DTRAF 05

Chapter 5

I Don’t Accept the Male Lead’s Love Advice!

The freshly made fruit ade disappeared almost instantly, leaving only a few glasses behind.

With a satisfied smile, I looked around at the knights happily quenching their thirst.

“Amelie!”

Whoa… I nearly had a heart attack.

While I was distracted watching the knights, Lysa suddenly ran over and threw her arms around me.

The unexpected hug made my heart pound so hard I almost stumbled backward.

“Thank you so much! Thanks to you, I have the energy to get through afternoon training.”

“It’s just one drink. It’s not that big a deal.”

“Just one drink?”

“This is the best fruit ade I’ve ever tasted!”

Well…

She wasn’t wrong.

Out of everything, I wasn’t about to deny praise for my ade.

I’d managed to come up with the blueberry-and-papaberry combination under pressure, after all.

“Amelie.”

“Can I have one more glass?”

After finally releasing me, Lysa pointed toward the few glasses left on the temporary table.

Take them all!

If it was for my favorite heroine, I’d happily make more out of thin air.

“Of course.”

“You can drink every last one if you want.”

“Really?”

“But you’ll make more for me next time.”

“So I’ll only have one more.”

“The rest can go to everyone else.”

Lysa happily picked up another glass.

Then she hesitated, glancing cautiously at me.

“…You’ll come again, right?”

“Oh.”

So that’s why she looked nervous.

She was afraid I’d say I wouldn’t be coming back.

The original Amelie probably only came here to see Reinhardt.

Whenever Reinhardt and Lysa looked even slightly close…

She’d stop visiting for a while out of jealousy.

It wasn’t hard to imagine.

Even though none of it had been my doing…

I suddenly felt guilty toward Lysa.

“Of course, Lysa.”

“I was actually thinking about coming every day.”

“Really?!”

“I’d love that!”

“…Ah.”

“No.”

“What if you overwork yourself?”

“I told you.”

“I’m completely healthy now.”

“And besides, walking here is good exercise.”

“You’re right!”

“Then come often, Amelie!”

Pure happiness lit up Lysa’s face.

Does she really like Amelie that much?

Even though Amelie bullied her without restraint?

Honestly…

I couldn’t understand it.

Judging from the diary, Amelie had never once treated her kindly.

Yet Lysa still treasured her as a precious friend.

She’s simply that good of a person.

Then I’ll treat her properly from now on.

Next time I’ll bake cookies, too.

Watching Lysa happily sip her fruit ade, I silently made a promise.

From now on…

I’d personally take responsibility for spoiling the heroine.

“Ahh…”

“This is seriously delicious.”

“I don’t understand why Harbor refuses to drink it.”

“A knight didn’t drink any?”

“Who?”

My heroine-fangirl mode immediately shut off.

I simply couldn’t believe someone had rejected my precious fruit ade.

“That guy over there.”

“He’s still organizing the boxes.”

“He says he doesn’t really like sweet things.”

I turned toward the person Lysa pointed at.

Oh… him.

It was one of the knights I’d suspected of having feelings for Lysa.

“Is that Sir Harbor?”

“Yep.”

“You forgot his name already?”

“That’s Rowen Harbor.”

“One of my direct subordinates.”

“He keeps trying to do everyone else’s work too.”

“Even during breaks.”

“What a dependable subordinate.”

“If he’s under you…”

“I’ll try offering him another drink.”

Picking up one of the remaining glasses, I walked over to Sir Harbor.

The fairly large heart emoji still floated above his head.

“Sir Harbor?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Do you require something?”

“This isn’t actually very sweet.”

“Give it a try.”

“It’s hot today.”

“…”

His expression briefly became troubled as he looked at the glass.

But after a moment, he accepted it.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll gratefully enjoy it.”

Unlike his hesitation…

He boldly drank the entire glass in one go.

“So?”

“What do you think?”

“…It’s refreshing.”

“And delicious.”

“Like you said…”

“It isn’t overly sweet.”

“Right?”

Perfect.

Now that I’ve fed him…

Time for the real conversation.

“I heard you’re Lady Lysa’s direct subordinate.”

“Yes.”

“She always seems busy training or carrying out missions.”

“You must have it tough too.”

“Not really.”

“The vice commander always looks after her subordinates before herself.”

“It’s hard to call that suffering.”

Excellent start.

The moment I mentioned Lysa…

He immediately began praising her.

It was practically a visible affection meter.

“Lysa really takes good care of the other knights, doesn’t she?”

“She does.”

“She encourages us during every training session.”

“And whenever difficulties arise on missions…”

“She’s always the first to step forward.”

“She even sincerely listens to our worries.”

“I imagine she cares about all of you…”

“But she seems especially fond of you, since you’re directly under her command.”

“…”

The tips of Harbor’s ears instantly turned bright red.

I knew it.

If merely hearing that Lysa cared about him made him react like this…

Then he definitely liked her.

Let’s probe him a little.

“Sir Harbor…”

“What are you doing here?”

“Eek!”

Just as I was about to ask him discreetly…

A voice suddenly came from directly behind me.

Since I’d sensed absolutely no one approaching…

I nearly jumped out of my skin and spun around.

“Reinhardt?”

Why are you here again?

Seeing a face I absolutely wasn’t happy to see made it difficult to control my expression.

Judging from Reinhardt’s own face…

He wasn’t exactly pleased either.

Apparently my scream at point-blank range had done some damage.

He was covering one ear while squinting one eye shut.

Maybe don’t sneak up on people like a thief.

And then act annoyed afterward.

Seriously…

What an awful personality.

“Commander.”

Harbor immediately saluted.

“You may leave.”

“I have something to discuss with Lady Garnet.”

“Oh, come on.”

Now the male lead was interfering with my plans too?

I quickly grabbed Harbor’s arm before he could obey.

“I still have something to discuss with Sir Harbor.”

“Ah…”

“You have?”

“That is an order, Rowen Harbor.”

“Step away immediately.”

“No!”

Despite my desperate cry…

Harbor disappeared like the wind.

Using rank to force people around?

Coward!

“I asked what you’re doing here.”

“Amelie Garnet.”

Reinhardt addressed me in the same commanding tone he’d just used on Harbor.

Normally…

I’d have snapped back immediately.

But unfortunately…

My life might very well depend on this man.

So I painfully forced the corners of my mouth upward.

“What am I doing?”

“Lysa and the knights have been working hard.”

“So I made some drinks for everyone.”

“You expect me to believe you came solely to hand out refreshments?”

“I told you that’s exactly why!”

Trying to smile naturally made my lips tremble.

I could even feel myself grinding my teeth.

Honestly…

If Reinhardt weren’t the male lead, I’d simply ignore him.

Anyone would avoid someone who might one day kill them.

Even if we happened to run into each other like today…

Pretending he didn’t exist would have been the normal reaction.

But I, Han Yuna…

Was a professional romance fantasy reader.

I knew all too well that the harder you tried to avoid certain characters after transmigrating…

The more deeply entangled you became with them.

So I’d already made up my mind.

I’d maintain a reasonable distance from Reinhardt.

Neither too close…

Nor too distant.

“You didn’t tamper with the drinks, did you?”

“What an awful thing to say.”

There went my carefully made resolution.

Reinhardt immediately found another way to get under my skin.

Tamper with food?

He was saying that to someone whose dream was to own a café.

How rude.

Of course…

He had no way of knowing that.

His suspicion stemmed entirely from everything the original Amelie had done.

“I absolutely didn’t.”

“I already told you.”

“From now on, I’ll support Lysa as her friend.”

“And help her.”

“You really think I’d believe that?”

“It doesn’t matter whether you believe me.”

“I’ll prove it through my actions.”

“If you truly want to prove it…”

“…then stay away from Lysa.”

“Why?”

“I like Lysa too.”

“And Lysa likes me…”

“…very much.”

I deliberately stretched out the words very much with a bright smile.

Just as expected…

Reinhardt’s expression twisted.

He looked like he wanted to say something.

But instead, he ran a hand through his hair and stayed silent.

“If anything happens to Lysa…”

“Or to the Knight Order…”

“You’d better be prepared.”

Suppressing whatever emotions he was feeling, Reinhardt turned and walked away as though he’d had enough of me.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I’m so scared.”

Once I was absolutely certain he’d gone far enough…

I quietly raised my middle finger at his retreating back.