I Have a Stalker of Noble Status. And to Make Matters Worse, their Numbers are Increasing (BL) - Chapter 30

“I see… The fact that Violetta is now a romance option… I can’t say I’m thrilled about it.”

Ray listened to my explanation with a deeply conflicted expression, his feelings clearly too complicated to put into words.

“But if that’s the case, then… could it mean there’s another way to save Violetta besides the Eternal True End?”

His words made me freeze in realization. He’s right!

“Oh, so you were all aiming for the Eternal True End just to save Lady Violetta? Taking on an SS-ranked difficulty route in real life… Now that’s what I call manly!”

“That was the only villainess redemption route available. Are you saying the remake changed that?”

“Yes! There are now multiple ways to save her! First, there’s the happy ending for Violetta when playing as the male protagonist, Patrick. Then, there’s another happy ending for Violetta when playing as the female protagonist, Angelica. Of course, the original Eternal True End still exists as well.

And then—thanks to the addition of extra content, a new ultimate ending was created… an ending that surpasses even the Eternal True End—its name is… the Ultimate End!”

The transfer student announced it with such fanfare that I could practically hear dramatic sound effects in the background.

…But all I had was a bad feeling.

What the hell is Ultimate supposed to mean…?

Logically speaking, I should be happy—three new options have been added!

But… something about this just feels off.

For example, if I or Angelica were to reach our respective endings with Violetta, that would mean…

That one of us would end up in a romantic relationship with Lady Violetta… right?

…Yeah, that’s definitely not realistic!!

Maybe it works in the game, but in real life, this would cause all sorts of problems.

And speaking of problems—what happens to the crown prince, who’s supposed to be Violetta’s fiancé?

The more I think about it, the more questions I have.

“The conditions for achieving the Eternal True End haven’t changed, have they?”

“I don’t think so. Sorry, I never played the original version myself… But from what I know, the remake didn’t alter the main story at all, aside from improved graphics and voice acting. The only things that change happen after the extra content is installed.”

…

…Extra content, huh.

Well, that’s a relief.

After all the effort we’ve put into reaching the Eternal True End, it would have been a disaster if the conditions had changed.

As I pushed aside the lingering unease creeping into my mind, Max, who had been deep in thought, suddenly spoke up.

“Hey… was there ever a plan to add even more extra content in the future?”

“As expected, you’re sharp! They ran commercials saying, ‘Look forward to the ever-expanding extra content!’ so I’d say it’s highly likely. Some rumors even suggest that more romance options might be added.”

…Please, no.

After that, we continued our discussion with the transfer student, talking well into the evening.

But just as our conversation was wrapping up, the transfer student casually dropped a bombshell.

“Oh, by the way… I’ve never actually played this game myself, so I wouldn’t say I know everything about it.”

I blinked in surprise. What?

Apparently, he got all his knowledge from watching game streamers—specifically, his favorite content creator, who frequently played the remake of Prilavi.

“But don’t worry! That streamer is an absolute legend! They 100% completed every ending, so I’ve seen everything from start to finish.”

…A legend, huh.

Max once said that games aren’t just entertainment; they’re culture.

But to the transfer student, this so-called Haishinsha seemed to be more than that—practically a deity.

The other world really is something else.

That being said, if this Haishinsha god had seen all the endings, then the transfer student’s knowledge was undeniably valuable.

“Sorry for keeping you so late, Theo. Thanks for explaining everything.”

“Nah, I should be the one apologizing. I think I got a little too excited about being in another world, but I’m glad I finally realized it… Actually, if it’s okay, I have a small favor to ask.”

“A favor?”

Ray, Max, and I exchanged glances.

“It’s nothing big, but… could you drop the honorifics when you call me? In my world, people don’t really use ‘sir’ or ‘lord’ in casual conversation. Honestly, it just feels weird.”

“Ah, that makes sense,” Max said, nodding in agreement.

So it was just a cultural difference.

“Got it! From now on, I’ll just call you Theo.”

At my words, Theo let out a relieved smile.

Now that I thought about it, he was just an ordinary student who had suddenly been thrown into a completely different world barely a month ago.

Of course, he’d be overwhelmed. It made sense that he’d be too preoccupied with his own situation to fully consider his surroundings.

◇◇◇

“…No, the one who hasn’t been paying attention is me.”

After parting ways with everyone and returning to my dorm room, I collapsed onto my bed, sprawled out without a care.

…I’m extra content.

And now, I’m also a second protagonist.

As I reflected on everything that had happened today, my thoughts spiraled endlessly.

I’m a character in this game.

The moment I realized that, I felt as though I had become something unrecognizable—something detached from reality.

For a brief moment, I had the overwhelming urge to reach out to someone.

Yet, up until now, I had never thought of the people around me as anything more than game characters.

“…God, I’m the worst…”

I was devastated at the thought of being just a character in a game, but wasn’t that an incredibly insensitive way to think about everyone else?

I had laughed and joked as if everything was fine, but the moment I was alone, the weight of it all came crashing down.

Tears rolled down my face, though I wasn’t even sure why I was crying.

“Are you crying?”

…Oh, right.

I had completely forgotten—I was haunted by a prince with absolutely zero sense of personal boundaries.

—I didn’t want anyone to see these ugly emotions.

“Ricky, you’re always surrounded by people, yet when it truly matters, you choose to suffer alone. That’s exactly why I can’t take my eyes off you.”

Slowly, I lifted my head from the pillow and looked up at the floating prince.

He doesn’t know he’s a character in a game.

But regardless of that, he’s a spirit with no memories of his past.

There’s no way that isn’t terrifying for him.

And yet, I had never really thought about it. I had dismissed it as nothing more than part of the story, never once considering how he felt about it.

Who was I to accuse Max of not seeing this world as reality?

…The truth is, I’m the one who hasn’t been seeing things clearly at all.