Observation Record of a Self-proclaimed Villainess' Fiance

Chapter 11 Bertia (17 Years Old)[1]

"Tia, what color would you like for your graduation party dress?"

Finally, something happened one day on an early afternoon, three months before my graduation ceremony.

That day, the school-related events and lessons finished early, and I passed the time leisurely drinking tea together with Bertia at a deluxe suite.

Bertia listened to my request and spent her time together with me whenever she was available, but her usual glittering and sparkling eyes darkened as soon as the topic of the graduation ceremony was brought up.

Because of that, I tried not to bring up anything related to Baroness Heronia, the graduation ceremony, and the otome game as much as I could.

I detested purposely bringing up the kinds of topics that make her eyes darken. When such a time comes, I think it's irrational to have an argument with each other that has no end in sight, and letting the matter run its course is also concerning.

However, now that the graduation ceremony was coming up soon, I had to say something about that topic.

Regarding the matter of Baroness Heronia, we have been steadily proceeding in our private circle with everything without Bertia, the other students, or the teachers knowing about it. All the necessary preparations were finished so there was no problem, but the preparations for the graduation ceremony itself couldn't be carried out within just [our private circle].

Needless to say, I had to have Bertia, who's my fiancée participate as my partner on the appointed day.

"Graduation party dress?"

The happy expression that Bertia had, as she stuffed many bite-sized baked sweets that could be eaten in one go into her mouth, changed into a stiffened expression.

...It's not a big deal, but the point of the baked sweets being small enough to be eaten in one go should be to avoid the stuffy cheeks that you have right now, you know? If you put a lot of pieces at the same time into your mouth, then there's no meaning to it, right?

Then, she tried to gulp down her saliva... or so I thought, but since her mouth was packed with stuff, one would normally end up gulping down the food. With that, her figure wouldn't look good, right?

"Yeah, that's right. It's a general rule to go to the graduation party with a partner. And there's an implicit rule dictating that those with fiancées should go along with their engagement partners. ...Since you're kind, you wouldn't refuse to come as your fiancé's partner and make me end up as a pitiful man, right? That's why, I would like to give you a dress as a present for being so kind."

In order to brighten up the atmosphere of the place even for a little bit, I purposely made fun of her, and Bertia clumsily smiled a bit.

"Bu-but, wouldn't it be fine to go with the heroine? Instead of me, giving the dress to her would be..."

"Tia. I'm asking my partner, and that's you."

Bertia looked at me with her upturned eyes and an uneasy gaze, and the words I let out in order to interrupt her words were unexpectedly biting that even I was astonished at myself.

Perhaps because she noticed the irritation that my voice contained, her body trembled with a jump, and the sweets she held on her hand were crushed on the spur of the moment.

"...Ah, you're really... Your beloved sweets were destroyed, you know?"

I paused briefly as I held back the irritation that was welling up inside of me and stood up as if nothing stood over the table and took her hands that were grimy from the wreckage of the sweets.