Reincarnated as a Villainous Aristocrat in an Otome Game, So I Bought the Main Heroine with Money - Chapter 51: A Mother's Ultimate Approach Strategy

Chapter 51: A Mother’s Ultimate Approach Strategy

《Liese’s Side》

At the academy, I had tried many times to make Lord Cerios see me as a woman.

But in the end, I wasn’t sure if any of my attempts had actually worked. Instead, I only ended up embarrassing myself every time.

“…Approach strategy?”

“That’s right. The ‘lucky pervert‘ strategy you came up with is a great way to get a man’s attention. However, it relies too much on chance. If you leave everything up to luck, Lord Cerios might not even realize your feelings for him!”

“Oh… that’s what I was doing wrong!!!”

I hadn’t realized my mistake at all.

So that’s why Lord Cerios never paid attention to me in that way… Instead, it was other men who ended up reacting to my little accidents—it really was just coincidence.

“Exactly. Lord Cerios is a busy man. And at the academy, he was always focused on his studies and his duties as a noble. He probably spent every day completely occupied.”

“That’s true! He was always studying, writing letters, and thinking about the territory!”

“Right? But even someone like him needs time to rest and heal his heart.”

“Yes!”

I had been too focused on trying to make him notice my feelings.

But Mom’s motherly wisdom was on another level—she was thinking about what Lord Cerios needed.

“That’s why you need to make a cute and direct approach. It should catch him off guard and make him start seeing you as a woman.”

Mom’s expression was lighthearted, but her eyes were completely serious.

“T-That sounds… really embarrassing…”

“This is no time to be shy. You always follow Lord Cerios’s orders without hesitation, yet when it comes to your own feelings, you’re too passive! No—your approach is simply all wrong!”

“Y-You’re right…”

It felt like I was being scolded, and that made me a little sad.

Noticing this, Mom gave me a gentle smile and placed her hand on my shoulder.

“That’s why you need to be more proactive. Of course, words are important, but men respond even better to actions.”

“Actions?”

“Exactly! Now, let’s come up with a plan together.”

“W-Wait, together!?”

With an amused smile, Mom grabbed my hand and pulled me into the next room.

Inside, there were already several items prepared.

“T-This is…?”

“First, we’ll start with practice. You need to learn how to make Lord Cerios happy using these.”

“Practice making him happy!? I definitely want to learn that!”

“Men are different from women—they can be both simple and complicated at the same time. The key is knowing how to push the right buttons!”

Listening carefully to my mother’s words, I started thinking seriously about how to approach Lord Cerios.

“D-Do you really think this will work…?”

“Of course! We’ll start with something simple.”

First Strategy: “Physical Contact”

“This applies to men and women alike, but if you like someone—even just a little—try to increase physical contact with them.”

“Physical contact?”

“That’s right. By touching them more, even just lightly, you can express warmth and affection!”

As she spoke, Mom gently patted my head, stroked my cheek, and then pulled me into a soft hug.

Just that small gesture filled me with warmth. If I felt this way from her embrace, then maybe Lord Cerios would feel the same if I did something similar.

“You can start with something simple—like holding his hand or lightly touching his shoulder.”

“Do you really think I can do it…?”

“If you don’t try, your feelings will never reach him!”

“O-Okay! I’ll do my best, Mom!”

Encouraged by her words, I gathered my courage and decided to put it into practice.

I waited for the perfect moment and approached Lord Cerios as he stepped out of his study.

“Lord Cerios, you must be tired.”

“Oh, Liese? What brings you here?”

“Uh… ah! There’s a piece of lint on your shoulder!”

“Oh, thanks.”

I reached out and brushed the lint off his shoulder.

But Lord Cerios only smiled and thanked me. It didn’t feel like he saw it as anything special.

Maybe I needed to be bolder?

Before I could think too much about it, I acted on impulse—I reached out and took his hand.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

“A-Ahh, um! Lord Cerios, your hands are really big!”

“You think so? I never really noticed, but compared to yours, I guess they are.”

I felt my face heat up.

It was one thing to have casual contact during a natural moment, but touching him like this, on my own, felt completely different.

Just holding his hand made me so embarrassed—I had never realized how nerve-wracking it was to reach out and touch him first.

“Liese, your hands are so small and cute.”

“H-Huh? No, they’re not! They’re rough and dirty from all my work!”

Suddenly, I regretted grabbing his hand with my worn-out fingers, calloused from my duties as a maid. I tried to pull away.

But before I could, Lord Cerios gently held my hand in return.

“There’s nothing dirty about hands that work so hard. Thank you for everything you do, Liese.”

I had wanted to make him flustered…

Yet, in the end, I was the one whose heart was racing.