I Favor the Villainess Chapter 71Advocacy of minority

Since then, we’ve been continuing visiting Cardinal Lily every day.

Despite receiving all sorts of shocks, Claire-sama seemed to be looking for the way society should be.

I indirectly supplied Claire-sama with the concept of Japanese democracy to help her with understanding.

“Sh, should we take a little break. Let’s have tea”

“Thank you”

“Ah, I need to go flower picking for a bit”

Our studying reached a stopping point and turned into a tea party.

Because I wanted to go to the restroom beforehand, I excused myself.

On the way back.

“Speaking of Lily-sama, this time it’s Minister of Finance’s daughter”

“How unpleasant… It’s so disgusting”

I overheard the two nuns who were ordered to make tea speak ill of Lily-sama for some reason.

I didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but I instinctively pricked up my ears.

“After all, it’s true Lily-sama is a homosexual”

“She’s Yuu-sama’s fiancée, and yet she’s so filthy”

Ah, I thought I’ve seen Lily-sama somewhere, so she was the character who was Yuu-sama’s fiancée.

I forgot as she didn’t appear in the game, only in the setting materials.

She wasn’t even given a name, it was only written she had a secret, it was her sexual orientation, huh.

“Even though she has an abnormal sexual disposition, she became a cardinal simply by being the Prime Minister’s daughter, must be nice”

“That’s not all. There are voices expecting her to become the next pope”

“The Church’s authority will be dirtied”

I think I mentioned it before, but homosexuality is heresy in this world.

No, it had been that even on Earth, but even so the movement to make it respected happened.

There’s no trend of such thoughts in this world.

Consequently, it’s not just their individual responsibility.

People in this world have more or less similar way of thinking to them.

But――.

“Don’t you think it’s too one-sided”

I couldn’t endure.

“Err, you are…?”

“The person on Claire-sama’s side, isn’t she? What is it?”

The malice the nuns showed just now disappeared somewhere.

We are pious spirits believers, they pretended.

“Is homosexuality that wrong?”

“Err…”

“At least I don’t think it’s natural”

Perhaps realizing deception won’t work, at my straight question, one of them was evasive while the other responded with the common opinion.

The evasive one said “Let’s stop” to the other, but the other nun had the determination to resist to the bitter end.

In this world the social position of nuns is by no means low.

At least, it’s much higher than a commoner’s who serves a noble.

Some nuns are even noble daughters.

There’s no reason to hold back against a mere maid.

“Natural, meaning?”

“After all, a child can’t be born to a homosexual couple. It’s unproductive”

This is an argument frequently used when attacking homosexuality.

Because it cannot leave behind a next generation, it’s an unproductive love.

“If giving birth to a child is a condition for legitimate love, are heterosexual couples that can’t give birth to a child also no good?”

“That…”

“In the first place, if being natural is right, do you not take medicine when you fall ill? Even medicine isn’t natural in the strictest sense”

It was the same as denying the Church’s project called hospitals.

Being refuted like that must have been unthinkable to her.

The nun who was refuted turned red and was lost for words.

“Sophistry…!”

“Please tell me where exactly you see sophistry. Otherwise, we can conclude that your claim is nothing but an emotional argument”

“No matter how plausible what you say is, homosexuality isn’t common and is a heresy of a tiny minority! They should bear in mind they aren’t normal”

This time, she moved onto numbers.

“I admit there are few homosexuals when compared to heterosexuals. But, so what? Is it wrong if their number is low?”

“It’s the evidence they aren’t normal”

“If the number is high it’s certainly ‘normal’, but what’s wrong with not being ‘normal’ in numerical sense”

“That is… after all…”

“It just happened that your sexual orientation is in the majority, it doesn’t mean it’s fine to attack a minority just like that. It’s a mere tyranny of majority, not justice”

“Kh…”

My claims include some impracticable theories, or perhaps I should say they are comprised of idealistic thoughts.

However, because it’s the logic backed by the minority theory from Earth, there’s no way I’d lose an argument against her who has an old-fashioned way of thinking.

“I don’t care about the theory! It’s disgusting!”

“In the end that’s what it is. Instinctive disgust. You can’t understand them. You don’t want to understand. So you attack them”

“And what’s wrong with that!?”

“Is it fine to clearly discriminate. Don’t the Church’s teachings preach equality under the Spirit God? Don’t your values run contrary to its doctrine?”

“!”

When I said this much, the nun’s face turned pale.

Being a devout nun, she fears deviating from the doctrine.

She’s undoubtedly a pious spirits believer.

“I don’t want to defeat you in an argument or look down on you. I just want you to be free from prejudice against homosexuals”

“…”

“You don’t have to understand. But at least, could you not deny them and show them respect?”

“… Are you a homosexual yourself…?”

“Yes”

Her aggressive air disappeared, and she showed a compromising stance.

This nun is by no means a bad person.

Let me repeat, her way of thinking is a common opinion shared among many residents of this world.

She didn’t go further than just words.

“Right away… it’s impossible. But, I could more or less understand what you were saying. I’ll think about that. If I think of a counterargument, I might talk to you again”

“Thank you. That’s enough”

She left together with the other nun, who until now was anxiously watching over the situation.

I spent unforeseen amount of time here.

Moreover, somehow I had a difficult talk uncharacteristic of me.

I must quickly replenish Clairium.

Let’s return at once and sexually harass Claire-sama.

When I tried returning while thinking such things,

“…”

Lily-sama stood there.

She didn’t say anything, but her expression was overcome with surprise.

And, tears like jewels trickled from her eyes.

“Wha, what’s the matter, Lily-sama!?”

“… you”

“Yes?”

“Thank… you…”

While almost incoherently muttering, Lily-sama clung to me.

In panic I caught her in my arms.

Her body two heads shorter than mine was surprisingly light.

No, I want to absorb Clairium, but somehow Lily-sama smells good.

“… Until now I thought my romantic feelings were a sin… Like that…”

Lily-sama wept anguishedly.

It seems Lily-sama being a homosexual wasn’t the nuns’ misconception, but the truth.

“Re, Rei-san is the first person… who affirmed Lily’s feelings. Rei-san who openly stated her thoughts, was very cool…”

Lily-sama looked up at me with her tear-stained eyes.

Ah, that’s bad, she’s cute.

No, I have Claire-sama, right?

And while I was fighting with myself in various ways,

“Lily may have fallen in love with Rei-san”

Lily-sama dropped an extra-large bomb.

At that moment, I heard clattering sounds behind Lily-sama.

Ooops.

“… Hee… Hmph?”

There stood Claire-sama in a daunting pose with her arms folded, making a face of a demon.