My Childhood Friend Told Me to Go Marry the Most Beautiful Woman in the Kingdom, So I Seriously Started Improving Myself—and Somehow Ended Up Making Women Fall Hard - Chapter 120 & 121

Act 08

Chapter 120: The Weight of What Was Lost (14)

Side: Rina Carhoi

The stone stairs were damp.

As I followed behind the man in robes, only my own footsteps echoed—strangely loud in my ears.

Outside the royal castle.
In the darkness of the capital.

The fact that I had come to a place like this on my own… already meant it was over.

(There’s no turning back.)

Asmo laughed.

I didn’t. I couldn’t.

The door creaked open, and the air from below clung to my skin. It reeked—of incense, rot, and old blood.

At the center of the dim light, a magic circle had been drawn in rough lines. It wasn’t complete yet.

And beside it—

On a crude bed laid over the floor, a man was lying there.

Blond hair. A well-shaped face. His mouth was covered with cloth, his hands and feet tightly bound.

“…Why is this guy here?”

My voice came out cold. Even I was surprised by it.

Magnum Flabo Galactica.

Because of this guy… I lost Hort.

The robed man bowed deeply.

“He is one who desires a demon. Whether you offer him as a sacrifice or not… it is as you wish, Priestess.”

“As I wish…?”

A wave of nausea rose up.

This guy desires a demon? Don’t joke with me. What do you think I gave up… just to obtain this?

I stepped closer to the magic circle. The lines on the floor faintly absorbed the light.

“…Then I won’t help.”

“—!”

The robed man snapped his head up. Not shock—fear.

I simply shrugged.

“Alright. I’ll draw the magic circle for you.”

“Priestess…!”

“But the one who makes the contract will be him. He’ll cut himself, pay the price himself, and form the contract with the demon on his own. I won’t be involved.”

I took the paper and ink, then added lines to the floor without hesitation.

My hand didn’t shake. There was no reason left for it to.

The robed man let out a voice, as if he was deeply moved on his own.

“I see! Instead of using him as a disposable sacrifice, you’ll make him into a higher-ranking servant!”

“You’re wrong. For him… yeah, he’ll be my substitute.”

I spat it out.

“From now on, use him to carry out demon summoning. I’ll only make the final decisions.”

Magnum’s eyelids twitched faintly.

…Don’t wake up.
Don’t hear my voice.
Don’t see my face.

If he does… something inside me will break again.

I finished drawing the last line and tossed the brush aside.

“Do as you like. I’m leaving.”

“Priestess…! B-But—!”

Cutting him off, I turned on my heel.

Magnum didn’t open his eyes.

He still hadn’t noticed me.

That was fine.

Just stay like that forever… without ever noticing.

I left the place behind.

What remained was nothing but emptiness.

All that was left inside me… was a huge hole carved into my heart.

A hole that would never be filled.

Whose fault is it? …Mine.

(How pathetic.)

Asmo whispered.

“Shut up!”

I returned to the castle and headed toward the court mages’ quarters.

The air outside felt a little cold. Even though it was night, the lights seemed strangely bright.

Just as I turned the corner—someone was there ahead, within the castle grounds.

My heart stopped for a moment. No way.

“…W-Why are you here?!”

My voice almost slipped out, and I quickly covered my mouth.

Instinctively, I slipped behind a pillar and hid.

Hort Rubel.

I didn’t understand why he was here. More than that… the place I was in and the place he belonged to should no longer overlap.

In front of Hort… stood another woman.

Pale hair under the moonlight. Calm, refined movements.

Irene.

Why… is Hort standing in front of that woman?

He acted cold toward me… so why is he speaking to Irene so gently?

Hort didn’t notice me.

Of course not. I was hiding.

But… he was smiling at Irene.

With that soft smile he no longer showed me.

“Irene. Sorry for asking you to make time this late at night.”

“No, not at all. If it’s for you, Sir Hort, I don’t mind one bit!”

Familiar. Natural. Just casual conversation.

Something deep in my chest twisted and crushed.

(…What is that?)

I defeated Magnum.
I gained fame as a court mage.
I got closer to demons—needed, desired, sought after.

And yet… just one smile Hort gave to someone else was enough to drain all the color from my world.

No matter what I had gained.
No matter what I had thrown away.

Hort wasn’t in my world anymore.

Behind the pillar, my fingertips turned cold.

My emotions twisted into a mess—I couldn’t even feel like myself anymore.

And still… I kept watching. Even though I didn’t want to, I couldn’t look away.

Hort handed something to Irene.

A paper bag? Irene accepted it, her cheeks flushing just a little.

What is that?!

That reaction… that’s the one I wanted!!!

I heard Hort say, “It’s alright.”

That voice… the same one that used to support me.

And now, another woman was the one receiving it.

My throat hurt. My breathing grew shallow.

I covered my mouth. If I made a sound, he would notice me.

And if he did… what would I even say?

—I’m sorry? I want to come back?

I didn’t have the right.

All I could do was stay hidden behind the pillar… and keep staring at Hort’s back.

I want him to disappear.
I don’t want him to disappear.

Ahh…

Somewhere along the way, I messed up.

I broke something.

And yet… it felt like I finally understood how to fill what I had lost.

Chapter 121: Reunion with a Classmate

Side: Hort Rubel

Count’s daughter: Irene Hadius.

For me, my image of her was simple—Rina’s rival.

While Rina held the top position, Irene, despite being a count’s daughter, always remained in second place in magic studies. While Rina specialized in spirit summoning, Irene focused on elemental magic.

“I didn’t really have much contact with her. I hope she still remembers me.”

First, I needed to arrange a meeting.

Charging straight at a count’s daughter and saying “Let me meet her” would only make me look suspicious.

I sat at my desk and spread out a sheet of letter paper.

Back in our academy days, she was a classmate—an honor student, always standing out, always refined.

I carefully wrote the letter, sealed it, and handed it to a messenger.

♢

The reply came quickly.

The wax seal was perfectly done—yeah, exactly what you’d expect from a high-ranking noble lady.

So proper.

I opened it alone in my room.

Neat, beautiful handwriting filled the page.

『Sir Hort Rubel, receiving your message brought me both nostalgia and great joy. I also offer my congratulations on your achievement as a knight, becoming a High Knight. Thank you as well for reaching out. I would very much like to meet you.』

…She remembered me.

Honestly, that made me happy.

And then—

I froze at the very next line.

『P.S.: Before we meet, I have a request for you, Sir Hort, now that you’ve become a brassiere designer. Would it be possible for you to make one of your original bras for me? My size is…』

From there on, it was nothing but numbers.

…Her size, in a postscript?

Captain Brigitte had officially published how to measure and list sizes in the newspaper. Did she actually follow that and measure herself properly?

I looked at it twice. Then a third time.

“…Wait, why!?”

A strange sound slipped out of my throat. 

She agreed to meet—and attached her size along with it.

“…Is this what high society is like?”

Lady Lumina’s foresight was honestly impressive.

That said… there was no backing out now.

We were meeting in a week, so I made a custom bra.

Irene was a count’s daughter—elegance over flashiness. Refinement over standing out.

With her soft chestnut-colored hair, something calm would suit her… brown, maybe? Not dull—deep brown.

When it caught the light, it would give off a subtle shine and make her skin look even better.

The decorations were minimal. But I carefully adjusted the stitching so it wouldn’t look cheap.

The lace was thin, just a subtle touch.

Not meant to “show off,” but to “refine.” That kind of beauty.

Thinking this seriously about bras while holding a needle… was kind of funny.

“…I’m more of a lingerie designer than a Crown Knight, aren’t I?”

I ended up laughing after saying it. Still… a part of me found it fun.

I applied the same refined style I had in mind for Lady Lumina… to Irene.

♢

The day I went to meet Irene—

I headed to the court mages’ research facility.

I sat down, keeping my back straight.

A box rested on my lap as I waited in the chair.

The door opened, and Irene walked in.

A blouse with a tight skirt. The green robe of a court mage.

She looked a little more mature than before.

“Sir Hort. It’s been a while.”

“…Yeah, it has. Sorry for contacting you so suddenly.”

Irene smiled softly.

I was grateful she addressed me so familiarly, by name.

I cleared my throat and held out the box.

“This… today is, well… more like a thank-you.”

“Oh my.”

Irene looked at the box, her eyes widening slightly.

“May I open it?”

“Of course.”

She opened it. The moment the brown fabric came into view, her eyes lit up.

“…How elegant. And I’ve never seen anything like this on the market.”

“I thought it would suit you, Lady Irene.”

“Oh? You thought of me while making it?”

“Yeah. Since you asked for it.”

“Fufu, that makes me very happy.”

Even though her smile was refined, I could tell she was genuinely pleased.

“I thought this even back at the academy… Sir Hort, you really are a serious person.”

“The last time we spoke was during elemental magic class, right?”

“Yes. Thanks to the advice you gave me back then, I was able to become a court mage.”

“That’s not true. You were already talented to begin with, Lady Irene.”

“Fufu… you’re just as kind as ever, Sir Hort.”

I didn’t expect I could have such a calm conversation with Irene.

But just like Gemini, my classmates all had their quirks… still, it made me think maybe I should’ve interacted with them more back then.

“Well then, let’s get to the main topic. You’ve become a Royal Guard and joined Princess Luminaria’s faction, correct?”

“You can tell?”

“As a member of the nobility, even if only slightly, I always keep track of information. Among the court mages, many belong to the Second Prince’s faction, but the Hadius family remains neutral. So I assumed Princess Luminaria would eventually reach out to me.”

Irene was well-versed in politics too… sharp and perceptive.

This was probably one of the reasons Lady Lumina wanted me to bring Irene over first.

“So, can I hear your answer?”

“Before that, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“Something you want to ask?”

“Yes. Sir Hort, you’re active both as a Royal Guard and as a lingerie designer. From here on, you’ll likely become involved in the kingdom’s core. What is your goal?”

“My goal?”

“Yes. Nobles value honor and responsibility. Now that you’ve become a noble and will step into the center of politics… I find myself very curious about what you intend to do.”

It felt similar to the question Lady Lumina had asked me before…

But at the same time, it was something only Irene—given her position and who she was—could ask.

“I… want to become a Crown Knight and be recognized as a true knight of the kingdom.”

“A Crown Knight? That’s quite an impressive goal.”

“Yeah. Lady Irene, if you help me, I’ll be one step closer to reaching it. Will you take my hand?”

I couldn’t read her at all—not a single hint of what she was thinking behind that elegant smile right in front of me.