Vol 1 Chapter 8 – Betrayed by My Childhood Friend and Captured by My Childhood Friend【Vol 1 – When Written in Kanji, It’s Saionji Yumeba】

I safely turned sixteen, and spring—the cherry blossom season—arrived.

In other words, the day of my promise with Serina had come.

I was roused early in the morning by Yumeba, somehow forced to prepare for flower viewing, and arrived before noon at the promised location—the imperial capital’s cherry blossom-lined street.

All that was left was to wait for Serina to arrive, but…

“…She’s not coming.”

“…She’s not coming.”

Serina hadn’t shown up even past the promised time.

“Could she have forgotten the promise?”

“It was a promise Serina made herself, and that stubborn girl wouldn’t break a promise.”

“True.”

“Rather, knowing how clumsy she is, maybe she got the meeting place or time wrong?”

“…That’s possible.”

After all, it was eight years ago—it wouldn’t be strange if her memory was fuzzy.

And if she’d gotten the time and place slightly wrong, that was one thing, but if she was off by several days, our waiting here would be meaningless.

“I’m getting more anxious…”

“For now… let’s wait until sunset.”

“Yeah.”

To keep our promise with our friend, Yumeba and I continued waiting at the cherry blossom street until sunset.

But even when darkness enveloped our surroundings, Serina never appeared.

What awaited us when we trudged back to the castle in dejection was—the announcement of Yunix and Serina’s engagement.

◇◇◇

“…What’s going on?”

“Don’t ask me.”

While a party was being held for Yunix and Serina’s engagement announcement, Yumeba and I were troubled by this incomprehensible situation.

“That clumsy girl—don’t tell me she confused Lio and Yunix?”

“Even though we’re twins, there’s no way she could mistake us when we’re this different.”

Yunix had blonde hair and blue eyes, while I had black hair and heterochromia.

If she could mistake us, she could mistake anyone.

“Then maybe Yunix threatened to harm Lio or coerced her into the engagement? As someone in the succession struggle, Yunix would want the backing of Serina, a duke’s daughter.”

“…Doesn’t look like it to me.”

At the engagement announcement, Serina stood next to Yunix smiling happily, and knowing the old Serina, it didn’t look like acting.

If anything, Yunix was the one with a strained expression, having his arm taken by Serina.

Then Yunix and Serina’s greetings began.

Yunix got through his greeting without incident, but…

“The first time I met Yuni-sama was eight years ago, and his eyes were so beautiful that… I fell in love at first sight.”

Serina began telling a story that sounded familiar, her cheeks flushed.

“And when I left the imperial capital to return to the ducal territory, we promised to reunite and marry after eight years before parting. I never thought we’d be engaged the very same day… I’m incredibly happy.”

Serina looked truly happy as she smiled.

“I don’t remember promising marriage, and was Yunix even there at that time?”

“Of course not. That’s Serina’s delusion—it’s obviously about you, Lio.”

“Right…”

Yeah, there was no way to misunderstand that.

“But even if our faces are similar, could she really mistake Yunix and me when we’re this different? Back then she called me Lio-sama, so she’d know from the name.”

“But it doesn’t look like acting, and she doesn’t seem to be forcing herself to smile, does she?”

“…I don’t know.”

In the end, during the engagement announcement party, Yumeba and I were confused and couldn’t find any answers.

The answer came after the engagement party ended, when we were consulting in my room about this and that, and Yumeba was about to force her way to Serina’s quarters.

“Excuse me.”

A knock came, and a single maid visited my room.

“You may not remember, but I was Lady Serina’s lady-in-waiting.”

“Ah.”

The visitor was Serina’s lady-in-waiting, a woman Yumeba and I remembered seeing accompanying Serina eight years ago.

“I’ve come to take some of your time to explain Lady Serina’s current situation.”

Serina’s lady-in-waiting then began recounting Serina’s daily life after parting from us, her expression pained.

The problem was, as expected, that I was famous as the discarded prince.

Even if Serina herself didn’t care, her father the duke worried about his daughter’s future, and Serina’s mother was concerned that her first love was the discarded prince.

So Serina’s parents devised a plan.

It was a scheme to gradually alter Serina’s perception over time, rewriting her first love from a black-haired, heterochromatic boy named Lio to a blonde, blue-eyed boy whose name she didn’t know.

For this plan, Serina’s parents completely shut down communication with Yumeba and me, and over five years slowly rewrote Serina’s perception.

“That’s brainwashing.”

“I tried to stop them, but the master and mistress wouldn’t listen… I was removed from Lady Serina’s care and couldn’t even be involved until recently.”

Well, a mere lady-in-waiting couldn’t do anything about the duke’s decision.

“Even so, Lady Serina remembered the promise from eight years ago, and she went to the promised place the other day, but…”

“She met Yunix there?”

“…Yes.”

“But we waited at the promised place until sunset.”

“I thought it was strange too, but apparently Lady Serina had mistaken the meeting location…”

“That clumsy girl.”

Making a huge blunder at the most crucial moment was unforgivable.

“Probably it wasn’t just the brainwashing, but Serina herself idealized Lio to the maximum in her fantasies during the eight years they couldn’t meet.”

“…What do you mean?”

I tilted my head at Yumeba’s interjection.

“Because even if they rewrote her perception, there’s no way she could mistake Lio and Yunix. Surely in Serina’s fantasy, she made Lio blonde and blue-eyed, idealizing him to the maximum—and that became Yunix.”

“…I didn’t want to hear that.”

I really didn’t want to hear that opinion because I thought it was likely true.

After Serina’s lady-in-waiting left looking apologetic, I collapsed onto the sofa, drained of energy.

“Lio, are you okay?”

“…Not okay.”

While giving an offhand response to Yumeba’s worried question, honestly speaking, I was greatly shocked, having my trauma from the past—my previous life—triggered.

In Serina’s case, it wasn’t due to my misfortune but her parents’ scheme, but the situation was the same—a woman who’d shown me affection introduced me to a man who wasn’t me.

I’d lost all motivation and didn’t feel like doing anything.

“Lio. Is there anything… I can do?”

“…Give me a gentle kiss.”

Honestly, I found even Yumeba’s attention annoying and gave a throwaway response…

“!”

Before I knew it, I was pressing my lips against Yumeba’s—receiving the gentle kiss I’d requested.

Leaving me confused by my first kiss in both lives, Yumeba slowly separated her lips and stared at me from close range.

“If Serina doesn’t want you… then I’m taking you for myself.”

She murmured something ominous, then pressed her lips against mine again—this time not a gentle kiss, but a passionate one with both arms firmly holding my head.

Confused in various ways, I watched Yumeba’s crimson eyes shine at close range—thinking something out of place, like how they looked like flames expressing Yumeba’s passion.

Yumeba showed no signs of stopping, and though inexperienced and clumsy, she slipped her tongue into my mouth—when I reflexively tried to push back with my tongue, she joyfully entwined her tongue with mine, transitioning to a deep kiss.

My mouth ravaged by Yumeba’s passionate, hot tongue, Yumeba naturally straddled my body and didn’t miss my body’s changes.

A prince and the Saionji Duke’s daughter—this is bad…

While I thought such pointless things, Yumeba began stripping my clothes off one piece at a time.

◇◆◇

The Incident Began That First Day

Emilio and Yumeba met when they were eight years old.

At that time, Yumeba was wandering bored through the castle when she happened upon Emilio, lured him with the promise of teaching magic, and successfully made him hold a wooden sword for a mock battle.

Back then, Yumeba naturally swung her sword daily as a Saionji Duke’s daughter, but had absolutely zero interpersonal combat experience.

Therefore, eight-year-old Yumeba not only lacked restraint but also lacked consideration.

That’s right. Though Emilio himself didn’t know this, when Yumeba struck him on the head with the wooden sword, Emilio bled profusely from his head and nearly died.

Panicked by the unexpected blood loss, Yumeba carried Emilio and hurried back to the ducal house—seeking help from her mother Yukina.

Fortunately, Yukina was skilled not only in swordsmanship but also magic, so Emilio survived, but Yumeba cried hard after nearly killing her first friend.

At the same time, Yumeba learned the terrifying nature of her sword.

She didn’t understand intellectually, but though she’d swung her sword daily as a Saionji Duke’s daughter, she recognized somewhere in her heart that a thoughtless sword could easily take a person’s life—even a friend’s life.

Understanding her daughter’s growth, Yukina gently counseled Yumeba, though questionable as a mother but appropriate as the Saionji Duke’s head.

“A sword, if not wielded correctly, is nothing but violence. It easily takes people’s lives… even treating precious lives lightly. Therefore, the Saionji house’s sword… must be swung to protect.”

“…Protect?”

“I don’t know yet if this child will become precious to you, but I hear the Fourth Prince is shunned even by his own imperial family. This child with no allies will surely be driven into life-threatening situations again.”

“…”

“So until the day comes when this child can stand on his own, you must protect him.”

“Okay!”

Thus Yumeba became Emilio’s guardian sword.

Years passed.

For Yumeba, a duke’s daughter who couldn’t easily make friends, the discarded prince Emilio became the only person she could interact with casually—truly without any reservation.

Yumeba herself didn’t know whether she saw Emilio as a friend or as a man.

But she always maintained self-control.

Because Serina, who’d met them when they were eight and became their close friend, had reserved Emilio.

She could entrust Emilio to her close friend Serina.

Because she thought that, Yumeba maintained self-control, but then Serina—though not of her own will—betrayed Emilio.

There was anger toward Serina, but more than that, the self-control that had suppressed her instincts until now burst—and with joy, Yumeba claimed Emilio in various ways.

◇◇◇

Why were Saionji Duke house women considered taboo as supporters in the succession struggle?

Because they were called bottomless.

This wasn’t about sexual desire.

Women born into the Saionji Duke house were, without exception, abnormally possessive and inconceivably jealous.

In other words, they possessed bottomless love.

They’d identify a single man, drag him into the well of bottomless love—and close the lid so it would never open again.

Anyone who tried to come between them and their man was an enemy, no matter who.

Saionji Duke house women swung their swords to protect their man, swung their swords to monopolize their man, swung their swords to fulfill their man’s wishes.

Yeah, you probably understand at this point, but while the Saionji Duke house was a powerful supporter, you’d lose all cooperation from other noble houses, making it taboo in the succession struggle.

Furthermore, though I don’t know the principle, the Saionji Duke house had the mysterious characteristic of only bearing daughters.

That’s why Yukina-san, Yumeba’s mother, was the Saionji Duke house head, and it was the only noble house in the empire where a female head was recognized.

On top of that, Saionji Duke house women only became pregnant once in their lifetime.

After bearing one child from their chosen man—naturally a daughter—they’d spend the rest of their lives swinging their sword to protect their man.

As you can understand, having an emperor bound to a single woman who could only produce one female heir was out of the question.

This was why men in the succession struggle didn’t choose—couldn’t choose—the Saionji Duke house as their supporter.

Bluntly speaking, once caught by a Saionji Duke house woman, you’d not only drop out of the succession struggle but also as royalty.

And I had been caught by a Saionji Duke house woman—Yumeba.

Shocked by what happened with Serina, swept along by various things and responding to Yumeba who passionately sought me, I’d spent a hot night with her and was currently greeting the morning.

Yeah, frankly it was my first time including both lives, and the only impression I could give was that it was amazing in various ways, but…

I really did it…

I stared at Yumeba sleeping peacefully with a serene expression, naked in my arms on my bed, while mentally holding my head.

No, I didn’t regret it, and I hadn’t not considered having this kind of relationship with Yumeba, but…

Confessing during the act is the worst!

Yes. Right before the main event, Yumeba stopped me and made me confess how I felt about her.

My self-control completely blown as a virgin, I repeatedly confessed to Yumeba—”I like you,” “I love you,” “I adore you”—and obtained permission from Yumeba, who smiled peacefully, to become one with her.

I wanted my first confession to be in a more romantic situation!

It might sound trivial, but I’d thought about various confession scenarios in my own way.

All of that went to waste as we suddenly crossed the line.

As a Saionji Duke house trait, pregnancy doesn’t occur until the body judges it’s at its best, so I didn’t think last night resulted in pregnancy.

“Mm… Lio?”

While I was thinking about all this, Yumeba woke up in my arms.

“Uh, well, you see…”

“Good morning ♡”

“!”

She greeted me with an incredibly peaceful and gentle face, uncharacteristic of Yumeba, and naturally kissed me.

Reflexively embracing Yumeba while returning the kiss—I understood I could no longer escape in various ways.

“Congratulations ♪”

When I made various resolutions and went to the Saionji Duke house to greet Yukina-san—I was blessed without warning.

Well, I’d made Yumeba stay out without permission, and seeing Yumeba’s completely different demeanor from yesterday made it obvious to those who could tell.

“So, did you come to discuss marriage?”

“Well, yeah… that’s right.”

“I’m so happy ♪ That Lio-kun would come to the Saionji Duke house.”

“…Please treat me well.”

Yeah, one reason the Saionji Duke house doesn’t get involved in succession struggles is the custom that if you have relations with a Saionji Duke house woman, you don’t take her as a wife—you become their son-in-law.

This applies without exception, whether you’re royalty or anyone else.

Because the Saionji Duke house are the empire’s guardians, only one daughter is born, and women become the head.

“Mom, don’t call Lio ‘Lio’ anymore.”

“Yes, yes, I understand. From now on I’ll call him son-in-law or Emilio-kun.”

Yumeba, who’d been walking beside me in good spirits until now, already displayed the Saionji Duke house’s characteristic possessiveness by snapping at her own mother.

She probably didn’t like women other than herself calling me by my nickname.

Well, even Yukina-san’s own daughter Yumeba wasn’t allowed to get too close to Yukina-san’s husband, so there was no point defending this.

Wait, even if a daughter is born, I can only interact with her minimally?

I’d heard rumors that Saionji Duke house women raised their daughters properly to keep them from getting too close to their husbands, and at this rate, it might be true.

“Come on, Lio. This way. You’re living in my room from today on ♡”

Yumeba turned toward me with a smile overflowing with affection, the complete opposite of what she showed her mother.

Furthermore, Yumeba’s first-person pronoun had changed at some point.

Until now it was “atashi,” but now it was “watashi.”

I’d thought this was a bit too revealing, but…

“This is more to your liking, right Lio?”

“…That’s right.”

Saionji Duke house women change to match their chosen man’s preferences.

Until now she’d had an appearance and personality specialized for wielding a sword, but from now on she’d change as much as possible to my preferred appearance and transform into my preferred personality.

Just as Yukina-san had become her current self to match her husband’s wishes.

Actually, it was rare for a clan to show such a distinct transformation from girl to woman.

Yeah, I thought I understood, but seriously, no joke—it looks like I really can’t escape.

As soon as I entered Yumeba’s room, she clung to me and rubbed her cheek against mine.

That attitude was incredibly cute, and I wanted to push her down onto the bed right now, but…

“If you’re thinking of doing something about Serina, it’s pointless, Lio.”

“…”

“Even if Serina realizes the truth and comes to you, I’ve already chosen you. I’ll never give you to anyone.”

I see. Yumeba had maintained self-control until now because of her promise with Serina, and it was also because of Serina that Yumeba’s self-control broke.

Contrary to her cute appearance moments ago, Yumeba now had a face that even the king of carnivores would flee from.

Though everyone else could run, I couldn’t!

“Hey, Lio… let’s do it ♡”

And unable to escape, I was being pushed down onto Yumeba’s bed even though it was still morning.

Less than a day had passed, yet I could clearly tell Yumeba’s chest was beginning to grow larger, and I became entranced.