Pretending To Have A Girlfriend?

Right after she lied about her name being Elza, Rose felt like she could fall anytime.

Her whole body trembled, and her legs felt weak.

Sweat dripped from her palms, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.

She didn’t know why her body was reacting this way, but she could tell that the beautiful woman who introduced herself as Luss was the reason.

She felt like she was going to wet herself.

Rose regretted it. She wished she hadn’t lied and had just gone back willingly.

But now, it was too late. Even if she told the truth and said that she was actually Rose, it didn’t seem like it would work.

There was a difference between the words spoken before succumbing to fear and the words spoken while overwhelmed by fear.

Rose could sense that Luss not only had no knowledge of someone named Elza but also had an intense hatred for that name.

A seductive voice filled the air, as Rose trembled.

“Are you Elza?”

Rose swallowed hard.

With her head lowered, she looked up at Luss and noticed her hand resting on the hilt of a sword.

In the end, Rose’s legs gave way, and she slumped down abruptly.

“P-please, s-spare me. S-sorry.”

It was a mistake to mention the name Elza.

Being scared, Rose continuously apologized even though she had done nothing wrong.

Despite her fear, Rose thought that Luss only detested the name Elza and wouldn’t hate her.

They had just met. Rose hadn’t done anything to her.

There was no reason for her to be hated.

Luss looked down at Rose coldly.

‘I finally found you.’

After wandering around for a long time, encountering dozens, if not hundreds, of people and talking to them, Luss thought she had finally found Elza.

As soon as the thought of Rose being the one who took her Starchis crossed her mind, every charming aspect of Rose that she found cute earlier now seemed flawed.

‘Disheveled hair, dull eyes, smaller breasts than me, unimpressive figure. What’s with that makeup that was clearly meant to attract men…’

She wasn’t even prettier than Luss.

If Luss had met a stunning beauty, she might have felt a slight, just a slight, sense of defeat.

But that wasn’t the case. It rather angered her.

She had thought that in just two weeks, her Starchis was stolen because he was captivated by external beauty.

‘But what is this?’

She couldn’t understand it at all.

‘Not only am I prettier, but in every aspect of memories, time, there’s no area where I’m inferior... Damn it... Why?’

Why didn’t he choose her?

Why couldn’t she muster up more courage?

When the thought crossed her mind that her rival was inferior to her, she felt intense regret about past events.

She had plenty of opportunities as well.

If she had just shown a little more courage, she wouldn’t have lost her position to this woman—‘Elza.’

Of course, no matter how much Luss made her seem inferior, Rose was undeniably a beautiful person no matter who looked.

It wasn’t just a few times that she stole the hearts of men passing by. Not only in appearance but also in her actions and expressions, cuteness exuded from her, creating an even more charming atmosphere.

But due to firmly entrenched hatred within Luss, she could only see Rose as inferior.

Objectively, Luss believed she was better, but if Starchis didn’t think the same way, it was meaningless.

‘Is she Chis’ type?’

Luss got annoyed.

If Luss exuded a mature, overwhelming beauty with a tall and proportional figure, then Rose was a woman with an adorable charm, like a small cat that anyone would want to protect.

‘So, you’re the bitch who took my Chis in just two weeks?’

Luss tightly gripped the hilt of her sword.

‘Yet you didn’t even show up when Chis was dying…’

In an instant, all the memories and emotions she had experienced because Starchis had a girlfriend flashed through her mind.

-‘Vienna, are you and my girlfriend the same?’

Even though it wasn’t directed at Luss, her heart ached.

-‘Elza doesn’t like it when I hang out with other women.’

The incident that prevented her from meeting him due to this petty woman’s jealousy.

-‘Noona, don’t you have anyone good? Someone like my girlfriend?’

The incident when he asked if there was a good man, showing how much he cherished his girlfriend.

-‘Luss, yes. When I said I would be late, it actually meant that I wouldn’t come home until tomorrow.’

...And when he left her behind and went to have sex.

As her hand trembled, so did her sword.

Rose still couldn’t meet her gaze.

Even though Luss could see that Rose was fearful in front of her, she couldn’t suppress the animosity emanating from her body.

“P-please, spare me. Actually, I’m not Elza... I’m Rose...”

“..Huh..?”

‘Of course, you aren’t Elza now!’

Luss didn’t believe those words.

In Luss’ eyes, the girl in front of her had confidently stated already that she wasn’t Rose, but now that she was scared, she was just lying to escape.

However, it was also true that Luss was exuding too much animosity.

Despite being enraged due to jealousy, she knew it was not the right thing to do.

Luss closed her eyes and counted a few seconds.

She tried to calm her mind.

Part of it was because she felt sorry for scaring Elza, but the most important reason was she didn’t know what she might do if she became even more furious.

-Tap...

As Luss closed her eyes like that, she heard the sound Rose made while trying to escape.

She tried to contain the anger welling up inside her for Rose’s sake, but in reality, Rose didn’t even attempt to engage in a conversation and simply tried to run away.

This was so outrageous that it made Luss boil with anger.

.

.

.

‘...Just kill her.’

Hearing a dark voice that seemed to come from nowhere, Luss was startled and opened her eyes.

‘If you kill her, there will be no competitor... right?’

The voice gradually became quieter and more distant.

As someone who had never pointed a sword at an innocent person, Luss was shocked by the voice of her own heart. Even her anger towards Rose faded away.

It was only now that she realized her hand was already on the hilt of the sword.

Startled, she quickly let go and clenched her fist.

She was afraid that her messy thoughts would be exposed.

No matter what, the person in front of her was Starchis’ girlfriend.

She didn’t have the mindset of valuing her as precious to him. Rather, she was afraid that this incident would reach his ears.

The six years of their relationship seemed insignificant... Luss thought that Starchis liked his girlfriend more than her.

In such a situation, if Elza were to tell Starchis about this, he might be greatly disappointed.

‘No. No. No.’

Luss shook her head.

Now was the time to endure and be patient. And wait for the right moment to sow discord between them.

As Luss relaxed her expression, Rose felt the pressure on her shoulders disappear.

“Haah... Haah...”

For an ordinary person, it would be just enough to be scared, but for Rose, who was experiencing this for the first time, it was a terrifying experience. Thus, she reacted more sensitively.

“...I’m sorry, Elza. It’s just that you have the same name as someone I really dislike... It scared you, didn’t it?”

Pathetically, when Luss apologized and gently extended her hand, Rose’s heart melted with tranquility.

It felt like a father scolding and then gently patting the child’s head, apologizing for scaring them.

Suppressing her teary eyes, Rose held Luss’s hand.

“I... I was scared... It really wasn’t because of me, right?”

Luss concealed the tension building up in her jaw.

It was their first meeting, so it was natural for Rose to think that way. But for Luss, the woman in front of her had taken everything from her.

Luss uttered words devoid of sincerity.

“...Yes. We just met today, right? It’s not because of you.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Haah... Thank goodness.”

“Elza, um...”

“Yes?”

“Where are you going?”

“W-Why do you ask?”

“Is it okay if I follow you? I feel like I gave a bad impression, and I want to clear up any misunderstandings.”

“...?”

“Also, the public safety in the city has been deteriorating. That’s why I carry a sword when I’m out. I’ll protect you in case anything happens.”

Rose’s uneasy feelings resurfaced at her words.

When she had escaped to the city several times before, she didn’t encounter such dangerous situations. She wondered if it was all just a coincidence.

If it was a coincidence, she felt a little scared to wander alone now.

In such a situation, if the person who had scared her so much earlier now stood by her side, she would feel more secure.

She wondered if, with her help, she might be able to go through the day according to the schedule she had planned without going home.

She pondered over it.

“...So, um...”

Although Luss was still scary, her intimidating behavior wasn’t because of her, and she even apologized politely, which lowered Rose’s guard.

‘If I agree, we might become friends.’

Rose didn’t have any male friends, but it wasn’t like she had many female friends.

She had always yearned for friends her age, especially those who were not nobles.

As Luss relaxed her expression, Rose finally met her gaze.

Luss smiled brightly.

She was someone who could be scary when angry, but she didn’t seem like a bad person.

Rose recalled the conversation they had when they first met.

-‘Miss, there are people looking for you. It’s dangerous, so let’s go quickly.’

She was the person who had come to find her because she might be in danger.

Except for the anger she couldn’t control upon hearing the ‘Elza’ name, there was nothing bad about her.

Perhaps all of this was her way of rationalizing herself. Unable to give up the item she desired, Rose eventually fell into her self-justification.

If she couldn’t buy that item today, she didn’t know when she would be able to go outside again, and she didn’t know when she would have the opportunity to buy it.

‘Yeah, she must be a good person.’

Rose thought to herself.

In reality, Luss was indeed a kind person. Except towards one person.

“...Yes, then, I’m a little ashamed, but would you come with me? Just accompany me to a nearby place.”

“I’ll accompany you until the end.”

Luss wanted to go with her until the end.

Perhaps there was a promise with Starchis waiting for her at the end.

But Rose didn’t want to show someone she didn’t know what she intended to buy.

Revealing her hobby was always embarrassing.

“No, it’s okay. Just accompany me for some time.”

“...I understand.”

However, Luss hadn’t given up.

For now, she would follow Elza’s words, say goodbye after some time, and then follow her from behind.

****

“Noona, let’s stop here for today,” I said to Lily Noona.

The evening sun was setting, and I was hungry.

“Is that so?” Noona replied with a delayed response.

She slowly released her grip on my hand which she had been holding tightly for a while.

Our hands were sweaty.

As soon as we let go after being stuck together for so long, there was a slight sound.

Before I started feeling strange for no reason, I quickly wiped my sweaty left hand on my pants.

On the other hand, Noona didn’t wipe her wet right hand but clenched it into a fist and brought it close to her face.

Then, as if in prayer, she wrapped her other hand around the first.

When she caught my gaze, she closed her eyes.

“Just a moment, Starchis. I used mana all day, so I think I need to regulate my mana inside my body.”

“Oh, please go ahead.”

Keeping her fist in front of her nose, Noona took a deep breath.

I was worried that there would be a smell, but perhaps I was overthinking.

While she was doing that, I prepared to leave and tidied up the surroundings.

“Well then, shall I leave now?” I asked.

She was still deeply focused.

“Haah... Ha...” She was exhaling deeply.

“Noona!”

I approached her and gently shook her shoulder.

“Huh... What? Starchis! Why?” she exclaimed.

“Is it done?”

“Yes... Yes, it’s almost done.”

“Okay. I’m going back now, Noona. Thank you for today. See you the day after tomorrow?”

However, she must not have anticipated that I would leave, as she responded with surprise in her voice.

“What? You’re leaving right away? Starchis, let’s have a meal before you go! It’s already late.”

“A meal?”

“Yes, I’ll cook for you.”

“Well, it’s a bit... I feel sorry to ask for help and a meal after relying on you all day.”

“No, it’s alright! I can handle it. Starchis, you know my cooking skills.”

I scratched my head.

I did need to eat, but...

If I had a girlfriend, how would I have acted?

Even if it couldn’t be helped with the rehabilitation… to go into a female friend’s house and having dinner is not something a person in a relationship would do. Therefore, I have to go back now.

“Noona, I keep saying this, but I have a girlfriend,” I said.

“...Ha,” she sighed.

Noona gave me a resentful look.

“She doesn’t like it. So I’ll just go,” I said.

“Please, just stop saying that.”

Suddenly, Noona’s expression turned hostile.

The good atmosphere we had throughout the day of rehabilitation suddenly changed.

“We’re not some casual friends. We’ve been close friends for a long time. Does it make sense that I can’t even have a meal with you just because you have a girlfriend?” she said, her face contorted with a frown.

She seemed annoyed.

“I understand that you like your girlfriend. I understand, but why can’t you do even the simplest things?”

“Noona...”

“It’s just a meal, just one meal!”

“It’s just a bit awkward to have dinner with you alone at your place.”

“Be honest. You just don’t want to be with me, right?”

“No. That’s not it.”

“So, you don’t want to see me, do you?”

And then she made a face as if she was about to cry. Her tone became more childish as time passed.

“Damn it. You can come to my place for rehabilitation, but having a meal together is impossible? You only want to take advantage of me when it’s convenient, don’t you?”

Come to think of it, that’s probably how she would have felt hearing my words.

I demanded everything I needed from her, but I rejected her simple request to have a meal together.

It was a shameless behavior.

Once I realized that, my heart changed.

“...Noona, I’m sorry. It might have seemed that way.”

“...”

She crossed her arms and turned her head away.

“Um... I’m sorry, but-”

“-What?”

Thinking I was going to reject her again, Noona looked at me with a truly disappointed expression.

“-Listen. I’m sorry, but it really doesn’t seem feasible to have a meal at your place. I feel bad for asking you to cook for me.”

“No, Starch-”

“-Just listen. Instead, let’s go out and I’ll buy the meal. Would that be okay?”

Then, as if she hadn’t been angry before, she relaxed her expression and blinked her eyes.

“Outside?”

“Since I received help from you, I’ll buy the meal. It might be burdensome if it’s at your place, but it should be fine outside.”

If there was an Elza…

“If I say that I bought a meal to show my gratitude to Noona who helped me with rehabilitation, my girlfriend will understand too. ”

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s natural, isn’t it?”

“Then are you okay with that?”

Her expression softened.

It seemed like her irritation had subsided.

“...Yes... that’s fine.”

“Okay, got it. Then, Noona, get up too. Let’s decide on the menu while we’re on our way.”

Noona pouted and turned her head.

As she got up from her seat, she suddenly grabbed her head and staggered.

“Ah!”

I quickly held onto her shoulders, afraid she might fall.

I don’t know how many times it had happened today, but I really didn’t know where to look anymore. Her chest jiggled along with her staggering. And her defenseless, pained expression took my breath away.

“...Noona, are you okay?”

“I... I’m fine. Starchis. I’ve been using mana all day, so I guess that’s why. I think I’ll be fine if I rest for a bit.”

Saying that, she collapsed in my arms.

I pushed her shoulders with force.

“Noona, let’s sit down. It’s more comfortable to rest by sitting than leaning on me.”

“...”

Noona suddenly gave me a piercing stare.

“...”

After resting for a while like that, Noona and I went outside to have our meal.

****

Starchis was walking alone with a girl for the first time in a while. Recently, because of his lies, no one from his party members - Vienna, Luss, and Lily - had accompanied him.

So, as he walked with Lily, looking for a restaurant, he felt somewhat unfamiliar.

Especially when a beauty like Lily, wearing a low-cut dress that accentuated her breasts, came out a bit flirtatiously, it felt even more so.

The attention of those around them kept focusing on her, and the more that happened, the more he realized how stunning Lily’s beauty was. However, Lily’s gaze was solely fixed on Starchis.

“I’m cold, Starchis,” She spoke.

“...Use magic, Noona.”

Lily was ecstatic about the situation, except that Starchis, who would have previously given her his hand, continued to push her away.

Holding his hand was given in the past, but through a series of events, she realized that it wasn’t given at all and became aware of its preciousness.

Lily lightly scratched her cheek with her right hand. At the same time, she gently sniffed the scent coming from her hand—The hand that had been holding Starchis’ hand all day, causing their sweat to mix together.

The mixture of her and his sweat created a faint scent that was akin to a drug for Lily. She even fantasized about what kind of fragrance would be emitted if their bodies were to intertwine.

As a result, her underwear kept becoming damp, which was embarrassing. Especially right after they first held hands, it became so wet that she couldn’t help but think she might be found out, so she had no choice but to run to the restroom.

“What should we eat, Noona?”

“Something like porridge... ”

“...I’m completely healed.”

He said he was completely healed, and it seemed like he was indeed healed, but Lily couldn’t help but worry about his body. She was in a state of constant vigilance, afraid that something might go wrong.

By manipulating his body’s mana and having some understanding of his physical condition, she was able to grasp it to some extent. It was a physically healthy body to the point where it was unbelievable that he was unconscious not too long ago. However, due to the despair she felt when he collapsed, she couldn’t shake her worries.

‘But that’s okay.’

After all, she had always thought he would stand solidly in front of her, believing that he would never collapse.

But that was a misconception.

Truly, if he hadn’t had an A-rank older brother, he wouldn’t have been a person of this world anymore. Thus, she thought it was better to be cautious from the start than regret later.

“What about eating meat?”

“Hmm?”

Eventually, Starchis suggested something to eat. Lily nodded.

Since meat was also good for recovering the body, Lily was fine with it.

“Then let’s go back. There’s another delicious place.”

Lily followed behind him, following Starchis’ words.

Even the way he naturally led her was pleasant to see.

At that moment, a familiar voice was heard.

“Oh? Chis!!”

Starchis and Lily turned their heads together.

Luss was standing in front of a public restroom.

“Luss...?”

Lily felt uneasy. It felt like their date would turn into a team dinner.

The two headed towards where Luss was.

“...Where are you two going?”

As they approached Luss, she asked.

Starches answered, “Rehabilitation was over, so we were going to grab a meal.”

Luss glanced at Lily with jealous eyes.

Starchis couldn’t notice, but Lily could sense it.

Luss’s gaze was fixed on Lily’s revealing clothes.

“...Hmm?”

As expected, Lily was progressing just as Luss had thought.

Luss wanted to pass it off as if she didn’t care, but honestly, she was becoming a little impatient.

However, she hadn’t just stood by idly either.

And she wanted to let Lily know about it.

“Chis, you’d be surprised if you found out who’s in the restroom right now.”

“Huh? Who is it?”

‘Could it be Vienna?’

That’s what Starches thought.

As Luss said, if everyone gathered here by chance, it would be indeed surprising.

Since his injuries, they hadn’t properly talked together.

Perhaps today, while having a meal together, they could discuss the things they hadn’t resolved.

Lily’s expression stiffened.

Their date was falling apart.

But Luss had prepared something even more surprising than what they expected.

“Elza is inside, Chis.”

Starchis doubted his ears.

“...Who?”

“Your girlfriend.”

‘My girlfriend?’

Starchis tilted his head.

‘Who the hell is that?’

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