If You Cheat, Just Don’t Tell Me - Chapter 3

“…Is this engagement already decided?”

“There’s a woman claiming to be my fiancée. Please explain what this is about.”

I spoke to my father for the first time in so long I’d forgotten how long it had been. Those were the words I’d used.

My family isn’t some distinguished noble house. My father was just an ordinary townsman, and my mother came from a merchant family – commoners through and through.

Yet the titles of “Sword Saint” and “Sage” that those two bore unnecessarily elevated our family’s status. Unnecessarily.

This stiff way of speaking – I’d never use it outside of family matters.

“I approached the Spirits family about an engagement between you and their young lady and received their approval. It’s not yet formalized in writing, so she’s not officially your fiancée, but she will be soon.”

“I haven’t heard anything about this.”

“I planned to tell you once it was officially decided. I thought the young lady’s transfer would happen after that too but apparently they were quite enthusiastic. The order got a bit mixed up, but that’s the situation.”

His tall, slender frame concealed a well-trained body. Even in his own home, he kept his sword nearby perhaps some point of pride as the Sword Saint.

Black hair, black eyes. At first glance, he honestly looked like any ordinary man you might find on the streets. Which made sense, since he came from common origins.

Yet this was my father, the man who had demonstrated such overwhelming sword talent, as if blessed by the gods themselves, that he earned the title of Sword Saint.

“…Is this engagement already decided?”

“We haven’t formally exchanged documents yet but with the young lady already transferred here, it would be difficult to refuse now.”

“…I see.”

That was all I needed to hear. I never intended to make any objections about this engagement anyway. Nothing I said would change anything. Besides, I planned to leave this house next year.

Even if she’s called my fiancée, we wouldn’t officially marry until adulthood. By that time, I’d no longer be part of this family. Whatever happened to this household afterward would be none of my concern. I couldn’t care less.

Miss Freya probably isn’t thrilled about having a fiancée forced on her by her parents either. She must have hated having to transfer from the school she’d been attending.

If I made it clear to her that I had no intention of getting close, she might even ask to call off the engagement herself.

“Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing in particular. If you’ll excuse me.”

Bowing once, I left my father’s study with its oppressive atmosphere.

…Still as uncomfortable as ever. It wasn’t like this when I was little. I can’t understand what he’s thinking at all. Well, we’ve barely spoken, so I suppose that’s to be expected.

Freya Spirits was, in a word, a “genius.” Even though she’d just transferred and the curriculum was different, she grasped everything perfectly. Her physical abilities were so exceptional she’d been selected as a designated reinforcement player for Lumina Chase, this country’s popular ball sport that utilizes magic. Being a player in this magic-based sport meant her magical skills were equally impressive.

Though she could be somewhat assertive and sharp-tongued, she wasn’t unpleasant to others, and in the short time since transferring, she’d become the center of attention in our class.

She was practically the polar opposite of someone like me. Spending whole days zoning out in the corner of the classroom, or skipping boring classes to lazily hide away in some inconspicuous part of the school building.

I could count the number of conversations I’d had with classmates on one hand. And those were just practical exchanges; I’d never had a personal conversation with anyone.

That’s why I never approached Miss Freya or initiated conversation with her.

Seeing a “genius” like her made me recall my own life’s trajectory and filled me with vague irritation. It’s not that Miss Freya had done anything wrong, and there’s no logical reason for this feeling.

Just looking at Miss Freya made me inexplicably annoyed. This emotion was entirely my own fault, and having nowhere to direct it was probably one reason I never approached or spoke to her.

However, just because I didn’t approach or speak to her didn’t mean she felt the same limitation.

“Dicca! Skipping class again!?”

“…None of your business.”

“It is my business! Don’t you have any awareness that you’re my fiancé!?”

“…”

Whenever I tried to slip away from boring classes, she’d say that and drag me back. Someone as taciturn as me stood no chance against the strong-willed Miss Freya in an argument.

“Move your body seriously!”

“…I am moving seriously.”

“Liar! Anyone can see you still have plenty left in you! Don’t tell such obvious lies!”

“…”

During basic physical arts class, when I tried to take it easy by holding back appropriately, Miss Freya saw through me and made me go all out.

I ended up moving so seriously that my body screamed in protest for the first time in ages.

“Dicca! Did you finish your assignment!?”

“Dicca! Did you submit your career path form!?”

“Dicca!” “Dicca!” “Dicca!”

“Gaaah! Shut up! Are you my mother or something!?”

Day after day of Miss Freya meddling in every aspect of my life, always calling “Dicca, Dicca.”

At first, I endured it without complaint but the constant nagging finally made me raise my voice.

It happened while I was zoning out in my usual corner of the classroom. As usual, Miss Freya was nagging me about this and that.

I was already fed up with her constant criticisms, and that day I was particularly irritable from lack of sleep.

“You’re annoying, annoying, annoying! I’m not a child! I’ll do what needs to be done without being told! Stop shouting about trivial things!”

The moment I finished shouting, I came to my senses.

Yelling at Miss Freya like this in the classroom, in front of everyone. Making a young lady from a good family lose face in public would be absolutely forbidden from an upper-class perspective.

It was completely different from her yelling at me. I genuinely didn’t care about my reputation, but embarrassing Miss Freya, who demonstrated her talents fully and was admired by so many.

The circumstances were different. Just because Miss Freya regularly scolded or yelled at me didn’t mean I could do the same to her.

“My apolo—”

“You finally looked me in the eyes. No matter what I said before, I never knew where you were looking, but now your eyes are finally directed at me.”

Just as I was about to offer the formal apology, I’d been taught for dealing with nobility. Miss Freya’s words cut me off.

I couldn’t understand what she was saying. A brief blank formed in my thoughts, and I found myself staring at her.

“Since we’re fiancés, let’s at least look at each other when we talk. Is that too much to ask? Dicca.”

“…You’ve been telling me all sorts of things until now though.”

“…Oh? Was I? Well, let’s start over properly from now on. Nice to meet you, Dicca!”

Miss Freya looked straight into my eyes, smiling cheerfully.

Come to think of it, perhaps this was the moment. The moment I realized I could never win against this person called Freya Spirits.