Refuse Harem
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Prius
Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 183 – Dear Tenma, Watch Out For Sleep Deprivation III
“Of course. Eric, you sit down too.”
After offering a chair to Eric, who hadn’t said a word yet, Sophie also sat down.
“―So, how much have you guys heard?”
“Even if you ask, all we heard is how you were given the purple star and are using ‘The King’s Sword’ as your base. Master immediately collapsed after that, and Madam told us it would be faster to hear it from Sophie-sama.”
Sophie was sure her mother realized the identity of the boy who visited often during her childhood.
Although her mother had a weak body in the past, it seemed she was sturdier than her father now. While everyone was astonished, she immediately had the carriage prepared and sent Bart and Eric to Sophie.
Sophie felt like laughing as she imagined that, but if she did, Bart, who had just calmed down, would flare up in anger once again.
Sophie took care not to spoil her solemn expression and explained from the beginning, where she submitted her own plan as a “flower” at the girl’s academy. Then, as Christina saw that, she passed it to the first prince.
But as Sophie’s explanation progressed, the creases in Bart’s eyebrows became more pronounced.
“Why did you submit such a peculiar thing as an assignment at the girl’s academy?! That’s definitely not something that ought to be submitted by an aristocratic young lady, isn’t it?!”
“I was also worried about that before doing it. But I chose to express myself as I wanted.”
Sophie solemnly put her hand on her chest and smiled, but Bart replied coldly,
“If you express yourself as you please, wouldn’t it be clear you will be branded as a failure of a young lady!”
“That’s… not the case… Right, Eric?!”
At the criticism that doubted her, Sophie realized things would be bad if she had no one on her side, so she asked Eric for help.
Just like Sunny, Eric, who spoiled Sophie almost unconditionally, nodded, but both Sophie’s denial and Eric’s agreement were completely ignored by Bart as he proceeded with the topic. It was as if he didn’t want to argue about it.
“So, what did you do after that that made you end up being sent to a place like this?”
“Why did you speak under the premise that I did something?!”
“Regardless of how elaborate the plan is, granting the purple star to an aristocratic young lady is unprecedented. Moreover, the base of operation is ‘The King’s Sword’, where there is nothing but men. Unless the other party knew well that you aren’t a normal young lady, he would definitely make such a reckless bet.”
As expected of Bart, he arrived at the core of the story.
“Tell me honestly――Did you do something to the royal family?”
Sophie wondered.
Even though she said she would explain, how did it end up becoming an interrogation before she knew it?
Why did she end up being kindly requested to confess what she did?
“Bart, I swear I did nothing! All the ideas came from Ferio!”
Even though that was the fact, the way Sophie worded it was like she was selling out her friend. She covered her mouth as she was aware of how unfriendly her words were, but Bart who sat in front of her immediately turned pale.
“? Bart, what’s wrong? Your complexion is…”
“…Are you that close that you could call his name casually?”
Bart, who normally spoke clearly, spoke with a dark, low tone with a hoarse voice, which made it difficult to hear. Just as Sophie couldn’t understand why Bart suddenly went pale, he asked with a very serious expression,
“Don’t tell me… are you intending to include your name as a concubine(sokushitsu) candidate…?”
“Sokushitsu? What are you talking about?”
“The name you called just now is the name of the first prince, right?”
“That’s right, but what’s wrong?”
“You didn’t use any honorific and called him casually, so it’s natural you would be suspected to be in some sort of relationship.”
“Bart also called him casually without honorifics. That was not his real name back then, though.”
Sophie intended to explain things entirely, but since Bart suddenly suspected her, she couldn’t help but tell him in riddles instead.
But for Sophie, being suspected as a lover just because she called others casually was something unbearable. Speaking of which, she also called Remiel the same way.
“…I did?”
Not only was it unlikely for Bart, who wasn’t an aristocrat, to have the opportunity to refer to a member of the royal family casually, but ever since he learned to be Sophie’s attendant, he was more particular about manners and etiquette than most people.
Even if he found something irritating, he was no longer a child who would use such words and attitude toward others.
A child?
Then he recalled his younger self at the orphanage.
Fellow children without parents were forced to live a modest life while comforting each other, then a daughter of the baron family appeared.
Then one day, she appeared with a boy who likely came from an aristocratic family――
“Fe, rio…………Rio?”
It was a conjecture he never thought to be, but if it was really the case, then Sophie’s absurd remark made sense.
“He was… a member of the royal family?”
The boy was always accompanied by an escort, with a behavior and tone that was clearly more aristocrat-like than Sophie.
Bart thought the boy was a high-ranking aristocrat, but to think he was actually a member of the royal family.
Unless the other party knew she wasn’t a normal young lady, he would definitely make such a reckless bet, right?
Of course the man knew it well.
Anyone who knew Sophie since childhood would definitely not say nonsense like “that girl is a normal aristocratic young lady.”
In other words, that man knew Sophie’s personality well and gave the command as a member of the royal family.
Even though it was peculiar, it wasn’t a foolish plan.
For people who were aware of Sophie’s talent, that could be considered a correct decision.
However…
Bart knew well that things wouldn’t progress with talent alone.
Not only was the aristocratic society already bound with rigid ideas and prejudice, but just being a woman already excluded her from many options. Even a high-ranking aristocratic woman, unless they married and bore children, wouldn’t be respected as a human.
In a world like that, would a daughter of a baron family be judged properly by her talent?
“That guy… I misjudged him… to think he treated Sophie like a pawn…!”
The sound of Bart gritting his teeth echoed in the room.
His angry muttering returned him from being an attendant to Sophie’s childhood friend, but he couldn’t be bothered by it due to anger swirling in his chest.
He was so angry that he couldn’t help it.
It wasn’t like they were together for long.
It wasn’t like they met every day back then either.
There were things they didn’t like each other about as well.
Despite that, even so――Bart believed him.
Bart thought, just like him, that man would treat Sophie dearly.
Even if they were apart, Bart thought his feelings wouldn’t change.
Even though they didn’t exchange promises, Bart felt like he was horribly betrayed as he bit his lips.
However, the thing that weakened the strength of his clenching fist on his knee was Sophie’s soft voice that didn’t fit with the situation.
“Oh my, since it will allow me to fulfill my dream, I don’t think being a pawn is a bad thing.”
“Hah?”
“I did decide immediately since the other party was Ferio, but even if that wasn’t the case, I wouldn’t let the chance slip away. Unless I grasp it with all my might, I will be sure to regret it later!”
The maintenance of the water supply and sewage required enormous funds and human resources. There was a limit to what a single person could do.
Sophie got to lead that in the name of the kingdom. It was hard to think there would be a better opportunity than this.
“For that sake, I’ll use everything I can. So he and I are the same.”
The girl in front of Bart, who didn’t just have a lovely appearance, smiled bewitchingly.
There was a bright light in her eyes.
“Besides, I think he knew very well that I’m not a cute pawn who just moves according to an order――I meant that in the present continuous tense.”
As Sophie said that while recalling the matter about Remiel, Bart felt his lips cramp.
What did she do?
No, since it was present continuous tense, what was she doing even now?
Bart felt like asking a question, but he couldn’t because he felt like it would cause his stomach to convulse.
Want early access to Cannon Fodder, Melancholy of the Demon Army Officer, and I Was a Man Before Reincarnating, So I Refuse a Reverse Harem? Support the translator on Patreon!
Thanks!
likewise