Volume 3 Chapter 2: Everyone’s Respective School Festival Part I (2/2)

“ – No,” say Mary and I in perfect union.

As I had thought, Katarina had somehow completely misunderstood things. Why does this stepsister of mine always think of the most outrageous things? Despite not noticing the most important thing, my feelings… I’d like to see how her mind works sometime.

“Nee-san, who’s Romeo?”

I can’t ignore the name of an unknown man slipping from Katarina’s lips. It’ll be a problem if she unintentionally seduces someone again. I would like to be spared from my rivals increasing any more.

************

On this day, I, Nikol Ascarot, was visiting the magic academy’s school festival. To anyone who asks, I came to visit my little sister Sophia, but in reality there’s someone I want to see even more than my sister.

I secretly hold feelings towards Katarina Claes, a duke’s daughter and childhood friend of her fiancé Jared.

Unfortunately, having graduated, my opportunities to see her have decreased dramatically. Thus nowadays, I want to see her, even if it’s only for a little bit. I was beside myself from wanting to see her smile.

When I went to go visit my little sister who was at the stage where they were doing plays and performances, I was placed in front of the entranceway for some reason. As I was feeling fed up with all the stares, I was then told to go hunker backstage. To be honest, I was relieved when I went backstage.

I’m aware that I’ve attracted attention from people since I was young. But I feel as though it’s gotten even worse lately. People stare at me incessantly but if I look towards them, they avert their gaze. Honestly, it doesn’t feel that great.

In comparison, it feels so soothing to see Katarina’s direct gaze towards me. Seeing myself reflected in her light blue eyes makes me feel incredibly happy.

I want to see her soon. As if those feelings reached her, at that moment Katarina came into the dim backstage area with a smile bright enough to light up the room.

“Ah, Katarina-sama. I see you came,” greets Sophia, looking overjoyed.

My little sister likes Katarina very much as well. After all, Sophia’s able to walk around outside with a smile because she met Katarina.

“Katarina, it’s been a while.”

I can feel my mouth naturally forming a smile just from seeing her. I’m very happy to see her after so long.

“… Yes, it’s been a while. Nikol-sama,” she responds, looking straight at me, just as she always has. My chest feels hot.

“Why are you two backstage? If you stood out front, wouldn’t people gather just to see you?”

In response to Katarina’s question, Sophia begins to explain what happened up until now. Once the explanation ends, Katarina holds out one of the bags gripped in her hands to Sophia, who looks downcast. She says that it’s food for us.

I felt relieved that Sophia started smiling again after accepting the bag of food. After all, the reason why Sophia looked downhearted was me… I’m impressed with Katarina, who restored my little sister’s smile again.

“Speaking of which, Katarina-sama, in the end you refused to participate in the student council’s play, no?” says Sophia suddenly after regaining her smile, as if she had just remembered this.

Sophia did mention in her letters that there would be a play performed by the student council members, so she’s probably talking about that. She never mentioned who exactly would be acting in the play so I assumed that Katarina would be performing… but it seems as though I was mistaken.

“I’m not a member of the student council, and I can’t act,” says Katarina frankly.

In response, Sophia looks sad and says “I was looking forward to seeing Katarina-sama on the stage, and yet…”

“So I see, Katarina isn’t going to be in the play,” I murmur without thinking. I wanted to see her act on stage – what a disappointment.

Katarina then says:

“I think that the audience would be much happier if Nikol-sama made an appearance. You refrained from doing anything for the school festival two years ago, correct? Would you perhaps like to make a small guest appearance this year?”

Just as Katarina says, it’s true that I didn’t contribute much to any attractions at the school festival I attended when I was a student. Since I’m friends with many people in the current student council and my sister is also a member, I want to help out if I can…

“… But I can’t act.”

“You can’t act?”

Katarina looks blank at my answer. It seems she can’t understand what I said. As I think about explaining things to her properly, Sophia steps in.

“It’s true that acting may be a bit of a burden for my brother… Even ignoring the draw of his position in society, my brother is rather splendid… but unfortunately, his major weakness is that he cannot control his expressions at will.”

After hearing Sophia’s explanation, Katarina says, “Oh, I see… So that’s how it was,” looking as though she accepts the reasoning.

I feel complicated feelings watching the two of them. Yes, just as my little sister Sophia says, I can’t control my expressions at will. Or well, I thought I could control my expressions, but apparently it doesn’t go that well.

When I was still a student, Katarina commented “You don’t seem to smile much when you’re with your school friends, I see,” but I wondered whether that really was the case. I had thought that I had successfully faked smiles to an acceptable extent… but it seems as though I hadn’t.

I had thought that I would successfully smile when Katarina would ask me “Alright, Nikol-sama. Please smile.” … but apparently I hadn’t been able to smile at all.

In this way, I discovered the shocking truth that I couldn’t smile at will… or rather that I couldn’t emote at all at will.

However, now that I look back on things, whenever I met someone’s gaze they always immediately averted their eyes, so perhaps no one ever looked at my face properly. What a pathetic story.

And so, no matter how much I try, I don’t believe I would be able to act.

“Oh, but perhaps my brother would be able to smile if he were talking with Katarina-sama.”

Just as I had begun calming down, Sophia says something like that. I was shocked… what is she saying all of a sudden?

“No, wouldn’t it be better if he were talking with you, Sophia?” says Katarina, looking fairly shocked as well.

“No, I’m not enough. In order to draw out my brother’s smile, we need Katarina-sama.”

“No, I would think that I’m not enough…”

“Most definitely not. I’ve got it! Why don’t we have my brother recite lines from that play right now? If Katarina-sama would be his conversation partner, I’m sure that he would be able to recite them with a smile.”

It’s true that in front of Katarina, I unconsciously let out a natural smile. However… that doesn’t mean I can do that while acting.

But my happy-go-lucky little sister who seems to have latched onto her plan just began to explain some lines and gestures from the upcoming play to me with shining eyes.

At first, seeing how enthusiastic Sophia was I thought ‘Well, I guess it can’t hurt to try,’ and listened to her explanations… but as I heard more and more concrete details, my apprehension rose.

Unexpectedly, Sophia wanted Katarina and me to perform the love confession scene.

It was the highlight of the play, where the prince caresses the hair of the girl he loves, smiling, then confesses softly before embracing her.

In other words, I would confess my love to Katarina, then embrace her of all things. As I hesitated, thinking that I couldn’t do such a thing, Katarina in direct contrast stood up tall and confidently before me and said “Very well, go on, Nikol-sama!”

I don’t really get it, but it’s clear she’s raring to go. Encouraged by Katarina’s spirit, I make my way towards her, but…

“… Sophia, I don’t think…”

While I may be able to confess to her, to embrace someone’s fiancée even in a performance is a bit…

“No. Onii-sama, please do this properly. You’re already at a disadvantage compared to everyone else since you’ve graduated, so you have to take these chances as they come!”

Sophia speaks a small voice, but it’s clear that she won’t accept any objections.

Ever since she found out about my feelings, she’s been passionately trying to push Katarina and me together… but to be honest, I think the way things are right now is fine.

It’s not like I want to steal her from Jared. If I get too close with her, I might end up greedier.

Even as I think this, unable to disobey under my sister’s expectant gaze, I steel myself just for now.

“Katarina, are you ready?”

As I steel my nerves completely, Katarina responds brightly.

“Yes. To help out Sophia, I’ll be a good acting partner for you! Leave it to me.”

“I see… thank you.”

I can feel another smile naturally spreading across my face at her straightforward, kind demeanour. Those light blue eyes that gaze directly at me. Ah, I really do love this girl.

“I love you.”

I don’t know whether those words were just words from the play or my true feelings…

Next Katarina should say “I do too, Prince.”

“… I – I do too. Nikol-sama.”

On hearing those words spill out from her with her cheeks lightly stained red, my mind went blank for a moment. And then my body grew hot all at once.

She responded to my confession. She said my name. Joy unlike anything I had felt before filled me up. The small rational part of my brain reminded me that she just messed up her line, but…

In truth, it’s a lie that I don’t want to steal her from Jared and make her my own. I just tell myself that all the time so I can desperately slam a lid on my feelings. In truth… in truth, I want her. I want the girl called Katarina Claes so much I can’t stand it.

I want to steal her from Jared and make her my own.

The lid holding back my feelings starts to rattle.

“Um, Nikol-sama…”

On hearing my name spill from her lips yet again, I’m unable to hold myself back any longer. And so I embrace her soft, warm body.

“… Katarina, even if you became someone else’s, I would surely…”

I would surely be eternally unable to give up on you. And then, one day, when I would finally be unable to hold back my feelings any longer, I would…