Observation Record of a Self-proclaimed Villainess' Fiance

Chapter 10 Bertia (16 years old)[1]

It was spring when Bertia enrolled into the upper secondary school, it was my third year in the upper secondary school, and once again, I assumed the position of the president of the student council.

...and Bertia has started to avoid me.

The beginning of it all was when I saw Baroness Heronia said such terrible words towards her during the summer last year.

She has begun to show her anxious expression more often whenever she sees me. Also, even though she has always come crying to me as soon as something troubling her has occured up until now, recently she doesn't consult anything to me and only shows a restrained expression that looks like she wants to say something.

I have seen her restraining herself more often, something that doesn't suit her at all.

When I thought about the time when she started to avoid me and grew more distant, it was easy to guess that she was being influenced by Baroness Heronia's words, so I was thinking about how I should handle this, but... Due to the excellency of her friends and my close aides, they managed to decrease the contact between Bertia and Baroness Heroina to utmost limits with their own ways while muttering, "We really don't want to see Bertia getting hurt", with their gloomy expressions.

Even so, Bertia's uneasy appearance didn't change.

That is why, I tried to pamper her more during the time when we were together, which was also increased in comparison to how it usually was.

...And thus, as per Bertia's suggestion, we participated in an event linked to the scheduled [School Festival], in which there would be a voting among the students to select the best couple (limited to fiancees only), and claimed the first place.

Since it was a middle school's project, even if I was participating as a partner, I still wondered about what would happen if I—who was in senior high school—were to participate. But due to Lady Joanna—who just became Shaun's fiancee shortly after they dated—wished to participate with Shaun, Shaun stipulated a rule as following: [As long as one of them is a middle school student, a couple consisting of a high school student and middle school student can participate either by others' recommendation or self-recommendation], and once we noticed, Bertia and I participated because we were listed in others' recommendations.

When we won the prize, Bertia lamented, "Since the 'Downfall'1 is waiting next year, I thought that I'd want to create good memories with my friends while it was possible to do so!! This one that left a strong impression of, [Whenever you recall it, it's a bitter event], but it has changed now!! It's terrible!!". Despite that, I still smiled and as part of service to the other students, I hugged her shoulders and kissed her cheek.

It can't be helped, as enlivening this sort of occasion is the duty of the royalty, right?

Bertia's body hardened as she turned bright red just like an apple. So I thought, 'It can't be helped,' and I held her up in my arms as we descended down from the stage. Of course, I'm being gentle, you know?

I thought that by appealing our intimacy to the others in that manner, Bertia would feel relieved a bit. However, her attitude didn't change.

No. When she entered senior high school, she began to run away from me even more obviously.

Because things have turned like this, there is only one countermeasure that I can take.

"Since you continue to run away from me, then I have no choice but to catch you, right?"

I smiled widely while cornering Bertia to the wall, placing both of my hands on both sides of her head, while tucking one of my legs between her body.