even sent my airship and seized two pirate vessels. It wasn't all 'just a misunderstanding,' right?"
"B-But I'm not sure I understand the full situation—"
"Then go ask your daughter. Protecting your little girl is fine and all. But if you play it that way, I'll collect my reward my own way."
Luxion, ever helpful, moved the Partner.
The baronet, seeing the Partner's sheer size and it moving under its own power, apparently assumed there were more people aboard. He grabbed Carla by both shoulders.
"Carla, what is the meaning of this? Did you really request their help?"
From there, Carla broke down in tears and told him everything.
◇
Back aboard the Partner rather than the baronet's manor, I stretched.
That girl Carla had told us everything.
About how she had lured us here to betray us.
Well, I'd told her I'd already heard the full story from the captured pirates, and that had made her give up and spill every detail.
The pirates? I pretended I didn't know a thing.
A lie? No—the other party had merely misunderstood. I'd implied I had heard from the pirates, and that had made Carla give up and reveal her plan.
A viscount's daughter had lured us here to have us attacked by pirates!
It was just Livia and me in the room.
"Whew, that was exhausting. Let's see how things go tomorrow and take it easy for now. We've still got the holiday stretch, so there's time."
The first day had wrapped up surprisingly smoothly.
It had almost gone *too* well, which was anticlimactic—but this wasn't a game. There was no need for drama.
In life, peaceful, uneventful days were the best.
Usually Livia would have worriedly asked something like, "Is that really okay?" but now she just hung her head and said nothing.
"You alright?"
When I turned to face her, Livia slowly raised her head.
"...What are you?"
"Huh?"
"You're incredible, Leon. You solve everything by yourself, you know everything..."
"H-Hey."
Something was off about Livia's usual demeanor. Concerned, I reached out, but she brushed my hand away.
She stepped back, putting distance between us.
"Why are you so kind to me?"
"N-No, it's—"
The first reason that came to mind was the one I'd been using to justify it to myself: "Because you're the heroine." The words caught in my throat and wouldn't come out.
"It doesn't make sense. I'm a commoner and everyone hates me. Is there any reason to help me? I have nothing—absolutely nothing. I can't live up to your expectations, so why would you bother helping someone like me?"
When I couldn't answer and simply stood there in silence, Livia's face twisted into a dark smile.
"...Is it because you want my body?"
"N-No, that's not—"
And then she laughed through her tears.
That smile was agonizing to look at. It hurt my heart.
"Right. I'm not cute at all, and Angelica is so much more beautiful—a real princess. I'm nothing... absolutely nothing..."
...What had I done wrong?
Livia sank to the floor, sobbing, and I couldn't find a single word to say.
I truly... felt pathetic.
"Everyone kept saying it. That I'm like a pet. That you and Angelica don't see me as a real person."
Someone from the general class must have said it—or maybe Carla and her crew.
I wanted to tell her that wasn't true, but my own words echoed through my mind: "This world is an otome game. The noble sons are the capture targets." ...What exactly was the difference between me and Carla and the others? The question lodged itself in my brain.
Livia screamed through her tears.
"D-Don't mock me! I'm... I'm a human being! I'm not your pet!"
She collapsed, crying.
Unable to do anything, I fled the room.