Dominate Another World with a Brainwashing Skill!? No, If Anyone Finds Out, I’ll Be Executed, So I’ll Live Honestly and Upright! - Chapter 71: A Date in the Royal Capital

Chapter 71: A Date in the Royal Capital

After profusely apologizing to Loug, I somehow managed to earn her forgiveness. I quickly changed into my workout clothes and headed out for my morning training. As usual, Alyssa was already there before me, gracefully swinging her sword with such fluidity that it was mesmerizing to watch.

“Good morning, Miss Alyssa…”

“Morning, Hugh. You’re looking a bit down today. Something happened?”

“Well, let’s just say… I’ve had a series of unfortunate events.”

If I told her the details, she’d definitely tease me to no end, so I decided to keep it vague. But Alyssa simply nodded with an amused smirk.

“Hmm, I see, I see… You wet the bed, didn’t you?”

“I did not!”

“No need to be embarrassed. In battle, there’s no time for bathroom breaks—everyone just lets it all out.”

“That’s not something I needed to know…”

I thought she was joking, but she didn’t say anything to correct herself. So… was she actually serious?

“Anyway, did you get a response from Recty?”

Alyssa’s expression turned serious as she asked the question. Guess she wasn’t joking after all.

“Yeah, Recty agreed to help. She said, ‘If there’s something I can do, I’ll do it.’ She seems pretty determined.”

“Got it. And have you told Lady Lucretia about it yet?”

“Uh… well… not yet. There were… a few complications.”

By the time I got back last night, Loug was already asleep, and this morning was too chaotic to even think about it.

Prince Lucas had told me that whether or not to inform Lucretia about the King’s condition was up to me. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to do with that responsibility…

“If you tell her, she’ll definitely want to see Father. Meeting my brothers comes with a lot of risks, but if she goes as Loug, Recty’s friend, it might be fine. In fact, it could be a good chance to reinforce the idea that Lucretia and Loug are two different people.”

Prince Lucas had said that with a slightly uneasy expression—assuming nothing went wrong, of course.

“Honestly, I think it’s better not to tell her. Sure, it’s sad if she doesn’t get to see her father one last time… but the risk is way too high.”

Most likely, Prince Slay and Prince Brute would also be present when Recty treats His Majesty. The thought of Lucretia maintaining her act as Loug in front of them was… worrying, to say the least. Alyssa had a point.

But…

I couldn’t help but remember the regrets from my past life. If His Majesty were to pass away without Lucretia seeing him, she might end up carrying the same regret I once did.

Considering her circumstances, Alyssa was probably right—it might be better not to tell her. But even so…

“Can I take some time to think about it… until the last minute?”

“I’ll come pick you up by carriage at 2 PM, so make sure you’ve made a decision by then.”

“Okay.”

After saying that, Alyssa proceeded to “train” me as usual, which basically meant beating me to a pulp. Once that was done, she headed back to the royal castle to deliver Recty’s response to Prince Lucas. Would it have killed her to take it easy on me just for today…?

Dragging my aching body back to the dorm, I sighed. It had been almost three weeks since I started training with Alyssa, but I still didn’t feel any stronger. Sure, I could hold my own for a few more exchanges than before, but I hadn’t even managed to land a single hit on her with my wooden sword.

I liked to think I had decent reflexes. Maybe I just didn’t have any talent for swordsmanship…

“I’m back.”

“Welcome back, Hugh!”

Waiting for me in the room, Loug greeted me with a beaming smile. She was already dressed in her uniform, fully ready to head out. Looked like she had moved past this morning’s… incident. Thank goodness.

“Let me take a quick shower first.”

After letting Loug know, who looked ready to dash out of the room any second, I headed to the shower to wash away the sweat and grime.

I still got beaten up pretty badly during training, but lately, I’d gotten better at rolling with the hits. At least now I wasn’t bleeding all over the place like before. Today’s injuries weren’t serious enough to need Recty’s healing, thankfully.

Once I changed back into my uniform, Loug and I left the room together. We decided to grab breakfast at the cafeteria before heading out to explore the capital.

“Eh?! We can only go on our date until noon?!”

“Shh! And I keep telling you—it’s not a date!”

Loug’s loud declaration of “date” echoed through the cafeteria, drawing a wave of curious stares from the students around us. I had switched my skill from <Ninja> to <Pyrokinesis> so it wouldn’t interfere with training, but even without enhanced hearing, I could still catch snippets of their conversations.

“So those two are really… you know?”

“Wait, is that even allowed… between guys?!”

“Idiot, that’s exactly why it works!”

“That guy’s got both guys and girls hanging around him… what a player.”

“I swear, I’m getting my revenge in the class competition!”

What the hell kind of misunderstandings are spreading here?!

No, wait… is it really a misunderstanding? Or should I just let them think whatever they want?

This whole situation was getting way too complicated for my brain to handle.

“Sorry, Loug. It’s something Prince Lucas asked me to do, and I can’t get out of it.”

“Aww… I was hoping to have you all to myself today…”

“I should’ve told you earlier. My bad.”

“It’s okay. If it’s an order from Br— I mean, Prince Lucas, then it can’t be helped. Besides, I’m glad you’re getting along with him…”

But she still mumbled “Stupid big brother…” under her breath with a sulky pout. I wish she’d lower her voice a bit—having this kind of conversation in the cafeteria wasn’t exactly ideal.

After quickly finishing our breakfast, we got permission from the guards at the academy gate and headed out into the royal capital.

Even though we were outside, we didn’t really have a specific destination in mind. Just walking around like last time would probably be fun enough, but I figured I should at least ask Loug if there was anywhere she wanted to go.

“Hmm? Let’s see…”

Loug glanced around the bustling streets before suddenly lighting up.

“Ah! I want to go there!”

She pointed excitedly at a towering white spire rising between the buildings.

It was the grand cathedral of the Church of Divine Gifts, one of the most prominent landmarks in the royal capital.