A Princess's Playful Torment
As I followed Iris, I was more tense than I had ever been in my life. And with good reason—I was cross-dressing and sneaking into the girls' dormitory. If my true identity were discovered, it wouldn't be surprising if I was dragged off to a dungeon on the spot. It was a completely insane situation.
Perhaps because of the nerves, my throat kept tightening, forcing me to swallow hard. I didn't think I had been this anxious even during the team battle earlier. This was easily the most terrifying moment of my life.
In the original game, there was a scenario where Lucas sneaks into the girls' dormitory. But I had never imagined that I would be the one actually doing it.
"Hania, we're here."
The moment of truth had arrived. I looked up and saw the entrance to the girls' dormitory. Just then, female students returning from classes were filtering inside. Feeling self-conscious under their potential gaze, I instinctively nudged closer to Iris. Walking in alongside her would at least minimize suspicion. It was a purely defensive maneuver.
Iris watched me, a persistent smirk playing on her lips. I don't think I had ever seen her smile this much in my entire life.
"Your Highness, you're smiling too much."
"My apologies. It's just been a while since I've seen something so entertaining."
Iris didn't even try to deny her amusement. For me, it was pure torture. But this is all for the sake of the scenario. I had to endure it. I had to hold out.
"Let's go in."
Ultimately, I stepped inside the dormitory with Iris. Immediately, I noticed an atmosphere entirely different from the boys' dormitory. The layout was identical, and it was merely the building on the opposite side of the campus, yet for some reason, the air felt strangely warm.
Is it the scent? Unlike the boys' dorms, the delicate fragrance of women's perfume drifted from every corner.
"Welcome back, Princess Iris."
Along the way, the maids of the girls' dormitory bowed and greeted Iris. She acknowledged them with a practiced, familiar nod.
"Tell me, does Hania look any different to you today?"
At that moment, Iris threw out an absurd question. As I whipped my head toward her in panic, one of the maids turned her gaze to me. She then offered a warm, gentle smile.
"Your hair is styled a bit differently than usual. It suits you very well, Lady Hania."
"Ah... thank you for noticing."
I forced a strained smile, while Iris, standing just behind the maid, let out a quiet giggle. She was genuinely dedicated to teasing me.
The moment the maid bowed and departed, I quickly closed the distance between us.
"Your Highness?"
"You're quite the actor."
"Do you truly wish for me to get caught and end up in a disastrous situation?"
"Hania doesn't speak in such a stiff tone, you know."
To think the Third Princess of the Empire could be so mischievous. It was enough to bring tears to my eyes.
"You defeated me in the team battle, after all."
Iris finally revealed the motive behind her playfulness.
"Consider this my revenge."
It was a petty excuse, but she wore a thoroughly mischievous grin as she said it. Plagued by daily nightmares due to the influence of the Evil Zone, Iris rarely showed her emotions. For her, even the act of expressing feelings carried a heavy weight of exhaustion. Yet, seeing her laugh like this... she had to be genuinely enjoying herself.
...Well, if it makes her laugh, I suppose it's fine. Since I owed her a debt for this favor, I could afford to sacrifice a bit of my dignity if it brought her some joy.
"Still, please don't push it too far."
"Fine, I understand."
If my identity was exposed, it would ruin both of us. When I earnestly requested her to refrain from further mischief, she readily agreed.
"Good evening, Princess Iris."
Just then, a passing student greeted her. Given her status as the Third Princess of the Empire, it was common for students to bow to her in passing. The problem was that the voice sounded incredibly familiar.
Honey-blond hair that seemed to capture the warmth of a fresh summer sun fluttered in the air. Beneath it, bright, amber eyes sparkled with life.
Isabel Luna. The moment I recognized her, my body froze on pure instinct.
"Hello."
After exchanging greetings with Iris, Isabel turned her gaze toward me.
"Good evening to you too, Hania."
Isabel was naturally sociable. There were few students in the second-year Martial Arts class who weren't on friendly terms with her, and she was quite close with Hania as well.
"Yeah, good evening, Isabel."
I offered a casual reply, but Isabel tilted her head.
"Hania, did something happen?"
"What do you mean? Nothing happened."
"Really? You just seem unusually quiet today."
Isabel looked back and forth between Iris and me with a suspicious squint.
What is it? I don't think I did anything out of character. At that moment, Iris caught my eye and subtly raised her arm. Seeing that gesture, I realized too late what I had missed. Hania was practically glued to Iris's side at all times. Having grown up together as both childhood friends and master and servant, Hania always linked arms with Iris whenever they walked together.
Noticing the awkward distance, Isabel nudged closer and whispered, "...Did you and Her Highness have a fight or something?"
Sure enough, she had picked up on the discrepancy. Iris remained standing with her arm raised, staring at me expectantly. Damn it. I quickly stepped forward and wrapped my arms around Iris's arm.
"Me, having a problem with Her Highness? As if! If something like that ever happened, I think I'd literally die!"
I put on a dramatic, sniffling expression, and Isabel nodded with a look that said, Ah, of course.
Meanwhile, Iris had turned her head in the opposite direction, desperately trying to suppress her laughter. Even her ears had flushed red. I felt something crumble deep inside my soul.
"That's a relief. Well, I'll be on my way. I have training to get to."
I had wondered why she was wearing her athletic gear; as expected, Isabel was dedicating her evening to training. Even with the Summer Demon Palace expedition scheduled for tomorrow, she wasn't slacking off. Her sheer passion and dedication were palpable.
"It's thanks to you that Isabel is working so hard," Iris murmured softly as we watched Isabel's retreating figure.
Thanks to me, huh? If that was true, I couldn't help but feel a small swell of pride.
"Thanks to me? All I've ever done is bicker with her."
Of course, I couldn't let that pride show.
"Right, of course."
Just how much did Iris see? Across my twenty-nine clears of the game, Iris had played the roles of both final boss and heroine. Yet, she had always remained a figure shrouded in mystery to the players. A character whose charm lay in how much she kept hidden. The developers had utilized her enigmatic nature masterfully.
However, there was one thing I knew for certain.
"Have you been sleeping well lately?"
She suffered from severe, chronic insomnia.
"So-so."
Dark circles, born of sleepless nights, still cast faint shadows beneath her eyes.
"There is a music box that contains a Mystery called the Sound of Argol."
Perhaps because I had offered her sleep advice several times before, Iris listened with genuine interest.
"It's a difficult item to obtain, but when wound, it plays a melody that induces deep sleep. Rumor has it that it's a Mystery capable of consuming nightmares."
Iris's eyes widened. The primary cause of her insomnia was her relentless nightmares. A tool that could swallow those nightmares would be more effective for her than anyone could imagine.
The Flame of Fighting Spirit would be the ultimate cure, but this would serve as a decent temporary fix. Of course, even this would lose its efficacy over time. Unless the root cause of the nightmares was severed, Iris's torment would never truly end. Once this business is concluded... I would have to start preparing for that as well.
"...How do you know about all of these things?" Iris asked, her gaze searching mine.
The information I shared was far from common knowledge. It was only natural that she found my deep understanding of such obscure matters intriguing.
"I did my own research."
"For what purpose?"
"Why, for your sake, of course, Princess Iris."
I adopted Hania's signature tone and offered a gentle smile.
Iris blinked her large eyes. Then, tilting her head slightly forward, she gently tapped her forehead against mine. Her alluring, ruby-red eyes hovered mere inches from my face. In that instant, the rich scent of roses drifting from her dark hair filled my senses. For a fleeting second, my heart skipped a beat.
Leaning in, Iris whispered into my ear, her voice carrying a sultry, decadent undertone.
"Do not tease me too much."
*Look who's talking.* Iris pulled back with a smooth, fluid motion.
As expected of someone whose innate trait is Charm. She knew exactly how to make a heart flutter on pure instinct. Yet, despite the physical reaction, I realized that my emotional core remained strangely undisturbed. ...Is this because of the Bandage of the Veil? I could faintly sense which emotions the artifact was slowly erasing from my soul.
"Well, it's about time for my bath."
"I'll bathe in the room."
No matter how deep my disguise was, there were lines I absolutely could not cross.
After returning to the room, I stayed put and behaved myself. Since Hania's roommate was none other than Iris, I could finally relax without worrying about my disguise being blown within these four walls.
"Sigh..."
Perhaps because today had been such an exhausting ordeal, I leaned against the window frame and let out a heavy sigh. Iris had left for the baths without a second thought. Was she really not worried at all about what a guy might do alone in her room?
Well, who in their right mind would dare try anything with the Third Princess? Unless they had a death wish, no one would dream of it.
Growl...
The problem was that the intense tension had left me starving. I turned around from where I sat. A soft, distinctly feminine fragrance lingered in the room. Hania's bed was an overwhelming, dizzying sea of pink, while Iris's bed was meticulously neat and tidy. It was a stark reflection of their contrasting personalities.
I should have brought some snacks with me. I had been too distracted to think ahead. As much as I wanted to ask Iris to grab me something, I couldn't exactly treat the Third Princess of the Empire like a delivery service.
Should I go out with Iris? I pondered the thought for a moment before shaking my head. Iris was in an exceptionally playful mood today. There was no telling what kind of mischief she might pull next. Rather than risking another awkward situation, it seemed wiser to slip down to the cafeteria myself and ask for a quick sandwich. Since dinner is already over, most students should be in their rooms by now.
I cracked the door open slightly. The hallway was quiet. I'll make this quick. Just as I resolved to take a step out—
"Huh?"
I ran straight into someone walking down the corridor. The moment my eyes fell upon her, my face slowly froze. Because she was...
"...Hanon?"
She was the only person who possessed Mirinae, the eyes capable of seeing right through the Bandage of the Veil.
Sharin Sazaris. Of all the times and places, I had run into her.