Quite by accident, I discovered a second love interest.

Little Lionel Ferder, who will become an imperial mentor in the future, is now only the rootless son of a prostitute. The past of this hero, we can say, was the most tragic of all. Not counting Rubiella, of course, but that's why she was a villain.

I sighed. In fact, when I was playing the game, this guy brought me a lot of problems.

The developers did a good job and made the passage as diverse as possible. The difficulty of passing the plot branches of the characters varied. The easiest was the nephew of the emperor — who brought the heroine to the palace. All because he initially had sympathy for the heroine. It can be designated as the main interest for passing. The prince's routine, with minimal investment, can be completed in a couple of hours and easily reach a happy ending.

The second in «lightness» was the archmage. At least, that's what the players who passed his branch said. I myself abstained. That's because I wasn't too tempted by the prospect of building a relationship with a boy who looks thirteen years old… Even in the game. Even if his biography on the official website states that he is actually two hundred! I just couldn't see him as a man.

Roger and Lionel were in the «difficult to pass» category. It is on their branches that you will go broke and spend a lot of time to find the right answers to the elections on the forums… And if everything is clear with the first one, then Lionel, in my opinion, was the most disgusting character of all.

I passed his branch only because I was a perfectionist who could not give up any business halfway. During the passage, this character managed to disappoint me several times. And even the happy wedding of the heroes at the end did not convince me at all. Not only was Lionel rude to the heroine and manipulated her in every way, he also managed to cheat on her a couple of times. And the good-natured Angela let him get away with everything.

Lionel realized his behavior and began to treat the heroine differently only towards the end. At the same time, the heroine learned the tragic truth about his past, which is why he behaved like that. As a result, after a major quarrel, they decided to start building a relationship anew and got married. Lionel promised Angela that he would improve.

As a result, it was his past that the developers used as an excuse. He's just an unfortunate boy who was unlucky. And that's why he behaved like a beast with the heroine… At the moment when, after all that had happened, Angela finally forgave him, I literally spat poison at the screen. After all, in real life, such bastards never change!

To some extent, I'm lucky that I'm not a heroine, and I don't have to sort out all this shit related to love interests… I'm just a bystander in the person of an unknown aunt. Now I was looking at a divinely beautiful child who lived with his mother in a brothel. Who does not yet know how his fate will turn out in an interesting way in a couple of years…

In fact, I didn't follow him easily like that. Now I am finally convinced that that adult man is not Lionel. At least one less unsolved mystery. I could breathe a sigh of relief.

After watching the brothel for a while, I decided to go back. However…

— Grace!

— …

— Grace, is that you?!

Suddenly a man came up behind me and touched my shoulder. I turned around in surprise. Blond with long hair, which can be called nothing but patches. Cute facial features and a strong scent of cologne.

— Who are you? I asked doubtfully.

— Grace! — the man kept his hand on my shoulder, — Even if you're angry, please, just don't pretend that you don't remember me!

— …

But I really don't remember.

— Please tell me why you are offended with me!

— I'm not offended… I don't even know who you are.

— Grace! — the guy's cute face was distorted in despair, — Okay! Good! Forgive me! Sorry! I was wrong!

Suddenly this weirdo fell to his knees in front of me.

— This… — I didn't say what to say.

What was happening was more like a circus.

«You said you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me!»! — he choked in tears, — Please do not give up your words!

Finally, what was happening slowly began to sink in. This guy was probably one of Grace's fans. Even though I didn't remember him (there were too many of them in the fragments of memories. How can you remember it here?) At first, they all bothered me a lot.

They were not even aristocrats, but guys of dubious origin. They slept with Grace because of her high status. Some even fell in love and passed into the category of annoying fans. One of them was lying right now in front of my feet.

And since I recently started a new life, I tried in every possible way to get rid of them. It wasn't enough for Ruby to accidentally see one of them! I ignored the letters and did not open the gates when they were on guard right at the estate. Edison threatened to call the police. Over time, there were fewer and fewer of them, and then there were none at all. I was hoping that I had finally freed myself from the shackles of the past.

But it was not there…

— Grace! — the blond continued to cling to my leg, — Tell me that you love me!

— …

— If I'm guilty of something, tell me directly! For the sake of our love, I will improve!

He got up and tried to pull me to him. At that moment, I couldn't stand it and was going to hit the cheeky guy with my purse. But by an extraordinary chance, someone beat me to it.

«Young man, stop it immediately.

Serpens suddenly wedged himself between us and grabbed the guy by the arm.

— What…!

«How dare you molest a lady in the middle of the day?

— Molest? — He was indignant, — How is this possible? Actually, we are lovers!

— Really? — Serpens calmly reacted and turned to me, — Lady Weinstein, do you know him?

— This is the first time I've seen it.

The blond man looked at me in shock.

— Grace, how can you…!

But Serpens didn't let him finish.

«The lady has said everything,» he said harshly, «If you don't get out now, I'll call the police.»

— …

After that, the young man's ardor somewhat subsided. He continued to stare at me pleadingly for a while, but I turned away. Then he finally left.

Serpens and I were left alone in the middle of the street.

— What are you doing here? — I asked first of all.

— I'm watching you.

— what?

I was taken aback by how quickly he admitted it. I didn't even try to come up with an excuse…

— You are our head, — the man eloquently explained, — After the incident on the lake, we decided that the Legion should take care of your safety.

— That's how… But you should have at least warned me.

I was somewhat unhappy that this was happening without my knowledge.

— good. Next time I'll tell you.

— Will you tell me when you'll be watching? I couldn't help but chuckle.

Our meeting happened by chance, and after some thought, I decided to go to the gun shop for a while. Moreover, I have accumulated a couple of questions for Serpens. We settled back in the same places, and the man brewed us fruit tea.

I casually started my «interrogation».

— Serpens, how old are you?

He calmly replied:

— Thirty.

— Really? — I was surprised. The owner of the gun shop really looked very young. You can't even say he's older than me…

Meanwhile, I continued:

— Can I ask you one more question?

— Of course.

Serpens took a sip of tea, completely unaware that I was about to stun him.

— Are you a virgin?

The man choked and recoiled from me in horror.

— You… you.». What are you talking about?

Probably, at this moment, a variety of thoughts flashed through his head. Including rumors related to me. Serpens expected me to pounce on him any minute. Just in case, he moved to the edge of the sofa.

I sighed.

— Why such a reaction? We're adults.

— Don't try to talk my teeth!

«I just asked if you've slept with women in these thirty years…

— no!

The answer was extremely harsh. It feels like I came to the temple to the priest and seduced him.

Serpens was still staring at me wide-eyed.

— You are a noble lady! How can you ask such questions alone with a man…

— Stop making that face. I'm not asking you for the password to the family safe.

He pursed his lips in displeasure.

I repeated my question a few more times before I «knocked» some semblance of an answer out of him.

«There may have been an incident,» Serpens admitted reluctantly.

Well, that's better.

— Then do you have children? — I asked a counter question.

— From where? Of course not!

— And if I tell you that you have a son?