Endo and Kobayashi’s Live Commentary on the Villainess - Chapter 16

Ah, that’s right. I should go and visit Liselotte.

During an official tour of her counties, I managed to secure myself three spare days.

When I noticed that during the course of the inspection I was only half a day’s ride from the Riefenstahl territory, I decided I would visit my fiancée and completely reorganized my diary.

Tomorrow, I want to visit your place. It isn’t for a public appearance, just for a private matter, so will you allow me to go and enjoy myself there?

It was quite a sudden request, but I still received a quick approval.

Well, despite hoping it would be a private affair, there was still all manner of guardsmen and attendants coming along. I was royalty, after all.

In addition, using me in what I assume is another scheme to skip his Church work, Artur followed along, posing as one of my attendants.

When I arrived at my fiancée’s place, both Liselotte and her friend Finne greeted us at the door.

“To only inform us of your arrival the day before, this is much too sudden. I thought Your Highness would be aware of just how much needs to be done in order to welcome a member of the royal family…”

Liselotte had an annoyed expression on her face after greeting me.

『No no, if anything, she was hoping His Highness would arrive soooner! When she heard from an attendant about his coming, she could barely contain her excitement!』

『After receiving the news, she suddenly jumped up without any hesitation and set about applying skincare and picking out a dress. Not to mention organizing all the cooking and cleaning before he arrived, right? She prepared more like the entire royal family was paying a formal visit, rather than just the person she loves and his entourage coming over to play. Well, even if it was sudden, more than anything she’s happy that Sieg came.』

The great Endow and Coebayashay assured me she honestly did want to welcome me, but Liselotte continued as if she really were in a bad mood.

“Father was here just the other day as well, but since he went out to inspect a remote castle, he wasn’t able to make it back in time to welcome you. I will apologize on his behalf, but I hope that His Highness can realize that he is being most unreasonable.”

Liselotte said that, frowning at me. It honestly feels like she’s really mad. This is bad.

『At 4 o’clock this morning, Liselotte woke up and took a bath straight away, and from then on until only a few minutes ago, she had been rushing back and forth without taking any rests, applying lotions to her skin, curling her hair and putting on her make-up. Please accept that she might be a little grumpy.』

I let out a quiet sigh of relief when I heard Coebayashay’s words.

I realized I might have done something a little unreasonable, but it doesn’t seem like I’m about to be seriously hated or cast aside for it.

“I’m sorry, that was my fault. Although I came here with little notice, it was because I so desperately wanted to see you. Liselotte, you’re truly beautiful today as well. Just having been welcomed like this, I am wholly satisfied.”

After saying that, I took Liselotte’s hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. Looking up, I saw that Liselotte’s face had gone bright red as she fell silent. Victory.

『Critical hiiiiit! Liselotte is so overwhelmed she’s forgotten that she was acting tsuuuuun!』

『Woooow, Sieg really understands how to handle Liselotte now, doesn’t he? He really is someone we can rely on. Good work! Keep going!』

As I was amazed by both the Gods’ benevolent words of praise as well as Liselotte’s impossibly cute reaction, Art suddenly moved in front of me.

“Hey, Finne, long time no see! Isn’t it about time we left this stupid couple behind so you could give me a tour? Lady Liselotte’s sisters are supposed to be beauties, aren’t they? Where are they?”

Tired of standing quietly in the back like someone pretending to be my attendant should, Art suddenly tried to take Finne’s hand, but suddenly a wave of water magic cast by Liselotte separated him from her.

That being said, where exactly are her sisters? I wonder if the Marquis took them along on his inspection?

“Don’t get close to my sisters.”

As she said that, Liselotte gave Art a cold look. Actually, it looked below freezing.

Maybe it was because Artur was here that the young sisters aren’t going to be showing themselves until the Marquis came home?

Those girls haven’t yet finalized their engagements yet. If a playboy like Artur was rumoured to be mingling with them, they might face some trouble in the future.

“I wonder why the princess disapproves of me so much… I might not become a count, but one day I’ll be in charge of the church, you know? I have quite a promising future?”

『I don’t think he’s that kind of character at all, though.』

As Art looked both puzzled and sullen, I heard Coebayashay interject. Well, she’s not wrong.

“In order to be the wife of a priest, they would have to join the Church herself. It’s unthinkable for a daughter of the Riefenstahl family to cast aside her blade.”

Liselotte said that like it was final.

My fiancée truly is incredibly kind, shooting Art down before he could get his hopes up like that.

“Oh, is that so? Well then, Finne, why don’t you come to the Church and marry me instead? The Church doesn’t view swords so well, but you should still be able to punch things.”

As soon as Art gave up on Liselotte’s sisters, he turned to Finne with a merchant’s smile.

There were many limitations on what a servant of the Church could or couldn’t do, but if it was in the interest of self-defence or protecting the innocent, they were allowed to fight.

“…If I remember right, the Church doesn’t allow priests to eat meat, right?”

Finne, who looked like she had been lost in thought for a while, suddenly answered him with a serious look on her face.

“It’s not completely banned, you know? There’s an ascetic period for one or two years as an apprentice, but after becoming a full-fledged priest there’s only one month a year that you can’t have me-” “It’s impossible for me, so I’ll have to refuse.”

As Finne cut him off strongly like that, Art’s head drooped sadly.

“…That’s the first time I’ve been shot down for a reason like that. Why is everyone giving me the cold shoulder lately? If I may so myself, I really don’t think that I’m that bad of a cat-”

Suddenly, in the middle of saying that, Artur’s shoulders jumped.

“Mmmmmgh! MMMMMMGH! UGGGGGGGHHHAAAAHHH!!”

We all heard something like a person groaning loudly.

As soon as that abnormal voice echoed around us, the guards assigned as my escorts jumped forward to protect us.

As I stood next to Artur, I glanced over to see Liselotte and Finne standing back to back, with Finne pouring magical energy into Liselotte. They seem to be getting along quite well?

“Liselotte! Please help us out here!!”

At the centre of the uproar taking place was the Marquis.

Looking over there, I could see Liselotte’s three sisters struggling to keep a short looking woman from getting loose, as that chaotic looking scuffle got closer and closer to us.

The Marquis seemed like he was hesitating to even come into contact with that woman as he kept his distance from her.

But, the brute strength of that small woman was really something. Even with her mouth gagged and her arms tied up behind her, that bedraggled pink hair of hers was shaking wildly as she tried to get loose from her restraints… Ah, she got loose. It did look like the rope was about to come loose and so it did.

As soon as her arms were free, she tore out the gag in her mouth.

“Where’s my daughter!?” “Is that the reason you came here!?” “Stop throwing punches!” “Stop trying to escape!” “FINNNNNE! WHERE ARE YOU!?” “Why is this lady running riot here all of a sudden!?” “I don’t know, but father wants us to keep her restrained, so we have to do it!!” “Should we knock her out?” “Ah, watch out!” “FINNNNNNNNNNNNE!”

They’re all so noisy I can’t even tell who is saying what anymore.

The Marquis, the woman and Liselotte’s sisters were all screaming their lungs out at the same time.

Suddenly, weaving her way between my escorts, Finne came forward.

“…Mama?”

The moment Finne said that the woman suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Everyone’s eyes suddenly looked at our heroineFinne, then back to the woman she called her ‘mama’. Now that she mentioned it, they do look similar.

『Now then, the actors are all here and the stage is set. Or something like that, I wish I had a better line prepared. I didn’t expect something crazy like this to happen suddenly.』

It seems like this absurd situation was even beyond the scope of the wise Coebayashay’s knowledge… The person who is going to have to sort out this mess, by any chance, am I going to have to do it?