I Was Reincarnated as the Villain in an Eroge, but I’ll Live Honestly ~Because the Protagonist Was Useless, I Ended Up Making the Heroines Smile and Somehow Built a Harem~ - 38

Chapter 38: Noah Listens to Layla

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It had been several days since Layla dodged the subject of the letter’s contents.

“Hmmm… I don’t get it… Hey, Flora? Do you have a moment?”

“Yes? What is it, Noah-sama? But please wait just a little bit…”

Flora answered while clearly agonizing over something, muttering to herself. At the moment, Noah was having Flora help him change his clothes.

“For Noah-sama, blue might suit you better… But maybe today, something different, like red, would be better… Someone as handsome as Noah-sama looks good in anything, which actually makes it harder to decide…”

Hearing that, Noah couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

“Haha… It doesn’t really matter what I wear. It’s not like anyone’s coming over today.”

“No, that won’t do! As your Onee-chan, making sure my little brother looks presentable is very important.”

“Ri-Right…!”

Incidentally, over the past two years, Flora had never stopped referring to herself as ’Onee-chan.’ For Flora, who was an extreme brother-complex, calling the person she loved her “little brother” was the ultimate expression of affection. Because Noah understood that, he never tried to make her stop calling herself his sister.

“I’ve decided! Let’s go with red today. It’s a passionate color, and it helps you get fired up, too.”

“Yeah, that’s… Wait…”

Something about Flora’s words caught Noah’s attention. When their eyes met, Flora gently narrowed hers.

“You’re thinking about Layla-senpai, right? It’s okay. Onee-chan understands.”

After pausing her words, Flora first helped Noah finish getting dressed. Then she asked, “May I sit next to you?” and sat down beside him before continuing.

“Layla-senpai hasn’t really been herself lately. But that’s not what’s bothering you most, is it?”

“Yeah… I can kind of guess what was written in the letter.”

He remembered Layla losing her composure in the manor’s back garden. He could imagine that it said something like her father asking her to come home.

“Layla probably realizes that I more or less know what was in the letter anyway. So I keep thinking, if that’s the case, she could just tell me. But she still doesn’t want to talk about it, and I keep wondering why.”

For several days after Layla deflected him, every time he tried to ask for the reason, she just changed the subject and refused to talk. At this point, Noah even started to think that maybe not asking at all was the right answer. And in response to Noah’s words, Flora let out a soft chuckle. Tilting his head at the unexpected reaction, Noah heard Flora apologize.

“I was just thinking how similar it is to me. You remember, Noah-sama, don’t you? Back when people were badmouthing me.”

“Of course I remember, but…”

Even so, it didn’t quite click for Noah. Incidentally, the time Flora had been badmouthed referred to when she had tried too hard at her work, ended up overreaching, and caused trouble for others as a result. Nostalgically recalling those days, Flora narrowed her eyes and began to speak.

“When you found out I was being talked about behind my back, I tried to run away, didn’t I? I thought it felt kind of similar. That said, that’s all there is to it… I don’t really know why Layla-senpai doesn’t want to talk either…”

Letting out a small laugh, Flora scratched her cheek. But in response to her words, Noah suddenly lifted his head.

“That’s it. Hey, Flora. Can I ask you one thing?”

“Of course! In fact, don’t stop at one. Feel free to ask me anything!”

“Back then, I was pretty forceful about getting you to talk, wasn’t I? I chased after you when you tried to run away, right? How did you feel about that?”

“Well… I was happy, you know? If I hadn’t talked, I would’ve kept carrying everything alone. But to be honest, it was also a little painful to talk about. I didn’t want Noah-sama to find out.”

Pausing there, Flora’s expression turned serious.

“…Even now, I don’t know if it was the right thing to talk about it.”

After that preface, Flora shrugged her shoulders.

“But one thing is certain. I don’t regret it.”

Flora smiled gently, beaming.

“I see… I think if I were in Flora’s position, I probably wouldn’t want to talk either.”

Even after hearing Flora’s answer, Noah still didn’t know why Layla refused to speak. Still, he felt that leaving things as they were wasn’t right.

“Thank you, Flora. I’m going to go see Layla now.”

At Noah’s words, Flora’s face instantly brightened.

“Then, Noah-sama, please wait just a moment.”

“Sure. What is it?”

—chu.

It happened in an instant. Noah felt a slightly damp, soft sensation against his cheek.

“Hey…You can’t just go and do things like that…”

Blushing, Noah pressed a hand to his cheek.

“Ehehe~ You looked so cool, Noah-sama, deciding to give it your all. It just makes me want to keep kissing you and doting on you.”

“That’s not really a reason to do things like that though…”

Despite his words, it was true that he didn’t feel all that bad about it.

“Well, I’m off!”

Seeing Noah off with a smug, satisfied grin, Flora watched as he headed toward Layla. He didn’t know whether what he was doing was right or wrong. Even if it turned out to be wrong, he wanted to find at least one thing that could make someone smile at the end of that mistake.

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“Layla, do you have a moment? I need to talk to you.”

Noah called out to Layla while she was working. She probably had a good idea what he was going to ask. With a complicated expression on her face, Layla apologized.

“I’m terribly sorry. I can’t step away right now. Perhaps another day—”

Cutting her off, Noah spoke.

“Then, Canaria. Could you take over Layla’s work for her?”

“Yes, certainly.”

Because he knew she would refuse, Noah had already prepared for this.

“N-Noah-sama, that’s a bit too—”

“It’s fine. I’ll hear you out later. Let’s just move somewhere else for now.”

Pulling Layla by the hand as she stared at him wide-eyed, Noah led her to the back garden.

“Hey, Layla. Will you tell me what was in the letter after all?”

“Noah-sama, like I said before, you already have a pretty good idea of what was written in the letter, right? In that case, I don’t think it’s something I need to explain myself.”

Layla spoke with a pasted-on smile.

“You say that, but you’re hiding something else too, aren’t you? I can tell at least that much. There was more written than just your father wanting to make up, right?”

“…………There was nothing like that.”

At Layla’s reply, Noah let out a small sigh.

“I really didn’t want to use a move like this, but…”

Noah took a deep breath once. Then he pulled a single letter from his pocket. The moment she saw it, Layla’s eyes went wide and she sprang to her feet.

“Noah-sama! Reading someone else’s letter without permission is absolutely unacceptable! I didn’t want you to read it!”

In Noah’s hand was the letter addressed to Layla from her father.

“Yeah, I know. What I’m doing is really underhanded.”

As Noah spoke calmly, Layla responded with a hint of irritation in her voice.

“Then—”

“Even so, I want to hear it from you, Layla!”

Noah forcibly cut her off. Having raised his voice, Noah clenched his hands tightly in his lap, his body trembling.

“Layla, on the day the letter arrived, you were really angry here, weren’t you?”

“…You saw that, didn’t you?”

“That’s how serious it was for you. Which means the letter had something even worse than just reconciling with your father written in it, right? I want to know!”

As if hurling out all the feelings that had built up from not being told anything until now, Noah continued.

“You keep acting like everything’s fine and saying nothing! Tell me properly! I’m worried sick! I keep thinking you’ll never tell me anything, that you’ll suddenly disappear from my life!”

“Noah-sama…”

Lowering her gaze, Layla then let out a rare sigh in front of Noah and spoke quietly, her voice lowered an octave.

“I’ll say this first, it’s a disgusting story.”

Pausing there, Layla lifted her face and spoke with an indescribable expression.

“The letter assumed that I would return home.”

“…What do you mean?”

“My father arranged a fiancé for me. He wants me to return to my family home, marry that person, and live happily.”

“…………What?”

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