I Was Reincarnated as the Villain Who Confines the Heroine in an Eroge World, But for Some Reason I'm the One Getting Confined by the Heroine Instead - Chapter 35: Grapes Grapes Grapes Grapes Grapes

Chapter 35: Grapes Grapes Grapes Grapes Grapes

Lord Masquerade.

This guy was an executive in the assassination organization that Lavanda belonged to.

Such a person stood right in front of me openly. The sudden encounter left my mouth hanging open without thinking.

But I could not let him sense my shock.

Lavanda was here too. The surrounding escorts probably belonged to the organization.

I needed to stay calm so no one suspected anything.

“…”

I acted natural while directing my gaze at him again.

He looked every bit like a butler. But that stance was not a butler’s.

He wore a subtle expression, but there was no opening at all. The atmosphere suggested that if I looked away for even a moment, he would strike.

And this guy called himself Karan and claimed to manage the farm.

That could not be true.

When Lavanda said she would “join up,” it did not seem like he managed this farm normally.

So calling himself the manager was definitely a lie.

But Safira apparently did not know that fact.

She looked away without interest, then suddenly grabbed my hand. And she flashed a full smile.

“Come on, I’ll show you to the room.”

“Yeah.”

I glanced at Lord Masquerade one last time, then entered while pretending to stay calm.

I asked while walking down the grand hallway worthy of a mansion.

“Have you been here before, Safira?”

“Only at the beginning, I think. The mansion was already here, so I just renovated it a bit, and I leave the grape growing to the farmers.”

“I see.”

That explained why she felt no discomfort about Lord Masquerade’s presence.

“By the way, how many people are in this mansion?”

“Hmm, not sure. Lately I’ve been focusing on training successors, so quite a few people come and go, I think… But it’s okay. I’ve properly prepared our room!”

“Our?”

I did not worry about the room specifically, but since we stayed for a week, it mattered for sure.

“Here it is. This is our room.”

“Our?”

The room they showed us was at least three times more luxurious than I expected.

It was huge first of all. Probably five times the size of our usual dorm rooms.

The interior sparkled, with trinkets and sofas lined up like those in a princess’s home.

And in the center stood a large double bed.

Two pillows sat there, clearly meant for two people to sleep together.

“Huh? There’s only one bed?”

“Come here, this way.”

As I wondered about that, Safira pulled me firmly out to the terrace.

“Grapes!”

A full view of grape vineyards spread before my eyes.

As always, grapes were grape-like, and grapes were doing grape things.

Sunlight spilled through gaps in the leaves, making them sparkle like jewels. No, they were jewels themselves.

Goosebumps rose on my skin, and the beauty moved me to tears.

“…A whole week here.”

“What do you think? Getting excited now, right?”

“It’s the best.”

It really was the best.

If the manager was not an assassination organization executive, if the escorts were not all organization dogs, if the personal maid was not a traitor, it would truly be the perfect vacation.

It was paradise on earth.

“Alright, let’s wipe them all out!”

Yeah, that sounded good. Anyone interfering with my ideal grape life deserved a beating.

“Ask-kun!? Where are you going?”

“I’m going to wipe out humanity.”

“When you say it, Ask-kun, it doesn’t sound like a joke.”

Safira desperately held me back as I tried to rush out of the room.

“It’s true that humans besides Ask-kun are basically trash, but wiping them out is no good.”

“Even for grapes?”

“Even for grapes!”

I see. Then it could not be helped.

“Anyway, let’s unpack and then explore nearby. You want to see grapes up close, right?”

“Grapes!”

Yeah, grapes.

First, let’s look at grapes and calm down for now.

Wiping out humanity could wait until after gazing at grapes.

We decided that and headed outside again.

*

I pulled myself together and decided to tour the nearby grape vineyards.

As we went down the slope in front of the mansion, grape leaves filled my entire view.

“This is Merlot.”

A farmer who had been working noticed Safira and greeted her politely.

We nodded lightly in return, and he explained the grape varieties.

“This area has a relatively cool climate, so Pinot Noir growing is mainstream, but Safira-sama aims to produce diverse wines here and build a kind of brand. That’s why we’re challenging ourselves with different varieties like Merlot and Syrah.”

“I see, that’s so like Safira.”

“Ehehe, hearing you praise me that much makes me shy.”

Lately my opinion of her kept rising sharply.

Growing different varieties sounded easy to say, but it was not that simple.

Her passion for grapes came through as extraordinary.

“What about white grapes?”

“For whites, we have Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.”

“That many kinds?”

“Yes. I couldn’t do it alone by any means, but we’re growing them in cooperation with the surrounding farmers.”

That was impressive.

“It really feels unique to this farm.”

“It’s all thanks to Safira-sama’s guidance.”

The old man smiled warmly.

His words did not sound like flattery; they came from genuine gratitude.

Safira not only acquired the farms and gained rights, but she respected the original craftsmen and entrusted them with growing.

That was why their knowledge and experience blended, letting grapes grow in an ideal way.

“If we could expand this nationwide, the whole country would become grape vineyards.”

That would be perfect, but realistically it seemed tough.

She was not a king or princess, just a duke’s daughter. The most she could do was fill the duke’s territory with grape vineyards.

“Maybe wiping out humanity is the way after all…”

“Ask-kun?”

After that, we visited other fields and talked with various farmers.

Each used different growing methods, and grape care varied widely.

Even the same fruit became completely different depending on the grower. I fell in love all over again with the depth of grapes.

“Maybe I should just live here forever.”

I started thinking that when,

“Should we head back soon?”

Safira suggested with a smile. I glanced at the sky and saw it dyed deep red; we had spent far more time in the vineyards than I realized.

Come to think of it, I had not eaten a meal.

Farmers let us sample grapes, so I was not hungry and had plenty of hydration, but we had walked nonstop, so I wanted rest here at least.

And who knew when an attack might come.

“Let’s head back for now.”

“For now?”

“For now.”

Safira gave a wry smile that looked unsure, but she soon took my hand and started running.

We returned to the mansion exhausted but satisfied.

Well, if there was one lingering regret,

It was that my ideal of turning the entire country into grape vineyards could not come true.