This is intended to be...archival, for myself, mostly. But if you find it interesting you should definitely check out Ikemen Villains!
Ikevil Event - Wrapped in Wicked Romance pt.2
Harrison's Route Ch. 2
·✦...·✧
Kate: “Accomplice…?”
Harrison: “What, don’t feel like you’re up to it…?”
-time skip-
Kate: “H-hey, that tickles!”
Harrison: “Sit still or else I can’t get this necklace on you.”
Harrison: “I’m helping you since you couldn’t put it on yourself, remember?”
(I wasn’t expecting him to make me change clothes all of a sudden…)
I wore a chic black dress, an expensive necklace, and high heels–a far cry from my usual self.
As for the person who made me change, he now walked slightly ahead of me.
Kate: “Um, where are we heading?”
Harrison: “The dangerous place Al told you about. The casino.”
Harrison: “I’m pretending to be a naive, well-to-do noble there.”
Harrison: “And your role is to play my devoted, adoring girlfriend.”
Kate: “...So that’s why we’re dressed to the nines.”
Harrison: “I would’ve thrown something together anyway if you hadn’t shown up.”
Harrison: “Anyway, there’s something I want you to do in there.”
Kate: “And what’s that?”
Alfons had said that Harrison’s curse was the Lying Fox, and that I should be wary of him.
Honestly, I didn’t know much about Harrison yet.
I had no idea why he was going to the casino, either. I’d asked, but he’d insisted it wasn’t for a Crown mission.
However…
Kate: “Earlier you said I was going to be your accomplice.”
Kate: “So does that mean you’re going to make me do something bad?”
Harrison: “Pretty much.”
Kate: “But what if I decide that I can’t be your accomplice?”
He paused for a moment.
He turned toward me and smiled faintly.
Those eyes that could detect any lie seemed like they were piercing right through to the depths of my heart.
Harrison: “Well, that casino’s right there. And beyond the door is a place full of lies.”
Harrison: “You have to choose very carefully what’s a good lie, what’s a bad lie, who is evil, and who is just.”
Harrison: “You said you wanted to see it for yourself to make your own decisions, right?”
Kate: “...Yes.”
Harrison: “Good answer. All right. What I want you to do is…”
-they enter-
Kate: “Whoa!”
As soon as I opened the door, I saw a sight so dazzling it didn’t even seem real.
Luxurious decor, the scent of wine, stacks of bills and coins on the game tables.
(I had no idea a place like this even existed. Just looking at it makes me feel kind of dizzy.)
Harrison: “Hey. Pull yourself together or people will get suspicious. You’re supposed to be my girlfriend, remember?”
Kate: “Yes!”
Flashy Woman: “Look over there! Isn’t that Lord Oscar? He’s been winning an awful lot lately.”
Flashy Man: “Yes, that’s him. I heard he’s the heir of a very rich noble family. Must be nice to be rich AND lucky.”
(Hm, so Harrison calls himself Oscar here.)
I made eye contact with him and he placed a finger to his lips and smiled.
(I’ve been thinking this for a while, but I bet Harrison is super popular with the ladies… He’s attractive and has that air of casual charm.)
It seemed like all eyes were on him as he walked through the room.
Harrison: “You’re being too awkward, you’re acting too suspicious, and you’re bad at lying.”
Kate: “W-well, I didn’t think we were going to get so much attention!”
Harrison: “...Fine, then. Come over here and just sit still and act like my girlfriend.”
He wrapped an arm around my waist, and his light, minty fragrance drifted through the air.
I stood up straighter, trying to pull off my role a little better.
Man with Mustache: “Y-you’re cheating!”
A man nearby shouted.
(What’s going on?)
Man with Mustache: “There’s no way the same card would keep coming up! It’s impossible!”
Man with Mustache: “...Please let me play one more round!”
Man with Mustache: “My daughter has a high fever and she’ll die unless I can afford her medication…”
Dealer: “You’re the one who decided to bet such a small amount. Please leave.”
Man with Mustache: “B-but…!”
Dealer: “Take this man out of here.”
Two men in black suits grabbed the man by both arms and dragged him away from the table.
The moment they passed by us, Harrison spoke up.
Harrison: “...Hey.”
Man with Mustache: “...Huh?”
Harrison: “They played you. You can’t protect anything with pure intentions alone, you know.”
Man with Mustache: “...Ugh!”
The man’s face filled with despair and sadness as they dragged him away.
(Why did he say that?)
Kate: “Harr–Oscar. You didn’t have to kick the man while he was down.”
He didn’t look toward me at my words, his focus remaining up ahead.
(Huh?)
Harrison watched the man being dragged outside.
And I saw anger and then sadness on his face.
(...Why does he look like that?)
Dealer: “Lord Oscar! Welcome. What are you planning on playing tonight?”
Harrison: “Ah, could I get a bottle of your finest wine first?”
Harrison smiled calmly at the dealer.
There was no longer a trace of his carefree demeanor from earlier.
Harrison: “I wanted to take that as a gift and play against the owner of this casino, since he’s rumored to be the most competitive player in England.”
Owner: “I’m happy to hear you’d like to play with me.”
A man wearing a nice, tailored suit strolled out from the back room.
(This must be the casino owner.)
Owner: “Sounds like a good time. I’ve got the wine and a special partner to play against!”
Owner: “How about a game of roulette, Lord Oscar? I believe you’ve never played that before.”
Harrison: “Sounds good to me.”
They showed us to our seats, and the owner sat in the dealer’s seat.
Kate: “So this is roulette?”
Harrison: “Oh, I’m sorry. This is my girlfriend. She’s been pestering me to come to the casino for quite some time now.”
Owner: “Oh, I see! Haha! Well, we can’t have you losing in front of your lovely girlfriend, now can we?”
Harrison: “The dealer spins the roulette wheel and throws the ball onto it.”
Harrison: “We predict where the number will fall, and place our chips on the betting slots.”
Kate: “If the ball hits our number, we win. If it doesn’t, the chips go to the dealer.”
Harrison: “Exactly. I’d expect nothing less from you, my dear.”
Harrison: “Shall we begin, then?”
The game started off surprisingly calm. A small amount of chips moved back and forth.
It was almost like an appetizer for our wine.
Harrison: “Hmm, don’t you think this is a bit boring? Let’s raise the stakes.”
Harrison arranged the highest value chips in order.
(That’s a lot of money. If he loses…)
A small wave of anxiety washed over me.
Harrison: “Six again? The probability of the ball hitting number six consecutively is extremely low, don’t you think?”
Owner: “That’s what they say.”
Harrison: “Then the next number should be anything but six. So I’ll bet on a different number.”
However, the ball landed on…
Harrison: “Six again?”
Owner: “Oh! Well you know, things like this happen sometimes.”
Harrison: “Surely, it wouldn’t happen four times in a row. I’ll bet on everything but six again.”
Harrison tapped twice on the table.
-flashback-
Harrison: “This is what I want you to do.”
Harrison: “When I tap on the table twice, I want you to bet all your chips on the number that appeared consecutively.”
Harrison: “In other words, bet everything. That’s all you have to do.”
Harrison: “And until then, just pretend to be my girlfriend.”
-end flashback-
(I’m still not exactly sure what his intentions are.)
(And maybe this is some kind of trap, for me or otherwise…)
(However…)
(I can’t stop thinking about the anger and sadness I saw in his eyes before.)
(He told me I had to decide what was a good lie, a bad lie, who was evil, and who was just.)
This is intended to be...archival, for myself, mostly. But if you find it interesting you should definitely check out Ikemen Villains!
Ikevil Event - Wrapped in Wicked Romance pt.2
Harrison's Route Ch. 1
·✦...·✧
I still very clearly remember when I was a child and I was told that it was wrong to lie.
But I realized something once I became an adult.
There were many kinds of lies in this world. Lies we tell to protect others, to protect ourselves, dirty lies, and also beautiful lies…
What kind of lies do you tell, Harrison Gray?
The first task Victor, the queen’s personal aide, gave me as Fairytale Keeper was a strange one.
“I want you to choose one member of Crown to spend the day with as a couple.”
Ever since I left the study, I’d been trying to figure out who I should pick.
Alfons: “I heard everything, Miss Robin. So you have to play pretend lovers with one of us to get to know us better, hm?”
Kate: “Eeek!”
Alfons had appeared from behind me, his coat billowing behind him like the flapping of a raven’s wings.
Alfons: “I’m sure you’re having trouble deciding who to choose. You could go with the noble route, of course, and pick William.”
Alfons: “If you’re a sucker for abuse, I’d recommend Jude. If you’re after a fun and sexy experience, Liam, or…”
(He’s very carefully nominating everyone but himself…)
Alfons: “Well, I’m sure you’ll enjoy whoever you choose, but I’d personally recommend Harrison.”
Kate: “And why is that?”
Alfons: “Well, he’s got the curse of the Lying Fox, so he’s someone you should make yourself aware of.”
Alfons: “I’ve overheard some strange rumors about him going to some sketchy places by himself lately.”
Alfons: “And they don’t involve his missions, either. I wonder what other kind of fun things he’s been doing?”
My job as Fairytale Keeper was to observe the members of Crown and report on them.
It served as both a report on their activities to be given to the queen, and a valuable document concerning their curses, about which little was known.
(I think knowledge is important, but I’m not sure if I should just go jumping into danger like this.)
Alfons: “Yes, yes, I know. It can be scary jumping right into danger.”
(Is my hesitation really so easy to read…?)
Alfons: “However, once you clear your first big hurdle, you’ll have finished your first mission as Fairytale Keeper.”
Alfons: “So if you want to get close to us and prove yourself someday…”
Kate: “...Then now’s the best time to start?”
Alfons: “Ahha! I’d expect nothing less from you, Miss Robin! I admire your courage and wish you good luck!”
Kate: “O-okay…”
I walked around the sunny gardens of Crown Castle, looking for Harrison.
(I feel like it was Alfons’s plan all along to put me up to this…)
I saw hair the color of milky tea in the corner of my vision, swaying in the wind.
Harrison sat at the base of a tree, book in hand.
(I found him. What should I say, though?)
Harrison: “...What?”
Harrison: “Having people stare at me like that is distracting.”
He slammed his book shut and stared at me with his mint green eyes.
Kate: “Sorry for interrupting your reading. Um, I have something to talk to you about.”
Harrison: “What’s that? Oh, the whole pretending to be a couple thing? That old goat just keeps causing trouble.”
Harrison: “So? Did you come here because you want to choose me?”
Kate: “Yes! If that’s all right with you, anyway. I’d like to spend the day with you.”
He stood up, then walked over to me, peering at my face.
The moment he came close, I could smell a sweet, light fragrance.
Harrison: “Did someone tell you to choose me?”
(How did he know?!)
(He’s right, but I don’t want to get Alfons in trouble…)
(Sorry, Harrison.)
Kate: “No, I made the decision on my own."
Harrison: “Hmm, I see…”
Harrison: “If you can beat me, then you can spend the day with me.”
Kate: “Beat you at what?”
Harrison: “This.”
He pulled a jar of candy from his pocket, took off the lid, and handed it to me.
Harrison: “Hide the lid in your hands and I have to guess which hand it’s in.”
Harrison: “If I can’t guess right, you win. What do you say?”
(If I don’t play the game with him, I might not get a better chance to complete this assignment from Victor.)
(In that case, let’s say I have a 50/50 chance of winning. That’s not terrible odds.)
Kate: “All right. Let’s do it.”
I hid the lid behind my back and then put it in my right hand.
Kate: “All right. Which one is it?”
He didn’t even hesitate to think.
I was stunned when his fingers immediately tapped my right arm.
Harrison: “This one?”
Kate: “...No.”
I lied and he narrowed his eyes.
Harrison: “...Hmm.”
Harrison: “Then it must be in your left hand. I’ll pick that. So, which is it?”
“My right hand.” I said, holding it out for him to see.
(I won!)
Harrison: “Ah, too bad. Guess I lost. Must be unlucky today.”
Harrison: “A promise is a promise. I’ll have to be your boyfriend for the day.”
Kate: “I’m looking forward to it, Harrison!”
Harrison: “Well, I’m going to town on some business. Would you mind coming with me?”
I sat down next to Harrison in the carriage as we headed toward the city.
(I wonder where we’re going? I’m just glad I was able to choose someone, though.)
Harrison: “Now…”
Harrison: “It’s just you and me here in this closed off space…with no way out.”
Kate: “Huh?”
I jumped in surprise, but Harrison put his hand next to my head, enclosing me in his arms.
There was a wicked smile on his face as he leaned in so close I could feel his minty-sweet breath skimming my face.
Harrison: “Hey. You lied to me.”
Kate: “Wh-what do you mean…?”
Harrison: “Someone told you to come to me. Didn’t they?”
His tone of voice was absolute, unwavering certainty.
Kate: “How did you know?”
Harrison: “Your eyes.”
Kate: “My eyes?”
Harrison: “My ability allows me to tell if someone's lying when I make eye contact with them.”
The Cursed members of Crown all had different abilities.
(If what he says is true, then he knew every time that I lied to him.)
Kate: “So, you lost the competition on purpose?”
Harrison: “That’s right. You should’ve been wary when you accepted my request in the first place.”
(So I was playing right into his hands the entire time.)
Surprise, embarrassment, and bewilderment all welled up inside of me at once.
He sat back in his seat and chuckled lightly.
Harrison: “Let me guess. The one who put you up to this was Al.”
Harrion: “All that bastard cares about is his own amusement. He was using you as a toy.”
(If he can see through any lie, then deception won’t work against him.)
Kate: “There’s a rumor that you’ve been going to dangerous places lately. So he told me to get close to you.”
Harrison: “And you did as he said in order to fulfill your role as Fairytale Keeper.”
Harrison: “Were you planning to report back to Her Majesty if you found out I was doing something bad?”