This Novel is not my Novel

"Karvaldr, isn't there some good method? One that won't make Lord Djúpr faint again..."

The protagonist of someone else's novel looked at me and asked for advice.

I hadn't openly opposed the Fake Lover Strategy, but I had guided the conversation to the conclusion that the method was unusable.

If I were to answer, 'There isn't one,' here, I'd surely be marked as an unlikeable person by Senna's readers.

'A character who doesn't offer any ideas of their own but just shoots down everyone else's, creating a stalemate, only causes frustration and annoyance.'

I did have a solution in mind.

Though I wasn't sure if it could be described as a 'good method.'

"The problem right now is that the man is extremely fond of Helga, and because of that, he spread that rumor. Aren't those the two issues?"

"Yeah, yeah. That's right."

It was nothing spectacular.

If I were to mention it abruptly, I might not even be given a chance to explain my reasoning before they concluded that 'the Fake Lover Strategy is still better.'

So, before I stated the method itself, I decided to first explain the reasoning behind it.

"But the version of Helga that man has seen until now is a fabricated lie, is it not?"

"Uh... I suppose so?"

"Judging by the fact that he said things about her face being pretty, it seems he likes Helga's face as well. But I suspect the decisive reason he started thinking of marrying Helga is 'because she seemed gentle and demure, someone who would obediently listen to his every word.'"

The reason he'd spouted that nonsense to me about making Vigdís gentle was likely rooted in that same line of thought.

Besides, the man even treated Helga as if she were his subordinate.

The chances of this conjecture being wrong were nonexistent, but just to be sure, I glanced at Pret.

"Senior Karvaldr is right. That fellow Drembi apparently always goes around saying things like, 'Traditionally, a woman's conduct should be modest and careful!' or 'A loud woman isn't even a woman!' And he also said his ideal type is a woman who is always sincere in her attitude toward him and devoted to him."

"Junior Pret... how do you know that? You haven't even been at the Academy for two weeks..."

"Ah ha! I thought the rumor was true, so I went around asking about that Drembi fellow's ideal type! I thought that if I helped with Senior Helga's love life, I could start with her and get close to the other second-year seniors!"

"Ugh...!"

At Pret's remark, Helga shuddered in disgust.

It was only natural for her to be so creeped out, hearing that people around her believed the rumor and were trying to set her up with that villain.

But in any case, since my conjecture had been confirmed, I continued what I was saying.

"Anyway, with this, one problem seems easily solved. Helga, if you just stop pretending and prove that you are by no means an easy person to deal with, his interest should wane to some extent."

"Aah~! Come to think of it! Senior Helga, I thought something seemed different about you... Your speech and atmosphere are completely different?! I thought it was because you were boiling with resentment and couldn't calm down, but it was because your pretense had been stripped away??"

Pret must have known what Helga's real personality was like from the start.

For him to feign surprise now with wide eyes, as if he'd just realized it, was more than a little detestable.

Indeed, among those present, the one most skilled at pretense wasn't Helga, but Pret.

In any case, his remark was something I could ignore.

I moved my gaze, which had unknowingly turned to Pret, back to Helga and spoke again.

"Next, regarding the rumor... Can't you just deny it in a crowded place and reject him? I don't understand why you're treating this simple problem as so difficult that you can't come up with a solution yourself and have to ask for advice."

"This isn't such an easy problem."

"In what way?"

"Well, the rumor is that I..."

To maintain my possessed body's character persona, I deliberately used an arrogant tone.

At that, perhaps thinking I was taking her problem too lightly, Helga frowned and began her rebuttal.

No, she tried to, but then she abruptly stopped.

"It's already been revealed that I was putting on an act, so from now on, I'll just speak comfortably."

There was no point in maintaining her pretense when it was already half-shattered, and acting out the 100% feigned innocence mode again in this situation would be strange.

It seemed she had concluded that it would be better to simply reveal her true personality.

Since it was a matter of no importance to me, I nodded to show that I understood.

"The rumor is that I like that bastard, right? But if I deny it in public, will anyone actually believe me? What if they think I got rejected by him and now I'm trying to cover up the rumor because I'm embarrassed?? And if I suddenly reveal my real personality, that bastard might think I was feigning innocence all this time to seduce him. And he'll go around blabbing about that everywhere."

Perhaps because she'd inadvertently imagined such a situation while speaking, she became furious.

Or maybe she was just out of breath from spitting out her words so quickly without a break.

After she finished, Helga panted, huffing and puffing.

"That's a plausible story."

"Right? So..."

"In that case, you should speak out even more clearly in front of others. That you weren't feigning innocence to look good for him, but that you stopped pretending because you find the idea of him liking you so revolting."

Before Helga could say, 'This method won't work either,' I quickly cut her off.

And I spoke in a firm tone.

"All you have to do is clearly state your stance, fully revealing your feelings so that others don't misunderstand."

"But if I humiliate him in public like that..."

"You seem anxious that he might use his family's power to harm your family, but you won't have to worry about that problem."

"Why not?"

Helga asked in a sharp, pointed voice, as if she were interrogating me.

The aggression in her voice was likely due to the anxiety tormenting her.

She definitely didn't have a complaint against me. The proof was that the look in her eyes was not one of annoyance, but of anticipation.

Noticing this, I was able to maintain a calm demeanor and continue my explanation.

"That fellow is someone who couldn't even decide his own marriage arrangements, so he passed the buck to you and your father to persuade his parents. So after trying to make a move on a woman he liked only to have it backfire, I'm sure he'll have no problem asking for revenge."

He might, but it wouldn't matter anyway.

"Besides, harming a woman's family just because his son was rejected by her is a rather classless thing to do, isn't it? The Ofrausir family is already called nouveau riche behind their backs as it is, and if they do something like that, they'll just become an even bigger object of ridicule."

For this reason, his family would hesitate to step in.

I thought the possibility was extremely low, but even if his parents were to get involved directly, it wouldn't matter.

"And if, by some chance, his family tries to inflict direct harm on your family, that can no longer be seen as a courtship activity, can it? Furthermore, you and Professor Djúpr are members of the important 'Special Class for Awakened Ones' project, and this project is under Her Royal Highness the Princess's jurisdiction. That gives Her Royal Highness the Princess justification to step in and punish them."

"If such a thing occurs, I shall offer my protection."

Even before I could ask for her opinion, Fjodora promptly spoke up.

Due to the original author's machinations in trying to push the Fake Lover Strategy, she could only list all sorts of reasons why she couldn't help in the last chapter.

But now, she spoke as if to insist that she had actually wanted to help very much.

I didn't know if that sentiment got through, but at her affirmation, Helga visibly relaxed.

But too much relief wasn't good either.

I decided to give her a word of warning at this point.

"Still, just because he can't use his family's power doesn't mean the possibility of him personally harming you disappears. To give an extreme example, he could abruptly run at you and swing his sword, so you should be careful."

"......!!"

At my words, Helga flinched, then muttered with a terrified face, 'That bastard is more than capable of doing something like that...'

Hearing that, Reisir's face also clouded with worry.

For any readers who might think I'm putting Helga in danger, let me briefly explain.

The villain attacking Helga should be seen as a semi-predetermined future.

The same situation would unfold even if the Fake Lover Strategy were adopted.

If he were such an insignificant extra villain who would back down meekly just because the object of his advances got a lover, his name, 'Drembi,' would not have even been mentioned in the text.

He wouldn't have the confidence to fight and win against Reisir, who won the Martial Arts Tournament last year.

So he'd draw his sword on the easy-looking target, Helga, and spew some line like, "If I can't have you, I'll destroy you!"

Therefore, to prevent her from making the mistake of choosing the Fake Lover Strategy for safety's sake, I decided to say something that would help solidify Helga's resolve.

"Even if an attack actually happens, it will only be once. A restraining order will be issued after that, so you just need to get through it once."

"Young Master, aren't you saying that too easily just because it's someone else's business?"

"Perhaps I am. But isn't it better to take a risk and pay him back somehow, rather than just endure the insult and end things by avoiding it?"

"That's true...! If I let it go without getting any payback, I think I'd feel too wronged!"

Helga flared up in anger at my first sentence.

But after hearing what followed, that anger was directed squarely at the villain.

And after that—.

"I think I've gotten too used to feigning innocence. The old me would have, upon hearing such a rumor, immediately sought out the person who spread it and confronted them in anger... I can't even understand why I was seized by a sense of helplessness, trying to pass the problem-solving on to others and relying on them."

─She added these words.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that, in this moment, Helga might have just broken out of the egg the original author had created.

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