I Favor the Villainess Chapter 52

The second chapter for today

Declaration of war

“I misjudged you”

The following morning, when I opened the door of my room, Manaria-sama stood there.

She stared at me with a displeased face.

I vaguely expected what I’d be told, but I pretended to be unaware.

“What is it?”

“Don’t play dumb. It’s about Claire”

Manaria-sama didn’t let me escape.

She’s glaring at me with intense eyes.

“Last night, she suddenly came to my room and cried for a long time. She didn’t say the reason, but I can mostly guess what happened”

“…”

Hearing Manaria-sama’s words, I couldn’t stay still.

I want to immediately rush to Claire-sama’s side and embrace her even if I’m hated.

But, that won’t be fulfilled anymore.

“Please take care of Claire-sama. Because, Claire-sama is lonely”

As I can’t stay at Claire-sama’s side anymore, I have no choice but to ask Manaria-sama.

It’s unpleasant to ask my rival in love for Claire-sama of that, but if it’s Manaria-sama I trust her enough to leave Claire-sama to her.

I bowed my head to Manaria-sama.

And, grabbing me by my uniform’s collar, she forcibly raised my body and slammed me against a wall.

“If you understand Claire that much, why won’t you try staying at her side!”

Manaria-sama tightened her grip on my collar with her light brown eyes burning with fury.

She’s censuring me.

“I lost to Manaria-sama. I also quit being her maid, I have no pretext to be at her side”

Listening to my complaints, Manaria-sama’s expression became more and more severe.

Her well-ordered beautiful face is tainted with icy anger.

“Will you give up with that! Are your feelings like that!”

Manaria-sama told me while breathing heavily, anger is gradually welling inside me.

“Are you the one to be saying this! The one who took Claire-sama from me is no one but you!”

I tried shaking off Manaria-sama’s hand that was grasping my collar.

However, Manaria-sama’s hand didn’t give an inch.

“I took her away? That’s wrong. You gave her up on your own. You’re just running away”

Manaria-sama’s voice carried a hint of provocation.

I snapped back.

“I also didn’t want to give up! I didn’t think of something like running away! If you weren’t here, I――”

“That’s wrong”

The tone of Manaria-sama’s voice dropped.

She continued in a quiet voice.

“Even if I hadn’t appeared, you’d still give Claire-sama up someday”

“What are you basing it on――”

“It’s fine if my feelings aren’t rewarded, it’s okay as long as Claire is happy – it’s because you’re saying such pretty things”

“!”

Manaria-sama’s words cut deeply into my heart.

However, I can’t accept it.

“What’s wrong with that! What’s wrong with wishing for the happiness of the person you love!”

I invoked water magic and threw ice fragments at Manaria-sama to drive her off.

I indeed must have caught her by surprise as she released her hand and stumbled a bit.

“Not wishing for reciprocation? How admirable. Do you intend to become a saint?”

“That’s not my intention!”

“I bet. You are scared of being hurt. You don’t want to despair that Claire doesn’t have feelings for you. So you gave up from the start. To ensure you always have a way out”

“Wrong!”

Though I denied, in the back of my mind I thought ah, that’s right.

I love Claire-sama.

There’s no lie in this feeling.

But, is it true I’m not wishing for reciprocation.

Don’t I wish to have Claire-sama smile at me?

Don’t I wish to have her embrace me?

Don’t I wish to kiss her?

Don’t I wish for her to have feelings for me?

“No matter how I wish it won’t come true! Claire-sama is a woman. We have the same sex. And, she has a person she loves”

“So you’ll give up. Without even fighting, you’re satisfied with only a shallow relationship? Do you think this one-sided relationship that doesn’t seek reciprocation will continue forever?”

“That’s fine with me! If it’s for Claire-sama, I’ll kill these feelings!”

While saying these words, something deep in my chest screamed.

In truth, I――.

“It’s impossible. Such relationships will sooner or later break down. How do I know? Because it happened to me”

Saying so, Manaria-sama’s mouth twisted from how she torments herself over it.

“I dropped out of the succession struggle because I was exposed as a homosexual”

With these words, I recalled Manaria-sama’s “setting”.

Manaria-sama is a homosexual just like me.

She only loves women, and actually she fell in love with a maid.

She kept her feelings hidden at all cost, but one day she couldn’t suppress them and had a relationship with that maid.

It was a one-sided thing that used the difference in status between royalty and a maid.

After a short time, the maid left the royal palace.

That’s what Manaria-sama constantly regrets.

It reached the point where Manaria-sama, desperate to not repeat the same mistake, hid her social status and frequented brothels.

As she only had physical relationships based on money, she thought it wouldn’t cause any future trouble.

However, someone recognized Manaria-sama’s identity and reported it to the royal palace.

The result being, Manaria-sama was driven out of the royal palace.

“The feelings that don’t seek reciprocation always distort. A human’s heart, is not that strong or pretty”

It was a quiet voice, but without a doubt it was filled with the pain she’s enduring.

It looks like Manaria-sama also anguished over the weakness and dirtiness of her heart.

Just like me now.

“… About what Manaria-sama has been saying since a while ago… What are you saying I should do”

I’m dumbfounded, I have no more words to say, I’m simply at a loss.

To such me, Manaria-sama spoke without answering.

“If you stubbornly intend to give Claire up , I will comfort myself with Claire”

What, did she just say…?

“Claire has a liking for me. There’s a gap to take an advantage of. Of course, I’m aware her liking is of a different type than ours”

“What… are…”

What is this person saying…?

“Claire resembles the person I love. I will cherish her to my utmost as a substitute”

Saying so, Manaria-sama sneered.

Her beautiful face looked uglier than any human that I’ve seen.

“Are you seriously saying that?”

“Of course I’m serious. Have you forgotten why I was banished? I played with women too much. I have nothing to lose at this point. I’ll enjoy myself”

Kukuku, Manaria-sama laughed strangely.

However, her eyes aren’t smiling.

Dark… Her bottomless, dark eyes are seeing something other than me.

Manaria-sama is serious.

“I won’t let you do that!”

“Oh, how? What can you, who lost to me, and stopped being her maid, do?”

Manaria-sama said in a ridiculing tone.

Think, me.

I can’t hand over Claire-sama to this person alone.

Such a person is not suitable for Claire-sama.

As for me, if I could make Claire-sama happy――!

“There’s Amour’s Festival, right?”

“At the end of the month”

“Are you aware of the practice of using the love scales there?”

“Yup. I’ve heard about it. The depth of feelings is measured”

“Let’s have a match with it”

“Hmph? Not bad”

But, Manaria-sama continued.

“I won one match. I can’t accept without getting anything “

“Then, what should I do?”

“If I win this match, you’ll give yourself to me”

So it came.

“Good”

“Oh, is it okay to make such a promise lightly? Beyond becoming my thing, you will completely give up on Claire-sama?”

“I don’t care. I won’t lose”

“Aren’t you confident. Nice eyes”

Manaria-sama showed a satisfied smile.

“Then, it’s a match. Show me how you struggle to your utmost”

Saying so, Manaria-sama turned back.

“…”

Seeing off her back, I resolved myself.

To win this match, I will do anything.

“Claire-sama, please watch me”