Chapter 77: The Third Day of the Festival (VI).
Analissa who stands still, raises her hands and finishes for him, looking serious.
"That Lady Evelyn Alarie likes me?"
The revelation of the villainess' feelings was clear! The Japanese streamer's perception is not to be underestimated!
...
The former love interest points a finger at the blonde girl who seemed to have a completely different aura from before. Usually she's cheery, annoying and one you could let your guard down.
"You looked shocked." She continued, thinking that did Lord Ein not expect for her to realize this early on?
"I..."
It's as if... he's talking to another person. Is this really the same girl he talked to in the entrance exams?
"You..." He stutters, taking a good look at the blonde girl in front of him.
Mature and eerie, so this is the other unknown side of the heroine.
The Japanese streamer sighs feeling a little awkward on what to say next. Because now that she looks back on it the hints made by Lady Evelyn should've been clear, but any normal person wouldn't assume without clear evidence.
"You knew?" (Lord Ein) slumps hack down into the ground, combing his hair up and looking out of it. "I'm not talking about the kind of 'like' that friends have, Miss Analissa."
"I've figured, she likes me more than a friend." (Analissa) chuckles, patting his back, feeling that none of this is an urgent matter to talk about but it seems she's rendered the boy confused. "I just confirmed it yesterday. I did not want to assume but it seems that you made it clear to me that I'm not hallucinating or overthinking things."
She looks up at the broken floor of the archives, they need to find another way out else they'll lose daylight and she won't be in time for the last main event of the school. "We're losing time, we can continue our conversation as we walk."
They start moving, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the empty space.
"Since when did you know that she liked you? I thought it'd take you a while to realize. No offense, but you're... not exactly sharp."
She glances at him, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth, but her focus remains ahead, scanning the broken floor for a safe path. "For your information I am sharp! Okay, but you're right I don't think I would've gotten the hint if not for her bold actions lately."
Yesterday when she kissed her hair looking all beautiful and cool, how can she not overthink that gesture? She keeps saying things that a friend wouldn't technically normally do?
The way she says it is different...
"Then again looking back I should've seen the signs."
When did the villainess start liking the heroine?
Well...
When did Lady Evelyn start liking the current Analissa Blanchet?
It couldn't be from that time when her uniform was torn apart. Then, could it be at that time when she was sick? The oranges? The restaurant? The canteen? There's so many instances but she can't assume without proper proof.
"I didn't want to believe it, but... if I kept denying it, I'd just be fooling myself. Because, if I'm being honest... Do girls kiss their friend's hair? Lady Evelyn kissed my hair and told me that she'll be waiting for me on the stage, calling me her prince." She tugged at the sleeve of her jacket, nervously avoiding eye contact, as if the question itself made her anxious.
Lord Ein smiles widely hearing that the noblewoman has been getting bold with her gestures of passion.
"I'm your friend. Do you think I could just kiss your hair?" The words were playful, but there was a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"Erm... Haha- no." She laughed dryly, the day she kisses this man is the day that she dies.
"Kissing someone's hair- that's... rather intimate, don't you think? Something like that is usually reserved for someone you'd consider your partner." He crossed her arms, shifting on hir feet, his gaze softening as she spoke, as though she'd been thinking about this for a while.
"Right?! I thought I was just overthinking, but goodness, I'm glad I'm right." (Analissa) exhaled in relief, her shoulders slumping as if a weight had been lifted. A small smile tugged at her lips. "I really should think things through."
This changes everything, this type of relationship is different from the friendship route.
The villaines loves the heroine. And what kind of love would bloom from someone who she only admires as an oshi- a character from a game?
===
[Author's Note]: "Oshi" is a Japanese term commonly used in the context of fandoms, especially related to idol culture, anime, and music. It refers to someone or something that a fan supports or has strong admiration for. The term is often used to refer to one's "favorite" member of a group, such as an idol or anime character. It has become popular in other fan communities as well, sometimes used in a broader sense to describe a favorite celebrity, team, or character.
===
A heavy silence followed, both of them now walking side by side, the air thick with unspoken thoughts.
"Miss Analissa... She's done a lot for you, even when you were at your lowest." (Lord Ein) glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, trying to gauge her reaction. "I can see how you smile at each other. Don't you feel the same?"
The words lingered in the air, and she stopped in her tracks, her breath caught in her throat. She didn't know how to respond, her chest tightening with something she couldn't name.
"Ugh..." She rubbed her forehead, clearly overwhelmed, and took a deep breath to steady herself.
Does the heroine feel the same?
"Well..."
No... Does Japanese streamer, feel the same?
That's a lot to unpack, would the Japanese streamer love someone inside the game? Sure she's her oshi, her favorite character in the game that she pitied for not having a proper life she deserves.
However when it comes to love... in a romantic way... she's not ready to talk about that just yet.
'Even if Lady Evelyn likes me truly, I don't think it would be right for her to fall in love with me.' The memories of the real Analissa Blanchet of the game resurfaces, those cold blue eyes and tormented body of the girl makes it hard to feel comfortable with it. 'A soul from another world trapped in this body.'
She's only here to save Lady Evelyn, the villainess and nothing else- after that...
After that... she hoped to get back home to her original world.
Analissa replies with a determined expression. "Lord Ein... I'm here to save Lady Evelyn from her fate. Trouble will keep coming for her because of me, I have to do my best to prevent that from happening."
Lord Ein rolls his eyes, knowing fully well that the girl she likes can take care of herself. He knows that he's heard this a couple of times and he really can't believe that Analissa would prove to be the protector that the noblewoman needs. Lady Evelyn would defy all odds. If given the proper chance, that girl would do everything in her power to have Miss Analissa by her side instead of the crown prince.
"You know she's fully capable of taking care of herself-"
Analissa's eyes flickered for a moment, her expression softening but only for a second. "I know. But that doesn't mean she won't need my help one day. This threat alone, she can't handle it."
A slight frown creased Lord Ein's brow as he met her gaze. "What's a threat that someone as powerful as Duchess Lady Evelyn Alarie can't stop?"
Analissa's expression grows darker as she steps closer, her voice lowering. "The royal family."
The royal family- born from commoners, the Louvecroft name had risen to power with an unrelenting ambition. What started as humble beginnings had transformed into a dynasty feared by all. Their wealth, influence, and military might made them virtually untouchable. They were a symbol of power, but their legacy was built on manipulation, secrets, and betrayal.
And then there was the crown prince, the most dangerous of them all. Obsessively fixated on Analissa Blanchet coded to be in love at first sight, his every move seemed to be driven by the desire to claim her, as if she were an object to possess rather than a person to love. His arrogance matched his position, and while many feared him for his power, it was his obsession with Analissa that made him a true threat.
He would stop at nothing to have her by his side, even if it meant destroying and killing everything in his path.
Execution.
Death.
Lord Ein laughs nervously trying to lighten the mood. "Surely the crown prince wouldn't do something reckless..."
Analissa raises an eyebrow and that gets him to stop real quick, accepting the reality that the crown prince might be a tad bit too obsessive and to the point of it beyond creepy. "No, I was merely fooling myself. You're right when it comes to you and your hand in marriage that's another fearful thing to think about. I wanted to tell someone for so long but he has painted portraits of you in his study."
"...!"
Analissa's eyes widened with shock, her heart stumped after hearing what he said.
Portraits of her in his study?!
"And... he does things to it. For your sake, milady I cannot tell you more."
The thought of those paintings, displayed like trophies in his private space, sent a chill down Analissa's spine. To have her image immortalized like that, without her consent, made it all the more real.
The prince saw her not as a woman, but as something to possess, to control. It was no longer just an obsession; it was a dangerous fixation that threatened everything.
"If he knows about Lady Alarie's current feelings and how I'm supporting it then I'll be damned."
"I'm getting chills just hearing what he's doing to the paintings of me... Do you think he's, you know?" (Analissa) didn't have to tell Lord Ein to make him understand; he only nodded, and the heroine wanted to puke.
The thought of her image being distorted in such a way, lingering on canvas in a space meant for something far more personal, made her stomach churn.
The pictures weren't just paintings; they were a reflection of the crown prince's twisted obsession. The way he would stare at those canvases, tracing each line and detail, made it clear that he saw her as little more than a trophy. It wasn't admiration- it was possession.
The idea of him standing there, alone in his study, surrounded by images of her, made her want to scream.
"It was love at first sight, or so he believes. He tells me he can't help it."
"Remind me to never get close to him ever again. Even if he dares call it love at first sight, I have the right to not be made into explicit material!" Analissa's voice cracked with disgust, her hand gripping the hem of her sleeve. The anger was there, but it was the horror of it all that left her speechless. To be the object of someone's obsession, someone who didn't even see her as a person, but as something to conquer... It was suffocating.
"I-I'm sorry... that it took me this long to tell you." He muttered, the weight of the silence pressing down on him. His gaze dropped, ashamed that he hadn't shared the full extent of the prince's fixation sooner.
Analissa shakes her head, knowing the risk of him even telling her this piece of information is enough to get him in trouble from the crown prince. "N-No... it's okay. I don't expect you to do anything about it considering that we weren't so close before. And then again, you might get executed if you do anything he doesn't like."
Analissa grits her teeth trying to keep a calm face.
'That son of a bitch.' The three braincells were already coming up with plans that could take those pictures down, maybe an accidental fire in his study would suffice.
"I'll burn his whole office down."
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