The Bad Ending of an Otome

The Otome Game’s Bad Ending

Volume 2

Hey, if anyone is asking why I write in such deep formal tone, it’s because for the feels >.<.

* * *

God is inherently wicked

Punishing evildoers,

Deception of the virtuous

And making fun of the feeble.

If you desire salvation, you must defend yourself.

It was past midnight. 

A lantern illuminated the table. 

Raretis Hope looked over a narrow length of parchment with an inquisitive expression. 

There were only five lines.

If you desire salvation, you must defend yourself.

No one could see through him, like slicing open a pomegranate to disclose its dark red core. 

Then, it happened.

Knock knock.

There was a tap at the door. 

The man’s attention shifted to the door.

“…Who is it?”

After a brief delay, a faint voice could be heard.

“It’s me.”

“What brings you here at this hour?”

“Because I believed you might be overworking, I brought snacks…”

“…”

The man was momentarily silent. 

The room was clean and relatively comfortable. 

He was seated, wearing a shirt and cotton trousers, and perusing the paper. 

He could not let anyone see him in that kind of clothing, but it was late in the evening.

At that hour, it was inappropriate to invite decency into the room.

“…Have I overstepped? I’m sorry if I’ve disturbed you…”

“No, you did not.”

The man then opened the door after placing the paper in a desk drawer. 

As the door opened, a woman holding a small silver tray and beaming shyly stood before it. 

Her long silver hair was braided to one side and she sported a comfortable sky-blue dress and a lace robe. 

She appeared as naive as a young child. 

Her light green irises were filled with compassion.

Since Raretis was so tall, the woman’s head only reached his shoulder when she stood up erect. 

The attractive Raretis, with his masculine and angular features, and Elodie standing next to him with a timid posture. 

At first glance, they appear to be an attractive combination. 

She held a silver tray containing a few slices of cured ham, cheese, bread, and a cup of hot tea. Tea continued to produce steam.

“You could have asked a maid for assistance.”

“By now, everyone should be resting, and I was also a bit hungry.”

Elodie smiled shyly, her cheekbones flushing with embarrassment. 

It was a smile so pure and innocent that it could dissolve any stone. 

However, the man’s expression remained unchanged as he watched her. 

He took the tray from her and positioned it on his table.

“The attendant must be on call at night; ring the bell.”

“The bell is a little bit…”

Elodie diverted her gaze in an embarrassed manner. 

Elodie had difficulty adjusting to the lavish treatment she received as a guest in the Marquis’s home because she had been raised modestly in the countryside by her grandmother. 

She preferred to resolve issues herself rather than ringing a bell to summon a maid, especially when she required something.

Due to the fact that she was a visitor whom the Marchioness cherished like gold, it was awkward for the servants to witness her engaging in such behavior. 

It involved the prestige of the Marquis’s household. 

In order to avoid inconvenience, there were instances when someone would move themselves instead of calling for assistance.

When Ophelia was alive, Emilia would sneak in to clear up Ophelia’s messes and boldly request assistance. 

Ophelia once added earth fragments to all of the prepared tea for guests. 

Due to this, Emilia was compelled to slip into the kitchen in the middle of the night to completely alter its contents. 

On his way home late from training, she encountered Raretis and brazenly grabbed his sleeve to request assistance.

She wore a basic dress suitable for commoners so as not to impede her mobility, and her hair was unkempt. 

Tea residue and various stains adhered to her, making her look filthy. 

Her profound black pupils appeared and disappeared with each blink. 

Regardless of the situation, her tone was composed, even defiant.

‘Brother Raretis, this is also good for you, so help me.’

The man abruptly closed his mouth, lost in contemplation. 

His violet irises were obscured by complicated emotions. 

A deeper-than-usual voice emanated.

“… Even though you are inside the mansion, anything could happen, so please retire early.”

“The lights were on, and I was concerned, so I came to check. It appears that you work until very late.”

The woman’s irises were filled with fear. 

Her eyes had soft irises. 

Raretis fought to suppress the words that rose to the top of his throat.

“I’ve always been concerned about your overwork. I may be overstepping as a guest staying here due to the Marchioness’s generosity, but…”

“The Marchioness always expresses her desire for you to feel at home here.”

“The Marchioness is extremely kind towards me.”

“You provide her with a great deal of solace.”

The woman grinned with modesty. 

It wasn’t a meaningless phrase.

“I would prefer if you had this before it gets cold…”

The woman peered into the room.

“Do you have something to say?”

This was not typical of him. 

If Raretis had been his customary self, he would have offered Elodie a seat and requested that she bring the tray inside. 

Raretis’s voice, however, was more monotonous and desiccated than usual. 

Elodie, perceiving his mood, hesitated like a child before giving a single assent. 

Raretis admitted Elodie and then shut the door. 

Elodie did not deny his offer of a seat and pulled up a chair to sit down.

“…Please speak.”

“…I have something to say that I could not possibly tell the Marchioness. I’m sorry, Lord Raretis, but you were the only person I could ask.”

“…”

Raretis was dormant for a brief period of time.

“…Speak.”

“The room at the end of the second floor, to the left…”

Raretis stifled his speech. 

His violet irises glowed with a complex light, as if a flame were flickering.

“…I was instructed never to enter the room next door, and I complied, but…”

“Is that indeed so?”

The woman shivered and raised her shoulders. 

She found Raretis’ voice to be unusually frigid. 

Perhaps it was her perception. 

The man’s voice was dry and, although it could sometimes sound aloof, it was always scrupulously polite. 

His appearance was statue-like. 

Despite wearing a casual shirt and pants, his imposing physique made him resemble a painting. Eyes that shone as brightly as the deepest amethysts, situated between thick eyebrows and expressive eyes. 

His dark hair around his ears was disheveled.

His demeanor was identical to that of the ideal knight admired by all women. 

Even though he was a man of few words, even that seemed perfectly endearing. 

It was evident by the manner in which he cared for the Marchioness, as if she were his own mother. 

In truth, Elodie had already received envious and jealous looks at a few salons that the Marchioness had recommended.

Yes. 

Similar to that occasion several months ago… 

Elodie raised her head, her expression appearing resolved.

“…It wasn’t planned, but the room the Marchioness gave me is adjacent to this one; I discovered it while passing by.”

Elodie inhaled deeply and then removed something she had concealed within her robe. 

It was a miniature pendant-like object with dual openings.

On the exterior was engraved a miniature clock, which could have been misconstrued for a decorative timepiece to wear around the neck. 

As she pressed the grooves on both sides, it opened up with a click. 

Inside, two portraits of individuals were hung on each side.

On one side is a beautiful girl with silver hair who appears aristocratic and imperious, and on the other is a girl with black hair and eyes who appears reserved. 

The letters O and E were legible. 

Raretis regarded the small object with a frozen expression. 

If glances could exert force, that tiny object would have long since disintegrated.

“I’d like to ask you something, Lord Raretis.”

The man steadily shifted his attention to her. 

Unconsciously, Elodie inhaled deeply. 

Even though she was aware that he was not intending to injure her, his menacing presence seemed to be displayed unconsciously.

He… He was fixed in place like a statue. 

The intensity of his fixation on the pendant made it difficult to casually touch. 

However, she had to surmount this obstacle. 

Once the woman had firmly bit her lips, her green eyes shone vividly.

“At that time, at the invitation of Countess Hildegard,” she said.

“…”

The man remained mute. 

No matter how many locations Raretis had visited with Elodie, he could not forget that location. Because it was not long after Elodie received an invitation from the Countess, she risked riding a carriage emblazoned with the coat of arms of the Count’s house, despite the fact that it was heavy and almost caused her to be late for her return. 

And because she hurriedly boarded a public carriage, the inexperienced driver nearly caused an accident. 

If he had acted improperly, there would have been an accident.

Among those who knew it would be futile to intervene in an accident involving nobles and commoners, if someone didn’t throw themselves to protect the infant, it would be their loss. Even now, Elodie could recall that moment vividly.

Sand particles obscured her vision. 

The immature coachman scarcely stopped the carriage, and the cramped interior of the carriage appeared as if it were about to overturn. 

The woman is seen through the window gathering up a basket while holding the hem of her skirt. 

Her long black hair swayed and concealed her face momentarily. 

Her white visage that was revealed was calm. 

Despite what she had just experienced, she appeared composed, with the exception of her slightly rapid respiration. 

Her physical appearance… 

She appeared to be in a world apart from the other bewildered individuals. 

It was alien, static, and silent, like raindrops falling in the desert. 

Elodie swore that she had never encountered such a foe in this universe.

And Raretis was tremendously frightened when he first saw that woman. 

Elodie had not been at the Marquis’s residence for very long at the time, so she could not completely comprehend Raretis’s behavior. 

Upon observing Raretis’s unusual distress, she concluded that she had unwittingly victimized someone through her actions. 

However, upon reflection, it was not. 

Elodie recalls that Raretis held a fruit in his hands. 

He gazed at the apple with a strange, indescribable expression for a long time.

Raretis Hope. 

Everybody is a hero. 

He could not covet the possessions of a victim who is a commoner who regrets every shilling. 

Because he was a gentlemanly knight. 

When he became involved with Elodie, however, he drew a clear line, claiming that it would cause more harm to the commoners, and he attempted to end the situation as quickly as possible.

The sight of him picking up the apple instead of the woman who was attempting to do so remained etched in her mind.

“You said you don’t know her well.”

“…”

The man’s eyes did not change. 

Rather, Elodie was now convinced. 

The quiet girl in the pendant resembled the woman Elodie had met that day. 

Black hair and black eyes were not so uncommon, but not everyone had that atmosphere. Especially that feeling. 

It was like a sapling sprouting alone in the desert, alien yet tranquil. 

Just like the woman she had met in the dressing room not long ago.

Elodie wasn’t a fool. 

Just because she was kind and affectionate didn’t mean she didn’t have opinions. 

She clenched her teeth. 

Raretis still hadn’t made an excuse. 

It was a polite way of saying he didn’t want to speak. 

He didn’t apologize or explain why he had to do so. 

It was an unusual attitude.

“I want to make certain. That day, I met ‘Emily’.”

Elodie inhaled deeply, and her green eyes shone magnificently.

“… On the second floor of this mansion, did ‘Emilia’ occupy the chamber adjacent to the far-left room?”

The man’s brows faintly furrowed.

Elodie read the man’s disturbance. 

Yes, it was a disturbance. 

Because he was a man who never wavers, a man who is always consistent, a man everyone praises for that. 

Because he respects others even with an indifferent tone. 

Because he is the vice-captain of the Knights.

Why didn’t she realize that a person who treats everyone equally doesn’t value anyone? 

Elodie stared at the man with eyes brimming with determination. 

The man finally spoke after a long pause.

“… Do I have to respond?”

“Are you evading the question?”

Elodie felt anxious. 

She had no idea he would react this way.

She ultimately utilized all of the best rooms on the second and third levels of the mansion. These items were given to her despite her protests that it was too much, with the argument that even this was insufficient for a lady who would make her début this year.

She was denied access to the room adjacent to the one at the far end of the second floor. 

That chamber was adjacent to the final room. 

There was a small door connecting the chambers, possibly on purpose, but it was now securely locked. 

The accommodation was modest in size and not particularly luxurious.

Elodie was intrigued about the room’s purpose. 

She would have comprehended if someone had explained that it was the room of the deceased Ophelia. 

The room of the deceased Ophelia, however, resembled the chamber on the far left.

Just like a princess’s bedroom in a fairy tale, this room is flooded with natural light and brimming with valuable and exquisite objects. 

Even the smallest objects had a touch of luxury, as the bed was soft enough to accommodate three people.

Certainly, the maids had already cleansed and organized the most prized possessions and valuables, but even the remaining furniture exuded a similar aura. 

This room was not designated as Elodie’s living accommodation; she was only permitted to inspect it. 

The servants did not appear to be cleaning or using hushed voices to keep a secret.

However, the door leading from the room on the far left to the next was securely secured. 

It was incomparable to the room on the far left regardless of its size or décor, and it remained so.