Lumia liked me, but I didn’t expect it to be to this extent.
Even though it was a date with Kalian, Lumia was more concerned about me, who wasn’t even present, than Kalian.
While wandering around to try different foods after eating takoyaki, she even jotted down notes in her notebook about food that I might like.
When someone goes this far, it usually becomes irritating, but Kalian didn’t seem to mind.
That’s because Kalian didn’t dislike talking about me either.
In Kalian’s case, since he wasn’t sure what to talk about with women, he probably chose me as a topic because it was one he could talk about more easily.
Thanks to that, the beginning of their date was a complete disaster.
I instructed Kalian to finish their meal and look at accessories.
When it comes to accessories, not just nobles but most women tend to be quite interested.
Looking at rings, necklaces, and earrings naturally brings up topics for conversation.
Evelyn chimed in.
“Not a bad choice. From what I’ve seen, even the nobles and the maids in our household can’t resist accessories.”
“Do you like earrings or necklaces, Evelyn?”
“I’m not particularly fond of them since they’re inconvenient when moving around, but I do wear them when the maids prepare them for events.”
Come to think of it, Evelyn rarely wore accessories.
The time I met her at the theater must have been an exception.
I also asked the Demon King.
“Do you like accessories?”
“No, they’re just bothersome. And honestly, what’s the point of even looking at those things?”
“You’re the unusual one. Most women love them.”
So the Demon King wasn’t a fan of accessories either.
Well, it doesn’t matter. It’s not like Evelyn or the Demon King is on this date right now.
Accessory shops were incredibly common during the festival.
Merchants from across the continent had come running and set up their stalls, showcasing all sorts of unique items.
Kalian browsed the street stalls with Lumia.
“Lumia, do you like this?”
He pointed at a modest necklace with a clean yet striking design that seemed to suit Lumia quite well.
Lumia scratched her cheek.
“Ah… I’ve never worn something like this before.”
“Then try it on now. You don’t have to buy it just because you try it on.”
“Will it suit me?”
“Of course. I think it’ll look great on you.”
She awkwardly put on the necklace handed to her by Kalian.
Since she couldn’t clasp it properly, Kalian helped her with it.
“How is it…? Does it look weird?”
“No, it’s nice. I think it suits you really well. Others will probably think the same.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
When Lumia hesitantly asked, Kalian answered kindly.
How heartwarming.
This is exactly the scene I was hoping for.
That guy Kalian may have a fear of women, but his natural demeanor subtly wins their hearts.
No wonder he’s the protagonist of a harem.
But then Lumia smiled slightly and asked,
“Thanks for the compliment. Then do you think Wade would like this? What kind of accessories does Wade like?”
“Accessories Wade would like… So, you’re asking what kind of accessories Wade would like to see on you?”
“Exactly.”
Me again? Please, stop talking about me.
Kalian, after pondering the question for a moment, finally answered.
“Hmm, come to think of it, Wade didn’t seem to like accessories much. The women around Wade… well, just his friends… were all pretty far removed from earrings or necklaces.”
“Is that so?”
“Wade has never been a fan of things without practical use.”
“Oh, then I’ll take this off.”
Lumia hurriedly removed the necklace.
She then said she no longer wanted to look at accessories and suggested they go check out something else.
Another failure, huh? This isn’t easy.
Evelyn, standing nearby, checked that her ears and neck were bare, then nodded.
“Hmm, luckily, I’m not wearing anything either.”
“I don’t particularly care whether you wear those things or not.”
“What are you talking about? I don’t care either. I just avoid things that aren’t practical.”
I let out a short sigh.
With both the food and accessory plans failing, there was only one option left.
I didn’t want to resort to this unless absolutely necessary, but it seems I have no choice.
I summoned the people I had prepared in advance.
“Begin.”
「You’ll compensate us properly, right?」
“Don’t worry about it.”
「Understood. We’ll start immediately.」
Three men appeared in front of Kalian and Lumia as they strolled through the festival.
They were big, rough-looking guys with menacing faces and eyes that seemed ready to pick a fight with anyone.
They looked like classic thugs drawn straight from a picture.
Of course, they weren’t actual thugs—they were students from Arcana that I had paid to act like them.
I had instructed them to act like delinquents and harass Lumia just enough.
Why? So that Kalian could deal with them and earn Lumia’s favor.
“Hey, you over there.”
“Are you talking to me?”
Kalian stopped at the man’s question.
“No, not you. The girl next to you.”
“What business do you have with my friend?”
“That’s none of your concern. We’re interested in her, so why don’t you step aside and stay out of the way?”
The men looked at Lumia with sinister smiles, making her shrink back.
Even though she had recently awakened her power, her past fear of debt collectors surfaced reflexively.
Kalian stepped in front of the men to shield her.
“If you’re approaching her with ill intentions, I cannot let you pass.”
“This little punk has lost it. Hey, Kalian Bright… stop meddling and get lost.”
“You know me?”
“You really don’t get it, do you? No matter how much of a top student you are, you’re just a first-year brat.”
The man moved closer, more threateningly.
Although he must have been scared deep down, Kalian had the courage to face them because I had strictly instructed them not to resort to violence.
“You’re always dragging that lackey around with you. What’s his name again… Wade?”
“Wade isn’t a lackey; he’s my friend.”
“Someone who hangs around trash like that all the time… that says enough about you. Honestly, your so-called skills must be nothing special either. You probably got your grades through connections or money, right?”
“So, stop acting up and move along before things get worse. We’re going to have some fun with this girl.”
The man ignored Kalian and reached out to grab Lumia.
Grab.
But his arm was caught.
Not by Kalian—by Lumia.
“What did you just say?”
Lumia asked the men, her demeanor completely changed.
The men, sensing something was off, swallowed nervously but tried to continue their act as delinquents.
“Come on, we’re just saying let’s have some fun with you.”
“No, before that.”
“What?”
“You said Kalian’s grades are fake.”
“Uh… yeah, and—”
“And before that.”
“You called Wade trash—ugh?!”
The man couldn’t finish his sentence as Lumia’s grip tightened, cutting him off mid-word.
Lumia delivered a low kick to the man.
Wham!
The man hit in the leg spun twice in midair before crashing to the ground.
The others standing behind him widened their eyes, while the fallen man looked up at Lumia with a face full of fear.
“You crazy b—!”
“Apologize.”
“For what?”
“Apologize to Wade. Sincerely, for speaking about him so carelessly.”
“But he’s not even here, so why—”
“Apologize.”
Lumia clenched her fist and stepped closer.
The men, who had been playing the thug act, quickly bowed their heads under her terrifying aura.
“I-I’m sorry! We’re sorry! We won’t insult Mr. Wade again!”
Watching all this unfold, I closed my eyes tightly.
It’s over.
Kalian and Lumia’s date plan was completely ruined.
From the beginning to the end, Lumia only talked about me.
When parting ways, she even asked, “Wade will join us next time, right?”
Why is the heroine obsessed with me instead of Kalian? All I did was fake my death once to help her overcome her trauma!
In a crisis, it was Kalian who saved her. Kalian is stronger, and Kalian is the handsome one.
Sigh…
I cooled my heated head.
Let’s move on for now.
Even if Lumia shows interest in me recently, it’s bound to shift to the protagonist, Kalian, in the long run.
Let’s just consider this unavoidable and focus on the next heroine.
Serena Lusevian.
She doesn’t have any feelings for me yet, so there shouldn’t be any issues.
“Are you ready?”
I prepared Kalian for his second date.
「Can’t I just rest today? I already went on a date with Lumia earlier.」
“You don’t seem to get it. That wasn’t a date. Don’t even think about going home until you’ve had a proper one.”
「What if things don’t work out with Serena either?」
“That won’t happen.”
Serena should be fine.
Not only does she already have a favorable impression of Kalian, but she also has no reason to bring me up in conversation.
“Let me just say this upfront—don’t use me as a fallback topic again. Serena probably isn’t even interested in that stuff.”
「Then what should I talk about?」
“Money, or interesting items. Those are good topics.”
After reminding Kalian of the basics, I asked Evelyn if she had any suggestions.
“Do you have any advice?”
“Hmm.”
She was eating popcorn with the Demon King while watching Kalian through binoculars.
“Watching someone else’s love life is surprisingly entertaining. Now I understand why maids are so obsessed with romance stories.”
“Yes, I can see that. I can also see you’re thoroughly enjoying yourself.”
This isn’t a joke.
This is a solemn and serious operation to save the world.
Serena arrived at the designated meeting spot.
Kalian greeted her as casually as he had with Lumia.
“Welcome.”
“Where is everyone else? I heard Wade and Lumia were coming too.”
“They all seem to be busy with something, so they couldn’t make it. It’ll just be the two of us exploring the festival.”
“Just the two of us… really?”
Serena’s ears perked up as she grasped the situation.
Her face lit up with barely concealed excitement.
Just the thought of being on a date alone with Kalian had her thrilled.
Not just her ears but even her tail rose enthusiastically, making her feelings obvious.
“Nya-ha, nya-ha-ha! Finally, the opportunity has come! I’ve been waiting for this day!”
“Serena…?”
“Not to mention, Wade recently promoted me to Silver Member! There’s no time to waste. Let’s go have fun right away!”
Serena proudly flashed the silver badge on her chest and pointed toward the market.
Alright, let’s do this.
This time, the date will surely go well.