Chapter 266: Deception
The room fell silent.
"Are you referring to Alice?".
After more than ten seconds, Takumi asked in an incredible voice: "Isn't she married?"
In his memory, the only woman who had told him she was "married" was Alice. That was almost a year ago. When they met, the blonde editor introduced herself that way.
And in subsequent interactions, she showed no abnormality.
"Impossible!" Takumi denied Anthony's words. He didn't believe it was worth being deceived. "Why did Alice lie to me?"
"The Alice you're talking about, her real name is Genji...".
Duke Anthony stood up, took a report from the nearby table, and began to read: "She graduated from Tokyo University and has been working in the entertainment industry for several years. She is known as the Witch of Tokyo. She is one of the few agents without scandals and has many followers...".
"Last year, several stars from Alice's company tried to drug her, but failed. Alice, furious, submitted her resignation and left the entertainment industry."
After returning to Osaka, she publicly introduced herself and announced that she was married.
Anthony put down the report and smiled: "She is a very intelligent woman. She lied to you and saved you unnecessary trouble. I think she lied to you at first because she considered you a star and didn't want you to get involved with her...".
He shook his head inwardly. This was the past, and now is the present. Perhaps Alice didn't expect this lie to become a resource to limit her and, ultimately, make her make the wrong decision.
"You saw Alice at the amusement park, didn't you?"
Anthony asked.
Takumi nodded with a grim face. He discovered that the Duke truly knew everything. Obviously, the two-month absence was just an excuse. The real purpose was to secretly investigate his surroundings.
"Alice claimed to be married. But her age didn't lie. She must have been on a blind date when you saw her at the amusement park."
Anthony said: "After returning to Osaka, Alice's mother forced her to go on blind dates. She had at least two partners every week, usually arranged during holidays."
Hearing this, Takumi was stunned. He began to believe Anthony's words. In addition, Alice dressed wonderfully every time she had holidays, and she also wore high heels and lipstick.
He was always curious about what she did. If it was a blind date... then everything would make sense...
"Of course, her blind date wasn't peaceful. Family pressure irritated Alice, so she decided to do something...".
Anthony mentioned the most critical event: "One night, she drugged you and slept with you. The goal was to have a child. As long as she got pregnant, her family shouldn't force her to go on blind dates anymore...".
Takumi's face paled.
"Drug?"
He turned his head and quickly guessed what day it was. But he didn't believe it: "Impossible! How could Alice do something like that? Oh! Wasn't Shiori there then? She brought me back."
"...This is what happened that day, you can see it yourself."
Anthony shook his head and handed Takumi two sheets of paper, which recorded everything that happened that night in detail.
That night,
after Alice replied to Shiori's good night message, she became more and more worried, so she booked two rooms at the hotel: one under her real name, Genji, and the other under Takumi's. Then, she took Takumi to hers...
Shiori arrived an hour later. She didn't know Alice's real name, so, naturally, she was only given the room number. By then, Alice had already finished work and had moved Takumi to another room...
"..."
The record on the paper was very detailed, even with screenshots. Takumi couldn't deny it, and his face paled.
"Why...?"
Alice lied to him, and Takumi was used by a woman without knowing it.
Did Alice like him? Takumi didn't know, but Alice's behavior seemed more unacceptable to him than Shiori's. After reading the report, he felt a chill and a deep sense of helplessness.
"Does Genji know?"
Takumi asked in a very low voice. He was confused and didn't know how to face reality.
"I observed that woman. She is very rational. Although she is impulsive, she wouldn't do something like that. After all, pregnancy doesn't mean she can avoid blind dates, unless... her family agrees."
Anthony shook his head and said: "The Genji family is not short of money. Although Alice is alone, her life should be very comfortable. The only exception is that her family needs an heir."
"So Genji must have consented to her actions. Genji values you. If Alice can have your child, she must be very happy."
At Anthony's voice, Takumi closed his eyes and began to remember.
He understood everything. Anthony's words were personal assumptions, but that assumption revealed the truth.
A long time ago, the first two times Genji gambled with him, he used a big gamble to get a promise from him. When Genji talked about this promise, Alice's behavior was particularly strange. Now it seems that the content of the promise is probably related to Alice and the child.
Perhaps Genji had foreseen this day and was ready to make Takumi promise to forgive Alice...
Ridiculous... Takumi felt particularly ridiculous. When did he become a reproductive tool in the eyes of others? Just because of his various talents, were those people interested in his genes?
It turns out that Takumi never recognized the people around him. He was deceived. Whatever the reason, he felt disgust deep in his heart for being calculating and used by others.
"Did you tell me all this just so I would go to England?"
Takumi looked at Anthony and said coldly: "You've investigated so much and you know everything about me. You know I can't accept it, so the best option is to go with you, right?"
He's not stupid. Is there any difference between Anthony's approach and Genji Alice's? Anyway, they're all trying to use him...
"Yes. But I'm different from them. I choose to be honest with you."
Anthony was not in a hurry. He smiled slightly and said: "I told you all this just so you would make a reasonable decision. Coming to England doesn't mean you have to stay, but... you are too naive now."
"Mirai-sensei, you can have the last word in the manga world, but staying in Osaka won't help you progress in life. To control your destiny, you need to expose yourself to a wider world, to more opportunities and challenges."
He extended his hand and invited him: "Come to our England... After half a year, whether you decide to return or stay in England, I promise you won't feel like you've wasted your time. Then, you'll be more mature and more capable of facing difficulties than now."
"In half a year, I'll give you enough training and growth. Of course, this isn't free. You have to help me defeat that mangaka...".
Genji looked at Takumi, and seemed to have understood everything.
Growth: that's what Takumi needs most since his rebirth. He has made considerable progress in manga, but his personality and life haven't changed much.
"Stop advancing. You're finished...".
Takumi remembered what Mirai-sensei said in his previous life. The greatest treasure she instilled in him was the concept of moving forward. No matter what difficulties he faces, he must keep learning and progressing; only then will he not lose to others.
Takumi infused this drive into manga, but he forgot the essence of a person. Now he can look down on his peers, but what about ten years from now? Will he be able to surpass those who mature quickly?
Takumi used to be an otaku, and even if he pretends to be one, he still retains the aura of an otaku. He doesn't like to appear before others or in the media. Ostensibly, he does it to project calmness, but in reality:
'It's fear...',
Takumi thought. He was used to being quiet. He didn't want to expose himself to too many people because he knew he wouldn't be able to deal with an overly complex environment. He feared he wouldn't be able to resist one day.
He consciously avoided some difficult situations, and Duke Anthony understood this.
"..."
Takumi looked at the old man, and he found it difficult to describe his current state of mind.
It was a kind of admiration and envy for the powerful. This old man investigated too clearly and saw through too many things. Perhaps, there were others he didn't say.
Because it was enough, Takumi hesitated, he wanted to leave, but as Anthony said, he had a lot to grow; he wanted to become a person who took the initiative like Anthony.
And if he didn't leave Osaka, how would he face Alice, how would he face Genji? And how would he deal with Shiori? —Should he get angry or pretend nothing happened?
The lie has been exposed, and Takumi now doesn't know how to remain in this environment. Maybe one or two months are fine, but what about a long time?
Will he be able to keep this a secret for the rest of his life? If Alice gets pregnant and the child is born, what should Takumi do?
He doesn't know, he's very irritable...
"If this matter isn't enough to make up your mind..." At that moment, Anthony spoke again: "Then I'll tell you one more thing: it's about Sakura Books and your family...".
The last thunderbolt, Anthony slowly released.
Alice walked anxiously back and forth in the corridor, next to the door, and the blonde maid Anne looked at her with a faint smile: "Mirai-sensei will be fine."
"If he's in trouble, I'll make sure none of you can go home!"
Shiori said with a cold eyebrow.
"You're too radical."
Anne smiled bitterly and shook her head, sighing: "Such love will not yield any results... Girl, if you want to win Mirai-sensei's heart, you'd better change your attitude."
However, this is her first love, and Anne thinks it's difficult to change. Of all the loves in the world, the first one is the hardest to yield results.
"This girl's love will soon end..."
Anne looked at Shiori, feeling some compassion. Mirai-sensei will definitely leave. Due to his many problems in Japan, the boy does not have enough maturity to face them properly, and England is the best place to hone his skills.
However, his departure could be the greatest disaster for Shiori.
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