Avoid the Yandere Goddess

As soon as William left the classroom…

“Kaine, will you be attending the Noble Society Gathering?”
“What do you think, Kaine?”

The two people on either side of me asked immediately, as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Damn, I didn’t expect them to act exactly as I thought.

As I was feeling absurd about it, a message appeared.

[The Goddess of Fate says she’ll go with you if you don’t.]

Damn, I’m definitely going! I was already planning to go, but seeing this message suddenly made me feel motivated. I looked at the message from the Constellation without hesitation.

“Yeah, I’ll take Lise with me.”
[The Goddess of Fate puffs up her cheeks!]

The Constellation was trying to show that it was sulking. I pretended not to see the message in front of me.

Otherwise, the Constellation might sulk all day.

As I ignored the message, the two people nodded solemnly.

“Then I’ll definitely have to go too.”
“Hmm, I think I should attend this Noble Society Gathering as well.”

The students who had been listening with their ears perked up closed their mouths. Soon, the room fell into a silent agreement.

“…”
“…”

This silence lasted for about ten seconds. Then, the students started whispering, making sure no one else could hear them.

‘What’s going on? Why are they acting like this?’

I hadn’t adjusted the volume in a while, so I turned it up.

-Ah, damn. If they go, my father will definitely send me too.
-Other than their families, there aren’t many influential noble families.
-Damn, I was hoping to relax at home for once.
-Agreed.

After hearing the students’ conversation, I turned the volume back down. I nodded in understanding.

Yeah, I can’t be the only one suffering.

To be honest, I also want to rest at home. But…

‘Because of the game, I can’t.’

So, I can’t stand seeing others relax. Especially if they’re my classmates.

I’m definitely going to the gathering. Damn it.

I felt a bit childish and petty, but there was nothing I could do about it. This is just my personality.

‘If I compare them, their families are more influential than mine.’

As I had this thought, I stood up from my seat. Jenny and the other girls also got up from their chairs.

We left the classroom with great dignity, ignoring the piercing gazes around us.

[The Goddess of Fate says she’s sulking!]

.

.

.

The next day, Lise and I prepared to attend the Noble Society Gathering early in the morning.

[The Goddess of Fate asks if you’re really going.]

At that moment, the Constellation sent me a message. I nodded in response to its question.

“Yeah, I’m going. So, stop asking. If you keep asking, I won’t respond to your messages.”
[The Goddess of Fate remains silent.]

It listens well.

Although I’m not in a romantic relationship with the Constellation, usually, the one who loves more tends to lose in a relationship.

I do have a bit of affection for the Constellation, but…

‘Still, she likes me more.’

So, I need to take the lead. If I give in to it even once, it might go out of control.

‘Of course.’

I need to give both the stick and the carrot. Otherwise, the worst-case scenario might occur.

“Let’s hang out in the capital this weekend, then.”
[The Goddess of Fate nods vigorously!]

It seems like it’s getting easier to train the Constellation.

As I felt a strange sensation, Lise, who had been waiting at the door, spoke up.

“Young Master, are you ready?”
“Yeah, I’m done. Let’s go now.”

I nodded and replied. Then I opened the door.

Lise, wearing a maid uniform, was waiting politely at the door. As expected, she seemed calm, probably because she had experience with the Noble Society Gathering.

“By the way, Lise…”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Are you okay with this?”
“…”

Lise tilted her head, looking confused. I scratched my head.

“Well, you’re also a noble, you know.”
“Ah…”

Even though her family had fallen, Lise was still a noble. Her current status was my personal maid, but in reality, she was the daughter of a duke.

So, I was a bit worried. Others might look down on her.

But maybe I was worrying too much. Contrary to my expectations, she covered her mouth and started laughing. Her eyes sparkled with a charming smile.

“Hahaha. Were you worried about that, Young Master?”
“Well, I did invite you, but I was still concerned.”
“If I was worried about that, I wouldn’t have accepted your invitation.”
“Yeah, that’s true…”

That’s right.

When I invited her yesterday, she accepted without hesitation. It was as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“And, Young Master, I may be a duke’s daughter in name, but in reality, I’m just an honorary noble. So, I don’t consider myself a noble. My status is your personal maid… and…”
“And?”
“Anyway, just think that I’m not too concerned about it.”

I felt like I heard her true intentions, but it must have been my imagination.

[The Goddess of Fate emphasizes that she’s your future wife!]

Damn, I was trying to ignore it, but…

I ignored the Constellation’s message and nodded.

“Okay, if you’re not worried, it’s fine. Let’s go. We’ll be late if we don’t hurry.”
“Yes, let’s go.”

With that, we headed towards the place where the royalty had invited us.

.

.

.

In the past, when humans were brutally killed by monsters, there was a hero who fought on the front lines and led humanity.

After finding peace, this hero established a country on the continent and used the name ‘Leiston’. Now, he is referred to as royalty. Of course…

‘That was just his ancestor.’

Nowadays, the current royalty is just an ordinary human with a faint connection to that bloodline. Well, that doesn’t mean they lack talent.

‘They’re too busy with politics to have time to train.’

Nobles also compete to become heirs, but they’re not as busy as the royalty. Unlike them, we only need to manage our territories.

However, the royalty has to manage the capital, build relationships with nobles, and even create their own factions.

Otherwise, they might be pushed aside by other heirs. Additionally, self-management is essential.

‘Being royalty isn’t easy.’

I’m lucky to be from a knight family.

If I were royalty, I’m sure I wouldn’t even have time to train, let alone participate in the game’s episodes. That’s how busy royalty is.

‘No wonder the Royal Academy has a free attendance policy for them.’

As I was feeling sorry for the royalty,

“Young Master, we’ve almost arrived.”

Finally, we reached our destination. The castle was so grand that it could overwhelm anyone who saw it. The numerous luxurious mansions surrounding it, the magnificent garden, and the castle itself were all awe-inspiring.

‘It’s a bit surprising to see a castle like this, as if it’s straight out of a movie.’

It’s been almost a year since I possessed this body, but I’ve never seen a castle before. Only the royalty can own castles in this world.

“Let’s get off, Lise.”
“Yes, Young Master.”

We quietly got off the carriage and approached the entrance without hesitation. Then…

“What brings you here?”

A guard in a magnificent armor pointed his spear at us, as if ready to attack if we made any suspicious moves.

‘They’re being strict.’

Well, it’s understandable since they’re guarding the royalty, but maybe it’s because I’m in a subordinate position for the first time in a while. I felt like calling Ange and bossing her around.

“We were invited.”

I handed the invitation to the Noble Society Gathering to the guard. He narrowed his eyes and slowly examined it, as if checking his answers on an exam.

“Confirmed. David von Kaine, and… is this your attendant?”
“Yes.”

The guard slowly scanned Lise, looking for anything suspicious. Then, he nodded.

“Confirmed. Both of you may enter.”

The guard spoke in a business-like tone and approached the closed gate. He placed his hand on the gate and pushed it open with force.

-Creak!

The gate slowly opened, revealing the mansion and castle that were previously only visible from a distance. At the same time…

“It’s been a while, David von Kaine.”

The most popular heir among the successors of the Leiston continent, Leiston von Patrick, approached us. As soon as I saw him, I…

“David von Kaine greets Leiston von Patrick.”

I bowed and knelt on one knee as a sign of respect. My behavior seemed quite surprising to him.

He widened his eyes in disbelief, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“I’ve heard that you’ve changed, but seeing it in person is astonishing.”

Everyone has had that reaction. But why are they so surprised? The man in front of me was clearly of a higher status than Kaine.

Even if Kaine was a troublemaker, Patrick wouldn’t have picked a fight with him. If he did, he might have been killed, regardless of his status as a viscount’s son.

As I remained silent, Patrick spoke up, answering my unspoken question.

“When you put your arm around my neck and acted friendly, I thought, ‘What a crazy guy.’ But seeing your current behavior, I’m curious about what happened in the past year.”

Patrick solved my mystery. He told me himself.

Damn, what the hell has he been doing? I thought I had cleaned up Kaine’s mess, but I must have underestimated him.

I knew that Kaine was a troublemaker, but from Patrick’s words, it seems like he was even crazier than I imagined. No wonder the word ‘crazy’ came out of Patrick’s mouth, known for his good character.

As I broke out in a cold sweat, Patrick turned his attention to Lise.

“So, you ended up going that way.”
“Yes, Lord Patrick.”
“May I ask why?”
“Well, it’s nothing. I came here because Kaine is everything to me. Also, he was kind to me when I was young.”
“Hmm, I see. Since it’s the path you chose, it’s not my place to interfere. Then, let’s end the greetings here and proceed to the venue for the Noble Society Gathering.”

With that, Patrick led the way, guiding us to the venue. Normally, I would have questioned why the royalty was personally guiding us, but his words had irritated me, so other thoughts came to mind.

“Lise, what’s your relationship with Patrick?”
“Well, a few days after my wedding was canceled, Lord Patrick contacted me by letter.”

A letter?

As I wondered, Lise continued.

“Lord Patrick knew my situation and offered me a job at the castle, considering my status as a duke’s daughter.”
“Ah…”

So that’s what happened.

It would be a bit strange for a duke’s daughter to work as a maid for a viscount’s son. It would seem like the lower-ranking person was bossing over the higher-ranking one.

Perhaps Patrick was being considerate and offered her a job at the castle, knowing that it would prevent complaints from other nobles. At least, working for the royalty would ensure no complaints from the nobles.

‘As expected, he’s as kind as he is in the game.’

As I praised Patrick’s character in my mind…

[The Goddess of Fate asks if you could do the same for her.]

The Constellation sent a jealous message. It was as if it had read my mind.

Damn, you…

You’re just an old man who transcended time, acting like a child.

I wanted to do the same thing to the Constellation, but my pride wouldn’t allow it. I’d rather regress than do that.

“I have to go and get another guest, so please go inside.”

At that moment, we finally arrived at our destination. Kaine and Lise entered the mansion, following Patrick’s instructions.

Thus, only Kaine and Lise remained in the mansion. I opened my mouth, realizing that there was no one else around.

“Wow, he’s quite diligent. He could have asked a servant or a maid to guide us.”
“Well, Lord Patrick is known for his diligence, isn’t he?”
“That’s true.”

I nodded and looked around. Then…

-Creak!

The door slowly opened, revealing another visitor. Hmm, who could it be?

As I turned my head towards the door, I was surprised. The person who opened the door looked like a local delinquent. I could swear he was a troublemaker.

There’s a reason why the saying ‘judging a book by its cover’ exists. I didn’t believe it before, but after serving in the military, I realized how true it was.

Just by looking at someone’s appearance, you could tell what kind of life they lived. Of course, judging people by their appearance is not right.

‘This guy looks like a typical delinquent.’

One of the trademarks of a delinquent leader is blonde hair. He also had a tanned complexion, not too dark, but noticeable. His expression was fierce, like a delinquent from a manga.

As I silently judged the person in front of me, he approached us with a swagger and greeted us with a wave.

“Oh, what’s up? Lise? It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it has been a while, Lord Gerald.”

Gerald? I’ve never heard that name before. But how do you know Lise?

As I was wondering, the guy came towards me and put his arm around my neck.

“Haha. It’s been a while, Kaine the Troublemaker.”
“Oh, yeah.”

I needed to be cautious, even though I didn’t know who he was. He wasn’t of a lower status than me, as he spoke to me casually. I didn’t recognize him as one of the royalty I knew, so he was probably at least a viscount’s son.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to put his arm around me.

“Hmm, I thought it was just a rumor, but it seems like you’ve changed.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“So, can I hit on Lise now?”
“……”

I narrowed my eyes. Then, I turned my gaze towards Lise, who was being looked at with lustful eyes. My eyes were filled with killing intent.

Did he sense my killing intent? He must not have expected me to get serious, as he laughed awkwardly.

“Hahaha, I was just kidding. Why are you so serious?”
“…… Well, yeah.”
“Anyway, I’ll go to my assigned room. Take care.”

With that, he disappeared from our sight, as if running away.

“Lise.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Gerald, was he like this before?”
“Yes, Lord Gerald is known as a troublemaker in the Edward family.”
“Hmm.”

Lise’s explanation made sense. Now I understood why he had acted friendly towards me.

The Edward family was of equal status to a viscount. They were a marquess family, which was the same rank as a viscount.

So, it wasn’t strange for him to act casually towards us. Of course, he didn’t know that Lise was a duke’s daughter.

Anyway, aside from that…

‘…He’s trying to hit on Lise?’

I can tolerate everything else, but…

‘I can’t tolerate anyone touching what’s mine.’

It doesn’t matter if he’s a marquess’s son or not.

He had the audacity to touch what’s mine. Therefore…

‘He’s definitely a member of the Cult.’

That delinquent with blonde hair and a tan (lol isn’t he a NTR protagonist?).

I don’t know what the Cult’s purpose is, but…

‘Don’t think things will go as you planned!’