Author: aji (あじ)
Translator: sleepingjay
I regained my composure and sat down on the sofa.
But even then, Jill stuck close to me, as if hiding me from the man on the seat facing us.
“Call me Oz.”
“Alright. I’m Lilius, you can call me whatever you like.”
“Hmm….Then, how about Lily-tan?”
“What are you talking about with a serious face, bastard? Disgusting.”
When Oz proposed the suggestion with the tone of someone discussing grave matters, Jill cut him down mercilessly.
Then as I observed their endless back-and-forth, I thought again that Oz was a strange man.
This whole time, he didn’t appear to be anything but a jokester, but his true self was probably different.
Although he acted heartbroken over being treated so harshly by Jill, I could tell he was just playing around with him to pass the time, and it wasn’t that serious.
“Hm? What’s the matter, Lily-tan? You want to join my harem? That guy next to you may have a good face, but I have a good face and technique.”
“……”
“Bahaha! It’s just a joke, Jill. You don’t need to grip that dangerous thing in your right hand so hard. I don’t remember your mom raising you like this.”
“……Lilius, shall we leave now? Associating with idiots will only tire us out.”
“No, no, no. It’s a rare opportunity to meet Jill’s friend. I want to stay a little longer.
This was the first time I’ve seen Jill treat someone so rudely. No way I would waste such an interesting chance.
Besides, although he seemed like an unfathomable character, this guy shouldn’t be too bad. After all, as far as I knew, those liked by the Spirits shouldn’t be bad people.
And the Spirits had been gathering around for some time now, surrounding Oz.
Each of them were saying things like “Like him!” “So happy!”
One of the spirits was particularly affectionate, clinging to Oz’s hair and pestering me with requests like “Can I have his hair, please?” “Just one!” “No?” and so on, in a negotiating tone.
“……Pfft.”
At that moment, Oz let out a fond laugh.
I was surprised as his gaze shifted—as if he was looking at the spirits.
But it was only a fleeting moment, and the weird feeling faded quickly as Oz suddenly turned serious and started talking.
“Well then, that’s about enough joking around. As I was saying earlier, Jill, you should take Lilius with you and go confirm it, to resolve this issue.”
The topic turned to the matter Jill and I had been discussing.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
When I wondered how long he had been listening, Oz looked at me with the corner of his lips lifted up into a shrewd smirk.
As if he was telling me—I know everything.
“Kb yfulc klat, atf lvfj bo rqfcvlcu wbcfs pera ab frmbga j rlcuif cbyifwjc vbfrc’a rla kfii klat wf. Kgfjalcu j mglwlcji rb tbrqlajyis lr qgfaas obbilrt, vbc’a sbe atlcx?”
“Pa mjc’a yf tfiqfv. Qlatlc atf fwqlgf, atlr jgfj tjr atf tlutfra qgbyjylilas bo fcmbecafglcu vfwbcr.”
“Po tf ufar fjafc ys j vfwbc lc atf pbegcfs, jii atf yfaafg. Qfii, atja’r atja; sbe yglcu atf ybs ab atf mjqlaji, atfc atfgf’r cb cffv ab erf xcluta frmbgar bg kjraf wbcfs. Ktf bcis algfv bcf klii yf sbe! Vqifcvlv.”
In a complete change from their previous interactions, Jill didn’t say anything no matter how arrogant or overbearing Oz was.
He looked at me, and finally nodded with a resigned sigh.
“I understand. Then, do you mind if I take the next week off?”
“You can take time off any time, I don’t mind.”
……I knew it, Oz wasn’t an ordinary guy.
On the contrary, he was trouble.
It was hard not to notice when Jill, who had been trying so hard to keep me away from danger, readily agreed.
“It’s been nice meeting you, Lily-tan. Now, is there anything you want to ask me?”
“Just one thing.”
As soon as the thought popped up in my mind, Oz returned to his playful manner and asked me a question.
I immediately responded with a nod, because something had been niggling at me since just now, and I needed to clarify it.
“So Jill called me ‘just so-so’?”
“Hm?!”
Oz was blindsided and Jill’s shoulders jumped.
“When Jill described me, he called me ‘so-so’—or something like that, did he?”
Since it was something I was concerned about, I didn’t miss what he said.
Indeed, Oz said it earlier.
“I didn’t think you thought of me like that.”
Next to me, Jill became restless.
I glared at him and pinched his waist as hard as I could.
“Ggh.”
“You really said that, huh? I’m so-so? My face isn’t to your liking, huh? I see, I see. Come to think of it, even during your confession, you were talking about my magic or something, weren’t you?”
“No, this is a misunderstanding. That’s not what it is.”
“My bad for being ordinary-looking. I’m just some guy with nothing amazing besides my magic.”
“Lilius, that wasn’t what I meant.”
“Then what? Say it now.”
“……”
I crossed my arms and lifted my chin, looking down my nose at Jill.
This was my angry pose.
Flustered, Jill hesitantly opened his mouth.
“….Not bad.”
“Haa?”
“I meant—you’re not bad.”
Looking away, Jill blurted out those words.
The air froze.
To be exact, my anger fueled my magic and filled the area.
“This is why you’re no good.”
“…”
“Even I could have come up with something better. What the heck is ‘not bad’? Are you still a clueless virgin inside?”
“……”
Jill’s face rapidly and visibly grew worse. However, I still couldn’t help but feel pissed off.
At that moment, Oz stopped watching quietly and opened his mouth in a big laugh.
“Now, now, let him go. He’s the type of guy who wants to hide his treasures. He probably doesn’t want anybody else to know what a gorgeous, cute mate he’s got. Right, Jill?”
“……”
“I never thought I’d see this guy show such an emotional side. Once I leave, he probably won’t stop telling you how much he likes you until you’ll get sick of it. I bet his insides are raging with jealousy right now.”
I was very dissatisfied with Oz’s words, but I stopped glaring in the end.
Not that I particularly wanted to be thought of as cute or anything, but ‘so-so’ is too much; of course I would be upset.
After all, I love everything about Jill.
If Jill didn’t like everything about me, wasn’t it a bit unfair?
“Well then! I’ll be going home now. My bad for disturbing you guys, Lilius. I look forward to seeing you again at the castle.”
“Aa. Take care.”
“Believe him.”
“Huh?”
“No matter what happens, trust Jill. Take it as advice from a friend.”
For an unknown reason, those words lodged deep into my heart.
While I was puzzled by the strange feeling, Oz stood up and drew a teleportation magic circle under his feet.
“Aa, by the way, I almost forgot to mention it. Jill, remember what I said before?”
“What is it?”
“I’m going to drop it to kill the time.”
His smile was like that of a ferocious beast.
Oz left with words I didn’t understand.
“……”
Jill might have understood something from that.
But whatever it was, might not be a welcome thing for us—or might even be dangerous.
“Jill.”
The harmonious atmosphere was suddenly transformed into a heavy one.
Jill went silent with a scary face. I gently took his hand, and thought:
I was right about Oz.
—Emperor Oswald, really was trouble.
So that was the Emperor… wait WHAT??!! That guy is the Emperor lion, who has a harem and once before deemed Jill weird, bucause he didn’t have one???!!! I wonder what he’s going to drop, though? And Jill punched the Emperor… not that he didn’t deserve it… I have a feeling that we might get more action and plot development from now on.
Thank you for the chapter!!! 💖
P.S. Is it just me or was it longer then usual? Good work author, keep it that way, please!
I guessed immediately that Jill just wanted to gif Lily from the emperor (or anyone for that matter 😂)
And he sure sounds like trouble- no, I knew he was trouble when he was first introduced, trouble, trouble, trouble
Only a guy like that could befriend a Jill and makes him comfortable enough to let his emotions show so sincerely and easily
Thank you for the chapter
Let’s hope none of our sons will be layin’ on the cold hard ground
Oh ooh, trouble trouble trouble
I’m worried about the dropping thing. Sure hope it’s nothing bad for our lily.