"No Marriage, Please! vs. Marry Me or Die: The Ultimate Love Showdown" - Episode 36

Ria and Eve’s cold gazes pierced through me. I broke into a nervous sweat, and Alice quickly let go of my hand, hiding behind me.

Yuri: “U-Uh… it’s really crowded today, right? I just thought we might get separated, so we held hands. That’s all.”

Ria: “Hmm.”

Eve: “I see. No ulterior motives, then, dear brother…?”

Yuri: “Of course not! I’m completely innocent…!”

Their eyes turned next to Alice.

Ria: “So, this must be Alice…?”

Eve: “Seems that way.”

They both looked her over. Alice, still gripping my sleeve, flinched at their gaze.

Yuri: “U-Um…”

Just as I hesitated on how to respond, Alice stepped forward with forced confidence.

Alice: “Haha! Yes, that’s right! I’m the brilliant researcher Alice! A pleasure to meet you…! Ha, ha…”

She declared it proudly, but I noticed her hands were trembling slightly.

Ria: “Wow! She’s so tiny and cute!”

Eve: “Yes. Like a lovely little doll.”

Ria and Eve’s eyes sparkled as they reached out and began patting her head—like someone soothing a small child.

Alice: “W-Wha—! What do you think you’re doing?! I’m a professor, you know!”

Ria: “Yes, yes. Of course you are, professor~”

Eve: “So adorable… I just want to keep her in a display case forever.”

Alice: “H-Hey! Assistant Yuri-kun, help me…!”

Yuri: “Sorry, Alice. There’s nothing I can do…”

Alice: “Traitorrrr!! You backstabberrrrr!”

And so, for a while, Alice became the object of Ria and Eve’s relentless affection.

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Alice: “Ugh… My dignity as a genius…”

Ria: “Sorry, Alice. I got a little carried away.”

Eve: “My apologies as well, Alice. I couldn’t help myself…”

Alice, her hair a complete mess, was now having it gently combed back into place by Ria.

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Alice: “So, Ria, Eve—you’re in the same party as Assistant Yuri-kun?”

Ria: “That’s right.”

Eve: “Yes. We’re in the same party as our dear brother.”

Ria: “Although… lately, he seems far more interested in research.”

Eve: “Well, it’s his choice. We have no intention of interfering.”

Alice nodded seriously at their words.

Alice: “I see. I apologize for monopolizing him, but it’s only temporary. It’ll be over soon. I ask for your patience until then.”

Ria: “Sure. No problem. Alice, take good care of Yuri for us, okay?”

Eve: “Alice, please look after our brother.”

Alice: “Eh… U-Um, I will. Of course.”

I briefly wondered if they were jealous… but maybe I was just imagining it.

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Yuri: “I was actually about to take Alice to dinner. Would you two like to join us?”

Ria: “No thanks. We already ate. We’ll pass.”

Eve: “Yes. We’re heading back to the inn.”

Yuri: “O-Oh, really?”

They declined so smoothly, it caught me off guard. So, we parted ways then and there.

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As Alice stood stunned, I gently called out to her.

Yuri: “Alice, are you okay?”

Alice: “Hah…! Ha-ha-ha! Assistant Yuri-kun certainly has a unique party lineup. That was… surprising, to say the least!”

Yuri: “Sorry for springing that on you.”

Alice: “No, no. Not a problem at all. Now, shall we head to the restaurant?”

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We arrived at the restaurant and ordered a variety of seafood dishes. Alice eyed them with curiosity, then cautiously took a bite of a fish dish.

Alice: “Mmm…! This is delicious!”

Yuri: “Told you. This place is famous for its seafood. Top-notch quality all around.”

Alice: “Ha-ha! Indeed—there’s value in every new experience! This has been quite enlightening!”

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We enjoyed our meal, chatting and laughing until we even cleared dessert. As we waited for coffee, Alice murmured softly:

Alice: “…You’re going to leave eventually, aren’t you? To travel the world with those two?”

Yuri: “Yeah… I suppose so. I have a goal, and to reach it, I’ll need to travel far and wide.”

Alice: “I see. That’s a good thing.”

Alice’s gaze drifted off into the distance as she spoke.

Alice: “My world—my limit—has always been that little lab. And I thought that was enough. But meeting you… it changed that. You made me realize I could go beyond it. For the first time, I want to surpass those limits. So… thank you. I’m glad we met.”

Her words were philosophical, maybe even abstract. I couldn’t fully grasp them—but I knew I wanted to understand her better. Because the thought of her being trapped in that small, box-like lab felt unbearably lonely.

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Yuri: “Meeting you has been refreshing for me too, Alice. You’ve helped me deepen my understanding of magic… and honestly, I enjoy being around you.”

Alice: “Ah…!”

Yuri: “Huh?”

Alice: “Ahaha! That’s right! Of course you do! I am a genius, after all!”

Yuri: “Yeah. You are.”

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After our dinner, I returned to the inn. The summer heat was creeping in, and even at night, it was warm enough to break a sweat.

Yuri: “I’m back—”

Ria: “Welcome home, Yuri!”

Eve: “Welcome back, dear brother.”

Ria and Eve were already dressed in their pajamas.

Ria: “Would you like some hot milk? I just made some.”

Yuri: “Yeah, I’ll take a cup.”

The three of us sat down at the table, sipping the warm milk Ria had prepared.

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Ria: “Hey, Yuri. Do you know about the Seisui Festival?”

Yuri: “Yeah. Alice told me about it.”

Ria: “…Did you promise to go with Alice, by any chance?”

Yuri: “You’re sharp…”

Uh-oh. This could turn into a cold interrogation—at least, that’s what I thought.

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Ria: “I see. Have fun.”

Eve: “Yes. I’ll be going with Ria, so don’t worry.”

Yuri: “You sure you don’t want to come with me?”

Ria: “No. I think these things happen in turns.”

Eve: “Indeed. It’s Alice’s turn right now.”

Yuri: “…Turn, huh?”

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I wasn’t quite sure what they meant by that—but if they were okay with it, I wouldn’t argue. Still… if that’s how they felt, didn’t that make our trip here together kind of pointless?

So, I decided to offer a suggestion.

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Yuri: “Then how about tomorrow, the three of us go out? I don’t have to go to the lab, and it’d be a great chance to explore Ordina.”

I didn’t get to finish.

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Ria: “Yes! Let’s go for sure!”

Eve: “I actually found a dessert café I wanted to try. I was hoping we could all go together!”

And just like that, we had plans to go sightseeing in Ordina the next day. The city was a well-known tourist destination, and I’d been wanting to explore more of it anyway.

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Ria: “Come to think of it, there were a lot of children out today—must be because of the upcoming festival.”

Eve: “Yes. It was quite a heartwarming sight.”

Ria and Eve narrowed their eyes fondly, then abruptly changed the subject.

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Ria: “Hey, Yuri. How many kids do you want? Just hypothetically.”

Eve: “Yes. Just a general question, of course. What’s your opinion, dear brother?”

…What’s with the sudden topic? Still, I gave a casual answer.

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Yuri: “Hmm. I haven’t really thought about it. But maybe… three would be too many.”

Ria: “Oh? So, one or two?”

Eve: “I see. That’s helpful to know.”

Yuri: “…”

This… this is a hypothetical conversation, right? There’s no hidden meaning here? Still, I couldn’t bring myself to ask. Some things… are best left untouched.

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The night deepened, and we eventually lay down to sleep in the same bed—something I had long since gotten used to.

The two girls clung to my arms like body pillows. Their soft bodies pressed against mine… but since they were already asleep, I just ignored it.

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Ria: “Zzz… zzz…”

Eve: “…zzz…”

Listening to their peaceful breathing, I too surrendered to sleep.

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Ria: “Hehehe… Yuri, Yuri, Yuri… We’ll always, always be together. Let’s build a happy future, okay?”

Eve: “Ah… dear brother, dear brother, dear brother… I’ll stay by your side forever. Let’s walk into a blissful future—together.”