Chapter 32
‘Well, you’re not human, so you don’t even need to eat things like this. There’s that setting where, if you consume human life force just once, you don’t need anything else for years, too.’
But she couldn’t actually say that out loud, so Cynthia replied in a leisurely voice, her mind as calm as her tone.
“Yes, yes, Lord Segleninde, I’m sure that’s the case for you. But for me, I really do need meals like this…”
“…How do you know my name?”
Ah.
She’d made a mistake.
Segleninde’s real name was only revealed if you searched for specific hints in the game…
She was supposed to call him by his alias, Duke Wincastle, and she’d completely forgotten.
When Cynthia looked at him, Segleninde looked genuinely surprised. That seemingly human face now appeared so alien and unfamiliar that a cold sense of fear swept over her. It felt like witnessing something inhuman pretending to be human.
But Cynthia didn’t let herself be swept away by that feeling for long. Instead, she frowned and shot back,
“…I’m your fiancée. Are you really saying I wouldn’t even know your name? How stupid do you think I am? If you thought our relationship was really that distant, then I’m disappointed! I’ve known your name for a long time!”
She had never heard of any particular reason the villain, Segleninde, hid his real name. But just from his name alone, it was enough to make anyone suspect he wasn’t human.
In the game, once you discovered Segleninde’s true name, his pursuit frequency would spike dramatically. So Cynthia was worried that he might suddenly turn on her in anger.
But, contrary to her fears, he didn’t seem angry at all.
On the contrary—
“…I see. So you’ve known my name all along.”
He looked like he was trying not to smile, even covering his mouth with his hand.
She hadn’t even complimented him, so why did he seem so pleased…? Ah, could it be?
“Well, you’re right. We are engaged, so I guess it’s not strange. It feels odd to be called Segleninde since it’s been so long, but I don’t mind it. Keep calling me that. I’ll allow it.”
And Cynthia was now certain.
Affinity!
Hadn’t it been strange from the start? Whenever she said anything about his appearance or hair, he’d be pleased, even if she was being sarcastic.
This was exactly the kind of reaction you’d expect from a love interest in an otome game.
Even though the original game didn’t have an affection system, maybe one had been added in an update.
So Cynthia was convinced.
Sometimes there are those things, right?
‘A hidden route that only opens when you say a specific line. Or an affection parameter that exists only in the game data!’
She was sure that the moment she’d yelled at him and mixed in sarcasm and swearing, a hidden route had opened. In games with romance elements, it was common for certain lines or actions to unlock a character’s affection.
She never imagined this game would have such a thing.
Anyway, that must be why his attitude toward her had subtly changed to be more favorable. If not, there was no reason for this terrifying inhuman villain to act so special toward her.
‘This is it!’
Fireworks exploded in Cynthia’s heart.
If an affection system really had been added, then Cynthia had been wooing him all this time without realizing it. Doing her best to hide her excitement, she asked him nonchalantly,
“Then, I’ll call you Segleninde from now on, okay?”
“Do as you like.”
His tone was gruff, but he didn’t seem to dislike it. Just as Cynthia felt relieved, he spoke again, his voice relatively quiet.
“…Say it again.”
“Mm, Segleninde?”
When she did as he asked, he smiled a little. It was a dazzling and beautiful smile, so bright it was impossible to associate it with the bizarre laughter he’d made while slaughtering creatures.
If she could see his affection stat, it felt like it would have gone up by at least 2 out of 10 just now.
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