Chapter 77
“What does this have to do with a character test?”
“Why? If you think about it, isn’t this also a very good question to figure Gideon out?”
Kafka answered Lisa with a relaxed smile, then looked back at me.
“So, Gideon, hurry and answer. You have to answer honestly, okay?”
“Ah, mother. Still, this is a bit…….”
“Hey, you’re honestly curious too.”
“…Well, that’s true, but…….”
“Then stay quiet and listen. This mother will specially dig into your boyfriend’s inner thoughts for you.”
“…….”
At Kafka’s words, Lisa closed her mouth, then glanced at me with a suddenly reddened face.
Her eyes were filled with a whole lot of expectation.
Seeing that, I let out a faint, helpless laugh and thought to myself.
‘Three charming things about Lisa, huh.’
Lisa saw through lies with ease.
And Kafka was the same.
Lisa’s ability came from her environment, sure, but a big part of it had been inherited from her mother, Kafka.
‘Kafka might look sloppy on the outside, but she actually had an exceptional eye for detail.’
Either way, lying to this mother–daughter duo would never work.
So if I had to answer the question honestly……
“…She looked the most beautiful to me, and the way she always worked hard was something I respected… and because she was the one I liked, she looked even more attractive to me.”
I said exactly what came to mind.
I spoke calmly, but I could feel my face growing hot.
It was my first time experiencing something like this, so even speaking wasn’t easy.
“…Ugh.”
Hearing my answer, Lisa’s face turned so red it looked like it might explode, then she dropped her head onto the table.
As if she didn’t want me to see her face.
Kafka looked like she was barely holding back a laugh, then spoke.
“Heh, thanks for answering so honestly. Well then, shall we continue?”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
I moved my bishop and focused again on the chessboard.
After moving a few pieces, I realized something.
‘She’s insanely good at chess.’
Just from the way she moved her pieces, I could tell Kafka was a master.
And I must have been right, because it didn’t take long before she knocked over another one of my rooks.
“You lost another piece? Alright, check the next question.”
“Yes, understood.”
I flipped the rook to read the question written beneath it.
“A place… I really want to go on a date with Lisa… to?”
“Oh, that question. Hey, Lisa. Make a note. It’s the place your boyfriend wants to go on a date with you.”
“…Okay.”
Lisa replied quietly while still lying on the table.
Hmm, if it was a place I really wanted to go on a date with Lisa… there were several.
But if I had to choose just one, then of course—
“I want to go to the Central Spire.”
“The Central Spire? The one in the middle of the capital?”
“Yes. I heard the night view there is beautiful, so someday I want to visit it with Lady Lisa.”
“Oooh, romantic. Lisa, you heard that, right?”
“The Central Spire……. If it’s that place, I think I could reserve it for a day if I pick the right time……”
Lisa mumbled softly into the table.
But before I could figure out what exactly she muttered, Kafka urged me to keep playing chess.
So I focused again, and before long, Kafka started to toy with me exactly as the word “destroyed” implied.
‘What the hell… she plays like a monster.’
If she weren’t a duchess, I might have started showering her with very colorful praise out loud.
That’s how ridiculously good Kafka was.
Sure, I was a beginner, but Kafka played as though she could read all my moves.
Thanks to that, I began losing pieces at a frightening pace.
“You lost again. Then let’s move on to the next question right away.”
“Yes… understood. Then……”
After that, I lost around ten pieces and had to answer ten questions.
To mention just a few of them……
[How far have you and Lisa gone?]
[Which skinship moment with Lisa did you like the most?]
[What expression of affection do you want Lisa to give you?]
…questions like that.
Every single one was related to Lisa.
Thanks to that, I had to reveal all my inner thoughts honestly right in front of Lisa, and hearing those honest feelings, Lisa……
“Uhuh… uuuuh……”
I couldn’t tell if she was crying or thrilled—still lying face-down on the table while making strange noises.
Seeing her like that, and seeing my own face obviously flushed as well—
Kafka looked between us like she found us extremely cute.
“Well then, it’s my turn now.”
Kafka moved a bishop.
But she moved it right in front of my rook.
Meaning, a spot where my rook could capture it.
‘What?’
I examined the board again, but no matter how I looked, there was no trap.
It really looked like she was just offering the bishop to me.
Wondering why, I glanced at Kafka’s face—she was smiling.
Seeing that smile, I realized.
‘She seriously wants me to take it.’
Her expression told me everything.
I didn’t know what her reason was, but she clearly intended to give me that bishop.
‘…Should I just take it then?’
I was honestly curious what Kafka was planning.
And so far, Kafka hadn’t lost a single piece.
Meaning she hadn’t received a single question yet.
‘But she’s the one who prepared all the questions on these pieces, right? Then she already knows what she’ll be asked… hmm.’
My head wandered through multiple thoughts, but for now, I moved my rook and knocked over Kafka’s bishop.
Kafka smiled with a mix of mischief and meaning.
“Finally, one of my pieces has been taken. Let’s take a look.”
She flipped the bishop to check the question beneath it.
No—pretended to check.
She already knew exactly what was written.
“Hmm, what an interesting question. ‘What does Gideon think…?’ It says.”
“…Duchess Balmuth, that question is, well……”
“It means I have to answer how I think of you. I’ve known you for less than an hour, but my thoughts about you are—”
Kafka paused dramatically, then continued.
“First, as my daughter’s boyfriend? You pass! You’re handsome, well-built, polite, and you seem kind. You’re very suitable as our eldest daughter’s boyfriend.”
Kafka said this with a big smile.
For some reason, she looked extremely excited as she said it.
“And if we go a step further—my future son-in-law… that will need a bit more time to judge, right? Marriage isn’t something you decide easily. But since you’re the man Lisa chose, you’ll probably pass that test too. Lisa has a better eye for people than I do.”
“Mother, what are you talking about? Future son-in-law?”
Lisa, her face still entirely red, jerked her head up to stare at Kafka.
“It’s not like Gideon and I are considering something like that yet……”
“Oh, daughter. Didn’t I always tell you? Dream big! You should dream big about marrying Gideon!”
“No, mother. That’s not the issue here……”
“Anyway! As my daughter’s boyfriend, you pass! And as my future son-in-law, you also pass. Now only one thing remains.”
Kafka looked back at me with playful eyes.
“I need to say what I think of Gideon as a man. Hmm, as a man……”
Kafka rose from her seat and reached a hand toward my face.
Then she gently swept her fingers through my hair and down my face.
“See? I told you he looked really good. If I were 10 years—no, even 5 years younger, I would’ve just gone for it. Actually, maybe I still could? Gideon?”
“…Yes?”
“What do you think of me, not my daughter? If you have time, how about spending it with this noona…….”
Bang―!
A loud noise suddenly came from the side.
Startled, I turned my head and saw Lisa slamming her fist onto the table.
And the spot where her fist hit had a deep hole punctured into it.
“Mother. I’ll make this clear right now.”
“Uh, huh? Li-Lisa?”
“Leave. Get out of this garden immediately. Right now.”
“H-Hey, Lisa, what’s wrong? I was just teasing a bit. Calm down…….”
Srrrk―
Lisa slightly drew her greatsword from its sheath and held it.
“There’s a woman in front of me trying to steal my lover… and you expect me to calm down?! Mother! If you want to fight me for the first time in a while, then we can do it right now…….”
“Ugh, okay, okay! I got it, you brat. I’m going. I’m going.”
Kafka hastily shoved the chessboard into her bag.
Before leaving, she flashed a playful smile and gave me a thumbs-up.
“For the record, you passed the character test. As expected, you were a good person.”
“Ah, th-thank you.”
“Heheh. Anyway, this noona will back off now, so enjoy a fun and hot time with my daughter. Ah, and Lisa. I’m not ready to be a grandmother yet, so be careful with th—”
“Just go! Please!”
“Alright, alright! Then I’ll see you two later!”
With that, Kafka practically ran away.
Lisa silently watched her mother’s retreating figure for a moment, then sighed and dropped into the seat next to me.
“Lady Lisa? Are you all ri—”
“Forget what you just saw.”
“What I just saw……?”
“The part where I yelled and made a scene and acted pathetic. Forget it. Pretend you didn’t see it.”
“Aah… yes. Understood.”
“Uuugh, why did I have to show you something like that… Because of mother, seriously…….”
“You don’t need to worry that much. If anything, I’m glad I got to see a different side of you……”
“Whatever. Hmph.”
Lisa hung her head, looking gloomy.
But even then, she kept sneaking glances at me.
“Lady Lisa? Is there something you wanted to say?”
“…Do you really think I’m the prettiest?”
“Yes?”
“N-No, I mean… what you said earlier when mother asked… that was all real, right?”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
I let out a small laugh and said to Lisa:
“Besides, Lady Kafka is just as good at reading lies as you, is she not? That’s why I answered everything honestly without hiding anything.”
“…….”
Lisa didn’t speak for a moment.
Her already-red face grew endlessly redder.
“…H-Hey, Gideon.”
“Yes, Lady Lisa.”
“…The Central Spire. Want to go together after midterms end?”
“Yes? Ah, the Spire… you remembered what I said earlier?”
“O-Of course I should remember it. Anyway… do you want to go? We can submit an outing request for the weekend and go then.”
“If it’s with Lady Lisa, anywhere is fine.”
I answered honestly again.
I never thought I would feel this way after transmigrating, but it seemed I had grown genuinely attached to Lisa in many ways.
I tried to draw a line because she was a character from a game, but in the end, I was still human—such things were impossible.
“…….”
Lisa went silent again.
Then suddenly shoved me onto the table.
“Lady Lisa?”
“…It’s your fault, Gideon.”
Lisa leaned close, pressing her upper body against mine.
“If you say things like that to tempt me… how am I supposed to hold back?”
“Uh… I didn’t really intend to tempt you.”
I gave an awkward smile as I looked at her.
In her blue eyes, I thought I saw a faint red hue.
“Lady Lisa, if you wish to drink my blood, then…….”
“Mm, I’m a little thirsty. But right now, more than your blood… something else is tempting me.”
With those words, Lisa brought her face closer.
Then she gently bit my lips.
“Hehe. They’re having a good time.”
A short distance away from where Gideon and Lisa were.
Kafka, who hadn’t actually left the garden, watched them from behind a tree.
“Oh yes, that’s my daughter. Just like me when I was young. And Jason? I know you’re nearby, so come out.”
“Oh? How did you know?”
At Kafka’s words, Jason descended from the tree.
“I hid my presence completely.”
“I’ve been subjected to your father’s tricks too many times to fall for that.”
“Ah, true. Knowing my father, that makes sense. Well, anyway… nuna, are you going to have a grandchild soon?”
“Aah, that would be a problem. I’m still too young to be a grandmother… just joking. But no, that won’t happen. Lisa is very strict about such things. She’ll only bring me a grandchild after graduation, once she officially becomes the head of the family.”
Kafka looked again at Lisa and Gideon.
The two of them alone in the garden, having a sweet moment—she nodded in satisfaction.
“Still, I’m glad Lisa met a good man. We only talked for a short time, but… he definitely didn’t seem like a bad guy.”
“Yes, that’s true. There are a few things to be mindful of, but it’s undeniable that he isn’t a bad person.”
“Good. I’m glad. Anyway… the task the Imperial Family gave us is mostly done, so… hey, Jason. Where’s Sara right now?”
“She’s probably sleeping.”
Kafka tilted her head.
“Isn’t it lunch time now?”
“Yes, it is.”
“…She still sleeps so much.”
Kafka let out a dry laugh, then continued.
“What about the Princess?”
“She’s probably in the club room brewing potions.”
“Then I should go see the Princess. And later Luke, and it’s been a while since I saw the Headmaster too.”
“That sounds good. Shall I escort you to where the Princess is?”
“Yes, please.”
Jason nodded with a smile.
“Understood. By the way, noona. When do you plan to return home?”
“Hmm, probably after dinner tonight.”
Kafka glanced at Gideon and Lisa one last time.
“At the very least, I should have one meal with my daughter before I go back, don’t you think?”