Outaishihi ni Nante Naritakunai!! Chapter 361

"…"

Marianne went home, and I returned to my room.
I sat on the sofa and in silence indulged in thinking alone. Finally, I came to a conclusion.

"I've decided. I'll go to a masquerade ball after all."

I have no other choice.
I absolutely don't want my friend to fall prey to an unknown honey trapping man, and I can't forgive that he pretends to be Freed.
They're masquerade balls. It can't be helped that his identity is unknown, and if he wasn't pretending to be someone else, I wouldn't want to do it either. I cautioned her, but the choice is hers, and I should just obediently watch how the situation develops.
But of course, I have no intention of letting a man pretending to be someone else approach my friend.

"Since it's come to this, I'll go to an evening party ahead of Marianne's planned meeting with him and determine his identity."

I've memorized portraits of all domestic nobles. Even if he hides his face with a mask, I'm confident that I'll be able to tell who he is if we meet in person.
I couldn't make out Freed because I avoided anything related to royalty. And the other reason was that he changed his hair color.

"I'm worried about what that man may be planning."

I think it's a honey trap, but that's nothing but my own conjecture. Supposing that it was different, for example if he really just likes listening to girls talking, it would be a false accusation.
That's why, I'm thinking of carefully judging him.
Anyway, I have to grasp the man's identity. And then, make sure he never again pretends to be somebody else.
I feel sorry for Marianne, but falling in love with a nonexistent person is futile. She understands they'll only associate a few times, so she should give up after hearing he disappeared.
From the bottom of my heart I wish that she falls in love with a man of certain identity the next time.

"Alright, let's talk with Freed tonight. And then, I'll need to call Cain."

Naturally, I don't intend to keep it a secret from Freed.
In the first place, I don't feel like I could hide it. In the worst case, I can easily imagine getting punished when it got exposed.
That's why, I want to have Cain come as my escort, and I intend to properly explain it to Freed.
I understand that I'm not allowed to act as I please as the Crown Princess.
Freed gives me as much freedom as possible in that position. I don't want to betray him.

"… I'm glad that Princess feels like taking me."
"Ah!? Cain!?"

Suddenly hearing a voice from behind, I looked back in a fluster.
Having appeared who knows when, Cain was there, looking at me with an amazed face.

"Did you hear that?"
"Of course I did. I'm Princess's escort. I can't leave you alone when the Crown Prince isn't there."
"Ah, yup… That's true."

Cain is my exclusive escort recognized by Freed. Because he's there, I'm allowed considerable freedom. When I'm not with Freed, he's always nearby to protect me.
That means, in other words. He perfectly heard my conversation with Marianne earlier――

"… Er."
"I'd oppose if Princess intended to go alone, but since you feel like taking me, do as you want. Princess, I only obey you. Well, Princess, you have to persuade the Crown Prince first!"
"… Ah, yes."

When I reflexively nodded my head, Cain looked at me with pitiful eyes and said.

"I don't think it's good to keep it a secret from the Crown Prince. Look, things will get scary later. If you really must go to a masquerade ball, you gotta persuade him."
"… Uuu. I do, don't I?"
"And so, I'm withdrawing."
"Eh…"

Cain disappeared after saying what he had to say. And who appeared at almost the same time as Cain disappeared was――

"Freed!? W-Why?"
"Lidi."

I had no idea what the hell happened.
In the place where Cain disappeared, Freed, who should've been working in the office, appeared.

―― What? What the hell was that?

When I thought about it calmly, I immediately understood Freed received telepathic communication from Cain and used the return magical art to come here. The timing of Cain's departure and Freed's arrival was perfect. That must have been it.
However, the sight of Cain being suddenly replaced by Freed was bad for my heart.

"T-Tha… That surprised me."

While I was frozen from surprise, Freed approached me and said.

"I received telepathic communication from Cain. Lidi, do you want to talk about something?"
"E-Er… Yup."

I was sure he'd be angry, but apparently Cain only told him that I wanted to talk. It's probably his silent pressure on me to talk properly myself.
I intended to talk with Freed from the start, but I didn't expect him to be called before my heart was ready.

"Er, Freed, you're still in the middle of work, right? Then, how about later――"

It's a complicated topic, and I don't want to get in the way of his work. I thought so, but Freed clearly declared.

"There must be a reason why Cain decided to contact me. Lidi, it's fine, so try talking first. Don't decide on your own."
"Y-Yes."

Freed's face was scary.
Despite shrinking, I told him about the situation.

"―― And that's how it is."

I told him everything. That the fake Apollo appeared at masquerade balls. And that Marianne fell in love with that sham, and then my reasoning for why that man seems suspicious, and finally that I want to go to a masquerade ball.
If I said even a single lie or skipped anything, Freed wouldn't forgive me. It felt like that.

"… I see."

As I awaited the sentence on my knees on top of the bed, Freed sat on the edge of the bed and breathed a small sigh.

"So Lidi, you thought of going to a masquerade ball."
"Yup. I must go ahead of Marianne and determine the identity of that man."
"I see."

Freed, who had his eyes cast down in thought, raised his face.

"Lidi, I don't want you to go to a masquerade ball no matter the reason. Lidi, you're my wife, right? Who would want to send his precious wife to a place full of starved beasts?"

Starved beasts, what an amazing expression. But, Freed's face was serious, it didn't look like he was joking.

"Lidi, you're cute, so I have zero doubt you'll immediately attract attention. I can't stand men looking sexually at my Lidi."
"I-I'll be wearing a mask, so won't it be fine…?"

The venues use various tricks like dim lightning so that others can't be identified. Of course, identity can't be hidden from people like me who remember physical features of others, but unexpectedly, hiding face is all that's needed to not get exposed. That's why, I think the possibility I'll be identified as myself is low.
But, Freed was doubtful.

"That's not the problem. Lidi, you stand out a lot. It doesn't matter whether you wear a mask. First you'll catch their eye, then they will notice your lovely standing posture, want to touch your lustrous hair, get captivated by your purple eyes that look like jewels, and finally fall in love after seeing your beautiful features from up close. Your waist is slender, and you look good in dresses. See, there's no reason not to talk to you."
"…. Um… Freed, I think you're only describing yourself."

I'm happy to be praised by my husband, but it's an exaggeration.
As a fact, nobody but Freed talked to me at the previous masquerade ball.
When I said that, Freed knit his brows in displeasure.

"What are you saying? At that time too, everybody paid attention to you, Lidi. They couldn't talk to you because I kept them in check. I intimidated them with all my power so that nobody but me could talk to you. That was the reason."
"… What were you doing?"

Hearing that he intimidated others before we even talked, I sighed.
However, I see. I wondered why nobody came to talk to me at that time, but it was because of Freed.
Freed was my aim at that time, so there was no problem with him doing that, but I'm surprised he declared me as his own before we even talked.
As I made a complicated face, Freed said clearly.

"That's why Lidi, I oppose you going to a masquerade ball."
"N-No matter what?"
"I think I said the reason? I won't let my dear wife get thrown into a wolf den. Lidi, masquerade balls are more dangerous than you think. I don't want you to go."
"Uu."

I flinched from being seriously told that. However, I won't step back either.

"That… might be right… but, it won't be dangerous. I'll take Cain with me, and I'll go back after determining that man's identity."

For now, I want to see him and determine who he is. Once I know that, I won't need to stay at the masquerade ball, so I'll immediately withdraw.

"Look Freed, once I learn who he is, I'll properly report to you and leave the rest to you … At least, let me do that…"

To be honest, I want to go to the fake Apollo's mansion myself, but I understand that's going too far, so I decided to stop at learning his identity.

"Okay? I'll take proper countermeasures… Is it still no good?"
"…"

Freed's graceful brows scrunched. This is the sign that he's quite displeased. I understood that, but I didn't intend to easily step back either.

"I can't silently watch as a strange man sinks his poisonous fangs into Marianne! Of course, I also understand a masquerade ball is a bad place to go. Even if something happens, that will be my fault. But, Marianne's partner is the man pretending to be you, Freed. Knowing that he's suspicious, I can't ignore him…"
"Lidi."
"… Besides, it's unforgivable that he pretends to be you, Freed. Supposing that he's doing it for some evil reason…"

I really can't forgive him for pretending to be my Freed to commit wrongdoings.
When I said that, Freed made an incredibly reluctant face.

"… I understand what you're saying, Lidi. I think that your concerns are reasonable. No matter how I look at it, there must be something about that man to participate in masquerade balls in the guise of a person who had already disappeared. As you say, it might not be a mistake to obtain information."
"! Right!?"

I looked at Freed with hope. This time he made a complicated face and said.

"I spawned him. It was me who attended masquerade balls as 'Apollo'. I have no excuse regarding that. And, if some stranger uses that Apollo, I can't leave it alone. I have to clean it up properly, I think that's my duty as 'Apollo'. At least I need to catch him and confirm his intentions."
"Then!"

My eyes sparkled. Freed groaned with a mouth unusually turned down at the corners and said.

"I'm incredibly unwilling and my heart feels heavy, but… it's necessary to go to a masquerade ball to find out that man's identity."
"Ah!"
"… But, you don't need to go, Lidi. I'll simply ask some female military officer."
"F-Freed, won't it get exposed to that military officer that you were Apollo if you do that!?"

The fact that he attended masquerade balls is in a sense top secret. It's undesirable to increase the number of people who know about it.

"I'd rather it get exposed than have you go, Lidi."
"No! Besides, I said it before, but he's a fake Freed. He's pretending to be my husband. Freed, as your wife, I think I have the right to participate!"

Usually I wouldn't be so willful. However, he's pretending to be my husband, I think it's normal for me to get angry. What's wrong with at least finding out who that man is myself?
As I insisted sulkily, Freed blinked his eyes.

"… Lidi, you want to participate because you're my wife?"
"That's right! Of course, I also want to help my friend myself, but I can't just leave somebody who pretends to be my beloved to someone else. What's wrong with wanting to do what I can?"
"…"
"Freed?"

Freed fell silent and covered his mouth. On a closer look, his ears were slightly red.

"… What should I do? I'm incredibly happy."
"… E-Er…."
"I have to say no, but I'm so happy that I can't. Because, Lidi… you got angry because you're my wife. There's no way I can say it."
"E-Er… Then, will you let me participate?"

I asked gingerly.
Freed paused for a while, and despite looking reluctant, finally nodded.

"… Lidi, if I were in your position, I would want to capture him myself, I don't think I could leave it to others. Since you're saying you feel the same, I won't stop you. But, I have one condition. I'll go with you. I can't just leave you to Cain in such a dangerous place. If you don't like that, you can't go."
"Eh… But, won't the sham not appear if you go, Freed?"

As long as he's aware that he's pretending to be somebody, if that person is there, he won't appear. When I said that, Freed pondered for a while and answered.

"Certainly, you have a point. There's no point in Lidi participating if the target doesn't appear. Then it can't be helped, I'll watch you with Cain from behind the scenes. But Lidi, as soon as you learn that man's identity, withdraw immediately. Can you promise that?"
"Yup."

I looked Freed in the eyes and nodded.

"I promise. As soon as I learn his identity, I'll leave the masquerade ball. Then, I'll pass the information to you and stay quiet… Freed, is that fine?"

He listened to my willfulness and let me participate. I want to minimize the inconvenience I cause.
When I raised my hand and swore that, Freed reached out his hand and slowly stroked my head.

"It is. Leave everything afterwards to me. No matter what the identity of that man is, I'll properly investigate him and never again let him pretend to be 'Apollo'… Lidi, I promise he won't sink his poisonous fangs into your friend."
"… Yup. I believe you."

Since Freed said that, I'm sure it'll be alright.
I'll expose the fake Apollo's identity no matter what.
As if I'd let him pretend to be Freed again or meddle with Marianne.

"I'll do my best."
"… I don't really want you to do your best."

Freed said that troubledly, but I intend to put all my power to it.

Chapter end