["My sister? No... she isn't in this country. I don't need to worry about her for now."]
[Whether dealing with Emilia, a potential future monarch, or the twin maids, whose status is technically subordinate, Hachiman Hikigaya places them all on an equal scale. He doesn't bow to power, nor does he look down on service.]
[If anything, he intentionally lowers himself by half a step. He knows his position: he is a penniless outsider living on charity. If Emilia decided to revoke their "contract" and toss him into the street, he would have no means of retaliation. Hachiman loathes this vulnerability—this constant, gnawing anxiety of living under someone else's roof.]
[He harbors a genuine affection for Emilia, but his twisted personality forces him to view every living soul through a lens of deep-seated pessimism and suspicion. If it weren't for the desperate need to survive long enough to find a way back to Komachi, Hachiman would never have stayed in a place where he felt so utterly unwelcome by the laws of logic.]
[Emilia cannot see into the depths of his mind, but his hyper-vigilance—like a stray wolf pacing a gilded cage—hurts her to see. He treats every hallway and every greeting with the caution of a man walking through a minefield.]
["Easy there, kid. You can afford to relax a little~"]
[Puck, the ancient spirit who knows exactly how to read a room, speaks up to preserve his daughter's mood. He quickly crafts an argument that speaks Hachiman's language—the language of profit and loss.]
["You have a formal deal with Lia. You could stay here for five years and it wouldn't be an issue. If anyone kicked you out now, Lia's reputation would take a hit for breaking a contract. It would tank her chances in the Royal Selection. It's simply not cost-effective to get rid of you."]
[Hachiman looks away, his awkwardness masking a slight sense of relief at the spirit's cold pragmatism.]
[Behind them, the maids appear like shadows. "Lady Emilia. Lord Roswaal has returned."]
[Roswaal... the man behind the curtain. While Emilia holds the title of candidate, the mansion, the wealth, the servants, and the power all belong to the Margrave. He is the patron who allows Emilia her freedom, or perhaps, the puppeteer holding her strings.]
["My, my, what a look of surprise. Is it my attire, dear guest?"]
[Clad in the flamboyant, garish makeup of a court jester, Roswaal L. Mathers projects an air of absurdity that fails to hide the profound, oceanic depth of his intent. Hachiman takes one look at the man and knows: this is a predator.]
[A single offhanded remark from Roswaal causes the maids' eyes to cool toward Hachiman. He quickly suppresses his surprise, offering a blunt, sincere response: "No. As long as you aren't walking the streets naked, a man's clothes are his own business. Especially in his own home."]
["My, what a refined perspective. You have more poise than those old fossils in the Capital. A truly fascinating guest."]
["You assisted Lady Emilia, and the intellect you displayed is... valuable. You needn't use honorifics with me. If there is anything you require, I shall do my best to provide it."]
[In the drawing-room, the atmosphere is ostensibly pleasant, but Hachiman's mouth is set in a grim line. He feels a crushing pressure radiating from the Margrave—those mismatched eyes are not looking at him; they are dissecting him.]
["My needs are met. I have food and a roof over my head. But if you're offering... I'd like two things from you, Roswaal. Call them 'pills for peace of mind.'"]
["Oh?"]
[Hachiman stands up and spreads his arms, showing he carries no hidden steel.]
["You've likely already sent people to investigate my background, and I'm sure they found nothing. A stranger with no history appears out of nowhere, intercepts a Royal Candidate, hands over perfect intelligence, and earns a seat in the home of her greatest benefactor. It's too convenient. It's suspicious as hell."]
[He lets out a cold, self-deprecating laugh. "Am I a plant from a rival candidate? An assassin from one of your old enemies? If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't trust me either."]
["Wait, Hachiman, what are you—"]
["Don't interrupt, Lia. It's better if you stay out of this now, for his sake," Puck warns, sensing the sudden shift in the room.]
["If you have a way to test me, Roswaal, do it now. Use whatever magic or interrogation you have, even if it has side effects. I'll cooperate with any test, at any time. I only have one condition."]
["Once the test is over, stop looking at me like I'm a ticking bomb."]
[Roswaal remains silent for a long beat, his expression unreadable. "Lady Emilia has vouched for you. As long as you didn't break the 'peace' of this house, we could have lived in harmony. You are choosing to walk into the fire yourself."]
[Hachiman shakes his head, standing firm in his philosophy. "A dangerous fire is better than a hypocritical peace. I don't want to spend every night wondering if today is the day I 'accidentally' die in my sleep. You understand that, don't you, Roswaal?"]
["Hahaha... I underestimated you. Yes... yes, I understand perfectly. Then follow me, my fascinating guest."]
[The two men, sharing a silent understanding of the world's ugliness, head toward a private chamber. Emilia watches them go, her eyes downcast with worry. "Why does it have to be like this, Puck?"]
["It's a trial, Lia. One he chose for himself." Puck's voice is uncharacteristically solemn. "Only by surviving this can he kill the ghost of his past and be truly accepted here. Otherwise, only you and I would ever trust him... and I think Hachiman-kun is too proud to accept a trust that isn't earned."]
In the real world, the atmosphere was electric.
"Bold, calculated, and utterly reliable... haa..."
Yukino's mother pressed a hand to her chest, her heart racing with a thrill she hadn't felt in years. "He's incredible. To be that young, with no guidance, and to develop such a steel-trap mind... he outshines even Haruno!"
She was terrified of what she might have lost. She had heard rumors of her younger daughter being "close" to a boy named Hachiman, and she had planned to "casually" intervene to warn him off. Now, she realized that without this broadcast, she would have thrown away the greatest potential son-in-law on the planet.
"Quickly! Call Yukino! Tell her she must hold onto him at all costs! That boy... I will have him in this family!"
5 new chapters at 500 power stones