Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 587

"Lady Rafa, if I recall correctly, is the woman who once went by the name 'Lifa' in Valdia. And she’s the one who left that 'lovely note' saying she had taken a liking to Lord Ridd, right?"

"Y-yeah, that’s right."

Fara, who was emitting a dark aura and a freezing chill, was smiling.

However, her eyes weren’t smiling at all—they were deep, dark, and bottomless, like an abyss.

Her overwhelming pressure made my face twitch, and I took a step back.

By the way, the 'lovely note' referred to the kiss mark Rafa had left with her lipstick, which had also caused misunderstandings with Fara back then.

"B-but, you know. As Fara knows, she’s also Amon’s sister. So, I only see her at meetings for managing the Fox tribe’s territory and stuff like that."

Yes, I only interact with her for work-related reasons. There’s absolutely nothing shady going on.

As I carefully explained this under her pressure, Fara’s dark aura and freezing chill gradually subsided.

Instead, she puffed out her cheeks.

"Is that so? Then, can you promise me and Lady Nanaly  that you won’t get carried away with anyone, no matter who or where they are?"

"Uh…"

I glanced sideways and saw my mother smiling softly.

However, her smile carried an intensity and pressure I had never felt before.

Then, when she called my name, "Ridd," and our eyes met, a chill ran down my spine, and I shuddered.

"You’re in a position where more people than you realize have their eyes on you. I can understand why Fara is worried."

"Y-yes."

Though she phrased it indirectly, I understood what my mother was saying, as well as Fara’s concerns.

There are many people, both men and women, who try to get close to me because of Valdia’s technology.

Some even go as far as throwing themselves in front of my coal-powered car or carriage to create a connection—those kinds of 'accident fakers.'

Of course, such people are banned from entering Valdia’s territory.

Also, after returning from the Fox Clan’s territory, I heard from my father that I still receive marriage proposals from nobles within the empire.

Some even come to visit directly.

Since Fara has likely seen and heard about such things while I was away, she might have grown a little anxious.

"Then, can you promise?"

To my mother’s question, I immediately replied, "Of course."

This was the time to clear up everyone’s misunderstandings and show my worth as a husband and a man.

With determination, I took Fara’s hands in mine and looked straight into her eyes.

"I swear, Fara. For my entire life, you’ll be the only one I’ll ever look at."

"Wha—?!"

Fara, who had been puffing out her cheeks, widened her eyes, and her face turned bright red up to her ears.

"My, my, how passionate."

As my mother smiled warmly, everyone around us also looked at us with affectionate gazes.

I felt embarrassed, but if it could dispel Fara’s and my mother’s worries, I was willing to shout words of love as much as needed.

Well, maybe shouting would be too much for my sense of shame.

But whispering them to Fara alone—I could probably manage that.

Though, now that I’ve said it, I feel my face heating up too.

"It’s alright, Lady Fara."

In the midst of the sweet and sour atmosphere, it was Tis who spoke up.

She was also wearing a formal empire-style dress, different from her usual attire.

The dress’s decorations gave off an impression somewhere between Mel’s innocent style and Citri’s elegant one.

No, perhaps it leaned more toward Mel’s lively side.

As everyone’s attention turned to her, Tis placed a hand on her chest and struck a confident pose.

"Since we’ll be meeting Lady Rafa during the meeting with Lord Amon, I’ll make sure to inform everyone involved that 'Lord Ridd has already pledged his lifelong love to Lady Fara.'"

When she said that, Mel chimed in, "Ah, that’s a good idea."

"Big brother is surprisingly weak to pressure, so it’s important for Tis to firmly say it on his behalf."

"W-weak to pressure? I’ve been turning everyone down properly!"

I sighed and made a face of exasperation, but Citri pressed on with a stern expression.

"Big brother, you’re too naive. Sister Rafa, unlike you, doesn’t follow common sense in a bad way. That’s why Brother Marbas and the other nobles have been calling her a 'hedonist' or 'pleasure-seeker' behind her back. If Sister Rafa were to seriously pursue you, could you really refuse?"

"S-seriously…?"

I’ve been teased by Rafa before, but now that I think about it, she’s never seriously pursued me.

If she were to seriously try to seduce someone, what kind of actions would she take?

As that thought crossed my mind, Citri’s eyes gleamed.

"Ah, big brother. You were thinking about Sister Rafa just now, weren’t you?"

"Wha—?! N-no, not at all!"

I shook my head in a panic and looked at Fara.

"I’ve said it many times, but I’ll refuse anyone who approaches me. Besides, if anyone were to pursue me, it’d obviously be Fara."

"M-me pursuing Lord Ridd?"

Fara’s face turned red again, and everyone began to murmur.

"So big brother likes that kind of thing."

"Lady Fara pursuing Lord Ridd… I kind of want to see that."

"Big brother really is weak to pressure."

Mel, Tis, and Citri muttered one after another.

"N-no, it’s just a figure of speech. I mean, what guy wouldn’t be happy if the girl he likes pursued him? Haha…"

Feeling like I’d dug myself into a deeper hole, I scratched my cheek and tried to laugh it off, though my face was burning.

Then, Kiel, who had been silent until now, muttered, "I see, in that case…" and whispered something into Fara’s ear.

"Eh, you want me to do that?"

"It’s fine. If you do this, Ridd, who’s weak to being pursued, will be done for."

I wanted to retort, 'Who’s weak to being pursued and done for?' but before I could, Fara, now fired up, stepped right in front of me.

"W-what’s wrong?"

Pushed back by her serious intensity and pressure, I retreated.

Before long, my back hit the entrance door, and I had nowhere left to go.

At that moment, Fara placed her right arm on the door, brushing past my cheek, and stared straight into my eyes.

"Lord Ridd, I adore you."

"Uh, y-yeah."

My heart skipped a beat, and my face instantly grew hot.

This might be the first time Fara has looked at me so closely.

Her beautiful crimson eyes sparkled, and it felt as if time had stopped.

"What on earth are you all doing?"

"Kyaaaaaah?!"

"Whaaaaaah?!"

The entrance door behind me suddenly opened, and Fara and I, startled, stumbled backward.

When I turned around in a panic, my father was standing there, looking exasperated and tilting his head.