Crossover anime, starting with Hachiman Hikigaya replacing Subaru Natsuki!

Anastasia, doubting herself.

288. Anastasia, who was proposed to

"Anastasia has a good eye for people; she just lacks information."

Kyosuke Kosaka explained to his sister, "Although he has become more confident, Hachiman is still quite serious and relatively reserved most of the time. But seeing his wife again after a year, Hachiman is naturally very happy, and even if he tries to suppress it, it's hard to hold back his feelings."

Kirino Kousaka's eyes lit up, and she cheered. As an Anastasia supporter, she was more than happy to see Hachiman Hikigaya and Anastasia being all lovey-dovey.

"So that means Hachiman-senpai doesn't mind reuniting with Anna-nee-san?"

"He's not just not opposed, he's absolutely ecstatic." Kousaka Kyosuke chuckled. Who would be opposed to such a cute girl as Anastasia?

"He didn't see Anastasia for a year, not because he disliked her, quite the opposite, because he liked her too much!"

She liked him so much that she was afraid she would fall for him again, and she liked him so much that she felt she might let Rem and Emilia down.

But all those worries were instantly shattered by his love for Anastasia in this real reunion, causing him to lose his usual composure and appear so cheerful and carefree.

"Waaah... It's not that I hate Anna-neechan, I just hope Anna-neechan can remarry Hachiman-senpai, but isn't the speed and intensity of senpai's rekindling of their old flame a bit too fast and too big?"

At the Shirogane family residence, Shirogane Kei muttered to himself. In response, Shirogane Miyuki sighed and offered a conjecture that was essentially certain to be true: "When the trial just ended, the memories from different timelines were blurry because the human brain cannot withstand the impact of so many memories all at once."

"But now that a year has passed, do you think his memories from different timelines might be becoming clearer?"

"So, in other words—" Shirogane Kei was taken aback, "if that's the case, then Hachiman-senpai will have specific experiences and feelings about sleeping with Anna-neechan in his mind..."

In that case, everything makes sense.

"As expected, the senior is not that kind of casual scumbag. It's only natural that he would be greatly affected if his memory is clear!"

"The group had barely stepped into the post station for two minutes when tiny Mimi rushed out excitedly, wagging her tail and pulling Jiafeier along, saying she wanted to take Jiafeier to visit all sorts of wonderful places."

"Mimi's expression and tone, her sincerity and genuineness, were undeniable, so Jiafeier couldn't bring himself to resist. He could only half-heartedly let Mimi pull him away."

"All of this was done with the tacit approval of Hachiman Hikigaya and Anastasia. The two of them watched from afar, their eyes following Mimi and Garfiel like two worried parents, until Mimi and Garfiel had run far away and their backs were no longer visible, before they turned their gaze away."

"Hachiman Hikigaya was a little surprised. This was the first time he had seen Mimi show any signs of being in a relationship. "So Mimi likes Garfiel's type... No, rather than Garfiel's type, should we say Garfiel himself?"

Anastasia concealed her surprise, narrowed her eyes, and asked earnestly, "Is that child who seduced Mimi... the child named Garfield, a decent and reliable good child?"

“If you weren’t a good child, I wouldn’t have given it to Mimi.”

"Hachiman Hikigaya smiled as if responding to a coquettish remark, his voice gentle, "Don't worry, just like Mimi's strong initiative in love is just as powerful as yours, Garfiel is an excellent man who is no less than me."

Anastasia paused... Even this eloquent and shrewd businesswoman was momentarily speechless. What did she mean by "her initiative in love is as strong as yours"? She had never been in a relationship before, so it was hard to say whether she would be proactive or passive. Even if such things could be deduced from personality, it was too outrageous to say it so confidently.

"However, if this is intentionally used to correspond, then it's not outrageous at all."

"Mimi is like her, and Jiafeier is like him. What is this implying?"

Anastasia was stunned for a while. She looked at Emilia, who knew nothing, and then turned to look at Hachiman Hikigaya, who was looking at her gently.

"...Speaking of love, I'm also a little curious, has Hachiman decided on a marriage partner yet?"

"Not yet, I'm still thinking about it, and I'm really torn." Hachiman Hikigaya answered honestly. He really hadn't decided whether to marry Emilia or Rem. But that wasn't important right now; what mattered was whether Mimi and Garfiel could become a couple.

"His love and affection for Mimi are no less than Anastasia's, and that's why he most wants Mimi to successfully win over Garfield. If she doesn't succeed, Garfield will have to spend his whole life in unrequited love for Ram, which would be very pitiful."

"Hachiman Hikigaya, who treats Mimi like a little sister and Garfield like a little brother, has poured a lot of affection into these two good kids and really wants to see them get married."

"So, those words he spoke to Anastasia came from the bottom of his heart."

"Miss Anastasia, what's wrong?" Emilia asked curiously, noticing Anastasia's frozen expression after hearing Hachiman Hikigaya's reply.

"You actually asked me what's wrong..." Anastasia stared in astonishment at the silver-haired girl who showed no sign of displeasure. "Don't you have anything to say about his idea? Aren't you going to stop him?"

“Huh? Yes,” Emilia blinked, clenching her little fist. “I’ll do my best! But, in the end, I’ll respect Hachiman’s own decision. Although I know it would be really disappointing if I lost, and I might even cry… but I want to respect Hachiman.”

Anastasia's mind went blank for a moment, and she stared wide-eyed at her generous rival.

Anastasia shook her head, trying to clear her jumbled thoughts and start sorting them out from the beginning.

"The part with Mimi and Garfield was a hint, but 'being conflicted' is a blatant direct response, and there was also that aggressive scrutinizing look before... With Emilia involved, Rem has no chance of competing for the position of the main wife, whether in terms of status or anything else, and she is currently unconscious, so there is no question that she is conflicted."

"Anyone who can compete with Emilia for her position, someone who can make her struggle, must be qualified, which means—"

"It's Anastasia!"

289. The Inevitable Fall of Anastasia

Anastasia believes that everything should start from a year ago.

"At that time, she was already often puzzled about what Hachiman Hikigaya meant by giving her so many priceless business plans intermittently and for free. She would ask him this question every time she wrote a letter."

"If Emilia's faction were to use these plans themselves, they could probably develop into a large merchant guild comparable to the Hexin Merchant Guild. It's unbelievable that they would give them away for free without any ulterior motives."

"Although Hachiman Hikigaya replied that it was to ask her for various information as payment, that was obviously a lie. The information couldn't possibly be that valuable."

"But there's no way around it, these business plans are just too tempting. Even knowing that what lies ahead might be a pit of fire, Anastasia really can't bear to refuse them."

"Having incurred such a huge favor, she was constantly on edge, sometimes tossing and turning at night, unable to sleep, wondering when Hachiman Hikigaya would make a request or condition. If it was too difficult, she would have no choice but to shamelessly refuse—"

"Today, those demands and conditions have finally been revealed!"

"He doesn't want intelligence, he doesn't want wealth, he doesn't want the shooting star... what he wants in return is simply me!"

"The business plan is the bait, showcasing his talents and letting us know how much we'll benefit from marrying him; Mimi is the added weight—if we marry him, Jiafei will naturally join our side as well."

"But Mimi's actions were probably an accident... It's because he saw that Mimi likes Jiafeier that he so quickly showed his fangs and bluntly confessed his feelings to her."

"Understood, Anastasia understands everything."

"If I accept his proposal, Emilia's camp will be crippled, which is also a benefit; if I refuse, given his character, he would never use a business plan to force me to do so..."

"In the room where Hachiman Hikigaya and Emilia had long since left, Anastasia let out a long sigh, her thoughts in turmoil."

"Of course she doesn't dislike Hachiman Hikigaya. She admired him back in the Royal Selection Hall. Although the three-army alliance that Hachiman Hikigaya orchestrated made her lose face, it also made her understand him better, and the two began to interact."

"Throughout the year, the two of them corresponded on and off. As she got to know Hachiman Hikigaya better and better, she naturally developed some feelings for him."

"But when it comes to dating or even marriage, it's a different story. That's the most important deal you ever make, a once-in-a-lifetime transaction."

"I have no intention of handing myself over for personal gain!"

"And why her? If Emilia were the only option, no normal person would choose someone as thin as her. Although business acumen is an added bonus, Hachiman Hikigaya's business acumen is clearly far superior to his own."

"What are you trying to do, give me such a difficult question?"

"Pfft hahaha!"

In the Classic Literature Club, watching Anastasia outwit herself and even fantasize about figuring out a non-existent so-called fact from scratch, Mayaka Ihara and Satoshi Fukube were first dumbfounded, and then they couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"I can't take it anymore, I really can't take it anymore, hahaha..." Ibara Mayaka laughed until tears came out. "No wonder Hachiman said Anastasia is cute, she really is so cute. That kind of self-assuredness and arrogance is just too cute."

"However, her imagination is just too wild."

“This isn’t some illogical idea.” Houtarou Oreki shook his head. “From Anastasia’s perspective, these associations are perfectly reasonable, and every piece of her logic is logical.”

"Most importantly, Hachiman really likes her. The way he looks at her, the way he treats her, that unconscious closeness and gentleness are a major reason why Anastasia came to this conclusion."

“In a sense, Anastasia’s conjecture is correct.”

"At the same time, there is a major misconception here, which is that Anastasia does not believe that anyone would be torn between Emilia, who is a lively and energetic master, and Rem, who is a comatose servant."

"One most correct discovery and one most wrong way of thinking have created her current deep-seated troubles."

Houtarou Oreki's logical and well-reasoned reasoning calmed the other three down. After thinking about it carefully, they realized that it was indeed true.

"Yes, yes, yes, that's right, that's exactly it. My Prime Minister is the one who plotted against me, he's been scheming to marry me."

At the Hexin Chamber of Commerce, Anastasia clapped her hands enthusiastically. Starting with her future self, she began to deduce the truth, and the smile on her lips grew increasingly unrestrained with each clapping.

I originally thought I had no chance with the future version of myself in the official history, after all, my own prime minister was that kind of person. At first, he might be so happy to see me that his emotions would fluctuate, but he would never attack me.

Because he already has Emilia.

However, it's one thing for the Prime Minister not to take the initiative, but it's another thing for her to take the initiative.

"What a twist of fate! To come up with such a brilliant and reasonable guess and connect it to my Prime Minister, I'm awesome!"

"Oh! Miss is the best!" Mimi is the world's number one Anastasia fan!

Julius, who was standing to the side, hesitated for a moment, then spoke up as a precaution, not wanting to wait until Lady Anastasia's joy turned to sorrow before saying, "Um, if you ultimately decide to refuse in the future, then..."

He was tense, prepared to be scolded after being splashed with cold water.

Anastasia simply smiled, resting her chin on her hand, and asked in return, "What do you think is the reason why I, in the present timeline and in that timeline, would fall in love with the Prime Minister?"

“This…” Many answers popped into Yulius’s mind, but he rejected them one by one, and finally his body trembled violently.

"Looks like you understand now?" Anastasia smiled knowingly. She was very cute, and her unique voice was also very pleasant. "Whether it's me or the me in different timelines, I was attracted after getting to know the Prime Minister better."

"I never fell in love with him because of any special event or influence."

"My prime minister is exactly the kind of person I would like!"

"The reason why the future Renjia hasn't fallen in love with the Prime Minister yet is because she hasn't gotten to know him well enough. Now that opportunity has arrived, that is to say..."

Julius held his breath, "So you mean?"

"There's no need to think about whether he'll refuse. I just need to guess that I'll be captured by the Prime Minister in a few days."

Anastasia spoke with absolute certainty and composure, showing no sign of worry whatsoever. If you had to explain why…

"Because I deeply like and love my Prime Minister!"

290. Betty's Jealousy

"..."

On the main street of the royal capital, Emilia stared blankly upwards, her deep purple eyes fixed on Anastasia, who was lost in thought. She unconsciously loosened her grip on Puck's hand.

No one knew what she was thinking, only that her gaze as she stared at Anastasia gradually sharpened!

"It's one thing for her to be involved in the trials, but now she's even interfering in the official history... This woman..."

On the road to the capital, Ram frowned as she re-evaluated the priority of all of Rem's rivals. Previously, she had always prioritized Emilia, but this time, she wavered.

Upon reuniting with Anastasia after a long separation, he was so overjoyed that he lost his composure and inadvertently revealed in his words that he knew her very well.

This loophole in Hachiman Hikigaya's character is enough to prove just how close he is to Anastasia; his intimacy and trust in Anastasia are definitely no less than those in Emilia.