How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game Chapter 75: Lesson of the Heart



"Back at the duo exams, why didn't you choose ? Mr. Riley? Or should I say 'Mr. Lucas' perhaps?"

As her question lingered in the air, I pondered what to say. Although I knew Rose wasn't one to hold a grudge, it was still a fact that I had lied to her.

And it was during our first encounter at that.

I didn't know what she did with the information I gave her when I said my na was Lucas, but it would be best to guess that she t Lucas upon trying to find .

Any form of anger from her would be acceptable... as soone who has completed all the ga routes, I should've seen this coming.

"Ricas?" Rose asked teasingly, blending both my na and Lucas's. She was clearly having fun right now, so she probably didn't take what I did to heart, but even still, I could see just how stupid I was back then.

"Sorry..." I began, deciding that honesty was the best course of action. "I'm sorry for lying back then."

Rose's golden eyes sparkled with a mixture of amusent and curiosity. "Oh? And why did you lie to ?"

"I wasn't sure of your intentions," I admitted.

"Back then, we just t at a random place, right? I didn't know if I could trust you.... Giving a false na was a way to protect myself"

"Hmm~ is that so?" she said, seemingly satisfied with my answer before she giggled and leaned back in her chair, nodding while eying again. "Although your reasoning is logical, it was still pretty rude using soone else's na, you know?"

"Sorry..."

"So then, why did you not choose to partner up with in the duo exams?" she asked in a more curious and toned-down voice.

Hmm, even if she asks that, I can't really just tell her that Snow was the best option back then.

Sure, Rose herself was a much more powerful mage than Snow, but that wasn't the reason I took her in the first place.

Overall, it all basically narrowed down to the one thing I needed the most at that ti: 'Luck'.

Among the many heroines, Snow had the highest luck stat of all, and that was why I chose her. But I can't exactly say that to Rose.

"Well...," I began, searching for the right words. "At the ti, I needed soone whose skills complented mine in a specific way. Snow has a unique set of abilities that I thought would be particularly advantageous for the challenges we were facing in the duo exams."

Rose tilted her head, considering my explanation. "I see. So, it was a strategic decision?" "Yes" I nodded.

Well, there was more to it than that, but essentially it all ca down to strategic decisions. Snow was the most practical choice at that ti, so she was the best option I could've gotten. Besides, I knew Rose would probably go at the exam solo just like she did in the ga when she wasn't chosen.

So, all in all, it didn't really affect her on an academic standpoint.

"Hm..." She seed a bit skeptical but judging from her expression, she had fully accepted my explanation now.

Relaxing a little as the tension dissipated, silence descended upon the two of us as we stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Dear custors, here are your two matcha lattes and two strawberry shortcakes. Enjoy!" The waitress happily delivered our orders, placing a slice of pinkish-red cake and two greenish- brown drinks in front of us.

Just from the looks of it, I could tell both were delicious and probably sugary.

"Thank you," I said.

"You're welco," the waitress replied, returning to her duties.

Rose imdiately grabbed her fork and took a bite of the shortcake. "Mm-" she savored the flavors, making a cute noise while relishing the sweet taste. "This is so good-"

I watched her for a mont, unable to suppress a small smile at her enthusiasm.

Her delight was infectious, and I decided to give the shortcake a try as well. The mont I took a bite, the rich, creamy sweetness exploded in my mouth.

Wow...!

She was right.

I almost exclaid my surprise as I felt the soft, sweet flavor of the cake lting in my mouth. How does cake beco this good?

I knew I wasn't a big fan of sweets and other pastries, but this was on a whole other level.

I doubted I could have sothing like this back in my previous world. Did they use so kind of magic, perhaps?

"Looks like you're enjoying it as well," Rose comnted, staring at . I hadn't even realized she was watching as I gobbled up the rest of the cake.

I nodded at her words, trying to maintain my poker face. The taste was so good that I montarily forgot what I ca here for.

Giving a subtle glance to my side, I searched for the twins who were located at the very edge

of the viewing platform.

But then they were gone.

'Huh?'

My eyes widened in disbelief.

Since when did those two disappear?

I scanned the area frantically, but there was no sign of them.

How did they manage to slip away without noticing?

My mind raced, trying to piece together what could have happened.

"Riley?" Rose's voice snapped back to reality. She looked at with concern. "Is

everything alright?"

"Yeah, just... sothing caught my eye," I said, forcing a smile. "Sorry about that."

Rose didn't seem convinced but didn't press the issue. "Well, let's finish up here. I actually

want to know more about you~"

"S-sure...."

'Did those two use Mist Walk?'

But aren't they out in public right now?

I knew those twins were a bit too relaxed with their surroundings, but using an illegal technique like that out in the open could potentially put their lives in danger, right?

Even in the ga, those two barely used it, even during missions.

Although there were no master knights here to notice them, can't they be at least a tad bit

more cautious of their surroundings?

'Did they even pay the bill?'

Tsk... now my whole reasoning for coming here has co to nothing.

If I recall correctly, the mont they left this place, the best place to find them next was at the public play at the city square tonight, just two hours before midnight.

So, I still have one more chance to recruit them for my plans tonight.

But even then, my chances of fully getting them on my side are quite iffy now, as those two would surely suspect of tailing them, and they don't take too kindly to people who follow

them around.

"Riley."

Her voice pulled back to reality once more. I turned to Rose, noticing the serious expression on her face, which instantly made nervous.

"Are you single?"

"Huh???"

I nearly spat out the matcha tea I was sipping due to her outrageously direct question.

"Excuse ?" I asked, trying to ensure I had heard her correctly.

Rose smiled, seemingly amused by my reaction, and continued.

"Like, do you have sobody of interest right now? You know, soone you like or love, for

that matter?"

"I don't think this is sothing you should be curious about, no?"

"Why? I'm free to be curious, right?"

"I don't think asking soone sothing like that directly will give you answers, milady."

"Oh my, but you aren't just anyone, right? And besides, you can just say yes or no, can't you? There's no harm to it. Is there any particular reason you can't tell perhaps?"

Her eyes twinkled with mischief as she leaned in, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

I sighed inwardly, realizing there was no easy way out of this. Rose wasn't one to back down

when she had set her mind on sothing.

"I have none..."

How I wish I could say that as openly as I could, but with all the complications in my life right now, that is sothing I can't really say as that would be a big lie.

Especially considering the dangers I put myself in and the world could be sent into the fiery pits of hell, if I ever say those words openly without minding the consequences such words

could bring.

Keeping my breathing steady, I looked at her with a more serious tone as I said my words as

calmly and genuinely as I possibly could.

"Yes... I have soone that I like."

|| ||

The mont I said the words, silence descended. Rose looked at slightly perplexed but in

a calm way.

She sipped a bit of her matcha latte before nodding slightly.

"I see... I had a feeling soone of your stature would surely have at least one person he considers important" she said with a mixture of curiosity and a slight sense of satisfaction.

"May I know who it is?"

"My fiancée."

"Fiancée?" This ti she was truly surprised as her eyes widened. "You were betrothed?"

"Yes..."

The word hung between us; a new layer of complexity added to our conversation. Rose's curiosity was palpable, and her usually playful deanor took on a more serious tone. "Who is she?" Rose asked, leaning forward, clearly intrigued.

"Her na is Liyana" I replied, choosing my words carefully. "She's... well, she's important to . Our families arranged it, but it's more than just an arrangent."

Rose nodded slowly, absorbing this new information. "I see. An arranged engagent, but one with genuine feelings. That's quite rare."

I shrugged slightly, feeling a bit uncomfortable under her intense scrutiny. "It is what it is."

She smiled again, but there was a hint of sothing deeper in her eyes. "Well, I hope she

knows how lucky she is."

"I hope so too..."

'Like seriously I really hope so!'

So that my fated end wouldn't happen.

The conversation shifted to lighter topics after that, but the weight of our previous exchange

lingered.

I couldn't help but wonder what Rose thought of all this.

Her curiosity was understandable, but her reaction was more complex than I had anticipated.

"So, you have a fiancée, hmm~" she murmured, almost to herself, though it was clear she wasn't entirely indifferent.

From ti to ti, she continued to mumble her thoughts, even though she acted like she

didn't care.

As more ti passed, Rose continued to talk about random things that piqued her interest,

asking a lot of questions as if she were genuinely curious about what makes who I am.

Her inquiries ranged from the mundane-like what foods I enjoyed and what clothes I preferred to more personal details about my daily routine.

It felt like I was being interrogated, and honestly, answering all her questions was becoming

quite a bother.

After about 30 more minutes of this back-and-forth, our conversation ultimately boiled

down to a series of yes or no questions.

"Do you prefer tea or coffee?"

"Tea."

"Do you like to read?"

"Yes."

"Are you a morning person?" "Sotis?"

"Do you enjoy sports?"

"Not particularly." "How about physical activities?"

"Yes, I tend to train every morning"

"Do you think you'll be a good husband?"

I paused at this one, unsure of how to respond. "P-probably?"

Rose seed to be studying my reactions, her golden eyes flickering with amusent and

curiosity. I couldn't tell if she was genuinely interested or just playing a ga. Pondering for a while before her next question, Rose stopped. Noticing that she had finished

her matcha latte, she relaxed a little before directly eting my gaze.

"You know, Riley, there's been sothing I've been really curious about... You can probably guess that throughout my whole life, I've always been hailed as a genius, right?" "Yes..." I replied, recalling how even in the ga, her backstory and subtle interactions with

certain NPCs always reinforced that fact.

"The golden child! The genius of the century, the future Archon, and the seeker of the

impossible. I've been called many nas and labeled with such absurd titles-all these notions tied to my reality."

She paused for a mont, then took a handkerchief from her pocket and gently leaned in

closer to .

I was surprised but didn't stop her, sensing the gravity of her words. Wiping off a part of my cheek with the smooth, flowery-scented handkerchief, she continued, "They say I can do everything and that I know everything. When it cos to magic, no one could top , or so they say... But I don't think that's really the case. You know, Riley, there's

still one form of magic I have yet to discover and truly understand."

Her words hung in the air, filled with a sense of vulnerability I hadn't seen from her before. "What kind of magic?" I asked, genuinely curious. "Love..." she said simply, her golden eyes searching mine.

"I've mastered elental magic, illusion spells, and even the most complex arcane rituals

and even the mystical celestial magic itself. But when it cos to matters of the heart, I'm utterly clueless. It's sothing that no book or scroll can teach." "Well, love is a fairly complicated matter," I replied, feeling a bit out of my depth. "That's true... But since you have a fiancé and you say that you love her, you must be an expert

at it now, right?" she said with a teasing glint in her eye.

"No, I'm fairly a new-"I began to say, but Rose leaned in closer, her breath warm against

my ear as she whispered.

"Riley, why don't you teach about love~?"

After all this talk....

'How the heck did you co to that conclusion?'