Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: End of the Second Semester
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Thanks to all sorts of events piling up, the second semester at the Royal Academy had flown by before anyone knew it.
It had already been a full year since Elena enrolled.
Of course, considering the influence she'd wielded since entering the Academy, it was astonishing that it had only been a year.
With her natural affability, she'd already built rapport with the major noble ladies, and the lower noble ladies—or girls like Lucia—were practically her devoted followers.
Her reputation within the Student Council went without saying. Led by my brother Orpheus, every member agreed there was no one more fitting to be my fiancée than Elena.
'I absolutely refuse to give her up.'
If I let a woman like Elena slip away, I'd regret it for the rest of my life. No one in the world could compare to her worth.
Fortunately, thanks to her subtle reactions recently, I'd gotten a feel for how to make her aware of me.
"Elena, your hair's come loose."
"...You're right. Thank you for telling me, Your Highness Prince Cedric."
"I'll tie it back for you, so turn around."
"I appreciate the offer, but I can manage this much on my own..."
"I want to do it."
"......"
During swordsmanship class, I'd deliberately tie her loosened hair myself. (She scolded me later for doing something so unnecessary.)
"So in the original story, this is when you and Lucia start wandering around outside the Academy..."
-Clatter, clatter!
"Watch out, Elena."
-Whoosh!
"Eek?!"
"S-Sorry, Your Highness! That guy just happened to escape..."
"Fine. Make sure he doesn't get away next time."
In sudden accidents, I'd exaggeratedly pull her into my arms. (She got mad later, saying she could have dodged without that.)
-Crunch.
"Oh, this is good. Did you buy this from the patisserie in front of the Academy too?"
"I did get it from there, but it's not something they sell. I shared a palace recipe with the owner and asked him to make it specially."
"Ah, that explains the familiar taste. It's similar to what we had at the palace."
"I'm glad you like it."
"But custom-made stuff must be pricey, right? Oh, but you're a prince, so money's no object?"
"The royal family isn't so impoverished that we can't afford that, Elena."
"Well, in that case, no problem."
I'd even specially requested the cookies she loved from her palace days to be made at the shop near the Academy. (She even asked for more later.)
Anyway, whenever the opportunity arose, I made sure not to miss a chance to show my affection. Though Elena said she hated it on the surface, her expressions always betrayed that it wasn't entirely unpleasant.
'Maybe she's still grappling with her identity—between the man she used to be and who she is now.'
I didn't know exactly how many years she'd lived in her previous life, but she'd spent a considerable time as Elena by now.
The most important thing was to give her even a small nudge toward recognizing herself as a 'woman.' If I positioned myself as the most attractive man around her then, winning her heart wouldn't be impossible.
Of course, "attractive" was defined by Elena's standards, which made it tricky. But undeniably, I understood her best at this point.
"Phew~. Finally done~."
After finishing the Student Council's last tasks for the semester, Orpheus stretched and stood up.
Lady Grabel rose silently alongside him without a word.
"Great work this year, brother."
"You too, Cedric. This year felt much easier than last, thanks to Lady Rozier. Good job working with my little brother, Lady Rozier~."
"......"
-Snore, snore.
"...Aigoo, she must be exhausted."
Elena had dozed off at the accounting desk, eventually collapsing face-first onto it.
I could understand her fatigue. The end-of-semester settlements had been especially demanding this time.
Even an iron lady like Elena hadn't slept properly for days due to the backlog.
"Brother, you and Lady Grabel go ahead. I'll take Elena when she wakes up."
"Sure~. Lisia, shall we head out first?"
"......"
-Nod.
"From tomorrow, we can relax a bit... maybe step out of the Academy during the day..."
I sent off Orpheus and his fiancée first as they casually planned their date.
"I'll head out too, Your Highness."
"Good work, Esbaren."
"Th-Thank you for your hard work this year, Your Highness. Please tell Elena the same!"
"Will do. Good night, Lucia."
Once the other Student Council members left, only Elena and I remained in the room.
It was usually bustling with people, but alone with her, it felt strangely empty.
-Snore, snore.
"Mm.... Yawn~."
"......"
Really, why is she so adorable? I see her sleeping face every morning, yet...
-Poke.
"Mmmph...."
Poking her sleeping cheek with my finger made her brow furrow slightly.
Even these little things made my heart race, proving she meant more to me than just a fiancée.
'From tomorrow, back to the palace, huh.'
This would probably be the last morning waking up in the same room as Elena this year. At the palace, we'd have separate quarters.
On the plus side, we wouldn't have to worry about prying eyes for sword practice or magic spars.
-Poke.
"Mmmph... Huh?"
Lost in thought while watching her sleeping face, she let out a tentative groan as if stirring awake.
I withdrew my finger as if nothing had happened and greeted her casually.
"Sleep well, Elena?"
"...Where did everyone else go?"
"They went ahead. You fell asleep alone."
"Oh, really? It's the last day of the year, and I couldn't even say proper goodbyes... yawn~."
She stood, letting out a massive yawn—quite unladylike in front of her fiancé—then stretched like a cat before gathering her things to leave.
"How long was I out? Thirty minutes?"
"Judging by the time, about an hour after everyone left."
"...I must've been freaking exhausted. You should've just gone ahead."
"Leaving my fiancée behind would be rude, no matter what."
"Fair enough. Rumors could hurt your approval ratings otherwise."
Stepping outside the Academy building, the evening sunset illuminated Elena's face.
Her cheeks seemed a touch rosier in the glow as we made our way back for the last time as first-years.
'Well, that wraps up the first-year story, more or less...'
I hadn't fully realized it walking back with Cedric earlier, but soaking in the dormitory bath now, I finally felt relieved.
There were still three years until Lucia's graduation—and the ending—but I'd have to tough it out a bit longer. Still, looking at the kids' growth, I probably wouldn't need to step in personally for monster subjugation events like before.
Pairing Orpheus and Lisia quickly was definitely the right call. Without romantic stress, Lisia was subtly focusing more on her studies.
Orpheus still had that playboy vibe like in the original, but he was basically her mental support character anyway, so he was fine as is.
'Amelie and Theodor seem to be progressing nicely too.'
If anything, Lucia hadn't shown interest in any guys yet... but no need to micromanage that far.
In the game, her affection wouldn't rise without diligently participating in events regardless. The in-game 'Lucia' not pursuing any route wasn't unusual.
Or... maybe she was aiming for the Rinel route and holding back. She'd only meet him properly in a few months anyway.
Perhaps that's why she was warmer to me than in the original—unlike the original Elena, I wasn't on bad terms with Rinel here. Buttering me up couldn't hurt.
If Lucia was after Rinel, supporting them depending on the situation might work. I'd have to ask Rinel's opinion first, though.
-Splash, splash.
"Ughhh, oof~~!!"
...Man, these moments still catch me off guard.
I thought I'd gotten used to this woman's body, but bathing like this reminds me it's a naked woman below the neck, and the feeling turns weird.
No way back to the original world anyway, and honestly, I don't particularly want to go.
Living a second life as a resident of this game world isn't so bad. ...It's just that it's Elena's body that complicates my head.
Whether to commit to living as a woman, or live freely without being bound by male or female...
...For now, I'm leaning toward the latter. I never seriously thought about dating or marriage even as a guy.
'Romance and marriage require a partner, after all.'
Some guys at the Academy ogle me outright, but they're all such kids.
I don't want to hunt for older nobles who might click mentally, and commoners are out from the start due to education gaps.
Among Elena's peers, Cedric's probably the best. Smart and mature from the get-go, as per his character design.
Having known him longest, we've built some bond. Not romantic, more like family.
'But... still, it's awkward.'
If I'd committed to acting fully female from the start, maybe. But I'd already spilled everything about being a guy; no point now.
We entered the engagement with dissolution in mind from the beginning, and Cedric wouldn't want a woman who flips her words on a whim.
This current dynamic is perfect: friendship beyond gender, someone to confide in, more like comrades or family than lovers.
...If we can keep it this way until we part, that'll be enough.