Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage

Character page: Here

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Chapter 179 – I invited my girlfriend and the vampire

“Thanks for gathering here today. I’m sorry for the trouble, but I really need your help. Actually, one of my friends is about to get caught up in a love triangle… What should he do?”  [Youki]

A few days had passed since Raven received a love letter from Shike-chan, the mermaid, but Duke, Raven, and I were still reeling from shock. To address the situation, I sought the help of two acquaintances who I knew could provide valuable input.

Raven, the one at the center of it all, wasn’t with us this time. Only three of us were present as we sat down to discuss the matter.

“Haha, leave it to me! I’m also available for follow-up advice on budding romances. I’ll make sure to give guidance that’ll help him make a decision he won’t regret.” 

“…Who’s this person?” 

The one laughing was Caius. He was the cupid of love who had helped both Yuuga and me with our own relationships. The other was my girlfriend, Cecilia. She was a saint whose calm and steady presence was always reassuring. Duke, still shaken and retreating into his adolescent phase, wasn’t with us today.

With this lineup, I felt confident they’d be able to steer Raven in the right direction. But first, Cecilia and Caius would need to introduce themselves.

“Cecilia, this is Caius. He works as a cupid of love in the town of Breitling.”  [Youki]

“A cupid of… love?”  [Cecilia]

“I simply give a gentle, and sometimes strong push to those who are lost in love. My goal is to provide a bit of courage to those suffering from love, so I offer them advice.”  [Caius]

“A-Ah, I see. You must be quite well-known. I’m Cecilia Aquarain. Um… I believe Youki-san has been in your care before.”  [Cecilia]

It seemed Cecilia had figured it out when she realized I was acquainted with the ‘cupid of love’. She could probably venture a guess that I had also consulted him before. When she looked at me and gave me that gentle smile, I knew my assumption was correct. I could talk to her about it sometime.

“He, too, was once just a man troubled by love. But now, he’s at ease enough to worry about his friends. Heh, it seems your feelings have been rewarded. And that hero of yours as well.”  [Caius]

Yuuga had also mended things with Mikana, thanks to Caius’s efforts in allowing them to reconcile.

“That guy’s still going a bit overboard. He’s too extreme, flying around with her in his arms without any thought for Mikana’s feelings…”  [Youki]

Just as I was about to finish, my eyes met Cecilia’s. Her gaze seemed to silently ask, “Are you really in the position to criticize him?”

I quickly clamp my mouth shut, thinking, Yeah, consideration is important. It really is.  

“Um, Caius-san, there’s something I’d like to ask.”  [Cecilia]

“What is it, blue-haired cleric? Don’t worry, I also take consultations from women. Feel free to ask me anything.”  [Caius]

“That coffin leaning against the wall… what exactly is inside? I hear noises from it sometimes.”  [Cecilia]

I couldn’t find the words to respond to Cecilia’s question. Caius, unable to bear being apart from his beloved even for a moment, would put her inside a coffin whenever he went out. While I understood his reasoning, I couldn’t help but feel he sometimes took things too far. From the moment he introduced himself, there had been an air of suspicion, and now Cecilia’s expression was one of serious doubt.

“Inside, it is someone very dear to me. Someone I couldn’t protect once. Recently, she’s finally forgiven me, so now when I go out, we go out together like this.”  [Caius]

“…”

Caius confirmed her suspicion without hesitation. Upon hearing his response, Cecilia’s face went pale. She turned to me, her eyes silently questioning why I hadn’t stopped it if I knew. I could read her thoughts without her needing to say a word. This must be what it means to be in sync with someone.

“Youki-san, I can somewhat guess who your friend is. My apologies to Raven-san, but first, we need to correct this person’s inhumane behaviour, so please give me a little time.”  [Cecilia]

Cecilia flashed the saintly smile that she likely showed only to Yuuga and me. Despite barely being in the room for five minutes, it was clear a clash was imminent. Caius, who should have been the target of Cecilia’s wrath, only smiled calmly, as if he had everything under control. The situation was quickly becoming tense. These two were definitely a mismatch!

“Hmph, do you know his true nature?”  [Caius]

Was he referring to me being a demon? I hadn’t told Caius that Cecilia already knew my true identity.

“I know him very well. I am with him, fully aware of who he truly is. So, Caius-san, since you know Youki-san’s true identity, what about yours? You’re not just a ‘cupid of love’, are you? It seems there’s more to you than that.”  [Cecilia]

I was happy to hear Cecilia state our relationship so clearly, but the tense atmosphere was unbearable. It was probably my fault for not explaining everything to her earlier.

To avoid further misunderstandings and delays, I decided to clarify everything about Caius: He’s a vampire, and his lover had been asleep for nearly 200 years. He really is a ‘cupid of love’, currently helping one of Yuuga’s friends with his relationship issues.

After my explanation, Cecilia still seemed to have some lingering thoughts, but accepted that Caius meant no harm.

“…I see. However, I can’t turn a blind eye to the act of shoving someone into a coffin.”  [Cecilia]

“Indeed, I struggled with the difficulty of communication while keeping her confined in the coffin as well. Even though it was for her protection, I began to question whether it was right to restrain her without considering her opinion.”  [Caius]

He pressed his hand against his forehead as if troubled, but his tone suggested he had already found a solution. Cecilia would likely sympathize with Caius’s situation to some extent, and if her impression of him improved…

“I modified the coffin by drilling holes and adding cards with a circle and an ‘X’ on them, so she can express her wishes. Now, she can communicate things like where we are, if she’s hungry, or if the ride is too rough.”  [Caius]

“Aaaaahhh…”  [Youki]

I clutched my head and collapsed. I didn’t even need to look at Cecilia’s face to know exactly what she was thinking. We seemed to be so in tune with each other; I could easily sense her thoughts.

“…Is he joking?”  [Cecilia]

“Cecilia, please calm down. Caius is serious. He just loves her so much that he’s a bit… off.”  [Youki]

“There is a limit to these things…”  [Cecilia]

Cecilia wasn’t letting this go. What should I do? We had strayed so far off track that I couldn’t even begin to discuss Raven.

“…She’s sensitive to sunlight.”  [Caius]

“I already heard that earlier. You said you put her in the coffin for safety, and that she can’t even speak while inside.”  [Cecilia]

“Her existence must remain unknown. In truth, it may be wrong to even bring her outside like this at all. But… I don’t want to be apart from her. When I travel, I want to be with her. I want to share the food, the scenery, and the people we meet. It’s been far too long… after 200 years. I know I’m being selfish, but still…”  [Caius]

It seemed Caius’s feelings reached her as a card with a circle slowly emerged from the coffin. She appeared to have accepted it. With this, even Cecilia should…

“If they’ve both agreed to it, then it’s not right for a third party to interfere any further.”  [Cecilia]

“Yeah, there are all kinds of relationships between couples out there.”  [Youki]

We were finally wrapping things up nicely, and I wanted to move on to the main topic.

“Ah, and there’s also the fact that the air purified by sunlight is toxic to her. Just thinking about her beautiful voice becoming hoarse… it feels like my heart could shatter…”  [Caius]

A card with an ‘X’ was quickly thrust out of the coffin. It seemed she had caught on to his lie. Seeing this, Cecilia put on her ‘saintly’ face once again.

This meeting was supposed to be for Raven’s sake, but it didn’t feel like we were getting anywhere.

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