“…You’re not planning on having us pretend to be a couple or anything, right?”
Although Garth wouldn’t know, Elsa had experienced her fair share of these types of schemes, being this world’s heroine, despite not having dated anyone up to this point.
“No, no, never! I would never do something so injurious to a woman’s reputation!” Garth gravely announced. Spare the thought, for he was driven to become a man like Owen the yuri knight. So-called yuri or lily knights must stand behind those troubled lovelorn maidens, silently helping and watching over them—not getting themselves involved and killing the mood.
“Plus, with how slow on the uptake my cousin is, she would definitely take it the wrong way and think we’re going out for real!” The menacing, malicious impression Garth had given off before vanished into thin air as he earnestly discussed the topic of romance.
He would never get between two people or do anything else that would only distress them!
“…That’s true.” Elsa’s face instantly darkened as she imagined Yvonne’s reaction.
She could practically visualize that anguishing scene. Yvonne being who she was, she might even congratulate the two of them with a smile.
“And that’s why we need an actually foolproof plan!”
“Yeah… I agree.” Elsa nodded.
Somehow, she felt like Garth was even more enthusiastic than her. Though it was clear he wasn’t a bad person in any way.
“Based on what you’ve said, you’ve told Sis that you ‘like’ her, but she didn’t take you seriously, right?” Garth transformed into a yuri strategist in the blink of an eye.
“…That’s right.” Elsa was disheartened at the mention of that.
If Yvonne had believed for a single moment that Elsa’s ‘like’ of her went beyond friendship, then she wouldn’t have done something like push Elsa onto Garth.
BAM!
“In that case, you’ll have to step it up even more!” After listening to the maiden’s worries, Garth did the manliest thing he’d done all day and pounded the table, startling all of the neighboring patrons.
“But…” Despite Garth’s persuasion, Elsa still seemed unsure. “…If she told me I was disgusting or similar, what would I do then?”
Elsa would want to die in that scenario!
She hadn’t dared to make things crystal-clear all the way up until now because of her worry over that.
“Don’t worry, Miss Dorothy. That would never happen. My cousin’s not that kind of person.”
“But…”
Drawing upon his plentiful theoretical knowledge, Garth told Elsa of his specific plan.
He was right… If she tried this, there would be space to pull back. It was an excellent way to take the initiative while staying flexible.
“Sis is pretty slow when it comes to these things, so she won’t get it if you don’t say it outright.”
Lay it out for her… Everything you’ve felt for her up to now, including your love for her.
Besides, Sis cares about you more than she realizes.
Garth could tell from their letter correspondence that Elsa was also very important to Yvonne.
After the exposé of the duke’s collusion, the Smollett house descended into chaos. His cousin stopped smiling much following a year of basically being jailed. But when they met today and discussed the girl that Yvonne was introducing him to, she showed that rare, genuine smile of heartfelt joy.
“Thank you, Garthie!!!” Elsa finally regained her spirit with Garth’s support. “I know what to do now!”
She was ready to take the fight to Yvonne!
“Hold on, Miss Dorothy! We’ll be found out if you go to her now!”
▲
Things… seemed to be going well?
Although Yvonne believed she was keeping a safe distance from them, she was still committing the dual crimes of trailing and stalking, so she felt the pricks of conscience.
It would be great… if things could work out between those two.
…That’s what she should have been hoping for.
That’s how it should have been.
So, just why…?
In contrast to those two sitting together not far from her, talking and laughing, Yvonne was despondent. Her chest felt tight, as if she had swallowed a block of bitter medicine which she couldn’t spit out nor swallow.
A fierce jealousy rolled in like a storm.
Was she being too selfish…?
Elsa might be close to her now, but as the game’s heroine, she would ultimately end up with some other love interest.
Yvonne wouldn’t let herself stand in the way of the happy ending that Elsa deserved.
Besides… How long could a relationship built on bullying one party last anyway? Yvonne was anxious about the current situation.
Supposing Elsa had a normal romance that was in accordance with one of the game’s original routes, Yvonne would be completely freed from the system. At the same time, she would no longer have to keep bullying Elsa to act out this shoddy performance of “villainess and heroine”.
When that time came… she might be able to become even better friends with her.
Yvonne’s face burned at the thought.
Therefore, this was the correct course of action.
As for why that was so, she was in the world of an otome game, duh. The villainess was an antagonist constructed specifically to prevent the heroine’s romance from progressing. So, as long as Elsa entered another route, Yvonne wouldn’t need to bully her anymore either.
This was Yvonne’s line of thinking and her intended plan of action.
All of the love interests in the game’s lineup could make the heroine happy.
But Yvonne was not one of the options on there.
If Elsa stayed with her and continued being bullied, it would only bring the heroine unhappiness.
Yvonne… didn’t want to bully her anymore.
▲
“How was it?” Yvonne asked before sending Garth off, seemingly nonchalant. She had come to the appointed time right after the Leinster’s carriage arrived and was pretending to not have a care in the world.
“It’s a nice town, just like how you described it in our letters.”
“…That’s not what I’m asking you about!” Yvonne exclaimed, annoyed, but she quickly lowered her voice to ask her cousin, “Ahem… Garth, I’m asking you, what do you think of that girl?”
“You mean Miss Dorothy?” Seeing Elsa smiling and waving goodbye at him a little distance away, Garth politely smiled back. He said, without looking away from her, “I think Miss Dorothy is a very charming person. She has a unique ability to attract others that made me want to keep spending time with her.”
Everything he said was true. If Elsa’s heart didn’t already belong to someone else, Garth felt he truly might seek to pursue her. But as a lily knight, he would never permit himself to betray them. He had already strangled this young, unsprouted emotion, killing it in its garden bed and completely uprooting it from the nursery of his heart.
All he had left to do now was assist Elsa in pressing forward. “So, I proposed to Miss Dorothy that we begin dating.”
“…?!” Yvonne was so agitated her heart skipped multiple beats.
That girl could even inspire her cousin to be this bold, her cousin who couldn’t say a word to girls without blushing furiously?!
Was this the power of a heroine?
Although, Yvonne had witnessed how Elsa was like a walking love potion very early on. The “heroine” simply was that special of a person to targetable love interests.
Garth observed as the expression on Yvonne’s face changed, almost beside himself with delight.
Sis is panicking. She’s panicking, she’s panicking!
This was all it took to make a man of yuri happy.
No no, calm down; he had to calm down. He needed to keep the plan moving forward. Miss Dorothy still needed his help!
“…Unfortunately, she rejected me,” Garth said, looking sorrowful as he purposefully put his hand over his chest and frowned deeply.
His handsome looks enhanced his dejection until he appeared unimaginably pitiable. Adding on how it contrasted with his normally harsh expression, anyone would feel compelled to cheer him up. If only he could always look like such a pretty lad, then girls wouldn’t have always been too scared to approach him all these years.
“You were way too impatient. This isn’t something to rush.”
When Yvonne heard that he had been rejected, she suddenly felt relieved.
What a strange feeling…
What exactly was this complex feeling…?
“Miss Dorothy doesn’t seem all that interested in me,” Garth explained regretfully. Just as Yvonne secretly relaxed, she was stunned by what he said next: “She said she couldn’t go out with me because she was already dating you.”
?!?!?!
Yvonne almost did a spit-take like in a comedy manga.
What…?
Dating her?!
“J-Just wait a minute, that’s totally not true!”
Completely thrown off guard, Yvonne was unbelievably flustered. Right as she was attempting to explain that that wasn’t the truth, she discovered that Garth had speedily thrown himself into the carriage and its horses were already setting off.
“I’ll see you later, Siiis!”
“Hold it right there! I’m not done talking to you!” Yvonne yelled after him, close to hysterics.
Her plans were all ruined now.
At that moment, a soft, slender hand held onto her from behind.
“Um, Evie…” The person speaking was undoubtedly to blame for this catastrophe.
Just what are you trying to accomplish?
Why would you make up such a baseless lie?
Yvonne was going to ask Elsa those things right this instant, but when she furiously turned around to face her, she found herself gazing into Elsa’s sparkling eyes.
The words she had wanted to say died away on her lips. “…I want to tell you something.”
riverFlower 
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