Don't Come Near Me, I'm Just a Background Character [BL Harem]

35 - Who to Kiss

I reluctantly grabbed the small, gun-looking object on the floor. The prince and Theodore both already had these familiar-looking contraptions in hand. They pointed at the target, ready to shoot.

"Young Lord, please use the mana bow and take aim." The madam said with a scoff. I looked away, feeling a sense of injustice. Why do I have to take part in this absurd game in the first place?

I gritted my teeth and rubbed my forehead irritably. Since when was it decided that my first kiss could be wagered in this blasted game!

----

Thirty minutes earlier...

I looked to the side. To the left was Prince Lucius, who was eying my open hand obsessively. To the right was Zier, or I suppose, Theodore, who had already been holding my right hand for thirty minutes and was smugly waving it around for the prince to see. Their bodies wedged me tight into the couch.

I want to leave... I never signed up for this... I thought, feeling increasingly uncomfortable under the strange and predatory gazes of the two women across from us.

"The social niceties have been put to the side. Since my dear friend, Rosé, has decided to pay a visit, I say we have a bit of fun now that we've become acquainted!" The cheery woman who was, apparently, Theodore's mother, Duchess Audovár, clapped her hands and giggled.

A chill ran up my spine, and an unsettling feeling settled in my gut. I rubbed my arm, trying to ward off the unease, as I sank further into the soft couch cushions.

"Let's play a shooting game," she smirked. "Whoever wins gets to steal a kiss from the loser~"

I felt my heart drop. Both people sitting beside me perked up, with their eyes blazing.

----

A loud bang pierced my ears. I jumped, looking in its direction, and saw that the gun-looking contraption in Theodore's hand had started smoking from its muzzle. I turned my gaze to his target and saw a gaping hole in the center.

"Ten points," the madam called out emotionlessly.

Ten points, how did that puppy bastard already get ten points? I bit the inside of my lip in vexation.

I pushed the top of the gun underneath my right eye and clasped the handle with both hands. I pressed my forefinger onto the trigger and fired, sending a minute, flaming object to the target.

"...half a point." The madam looked away and shivered in delight. I ogled the target blankly, my eyes fixed on the small hole at the very edge of the coloured target. Crap, I'm totally going to lose.

The prince grabbed his gun and fired. I turned to the direction of his target. He had pierced the center cleanly, with a few wisps of smoke rising from the hole.

"Ten points."

I banged my head onto the edge of the table in frustration. The remaining nine bullets next to me quaked slightly.

Bang. From my left side, the prince fired another shot. I refused to look at the target, not wanting to see the result.

"Ten points," the madam said again. There were eight more bullets left in the prince's pocket.

I shivered and held my forehead in my hand. I can't let this happen. I couldn't bear to think about the consequences if I lost. No, I need to win, or else...!

I grabbed the gun beside me and peered into the muzzle. Inside, I could vaguely see a glowing red stone, with tendrils of fiery red heat flickering around it.

Oh, it's a fire stone. I thought to myself dully. Then, the realization hit me. A fire stone!

There were four types of stones: fire, water, earth, and air. Each stone possessed unique properties derived from its respective element. For instance, water stones could serve as compact water bottles, containing over twenty liters of water depending on their purity. Mages low on mana often carried their elemental stones as a means of compensation, channeling their energy through them to execute spells.

A wicked laugh escaped my lips. I will definitely win this!

Each competitor had three targets: the lowest one, the middle one, and the highest, which hovered above us, approximately thirty feet from the ground. Both the prince and Theodore had opted for the lowest target, fearing the gun's limited firing range might cause them to miss. It was a reasonable assumption. However...

Holding the gun half-hazardly, I strung my energy into the small stone and pointed it at the target.

I can just add more mana to increase its firing range!

"Center," I muttered, moving my hand and firing. The bullet made an arc and accurately moved itself to the center of the topmost target.

"Thirty points..." The madam whispered, gazing at the top target in disbelief.

I grabbed the next five bullets and placed them into the small magazine.

"Center, top, five times." I mumbled, pointing the gun upward and firing in rapid succession. All five flaming bullets made an arc, hitting the target in the dead center.

"One hundred... fifty points...?" The originally cheery young duchess seemed to go silent, only gazing at the puncture mark in the target incredulously.

I eagerly grabbed the remaining four bullets. I'm going to win this!

----

"Crown Prince Lucius, one hundred sixty nine points. Theodore, one hundred fifty three points... Lord Xenith, ahem... two hundred seventy points, and a half."

I beamed. "I won!" I placed down the smoking gun and giggled. "I really won!"

The two men begrudgingly looked to the side and sat, glaring the other down like two rabid wolves. Their reactions only made me more pleased with myself.

It's better to leave this cursed place now, while I have the opportunity. I stood up and bowed towards the two women. "Thank you for your hospitality, Duchess Audovár. As the winner, I should be taking my leave now." I inched towards my satchel lying on the floor as I waited to be dismissed.

The two women exchanged eerie, cunning smirks. I kept my head down, oblivious to the initially gloomy atmosphere around Theodore and the prince slowly turn rowdy and fiery.

"What are you talking about, Young Lord?" Duchess Audovár chuckled.

"Huh?" I lifted my head and saw the eyes of the two men light up.

"Do you not recall? We said, 'whoever wins, steals a kiss from a loser'." She stood up and approached my sorry-looking figure.

"So, who will you choose?"