I Have a Stalker of Noble Status. And to Make Matters Worse, their Numbers are Increasing (BL) - Chapter 20

“Pfft! So now even a muscle head has taken a liking to you?! Man, Rick, you never disappoint!”

The day after the weekend, back at the academy.

When I told Max about everything that had happened, he burst into uncontrollable laughter, clutching his stomach.

Ugh… I worked so hard, and this is how he reacts? That’s just cruel, Max.

In the end, Ray managed to restrain Lord Douglas yesterday, allowing us to part ways without any further trouble.

But this morning, when Lord Douglas cheerfully showed up at my dormitory to invite me to a morning training session, I nearly fainted.

Early morning visits to dormitories are inconsiderate.
Let’s not make this a habit.

“Still, good job, Rick. If you hadn’t intervened, Muscle head and Ange might’ve ended up raising all sorts of romantic flags. Honestly, it’s better that his attention is on you instead.”

…What kind of twisted stand-in system is this?

“That aside, Angelica is ridiculously competent. It’s great that she’s capable, given that we’re aiming for the Eternal True End, but she picks up on lessons instantly, she’s athletic, and she moves through the scenario as if she already knows exactly what’s happening. Seriously, what is she? Is this what they call ‘heroine privilege’?”

“I don’t really get what you mean by ‘heroine privilege’…”

But I do get the sense that there’s more to Ange than meets the eye.

“Well, as long as Angelica keeps clearing events on her own, it makes things easier for us. We just have to make sure she doesn’t wander onto any weird routes!”

Hmm… But if Lord Douglas and Ange start getting too close, and I have to step in, that would feel pretty awful.

But it’s all for Lady Violetta.
And ultimately, for Ray.
When the time comes, I’ll do what I must.

…At the very least, I suppose I can humor him for morning training.

◇◇◇

“See you tomorrow, Pat!”

“Yeah, thanks as always, Ray.”

Once again, Ray graciously gave me a ride back to the dorm in his ever-fabulous carriage. I waved him off with a smile as he left.

…Now then.

Normally, I’d head straight to my room and start reviewing my lessons or preparing for upcoming exams.
But today is different!

Despite all the trouble yesterday, I managed to gather a good amount of medicinal herbs and sell them for a decent price. I know I should be saving the money for necessities, but…

This is my first time earning money through my own efforts!

I want to use it to buy something for my younger brothers back in our territory.

When I left for the royal capital, my brothers cried their eyes out, saying they’d miss me. But in the end, they put on brave smiles and sent me off with encouragement.

Ah, they’re so adorable. Just remembering it makes my heart melt.

Of course, as their big brother, it’s only natural that I’d want to give them a gift!

Wait for me, little ones! Big brother is going to find you something amazing!

Humming to myself, I happily made my way into town.
Perhaps I was too excited.

Because I completely failed to notice the shadowy figure watching me from afar…

◇◇◇

“Would sweets be the best option? But if I send them all the way to the barony, they might take too long to arrive… Maybe stationery would be more practical?”

I have four younger brothers—ages thirteen, nine, and a pair of five-year-old twins.
With such an age gap, their interests and tastes are vastly different.

I pictured each of their faces, carefully picking out gifts I thought they’d love.

After selecting two small plush dragon toys for the twins, another thought crossed my mind—Ray and Max.

At first, I thought they were just tailing me out of curiosity, but the truth is, they’ve helped me a lot.

Maybe I should buy them something as a token of appreciation?
Then again, anything I could afford probably wouldn’t interest them.

After all, they’re both from incredibly wealthy families.

Even so, as I walked back toward the dorms, I absentmindedly browsed through various items. That’s when my eyes landed on a simple yet high-quality bookmark—far less flashy than the other designs.

…Wait, does this one have a slot to insert something?

As I examined the bookmark, the shopkeeper kindly explained its features.
Sure enough, it had a small pocket where you could insert dried flowers, drawings, or even photographs.

“Pressed flowers, huh…”

An idea popped into my mind.

“Excuse me, I’ll take two of these, please.”

As night fell, I hurried back toward the dormitory, my arms full of my purchases.

Just then, the sound of hooves echoed behind me.

I turned around, unconcerned—perhaps a sign that I had grown too accustomed to such occurrences.
But what I saw made me stop in my tracks.

A carriage was rapidly approaching me.
And it was coming straight for me at full speed.

It wasn’t fabulous.
It wasn’t marvelous.
It wasn’t majestic.

It was completely unfamiliar.

Lord Douglas…?
No, that couldn’t be right.

He once mentioned he disliked carriages and preferred riding horses.

My heart thumped loudly—thud—and in a panic, I spun around and bolted toward the dormitory at full speed.

A terrible feeling crept up my spine.

I had a bad premonition.

That carriage was definitely bad news.

But no matter how fast I ran, there was no way I could outrun a carriage.

The moment the carriage pulled up beside me, its door swung open with force.

Before I could react, a hand shot out from inside, yanking me in.

Just yesterday, I had been dragged into a carriage in a similar manner by Ray.

At the time, I had found it annoying, but now—

I realized that Ray had at least been considerate of my body.

Such an absurd thought crossed my mind, completely out of place for the situation.

Pain exploded through my body as I was thrown harshly onto the carriage floor.