Refuse Harem
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Prius
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 161 – Dear Tenma, Men Are Creatures That Are a Little Insensitive, Aren’t They? V
“Even after you were made a fool of that much, you still want to obey her?”
The one who spoke with a rough tone was Evert.
Sophie suddenly lifted her face that was facing down and glared at Gerald.
“Even Leoleo isn’t that terrible!!”
“Leoleo?”
“Even that Leoleo opened his heart to Nicole by the end of the first volume!”
“Hah?”
Gerald had no idea who he was being compared to and replied with a stupid voice.
Sophie spoke with a rough voice without realizing how heavy the term “friend” was for her, but she immediately recalled Warren’s existence waiting behind the door, so she quickly restrained herself.
It wasn’t because it was unladylike to be that emotional, but because she realized her mistake again.
It was stupid of me to compare my past self to this man and recall such emotion! Indeed, I was a fool!
Sophie instantly changed her mind, erased her frustrated expression, and replaced it with a mystified one.
“I apologize.”
Looking at the girl who kept changing her emotions and expressions, Gerald could only have a question mark above his head, but he frowned at her sudden apology.
“Sophie-sama, what are you…”
“It is my mistake. I should have abandoned my stupid ego and received the apology of the black stars last time. I apologize for not accepting your apology.”
When Sophie said she would go to the classroom of the black star to apologize, Gerald’s eyes went wide and immediately shook his head.
“That is not allowed.”
“…Not allowed?”
Hearing the rejection she didn’t expect, Sophie tilted her head.
“As long as you are the purple star, accepting an apology out of sympathy is allowed, but not the other way around. That is an act that disrespects the status of the purple star granted by the royal family.”
“Gh…”
Sophie could just laugh the topic regarding the worth of the purple star off if it was just Gerald, but there was Warren on the other side of the door. If she spoke anything that disrespected the dignity of the purple star, she would be troubled if Warren brought up the topic regarding Lorenzo again.
“It is especially so in this case, since there’s nothing for Sophie-sama to apologize about. It is our blunder.”
“Then what about the black star? In the end, you didn’t even talk it out with that glittery man, right?!”
“I’ve warned them. The rest is up to them.”
From the way Gerald said it, it could be said the discussion completely broke down after all.
Isn’t that totally worse? There’s nothing harder to fix than the man that became crooked due to pride…
Exactly because Sophie knew she was the cause, she was having a headache over it.
If it was her previous life, she would apologize and make amends that the other party would like, but her status as the purple star made it hard to do so.
If it were Luca or Lars instead, they would pretend not to notice actions that are unfit for the purple star to some extent, but Geragera couldn’t do that since he is a paladin, so he’s troublesome.
In that case, thought Sophie and changed her question.
“You warned them, did you? Then if they don’t follow your warning, what would you do?”
“At that time, I would make sure to punish them――――All of them.”
Gerald said sharply with cold eyes. At that time, Sophie couldn’t help but think.
I really feel desperately incompatible with this guy…
That remark said all of the black stars would be abandoned, but Sophie could tell that Gerald himself was included in that “all of them” from the depths of his eyes and it was very irritating for Sophie. Despite their poor compatibility, the fact that she could understand the underlying meaning in the coldness of his words really frustrated Sophie.
If it was a person who ruthlessly abandons others, Sophie would have an easier time and take the next step instead.
“What do you mean you aren’t a friend? Didn’t you believe that uselessly glittery man that you could say you would deal with should it happen? If you didn’t believe in him, you would have given up on them by yesterday.”
“If you give me more time, I just want to prevent the stain of the black star from spreading more than this. There’s no personal feeling involved.”
“Thank you for paladin-like words that conceal one’s emotion.”
“I mean it.”
“If you seriously mean that, then I think you should hold more interest in yourself, you know?”
“?”
When Sophie spewed poison, Gerald had an expression as if he couldn’t understand what she meant. However, Sophie also agreed with him on that matter.
It seems this guy really didn’t get it.
In the first place, Gerald seemed to truly think Evert wasn’t his friend and they were only together because their interests aligned, but Sophie thought that in itself was a mistake.
When Evert looked at her with his dark blue eyes, there was emotion that showed he didn’t act together just because their interests aligned. He wanted to remove the person who harmed his friend. They spent years together. Sophie could understand that much with a glance.
If Gerald could only feel it that way, then this man was too insensitive to human subtleties and his own emotion.
“You are too uninterested in humans. People who lack interest in others will turn insensitive toward themselves as well. It’s because there’s nothing they can learn from. You have no idea of your real feelings and think that is just how knights operate, but don’t you think you’re just abandoning your own thoughts there?”
Sophie snapped earlier and thought Gerald wasn’t similar to Tasuku, but the aspect of how insensitive he was to himself was similar to Tasuku. However, this man was more difficult than Tasuku.
Sophie opened her lips to pursue his difficulties, but then Sophie noticed she did a useless thing of analyzing this man, so she closed her mouth.
It might be another matter if the other party was the young ladies at “The Queen’s Rose,” but the other party was a man without a micron of cuteness. There was no need to make an inquiry on him at all.
Even Gerald would only feel uncomfortable being analyzed by a person he wasn’t even interested in (Sophie). Besides, she wanted to refrain from acting unlike Sophie Linier any more than this.
“Anyway, I don’t agree with your opinion. Until your relationship with the black star is repaired, I prohibit you from escorting me!”
Even though Sophie thought she should refrain that was unlike a lady, the words that came out of her mouth were quite childish. Sophie judged Gerald as a difficult man, but her behavior would make her seen as a troublesome woman. As to proof of that,
“Sophie-sama, it’s about time for the bell to ring.”
He casually ignored her again.
“Did you hear what I said?! You forbid me to apologize as a purple star, but you didn’t even treat me as a purple star there!”
Even though Sophie was being as sarcastic as she could be yesterday, Gerald didn’t seem to be bothered at all, which made Sophie say her protest.
“You pointed out things about me yesterday, so I was willing to repent to some extent, but I also realized things wouldn’t proceed if I listened to everything that Sophie-sama says.”
“—Wha, aren’t you too quick on switching your stance?!”
Sophie couldn’t help but retort, but Sophie felt a sense of déjà vu from this rough treatment.
Indeed, it was similar to what Bart often said.
[“I have to say, I’m no longer that ignorant to believe everything that Sophie-sama says.”]
[”I might lack the knowledge and experience to judge if things are true or false during my childhood days, but that’s no longer the case,”]――such was what Bart said with a chilly gaze.
It wasn’t just Bart; Creto also began to say something similar, and their wording made it seem Sophie was told she kept on deceiving them, which made her feel like crying.
However, Bart and Creto only said that after being together with Sophie for several years. Sophie never thought a man who only met her for several weeks would declare something similar, which made her beyond shocked and became MukaPun instead.
Sophie was also MukaPun toward this man when she met him for the first day, rather MukaPun as cute remarks it was more of MukaPun as a villainess.
For fourteen years I have lived as Sophie Linier. I never wanted to throw irritating words toward someone else as much as I am now.
Since it had gone this far, she wouldn’t mind ignoring the graceful behavior of a lady to some extent. She wanted to throw a fierce blow toward this man, made him disgusted, and retired from being her escort――Sophie began to use her intelligence to search for such a magical word.
However, although Sophie had spoken words mixed with sarcasm depending on the situation, It was her first time wanting to throw a childish slander toward someone including her previous life, so unfortunately, she couldn’t find the right vocabulary.
Think about it well. I have lived for 39 years if my previous life is also counted! There should be a word that would offend someone somewhere in the memory I cultivated on those memories! There should be…
Sophie desperately tried to search her memories and suddenly remembered.
It was the words that made her previous life’s self felt offended the most when he heard them, those words.
Regardless of the truth, they were unpleasant words that would offend people.
Indeed, when someone told them this, it would make you offended, it was considered the top three of the ultimate slanders!
“――What a child you are. I wanted to see your parent’s faces!”1
Sophie pointed at him and said loudly, which made Gerald widen his eyes in astonishment for a moment. Those eyes quickly turned into chilly ones. However, it wasn’t because he felt offended or angry by Sophie’s words.
It was because Gerald saw the figure of his own father, who was desperately restraining his own laughter, as Warren saw how things turned out.
Earlier, Warren had an expression of an elder watching over the younger generation, but he was completely amused right now.
Gerald’s father, who rose up as King’s Divine Horse, would definitely not show his emotion in the royal court, but it seemed he found the scene where his son and a girl of similar age having an argument as something rare, and he seemed to find that really interesting. Although Warren’s mouth was covered with his palm, Gerald could tell there was a smile beneath that palm even if he couldn’t see it.
Sophie had no idea his parent’s face was right behind her and said she wanted to see it, and the girl also had a convincing expression that seemed to say, “There’s no one who wouldn’t feel offended over this!” Despite that, although there was satisfaction in her expression, it was mixed with faint regret and Gerald could see her lips paled a little.
After looking at Sophie and his father, Gerald calmly said,
“Sophie-sama, you might say you wanted to see it, but I think there’s not much worth it in particular. Rather than that, it’s getting late, so let’s go.”
“Eh? Eh?”
Seeing Gerald heading to the academy with steady steps, Sophie was absent-minded over it.
Eh, it didn’t work…? No way, won’t you usually feel irritated over that?!!
In her previous life, the words that were said by one of the parents when Tasuku was standing in a situation he wasn’t used to still feel bitter to Sophie despite decades passed since she even reincarnated; they had carved unpleasantness in her heart.
To be honest, she regretted it right after saying it, and her heartbeat raced out of self-loathing.
Even though they were words that managed to wound even her, Gerald received it without much emotional movement, which made Sophie panic.
“W-wait a minute! I told you I won’t be going with you!!!”
The shouts that perhaps contained the girl’s anger echoed vainly under the refreshing sunlight――――
Author Note:
Would these two eventually get along…? Even Morishita had no idea about thatヽ(^o^)丿
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