The Struggle of a Weak Aristocrat in a Different World Our Domain is Surrounded by Large Aristocrats

C76: Negotiating with Alice (2)

“Princess, please wait! The king will scold me if I fail to stop him here!”

“What? How can that be! You should have lied better than that!”

“I shouldn’t say this, Princess, I lied. I lied.”

The man stopped mid-sentence, clearly mending his words. Alice was suspicious of the man’s reaction and confirmed it.

“What’s that reaction? Are you sure?”

“How can it be true?”

Unlike earlier, the man replied calmly, but it was suspicious.

Is the king trying to stall me? That would only give Alice a bad score. Maybe that’s what he’s after…….

“Oh, really? Then apologize! Why are you so calm when the princess saw through your lie?”

Alice seemed to be stuck on something else.

“That’s right. I’m sorry!”

The man bowed his head as deeply as he could.

If things went as expected, I had no idea what he would do to me if I stayed here and goofed off.

“I don’t agree with a lot of this, but I’m done. I’m getting tired. Let’s go, Chris.”

With that, Alice took my hand again and started walking briskly.

“Wait, please…….”

The man tried to stop us again in a weak voice. He must have been trying to stop us, but couldn’t think of a way to do it.

“Excuse me. I’ve wasted quite a bit of time and have very little time to study, so please come back after we study.”

“I see! Well then, I guess I have no choice!”

The man gave up happily, probably thinking that he had stalled us. It looks like my prediction was right after all.

“Well, Alice, take me there.”

“Uh-huh.”

Alice looked at me strangely, perhaps wondering why she was so easily convinced, but my words carried her away and she walked with me.

She climbed the stairs and stopped at a room at the end of the corridor, where she awkwardly tried to unlock the door with one hand.

“Come on, Alice. It’s hard to open the door like this. Take your hand off.”

I said, looking at her tightly clasped hands.

“What……?”

Alice looks at her hand and then looks up at me with a very sad look on her face. What is that face? I’m starting to feel like it’s my fault…….However, she then tried to continue unlocking the door as if nothing had happened.

“Hey…….”

“I got it, Chris! It’s unlocked! Now I can study!”

Ignoring my words, Alice enters the room with her hands tightly clasped. I had no choice but to go with her.

Inside the room, there was an expensive looking interior and a large, soft bed. In the middle of the room, there was a long desk and two chairs that looked out of place.

“Come on, sit down! I’m going to study!”

Alice sat down on a chair and I sat down by her side. I can’t wait for you to let go of my hand…….I’m not sure why she’s in such a good mood, but it’s okay if she stays like this. It’s more convenient for me.

“Can I ask you a few questions before we start studying?”

“What?”

Alice, who was in an unusually good mood, leaned forward.

“Why did the king go to all this trouble to give us such a nice room?”

“I said I’d do something for my father if I get a bad grade, that’s why I have to study. Let’s study right now!”

Oh, there it is! My suspicion turned to certainty. All the pieces are pieced together. First of all, the reason why the history test suddenly got harder, and the reason why the guy tried to stall us earlier, is all because the king is trying to get Alice to get a bad grade! Seriously, the king is an idiot!

“What’s the matter Chris, you look tired.”

You’re right, I’m disgusted and deeply tired. I can’t wait for this royal family to die. Well, anyway, I know that the king is trying to get Alice to get a bad grade. I’m going to have to look into this to see if it’s going to be more difficult in other subjects besides history.

I’m glad I noticed it early. I can deal with the interference if I’m careful. Now I just need to accomplish my goal for the day and then I’ll be on my way. I’m really tired.

“Alice. I have a favor to ask you in exchange for taking on the role of teacher. Do you have your seal?”

“Uh, yeah.”

Despite Alice’s confusion, I pull out two sheets of paper from my bag.

“What are these?”

“I wanted to get Alice’s signature on this.”

The piece of paper I pulled out was a so-called royal decree. It said that in exchange for Mist’s help in this test, I would have to guide her whenever she wanted to travel to the territory, just as Mist had said.

This way, it could not be forged, nor could the contents be changed to suit Mist. The only thing left to do was to see if Alice would sign it, but since I said it was a condition in exchange for helping her with her studies and it was a trivial matter between students, I’m sure she would at least sign it. She was angry a while ago, but now she’s in a good mood.

“What’s this……?”

Alice was trembling. Her hands are cold, even though she’s holding them.

“It’s exactly what it says.”

“Ku, does Chris want to have that kind of relationship with Mist……?”

Alice stares at me with a sad expression on her face.

“Well, yes.”

I’m doomed if I don’t get into this helping relationship. So I don’t know why Alice looks so sad.

“No!”

Alice shouted with tears in her eyes.