An Ominous Beginning
The footsteps echoing down the hallway were hurried. I was currently heading toward the reception room. A broadcast had announced that a visitor had arrived and requested my presence. Naturally, that visitor was Isis and Regina.
What the hell do they want?
I mulled it over, but I couldn’t recall any event like this in the original story. Just where, and what kind of variable, had triggered this change? Something was beginning to shift without my knowledge. In a situation like this, there was only one possibility that came to mind.
A transmigrator has intervened.
They probably didn’t know my true identity. It was almost certain that a transmigrator hovering around Isis had taken some kind of action, and this visit was the result of its influence.
Don’t tell me it’s the imperial princess?
I couldn’t be sure yet, but if Regina Solias was the transmigrator, things would become extremely troublesome. It would be fortunate if she had a moderate personality, but if her goals were the complete opposite of mine, conflict would be inevitable. I prayed that wasn’t the case.
Lost in thought, I arrived in front of the reception room. Without knocking—like the arrogant bastard I was supposed to be—I threw the door open. When I met with Scadia, I had kicked the door open with gusto, but that was only possible inside the mansion. Doing that here would bring a massive backlash. A scoundrel was still just a scoundrel; I wasn’t a brain-dead idiot who couldn’t tell shit from piss.
Inside the reception room, Isis and Regina sat side by side, enjoying tea and snacks. My eyes met Isis’s.
“Ah… Luan.”
The usual dignified aura was gone. Isis looked visibly restless. I walked over with a calm expression and sat down across from them.
“What brings you here?”
At my blunt question, Isis’s shoulders flinched. Her fingers carefully traced the rim of her teacup. Their relationship had always been like this. Ever since Luan Priulri’s inferiority complex had begun to explode, they avoided speaking unless absolutely necessary. Of course, that was only one side’s intention. Isis herself was different.
“…Have you been well?”
After a long moment of hesitation, the words that finally left her mouth were a question about my well-being.
“And if I haven’t? What would you do then?”
“…If there’s anything I can help with, I’d like you to tell me.”
“Is that so? Then never mind. Let’s stop with the pointless chatter. Answer my question. Why did you come?”
At my thorough rejection, Isis’s face darkened slightly. On the other hand, the smile on Regina’s face, seated beside her, grew even deeper. It was incredibly ominous.
Why the hell did this bitch tag along?
In the game, she had always stuck to Isis like glue, but I never expected her to follow all the way here. For Isis to confide such a sensitive matter, her trust in Regina must be immense.
I refocused on Isis.
“I came because I wanted to hear how your day went. I hope you’re enjoying your time at the academy. Have you made any friends?”
“…Did you really come all this way for something like that?”
“…….”
Isis pressed her lips tightly together. The transparent silver of her eyes trembled faintly, as if she had received a significant shock from me dismissing her purpose so casually. Seeing that stirred a slight pang of guilt in me, but I ignored it.
“It’s true, then. In that case, there’s no need for you to visit again. Not seeing you is the best thing for me. That’s how you can help. Understood?”
“Luan…”
“If the conversation is over, I’ll be leaving.”
I stood up, turned my back on them without a second glance, and left the reception room.
This leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.
Thinking of Isis’s dejected face made even me feel depressed. If I were truly Luan Priulri, this was exactly how I would have acted. From the perspective of someone whose identity must remain hidden, having a long conversation with Isis was dangerous. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had been too harsh.
Well, it can’t be helped.
The moment she learned the truth, her attitude would change completely. I had no choice but to continue deceiving Isis.
After Luan left, a heavy silence fell over the reception room. Regina, who had been watching Isis, finally spoke.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah, Your Highness the Princess. I’m fine. I’m just a little disappointed. I thought that once we were at the academy, Luan and I might be able to get along. It seems it was only my delusion.”
Isis smiled bitterly. Regina thought this wasn’t such a bad development and grumbled in a deliberately petulant tone.
“That’s a relief, then. But how long are you going to keep calling me that? I told you to call me by my name comfortably.”
“But how could I address Her Highness the Princess so casually…”
“You’re wonderful in every way, Isis, but this part of you is so frustrating. Are you going to keep doing this? Is our relationship really only at that level? I thought we’d grown quite close over the past year, but maybe I was wrong. Sigh…”
Regina exaggerated her disappointment, openly appealing to her. Isis, who had a rather soft heart, couldn’t help but waver. In the end, she accepted the suggestion.
“…Understood. Then I’ll call you Lady Regina. Is that acceptable?”
“I’d prefer you drop the ‘Lady’ entirely, but that might still be too much for now. Fine. From now on, call me that.”
“Yes, Lady Regina. Then shall we return to the student council room? His Highness the Crown Prince must be waiting.”
Isis rose from the sofa. Regina stood up as well and immediately pressed close to her side.
“Yep! Isis. Can I link arms with you?”
“Huh? That’s…”
“Come on, why not? Aren’t we closer now? This much should be fine, right? Or am I wrong?”
“…….”
“I’ll take that as permission. Thank you!”
Twisting the silence into consent, Regina slipped Isis’s arm into the deep valley of her ample breasts. Isis’s body stiffened instantly. Even between women, this level of physical contact was impossible to ignore. Especially since women, unlike men, could feel sexual desire toward the same sex as well.
Regina grew excited by the reaction and subtly rubbed her chest against Isis’s arm.
Big brother’s help came in handy this time.
Was it two days ago? He had suddenly recommended a book on human psychology, saying I should read it. It contained methods for subtly guiding people. She had casually applied those techniques to nudge Isis, and sure enough, Isis had immediately gone to see Luan Priulri. And the result was exactly what she was seeing now.
She felt a little sorry for Isis, but thanks to that, she had managed to close the distance between them significantly. She was satisfied.
Finally, I can see a glimmer of hope.
Six years ago, at the founding anniversary party where they first met, Regina had fallen for Isis at first sight. She had tried everything to grow closer, but with little success. Only after enrolling in the academy had she finally managed to become friends. But she had no intention of stopping there. Regina wanted something far beyond friendship.
Isis. You’re mine.
She had no plans to give up. Not even a little.
This was the gymnasium. From morning onward, students had changed into their gym uniforms and gathered here for close-quarters combat class. As a side note, mages like Deborah and Yuni had moved to a different classroom to attend a lecture on mana attribute enhancement.
Anyway, that wasn’t the important part.
They’re still doing this.
The close-quarters combat class was a joint lesson, meaning Class 3 was paired with Class 6. In other words, there were four people here worth paying special attention to. The protagonist Abel went without saying, the suspected transmigrator Pernia was present, and finally, Alissa—the one currently occupying most of my attention—was also here.
I glanced at Alissa, who stood like a doll with no expression whatsoever, and made a languid face. I had expected a joint class, but I never imagined Alissa would still be completely unrecovered. It seemed the shock had been massive.
Well, of course. Once someone realized they couldn’t take any revenge on the trash who had raped them, anyone would fall into helplessness. It looked like I had no choice but to use that method.
While I was considering my plan, all the students had gathered, and Sara began the lesson.
“Alright. Everyone’s here? I’ll only explain once, so listen carefully. Close-quarters combat will focus primarily on practical application. You’ll watch my demonstration and then practice it through sparring. We’ll pair up into teams of two, mixing one student from Class 3 with one from Class 6. That way, you can practice techniques on each other without hesitation. Any questions?”
Several hands naturally shot up.
“Yes. You there, Orland? Go ahead.”
“Thank you, Professor. How exactly will the pairs be decided? Is it completely random? Or can we choose our own partners?”
“Hmm… Got a particular girl in mind, do you? To answer your question, it’s the latter. You’ll form your own pairs. You’re not children; I don’t need to hold your hands. Next. Rachel.”
After several more questions, when no hands remained, Sara clapped her hands sharply.
Clap!
“Then disperse and form your pairs. I’ll give you ten minutes. Get moving!”
At her signal, the students scattered in search of partners. I joined the movement as well.
“Lady Alissa, would you like to pair with me?”
“Even if I look like this, I ranked in the top twenty on the exam. How about pairing with me?”
The temporary class representative of Class 6, Alissa, was surrounded by five students. They all wanted to pair with the girl ranked sixth overall to improve themselves further. In contrast, Alissa didn’t seem to care at all; she didn’t even offer a single reply.
Her attitude only changed the moment I entered her field of vision.
“Ah! Young Master Luan Priulri?”
“No way, with Lady Alissa?”
“Now that I think about it, those two fought during the exam…”
The incident from the exam had already spread like wildfire. The students, who had roughly guessed the relationship between me and Alissa, slowly backed away. Alissa stared at me with an expression of disbelief.
“How about we form a pair?”
“You? With me?”
“Yeah. What do you say? It’s a perfectly legal chance to beat the shit out of me.”
At that moment, a spark of life flashed in Alissa’s eyes. The helplessness that had consumed her was pushed aside, replaced by burning rage.
Just as I thought. This is the right approach.
Humans live because they have hope. A single ray of light descending into absolute darkness creates the will to keep living. If letting Alissa beat me could manage her stress, I was willing to endure it. The only question was whether I could survive her blows…
At least I won’t die.
There were plenty of other students around, and Sara was watching. They wouldn’t just stand by. Even if I ended up a bloody mess, they would at least save my life. The church would heal my wounds. As long as my mind remained intact, I’d be fine.
In the meantime, Alissa, having shaken off her helplessness, revealed deep suspicion.
“What the hell are you scheming?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“Bullshit. You definitely have some ulterior motive.”
“So are you going to refuse? An opportunity like this won’t come again. If you don’t want to, just say so. I don’t care.”
In truth, I cared a hell of a lot, but I turned away as if I didn’t have the slightest lingering attachment. Before I could even take three steps—
“Wait.”
Alissa stopped me. When I turned back to face her, I answered in an annoyed tone.
“Why? Changed your mind?”
“…Promise me one thing.”
“Speak.”
“That you won’t hold a grudge over this. You can’t go spreading rumors after I beat you up.”
“Sure. I never planned on doing that from the start.”
And so, Alissa and I became a pair.