The professors’ gazes, filled with suspicion and confusion, glanced around. At the end of most of their gazes was Jay. However, a few eyes turned toward Vinoshu. They were thinking that Vinoshu might be wrong.
Seeds of doubt bloomed among the professors. For the first time, the foundation established by Connubium’s education was shaken.
In the end, that day’s meeting ended in a chaotic state. Amidst the confusion and suspicion, the professors returned to their rooms. Jay also staggered back and, unable to overcome his fatigue, closed his eyes without even washing.
“You did this, didn’t you?”
Jack immediately opened his eyes with a flash and asked. In the dark room, Belly, with his back to the light, exuded an eerie atmosphere as if draped in shadows. But only for a moment. He showed me a lovely smile. But I couldn’t be fooled by such things.
“Why did you do such a thing?”
I spoke with a stern face, erasing the cheerfulness that always lingered on my face. Though I spoke pretending to be calm, I was actually very angry right now.
Imagine someone taking away the novel you’re reading without you knowing and changing the story. What Belly had done was exactly that. And the one I trusted most had done such a thing. This must be what they mean by being stabbed in the foot by a trusted axe. I felt bitter with betrayal.
Perhaps sensing my seriousness, Belly walked to my feet and knelt down. Silence filled the space between us.
“Belly also……”
Cutting through the deep silence, Belly opened his mouth. Eyes filled with tears yet simultaneously sharp like a beast of prey met mine. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from those eyes. It was as if I was being pierced by a harpoon.
“Belly also wants to see an interesting novel.”
……What? What did Belly just say to me?
It was inappropriate dialogue for a character. Belly…… Belly shouldn’t be saying lines like that.
Flustered, I closed my mouth and stared down at him. The eyes stirring me up were desperate, and his mouth was tensely stiff. The man who always leisurely cared for me was cornered.
“An interesting…… novel?”
“Yes.”
This was absurd. A character, merely a character, Belly whom I had always loved and cherished, but who was merely printed words, had taken on life and was speaking to me.
“Belly also wants to watch it together with Master.”
It was too shocking. It was something I had never, not even once, thought about. But soon those words made me feel an incomparable sweetness. Immoral emotions flowed down my spine.
A protagonist character who always thinks of me as first priority. A character who cherishes and loves me most. Words a character should absolutely never say.
I tried to harden my face, but because of the joy flowing from deep in my stomach, my face twisted strangely. I barely managed to answer Belly.
“……You too……?”
Belly smiled brightly as if he had been waiting. Then he reached out his hand that had been on the floor and firmly grasped both my hands. His damp hands made me realize how severely nervous Belly was.
“Of course. How happy is it to enjoy an interesting story?”
His beaming face was beautiful like a flower. Undisguisable affection flowed from those eyes. Just being by his side, I could feel spring.
I admit it. I felt joy when Belly was devoted only to me. I also liked him, and there was joy in that emotion not being rejected. But what dominated me more intensely than anything else was a sense of superiority.
A protagonist character devoted to a useless, insignificant extra like me. The more he loved me, the more I felt like I was something. That was…… a wrong emotion.
But that elation always made me happy. I had always enjoyed this world from a reader’s perspective and walked around laughing as if air had filled my lungs, but if Belly hadn’t existed, I probably wouldn’t have been this happy.
However, on the other hand, his love made me miserable. Making me feel like I was something meant making me reconsider my position.
I was the only reader of this world. That was the only usefulness I had in this world. The only way I could exist in this world. The way to feel useful.
Belly’s affection became a solid foothold for me. At the same time, it was like poison dragging me down. If I had accepted his confession and digested his love, I would have become a protagonist’s love interest character as a useless extra.
I didn’t want that. I thought there must be a reason I possessed this world. Not as a beggar boy, not as an Information Guild member, but some grand role.
The role most suitable for that was reader. Something the characters of this world could absolutely never do. Something only I, a possessor, could do. But that path was too lonely. No one could understand me, no one could properly recognize me. But…….
“Belly wanted to feel Master’s pleasure together too.”
If it’s Belly, if it’s him…… wouldn’t it be possible? Couldn’t he walk this path with me? But he’s a character…….
The same thoughts kept circling like a Möbius strip. Like a hungry dog circling around a food bowl.
Wouldn’t it be okay? Could I…… wouldn’t it be okay to have at least one thing?
The position of reader gave me a reason to live and a sense of superiority, but at the same time made me lonely. To me, everyone in the world was just characters and printed words. There was no way I could form proper relationships with such beings. So as long as I maintained that position, I would be alone forever.
The loneliness that once brushed past my ankles had now completely consumed me. I was just sinking into the dark deep sea. The weight of time only grew heavier. But if Belly, if Hekkarkel were with me…….
“Master?”
Without realizing it, I gripped his hand tightly. His face looking at me rippled desperately.
He knew me better than I knew myself. So he must have immediately recognized the emotion of willingness on my face. The dark energy left his face and a shy smile settled there.
“So…… so?”
“Yes?”
“Why did you cause such an incident?”
My voice was now filled with exhilaration. Hekkarkel, now unable to control his grinning mouth, quickly stood up and hugged me. His strength was so great, my upper body seemed to be crushed. He wasn’t even satisfied with just that and lifted me up, confining me in his arms.
After being unable to hide his joy for quite a while, he finally answered my question.
“Well, Master said it.”
“I did? What?”
“A mountain village school, a murder case.”
“Ah!”
Right. There was such a time. I felt great joy toward Belly who hadn’t forgotten what I had said casually and executed it. No, joy wasn’t enough. It was touching. Acting according to my tastes was something he did as naturally as breathing, but I was happy all over again.
At my intense reaction, Hekkarkel’s cheeks turned red like ripe persimmons.
“You said the culprit was a perverted teacher, right? Isn’t it somewhat correct? Since it was done by the temporary professor’s pet.”
“Haha! Right, that’s true!”
I couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter. I was truly happy. It was regrettable that I had agonized earlier. No, if I had accepted Hekkarkel earlier, would I have been enjoying this joy? The loneliness that always painfully stabbed at me had considerably lessened.
While I was intoxicated with happiness, a knock-knock sound was heard.
An unwelcome guest had arrived. The warm atmosphere scattered at the unwelcome guest’s knocking. Connubium right now was a mess due to the cruel incident. Whether in peaceful times or chaotic times, there was only one person who would visit my room.
“……Haah.”
Guessing the person beyond the door, all that came out was a sigh. Come to think of it, when I was Jay earlier, there was talk about coming to find me or something. Why is he acting like this anyway? I wanted to pretend I wasn’t here, but Carl already knew I was in the room.
I sighed again and gestured to Hekkarkel to open the door. He grimaced and released me from his embrace.
Creeeak. The sound of the door opening made my ears noisy.
“Ja-Jack……”
What was revealed when the door opened was Carl, his face pale like a dead person. Though it hadn’t even rained, seeing him soaking wet, he must have sweated profusely. His voice calling me weakly like a dying flame was even forlorn.
“What’s the matter all of a sudden?”
However, since my good atmosphere had been interrupted, the words that came out of my mouth were close to sarcasm. I couldn’t help but show an even colder attitude since I didn’t know why he was here in the first place.
Carl sucked in a breath at my words.
“……”
“If you have nothing to say, go back.”
To Carl, who said nothing, Hekkarkel coldly rebuked. Then Carl, coming back to life, glared at Hekkarkel like a hawk.
“Don’t just stand there with the door open, come inside.”
Then at my words, he hurriedly came in. Since Hekkarkel was here, no one would see Carl or anything, but now was an especially careful time.
“Jack, that…… is your body okay?”
Carl, who entered the room, approached me closely as if he had been waiting. He seemed to have no interest in Hekkarkel, with whom he had just been exchanging glares. Hekkarkel wasn’t one to leave such a Carl alone. He swiftly approached and blocked Carl.
“Don’t approach Master carelessly. He dislikes it.”
“What are you doing, you beast bastard?”
Carl’s reaction was particularly sharp today. Was it because they had just had a battle of wills? However, whatever the reason, I could no longer tolerate such words and actions.
“Carl, what did you just say?”
“……”
“Who are you to speak like that?”
