I Have a Stalker of Noble Status. And to Make Matters Worse, their Numbers are Increasing (BL) - Chapter 18

“Uh… haha, looks like we both ended up with chaperones.”

“I’m sorry! I told him I was going with a friend today, so he should have stayed behind, but…”

Angelica and I exchange awkward smiles as we glance at our unexpected company.

Standing beside me is Ray.

Beside Angelica is a tall, lean, and well-built young man I’ve never seen before.

…Yeah, I don’t even need to ask.

Nice to meet you, fourth romance target.

◇◇◇

It was the weekend.

As I made my way to the outskirts of town to meet Angelica, a fabulous carriage followed me at a leisurely pace.

Could there be a more conspicuous way to tail someone?

Usually, I go unnoticed in town, but today, all eyes were on me—thanks to that carriage. Please stop.

“Lord Raymond, if you have business with me, just come out and say it.”

I called toward the carriage, and a hand suddenly shot out from the door, pulling me inside.

Startled, I looked up to find Ray sitting there, sulking.

He was dressed unusually casually—no, downright adventurer-like—and looking down at me with a determined expression.

“I’m coming with you!!”

“What? Where did that come from? And where exactly do you think you’re going?”

“To gather herbs!”

…Wait, how does he know?! That’s terrifying!

“…Angelica is going to be there too, you know?”

“All the better! I need to see for myself whether she’s really as innocent as she claims.”

Uhh…

Well, knowing Angelica, she’d probably say something like, ‘It’s such an honor to have Lord Raymond join us! ♡’ so I don’t think there’ll be an issue.

But objectively speaking, isn’t it a bit rude to bring someone along without asking first?

“Fine. But if Angelica isn’t okay with it, you have to leave, got it? I did promise her first, after all.”

“…Mgh… Fine, I understand.”

And that’s how I ended up bringing Ray with me to our meeting spot—only to find that Angelica had also brought her own unexpected companion.

Actually… it’s more like both of us had people tag along against our wishes.

“Uh… haha, looks like we both ended up with chaperones.”

“I’m really sorry! I told him I’d be with a friend today, but… Anyway, this is my friend, Lord Douglas Baldwin, heir to the Baldwin Count family.”

At Angelica’s introduction, Lord Douglas stepped forward, offering a polite bow.

He already seemed like a decent person just from that.

Max had described him as “muscle-brained,” but he doesn’t seem that way at all.

“Douglas Baldwin. I apologize for intruding on your outing today.”

“Patrick Humming. No need to worry about it—we’re both in the same situation.”

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should introduce Ray as well, but before I could decide, Ray stepped forward on his own.

“It’s been a while, Lord Douglas. And Lady Angelica, my apologies for the sudden intrusion. I heard it’s Patrick’s first time venturing outside town, so I wanted to make sure he’d be safe.”

With a graceful smile, Ray was every bit the Academy Prince.

It was hard to believe this was the same person who had been pouting and demanding to come along just moments ago.

Douglas and Ray seemed to be acquainted, but judging by Douglas’s stunned reaction, he clearly hadn’t expected a duke’s son to show up for something as simple as herb gathering.

Sensing his discomfort, Ray reassured him with a smile. “At school, status doesn’t matter. Patrick and Angelica are my classmates, and so are you, Douglas. I’d like for us to interact on equal terms.”

Douglas finally relaxed a little, and the tension in the air eased.

Good. Since we’d be spending the day together, I really didn’t want things to feel awkward.

With the atmosphere lightening up, we moved on to checking our equipment and reviewing our gathering location for the day.

It really felt like we were about to set off on an adventure, and I couldn’t help but feel a little excited.

Ray and Lord Douglas both had proper swords at their waists, more than capable of handling real combat. Angelica, on the other hand, was equipped with a dagger and a mage’s robe.

As for me, I only had the practice sword we used in school, so I had brought that along today as well… but against the low-level monsters around the royal capital, this should be more than enough.

Once our preparations were complete, we finally set out beyond the city walls.

The royal capital wasn’t just home to the castle—it was an entire fortified city, surrounded by massive walls designed to keep invaders and monsters at bay.

To leave, one had to present a permit to the knights stationed at the gate, who would then grant passage.

“Hello! We’re heading out to gather herbs again. Could you let us through?”

Angelica, permit in hand, called out to the knight guarding the entrance. She seemed to be on friendly terms with him.

“Ah, if Douglas is with you, then there shouldn’t be any issues. Just be careful, alright?”

The knight checked her permit before engaging in casual conversation—only to suddenly freeze when his eyes landed on us.

“Lord… Lord Raymond?! Are you leaving the city?! Where is your escort?!”

Ah. So it’s going to be like this, huh?

At school, people had grown accustomed to seeing Ray around me. But outside the academy, it was clear just how different his status was.

Raymond wasn’t just any noble; he was the heir to a ducal family. Someone of his rank wasn’t supposed to casually leave the city like this.

Lord Douglas’s reaction earlier, and now the knight’s shocked expression—it all served as a stark reminder of the gap between Ray’s world and mine.

I had long since grown used to it. I knew from the start that this was how things would be, so it didn’t bother me anymore.

But what did bother me was seeing Ray looking sad.

That slight downturn at the edges of his brows—it was something I had come to recognize.

That expression meant Ray was holding back his feelings.

“I’m with my classmates today, so I don’t have an escort. My family has already granted permission, and we’re not going far. There’s no need to worry.”

Ray answered with a slightly subdued smile, and at his words, the knight scrambled to open the gate, standing at attention with a crisp salute.

“Safe travels, my lord!”

…

Without hesitation, I bolted ahead, passing through the gate first. Then, I turned back and shouted loudly:

“Hurry up, Ray!!”

The knight gave me a startled look, but I didn’t care.

From now on, I’ll call you that in front of everyone.

—At least until you graduate.