Outaishihi ni Nante Naritakunai!! Chapter 132

Despite the man standing before me firmly calling me master, I shamefully struggled.
I averted my eyes in a completely different direction, and spoke a line that even I thought sounded contrived.

"N, no, who might you be. You seem to have mistaken me with somebody…"
"What are you saying. You haven't visited recently at all… Cut the foolishness and enter already. It's disturbing the other guest… Nn? You have a companion?"

Lars who spoke exasperatedly took notice of Freed next to me.
Then restlessly surveying the surroundings he pulled me in front of the shop.
Of course Freed followed.
Confirming there are no people around, Lars asked in a lowered voice.

"Hey, Master. What happened to the Magician Division Commander you've always brought with you? Is he a new escort? Certainly he's able but…"
"I t ' s  d i f f e r e n t… H e ' s  d i f f e r e n t  f r o m  a n  e s c o r t…"

Unable to pretend I'm somebody else I abandoned the useless struggle. And shook my head to deny it.
Freed next to me is scary.
If I say he's an escort, I have no idea what I'll be told afterwards.
When I denied, Lars squinted.

"Nn? Then who is it? He's another excellent beauty… Come to think of, after all Master got engaged to His Highness the Crown Prince. Even though you'd been saying you wouldn't marry him so much, suddenly there was the engagement ceremony, right? Everybody was surprised. Well, let's not talk here, first of all come inside"
"Eh, yeah"

I couldn't find a timing to stop Lars who talked while laughing.

"Rumors such as that His Highness the Crown Prince is infatuated with his fiancée, the Duke's daughter, go around, but how is it really? Since Master accepted the engagement, he isn't a strange man, right?"
"…"

My face twitched.
Infatuation again. It's the phrase I often hear recently.
If it's spread throughout the town, no matter how much I struggle this late I won't be able to deny it. How in the world has that rumor spread. It's too embarrassing.
If there are culprits, by all means I'd like to question them.

"It's been a long time. Please tell us in detail. Everybody wants to meet you"

Saying so, Lars reached out his hand to grab my arm. But, before his hand reached me, it was knocked off by Freed.

"Cold you not touch her?"
"Eh?"

Freed, who all of a sudden stood before Lars, broadly smiled. I absolutely don't think that I'm misunderstanding that his smile is unbelievably scary.
As Lars blinked surprised, Freed spoke in a voice only Lars and I could hear.

"I am saying not to touch her, my fiancée. Do you understand?"
"Fi… ancée?"

As Lars turned to me with movements like a broken toy, while in my mind apologetically putting my hands together, I nodded.

"T, that's right"

Silence befell for a moment

"… Master. Certainly, I've heard you are engaged to His Highness the Crown Prince?"
"… I regret to say but indeed"

When I nodded with a bitter face, unable to lie anymore, Lars looked at Freed nervously.
Hi, letting out a short scream he then spoke to me again.
I could tell the finger he pointed at Freed was shaking.

"… This means, he is…!!"
"I understand you're surprised, so don't point your finger, don't raise your voice, be quiet"

He was itching to scream. Thinking so, I warned him first. Under my firm gaze he rapidly nodded.
Taking the chance, I entered the shop followed by them. There's still time before opening, so naturally there's nobody inside. I can hear voices from the kitchen's direction, everybody seems to be busy with preparations.
When we entered the shop and it became only the three of us, Lars asked me with an astonished expression.

"W, why has His Highness the Crown Prince come to a place like this!"
"T, that's…"

While thinking of how to explain, Freed spoke first.

"Can't you tell by looking? I am enjoying an incognito date with my fiancée"
"Inspection! We are inspecting!"

I became bashful as Freed smoothly said that we're in the middle of a date. Desperately I asserted we're in the middle of an inspection.
Even so, while I was anguished over what to do about further teasing, Freed called out to me in his usual voice.

"Lidi?"
"Eh, what"

When I looked up, I was met with Freed's smile. However, aware that his eyes weren't smiling in the slightest, I unconsciously took a step back. Scary.

"I've heard the conversation until now. I also have some predictions… It's enough, right? Please tell me what you are hiding already?"

I easily surrendered as the words that he knows resounded.
He's a man with good judgement. He may say predictions, but he's definitely convinced. If I poorly lie, it's unlikely it'll end well.

"I a m s o r r y. The owner of this shop and the owner of the curry rice original recipe is me…"

Cornered into a situation where keeping secrets wouldn't be allowed, I confessed while hanging my head. Now that it's come this far, I can't deceive him. I abandoned any hopes of doing anything.
Feeling like a criminal being convinced, I was awaiting the verdict with my head hung, when I heard a deep sigh above my head.
After a short while, a large hand was placed on my head.

"… At last you've said it. Yes, good job. Because Lidi is really stubborn"
"He"

When I gingerly raised my face, Freed looked at me as if to say it can't be helped.

"I've known from the beginning. I heard from Alex in advance. Realize already it's known to everyone. It's the message from him"
"Eh?"

My eyes opened wide from the unexpected words.
It's been exposed? No way? Since when?
Feeling shaken, I pulled Freed's sleeve. Perhaps understanding what I wanted to say, Freed said with a wry smile.

"Alex said he's known from the start… Perhaps the man over there is aware too"
"No way? Lars?"

When I turned to Lars astonished by the new facts, he awkwardly scratched his cheek.

"… It's the truth that quite a while ago two people who introduced themselves as Master's father and brother visited"
"Eeeeh!?"
"They told me to keep it a secret… Sorry"

I stared dumbfounded at Lars who lowered his head.
No way, Father and Brother even came here? My head completely froze from the unexpected fact.

"Lie, it's a lie…"
"They were a father and son with incredibly conspicuous silver hair… They came to see where the daughter was working and to eat curry… Were they the real thing?"
"… Unfortunately they were"

Silver-haired father and son. Hearing that is enough.
There's no mistaking it. It's Father and Brother. What are they doing behind my back.
While I stiffened from shock of various truths being revealed in rapid succession, to soothe me Freed pulled me towards himself.

"Are you convinced with that?"

As Freed peered at me, I nodded, crestfallen.
It's so uncool I feel like crying.

"I understand I was only tilting at windmills… It's embarrassing"
"Be relieved, the Prime Minister or Alex didn't tell you to stop with the shop. Then, since I'm done with Alex's request, shall we eat curry and go back?"

Gently patted on the back, I couldn't stand it anymore and tightly clung to Freed.

"… If the objective was to make me aware, you don't need to force yourself to eat it, do you?"
"It's Lidi's original recipe, right? As long as it isn't sweets I can eat it, besides, it's not a lie my objective was this shop's inspection. After all it's Lidi's shop"
"… If you want curry, I'll make it"

If it's exposed, I have no reason to hide it anymore. When I brought up making it without having to eat here, Freed tightly hugged me and said. The hand that stroked my hair felt good.

"It's hard to give up on that. But since it's a rare opportunity let's eat out together and go back. I haven't eaten anything in the cake shop before. Actually, I'm quite hungry"
"Ah, I see. You only had a coffee"
"I'd like to eat what Lidi recommends. Could you choose?"
"It's fine but… But could you tell me Freed's preferences. I'll use them as reference"
"Of course"
"… Ah, excuse me, however"
"Nn?"

When I heard Lars's voice and looked back, while averting his eyes with an awkward face he said.

"I understand your relationship is as good as the rumors say, so if you're going to eat could you sit at the counter over there. It's already the time to open. It'll be troubled if you unashamedly flirt in the middle of this shop"
"!!"

When he pointed it out, I finally remembered I fully settled in Freed's arms.
I became embarrassed right away, and began struggling free.

"Let, let go"
"Yes yes. Lidi, you've become bright red. How cute"
"S, shut up. Here!"

Pulling Freed's hand I guided him to the special seats at the end of the counter.
It's my personal spot for when I'm in the shop.
You can peek into the kitchen from there, it's also convenient as its out of people's eyes.
When I sat on the chair and peeked into the kitchen, I could tell all the cooks turned their eyes away from me all at once.

"… We were seen. No more…"

Convinced that they without a doubt observed our shameful behavior just now I wanted to cry.
What's sad about being held in the arms of your fiancée right in the middle of your shop.
Nobody knows.
When I flopped on the counter overwhelmed by embarrassment, Lars brought water with pitiful look in his eyes.
Haa, I received it and sighed.

"… Master, pull yourself together… Alright, then we're opening!"

As Lars's voice reverberated, customers began entering the shop one after another. When I looked at that with a sidelong glance, Freed next to me happily poked my cheek with his finger. Sullenly I brushed it off and sat up.
No good. If it continues, it's likely I'll be told we're flirting again.
Feeling strong sense of crisis I asked Freed for his preferences and decided to promptly order.

… In any case, let's leave the shop quickly.
That's all I thought.

Chapter end