The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

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As the students were in the midst of enjoying the party, a man and woman were sharing hushed conversations in a completely secluded space.

It wasn’t a romantic forbidden love that couldn’t be disclosed to others.

“Thank you for providing the venue and your various technical assistance, Professor Georg.”

“Don’t mention it. Just consider it a fair exchange for what I’ve received. Thanks to you, I have new opportunities for exploration.”

“Are you actually happy that a problem has arisen? How can you feel that way?”

“Of course, you wouldn’t understand. You see magic merely as a tool rather than a purpose. Am I wrong, Lady Stephanie?”

“…Is that so?”

Something was moving busily in the shadows, while the sight of the party could be seen outside the window, but they didn’t seem particularly concerned. In fact, Stephanie raised her glass toward something.

“Angelos? My glass is empty, so go fill it up.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The thing lurking in the shadows was a homunculus owned by her family.

A homunculus with intellect and a body indistinguishable from humans, which could be considered nearly unique on this continent.

Her family was able to amass great wealth based on this homunculus.

The demand for beings that are human yet not human was overflowing everywhere.

“Still, is it truly wise to convert a corner of your spatial pocket into a party venue? What are you thinking?”

Stephanie asked Georg with a slightly probing tone.

Why was he treating her so well after tossing out a few worthless minions? She couldn’t comprehend it.

“You’re persistent. So I’ll speak plainly. I want to continue our dealings. Spatial manipulation and technical cooperation are my good intentions toward you.”

“Good intentions, you say. Yes, I suppose that’s enough, but… producing more minions would be difficult for me as well.”

Georg smirked inwardly at Stephanie’s transparent lie. Having seen an entire village transformed into a den of monsters overnight, his thoughts were filled with disbelief.

“…Ah. Of course, I can do it if I want. But lately, there have been many eyes watching, so supplying them every time may be difficult.”

Noticing Georg’s hints, Stephanie quickly changed the subject.

“Don’t worry about that. One a month will suffice. And, by the way, Lady Stephanie, does your family’s black market deal with elves or beastfolk?”

“…Oh, what are you talking about?”

Stephanie wiped the expression off her face. The fact that her family operated a black market was true, but that was knowledge only known among family members.

In a market where traders and informants didn’t even know who ran it, how could a mere university professor, despite being a member of the hero party, possibly know that? Stephanie felt a chill of anxiety.

“Do you know who killed your ancestor, Maurizio Fetch?”

“That would be the hero… Ah.”

Hearing the pathetic name of her ancestor forced a short sigh from her lips.

The one who nearly brought ruin to the family due to fixating on each subordinate had just revealed himself. Stephanie reluctantly accepted this.

“…Yes, there are some.”

“Then take some of those as well.”

As she looked at her suddenly precarious position, having shifted from a position of power to one of subservience, Stephanie listened to Georg’s proposal.

—

Hoyun was noticeably anxious. To the outside observer, it might not have seemed like much, but her tail and ears were subtly different.

“Lady Hoyun, are you uncomfortable…?”

“No, it’s not that. I might just be hungry.”

Looking around the table, there was only Anya she knew, so perhaps that was why. The gazes coming this way weren’t particularly warm either.

As Anya seemed to be the leader of this gathering, she didn’t openly voice her dissatisfaction, but you could sense her judgment for Hoyun.

Particularly, Camilla’s gaze felt unusual.

She had already caused quite a stir due to her jealousy in the harem, which made the readers dislike her, and now it seemed that jealousy was directed at Hoyun.

Surely it wasn’t because of me. Though not as intense, Camilla was watching Hoyun threateningly enough to make it apparent.

Perhaps Anya’s constant spotlighting of her was the cause of the tension.

“Ah… I see. Then let’s eat! Here you go.”

“Lady Hoyun, you should try this too! It’s delicious!”

“Lady Hoyun!”

“Lady Hoyun!”

It seemed that Anya understood Hoyun’s desire to divert attention from her hunger and kept serving her food.

“…Thank you…”

Each time that happened, Hoyun showed visible signs of stress. The looks directed at her were filled with growing suspicion and jealousy, even I could feel it.

But the oblivious Anya continued cheerfully bringing food without realizing.

…Sometimes, being innocent is a disadvantage.

“Lady Hoyun, you seem to be getting full. Wouldn’t you like something to drink?”

I decided it was time to step in, as Hoyun was struggling to find a moment to escape. Given Hoyun’s personality, she wouldn’t think to reject a request from a friendly person.

It might be considered rude to leave after being invited, but…

Hoyun looked pitifully fed up.

“…Oh, are you leaving?”

“Yes, I suppose so… I’m a bit too full. Thank you for the invitation, let’s meet again later.”

“Oh… if you’re full. See you later!”

Anya, oblivious to why the atmosphere was so tense, continued to stoke the flames in the already heated situation.

Without realizing it, the two of us left in a rush, moving out of sight until they disappeared. Only after a sufficient distance was Hoyun able to breathe a sigh of relief.

“…Ha. Huh.”

She was trembling to the point where I almost worried her royal facade might crack if we lingered any longer.

“Are you okay?”

I could feel how tough it was for her, especially considering how keenly she sensed everyone’s eyes. Camilla’s expression as she looked at us seemed ready to pounce the moment Anya left.

Hoyun wasn’t the only problem… I was a problem too.

Normally, I would have had to charm Camilla by now, but with our connection severed, I hadn’t even had the chance to speak to her.

In the original story, she didn’t particularly have any future encounters either. Surprisingly, I met Iris, but she was tightly bound to Stephanie, leaving me with no way to help.

During the finals, she’d surely be making some moves, meaning I could topple Stephanie and rescue Iris then.

But what about Camilla?

My head was starting to ache. Would I really be able to pull this off?

“…Yes. I’m okay. I’m fine now, God.”

While I was pondering, I heard Hoyun’s voice quietly talking to someone. But given that there was no one around, I was puzzled for a moment before noticing a very thin thread of magic connecting her to something.

In that instant, something sparked in my mind.

Perhaps I might find a way to topple Stephanie after all.

But this wasn’t a topic to bring up just yet. She seemed to have meant it as a solitary remark. If I insisted on that, Hoyun wouldn’t appreciate it either.

As for Camilla… I’d have to consult Anya for a separate meet-up. Apart from utilizing my connection with Anya to arrange a private meeting with Camilla, I simply couldn’t think of another way to connect with her.

“…Oh. I feel like it’s getting better.”

“Really? That’s great. Then let’s head back to the dining hall…”

“Just a little longer. Let’s stay here.”

She suggested going back, but since she hadn’t eaten much compared to her usual intake, she wanted to remain where we were.

Ah, she wasn’t ready yet.

After waiting for her to gather herself, when she finally said she was ready, we went back to the dining hall, only to find it closed.

Breakfast had ended.

“…Sorry, I guess I took too long.”

“Anya. I’m actually sorry for dragging you away suddenly.”

I should’ve taken her somewhere with a bit of a crowd inside the restaurant instead of bringing her to a completely deserted spot outside.

As we exchanged apologies, Anya approached, appearing as if she had shaken off all of her followers from a distance.

Though I couldn’t see her details because of the situation, Anya’s dress also had quite a high level of exposure.

Truly impressive.

“…Lady Hoyun. I’m sorry about before… um. I got too excited and forgot to explain who Lady Hoyun is…”

Realizing she’d done something wrong, Anya immediately returned to apologize upon spotting us.

“…It’s fine. Everyone makes mistakes. However, it might be tough to eat with your group.”

“Is that so…”

Anya accepted Hoyun’s statement with a gloomy expression. But that was only for a moment; soon, she regained her energy and delivered further news to us.

“Still… are you going to join the ballroom during lunch? There might be a lot going on until the evening… but, in essence, that’s the highlight of this party.”

A ballroom, huh? That’s something to look forward to.