The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

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“You certainly are something… I was starting to think it was time for me to get bored. Or do you really think my feelings would change even a little?”

Camilla shot her sharp tongue at me with the same cold expression as always. It was impressive how she could throw a different insult with the same look each time we met, but she hadn’t changed at all.

In the end, not experiencing that one event had led to this.

I thought I could manage somehow. But it seems, as she said, that was just my delusion.

“…Sigh. She’s starting to look a bit pitiful too. To be captivated by someone like you. You know, about that affection you’ve shown… let me give you one last piece of advice.”

The image of her pinching her brow in frustration and delivering her icy words still lingered vividly in my mind.

“Take good care of what you have, you moron. Don’t reach for more than you deserve. Haven’t you ever thought that what you’ve been given is already more than you deserve?”

Stop babbling before you lose Yoonho. It’s already a miracle that she’s sticking with you at all.

…Thinking about it, she wasn’t wrong.

There was never any reason for her to have feelings for me. I had thought of her as a threat that I needed to eliminate at first.

Honestly, I still didn’t understand why she was so obsessed with me. Is it really because I’m her first friend?

It didn’t feel like a friend’s attitude anymore.

“Do you know? If I were her, I would have punched you in the face or locked you up immediately. Goodness, you really are something. To make someone like her stand by your side.”

I was walking away from the academy, feeling lonely, unable to retort against her chilling remark that seemed to tell me to disappear right then and there.

I mulled over Camilla’s words again. Don’t reach out for what you don’t deserve. It’s a miracle that Yoonho is even with you.

Every word she spoke was packed with malice and reproach, but it seemed that she had developed a semblance of fondness over time.

Now it seemed she had shaken that off too. More importantly…

Yoonho. Maybe, according to her, I don’t deserve someone like Yoonho at all. Given her origin as well. There could be someone better out there.

Perhaps the idea of using her as an escape pod was a foolish notion. Messing everything up and just enjoying myself… isn’t that too irresponsible?

But then again, I didn’t have any obligation to sink with this continent either. I was just about to fall into a trap, thinking it wouldn’t end like a ouroboros.

“Oh, there… Dokan. Fancy meeting you here…?”

“Anya, and Eric…? Have you been to some festival or gathering? You’re all dressed up.”

It wasn’t that they didn’t fit the polished look since they usually didn’t adorn themselves at all. Eric seemed a bit odd, though.

I was just curious why they were dressed up. For her to be fully made up, there must have been someone significant to meet. Who on earth would warrant that kind of effort?

I remembered she had looked that good when meeting the protagonist too, but she hadn’t been that polished even when meeting the crown prince.

…Wait a minute. Could it be?

“Uh, right? It’s a party… after all. Right, Eric?”

Watching her poke Eric with her elbow to hurry up and play along made me think she was right, but the atmosphere between them felt different.

I clearly heard they claimed to be in a fake relationship, but they looked like a real couple right now.

“Er, yes. It’s definitely a party. Ahem!”

When they said they were in a fake relationship, I hadn’t noticed, but now looking closely, there was a strange tension between them.

No way. I wanted to think that but every step and breath negated my guess.

“So… can I just go now…? It’s a bit cold! Yes, cold.”

The excuse was so clumsy it was embarrassing to listen to. There was no way she, who could withstand the northern chill, would be shivering over this little cold.

She was someone who walked around lightly dressed even in the north in the original work. This was barely as warm as a spring breeze.

“…Yes. You should go inside now. What a coincidence to meet here.”

But I didn’t have the confidence to stop them. Even trying to do so, Camilla’s words echoed in my ears.

“Take good care of what you have, you moron.”

“Goodbye, Dokan. Have a good night!”

For some reason, they were headed to the same place rather than their own dorms, so I could guess what they were up to.

If I let them go like this, the happy ending would be out of reach.

…I turned my steps toward the dorm. After all, it was never something I could do.

Maybe it was the author who spoke to me when I reincarnated; that existence had never said a word to me apart from that one time.

There was no way I could face up to someone who could twist the heavens with just a few gestures for merely flirting with a few girls.

So the author must have been lying, or maybe the author’s words in this world didn’t matter at all.

I wanted to think of it that way, for if not, I wouldn’t be able to bear the choices I was about to make.

I knocked on Yoonho’s door as I passed by my room. I realized she had been to my room many times, but I couldn’t recall ever visiting her room.

She always came to my room unilaterally. Thanks to that, I had to take care of a cat too.

Just as a side note, Yoonho had grown enormous. She had become so plump it was delightful to poke her.

Well, I guess that’s irrelevant now. After waiting a moment, I heard Yoonho’s voice from inside.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

“…Oh, wait a second!”

The intimidating voice from earlier seemed like a disguise, and I could clearly visualize her flustered response upon hearing my voice.

What does her room look like? And how does she usually spend her time? I was curious and thought how cute she was.

She had become a bit scary recently, but Yoonho was still Yoonho. Perhaps if I had only focused on her from the beginning, she wouldn’t have become scary.

Yeah, if that were the case, maybe I could have requested her to delay the invasion based on that connection. I should have been more prudent.

I must have been blinded by the position of “protagonist.” This was all I could manage.

“…I’m ready, come in!”

Sometimes it seemed like she didn’t even realize what abilities she possessed. She had a habit of judging everything by her own standards.

Just like now. I felt like she didn’t realize that without her all-purpose key, I couldn’t open the door.

“Yoonho, this won’t open. I think you need to let me in.”

“Ah… Sorry!”

It wasn’t something I disliked. I just wished she would understand. Most people aren’t as talented as you are.

“…Sorry, did I make you wait long…?”

When I stepped into Yoonho’s room, it looked like somewhere well-off.

Unlike my room, the furniture looked expensive, and I noticed a lot of golden decorations around. It felt like a room you’d find in an eastern-style palace.

She was from the royal family of that eastern-style country, so it was no surprise.

One regret was the pile of clothes carelessly draped over a chair. Everything else seemed tidy, but the clothes didn’t look like it.

Even she found it tedious to organize her clothes, huh?

“No, not at all. What have you been doing?”

“I was, um, trying to write in my diary… Ah, I didn’t mean to disturb you! It wasn’t flowing well anyway…”

“Really? Then I’m glad.”

It seemed like I had already interrupted her. But since she said it was fine, I guess it didn’t matter. By the way, Yoonho’s outfit caught my attention.

She wasn’t wearing the academy uniform like usual but something I had never seen before.

“By the way, Yoonho, did Anya buy that outfit for you?”

“Huh? This…? No. It’s civilian clothes that my mother made for me… How do you like it…?”

Who would say something bad if she said that? But I felt like she didn’t need to clarify that fact.

The white base with black and gold blended nicely, and the sleeveless part was modest enough that I couldn’t understand why she hadn’t worn it until now.

The outerwear had a black fur collar that looked suitable for wearing comfortably until autumn, it was a splendid outfit.

Her figure showing through the outfit left me with nowhere to look. But that was more about Yoonho than the clothes.

“…It looks beautiful. Why have you been neglecting to wear something like this?”

“Y-Yes, really? Yes, I guess so…! My mother made it herself!”

As she praised her parents for a while, she soon realized that I hadn’t answered her earlier question and became flustered.

“Ah, sorry. I got a bit excited… As for why I didn’t wear it, um, it stands out….”

“But you stand out even without it.”

I wasn’t joking; I was serious. She was not someone who could conceal herself either by status or appearance. Truly, I had never seen someone whose natural personality didn’t match like this.

“Eh…?”

But it seemed Yoonho took it somewhat differently.

“W-Why would you say something like that all of a sudden…? Do you think I would forgive you…?!”

What on earth was she talking about all of a sudden?