I Have a Stalker of Noble Status. And to Make Matters Worse, their Numbers are Increasing (BL) - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: For Whose Sake Do You Exist?

“Listen, Pat! That woman is dangerous!!”

On the way to school.

Familiarity is a terrifying thing. As usual, I was comfortably lounging in the duke’s luxurious carriage when Raymond suddenly leaned in—far too close for comfort.

“That woman… Are you talking about Ange?”

“That’s right. That commoner saint.”

I haven’t been told all the details, so I don’t know the full story, but since the commoner saint is said to be the root cause of Lady Violetta’s tragic fate, Raymond treats Ange with intense hostility.

“So far, she hasn’t done anything particularly dangerous. In fact, she gets along better with our classmates than I do.”

“Are you sure it’s really all of our classmates?”

“…Now that you mention it, she does seem to be surrounded by male students more often.”

Because Ange isn’t accustomed to noble society, she tends to interact with people at a much closer distance than what’s considered proper. This naturally makes the noble young ladies—who have received strict etiquette training—uncomfortable around her.

Men, on the other hand, are simple creatures.

“No! Absolutely not, Pat! You’re already falling under her influence!”

“Falling under her influence…? Raymond—”

“It’s not Raymond! It’s Ray! We’re friends, aren’t we?!”

Since he insists on it so much, I’ve started calling him Ray occasionally, but honestly, I’m still not used to it.

Meanwhile, at some point, he started calling me Pat without my consent. Not that I ever agreed to it, of course.

“…So the reason you’re so wary of Ange is because she’s the one who ruins Lady Violetta’s life, like you mentioned before?”

Raymond, who had looked satisfied when he heard me call him Ray, gradually darkened at my words.

“That’s right. That woman is dangerous—unfathomably so. I don’t want you anywhere near her, Pat.”

But the commoner saint that Raymond describes and the Angelica I know… they don’t seem like the same person at all.

“In my first life, I made the grave mistake of letting my guard down around her, just like you’re doing now. Looking back, that was the beginning of my downfall. Before I realized it, I was drawn to her—completely captivated. I started believing everything she said without question.”

“So… does that mean you liked Ange?”

“W-what!?”

Raymond turned bright red, flinching so hard he nearly fell backward. How pure can this guy be?

“I… I don’t even know myself.”

“Huh?”

“It’s true that in my first life, I blindly trusted and admired her. But… was that really my own feelings? I don’t know. Maybe it sounds like an excuse, but back then, it felt like I was in some kind of fever dream. I couldn’t think straight at all.”

“…………”

Seeing Raymond lower his gaze, I didn’t think he was lying.

There would be no reason for him to fabricate something like this just for my sake.

“Now that I think about it, it wasn’t just me—everyone was acting strangely. Even Violetta’s fiancé, the Crown Prince… and Maxwell, too.”

Wait… Maxwell as well?

…Hold on. The Crown Prince was Lady Violetta’s fiancé!?

“W-Wait a second! The Crown Prince’s fiancée?! This is the first I’ve heard of it!”

“Aah, it hasn’t been publicly announced yet, but it’s common knowledge among the nobles of the capital. Violetta has already been informally chosen as the Crown Prince’s fiancée.”

Such a high-ranking noble like Lady Violetta… being condemned at the graduation ceremony? That’s impossible… right?

“Given that situation, what exactly did Lady Violetta do to be condemned at the graduation ceremony?”

“She tried to harm the saint.”

…That’s terrifying!!

“But in the end, it was a false accusation. There were also rumors that she bullied the saint during their time at the academy, but those were most likely false as well. And yet… I never even realized it… I…”

Raymond’s clenched fists trembled violently. His face was deathly pale, and I immediately regretted bringing this up. This was clearly not a lighthearted conversation.

“Ray…”

Not knowing what else to do, I hesitantly called his name.

Raymond lifted his head at my voice. His complexion was still awful, but in his eyes, I saw my own confused expression reflected back at me.

“Pat… Please, stay by my side. This is the first time I’ve seen Violetta enjoy attending the academy this much.”

A perfect nobleman like Raymond, kneeling and clinging to someone like me—just a low-ranking noble and a year younger at that—it felt completely surreal.

“Maxwell and the saint… they’re both slightly different from the ones I remember. The future must be changing for the better. So… please.”

Stay by my side.

As Raymond’s words trailed off, I could only nod and offer him a vague smile.

Because in that moment, I was struck by a harsh realization—Ray wasn’t staying by my side because of me.

He was only here to change the future.