I Favor the Villainess

"Um..., can I join you for lunch?

One lunch break, there was a voice that could be hung by me who was rarely eating lunch alone.

When I looked up, there was one girl there who looked mostly like her.

It was Filine.

This is unusual.

I can't believe you invited me from that insipid Filine.

"Yes, of course"

"Thank you"

With that said, Filine took out her own lunch and started eating it as she rented my front seat and stuck it to my desk.

Her lunch is eighty-nine years old, I guess the imperial cooking number makes it.

The ingredients are beautifully packed in a small lunchbox.

"Dear Philine's lunch box, looks delicious"

"Huh...? Oh, really? Um... thank you?

Filine seemed puzzled.

I'm not really used to the conversation.

"Can I have one of those meat dumplings?

"Oh, yes...... If this is good, go ahead."

"Thank you"

I got one meat dumpling with a large quail egg from Philine's lunch box.

...... not very tasty.

The dietary situation of the Empire is a bit problematic.

Nevertheless, I'm not going to make a corner here.

"Delicious."

"Really? Good."

"Thank you for the meat dumplings, Master Filine will answer whatever you want to hear."

"What...?

Filine gave a surprised look.

It says, "How did you know?"

"What can I tell you about the fact that Master Filine has bothered to speak to you?

"Uh... the... Yes......"

Filine is deceiving.

I can also see some guilty colors on that face.

Ha?

"I want you to tell me about Claire."

"Master Claire?

"Yes..."

Lady Claire is now going to Laine, who is in the next class.

I love Laine, Lady Claire, so I know you really want to warm up your old relationship more often, but she can't quite do that because Lady Claire and Laine both have diplomatic missions coming from their home countries.

They rarely had time for each other today, and it looks like the two of us are having a watertight time.

"Anything you can answer to me. But why don't you tell me from yourself?

"Uh... Claire's... still a little, scared..."

Oh, is that sounding like the first day after all?

I got in a listening position for now.

"So, what would you like to hear?

"Uh......, right. For example, how could Claire have caused such a terrible revolution?"

Besides, the way he went, Filine asks.

Even if he was afraid of Master Claire, he still cared there.

"Revolution, is it? Well, first of all, I'll solve the misunderstanding, but it wasn't Lady Claire who revolutionized it."

"What...? But Claire's called the hero of the revolution, right?

Filine looked surprised.

"Indeed, Master Claire played a very important role in the revolution. But it was definitely the citizens of Bauer who caused the revolution itself. Make no mistake there."

"Ha ha..."

Filine has a subtle look, like she's not going, like she's convinced she's gone.

"Then I will change the question. How did Claire end up in the revolution? Originally Claire was on the institutional side, wasn't she? Nobility in the kingdom, that was pretty superior nobility too, wasn't it?

"It's quite difficult to answer that question, in a nutshell, because Master Claire was a nobleman,"

"I don't know."

Filine tilted her neck.

Mm, cute.

"Nor did Master Claire have an understanding of what was called a revolution from the beginning. At first, it was more like a revolution."

"... what's wrong with that?

"One incident prompted Lady Claire to question the dichotomy between nobility and civilians first."

I told you about the ghost ship incident in the city of Eucled.

About that sad incident that Louis, who took his family hostage, caused against Master Claire and me.

"That's what..."

"In that incident, for the first time, Lady Claire learned the vivid reality of what she called poverty. And as a nobleman, I couldn't possibly leave it alone."

From there, Master Claire began to figure out how to eliminate poverty.

And it was to suffer the contradiction that Bauer's nobility system was closely intertwined with the problem.

"Master Claire was thinking about the people. I was desperately searched for what I could do to correct the imbalance in wealth between the nobles and the people"

"... what I can do"

The word seems to have had some special emotion for Filine.

She showed how to think about it.

"After that, you had the fashion of the times. Lady Claire gained popular support by lifting her handles in the picking of rogue aristocrats. We did not make good the national government that deteriorated after the eruption of the Sassal volcano and we kept leaning on the side of the civilian population"

The result is a revolution, I concluded my explanation.

By the way, although I broke it down, and some parts of it weren't all true, I'm not supposed to be lying to you in general.

"Claire... you're strong"

"I fully agree with that opinion, but Dear Claire, you must have been crushed by yourself"

"Really?

"Yes, Master Claire is competent, but she wasn't able to do everything by herself. With the help of so many people, I was able to live to this day."

If Master Claire had been alone, she wouldn't have survived that public execution.

By now, Master Claire would have been convicted as a symbol of corrupt nobility and would have left a stigma in history.

"If you want to make something happen, I think it's important to have more people first"

"Companions..."

"If Master Filine ever sees anything in the state of the Empire, then neither Claire nor I will spare any cooperation."

To my words, Filine stifled my face.

Would you have stepped in a little too much?

"Wow, me, I'm getting a little stomachache, so now excuse me!

"Ah, Dear Philine..."

"Bye!"

He's gone.

Fine, I could have talked to you in a good mood.

Maybe I was in a little too much of a hurry.

It is a reflection.

But I'm glad you found out about Master Claire.

At least, the image of someone just scared should have been diluted.

Now I hope we get a chance to talk to each other in person later.

"Is something wrong? Philine left with great momentum."

Lady Claire arrived in the wrong place.

"We were having lunch with you. They asked about Lady Claire. This is a good sign."

"Mine?

"Yes."

I explained to Lady Claire what had happened.

"Yes..."

"Philine must have something to think of in the empire, too. You want to raise her awareness of the problem."

"Right. We have an empire cage."

"I can't help it."

Diplomacy is not beautiful.

"Master Claire, what's for lunch?

"I'm done with Lene. I'm delighted to welcome you to Fratel's newest dish."

"Oh, what kind of dish is it?

"Ray tells me not to tell you. Because if they tell me it's a dish I know, I'll screw it up."

"haha......"

I guess I've teased you too many times before.

"Eat Ray, too. The bell of the afternoon lecture will be ringing soon."

"Right."

I started eating lunch suddenly.

I'm a little disobedient, but I can't replace my belly on my back.

"Nevertheless...... Whose offensive route is Filine on right now?

Yes, that's very important.