Is it ok to bully you?

 On a date with my fiancé, his childhood friend is tagging along. At first, I wanted her to stop, but...

Author: Tsurezuregusa

I am Aine, a noblewoman of the Earl's family. About three months ago, I became engaged to my fiancé. His name is Leonardo, and he's also a member of the Earl's family, just like me. 

We first met when we were introduced as fiancés. Until then, we had no acquaintance or interaction. I heard that he proposed to me, although the circumstances behind it are unclear.

 Since I didn't have anyone I liked, and I didn't find his personality disagreeable, I formally accepted the engagement.

However, I now regret it. The reason is because of what I'm witnessing before my eyes.

"Leo always does this!"

"Hahaha, you can't beat Mio."

Currently, my fiancé and I are on a date, having a meal at a restaurant. Yet, there's someone else present despite it being a date. 

Seated next to Leonardo across from me is a woman named Miliole. She's Leonardo's childhood friend and also a noblewoman from the Earl's family. A few days after becoming Leonardo's fiancée, I was introduced to her by Leonardo himself.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Leonardo's childhood friend, Miliole... Oh, I'm sorry. 'Leo' is what I've always called Leonardo as a nickname. You can call me Miliole and feel comfortable doing so! I'll call you Aine too!!"

"Mio wants to get along with Aine. Please take care of her."

From the first meeting, she approached me in a friendly and outgoing manner, which could be seen as either pleasant or overly familiar. 

As fellow noble daughters, I had mixed feelings about her attitude, but since she's Leonardo's childhood friend and we'll likely have some interaction in the future, I appreciated her effort to get along.

However, after that, Miliole started accompanying us on Leonardo's dates without fail. She would always say, "What a coincidence!" but such coincidences don't happen every time. 

Leonardo didn't object to her joining us and happily accepted. As a result, they would chat and have fun while I could only watch, and the date would end. I no longer knew who was actually on the date together.

...I wondered if this was being unfair to me, considering I was the fiancée. I told Leonardo multiple times,

"Are you jealous, perhaps? Mio and I have been close since childhood. Don't worry about it."

He laughed and didn't try to change anything. I asked him if they could at least make plans to meet without me if they wanted to talk, but he responded,

"I can't be alone with another woman while my fiancée Aine is around. Besides, Mio just wants to get along with you, right?"

And that was the end of it. If Mio wanted to get along with me, then I couldn't understand why she always seemed to exclude me. I thought about it a lot. I even considered whether Leonardo and Miliole might have feelings for each other. 

However, Leonardo was the one who proposed to me. Our families are both part of the same Earl's family, and I didn't think there were any political reasons involved. The mystery only deepened, and I remained in the dark.

"Leo, this is delicious! Let me feed you!!"

While lost in thought, I heard Miliole's voice. When I looked at them, I saw Miliole trying to feed Leonardo with a forkful of food. He looked surprised but didn't seem opposed as he smiled and accepted the bite.

...I didn't understand the meaning behind it. This was a restaurant that commoners also frequented, not a formal gathering place for nobles. So, it might not require strict etiquette.

 However, I couldn't fathom performing such an act in front of my fiancé. At that moment, our gazes met. Leonardo quickly looked away from me and bit into the forkful.

"Yeah, it's delicious!"

"See? I told you!"

Surprised, I could only watch the two of them before me. Leonardo and Miliole were smiling happily. Leonardo wiped his mouth with a napkin, and when Miliole's gaze met mine, she sent me a smirk that could only be described as dark and filled with malice.

...I didn't understand it. Without much thought, words came out of my mouth. Strangely, I remained calm and unaffected. I just... I couldn't tolerate it anymore, and I couldn't stay silent.

"Just now, you laughed at me, right? What's your intention?"

"Huh?"

　Upon hearing my words, Miliole's expression shifted to one of surprise. After a brief moment of silence, she returned to her usual smile.

"W-What do you mean... I was just laughing because I was having fun!"

"'Fun'? How does having fun lead to a smile like that?"

"Um, Aine!? What's gotten into you?"

"Miliole, you had that kind of smile on your face."

I consciously tried to mimic Miliole's smile. That malicious smirk... but since it was my first time trying to replicate a facial expression, it was more likely that it didn't resemble it at all.

"Hey, stop that! I-I wasn't making that kind of face!! It's a misunderstanding, Aine."

"Yeah, that's right, Aine. There's no way Mio would make... a face like that."

Miliole looked a little flustered and angry as she denied it. Leonardo, sitting next to her, appeared bewildered. Suddenly, I remembered that since meeting the two of them, I had only seen them smiling. Miliole, in particular, always had a cheerful smile. It felt strange...

"I've told Leonardo this, but Miliole, please don't come when Leonardo and I are on a date anymore. This exchange just now... it's really gone too far. If you want to talk to Leonardo, please make plans for a different day when I'm not around. Leonardo, I'm telling you this too."

I decided to speak candidly to the two of them. I felt that it wouldn't matter if they continued to interact and eventually became engaged, even if it was just the two of them. I was tired of being Leonardo's fiancée, and I had no feelings left for him.

"...I'm sorry, Aine. I guess seeing us made you uneasy. But, for me and Mio, it's not something special or out of the ordinary. We used to do this a lot when we were kids. So please don't worry. You can be at ease because Mio and I won't be alone together."

"Aine, you're being too narrow-minded! Yeah, that's right. Mio and I have fed each other countless times before!"

I saw Leonardo smiling happily, and Miliole trying to maintain her usual bright smile even though it seemed a bit awkward. It became clear once again that my plea had been brushed aside, and there was no intention of changing things.

"Come on, the food will get cold. Let's eat."

Leonardo said that and resumed eating after the interruption. Seeing Miliole start eating as well, I looked at her once again, half-expecting her to flash another sly smile. Instead, she met my gaze and...

".................."

"Uh? Um, is something wrong, Aine?"

After observing for a while, Miliole seemed to notice my gaze or perhaps sensed my attention, and she stopped eating to look at me. She had a furrowed brow, appearing perplexed and perhaps even distrustful. She wore such an expression.

"It's nothing, please don't mind."

"'Don't mind'...?"

"Well, just go ahead and talk to Leonardo as usual, without worrying about me."

Miliole seemed taken aback by my statement, as if she didn't expect me to respond in such a manner. The tension in the air was palpable, and the atmosphere between us was charged with a mix of emotions.

If I didn't talk to Leonardo, Miliole might not have had that smile on her face, I thought. It's almost certain that Leonardo and Miliole have feelings for each other. I can't fathom why they haven't become engaged yet, but I am convinced that Miliole doesn't like me. Bringing up this issue now might lead to evasion. So, if she were to smile at me again, I could point it out then... No, that's ridiculous. Even if I point it out, she might just brush it off and deny it, and it wouldn't prove Miliole's affection for Leonardo. So why am I...?

"Hey, Aine, what's going on?"

Leonardo's words snapped me out of my thoughts. I realized that I had been staring at Miliole's face. Focusing on Miliole's expression, I noticed that she looked anxious and slightly angry as she met my gaze.

"S-Stop staring like that! Isn't it hard to eat while being watched like that?"

Apparently, even though I was lost in thought, my gaze hadn't strayed from Miliole.

"Don't worry about it, please continue."

"Hey, seriously, I told you to stop!"

"Aine, Mio doesn't like it. What's going on? Just stop. Look at me."

As I continued to gaze at Miliole, Leonardo's voice came from beside her. Frustrated by her angry expression, he seemed to be getting upset. So, I repeated the words that Leonardo had often said to me.

"Is it jealousy?"

Not taking my eyes off Miliole, I could sense Leonardo growing annoyed. So, I returned his words to him.

"Are you jealous because I'm not looking at you and only at Miliole? It's okay, there's nothing between me and Miliole, so don't worry."

Miliole looked flabbergasted. I couldn't see Leonardo's expression since he was out of my line of sight, but he didn't say anything. Even though I wanted to see that sly smile from Miliole again... Still, this surprised and perplexed expression she was wearing wasn't so bad either.

"...And besides, it's quite troublesome to be told to 'stop' just because she doesn't like it. After all, when I asked you both not to come to our dates, you didn't listen, did you? You said, 'Don't worry.' So, I don't intend to stop either, and please don't worry about me."

Upon hearing this, Miliole was left flabbergasted, her face locked in an expression of confusion. The sound of the fork Miliole was holding collided with her plate with a clatter... Oh, the food might get cold.

"Come on, Miliole. Keep eating without worrying."

"Uh... A-Aine, you're not even eating."

Miliole's words reminded me that I was in the middle of a meal as well. My mind had been preoccupied with observing Miliole's expression, and while I wasn't particularly hungry, it would be a shame to waste the meal.

I reluctantly averted my gaze from Miliole and looked down at my plate. There wasn't much left—four more cuts with the knife, and I could finish. So, I decided to finish my meal while still keeping an eye on Miliole.

"!? Ahhh..."

As I did so, Miliole's fork slipped from her grasp and clattered against her plate, making a distinct sound.

"Aine!?"

With a clatter, Miliole abruptly stood up from her seat. I could also hear Leonardo's voice. Miliole's face was filled with fear as she looked at me... and I felt a sense of satisfaction—.

◇◆◇

A month had passed since that restaurant meal. I was still going on dates with Leonardo and Miliole, just like before.

Five days after the restaurant meal, Leonardo and I had a date, but Miliole didn't join us.

"Aine, I'm sorry for all this. Mio won't be coming anymore."

When Leonardo said that, I wondered why Miliole wasn't coming and felt that the dates would be dull without her. So I told Leonardo that if Miliole wasn't going to be there, then I wouldn't go on any dates and I might even consider breaking off the engagement. 

That's right... seeing Miliole cornered and flustered had become more enjoyable than anything else. The slightly panicked expression when I pointed out her smile, it was amusing.

 So I hoped that she would smile slyly again, so I could point it out again and make her flustered even more. Initially, all I felt was resentment towards the two who treated me, their fiancée, with contempt, but things were different now.

 It seemed that Leonardo didn't want to break off the engagement with me. Leonardo probably liked Miliole, but... I don't really care anymore.

 Anyway, I planned to use the threat of breaking off the engagement to persuade Leonardo and spend more time with Miliole.

However, Leonardo told me that Miliole had no intention of coming on our dates anymore. Since it seemed that I couldn't achieve anything with Leonardo, I went to meet Miliole in person and persuaded her.

"If Miliole doesn't come on our dates anymore, I'll tell both of our parents, as well as Miliole's parents, that I want to break off the engagement with Leonardo. And I'll spread rumors that Miliole intruded into Leonardo and my date to disturb us. Are you okay with that?"

Upon hearing this, Miliole turned pale and her face seemed on the verge of tears, but she agreed to my persuasion with a very pained expression.

Even now, in front of me, Miliole had a fearful and indescribable look on her face. Observing Miliole like this had become my reason for living!

Author Note:

This is just a novel I thought of writing on a whim. In stories, the villainous or rival character often directs a triumphant smile towards the protagonist, so I thought that they might dislike it if the protagonist were to imitate that smile directly.

Being constantly observed and stared at not only brings discomfort but also gives rise to feelings of fear. Being continuously watched and scrutinized... all without a word from the other person.

In the end, the protagonist awakens to the pleasure of tormenting, almost like saying, "Since you made me feel bad, is it okay for me to bully you?" I know opinions may vary, but the protagonist has gone through unpleasant experiences. Even putting aside romantic feelings, it's hard to accept being treated with contempt when you haven't done anything wrong.

Perhaps I might write short stories from Leonardo's or Miliole's perspectives as well. If it were from Miliole's viewpoint, the latter part might turn into a horror story, haha.

Thank you for reading along!