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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Lord Fourth
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“Sigh.”
To put it simply, he did become engaged to Elisha. However, as she had said, it was nothing more than a political marriage.
Even though they had exchanged harsh words during their meeting, their personal relationship didn’t matter as long as their families signed the contract, using their names for mutual benefit.
Because of this, his relationship with Elisha remained strained. She treated him like her worst enemy.
…
Knock, knock, knock –
“Master.”
One leisurely afternoon, as he was comfortably reading a magic book in his room, a calm knock announced a visitor.
“It’s Eilly.”
Eilly had come at an unexpected hour.
“Come in.”
“Excuse me. Master, I have some news to deliver.”
With a short reply, the door opened, and Eilly entered the room, bowing respectfully.
“News? What is it?”
“Well….”
He tilted his head slightly, and she lowered her posture with a precise movement, like an actor in a play.
“A visitor has arrived.”
She spoke in a more solemn and serious tone than usual.
“Really?”
A visitor at this hour.
“…The Grain family, right?”
He was so used to this pattern that he already knew who it was without her saying.
“Yes….”
As he guessed the visitor’s identity, she nodded, answering in a whisper.
“…….”
She clasped her hands tightly in front of her lower abdomen, expressing her displeasure.
“Elisha must be here. Alright, I’ll get ready.”
Eilly seemed uncomfortable with the news of Elisha’s arrival.
“Yes….”
Somehow, the words exchanged during the arranged meeting had spread throughout the mansion.
Eilly had heard about it, and since then, she seemed to have developed a dislike for Elisha.
“Ugh….”
Even now, she was trying to maintain her usual expression, but her displeasure leaked through.
The way she tightly gripped the hem of her skirt, unable to contain her frustration, caught his attention.
“You seem displeased.”
“I apologize, Master….”
He subtly probed Eilly’s true feelings, and she apologized, bowing her head in acknowledgment.
As expected, she had a negative view of Elisha.
“However… I’d like to ask, Master, why-”
“Hold on, let’s talk about that later.”
While the reasons for her dislike of Elisha were understandable.
“Elisha -”
“Don’t talk to me.”
Given her status of her master’s fiancee, Eilly was supposed to act as if she liked her, but
“I have nothing to say to you. I’ll leave when it’s time.”
No matter how much of an obligation it was, Eilly didn’t seem to like Elisha, as she always came and insulted her master.
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“Do I really have to follow this custom?”
Since the arranged meeting, Elisha had been visiting their mansion regularly.
“Still, it’s a special occasion….”
“Special occasion my foot… I want to leave quickly.”
Of course, Elisha never came because she liked it here. It was customary for engaged couples to spend time together at least twice a week.
There were no exceptions to this, even though Elisha considered him her sworn enemy, she still had to come visit him.
“Hmph….”
Every time Elisha visited, it felt like she was doing it reluctantly.
“Would you like some tea?”
“No, who knows what you’ve put in it?”
She only visited the mansion when absolutely necessary, and only for the required amount of time.
“I wouldn’t do that.”
He wanted to use these occasions to improve his relationship with Elisha, even if only slightly.
“That’s what you say, but you could poison me with a slow-acting toxin.”
“…….”
Like an impenetrable fortress, Elisha didn’t seem willing to open her heart at all.
“I wouldn’t….”
“Don’t bother. I wouldn’t drink it even if you offered.”
Like sharp thorns on a rose… she never allowed him to get close.
“The weather’s nice.”
“Hmph….”
Even when he tried to initiate a conversation… she would just glare at him coldly.
“…….”
Honestly, this was quite frustrating for him. It felt hopeless that she wouldn’t give him a single chance, even though he was different from what she believed.
Of course, Arnold’s notoriety was the reason for this behavior, but he thought it was a bit much that she wouldn’t even give him a chance to talk properly.
Still, he had no choice but to accept it… Arnold was a character who was subject to all kinds of misunderstandings and false accusations.
Besides the frustration, it didn’t really matter if their current relationship remained unchanged.
Her hatred for him was, in a way, expected, and to achieve the Harem Route, she needed to end up with the protagonist, so being hated by her was actually more convenient in the long run.
“Are you leaving already?”
“Please don’t speak as if you’re sad to see me go.”
Then why did he even bother approaching her?
To be honest, there was no particular reason.
His goal was to lead the protagonist towards the Harem Route, where he ended up with all the heroines, and for that, Elisha needed to continue hating Arnold.
Still… since he had the time, he thought it would be nice to change her perception of him from utter disgust to just mild dislike.
“Young Master. The Grain family’s carriage just left through the main gate.”
“I know.”
However, seeing as he was always rejected without any progress, it seemed unlikely.
“Sigh.”
He had been dismissed again today.
“How did it go, Master?”
Eilly approached him as he leaned against the wall, trying to compose himself.
“Same as always. I wanted to talk to her, but I couldn’t get a word in.”
He shrugged with a wry smile in response to her question. He wanted to appear as if he didn’t care either way.
“I see…. As I couldn’t ask earlier, I’m honestly curious. Why are you so persistent?”
Eilly asked, her face filled with curiosity, like a scholar seeking unknown knowledge.
“You’ve clearly tried your best, Master. You always try to mend your relationship with your fiancée, but she always responds with disdain.”
…she said.
“Of course, I understand that you are so generous that you try to embrace even those who shun you…!”
“…But I, Eilly, cannot fathom your intentions, Master. Why do you approach your fiancée?”
She cautiously and courageously voiced the question that had been on her mind.
“Hmm….”
Yes, he understood…. It must be unpleasant to see the master she served constantly being looked down upon.
“There’s no big reason.”
However, he couldn’t tell her the truth –
“Even if it’s a political marriage… it would be nice to get along with my fiancée, wouldn’t it?”
He gave a plausible, albeit somewhat cliché, answer.
“…… I see….”
A shadow fell over Eilly’s eyes.
Did she not like his answer?
“I understand… If that’s what you wish, Master, I won’t question it any further.”
However, despite the slightly tense atmosphere, she seemed to accept his answer.
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“…….”
I see.
“Ugh…”
So that’s what Master thinks.
As expected of Eilly’s kind Master.
But this foolish maid… loves and resents Master at the same time.
Every time I see you smiling and approaching her despite her disdain,
I feel both resentment and envy towards your fiancée.
Yes…. In short, I’m jealous.
How dare she coldly reject you even though you approach her with good intentions. How hateful of her.
And yet, a part of me imagines myself in her place.
If I… had been born a noble –
Would I be worthy of having feelings for you, Master?
I sometimes indulge in such foolish fantasies.
So, Master….
Although this silent yearning will probably never reach you,
If… just if, these feelings could be conveyed,
I wish you would stay away from Lady Elisha.
“If that’s what you wish, Master, I won’t question it any further.”
If this continues… I will become too sad –
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He had recently heard some interesting news.
“The Grain family’s fields have been suffering from poor harvests for years…”
“I know… Are they cursed or something? There are even rumors that someone saw a ghost in the Grain family’s fields at night~”
“Oh, come on, it’s probably just wild animals.”
“No, they said it was human-shaped or something.”
He had overheard this from the housekeepers – rumors of an unidentified creature sighted in the fields owned by the Grain family… Elisha’s family.
“Tell me more.”
“M-Master! W-Well….”
He found this interesting because
“It turned out like this….”
“Oh, is that so?”
…it was one of the events from the original story.
………
Clatter, clatter –
Inside a luxurious carriage reserved for nobles, the rhythmic rattling of wheels against the brick pavement filled the air.
“Hmm…”
He was currently traveling in a carriage to take care of some business.
“Master Arnold, we’re now entering the ‘Grain family’s estate.’”
His destination was the Grain family’s mansion, Elisha’s home. Had it been about two hours since they departed?
“Is that so? Thank you.”
At the coachman’s words, he turned his gaze towards the window.
“This is the Grain family’s farmland…”
Looking out the window, he saw vast fields stretching as far as the eye could see.
“…….”
However, he frowned.
“Strangely, the Grain family’s harvests have been consecutively poor recently.”
The condition of the vast farmland was appalling.
“Yes, it seems so.”
It was obvious even at a glance. Cracked soil and withered crops, workers looking at the rotting plants with worried expressions.
For a family that had built its reputation on large-scale farming, this was a disaster.
“Hmm.”
The Grain family.
Based on the original story’s setting, they were the family that owned the largest farmland in the kingdom.
They were a prosperous family thanks to their vast land, but
“As I expected…”
in the game’s timeline, they were a family destined for misfortune.
“We’ll be arriving at the main residence shortly, Master Arnold.”
The reason, as he had just seen, was the continuous crop failures.
In the game, the Grain family struggled due to these unexplained poor harvests.
“Yes, as I said before, tell the head of the family that I have business with him.”
This was also the reason why Elisha suffered throughout the game’s story.
“Aren’t you Master Arnold, the eldest son of the Stenman family? What business do you have with me?”
“If you have something to discuss with my daughter Elisha, I’ll arrange a meeting for you.”
He knew the cause very well,
“No, I’d prefer to keep this meeting a secret from Elisha.”
“Excuse me?”
“Lord Grain, I’ll get straight to the point -”
and that was why he had come to visit the head of the Grain family today.
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Hi Lord Fourth here!
I’m new to translating so if you find some mistakes or inconsistencies let me know about it on the dedicated channel on discord.
Ah, Tbh, this type of mc is Disgusting.
yeah i get you its annoying, making things good just fir the sake of it and then lo and behold, she starts to like him and the plot derails