Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Princess and the Mage (3)
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Let's just go with the flow moderately, sticking to the main storyline.
The day I realized I wasn't some nameless village girl A from Academy's Tenacious Mage, but rather a fairly significant protagonist—a cheat character designed to prevent any bad flags—that was the promise I made to myself.
No matter how much I remember the original story, that's Kyle's tale, not the 'Ashen Witch's'.
Besides, the Ashen Witch and 'me' are practically different people anyway.
Unlike her, a talent-stuffed go-getter who was diligent to boot, I'm lazy and slothful.
Pursuing a life in the Imperial Mage Corps? Ugh. Horrifying.
Which is why perfectly following the original's footsteps is... well, impossible.
No, forget impossible—it's exhausting. I can't do it.
I've already grown accustomed to my limp, laid-back life. Getting diligent again would require resetting my entire existence. And this time, I'd have to wipe my memories clean too.
From the moment I burned that Imperial Mage Corps enlistment recommendation, this worldline got a little twisted.
Well, whatever. I did manage to enter Elterion Academy, so it didn't veer off into some beta worldline, right? Good enough.
Anyway, my current life plan is to handle the major events somehow, stabilize this world on its proper track, graduate from the academy, and then vanish again.
...The problem is, I'm starting to see the original plot beginning to unravel.
The protagonist, Kyle Lowell, doesn't enroll until next year. So I figured I could just slack off and do whatever this year.
But the original events started happening a full year early.
On the small scale, the ghost uproar in the old dorm building.
On the large scale, Senior Estelle's magitech golem going berserk.
Fine, those could be chalked up to handling future tasks ahead of schedule...
"Lunaris! Want to try this one too?"
...But is it really okay that people's personalities—especially the main heroine's—have changed?
Odette had definitely said she'd give me a quick rinse and throw some clothes on me before sending me out.
That was all a lie.
She scrubbed me down like I was prepping for a ball as a noble lady—or like she was washing a blanket.
My whole body felt not just fresh, but practically bleached.
And then she tightly pinned up my hair.
The breeze on my nape was itchier than usual.
Only after armoring me up perfectly did the maids drag me before the princess.
...Did it really have to be this thorough?
A full meal was already laid out on the table where Princess Celestina sat.
A hefty portion for one person.
She's a surprisingly big eater.
Before that thought could slip out, the princess spotted me and let out a soft "waa—" of admiration.
"You look stunning, Lunaris. Why don't you dress up like this normally?"
"Because... it's a hassle."
Spending one or two hours primping every morning is no joke—it's tiring.
Better to sleep in.
I instinctively reached to scratch my hairpin-secured hair when someone smacked my wrist from the side.
"You're a maid right now. Maintain a proper posture, miss."
My temporary boss is strict—really strict.
At that moment, the princess addressed Odette.
"Head maid, you must have work to do. You're free to go."
Odette's eyes flickered subtly.
She glanced anxiously between the princess and me.
"Your Highness, leaving Miss Lunaris here alone feels a bit..."
"It's fine. I have my guards and attendants right here."
With that firm tone, the princess made it clear there was no reason for the head maid or the other Linea Hall maids to stick around.
In the end, Odette bowed reluctantly and withdrew.
"If Miss Lunaris makes you uncomfortable in any way, just call for me."
-Creak, thud.
The moment the door shut and the presence in the hall fully vanished, the princess leaned back in her chair and giggled softly.
"Finally, the awkward one's gone."
"Ahaha..."
I scanned the room.
Guards and imperial attendants lined the walls.
They stood ramrod straight, utterly motionless—like statues.
Was I supposed to stand like that too? I turned toward the wall in that instant.
"Lunaris, what are you doing over there? Sit down."
The princess nodded toward the chair across from her.
"Your seat's right here."
"Even so, a maid sharing a table with her lady is..."
Before I could finish, she grinned mischievously.
"Then this is my first order as your lady: sit across from me and eat together."
This... is an order?
I blinked blankly, and she added,
"Eating alone gets so lonely."
Well, if that's the case, no helping it.
And I'm not one to turn down food anyway.
In the end, I sat across from the princess and naturally dug in.
The food was... not bad.
As a meat-loving glutton who only cares if there's protein to chew, I couldn't appreciate any finer nuances, which was a shame.
As I stuffed my mouth steadily, I felt eyes watching me intently.
Princess Celestina smiled while studying my face, then deboned a fish and portioned some meat onto my plate.
"This is delicious too. Give it a try."
I nodded absently and shoved another bite in.
A savory, subtly sweet flavor spread through my mouth.
"How is it? Good, right?"
"Yeah... not bad."
Not bad at all, but...
This situation felt strangely off.
Awkward, even. And the source was unmistakably Princess Celestina.
She seemed... different from what I remembered.
Of course, compared to last night when she was pale as death and bawling her eyes out, she definitely fit the 'princess senior' archetype now.
But this closeness... it felt dissonant somehow.
Pondering it, the issue lay in our relationship.
Were the Ashen Witch—aka 'me'—and the princess ever this friendly and close?
The biggest reason the Ashen Witch's real name never came up in the original.
It was because even the princess, her closest acquaintance, never once called 'me' by name.
"...Lunaris?"
At best, it was "you" or "over there"—purely businesslike.
How did a relationship like that suddenly get this close?
"Lunaris, is something bothering you?"
This... is okay, right?
The moment I stepped into the old library room used as the Ghost Story Research Club's sub-room, a strange silence fell.
"Uh... Lunaris?"
"Stop. That's enough, Claire."
Any more, and I'll blow this place up.
But Claire ignored my threat and muttered on.
"No... I mean... pfft! I knew you were disciplined, but seeing you in a maid outfit... heh!"
She was barely holding back outright laughter, probably out of consideration for sharing life-or-death trials together(?).
But she couldn't hide her flushed face or trembling shoulders.
"Ahahaha! Kkh, puhahaha!!"
Sylvia, the vice president with zero reservations, burst out laughing openly.
"I heard from Claire, but pfft! I didn't expect it to be this much... ahahat!! Cough, cough!"
Choking mid-laugh—she was dead serious about teasing me.
"Um... you look pretty cute, actually."
Even the most harmless one, sub-vice president Thomas the pushover, said that much. My state must be something else.
Sensing he'd slink away if I nipped it now, I shot him a sharp glare. He immediately wilted, averting his eyes with a whimper.
"Anyway, Lunaris, aren't you still under disciplinary action?"
Claire, finally wiping tears from her eyes, asked me.
"How'd you get here? I thought maid duties would keep you out today, so we pushed back the exploration schedule."
"Oh, sure, I'm still technically doing community service right now."
"Huh?"
As Claire tilted her head,
"Wow~ So this is the sub-room?"
A radiant blonde girl slipped through the door I'd stepped aside from.
Behind her, guards piled in, crowding the cramped space.
"It really has that ghost-haunted vibe."
The girl—Princess Celestina—looked around the rundown sub-room with fascination.
"...?"
"..."
"...!"
The sub-room, noisy with laughter moments ago, froze solid.
Soon, Claire, Vice President Sylvia, and Sub-Vice President Thomas's eyes widened in unison.
"P-Princess?!"
"How did you get here..."
"N-No way... our club...?"
I yawned boredly and replied.
"I didn't exactly plan to bring her, you know..."
More like she dragged me along—or I had no choice but to guide her.
"But hey, it's not a bad thing, right? We were short one member anyway."
"True, but..."
Claire turned to me with an incredulous look.
"Still, how could you bring Her Highness to a dump like this?!"