Chapter 344: The Eminence in Shadow

“Wait!, don’t go! I’m not just talking nonsense, yes there is an important reason. Let me explain it first…have a seat.”

“Here I’m fine, in case you’re still talking nonsense.”(Aurora)

I encouraged Aurora, who at that moment was ’lovingly’ hugging me from behind while I was sitting on the couch.

I must say that position left me very vulnerable to her sadistic hands, but she slyly refused.

“Tsk, who knew you’d be a girlfriend who likes to abuse her vulnerable boyfriend, agh!, stop pulling my ears already.”

Damn, she had the positional advantage, it was best not to keep provoking her, so I ignored her and let her do what she wanted while I turned my attention to the rest, which were all the male members of the group. After all, this was a gathering of guys + Aurora.

“Why do you guys have those looks, are you still hung over, didn’t I take them off earlier?”

I looked at them, well, if you can call it that because at that moment I had black bandages covering my sight, I wore them for many reasons.

One was due to personal training to improve my senses, I was planning to do it the last two months of the academy, but since this happened, I have no choice but to do it now.

But, even without seeing them I could clearly feel that most of them had a doubtful face towards me and Aurora, it seems that my senses were already very sharp which is good.

“It’s not that, you know, even though it’s been a few months now, I still find it hard to believe that you and Aurora are dating,” (Mike.)

“Yeah, we thought because of the twins and Leyla-onesan, you had… hum, how to put this politely… …A minimum standard,” (Ivan).

“ahh!, You’re the toad who always wants to eat a swan, who will also remain a bachelor for life,” (Aurora).

“Hey!, I said politely, what’s the need to insult, I was referring to the characteristics of beast women.” (Ivan).

“it’s obvious you didn’t mean that…hmm, but it’s true that it’s a surprise, we thought you could only see her as a friend, and that’s why you kept inviting her to our gentlemen’s meetings”, (Esteban).

Yes, since that night of the banquet I’m basically dating Aurora, being Chris, which honestly doesn’t make me happy at all.

I was taken aback that time, as I couldn’t process what she meant by ’helping her stay away from myself’

, which left me blank and uncomprehending.

Then she talked more about things I don’t remember, to finally bring out a contract, and I still not understanding anything signed it and agreed to a collaboration with her where I would pretend to be her boyfriend and protect her from me (Seraphina).

When I came to my senses and read the contract, as much as I read it I did not see any clause or anything advantageous for me, it was a fraud, it was more like a slavery contract, disguised as a mutual aid contract.

The few advantages were nonsense like “party (B) me , could make a reasonable request to party (A) Aurora, who as princess will comply (can refuse)”, which is basically nothing and she can refuse, even if reasonable.

She used my contractual fraud technique, well, I can break it at any time, but I didn’t, because I wanted to see where she wanted to go….

“Well, it was love at first sight since I saw a version of Auran that looked like she was wearing a wig, she is the prettiest…, in my heart. You don’t know how happy I was when she accepted my nervous confession, oh! how I’m embarrassed just remembering it, but I’m really happy now (ㆆ_ㆆ).”

“Hey, if you’re going to say something like that put a believable face and tone, rather say something believable,” (Ban).

“Well guys, you know how Chris likes to joke around, don’t mind him, we’re a happy couple, aren’t we?”(Aurora).

“Yeah, besides you don’t know how much I love it when you hug me from behind and stick your ribs, I mean breasts on the back of my neck….. (ㆆ_ㆆ).”

“You idiot, be serious!” (Aurora).

“Ugh! Now you’re hanging me…aghh!, this is domestic abuse, I’ll sue you.”

“But you know, when they act like that, they do look like a couple” (Willian).

’hmm, that was a very sensitive comment, for someone who is dense as a rock, ugh, she really wants to kill me’.

“Well, love comes in different ways, doesn’t it? I think they make a good couple, like Alice and me,” (Alexander).

“Come on dude, even I’m getting tired of telling you to give up, you know earlier I saw her very honeyly hugging with Ms. Silvercrest, there’s something weird there,” (Mike).

“/_ ” (Alex)

“Hmm, but I’m not convinced they’re a couple. Let’s see, Chris, blink three times if they make you… ah!, he blinked, they saw it I told them” (Ivan).

“Idiot!.”(Aurora).

“Hold on, Aurora, blinking is a natural impulse and more so if someone is strangling you.”

Yes, I am fully collaborating with her to make our relationship believable. To bad she was a more abusive girlfriend than I thought she was.

But putting that aside…

’she should definitely know .’

Yes finding this out was also a reason I played along, by this point I thought I was sure Aurora had deduced that Seraphina and I were the same person since that night of the banquet.

I really blame Tristan who I think gave Aurora too many clues that made her put things together, maybe that’s what she was missing, I was underestimating her too much.

At first I wasn’t sure, and I was a little heartbroken because even she moved out of me dorm the next day into her own dorm that she was entitled to as a student.

I couldn’t stop her because she basically never presented any problems and the surgery was perfect.

I thought I had blown it, but oddly enough Aurora didn’t interact differently with me; she was still friendly and even willingly came over to hang out on the weekends.

The only thing different was that she gave me some warnings that I couldn’t take advantage of her because she was dating Chris, which left me not knowing what to think or how to act around her. I never took advantage to begin with…, well, maybe a little.

And after several meetings with myself and the girls, we came to the conclusion that she possibly knows this, and with her personality she wants to get back at me for playing games with her by dragging me into her own game.

It’s either that or she wants to get more secrets out of me on her own knowing I have more, with Aurora’s personality it’s not uncommon for her to want to go for all or nothing and maybe both are the right answer.

The only good thing about all this is that it was never in doubt that she is interested in me and she said so herself that day and curiously from time to time she obviously proves it.

When we came to these conclusions, something inside me… for some reason I felt that I shouldn’t let her get away with it and I stood my ground and played into her game, starting something like a competition between her and me of who was playing the dumb better.

I didn’t let her find out more about me, and I didn’t bring up the subject that she already knows my double identity, I’ll play dumb so well that I’ll even make her doubt that again.

we’ve been at it ever since, like fighting for dominance before we started our relationship, or that was the analogy Eira gave me from her neutral point of view, which seemed to be accurate.

’I’ll show her that I’m the dumber one… wait, that doesn’t sound right…’

..

.

“Ahem! First of all, William! From now on you’re the leader of this group!”

I said decisively, finally managing to get Aurora to stop strangling me and made her sit on the couch like the rest.

As As Astrid mentioned, the time at the academy was coming to an end, and now we were on a flying ship bound for the Kingdom of Vestalia, where one of the three rifts to the Middle World of this continent was located. And it was the only one we had under control.

The other two lead you into territories dominated by beasts or monsters that the kingdom could not handle, at least until the restriction was lifted further.

For now, only those who had reached the ten metamorphoses could enter.

It was a pity that the most peaceful phase of my life was cut short, but I was already mentally prepared. The important thing now was to be The Eminence in Shadow.

“But Chris, you’re-“(William).

“Stop it, William. Say no more. You are more than qualified. Didn’t you receive personalized training from the instructors? You are the one who will undoubtedly be the leader of our generation.”

Before, in the alternate line, the leaders were three: the other two were Ivan and Cordelia. But both of them were now regular members of our group, and that changed everything.

No one outside our group is strong or influential enough to take their places.

“Huh? Did you know that? Still, Chris you’re much stronger and I don’t think that…” (William)

“That’s precisely why, William. As the stronger one, from now on I’ll be the leader in the shadows, but you’ll be the leader in the daylight.”

“Huh?” (William)

“Yes, as you heard. Because I am the strongest among men, I will keep that position.”

“Huh? Why only among the men, rather, isn’t this an important topic? Shouldn’t you have invited the girls too?” (Ban)

“An excellent question, Ban. But unnecessary… It’s obvious that if we include the girls, I don’t know if I could keep my position. I mean, Elena would threaten my position too much, not to mention it fits her better, if I do that I have the odds stacked against me.”

Well, I had already politely asked Elena—who was my biggest competition—if she wanted the position , but she declined without even realizing what she was missing out on.

I didn’t invite them because I was afraid that knowing the benefits Elena or one of the girls who are also tough to beat will change their mind, especially if Eira and Selene collude against me they might beat me to a pulp….

“haahh~, I don’t know if this is a serious matter or not, no, it must be since we’re deciding our leader, we have to call the girls, like Ban said”(Aurora).

“We can’t her right now they have a girls meeting, it will be bad for us guys to interrupt, besides I asked, and none of them wanted to be The Eminence in Shadow.”

“Damn it! Chris, I’m a girl too! Besides, what does the silly ’The Eminence in Shadow’ matter, we’re deciding our faction leader!”

“Oh, Aurora, I see you understand what’s in store for us. Well, it was to be expected from a princess. Besides, the leader has already been decided: it will be William and him alone.”

Yes, I don’t understand why she keeps emphasizing that about the leader, the only competition among the girl would be Cordelia, but at this moment, I don’t think she cares less about that, and I don’t want to be one.

And if Ivan who was the other competition hasn’t said anything is already decided, it’s a fact that it will be William, besides there’s still a long way to go for that. The important thing is the leader of the shadows.

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