Chapter 22 - Everyone’s views on love

Translation: Thrax

Editing: Tohru

Since I had some free time, I started reading through the harem novel Shreegan recommended.

Shreegan also started reading the romance novel between a commoner and aristocrat that I recommended him.

A surreal sight came about with a child and a scary looking guy sitting at a caffe terrace engrossed in reading books…… People are avoiding sitting around us.

“I guess women like good looking guys.”

“Yeah.”

“They also love rich guys, who are smart, have a job, are stylish, who are polite and kind but strong when the need arises. They need to be there to protect them at any time, and have political power, and also whisper sweet nothings in their ears.”

“That’s the ideal guy, right?”

“There is no way for a guy like that to be found among commoners. That’s why the line ‘I don’t love you because you are a noble, I love you for who you are!’ is a straight out lie.”

“That’s right.”

When I said that Shreegan starts laughing.

“……So, you do get it little brother.”

“Of course I do. Learning things you have no way of knowing if they will be of use to you or not, gathering taxes and spending money for the betterment of the country, doing jobs that won’t earn you any money and not thinking about gains and losses while doing them, conducting yourself properly while doing diplomacy, if the need arises going to battle with your life on the line, all of that are things we do so the commoners won’t have to. That is the duty of the nobility.” ^[TN-1]

“Exactly.”

“Commoners have their own form of happiness. They wouldn’t be happy if they get involved with nobles. How hard do you think Serea is trying? I know I can rely on her to bear such hardships together with me because she is a noble. There is no way that I’d be able to ask a commoner girl to do all the things that Serea does. Even if another girl were to profess her love to me, I wouldn’t be swayed.”

“That puts my heart at ease, little brother.”

I give Shreegan back his book about an adventurer who builds a harem.

“Is there any real point in having a harem?”

“Ah I shouldn’t say that…… You like getting straight to the point don’t you little brother? Well, it’s like the reader being able to experience multiple different women……I mean, they can enjoy being spoilt for choice.”

“So basically, a variety of different types of women are gathered in the story for the reader.”

“Yeah, that’s it. Every reader can find a girl that he likes from the group.”

“But isn’t the first girl that appears written to be the cutest? Which of the heroines is the best in your opinion, Shreegan?”

“The first girl that becomes your partner. You graduate from being a virgin with her after all. Of course the author will put the best one first.”

I mean, that wasn’t what I was talking about at all. I do think that part of you is amazing though.

“Wouldn’t it be bad if they weren’t all equal in a harem?”

“Well, this is the type of story where all of the heroines are set up in a way where you won’t be able to know who the partner with whom you will do the deed first will be until the end of the story.”

“The use of the heroines is carefully planned huh.”

“That’s pretty harsh, little brother. You can say things like that all you like, but at the end of the day every man wants to be popular. The author is no exception.”

“The readers who like that kind of thing read the books, and because of that, it sold and became popular, right? It was the readers who created the harem trend. Not the author.”

“……Little bro, you really don’t have a desire to make a harem, do you?”

“If you find a girl who you really like, you don’t need a harem.”

“Actually, you make one in order to find the one.”

“That’s just an excuse!”

“Look here little brother, you have such nice girl as your bride. You can’t go around thinking that you weren’t extremely lucky to get her. Do you really think that a commoner could snag a girl as good as her as his bride?”

“Ugh…”

While Shreegan and I were exchanging verbal blows like that, Serea and miss Bell came over.

“So this is where you were! We were looking for you.”

“Our bad. We thought you could see us from the fountain square.”

“It’s been a while miss Bell!”

“Shin-chan, good day to you.”

“Good morning, Shin-sama.”

“Good morning!”

It’s been a while since the last time all four of us have gone out like this. I get the feeling that the happiest person here is Shreegan right now.

“What have you two been up to?”

“We read romance novels and had a strategy meeting on how to capture the little lady’s and your hearts.”

You always say whatever you want! Why did you have to say that!?

“……I don’t dislike that straightforward way of not hiding things mister Shreegan, but I am afraid that those materials are somewhat inadequate for this purpose.” ^[TN-2]

I was trying to hide the book in a panic, but miss Bell coldly swung the axe of absolution at me.

“No, well, if you were to go to the bookstore, and um, take the most popular book in the genre you, erm, end up with this……”

“Can I try reading it too?”

Said Serea with eyes glittering.

“Absolutely not!!!”

“Serea-chan, why don’t we leave the men who read things like that alone, and go around town with just the two of us?”

“……Please, Bell. I haven’t been able to spend time with Shin-sama for quite a while.”

The two of us were just focused on studying and official business for a while now after all.

“H-how did the picture show go?”

Anyway, I had to change the subject. Serea was supposed to hold a picture show at the orphanage titled ‘A Trip to the Moon’ this morning.

“…… It might have not gone over so well this time. They were disappointed saying ‘There are no monsters on the moon!?’. The story was basically just finding rocks on the moon, collecting them, and carrying them back. The rest of the story was plain too…”

　There are no monsters on the moon……? I’m kind of disappointed too. But going all the way to the moon and bringing back only rocks? That's a little plain. They could have gotten some treasure while they were there at least.

“Maybe the kids would appreciate a story about monsters a bit more.”

“Then, lets come up with a story about a monster on a rampage.”

“Sounds good, what kind of monster do you have in mind?”

“A triceratops.”^[TN-3]

“What kind of monster is that?”

“It was a dinosaur that lived a long time ago. It had four legs, three horns, and a fin on the back of its neck.”

That does sound interesting. It also gets bonus points for the fact that it actually existed.

“So, what happens to in the end?”

“A meteorite falls down, and they all become extinct.”

“…… Does it have to end like that?”

We all went to the theatre together as we agreed.

Right now, a popular romantic drama called ‘Romeo and Julietta’ is being shown. ^[TN-4]

...Honestly, it's the worst. It’s a new play by Shakespeare, but because Hamlet was harshly criticized by His Majesty the King or rather, he fell asleep during the performance, it seems that it's now a sweet love play. However, the main characters end up committing suicide in the end.

I don’t get why Shakespeare always wants to make that kind of ending……

“So, what happened at the end?”

“Both of them died.”

I knew it. You were asleep the whole time, weren’t you? What are you even doing here Shreegan……

“Hey, Shreegan, have you told anyone about us?”

“No, that’s unthinkable. I got a gag order straight from the king, I haven’t said a word to anyone.”

So even someone with a loose mouth like him can stay silent when the top of the country tells him to.

I wonder how careful he was.

“……Not even to miss Bell?”

“I haven’t.”

It's a story about a flirtatious 16-year-old Romeo who falls in love with a 14-year-old daughter of a rival family and they get married. It was a very embarrassing experience for Serea and me.

And since we were together with miss Bell and Shreegan, both of whom knew about our circumstances, what kind of public execution was this? We were so embarrassed we wanted to die……

The whole play was full of cliche sweet lines, and the constant use of pointless jokes and sexual innuendos, made it tough to bear. Just watching it made our hands, that were clasped the whole time, get drenched. You could say it gave us the chills. ^[TN-5] As a play, it wasn’t even the slightest bit entertaining.

You could say that this is a Shakespearean love play with a satirical edge in its sweet lines. Where the main message is that "A brat can pretend to have romances all he wants, but it will never end well".

“I wonder if there is anyone else who knows about us.” ^[TN-6]

“Hmm…… now that you mention it the only other person who knows is...”

“The priest, right?”

Miss Bells voice gives me a scare. That priest! He was there when we got married, wasn’t he?!

“That bastard of a priest gave Shakespeare the story. We can't let him live.”

“No, let’s leave it at that, Shreegan……”

“The priest in the play had a great role, didn’t he? He gave his own exaggerated accounting of a story where he married a couple of children at the church.”

It seems like the play didn’t sit well with Serea either.

“I didn't find it interesting at all. I think all the characters are too stupid. No matter how good he looks or how many sweet words he whispers to me, I would never like a guy who is so selfish, stupid, and unreliable.”

It seems like just sweet words are not good enough for Serea.

“It's silly to fall in love with a man just because of his face. In general, Romeo, why is he so pathetic? Whenever he has a problem, he just laments and grieves. Doesn’t he ever think about solving problems by himself or eloping and living together with Julietta? There are so many things he could have done other than just playing lovebirds. Even at the end, Shin-sama would have come up with at least ten different ways to resolve the situation amicably. Without it resulting in a double suicide!”

The me from the game is a high hurdle to climb over, but it seems that the me in Serea’s mind is a pretty high hurdle as well.

I have to give it my all……