Ch. 23
(POV:Neko)
I left my room to get some dinner. But on the way to the kitchen, I was Nemu. She was lying against the wall, head in her hands. This must really be taking a chunk out of her. However, my idea was still half-baked. I saw no reason to give her false hope. Instead, I continued to the kitchen, but made meals for two. I brought them out to the hallway. Sitting down next to Nemu, I offered her one of the plates. As she looked up, I could see the tears free flowing down her face. I used my shirt sleeve to wipe them off.
"Neko… I'm so sorry!" she blurted.
"I didn't want to tell you this, because I thought it would drive you away, but my family, they are-"
"I know." I stopped her.
"I did some research. I know of the situation, miss heir apparent." As I added the last words, Nemu's jaw literally dropped.
"You, you know about that? For how long."
"Twenty minutes. Now eat. You look like you skipped lunch." I pointed to the dish. Nemu completely ignored it.
"But now, now you are a target! They see you as a threat, so they want you to move. The only reason you haven't been kicked out already is because my dad is refusing! He will only be able to stop them for so long, then you will have to leave! If that happens-" I stopped Nemu by shoving Raman noodles in her mouth.
"Eat. I know of the situation. I listened in to a video call between the man accompanying Yamada and someone by the name of Raku. I have a plan. It might not work, but it could. When I leave the house, the man had instructions to have a chat with me. If I was to resist, he was to issue a challenge. I plan to take that head-on. Hopefully, I can force it to be in an Virtual Environment. Specifically, a duel in ALO. That is where I am best suited after all."
Nemu, who had been reluctantly eating the noodles while I had been talking, now stopped to comment.
"And if you win this duel?" she asked.
"If I play my hand right, I can get it so that they layoff of this marriage thing if I win." I replied.
"It will put a lot on a one small duel, but from the checks I made on their network, it seems no-one uses an Amusphere in their household. Should be a walk in the park. However, I have to play the hands right. Otherwise we could have a problem."
"But, you don't have to do that! It isn't your fight!"
"Just as the fight with the red guild leader wasn't yours. Nemu, I am going to do this, so I would rather you help me and make it happen, rather than hamper it."
"But-"
"No buts. How many times do we trade that?" I asked. Nemu gave a half hearted smile in return.