Conscious of the eyes of those trailing behind until the very end, he held Luinael’s hand and climbed into the carriage.
[Current BL Points: 25
Keep earning points!]
“Hmm……”
It seemed that, after continuously drawing attention with the same actions, the number of points had gradually decreased.
Still, since it had doubled from the 12 points he earned on the first day, Isaac was reasonably satisfied with the result.
“……”
“……”
“……”
However, the problem now was not the points.
It was the heavy silence and uncomfortable atmosphere inside the carriage.
Isaac, tearing his gaze away from the status window, carefully surveyed the interior of the carriage.
“Isn’t it more comfortable for you to ride a horse than to be in a carriage?”
“Would it be worse than riding alongside the war hero, Your Majesty?”
“Oh…”
“……”
Aren’t you two supposed to be pretty close in the original story?
Isaac alternated between glancing at Luinael and Gilbert, who were glaring at each other, and swallowed nervously.
Where did things go wrong?
Could it be because the genre changed?
Isaac sighed inwardly as he looked at the two of them trying to outdo each other, realizing that they were both probably harboring feelings for him.
The thought made him feel even more uncomfortable, and he shivered involuntarily.
“Although I used to sleep and eat on horseback during war, we’re not in a war now, are we? Being a knight isn’t my job anymore.”
“I see.”
“Then you should be in a place more fitting for you, shouldn’t you?”
“……”
Luinael, with his beautiful face, didn’t hold back in speaking his mind.
It made Isaac recall a line from the original work.
When Luinael first appeared on the battlefield, even the enemy soldiers admired him, saying that an angel had descended.
But once he was covered in blood, they panicked and started calling him a fallen angel sent by the demon king.
Isaac had laughed it off while reading the novel, but now, in this situation, those words kept lingering in his mind and troubled him.
“Forgive me, but His Majesty has ordered that you not take your eyes off Isaac, so I must follow the order.”
“……”
Does he really plan to follow me around like a stalker?
Isaac felt uneasy at the thought of Gilbert even following him to the bathroom.
He frowned without realizing it, but Luinael quickly expressed his displeasure.
“Isaac?”
“……”
Ah, it’s you who’s angry.
Isaac looked at Luinael with a frown.
Their eyes met.
“Did you allow Gilbert to call you by your name?”
“Huh?”
Luinael, with an anxious expression, asked.
It seemed like this was a big issue for him.
However, Isaac couldn’t quite remember whether he had ever allowed Gilbert to call him by his name.
It had been such a trivial matter to him.
Before being demoted to a Viscount, Isaac had always called Gilbert “Your Grace” or “Duke Drake,” but now, since he couldn’t call him that, it was a bit awkward.
Still, calling him “Viscount” seemed like it would make him uncomfortable, so Isaac had just called him by his name.
But it didn’t matter, did it?
After all, it wasn’t like he was calling him by a title or anything.
“Isaac……”
“Hmm……”
But it seemed that only Isaac thought that way, as Luinael now looked as though he were about to cry.
Isaac was at a loss for what to do.
“I… I don’t quite remember.”
“Maybe you don’t remember because it’s never happened?”
“Well, I don’t know……”
Isaac didn’t give a clear answer to Luinael’s probing questions.
To be honest, he didn’t really care either way.
Whether Gilbert called him “Viscount” or by his name, it didn’t matter.
“Isaac, is it okay if Gilbert calls you by your name?”
“Well…”
Isaac hesitated, as he felt that answering honestly might hurt Luinael.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw the moisture in Luinael’s eyes.
At that moment, Isaac felt a strange discomfort.
[Matching candidate is very upset.
BL points earned from the matching candidate have decreased slightly.
Current BL Points: 23
Keep up the good work!]
“……”
What is this?
If Luinael gets upset, the points go down?
Are you kidding me?
Isaac glared at the status window, but no matter how much he stared, the lost points wouldn’t come back.
“Damn…”
“Isaac?”
“Hmm, it’s nothing.”
Isaac barely managed to control himself, stopping the curse words from slipping out.
He quickly shook his head in front of the confused Luinael, then swiftly turned his face away.
“Gilbert, I don’t remember giving you permission to call me by name, so please refrain from doing so.”
“… Yes.”
Gilbert nodded heavily, and Isaac could almost feel his disappointment.
But it couldn’t be helped.
It was only natural to pay more attention to Luinael, the matching candidate, than someone who gave fewer points.
Isaac glanced at Luinael again, hoping the atmosphere had improved, but he was still no better off.
However, the dropped points didn’t return.
‘Sigh I’ll have to be more careful.’
At least now he knew there was a penalty for losing points.
Isaac felt irritated at being manipulated by the system, but systems were always set up to mess with the protagonist’s head.
Isaac ground his teeth in frustration. If they’re going to give points, they should at least give them generously.
Instead, they took them away after giving him such a small amount. It was infuriating.
While he was mentally cursing the system, the carriage finally arrived at its destination.
As the carriage slowly came to a stop, Isaac realized they had arrived at the mansion and stood up.
Just as he was heading toward the door to get out…
“……!”
He couldn’t get out.
That’s because the two men who had gotten out before him were blocking the way.
“Take my hand, Isaac.”
“……”
Luinael said, extending his hand toward Isaac, while Gilbert silently offered his hand beside him.
Isaac froze for a moment, staring at them.
What is this… Isaac thought, taken aback, shaking his head.
“I’m fine on my own.”
“Ah……”
In the end, Isaac couldn’t choose either of them and stepped out of the carriage alone.
To be forced to decide between two men like a romance novel protagonist—it was the worst.
Shaking his head in disgust, the status window popped up in front of him again.
[Warning!
An action not in line with the scenario has been detected.
Penalties may be applied.
Accumulated penalties will reduce your points.]
“……”
This damn system. Isaac trembled in anger as he stared at the window in front of him.
“Isaac? Are you cold?”
“I’m fine……”
Isaac gritted his teeth and answered Luinael’s kind question.
“Haah…”
Isaac, returning to his room, absentmindedly tugged at the cravat that had been choking him.
However, the knot, as complicated as it was, didn’t come undone easily today.
It was something he always tied and untied himself. His frustration only grew.
“U-um…”
“Hm?”
“I… I will do it for you.”
“….”
Noah, who had been standing by, spoke quickly. Isaac stared at him in silence.
Now that he thought about it, he had decided to hire a servant.
After being forcibly dressed by Luinael not too long ago, Isaac had decided not to send the servant away.
Isaac nodded as he looked down at Noah.
“Alright.”
“I-I’m sorry for the trouble.”
Noah, approaching hesitantly, reached out his hand carefully.
Isaac relaxed his body and watched as Noah, with slight trembling hands, began to untie the cravat.
Srrrk, ssushh.
“…?”
Why is he shaking like this?
[Is he still scared of me?]
Well… it’s probably understandable.
He was known as the Demon Duke, feared and cold to everyone.
But still, Noah had never been this scared to the point of trembling. Isaac furrowed his brows in confusion.
“Um… Excuse me…”
“Hm?”
“Who is… that person?”
“Ah.”
Noah pointed towards someone behind Isaac, still trembling.
It was Gilbert, standing silently behind him.
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