Chapter 30

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Translated by Momo. Edited by Mary!

It was a bright and sunny day, the exact opposite of Cecilia's current mood.

"What should I do……"

She grumbled to herself while looking at the sky through the glass ceiling of the greenhouse.

Gilbert was next to her. As per usual.

"I thought you said Leanne wasn't interested in Dante?"

"It should have been like that..."

She intended to check Leanne's progress in detail. However, in reality, it was impossible to see which routes had been opened or how the favorability levels were evolving. Added to the quarrelling with Gilbert recently and studying for the test, it was obvious she couldn't keep track as much as before. During that time, Leanne must have befriended Dante.

Gilbert stroked his lips with a thoughtful face.

"Is that Huey guy really harmless?"

"Yeah, Huey is like an assassin's apprentice, and there shouldn't be any dangerous events related to him ..."

Huey Cranbell. He transferred to this school as the second son of Baron Cranbell. He was a member of the same assassin's organization as Dante. Dante's brother was 16 years old. Originally, he should have been placed in the same grade as Gilbert, but he transferred to a sophomore class and falsified his age in order to contact Dante.

He was a character that was popular among fans even though he could not be 'captured' even with the fan disk. He was dubbed by a cute voice actor and looked too pretty to be a mob character.

(Humm, from what I remember, Ichika also liked Huey...)

Cecilia thought about the past.

Even for Ichika, who could 'rot away' almost anything, Huey was special.

"Huey is sooooo cute!! So adorable!!!! Hiyono, maybe I have a thing for shota^[1] types? Aaah, what should I do? Every time I see Huey, my heart throbs!”

"That’s unusual. Ichika never really had an ideal type, right?”

"I didn't! I wasn't supposed to have any preferences! I guess I've been baited by that overwhelming cuteness!!"

She was the one who looked very cute while she had her hand on her heart and hugged her chest

She repeatedly played Dante’s route in order to watch all Huey-related events.

(This is so nostalgic. If Ichika were here right now, she would have rejoiced while screaming "It’s a real-life Huey!")

"Well, what shall we do? At this rate, it looks like Leanne is going for Dante’s route, right?"

Gilbert's words brought Cecilia back to reality.

It reminded her that this wasn’t the appropriate moment for reminiscing.

"...But...I wonder what’s the best way out..."

"Would you like to just keep watching?"

"That might be too risky..."

Dante’s route was impossible to be completed smoothly without the help of a cheat guide. She had repeatedly failed on this route as Hiyono, the number of attempts was more than she could count with the fingers on both hands.

The main point was that it was exceedingly strange that there were different dialogue choices like [Do your best.] and [Do your best!]. If one chose [Do your best.] it meant survival, but with [Do your best!], it was death. That was simply too much.

The [!] at that time was probably the world's most distressing [!] ever.

However, no matter how much Cecilia thought about it, she couldn’t find a good way to avoid Dante’s route.

Gilbert hesitantly lifted his face and glanced at her.

“Hey, even if Huey is here, if Leanne doesn't realize Dante's true identity, she won't proceed into his route, right?"

"Yes. It’s supposed to be like that…”

"Well, why not try to stop it?"

"Stop it?"

Without understanding a thing, Cecilia just repeated what Gilbert said like a parrot.

"Yes, it will probably be all right if you don't let Leanne hear Dante and Huey's talk. That way Leanne won't discover Dante's secret and there's no reason for her to be targeted."

"That's right! If we do that, maybe we will have a chance to change the scenarios!”

Cecilia decided to place all her chips on Gilbert's idea.

After classes, they met at the courtyard, as Gilbert suggested. The event was known to take place in the courtyard after class on the day that Huey transferred. However, as an elite school, the Wruhel Academy courtyard is huge. Therefore, they decided to split up and keep a watch on the south side and the north side separately.

Their plan was to make Leanne turn back as soon as they spot her.

Cecilia hid in the shade under the trees on the south side of the courtyard.

(I have to make her turn the other way!)

However, no matter how long she waited, Leanne didn’t appear.

For about thirty minutes, Cecilia just spent her time idly hiding behind a tree.

(Maybe the event is taking place at Gilbert’s side?)

Even if she squinted her eyes, she couldn’t see him. On top of being very wide, the courtyard was filled with trees that blocked her view. Since she couldn't leave her post, Cecilia just quietly waited for the right moment.

(Aaah it’s enough, it's so slow around here. Let's go check how Gil’s doing…)

The moment she thought it was time to get up to prevent her legs from getting numb, Huey and Dante suddenly came in from the southern entrance of the courtyard.

Cecilia squatted back in a hurry.

(Eh!? But Leanne hasn't come yet!)

In the game, Huey and Dante appeared while Leanne was reading a book under the shade of a tree after classes ended. Cecilia looked around, but couldn't find Leanne anywhere.

Meanwhile, they started arguing.

"Hey, Dante, come back!"

"I don’t feel like going back."

(Wait.. isn't this terrible?)

If she headed out to the exit now, they would surely figure it out. She couldn’t escape.

(This… could I possibly be in the same situation as Leanne?)

The person behind the tree has changed, but it was exactly the same scenario.

The discussion between them continued. Cecilia tried to shrink herself as much as possible.

(I'm not Leanne! It’s going to be okay!!)

She repeatedly told herself that in her mind.

"Fine, I don’t care!!

As their conversation ended in disagreement, Huey turned away and walked out of the courtyard. It seemed like Cecilia had averted the critical situation of being found by them at the same time.

If she relaxed her shoulders now, sweat would probably sweep down on her back.

(Surely, this is the moment in the game in which Dante found Leanne hiding behind the tree.)

He looked into Leanne's hiding place and laughed mysteriously, while saying...

"What are you doing here?"

"Indeed, ‘What are you doing here?’--eeeeeh?!"

She promptly got away from Dante, who was looking at her from above. The same suspicious smile she had seen in the game event was plastered on his face at the moment.

She inhaled a wisp of cold air and her whole body stiffened.

“Da, Da-da-da-Dante!?''

"Eavesdropping…what a naughty child."

(Even the next line he used was the same--!)

As he redirected the line that was meant for Leanne towards Cecilia, he traced his lower lip with his fingers as if contemplating something.

"Perhaps..did you see it...?"

"Huh? No, nothing! I haven't seen anything!! I haven't heard anything either!!"

"Mmmm."

At times like these, Cecilia could only wordlessly reprimand herself for not being good at lying. Because she cornered herself in that situation that only she could understand the regrets flowing through her mind.

(In the game, Leanne wasn't killed because she could raise her favorability...)

But she was Cecilia. Far from being able to raise the favorability level, she had never talked to him until the other day.

(I must do something…or else…)

She cannot be killed just like this. The current Dante has not stopped being an assassin. He has no hesitation in killing people, he just doesn’t intend to kill Oscar anymore.

In other words, the moment Dante considered Cecil as a hindrance, he would kill him without hesitation.

Cecilia decided it was all or nothing.

She adjusted and controlled her trembling voice.

"... Dante, I know everything."

"Everything?"

"Yes, everything that you discussed here, and even more. I know you were sent on a mission by the neighbouring country Crown Prince Janis, and that you belong to an assassin’s organization named Heimat…… ”

She hit the jackpot with that revelation. Dante’s previous expression disappeared from his face. Cecilia’s body trembled while facing his terrible cold look. But getting scared right now would end up badly.

"I also know more shady information about you."

"Humph."

"But I'm not going to tell anyone."

Dante narrowed his eyes. He was evaluating Cecilia’s next move.

"So, let's make a deal."

"A deal? Are you going to ask for hush money? There’s no need for that. I can just kill you here and now."

She swallowed her saliva in one gulp after hearing that low voice that didn’t sound like the usual Dante at all.

"Don’t you think it’s strange that I haven't done anything about you even though I know all about your circumstances?"

"Huh?"

"All the information I have is also being kept by another person right now. If I die, everything will be made public. So you better watch how you’ll treat me."

Dante raised his eyebrows and held a finger on his temple as if he was thinking about her proposal.

"...It doesn’t look like you’re just bluffing."

In fact, she really wasn’t completely bluffing. Although Cecilia exaggerated a little, if she eventually died, Gilbert would probably reveal all the information she had shared with him.

Dante shrugged, looking like he had given up his previous murderous stance.

"What is the deal? Do you have any conditions for me?"

"Let’s see..."

(I would be satisfied if he would just let me leave…but...)

That wouldn’t work out either.

Right now he absolutely wouldn’t be convinced by those words.

Cecilia abruptly lifted her face.

"Dante, you're aware I'm a girl, right?"

"Yup."

He didn't hesitate at all. As suspected, she had been exposed right away.

Cecilia announced in a loud voice.

"I'm crossdressing for a particular reason, so just keep your mouth shut about me being a girl. If you do it, I'll keep your secret too."

"…Is that all?"

Dante looked at Cecilia with a disappointed face.

"That's it, but ... would it have been better if I added more?"

"No way."

He shrugged again and returned to his usual whimsical self.

"I like you, Cecil. From today onwards, we are accomplices. It's my pleasure."

"Hmm, mmm."

(Did I make the wrong decision after all?)

While pondering about it, Cecilia had no other option but to shake hands with Dante.

TL Notes:

The references for “rotten stuff” are all related to BL or fujoshis, of course.

1. Shota ショタ : a Japanese slang term for a cultural version of a more youthful or childlike male appearance, mostly used to describe fictional characters. (shamelessly taken from Wikipedia).

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