Episode 54: The Loser Has to Do Whatever the Winner Says

“Oh, Eleanore-chan. What’s wrong?”

One afternoon in the noble course.

Colette Holden noticed the black-haired beautiful girl’s troubled expression and called out to her.

“Colette-san. …No, it’s nothing.”

“That didn’t look like a ‘nothing’ face. Is something troubling you? I’ll listen if you want.”

Eleanore looked down and averted her gaze, but Colette wouldn’t allow it.

She bent down and forcibly entered her field of vision, drawing closer.

(Not hearing about her troubles… would definitely be a loss, wouldn’t it?)

As a merchant’s descendant, even now a month after enrollment, she was still diligent about forming connections.

By knowing about weaknesses like troubles, there was a possibility of using them in a future situation.

…That said, it wasn’t 100% such an impure emotion, and Colette genuinely wanted to help Eleanore.

“…Thank you, Colette-san. Well, yes… if you don’t mind, I’d like you to listen.”

With a resigned wry smile, Eleanore opened her mouth.

Colette listened attentively as if saying “what is it, what is it?”

“Actually, lately I’ve been thinking that I haven’t been ‘feeling Arcs’…”

Eleanore said this with a face that seemed truly serious.

“Feeling… Arcs…?”

In contrast, Colette blinked her eyes at the completely unfamiliar phrase.

She hadn’t been involved with Eleanore for nothing, but even so, Colette hadn’t understood her well enough to swallow such words.

“Um… does that mean something happened with that valedictorian person?”

“No… rather, nothing has happened, that’s exactly why.”

“Because nothing happened?”

“…Yes. Perhaps because there’s a test coming up soon… Arcs has been devoting himself to studying and training, and we haven’t been able to spend any time together at all.”

Eleanore said this while drooping her eyebrows dejectedly.

(…I see. Valedictorian-kun… you shouldn’t be neglecting your girlfriend.)

Colette listened while slightly reproaching that person she hadn’t yet met.

“Usually after school we work on student council duties together… and after that we talk until the closing bell rings… but lately, once the bell rings, Arcs immediately goes back to the dorm…”

“…Wait.”

As Eleanore continued speaking, Colette stopped her there.

“…Rather, from after school until the closing bell means… you’re spending close to 6 hours together…?”

She asked this while thinking “surely that can’t be right…?” but the expression that came back from Eleanore seemed to say “what an obvious thing to ask.”

“…Well, I suppose we are together that much. But that’s just what results naturally, the time itself isn’t important.”

(But even so…) Colette felt somewhat inadequate internally.

Seeing the more clingy situation than she imagined and how she still wasn’t satisfied, she regretted the reproach she had directed at the person called Arcs earlier.

“…Y-yeah. I see… But still, right before a test can’t be helped, right? I hear their tests are tough.”

If nothing else as atonement… though not exactly, Colette defended him.

In fact, she had heard that the knight course tests were exceptionally harder than those of the noble course, and starting now would be a bit late.

However, even hearing this, the gloom on Eleanore’s expression didn’t clear.

“…That may be so… But still, isn’t it lonely…?”

She said this quietly while tightly interlacing her fingers as if lost in thought.

“…Hmm, I see…”

Seeing this, Colette groaned while making a difficult face.

Given the circumstances, having her endure until after the test would be the quickest solution, but Colette also wanted to help somehow.

She wracked her clever brain, thinking if there was any idea.

…After a while of this,

“Then, how about this?—”

She raised her index finger while talking about what she had thought of.

***

“So, why don’t we have a contest with our test scores?”

“…Wait, what do you mean??”

While working in the reference room of the student council building, Eleanore said such a thing.

She seemed strangely enthusiastic about it.

What had suddenly gotten into her?

“A test score contest… you say? The knight course and noble course have different numbers of subjects, difficulty levels, and point values, so I think it would be difficult to have a fair contest…”

“We’ll adjust for those parts… that’s what I mean.”

I tried making a reasonable point, but she wouldn’t back down.

Rather than the contest being the goal, there seemed to be another reason somewhere else.

“And, the loser will do whatever the winner says… let’s make it that.”

She said this with a somewhat confident face, as if expecting something.

I see, so that’s the real objective.

Does she have something she wants me to do?

The fact that she’s asking indirectly like this suggests there may be some point of concern.

…However,

“…Even without doing that, I’ll do anything Eleanore-sama says anyway.”

“…Wha, huh!”

When I said that from my heart, Eleanore stumbled over her words flustered.

Both as a butler and as the person I am, I want to grant her wishes as much as possible.

Of course if it’s a request like “give me land” or “give me a peerage” that’s different, but Eleanore wouldn’t make such absurd requests anyway.

“Anything… anything…?”

She leaned in closer while saying this hesitantly.

…Huh, her manner seems different, does she really have something she wants me to do that badly…??

I’m sensing emotions that go beyond earnest desire to desperate craving…

“No… this time it should be fair competition!”

As I was slightly bewildered by her intensity, Eleanore shook her head and seemed to cool her reddened cheeks.

“Arcs, don’t you have something you absolutely want me to do?”

She said this provocatively.

She bent down to match her gaze with mine sitting in the chair.

Is she teasing me?

And… when asked formally if there’s something I want her to do—

(Ah,)

As the words almost came out of my throat, I suddenly thought of that matter.

“…Yes, there is. Something I absolutely want Eleanore-sama to do.”

I slowly stood up and looked down at Eleanore due to our height difference.

She had a surprised expression and was looking up at me.

“I understand. I accept that contest.”

I bent down and brought my face close to hers, whispering that.

I kind of teased her back…

But this contest, I absolutely have to win.