Observation Record of a Self-proclaimed Villainess’ Fiance

Bertia 17 Years Old (1)

Part 3/3

Translated by: LynneSuzuran & Senhiro

“Cecil-sama, I’m giving this to you.”

On the surface, my expression remained unchanged as usual, but inside, I was shaken by indescribable emotions and thoughts. In front of me whose thoughts had frozen, Bertia held out a diary.

On top of the blue cover, there was a pattern of a fading golden ivy and a rose painting. This was indeed something she loved very much.

It’s quite thick and gives off the feeling that it has been used for a long time. I received it as it was presented.

“This is?”

Although it was good to receive it, but when I considered how it would be for me to take a look at the content if it was truly a diary like it appeared, I asked her about it while lifting up the book lightly after I barely received it.

“It’s my diary.”

“Diary?”

As I expected when I looked at it, it was indeed a diary. Moreover, it was something that Bertia herself wrote.

It was truly just like Bertia for perfectly not betraying my expectations in this kind of situation.

However…

“Why would you give this diary to me, Tia?”

I don’t understand the meaning of her giving me her diary.

Speaking of diary, with the exception of a special thing such as exchanging diaries between friends, isn’t it usually be something that you wouldn’t want others to see?

“…There were various evil deeds I have done to various people around the heroine for several years written inside that diary.”

“…I see. And then?”

“Since Cecil-sama is a genius, I think that you would have enough evidence to bring me the [downfall] even without such a thing, but just in case, please keep a hold of it. It’s my own personal diary. I think that it would surely be useful when the time comes!”

Looking at Bertia who began to speak about the diary at such a high speed in only one breath, I unconsciously furrowed my brow.

Oh, I see. This is supposed to be the evidence that can be used in order to bring her [downfall].

Until just now, I thought that it wasn’t good to look at someone else’s diary, but that thought was now blown away.

“Hmm,” while muttering that with a cold voice, I flipped through the pages with sidelong glances.

[Day × Month ○, Cloudy.

Today, I bullied the new maid. During tea time, when she made me the tea, I said, “This is bad. I won’t drink something as bad as this,” and threw the cup to the floor, breaking it. Just in case the cup didn’t break when it was thrown, I used a teacup that already had a bit of a crack in it that I’d found prior to the incident. I felt at ease because I didn’t break a new one, it was killing two birds with one stone!! The moment I broke it, the new maid looked at me with teary eyes!! Satisfaction welled up in my chest.]

Aah, she was speaking of that time, huh?

If I’m not mistaken, from the report that my [envoy] gave me, she brought the cracked teacup and purposely broke it in front of everyone, but… The teacup that she broke originally was cracked by the new maid, and because it was too expensive, she couldn’t speak up about it and so concealed the matter, wasn’t it?

On top of Bertia knowing it, she brought the originally cracked teacup, used a believable excuse, and broke the cup on her own, laying the blame on her and covering up for the new maid… it was supposed to be that kind of a moving tale, though.

Incidentally, the new maid was deeply moved by how Bertia covered up for her and on top of admitting her own mistake, she also pledged her allegiance to Bertia while shedding tears.

[Day □ Month △, Sunny.

Today, I practiced the method of making and tasting tea in the class. I had been waiting for this day to come. This was the time where I could teach the severity of society to Baroness Heronia, who is trying to snatch away my precious, His Highness, from me!! Since I had heard beforehand from Lady Joanna that we were going to form pairs to assume the roles of making tea and tasting it before assessing one another’s skill for this lesson, in order so that I could properly pass some sarcastic remarks, I had been studying a lot about the ways and mannerisms in making and tasting tea!! In order to be able to make first-class sarcastic remarks, I practiced by making lots of complaints about the tea the maids made for me. As a result of that practice, I managed to say lots of sarcastic remarks!! In the end, Heronia-sama was red in the face and got angry with teary eyes. I felt so refreshed!!]

Come to think of it, that kind of thing did happen, and I heard about it from Lady Silica.

It was about how Bertia volunteered to be a pair with Baroness Heronia, with whom no one wanted to pair up with, and how the teacher was exasperated at Baroness Heronia’s messed up choice of tea leaves, the timing for adding in the tea leaves, the temperature of the hot water, the steaming time, and her general carelessness, and very politely asked Bertia, “Please teach her.”

I also heard about how in the end, Baroness Heronia got angry and her face turned red at her mistakes being pointed out by Bertia, and blamed Bertia’s extreme critiques as, “It’s because you hate me…,” in tears, and was glared at with frosty eyes by everyone else.

Afterwards, regarding the so-called [practice] with the maids, I heard that Bertia’s [Short Course on How to Make Tea] became very popular among the maids?

My [envoy] also said that the popularity of Bertia, who guided the maids and freely demonstrated a skill she’d gone to great lengths to master herself, was considerably raised.

When I scanned through the pages roughly, almost all of her [evil deeds] seemed to be like that.

For argument’s sake, even if she succeeded, it would only be considered as [a little bit mean], but since most were failures (though they succeeded in increasing her popularity), it can’t be the proof of her [evil deeds].

If I were to submit this kind of thing as evidence, I would end up becoming a laughingstock instead.

…Well, if we were to speak of being Bertia-like, it was really something very much Bertia-like.

If it were the same as always, at this time, I would surely think of Bertia as [cute], [amusing], [very interesting], or [entertaining].

However, I wasn’t thinking of it that way right now.

Even though her actions were amusing enough to me, the fact that she handed the trump card (or so she thought) in order to ensure the success of her [downfall] to me ruined it all.

“…Hey, Tia. Do you want to leave me that much?”

The cold voice dyed in gloom spilled out from somewhere within my subconscious.

Even though I understood that there was no way it could be true, I couldn’t help asking.

I felt like a speck of black spot fell onto my heart, which normally didn’t really have any color on it, for better or worse.

And it gradually spread.

Then, at the same time, I felt that my expression turned grim.

“Ce…cil…sama?”

Bertia stared at my face as if she was surprised.

Her upturned eyes looked nervous, and those big and beautiful eyes opened even wider.

In one corner of my head, the calm part of myself said, “Calm down.”

Even so, the other part of myself couldn’t be stopped.

“Tia said that my happiness would come by being tied to the heroine, but I wonder if that’s really true? By all means, I don’t think so. …Because my current life is already sufficiently fun.”

“T, that is… but… I mean…”

Even if she seemed like she wanted to say something, in the end, Bertia didn’t say anything else.

The black spot inside of me spread even further.

“Truthfully, it’s just Tia wanting to leave me, right?”

I should have known that those words would hurt her, who couldn’t say anything, but the calm part of myself’s control was shaken off and the other part of myself ran recklessly.

“T, that’s not true!!”

Bertia, whose eyes were instantly filled with tears, shook her head with all her might.

“Your Highness…”

I heard Zeno’s warning voice behind me.

However, I only heard it and nothing registered in my mind. I felt that it was nothing but just a sound.

“Then, why are you trying to run away from me?”

“I’m not running away! It’s just, Cecil-sama is precious to me, so…”

“Hey, Tia. What’s my happiness?”

“…To be tied with the heroine!”

It was the first time that I felt hateful to death towards Bertia who decisively declared that.

“Why do you still believe that kind of ridiculous notion?”

“Because I know the fate that’s going to occur from now on.”

“Is that really fate?”

“That’s right. …I mean, it’s supposed to be.”

At last, the beads of tears she couldn’t hold back anymore trailed over her cheeks.

The eyes of her maids, Kuro, and Zeno were pained.

However, I couldn’t yield here.

…That’s what I believed.

It’s not what I [thought]. Yes… it’s what I [believed].

I took a deep breath.

After slowly blinking my eyes once, I stared at Bertia.

Bertia stared back at me with her eyes wet with tears.

“Then, I will destroy that fate.”

“No, you absolutely can’t!! It’s going to be something that Cecil-sama will absolutely regret!”

“Unfortunately, there’s just about nothing I’ve regretted.”

“Why won’t you do as I have told you?! With that, you’re going to be happy, you know?!”

“If so, then why do you so obstinately refuse to tell me the reason why you want me to do so? If it’s like that, then I couldn’t make my judgment.”

“That is…”

I sent a cold gaze that I had never given her even once up til now to Bertia who had held back her words once more.

“Let’s end this conversation already. Tia, I’m going to choose the dress for you.”

“Cecil-sama!!”

“This is the [game] that you started. Ascertain with your own eyes what kind of conclusion it will reach, okay?”

“…”

“At any rate, the graduation ceremony is close by whether you like it or not. The end of this [game], too, okay?”

“…I’m begging you. Please, be happy…”

“Yeah, I will show you. That’s why… don’t run away, okay?”

I laughed.

It was the same smile as usual.

However, for some reason I felt like my heart was bleeding.