Chapter 46: Imperial Princess Getting Belly Punched (1)[R-18]
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 46: Imperial Princess Getting Belly Punched (1)[R-18]
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The Gallery wouldn't open.
But right now, the Gallery wasn't the priority.
‘...Don’t be nervous. Just act natural.’
I steeled my resolve and opened the classroom door.
“Oh my! I~an~.”
The sight of Evelyn beaming at me the moment I took my seat sent a chill down my spine.
“Hey, Evelyn.”
“Yep! Hey there, Ian. Here, take this. Someone came by and left it yesterday.”
Slide—
What Evelyn handed over was, predictably, my student ID.
“Ian. That student ID... I wonder who gave it back?”
“...Who knows?”
“It was handed over personally by none other than Lady Yuris, the candidate for the next Saintess.”
“What?! Lady Yuris!! Seriously? How? Why?”
I bolted upright, desperately putting on the performance of a lifetime.
“Huh? ...Hmmmm?”
Success!
The hours I spent practicing in front of the mirror all night had paid off.
The acting seemed to work; Evelyn tilted her head with a look that said, ‘Wait, this isn't the reaction I expected.’
“Ha... Hey, Ian. Honestly, spill it. What were you doing that made you skip the Academy yesterday?”
“I didn't do anything. I was just tired, so I took the day off.”
“Don't give me that. I know you. Are you really the type of person to skip the Academy just because you're ‘tired’?”
Evelyn narrowed her eyes, pressing for answers, but her level of suspicion had clearly dropped.
“I’m serious... Besides, it’s only natural to be tired. I’ve been using a lot of physical energy lately. You should know that better than anyone, right?”
“Ugh...!!”
As expected of Evelyn—Attack Power 3000, Defense 0—she flushed crimson at my light counterattack.
I didn't miss the opening and pressed further.
“More importantly, Evelyn, there’s something I’m curious about too.”
“...What is it?”
“Come closer.”
“Geez... What kind of nonsense are you going to say now?”
Despite her grumbling, she leaned her ear toward me. I couldn't help but let out a small smirk.
Whisper, whisper—
“Y-y-you!!... You crazy bastard!!... What the hell are you asking first thing in the morning!!... Did you go into h-heat just because we didn't do it for one day?!”
Surprisingly, Evelyn displayed the rare spectacle of shouting in a tiny, hushed voice.
“So, you’re not going to tell me?”
“I’m not!!”
“Really...?”
“I said I’m not telling!!”
“...Seriously? Even if I ask like this?”
“Ah!!... Ugh!!... Aaaagh!!... I don't know!!”
Thud!
As if determined never to tell me, Evelyn buried her face in her desk.
‘...Well, I guess the plan was a success.’
It was a shame I didn't get an answer, but diverting Evelyn’s attention was enough.
Just as I was thinking that...
Scritch, scritch—
With her face still buried in her arms, Evelyn used her finger to trace words on my thigh.
[No. 2, Red]
*
April 12th
Click— Clack—
A silver-haired woman, a black coat draped over her shoulders, strode boldly down the hallway.
Even though classes had just ended and the corridor was packed with students heading home...
Parting—!
A path cleared wherever she stepped, as if she were cutting through a snowfield.
Eventually, the silver-haired woman stopped in front of her destination: Class 2-C.
“Excuse me for a moment. Is Ian still here?”
Laplace spoke as she opened the classroom door without a hint of hesitation.
Instantly, the eyes of everyone who hadn't left yet were pinned on Ian.
The Saintess Candidate the day before yesterday, and the Princess today.
Just what on earth had he been doing for such heavyweights to come looking for him?
Of course, the one most shocked among them was Evelyn.
“...Why?”
She could understand Yuris coming for Ian, if she stretched her imagination a hundred times over.
She’d been suspicious because Ian happened to be absent... but since Lady Yuris was so kind, it was possible she really did ‘coincidentally’ pick up the ID and bring it herself.
However...
Lady Laplace was different.
Lady Laplace was not someone who would come all the way here without a definitive reason.
Click— Clack—
“You are Ian, correct?”
The Princess walked right up to my desk, somehow knowing exactly where I sat.
“...That’s right. What can I do for you?”
As I looked up to answer, I saw silver hair that was almost white—the symbol of the Imperial bloodline—and glowing red eyes.
This was the Second Princess, Laplace Mapleflower. Despite her overwhelming popularity, which would have guaranteed her victory in a student council president election, she chose to be the ‘Head of Disciplinary Committee’ because she prioritized upholding ‘Justice.’
“I have a few questions I’d like to ask. I’d like you to accompany me voluntarily.”
“...Me?”
“Yes, you.”
The Princess was expressionless, but in a different way than Estelle.
If Estelle’s expressionlessness was to hide her emotions, the Princess looked like she truly had no interest in the world.
‘What kind of questions?’
While I was wondering what she could possibly want to ask me, Evelyn cut in.
“...W-wait a moment, Lady Laplace.”
“I am currently on official duty. Address me as the Head of Disciplinary Committee.”
“Ugh... Head of Disciplinary Committee... Why are you taking Ian...?”
“Did I not say? I have a few questions. Are you worried I might eat him or something?”
“...It’s not that.”
“Don’t be so tense. It was a joke.”
The Princess didn't even twitch an eyebrow while making the joke.
Creak—
“...If it’s a voluntary accompaniment, he can refuse, right?”
This time, Estelle asked the question.
“Of course. It is ‘voluntary,’ after all.”
“In that case, please leave for today. I’m sorry, but Ian has a prior engagement with m—”
“However, if I have to come back here again, it won't be voluntary.”
“.....”
The Princess, after glancing at Evelyn and Estelle once each, spoke to me again.
“So, I shall ask once more, Ian. Will you come with me?”
“I understand... I’ll go.”
“A wise choice.”
Slide—
As I stood up, Evelyn and Estelle approached me.
“...Ian.”
“....”
“Don’t worry too much. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen? I’ll be back soon.”
I said it to ease their anxiety, but I meant it.
I hadn't done anything wrong, so I had nothing to be intimidated by.
“Then, let’s go.”
*
“Ian, you had sex in the Old School Building, didn't you?”
“....”
The Princess’s question came flying at me the moment I sat down in the Disciplinary Committee office.
“...I don't know what you're talking about.”
“Planning to play dumb? Then let me be more specific. Ian, you had sex with Evelyn Marigold, didn't you?”
“I think you’ve misunderstood something, Head of Disciplinary Committee. Evelyn and I aren't in that kind of relationship; we’re just childhood friends.”
“Is that so? For ‘just friends,’ you two certainly went into the Old School Building together during lunch today.”
Clench—
At the Princess’s words, I squeezed my fists tight.
‘Don’t get sucked in. She has no proof.’
Right, there couldn't be any proof.
If there were, this would have been a ‘Forced Detention’ instead of a ‘Voluntary Accompaniment.’
“I won't deny going into the Old School Building. But we only went there to eat lunch.”
“...Really?”
“Yes. If entering a restricted area is the issue...”
Slide—
The moment I saw the photo the Princess pulled out, I was rendered speechless.
[A photo of a condom box in a trash can]
[A photo of a contraceptive pill bottle in a trash can]
[A photo of a blanket wet in a specific spot]
[A photo of a shower room that had clearly been used]
...
They weren't photos of the actual act, but they were more than enough evidence to imagine the tryst that had taken place.
“I don't need to show you more, do I?”
The Princess continued, waving a camera in front of my eyes.
“For your information, I haven't even printed the photos I took today yet.”
“....”
“I believe all the photos here are evidence that you engaged in sexual acts... What do you think?”
“....”
“Silence after denial? How typical.”
Thump— Thump—
I had to keep the conversation going to buy time to think.
“Why was it a voluntary accompaniment?”
“What?”
“With this much evidence, you could have taken me in by force, couldn't you?”
“Is that statement an admission of the sexual acts?”
“...No, it’s not.”
I could never admit it.
If I admitted it, it was over.
If it were anyone else, maybe, but this person—‘Laplace’—was thoroughly obsessed with ‘Justice.’
“The reason is simple. If I take you in by force, I have to do the same to Evelyn Marigold.”
Laplace continued, twirling her pen with a face that still betrayed no emotion.
“The Marigold family has considerable power, even if they aren't on the level of the Three Primary Colors Families like Redrose, Bluetulip, or Yellow Pansy. The daughter of such a family being expelled from the Sacred Academy due to a scandalous incident... It’s not a very pretty picture.”
“But since I don't have that kind of background, you can expel me without a second thought... Is that it?”
“Think whatever you like.”
“...What do you want from me?”
“I want nothing from you. I simply wish to execute ‘Justice.’”
Slide—
Laplace pushed a sheet of paper toward me.
“It’s a Voluntary Withdrawal Form. I’ve finished filling it out, so you just need to sign.”
“And if I refuse to sign...?”
“Then I will forcibly summon both you and Evelyn, announce the reason for the violation of school regulations, and proceed with the expulsion process.”
“....”
I couldn't let that happen.
If it were just me, fine, but I couldn't let Evelyn get dragged down with me.
“Could you... give me a little time?”
“I’ll give you one day. Come back tomorrow after your classes are over.”
“...Understood.”
Trudge— Trudge—
I felt suffocated.
It felt like being caught in a spiderweb where the more I struggled, the more entangled I became.
‘...I have to... find a way.’
How on earth could I escape this web without harming Evelyn?
I thought desperately, but only one conclusion came to mind.
“Ian!!”
When I turned toward the voice calling my name, I saw Evelyn waving from a carriage window.
“Evelyn? You were waiting?”
“...Never mind that. Just get in.”
“Okay.”
Grip—!
The moment I got into the carriage, Evelyn grabbed my hand and asked in a worried voice.
“...Be honest with me. What happened? It’s nothing serious, right?”
“It’s nothing. She just asked why I was absent the day before yesterday.”
“Hey! Are you joking right now? There’s no way the Head of Disciplinary Committee would personally come find you just for missing one day!! Do you even know how many people Lady Laplace has expelled so far?”
“No... I was surprised too, but apparently someone committed a theft yesterday and their description was similar to mine. But well, I didn't do anything wrong. That’s why I was let go like this.”
The lies I was telling Evelyn kept piling up.
“Really? That’s really all? You’re not lying to me?”
“Of course that’s all.”
“Sigh... Well, that’s a relief then. I got all worked up for nothing... Then, let’s stop by the shopping district for the first time in a while. You haven't been able to go lately because of that Library Club stuff.”
“Sorry. I have things to do today, so I can't. The Head of Disciplinary Committee told me to write down what I did the day before yesterday.”
“Hey... Ian.”
I tried to brush it off lightly, but when I heard her trembling voice, I turned my head.
Evelyn looked like she was on the verge of tears.
“You’re... you’re really okay, right?”
“I told you, I’m fine. Don’t worry, and let’s go after school on Friday. Here, it’s a promise.”
As I made a pinky promise with Evelyn just like we did when we were kids, the carriage arrived in front of my house.
“Then, I’m going. See you tomorrow, Evelyn.”
“Yeah... See you tomorrow, Ian.”
Clop— Clop—
After confirming that the carriage had completely left, I made my decision.
‘I will find it, no matter what.’
To keep my promise to Evelyn...
I had to find Laplace’s weak spot, no matter what.