I Want to Fall in Love After Getting Reincarnated as the Heroine on the Verge of a Bad Ending, but My OP Older Brother Won’t Leave Me Alone!? - Chapter 149
Translated by: ShinigamiTori
Chapter 149 ? The Hunting Tournament 3
“Oh, did I scare you?”
“Of course! Please just talk to me normally.”
I lightly glared at him and Arnold-san just responded by sticking out his tongue sheepishly, saying, “Sorry?” No doubt, with that look and his sly apology, he’s probably gotten away with everything until now. Fine, I forgive you.
“Julius looks handsome even from a distance, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, he does.”
Arnold-san came to stand beside me, shielding his eyes with his hand while staring at Julius and the pretty girl.
A coiled silver whip hangs from his waist. Although I had heard it was covered in spikes, it looked smooth and like an ordinary whip, completely different from what I had imagined.
For a split second, I was relieved, thinking it was just a joke, but it turns out the spikes show up when magic is channeled through it. That’s terrifying.
“I was watching the two of them that day as well, you know. It was intense. Julius was merciless against her.”
“Eh…?”
“But then he was acting all needy, saying, ‘I need you.’ The classic ‘carrot and stick’ approach.”
I can’t predict what kind of situation this is at all. What’s more, it seems like it just happened recently, which only adds to my confusion.
“….”
“Ahaha, sorry, I was being mean. Please don’t make that face.”
I guess my emotions were written all over my face because Arnold-san smiled softly and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“It was about the school festival.”
“Huh?”
“The one who spent the most money at our stall was that young lady.”
I had indeed heard that there was a noblewoman who came in at the end, specifically requesting Julius and ordering all the remaining stock. It seems she was the young lady from the Shearsmith family.
“Julius was incredible. He provoked her, saying, ‘As the lady from the Shearsmith family, aren’t you ashamed to be sitting next to me for such a meager sum?’“
“Ehh…”
“But I guess she’s used to being pampered, so the change of pace thrilled her. She looked delighted.”
Apparently, he had flawlessly executed the role we had practiced for. Although I thought it was a world I couldn’t understand, I found the exchange understandable.
The words he said were also, in reality, meant to imply, “I need you (to spend money on me so I can be number one).” A real bloodless and tearless host.
As I secretly felt at ease, realizing there was nothing to fret over, Arnold-san smiled.
“Hey, hey, Rene-chan, what were you imagining when the lady said Julius was being sadistic?”
“….”
“Ahahaha, how naughty of you!”
“That’s enough, please!”
This wasn’t just a minor foul—this was a game-ending offense. I truly realize how dangerous Arnold-san is.
Feeling like I couldn’t stand a chance anymore, I hid behind Yoshida, who was nearby.
“Yoshida, please do something about Arnold-san!”
“I actually really like it when Yoshida-kun gets mad at me.”
“Please be quiet for a moment.”
Yoshida said it with a cold expression, while Arnold-san laughed, saying, “I can’t tell who’s the senior here.” I couldn’t agree more; he really needed to reflect on his actions.
Please return my innocent feelings from when we first met, when I thought you were the most kind-hearted, friendly, and decent person.
“But even Rene-chan gets jealous sometimes, huh? That’s adorable! I’m jealous of Julius.”
“… Do you think getting jealous is something people enjoy?”
“If it’s a girl I like, I’d be happy if she got jealous every day. At least that’s how I feel, and I think it’s the same for Julius.”
Arnold-san probably understands Julius well, so it’s a relief to hear him say that.
“Julius is so popular that it must be tough. Everyone really can’t help but like him.”
“….”
I hadn’t really paid much attention to it until now, but Julius is incredibly popular. I’m sure I’ll find myself thinking like this a lot in the future.
Just then, Julius finished his conversation with Duke Shearsmith and came over to us.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Can you distance yourself from Rene a little?”
“See? This is just how Julius is.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
Julius forcefully shook off Arnold-san’s hand that was on my shoulder and pulled me close to him.
In the past, I might have thought, ‘Here he goes being a siscon again,’ but now I feel a bit happy about it, leaving me perplexed by my own change.
“Since the opening ceremony is about to start, let’s go find Mylene.”
“Yeah! But I’m sure she’ll be easy to spot.”
With her beauty and status as a duke’s daughter, she’s bound to be noticeable. I started walking eagerly, only for Julius to quickly intertwine his fingers with mine once again.
“Don’t suddenly let go this time, alright? It makes me feel lonely.”
“Ah, sorry.”
Earlier, I had seen Yoshida and ran off impulsively.
When I quickly grasped his hand in return, Julius laughed like a little kid. It was entirely different from the way he had been with Duke Shearsmith’s daughter just moments ago.
Seeing that made me smile too.
After that, I made my way through the crowd again, but it was significantly easier this time. I realized it was because Julius was always mindful of me, acting as a barrier.
This is why he must be so charming; he does this kind of thing so effortlessly. Popular people are adept at being attentive.
At the same time, I figured out why I wasn’t as popular. I want to be the kind of girl who can naturally serve others a salad.[1]
“… How can I become more popular?”
“What? Rene, do you want other guys to like you too? Is it so fun to toy with me like that?”
“Wait, no, I’m sorry! I chose the wrong words.”
I had meant to say I wanted to be more considerate, not that I wanted to be popular, but I had misspoken terribly. I curse my limited vocabulary.
Of course, Julius got thoroughly angry with me.
“Ugh, I’ve stepped on a landmine again…”
“That was obvious from the start. A landmine in plain sight is not a landmine at all, it’s just a bomb.”
Yoshida’s calm retort left me speechless.
Afterward, we met up with Mylene-sama without any issues, and after completing the opening ceremony, the five of us set foot deep into the mountain.
Translator Notes:
1. This roughly reflects concepts like omotenashi in Japan, which means hospitality, so things like being considerate of others. ?
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