"I will be in your care."
"I... I will do my best so I can meet your expectations..."
Ava nodded her head at Theo with a polite smile, and the boy became flustered.
As the two of them left the mansion and walked into the town the pixie-cut girl could not help herself from glancing at the dark-brown-haired boy's face – especially his mesmerizing eyes.
Ever since Ava woke up in the body of the heroine from the popular otome girl she completed, she was putting up an act and hiding her real personality and intentions.
In a similar manner, Theodore was someone who appeared to be a polite and outgoing justice-loving person but had danger lurking beneath the surface of that facade.
A son of a prostitute who had to flee his birthplace because he got on the wrong side of the son of the madame that his mother worked for.
He was hiding his past despite living in Startinton for the past seven years – long before the town blossomed into its current state.
The most excruciating part of knowing basically everything about him was not being able to use said knowledge to woo him... Theo was the type of person who would immediately back off and turn aggressive if anyone tried to befriend him too fast.
Ava had a theory that it had something to do with that mysterious kid who literally forced Theo to travel half of the kingdom... but she had nothing to back up that theory for now that one single line of dialogue was the only mention of that background character.
After all, Theo's route wasn't about the past but rather the future!
Criminal one, to tell the truth.
The boy who seemed slightly abashed by the daunting task of escorting the really important girl who became the authority in the world of medicine by creating the cure that saved the kingdom's population was actually involved in the dirty underside of the kingdom and was aiming to be on the top.
Around the game middle of his route, the heroine and Theo would learn that he was, in fact, the son of the once most powerful crimelord who got murdered by the person he considered his brother.
In the story's climax, Theo would have his revenge and take over the organization... and protect the righteous heroine from the shadows in a secret, half-forbidden kind of relationship.
Theo was definitely Ava's favorite – and since she reincarnated, he also became the one she considered the most useful, so wrapping him around her finger was her top priority.
It was basically killing two birds with one stone~
...or it was supposed to be...
"..."
At least half of Ava's glances toward Theo were filled with a feeling of concern.
She already messed with the original game by speeding up and monetizing the creation – or rather the rediscovery – of the cure for the Foul Reaper, and instead of becoming a den of criminals, Startinton turned into a prosperous town.
Ava got her hopes up when the local thugs and small-time thieves started to become an organized group, but... back then, when she suggested to Theo that she wanted to pay for protection, too, he got weirdly defensive about it.
Not panicked or cautious as she hoped, though... He just acted... bitter...
Truth be told, the main point of their shopping trip was to confirm whether Theo was a member of the criminal group or not.
Having a date was a much-welcomed addition though~ Ava did like him the best, after all, ~
"Please forgive me for not asking that earlier, young Miss, but is there something specific that you are looking for today?"
"...?"
As they ended up in the town square, Theo asked, making Ava shake awake from her own thoughts.
"Oh, nothing much, just some browsing for cute accessories. If you feel confident, I don't mind and input of someone of the opposite gender."
"...I... will try..."
The pixie-cut girl shrugged her shoulders and answered in a dismissive tone so that the words that otherwise might be considered flirty didn't sound like that at all – but still reminded the boy that the person next to him was a girl after all.
Small steps, small steps~|
Ava hummed to herself, satisfied with seeing Theo glance at their interlinked arms and look away, suddenly embarrassed.
Then, just as she said, the pixie-cut girl started dragging the dark-brown-haired boy through all the shops and stalls that dabbled in selling accessories.
During the first hour of shopping, Theo was trying his best to engage and actively give his opinion, but as the second hour passed with no end in sight, the dark-brown-haired boy began to space out more clearly, not seeing the point of the activity anymore.
"..."
...which was precisely what Ava was waiting for...
As the bored boy was handing in the back at arm's reach – while holding hands with the important girl – Ava was leaning down and chewing a small stall that wasn't even an actual stall.
It was just some lousy poor-looking man with dark-blond hair sticking from under the hood he was pulling over his face, slouching over a worn-out blanket that he put some handmade jewelry on display.
"...you aren't the usual vendor at this spot, are you...?"
Ava muttered while leaning down as if she wanted to carefully inspect the merchandise the man offered.
"Young Miss Ava is as observant as always."
"..."
The pixie-cut girl's expression darkened as her first attempt to gain the upper hand failed miserably.
"I like the products you sell, but... since I am with him today, would you consider giving me a discount?"
An initial failure meant nothing and was only a slight annoyance – Ava shrugged it off without any trouble and tried to confirm Theo's involvement with the crime ring tightening around Startinton.
"Pfft...! Him? Young Miss, I am afraid that the prices have just doubled~"
"!!!"
The man raised his head just the tiniest amount to glance at Ava's companion and instantly scoffed, leaning down even more – to the point that his earrings showed up.
They were quite curious accessories.
Long metal earrings with yellow marble at the base of a reverse cone each.