Let’s organize this.
“First of all, Victoria, you and I are known to be broken off from our engagement publicly.”
“Yes.”
“But, we told Flora that our breakup was actually a ruse to deceive others.”
“That’s true.”
“And Flora must have gone to the southern Arkwright manor and explained our situation well enough to your brother Orca and the head of the family.”
“She said so.”
As Victoria nodded, something leaped onto her lap.
━Kong Kong!
It was a wolf spider named Kongkong, glowing with white light.
Was it greeting us?
It looked wild but was very affectionate towards people.
It would probably wag its tail happily even if a thief came.
Of course, spiders don’t have tails, but still.
What a cute thing!
“What is this! A spider…!”
But Victoria, startled, smacked the body of the wolf spider Kongkong with her palm.
Kongkong fell to the floor, writhing from the impact.
━Hisss….
I was angry at that sight.
“Hey, why are you hitting poor Kongkong? Because you hit it, now it has eight legs.”
“What are you talking about! Spiders originally have eight legs!”
Anyway, I carefully picked Kongkong up from the floor.
Thankfully, it didn’t seem to be hurt or damaged.
Stronger than expected.
I held Kongkong out to Victoria.
“Apologize to Kongkong.”
“…Why should I apologize to a spider? It was the one that tried to attack me first! And I didn’t even hit it that hard!”
“It wasn’t trying to attack you; it wanted to be friends with you. And its name isn’t Spider, it’s Kongkong.”
“…Okay, fine. Sorry. But keep it away from me, don’t shove it in my face…!”
Victoria seemed to be scared of spiders.
Sure, a spider as big as a palm would look frightening at first glance.
“Victoria, are you afraid of Kongkong?”
“Who, who said I’m scared? It’s just that spiders are dirty! And they eat pretty butterflies….”
“Kongkong is clean. And it doesn’t eat butterflies. Kongkong only eats the food I make.”
━Kongkong!
“…You, oddly, keep defending that… Kongkong?”
“Well, it cleans well and catches mice. Unlike you, Victoria, who can’t even clean your room.”
Victoria’s hair bristled at my words.
“How do you know whether I can’t clean my room or just don’t do it!”
Of course, I know.
Victoria being bad at cleaning and housekeeping was a well-known joke in the game.
But wasn’t that revealed after the summer vacation episode?
Since I couldn’t reveal the truth, I decided to deduct one lie and make up something suitable.
“I was your fiancé, Victoria. I know you better than you think.”
“…”
Victoria was speechless, caught off guard.
She turned her head sharply, her cheeks slightly blushing, possibly from anger.
“…If you know so well, then why….”
“What did you say?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
Unlike what I saw in D&A, the Victoria in this reality of Ludens was quite temperamental.
She originally had a calm and serene image.
“Kongkong, the weather is nice, so go play with Elizabeth outside.”
━Hisss…!
━Buzz buzz.
I let Kongkong and Elizabeth out the window and decided to straighten out the conversation.
“Victoria, because of you, the story got sidetracked. The important thing is how Orca knows about our relationship.”
“I don’t know.”
Was she sulking because of the recent conversation?
My precious golden weekend time.
Victoria might have plenty of time and money, but my time was valuable.
“Victoria, don’t act like a child. We need to be on the same page to avoid getting caught up in that snake Orca’s schemes.”
It was a bit funny to say that.
Telling Victoria, who was only a second-year student, not to act like a child.
When I thought about it, they really were just kids.
It’s okay to act a little childish.
With that thought, I felt more at ease.
Then Victoria flinched.
“Y-you mean being on the same page? Are you planning something weird now that you’ve sent that strange spider and bee out and we’re alone?”
“I just told you. We need to be on the same page.”
“Ugh…!”
Victoria made a strange noise and stood up.
She turned her head sharply and left the clubroom.
“What a strange person.”
There really were a lot of differences between the game and this reality in Ludens.
* * *
Victoria returned about 30 minutes later.
“You’re back.”
“I remembered something urgent. It’s not like I went out because I felt awkward being with you, so don’t get any weird ideas, okay?”
“I won’t. More importantly, it’s about Orca. What matters is how much Orca knows about our relationship.”
I asked Victoria to confirm, but I was pretty sure that Orca had a good grasp of the truth about our breakup.
Orca was the former and the previous student council president.
In this Ludens, he had eyes and ears everywhere.
Victoria spoke.
“I heard that my sister Flora explained our breakup convincingly to the head of the family and Orca. She said it was due to personality differences or something like that.”
Do noble engagements really break off due to personality differences?
It was a flimsy reason.
Flora, being so innocent, probably thought it was the best explanation.
“Then let’s go with that story.”
Thus, time passed and evening came.
As I sat planning franchise or business expansions, the day really flew by.
Whether in reality or in the game, weekend time passes so quickly.
“…”
Victoria’s demeanor as she headed to the restaurant where we had our appointment seemed a bit nervous.
“Are you scared?”
“No. It’s just frustrating not knowing what my brother might be plotting behind my back. He always has that friendly face….”
“Indeed. Orca has a good reputation and is well-liked.”
Simply put, Orca is the insider among insiders.
On the street, more than half the people greet him with a “Good morning.”
Everyone wants to be friends with him.
Who would think that someone like him is secretly plotting to conquer Ludens?
Playing it so many times now, it feels like a cliché, but during my first playthrough, I really thought Orca was a genuine ally.
The shock I felt back then as a kid was real.
“Is this the place?”
A fancy restaurant located in the center of Ludens’ shopping district.
There was no price listed on the menu board outside.
A place like this.
It’s really dangerous.
You can’t tell how much it will cost.
And such places are only visited by people who don’t care how much they spend.
It must be incredibly expensive.
I suddenly felt nervous.
“Victoria, I need to check something.”
“What, are you scared to face Orca even though you usually act so bold? You and Orca never got along well, right?”
“Maybe. Anyway, the important thing is whether Orca is paying for this meal.”
If I had to pay for myself, I’d order the cheapest thing and be done with it.
Victoria gave me a reassuring answer, “Orca is paying.”
Great.
I’ll order the most expensive thing.
As we entered, someone waved at us from a reserved table.
“Over here.”
A friendly smile.
The perfect image of a duke’s eldest son.
He looked like the protagonist of a romance manga, Orca Arkwright.
Next to him sat Rebekah, who I had seen just yesterday, with a slightly sullen expression.
Victoria and I sat across from them.
It was a very awkward atmosphere.
Without Victor’s steel-like mental fortitude, even I would have felt some bothersome tension.
“We’ve already ordered, so just pick what you want. You know, you can’t get a table here unless you book a month in advance. Everything’s delicious. When I’m on the mainland, I think of this place.”
Orca with his usual easy-going demeanor as I looked at the menu.
It listed high-end ingredients like foie gras and truffles, of course without any price tags.
Since it was a rare chance to try such exquisite dishes, I wanted to taste everything if possible.
“I’ll have the truffle tenderloin.”
“I’ll have the same as Victor.”
We placed our orders quickly, and soon enough, our food arrived. As I cut into the meat with my knife and fork and took a bite, a peculiar aroma filled my mouth.
So this is what 2nd Tier “Truffle” tastes like.
It’s quite unique.
Orca then spoke up.
“Has the chef changed today? The taste isn’t great. If I had known, I would have asked Miss Rebekah to cook. Not because she’s my fiancée, but because she’s truly a master of elegant cuisine.”
Orca tried to smooth things over with a friendly tone, but Rebekah’s expression wasn’t pleased.
Since Orca hadn’t even visited the restaurant of the “Ludens Gourmet Society”, his praise of Rebekah’s cooking might have sounded mocking.
As Rebekah’s expression soured, Victoria spoke up.
“So, what’s the real reason you called us here?”
“What do you mean, ‘real reason’? Little brother, I just thought it would be good for us, who might become family, to get together and talk. We are all connected by the Arkwright name, after all.”
“Orca, I’m no longer under the Arkwright name.”
Orca smiled at my words.
“That’s exactly why I’m saying this. The head of the family has said that he would give you a chance to nullify your breakup, even now.”
“What is….”
Victoria seemed flustered. In a way, she also looked somewhat pleased.
But my answer had been determined long ago, on that day that had made Victoria furrow her brow.
“I refuse.”
The Arkwright family is a sinking ship.
Why would I get on it?
The boat I need to board is NV Company.
Once they hear the roar of its engine, they’ll all be stunned.
At that moment, Orca spoke again.
“Victor, I knew you’d say that. Of course, our head of the Arkwright family had already anticipated this. So he made a proposal. You two should go on one last date today.”
“A d-date?”
Victoria stammered, taken aback.
Orca explained further.
“Go on one last date today. If, after that, your feelings still don’t change, the head of the family will no longer interfere with your breakup.”
