I, the Villainous Prince, Buy the Ruined Villainess with Money - Chapter 44-45

Chapter 44: Mutual Misunderstanding

Did I offend her somehow?

But as for me, I just want my favorite to be happy.

If that means she finds me a little annoying, I don’t mind at all.

Right now, anyway… my arm is in bliss.

“Heh heh heh… (So soft and squishy!)”

“Wh-what’s so funny?”

“No, nothing. I was just thinking how much energy you’ve got now.”

“I have no intention of marrying you, Arnold! Even if that’s my master’s order!”

“A maid defying her master… That’s how it should be. (I’m glad my favorite is feeling lively!)”

The old Yulia, the one who acted half-dead, would never have responded like that.

She wouldn’t have dreamed of talking back to me, her master.

She’s definitely changing little by little.

After that, we head to the club building where the tea ceremony club is located.

By the way, just before we arrived, Yulia came to her senses and let go of my arm… which was a bit disappointing.

“This is the club building, right? I think this one has all kinds of club rooms.”

“I toured them all once before. It was pretty enjoyable.”

Just like school clubs from my past life, they have a whole building dedicated to them.

It goes from the first to the third floor, and they even have Go and shogi. It felt a little nostalgic.

If Yulia hadn’t been with me, I might have picked one of those.

We go up to the second floor and visit the room at the end of the hallway.

Agnes comes out to greet us… or rather, she pounces on Yulia.

“Ah! Yulia-chan! Welcome!”

“Wah!? A-Agnes!”

“Ehehe, Yulia-chan still smells so nice~ And your breasts are so soft!”

“Hey!? Stop sniffing me! And where do you think you’re touching!”

…This is good. This is very good.

It feels like I’m witnessing something truly precious.

Not just that Yulia is full of life, but there’s something almost sacred about it.

“It’s fine, isn’t it~”

“More importantly, greet my master before me!”

“Hah, I don’t mind. (Ohhh! It’s so yuri!)”

I’m no expert on yuri, but girls being close like this is a feast for the eyes.

No man could deny that.

After that, Agnes finally lets go of Yulia and shows us into the club room.

I’d seen it before, but the sight is still familiar to me.

The whole room has tatami mats, and there are sculptures and swords placed as decorations.

“Welcome to the tea ceremony club! I’m Agnes, the club president!”

“That’s wrong. You’re the vice president.”

“Ouch!?”

“Please forgive my girl. Lord Alvis, Yulia, I am Elise, and I serve as the president of the tea ceremony club.”

“…Well then, nice to meet you.”

The girl who lightly tapped Agnes on the head has gray hair and is wearing a kimono.

That fragile air about her surprisingly suits traditional Japanese clothing… like a yuki-onna, if I had to compare.

Anyway, she’s an unknown character, so I need to be careful.

I observe her closely and think about how to handle this.

“It seems my girl forced an invitation on you…”

“Ugh! But we have so few members! Even with us, there’s only five!”

That apparently is why they invited us.

But Yulia thought it over and decided it’s what she wanted, so it’s fine.

I have experience with tea ceremony, and I get to see my favorite in a kimono, so it’s good for me too.

“No, don’t worry about it… By the way, Yulia, why aren’t you greeting her?”

“Mmm… My master’s all lovey-dovey… Does he really like kimonos that much? Or is it the hair color?”

“Hey, what’s with you…”

“Elise, I’m sorry for greeting you so late… So, can I wear a kimono too!?”

“Fufu, of course.”

“Yay! Let’s all wear them~!”

And just like that, the three of them start chattering excitedly, leaving me out.

I watch them and feel pure happiness.

By the way… when it was time to change, they kicked me out of the room.

—

Chapter 45: Adventurers’ Guild

Five days passed after that, and I got used to the regular classes.

With memories from my previous life, nothing felt particularly hard.

As long as I had knowledge up to about middle school level, I could graduate without any problems.

My older brother and Leila no longer bothered us, and for now, the church showed no signs of activity.

I did not think they had given up, so they were probably planning something.

If that was the case, then we should move forward with our own preparations.

“Well, club activities are off today.”

“Yes, it seems there are no club activities right before the weekly break.”

“Then let’s go ahead as planned.”

I left the classroom with Yulia by my side.

By the way, the other students still treated me like I was invisible.

Though when it came to me, it was the same even in club activities.

Yulia had gradually regained her cheerfulness and seemed to be doing well in both the tennis club and the tea ceremony club.

I-I’m not lonely at all, okay! …Who would even want a guy’s tsundere act?

“Just to confirm, we are heading to the adventurers’ guild, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s partly to earn money, but I’m also thinking about the future. Above all, we both lack real combat experience by a huge amount.”

“That’s true. I fully understand that. I will do my best too, so I can protect you, Master.”

“Hmph, I won’t get my hopes up. (I’ll be the one protecting you!)”

There had been some argument between me and Alvis over whether to register Yulia as an adventurer.

It was dangerous, and the idea of making my favorite work felt wrong to me.

But in the end, we decided to respect her own wishes.

We took a waiting carriage along the way and got off in front of the adventurers’ guild.

When I opened the door… the scene inside was exactly what I had imagined.

“Gahaha! I survived another day!”

“Bring the booze, bring the booze! More of it!”

“Kaaa! This stuff’s good!”

Just as I had heard, there was a bar inside the adventurers’ guild.

To the left of the entrance were counter seats and tables, probably the area for eating and drinking.

On the opposite right side was a bulletin board with request sheets posted on it.

Further back was the reception desk, where people likely registered.

Then Yulia grabbed the hem of my clothes.

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh? I… I’m sorry… huh?”

She tried to let go of my hand, so I held it down.

I instantly understood what had happened.

She probably felt an atmosphere similar to a slave auction.

After all, for a true lady like Yulia, these people were the kind she would never associate with.

“Just stay holding my hand like that.”

“Y-Yes…”

…Her little hand is so soft!

A tough-looking man stepped in front of me as I somehow kept a straight face.

He was nearly 190 cm tall and easily weighed over 100 kg.

With a full beard and a face that screamed bandit, he fit the image perfectly.

“Heh heh, you’ve got yourself a pretty fine woman there.”

“Hmph, of course. (Obviously!)”

“M-Master!?”

It would not be wise to start a fight here, so I decided to brush it off.

But for some reason, Yulia was panicking.

For now, I tried to pass by him.

“W-Wait right there, you brat! Why are you ignoring me!?”

“I’m not ignoring you. Besides, I’m in a good mood right now… Get lost while you still can.”

“Wha…! Just because you’re wearing a noble uniform doesn’t mean you can act all high and mighty! This isn’t a playground for kids!”

“Oh? I’m the one acting high and mighty?”

You’re absolutely right!

Because she’s still holding my hand and has her arm linked with mine!

I’m incredibly happy!

“W-Why are you grinning like that?”

“I’m not… Anyway, what do you want?”

“Heh, simple. Leave that woman here and—Guhah!?”

By the time I realized it, I had slammed an ice-covered fist into his stomach.

The man doubled over in agony and dropped to his knees.

“There’s no way in hell I’d hand Yulia over to the likes of you.”

“…!?”

If I were to give her away, the bare minimum would be to someone who could defeat me and who was also a good man.

Wishing for the happiness of your favorite is the way of being a true fan.

Until then, I will protect her completely.