I Will Break Off the Engagement Because I'm Jealous - The Untalented Villainess Who Rejected the Prince Searches for a Safe Haven with the Cheat Heroine - Chapter 6.9

Emilia walked down the hallway, returning to her room.

(It was fortunate I woke up exactly one hour later.)

After waking from her nap, shaking the snoring, drooling Dian awake, and parting with him as he returned to his duties it was already nearly dusk. Normally, Emilia wouldn’t wake up until morning once she fell asleep. But perhaps because she’d slept in an awkward position on the sofa, waking up hadn’t been a problem.

(My body hurts so much, though.)

Her back was stiff, and she had a dull ache in her shoulders. There was also discomfort in her neck. Rotating her shoulders, Emilia reached her private room’s door and took out her key. She gently inserted it.

(——It’s open! Iris!)

Emilia’s face broke into a smile. She gripped the knob and pushed the door open. The dim room still had no lights on.

“Iris! We can be together starting tomorrow! …Huh? Iris?”

She scanned the room, but there was no sign of anyone. Only red light streamed in through the large window, casting several long shadows.

(Huh? I was sure she’d be here… Is she somewhere else in the castle?)

Just as Emilia took a few steps into the room.

From behind.

Click. The sound of a lock turning.

“Who’s there?!”

Emilia cried out involuntarily and spun around. In the pitch-black shadows before the door. A pair of blue eyes floated.

“Who else would be able to enter here? Lady Emilia.”

Iris’s voice was flat and quiet. Emilia relaxed, a smile spilling from her lips.

“Of cou—— Ah, no. Maybe someone has a spare key?”

“That would be dangerous. Lady Emilia, once you fall asleep, you don’t wake up. Perhaps you should just leave the imperial capital altogether?”

Iris stepped out of the shadows. Her eyes seemed somehow cool.

“That wouldn’t be good. Oh, right, I want you with me starting tomorrow. I got permission. So that’s fine, right?”

Emilia replied cheerfully.

“——I’m leaving here today.”

Iris’s voice was matter-of-fact.

“…Huh?”

Iris, who had approached, stared intently from up close. Her blue eyes held even less emotional fluctuation than usual.

It was as if she was strongly suppressing something.

“I still can’t destroy the dungeon, but I’ll be with the Blaze Brigade for a bit. I’m leaving the imperial capital.”

“Wh— Wait. Why? More importantly, what am I supposed to do?!”

“Please stay here, Lady Emilia. Be affectionate with His Majesty the Emperor. It would help if you lured him into carelessness.”

When she asked in a fluster, the response was sharp and dismissive. Emilia pouted, her lips pursing. She averted her gaze.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m not that close with Dian, you know.”

So, she bluffed. She thought she felt her heartbeat, but dismissed it as her imagination and ignored it.

“…The Emperor. You’re even allowed to call him by his name without honorifics?”

But Iris pressed on. It felt like her face was close. Close enough that her breath almost reached her.

“It’s because our Skill Ranks are the same. He told me to… Is that an order, I wonder?”

“You’ve become quite immersed in the empire, haven’t you?”

“That’s not true. It’s fun when you’re here, but otherwise this city is just gloomy. I want to leave soon.”

“Understood. Then please endure it a little longer.”

Somehow, Iris’s reply had a thorn in it. When she looked at her, Iris’s blue eyes stared right back. No emotion colored them at all.

But her lips were trembling.

“…Hey, Iris. Are you angry about something?”

“No.”

“You’ve been acting strange lately, haven’t you?”

“Strange how?”

She protested, but upon closer look, her shoulders were trembling slightly too. Seeing that, Emilia overlapped her with the high Skill holders. Those who calmly held their anger.

(No, that can’t be. Succumbing to a Skill… Not Iris, of all people.)

Shaking the thought from her head, Emilia lowered her gaze slightly, thinking as she spun her words. Recalling Iris’s behavior lately. They’d been missing each other… thinking of her.

“Well, it’s like, your attitude. And also, when I’m not here, you’ve been deliberately coming back then, haven’t you? Here.”

“Not at all. It’s just that Lady Emilia is constantly summoned by the Emperor, so we can’t meet.”

“That can’t be helped. I can’t afford to be suspected. Hey, Iris?”

Mid-sentence, Iris walked past her. She headed straight for the window.

“I’m leaving. I won’t be back for several days.”

Her retreating back left behind words that felt like rejection. Along with the red sunlight, they seemed to… pierce the back of her eyes.

“Iris! You don’t have to sneak in here anymore! So, so at least for today!”

Emilia reached out without thinking. She rushed over and grabbed her shoulder.

In that instant.

“Ah——!?”

The world spun around.

Blinking several times, Emilia finally realized she’d been thrown onto a nearby sofa. She could see the ceiling, and felt thick fabric against her back. A creak sounded, and Iris’s face broke into her field of vision. She felt her clothes being pulled; when she lowered her gaze, Iris’s knee was between her thighs. Pinning her down, both shoulders pressed by Iris’s hands. Iris’s face, shadowed by the red light. Her beautiful blue eyes.

Staring down at Emilia intently.

“Iri…s?”

She muttered, dumbfounded. From Iris’s hands and feet, the skin she touched a tremor was transmitted. Iris’s mouth was trembling too. Only her eyes stared straight ahead, blazing brightly.

“What is all this! With the First Prince, and the Emperor! Smiling and laughing like that! How much I… how much I…!”

Unusually, Iris raised her voice. Her words, like a high-pitched scream, told of her anger. Feeling accused, Emilia was shaken.

“No, it’s not like I’m playing around… The First Prince? Why would Herrick—”

“Tch.”

She’d inadvertently muttered the prince’s name without honorifics too, and for some reason, Emilia thought, Oh no. Iris’s trembling seemed to grow stronger.

“And it’s not like that with Dian either. Hey, Iris, are you hiding some——”

She piled on words without thinking.

Then.

“The one hiding something is you, Lady Emilia.”

“——!”

A verbal spear.

“Was it comfortable, next to the Emperor?”

One after another, they rained down.

“Iris…? You, don’t tell me you were there—”

Her gaze darted, her lips quivered, and Emilia blurted out. Iris shook her head wildly, her hair disheveled.

“Yes, yes! Being hugged, not even trying to break free! All lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey, lovey-dovey! And then starting to sleep peacefully and defenselessly next to a man! In front of me! My own eyes! You… you…!”

Her fingers dug into Emilia’s shoulders. Her nails pricked slightly. She was gripped with unbelievably strong force.

“Iris, it, it hurts——”

Even when she pleaded, nothing came back. Iris’s eyes were bloodshot. Emilia gasped and simply trembled. She breathed in shallow pants, her throat becoming parched. She wanted to shake her head, but couldn’t look away. The force pinning her down only grew stronger, and Emilia’s body sank deeper into the sofa. Suddenly.

She understood: “I’m being pinned down.”

“St…”

Her voice grew hoarse, tears welling in her eyes. Without a chance to stop them, one, then two streams flowed.

“St… stop.”

“Lady Emilia.”

She called her name. Her heart leaped. Gasping, her breath, her words came out.

“Stop, Iri—”

“Emilia.”

“Ahh…”

A moist breath, a high-pitched voice, words of resignation, pleading feelings.

Spilled from her lips.

The strength left her shoulders. Her knees fell open limply. The corners of her eyes relaxed, her eyelids closing. The back of her mind buzzed, wanting to sink deep into the fabric. Her chin lifted, as if baring her neck.

Her closed lips—parted slightly.

As if calling for her.

As if seeking her.

The answer was.

“Hic, g…! Guuuuuuuu…!”

Falling tears.

“Iri…s…?”

She opened her eyes without thinking. Her lips were far away, and large teardrops continued to fall from Iris’s eyes. Iris, trembling as if convulsing, released Emilia, turned around, and ran off.

“Iris!”

Emilia sat up. But by then, Iris was already outside the window.

From the balcony, the figure vanished immediately.

“Why——? Why——?”

Why did you do that?

Why——didn’t you take me?

Such a faint whisper.

Vanished into the darkening room.