“What do you think of that girl, Cecilia?”
I didn’t need to guess why Hoyeon was asking this question—her sour expression made it obvious.
Though she tried to maintain a calm, collected demeanor, Hoyeon wasn’t good at hiding her emotions.
She excelled at masking her words and true nature, but when it came to her feelings, she didn’t seem to put much effort into concealing them.
“Cecilia? I think she’s nice. She’s approachable, speaks gently, and, well, being an elf around here makes her stand out. She seems like a good person.”
“I see. So that’s how it is…”
Even now, I could practically see her jealousy meter rising.
“…So, you’ve been looking at Cecilia all this time. I get it.”
Hoyeon didn’t like the attention I gave to Cecilia.
The same thing happened at the party and when I talked to Exipri.
Her jealousy wasn’t something you’d feel toward just a friend.
She might insist we were friends, but her feelings told a different story.
“Still, she could never be a friend like you.”
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”
She looked genuinely confused.
“Her personality is a bit too mild, and she’s so agreeable that, honestly, she’s kind of boring. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not friends with you just for entertainment. Cecilia might be a nice person, but I don’t think she’d make a good friend.”
Even in the original story, she wasn’t particularly popular. Outside of the elf fans, her following wasn’t very strong.
“…Really?”
My words seemed to lift the faint, dark aura surrounding her for a moment, but it was short-lived. She still didn’t seem entirely pleased.
“Hmph… Do you think I’ll let it go just because of that?”
Though she was trying to act mad, it was clear her anger had mostly subsided. Even so, I needed to properly apologize.
“Sorry. I won’t get distracted again.”
I wasn’t entirely sure if this warranted an apology, but if it would appease her, I didn’t mind.
“…You promise?”
“Of course. How could I look elsewhere when the most beautiful person is right here beside me?”
That was no empty compliment—it was my honest opinion.
Purely based on looks, none of the other heroines could surpass Hoyeon. They might captivate people with unique traits or attributes, but in sheer beauty, she stood at the top.
“…Eh?”
The unexpected praise made her face flush. The dark aura that had shrouded her disappeared, leaving behind a bashful Hoyeon.
“Uh… That’s… I mean… Ugh. Anyway, just follow me already!”
It was amusing how easily she melted under a compliment, but it made me wonder—could I really maintain a relationship with her and form bonds with other heroines?
Hoyeon surely had her limits. If I ever crossed that line, it wouldn’t just end badly—it would end catastrophically.
Yet leaving her wasn’t an option either; the potential risks were too great.
It was a dilemma I couldn’t solve yet.
For now, I’d just have to focus on building a strong bond with Hoyeon while keeping my options open.
Resolving myself, I followed her lead.
***
At the Cafeteria
“Oh my, Hoyeon, and Dogeon too. Fancy meeting you here.”
I wasn’t sure what Dogeon had said to make me feel this way, but for some reason, it didn’t bother me as much.
“Ah, Cecilia. Are you alone? Where did Exipri go?”
Even though Dogeon was chatting amiably with Cecilia, I didn’t find it particularly unpleasant.
After all, Dogeon was just being polite and curious—it didn’t seem like he was seriously interested.
“Oh, she said she had a prior engagement, so I’m on my own. If it’s not too much trouble, may I join you?”
It was probably Camilla’s group she went to meet. I’d resolved my issues with them through a formal apology, but I still didn’t want to see them.
As for Cecilia joining us… That was something I’d need to consider.
“I don’t mind, but what about you, Hoyeon?”
Dogeon readily agreed, but I wasn’t so sure. Talking casually was one thing—eating together was another.
…Still, was it really a big deal? I knew better than anyone how lonely eating alone could be. If I could help, I wanted to.
Besides, I trusted Dogeon wouldn’t get swayed by Cecilia—he’d already told me I was the most beautiful.
Not that I cared about such things. Really.
“One more person shouldn’t be a problem. You may join us.”
“Thank you for your kindness! I was dreading eating alone. This is such a relief.”
She made it sound like eating alone was a terrible thing. What was wrong with it?
Sure, the food might taste worse, but sometimes you just want to eat alone. Though her words annoyed me slightly, I decided to let it slide.
We chose a suitable table and sat down.
While eating, I glanced at Cecilia’s plate. Something felt off.
Her plate was piled high with meat.
Wasn’t she an elf? Weren’t elves supposed to be vegetarians or something?
It might’ve been a stereotype, but in this world, those stereotypes often held true.
Should I ask…?
“Cecilia, I have a question.”
“Ah… Yes, Hoyeon? What is it…?”
I could still sense a slight wariness from Cecilia, but it wasn’t as blatant as before.
It felt more like a hint of nervousness.
“Elves… hmm. Aren’t they all vegetarians? I’m asking because I don’t know much about this, coming from another continent.”
This wasn’t some speciesist remark—I was genuinely curious.
“Ah… I see. Another continent… Yes, I can understand why you’d think that. Some books do depict our race as vegetarians, but I’d like to firmly state that’s completely untrue.”
She suddenly seemed unusually resolute.
“You’re aware that our race originates from the Mother World Tree, aren’t you?”
“That much I’ve read in books.”
“Yes, then you might understand why we’re somewhat reluctant to eat plants. It’s not that we can’t eat them, but… it’s akin to humans eating monkeys or chimpanzees. Does that make sense?”
That… did make sense. And it was certainly unsettling.
“I understand now.”
“But we do enjoy the fruit of World Trees that lack the Goddess’s blessing. We can’t eat them, but spirits find them incredibly beneficial. Most World Trees are blessed, though, so it’s rare to come across unblessed ones.”
I didn’t see why she needed to add that last part, but maybe she was just talkative.
Satisfied with this answer, I moved on to another question I’d been wondering about.
“And… hmm.”
I hesitated slightly, pondering what to call Dogeon in public.
While “Dogeon” was fine for others, it felt awkward for me. Referring to him as “you” didn’t sit well either.
Ah, I had an idea.
“Friend. You meant what you said earlier, right?”
“Are you referring to… that statement?”
It felt a little strange, but it worked well enough.
“Of course, I meant it. How could I say something like that carelessly? I’d surely be punished by the heavens if I did.”
“The Goddess doesn’t hand out punishments for lies, you know. By the way… could you remind me what this is about?”
Oh, now I was certain—this girl was utterly oblivious.
“Ah, it’s nothing important, Cecilia.”
Nothing important? The statement that I was the most beautiful wasn’t important? I wasn’t about to let that slide.
“What exactly isn’t important? That I’m the most beautiful? Or—”
“Oh, yes! That! I definitely did say that you’re beautiful, Hoyeon.”
It was a relief he admitted it quickly.
If he’d tried to dodge the topic, I might’ve been tempted to bring up how he also called Cecilia boring.
I disliked having someone like Cecilia around Dogeon, but I didn’t want him to be completely isolated.
I just wanted him to focus solely on me when I was around.
“I… see.”
The atmosphere grew awkward because of me, but I didn’t feel guilty.
Strictly speaking, this whole situation was Dogeon’s fault, not mine.
So, I had no reason to feel bad.
He should’ve been paying attention to me in the first place.
“Ahem. Since we’ve finished eating… perhaps it’s time for us to part ways, Cecilia.”
“Ah… yes. It was a lovely time, Dogeon.”
“Take care.”
As soon as Cecilia left, Dogeon looked at me with a slightly reproachful expression.
“Hoyeon…”
“This time, it’s your fault. How could you say something like that wasn’t important?”
“…Yeah. You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Since he apologized, I decided to let it go.
But it would be wise to remember his mistakes moving forward.
That way, I could correct him the next time he slipped up.
Not because I planned to hold it over his head and manipulate him.
Definitely not.