Chapter 109

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 108

Chapter Title: Surviving the Academy (4)

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- Rattle, rattle...

The broken locker in the changing room began to shake and rattle.

"Ah, it won't open?"

"P-Put a little more strength into it!"

"H-Hng...!"

It was because a female student who had approached right in front of it was putting all her effort into trying to open it, her face cold with determination.

'I did lock the locker for now, but...'

Fortunately, before the locker could swing wide open, Kairen had dyed his eyes red and begun pulling the door inward. But that didn't mean the situation was resolved.

'Getting caught is only a matter of time.'

If the female students called for someone like this, it would be impossible to avoid nasty rumors spreading.

"Crown Prince."

"......"

"Is there no way?"

Thanks to that, Kairen, who had been breaking out in a cold sweat, turned his head toward Crown Prince Alverion with a sliver of hope.

"...It's not that there's no way."

Alverion pondered for a moment before quietly shaking her head.

"But using that method would put you in a tough spot."

In truth, whether Kairen or Alverion used the "Imperial Dawn," they could escape this crisis.

But the problem was that neither believed the other could use that ability.

"So..."

Alverion pondered once more, then suddenly hardened her expression and took a deep breath.

"It should be me stepping up here, since I have nothing to lose."

And right after she said that.

- Crash!

The broken locker burst open with a loud bang.

"Eek!?"

"Kyaa!?"

"Ah!?"

The female students screamed in surprise at the sudden turn of events, their faces going blank.

"Y-Yes. It's me!"

"......"

"I was the one peeking at you all from inside here!"

Alverion, the Crown Prince they had been fervently cursing just moments ago, was scratching her head and raising her voice.

"Sorry about this!"

Naturally, the female students' faces turned deathly pale as they backed away, muttering in trembling voices.

"The worst..."

"U-Ugh..."

"No way..."

And at those voices, Alverion, who had mustered her courage, flinched and began sweating coldly.

- Swish...

At that exact moment, Kairen's hand shot out from inside the locker and touched Alverion's back.

"...Hm?"

"...Huh?"

"...What."

A few seconds later, the situation abruptly changed.

"D-Did I see wrong?"

"I thought it was that guy... but it's a girl."

"J-Just a perverted female student, then?"

The female students, who had turned pale upon spotting Alverion and backed away, suddenly stopped and muttered in confusion.

"You, how can you have any sense in your..."

"Shh, quiet. Let's just pretend we didn't see."

"Yeah, yeah. Definitely a senior who lost her mind from exam stress..."

"...Poor thing."

They all glared uniformly at Alverion, who was staring blankly ahead, then quickly averted their eyes and hurried toward the hot springs.

"Hm?"

Alverion, who had watched them with a puzzled expression, turned to Kairen, who had reached out from behind, and opened her mouth with a bright smile.

"My friend."

"......"

"Looks like it all worked out well!"

But unlike Alverion, Kairen's expression had grown extremely serious.

"No."

He had tried neutralizing it with his red eyes' unique ability, suspecting the disconnect might be due to a curse, and realized one terrifying fact.

"Now we have a mountain of problems to solve."

A powerful curse afflicted Crown Prince Alverion—one that twisted not only her own perception but also that of those around her, unless one was immune like Kairen.

"But, my friend. A mountain of problems to solve?"

"......"

"What do you mean by that?"

As Kairen and Alverion left the hot springs and headed toward the academy dorms, Alverion suddenly turned her head and asked.

And right after, a chilling message followed Alverion's gaze.

"Anyway, everything's resolved, so isn't that good!"

"......"

"Don't make such a serious face!"

Alverion ignored the message quite naturally and flashed Kairen her usual confident smile.

But as the message persistently followed her gaze and updated rapidly, her expression involuntarily stiffened.

She stopped walking for a moment, staring blankly as she read the message before her eyes.

"Crown Prince."

"Eek."

"What are you doing?"

But only for a moment. When Kairen, walking beside her, asked, Alverion flinched and averted her gaze.

"Is something strange happening, by any chance?"

"...It's nothing."

After a brief anxious expression, she quickly changed her face and lifted the corners of her mouth again.

"Anyway, that proves my innocence, right?"

"......"

"I'm clearly a man, and I don't have any impure tattoos!"

Her usual lively voice was leaking out once more.

"So, I'll take my leave now."

"......"

"I want to rest in my room a bit..."

But as she continued speaking, her voice began to tremble uncontrollably.

"......"

As if painfully aware of it herself, after finishing her words, Alverion hurriedly entered Dormitory A.

"...Ugh."

The moment Kairen was out of sight, she broke out in cold sweat all over her body and trembled. Finally reaching her room, she mustered her last strength to open the door and enter.

"Ugh, uh... ugh..."

She collapsed in front of the door, and before her eyes appeared the now blatantly direct message.

Gritting her teeth and lowering her gaze, Alverion was overwhelmed by the multitude of words floating above her head, her body shuddering.

In that state, she frantically groped around the floor.

"...Haha."

She picked up a syringe needle scattered haphazardly on the floor, and finally relaxed with a relieved expression, murmuring softly.

"Looks like I need to sleep a little deeper this time."

In front of her, numerous used syringe needles lay scattered, stained with blood.

"Haa..."

Alverion, holding the syringe needle, brought it to her thigh with a somewhat dazed expression.

- Swish...

Expecting the familiar pain and the short peace that would follow, she closed her eyes tightly.

"So that's how you manipulate people..."

"...!?"

"The true nature of the Black Heart... so this is it."

A cold voice suddenly came from behind her at that moment.

"Ka-Kairen?"

Alverion's eyes snapped open as she whipped her head around, paling upon belatedly spotting Kairen who had forced the door open with his red eyes' superhuman strength and entered the room.

"I-I..."

"It's okay."

Alverion frantically hid the syringe behind her back and tried to open her mouth in panic, but Kairen was already right in front of her.

"......"

In that situation, a brief silence ensued.

"Kairen..."

"......"

"How about we stop the friend play now?"

In the silence, Alverion weakly lifted her head and spoke with a bitter smile.

"A good kid like you doesn't suit a wretch like me."

"......"

"Being friends with the world's notorious playboy—who's clueless, talentless, ignorant, and a drug addict—won't do you any good."

Tears were now falling from Alverion's eyes as she said that.

"So..."

But even as she spoke, she resisted the command floating before her eyes.

- Swish...

Suddenly, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"......"

It was because Kairen, with a faint smile, sat in front of her, took her hands, and placed them on his own throat.

"...Kairen?"

Seeing that, Alverion stared blankly for a moment.

"It's okay."

The warmth from Kairen's small hands made hers tremble uncontrollably, and her eyes momentarily darkened.

"Kairen is tougher than he looks."

And after a brief silence.

"...Sorry, but."

In the silence, after trembling and biting her lips repeatedly, Alverion's hands fell limply downward.

"Even so, that's a bit much."

She spoke with a bitter smile.

"My blood carries the blood of heroes, after all."

"......"

"Not the kind that demands strangling a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠12-year-old kid."

Right after those words, Kairen's eyes turned red.

"...That's exactly it."

What entered Kairen's red-tinted vision was the black heart that had vividly appeared on her chest.

"You keep belittling yourself..."

The black heart began to fade, enveloped by Kairen's red energy.

"...You can't hide that noble nature in the end."

The next moment, a red flash brilliantly illuminated Crown Prince Alverion's room.

"...What?"

Meanwhile, at that time. Academy Dormitory C.

"Big Sis's curse has been lifted...?"

The Second Prince, who occupied the largest room alone, broke out in cold sweat and jumped to his feet.

"...Why?"

His gaze was fixed on the mirror, where a woman in a familiar hooded cloak was reflected.

"I can hardly believe it either..."

"...No way."

"Kairen's system seems somewhat incompatible with mine."

She glared at the Second Prince with irritated eyes as she answered, then added in a cold voice.

"...Well, if he's my favorite, he'd naturally handle that much."