When I Infiltrated the Enemy Nation as a Slave, the Yandere Beauties There Started a Civil War Over Me - Chapter 33: Proof

Chapter 33: Proof

“Luke! Today, we get to spend the whole day together! I’m so excited!”

Cecifelia, sitting next to me in the carriage on our way to town, said this with a cheerful smile, her eyes fixed on me.

Personally, finding any excitement in spending time out with Cecifelia seemed impossible. Still, I couldn’t risk upsetting her by disagreeing, so I nodded along, pretending to agree.

“…Yes.”

“First, we’ll go to a restaurant, then do some shopping afterward. If I find something that suits you, I’ll buy it for you. And then, when night comes… you know.”

Cecifelia said this with a suggestive tone.

“Luke, are you thinking something naughty right now?”

“I’m not thinking anything like that.”

“Really?”

“I’m not thinking anything like that.”

“You’re not imagining me in my underwear or anything?”

“I’m not imagining that.”

“Really, truly?”

“Really, truly.”

“Heh… Well, even if you aren’t, I am… I’ve been thinking about it, even now, as we sit close enough that our shoulders touch.”

Saying this, Cecifelia leaned closer to me.

Knowing how Cecifelia often says things that make no sense, I tried to keep my composure and ignore her. I endured the time in the carriage, knowing that reacting to her nonsense would mean defeat. Eventually, we reached our destination, and the carriage came to a stop in the town.

With that, Cecifelia and I got off the carriage.

“Luke, we’ve arrived in your favorite town! You really do love this place, don’t you? If you’re enjoying life here in this country, that makes me happier than anything!”

Enjoy life in the Elenorde Empire…?

…That day will never come, nor should it.

This town, for me, is nothing more than a place to gather information to bring down the Elenorde Empire. And yesterday, I didn’t even come to this town at all.

“…”

Before, I didn’t have the information or the power to make a move, but now things are different.

I’ve gained knowledge of the empire’s weaknesses, its power structure, and I’ve acquired resources like money and influence within the church.

Today, I’m stuck spending the day with Cecifelia as planned, so I can’t make any moves… but soon, I’ll be the one taking control of Cecifelia—and the Elenorde Empire—

“Luke? What are you thinking about?”

“…!”

Just as I was getting fired up in my thoughts, Cecifelia’s voice snapped me back to reality. Her intuition is as sharp as ever.

But this time, it’s probably just a question prompted by a hunch or the mood, so I answered casually.

“I was thinking about what we’re having for dinner.”

“Oh, come on! You’re always thinking ahead, Luke! We haven’t even had lunch yet—”

She started to say with a playful tone, but then her expression suddenly shifted, her eyes widening as if she realized something.

“…”

Did she somehow figure out what I was thinking…?

No, that couldn’t be… There’s no way she could guess what was in my head just from my expression or the mood.

But if it’s Cecifelia…?

As I mulled over this, Cecifelia blushed, leaning in close enough for only me to hear, and whispered.

“My, Luke… If you were thinking about something like that, it must have been something naughty, right? Imagining having me for dinner… You’re so bold…”

She winked playfully, a mischievous smile on her face.

“But if that’s what you’re thinking, Luke, then tonight, I’ll make sure to—”

“I’m starving, so let’s go find lunch as soon as possible.”

I cut her off, quickly changing the topic, and turned my back to the carriage, starting to walk away.

“Ah! W-Wait! I already have a place in mind for lunch today!”

Cecifelia called out loudly, rushing to catch up with me and then walking by my side.

…I had been on high alert today, knowing we’d be spending a long time together. But from what I’ve seen of her behavior so far, maybe I don’t need to be quite so cautious today.

With a mix of resignation and amusement, I kept walking alongside Cecifelia.

“Let’s have lunch here today!”

Cecifelia stopped and pointed to a restaurant right in front of us. It was the same noble-exclusive restaurant she had introduced to me before, and where I had previously tried to get information from an overweight man.

“I mentioned this place to you before, but I never actually brought you here! I know you’ve never been, but it’s really delicious, just as you’d expect from a noble’s restaurant. I can’t wait to hear what you think, Luke!”

“Understood.”

If that overweight man I met before happened to be inside, Cecifelia might realize I’ve already been to this restaurant. But the chances of him being here were slim, and refusing to go inside would raise more suspicion.

So, I agreed and entered the restaurant with Cecifelia.

“That table for two is open, let’s sit there!”

“Alright.”

While looking at the table, I scanned the restaurant.

…It seemed that the overweight man I had spoken to before, who had taken me to the church, wasn’t here today.

It would have been surprising if he was, but feeling relieved, I sat down at the table with Cecifelia.

“Luke, which one do you want?”

“I’ll go with… this one.”

“Okay, I’ll have the same!”

After we both chose the same dish from the menu and placed our order, I started noticing that people around us were staring and whispering about us.

“Hey, look over there…”

“That’s Lady Cecifelia of the Duke’s family…!”

“She’s so elegant… But who’s that man with her?”

“Come to think of it, I heard the Duchess purchased a male slave for ten million gold…”

“So, could that be him…?”

“He certainly doesn’t look like a slave, with those refined manners and appearance…”

As those whispers continued, I noticed Cecifelia’s expression turning icy cold.

I could understand why she’d be annoyed by people gossiping about her, but they weren’t saying anything negative—so why the cold look?

While I pondered this, our meals arrived. Suddenly, Cecifelia picked up a piece of the sautéed dish and held it out toward my mouth.

“Luke, say ‘ah’!”

“…Huh?”

“Ahh~!”

I was thrown off by her sudden request, but I quickly composed myself and replied.

“I’ve told you before, I can’t do that—especially not in front of all these people—”

“It’s to show those women who keep staring at you that you belong to me… So hurry up and open your mouth.”

Cecifelia spoke in a calm, emotionless tone, without any hint of feeling.

“…”

If she had shown some emotion, I might have resisted, but since she seemed completely detached, I decided it was better to comply rather than push back. So, I opened my mouth and accepted the food she offered.

After repeating this a few times, the people around us reacted with a bit of surprise but soon lost interest, turning their attention back to their own conversations.

Seeing this, Cecifelia’s tone suddenly brightened.

“Now it’s clear that you’re mine, Luke! Alright, let’s enjoy our meal together properly, shall we?”

“…Yes.”

Feeling a bit unsettled by Cecifelia, who always seemed impossible to figure out, I responded. After that, we continued our meal as usual, and soon enough, we finished eating without any further incidents and left the restaurant together.

“It was delicious, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was very good.”

The last time, I hadn’t been able to truly focus on the food, but this time, I managed to appreciate the meal properly. And as expected from a restaurant favored by nobles, the dishes were indeed excellent.

“But it was really annoying seeing those other women staring at you, Luke.”

“I don’t think… they were staring at me like that.”

“They totally were! …Ugh, if this keeps up, the same thing will probably happen at other shops too. And since we don’t have any special plans, maybe it’s better if we just head back to the estate and spend the rest of the day together, just the two of us.”

With that, Cecifelia suggested we take the carriage back, and so we really did end up returning to the Cecifelia family estate.

…It was surprisingly uneventful, but as long as we were back at the estate, I figured there wouldn’t be any unexpected trouble. I felt I could finally relax for the rest of the day—

“Oh, by the way, Luke… Being in the carriage reminded me of something I wanted to ask you. Would it be alright if I do?”

“…Yes, what is it?”

Though a bit taken aback by her sudden question, I kept my composure since there was no reason to be nervous yet. But then, Cecifelia’s tone turned serious as she asked me,

“Luke… Where were you yesterday?”