Mathieu was caught off guard by the question. He never really thought about it before. Being cheated on in his past life made him a bit wary of relationships, "Loyal."
That's why he loved yanderes, the tamable ones. They had no shortage of men chasing after them, but they usually had no eyes for anyone but their chosen love interest.
He went into the game expecting Celine Rochefort to be a yandere, but she was not. She didn't have that obsessive, possessive, and protective nature that yandere usually had. She was more of a sadist who enjoyed making others suffer.
It was as if she was mocking him through the screen, laughing at how he allowed his character to be tortured by her, until he had no choice but to kill her, or get killed by her.
"Loyal?" Adeline asked, her straight bangs moved slightly with the tilt of her head. She still had trouble expressing her emotions, but she was slowly getting there.
Mathieu nodded, "Someone who won't cheat on me, or lie to me. Someone who will be faithful to me, no matter what."
"I see," Adeline said, thoughtfully raising her hand to cover her mouth as if to hide a smile, "That sounds...reasonable."
Adeline was a minor villainess. She looked down on the heroine but never directly harmed her.
They finished their meal and left the cafeteria, both going for a walk in the gardens to digest.
Mathieu spotted Lady Celine walking in their direction and quickly pulled Adeline behind a tree.
Adeline blushed, "Cousin, your hand..."
Mathieu realized his hand was on her chest, and he hastily moved it away, apologizing, 'Why am I hiding?'
He peeked around the tree and saw Lady Celine walking alone.
She stopped by a bench and sat down, looking at the sky. The soft wind blew her hair, making her look less intimidating, and more...lonely.
"Cousin...?" Adeline whispered, her face still red.
"Let's go," Mathieu released Adeline, passing by Lady Celine quietly.
He felt his favorability points drop again and couldn't help but wonder what he had done to deserve her hatred.
He finally approached her, his hands starting to sweat as he gathered up the courage to say something.
He was an ex-mercenary for goodness sake. He had talked with the most dangerous men, fought the most vile monsters, and survived the harshest environments. Why was he so nervous talking to a noble girl?
"Good afternoon, Lady Rochefort," he said, bowing politely, "I hope you are having a wonderful day."
Lady Celine tilted her head to look at him, her eyes scanning him from head to toe, before settling on his face, "I was, until someone decided to ruin it."
"..." Mathieu bit the inside of his cheek, trying to keep his composure. He didn't know why he was even trying; he should have known better.
But deep down, he wanted to change her opinion of him.
While other characters could fall in love with anyone, depending on the player's choices, Celine Rochefort was the only one who remained consistent.
The game made many players believe that anyone who would be able to claim her heart would be truly the one and only. It was a twisted loyalty many gamers sought.
"I apologize, I didn't mean to disturb you," Mathieu said, trying to sound sincere, "I just wanted to...apologize for whatever I did to offend you. I hope you can forgive me."
Lady Celine moved her lips, like she was about to say something harsh, but then stopped herself, "A young master, begging a lady for forgiveness? What kind of world are we living in?"
"I..." Mathieu didn't know what to say. The modern world had made him forget about all these stuffy etiquette rules.
Seeing him struggle, Adeline stepped forward, facing Celine, and spoke in a cold, dignified tone, "My cousin was being polite, Lady Rochefort. There was no need to mock him for it."
Mathieu felt his stomach drop, "It's okay. Let's just go."
Adeline ignored him and kept staring at Celine, "It seems that you have forgotten the basics of noble etiquette, Lady Rochefort. Showing off your temper, throwing yourself at an uninterested man, is truly unbecoming of a noble lady."
Celine responded with a chuckle, moving silently from her seat and slowly walking toward them. Her heels clicked against the stone path, each step echoing like a warning.
Adeline stood her ground, not backing away.
"Etiquette is for those who don't have the power to make their own rules," Celine stopped in front of Adeline, looking down at her with a smirk, "And I don't see any point in following the rules of those who are beneath-" she paused.
Adeline raised her chin, refusing to show any sign of weakness, but the latter already walked away, putting an end to their conversation.
"...Let's go," Adeline turned toward Mathieu, "Cousin…?"
Mathieu shook his head, "I'll be right back. You go ahead."
"..." Adeline watched on as Mathieu ran after Lady Celine, her fingers digging into her palms.
The bangs of her hair covered her eyes, hiding her true expression.
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Mathieu didn't deem Adeline a danger, confident that he had kept her favorability points high enough to avoid any major conflicts.
He kept his distance as he followed Lady Celine, entering the school building, and watching her go to the library.
She grabbed a few books, sat down at a table in the corner, and started reading.
Mathieu hesitated for a moment, then decided to join her. He sat across from her, opening a random book, pretending to be interested in it.
'She still sees me as Mathieu Duremont, doesn't she? Not me.'
That's why she was still hating him, even though he was trying to be friendly.
Imagine returning home after a long day and seeing your waifu waiting for you there, treating you like a responsibility she didn't ask for.
You didn't have to please her or make her like you; she was trapped with you no matter what.
The fourth wall-breaking theories were just a cherry on top of the cake, forcing players to keep playing, even if they were being treated like shit. They grew immune to the abuse, even detaching themselves from their characters, and joined Celine Rochefort in tormenting them.
Mathieu, who saw all the characters as cheaters, started finding twisted comfort in seeing them suffer as he offered them to Celine Rochefort.
See? He was not a masochist.
'What now? I don't have any lines to pick from, it's not the game anymore,' he thought how he sometimes wanted to make his own choices, and not rely on the game's script, 'I have to improvise.'
There was a new AI update coming out for the game, but he died before he could experience it.
'If I'm not going back, at least I got to meet my favorite character in real life,' he decided. He was going to make his otaku heart proud.
He worked with mercenaries, who liked fury cosplaying. Big, deadly-looking men in cute outfits. He believed he was still in the spectrum of "average" despite his interest in 2D characters, but he never admitted it out loud.
"Is there something you need, Young Master Duremont?" A smile played on her lips, daring him to try his luck. "I'm not very generous with my time, so do speak quickly."
Mathieu swallowed, trying to calm his nerves. "I...am...a fan of yours, admi... I mean...I admire you..."
That was the boldest and stupidest thing he had ever said in his life, and he immediately regretted it...
'What the fuck did I just say?!'
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
It's start of a month, so do share some of ur GT and gifts with this story, please. Thanks! 🙏
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