Chapter 104
Chapter 104
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: The Princess and the Stuffed Rabbit
-----------------------------------------------------------------
'Ah, I didn't think of this.'
I bitterly regretted adding a swimsuit competition to the beauty pageant.
But it was at that very moment.
"Father! How can you say such a thing when you've just met him?"
Hearing Adel's voice from behind, I slapped my forehead.
'Of all the times to show up.'
She appeared in the VIP section, whispered something to Aiden Richter, and then grabbed my arm.
"What's with the sudden rush?"
"I'm here to rescue you, so stop talking and follow me."
Even as Adel Richter dragged me away, I managed a relaxed bow toward the two dukes.
At that, the chancellor's stiff expression softened slightly, and the Sword Duke let out a hearty laugh.
'I have a feeling they think we make a good pair...'
Perhaps that was a bit of a stretch, but it seemed my actions had amused them.
We moved to the student council tent and watched the event.
This was so we could quickly intervene if any unexpected situation arose.
Of course, my plan was just to lie in the hammock and enjoy the beauty pageant.
"Oh!"
"Wow! Who in the world is that?"
"We had such a beauty at our school? And it's not Adel Richter?"
Just then, a stir went through the audience.
The contestant who had just stepped onto the runway was, in a word, dazzling.
Sipping my drink with a pleased expression, I shot upright.
"Whoa..."
"She's incredible, isn't she?"
Not just me, but Frixon and Mac's eyes were sparkling too.
I glanced at the other student council officers and saw that even the stoic Solberg and Kamil seemed interested.
"Ugh! Men."
"What's so great about that?"
Naturally, Adel and Sophia were clicking their tongues and shaking their heads.
Hey, they're the representative beauties of Venderford, so why aren't they competing?
That's the whole reason I held a beauty pageant.
I smacked my lips bitterly and glanced at them.
Just then, the host's voice caught my attention.
"Contestant number four was Venderford's Dean of Liberal Arts, Lisa Sorvino!"
"..."
In an instant, a dreadful silence fell not only over the audience but also the VIP section and the student council tent.
It was so shocking that it was hard to process.
I, too, rubbed my eyes and stared intently at the stage again.
That's when I spotted the pointed ears hidden by her hair.
"Wait, why is an elf in a beauty pageant? This is practically cheating."
Only someone on Adel's level might have a chance. How could ordinary people even compete?
After Dean Sorvino appeared, the contestants began withdrawing one after another.
It was nothing short of a massacre, and even the host looked flustered.
I turned to Adel and Mac, who were in charge, and asked.
"Seriously, why did she even enter?"
"I think it's because of the first-place prize. She wrote in her introduction that she likes dolls."
"The prize?"
With a bewildered expression, I looked at the item in the transparent case.
Inside was a high-quality stuffed doll made by a famous merchant guild in Troven.
This cute rabbit doll had a nice texture and was a limited edition, making it an extremely popular item.
Of course, it was definitely not the kind of thing you'd expect that stoic professor to play with.
'She has... unique tastes.'
Because contestants kept withdrawing, only four people ended up competing in the finals.
Naturally, Dean Lisa Sorvino snatched the victory.
"Alright, let's go deliver the prize and clear the stage."
As the beauty pageant ended, Adel tried to lead the student council officers out of the tent.
But the officers sitting in the front rows didn't even think of moving.
They just stared into the distance, feigning ignorance.
"We don't have time. Let's go, now."
She urged them, but they remained silent.
I smiled faintly and led Adel and Sophia out.
"Come on, let's go ahead first."
"Why do we have to be so inefficient? If we all work together, we'll finish faster."
"There's a reason for that."
A reason they can't stand up right away.
A moment later, I was met with looks of awe from the student council officers.
You owe me one for saving your hides. Don't you forget it, you rascals.
* * *
'Alright, my work here is done.'
Having saved the male officers from their predicament, I went to check out the night market that opened after the beauty pageant.
This was an event planned by Adel and Sophia, with the idea of inviting merchant guilds from Troven to provide various forms of entertainment.
It felt a bit like a copy of the night market in Marquis Pennant's territory, but the reception was still good.
The goods were much more varied, and there was more to see.
Tug.
Suddenly, I felt someone tugging on my pants.
I casually turned around to see a small child holding onto me.
"Huh? A kid shouldn't be here."
The suggestive swimsuits...
No, it's a wholesome beauty pageant, so anyone of any age should be welcome.
Of course! That's right.
Roughly rationalizing it, I met the eyes of the little girl with pigtails.
"Who are you?"
"Lina."
"Oh, that's a pretty name. You have cute, delicate features, too. You're going to be a real looker when you grow up."
"A looker?"
"It means you'll become a beauty. That's a good thing."
"Mhm."
She looked young, but her replies were quite calm.
I decided to talk more with this clever little girl.
It wasn't out of any duty as student council president to find her guardian—hell no, I was just bored.
"How's the festival? Are you having fun?"
"It was boring until now, but I think it's okay now."
"Why?"
"Because I can wander around freely."
"So you like to play freely, huh? Still, you should stick with your parents. A kid shouldn't be wandering around alone."
"No, I don't want to."
To my surprise, Lina flatly refused.
Why is this kid so stubborn?
Her cold, intelligent expression somehow seemed to resemble someone.
Though no one came to mind immediately.
"Then do you want to look around with me?"
"Hmm... okay. You seem alright."
"Really?"
It seemed I gave off a pretty harmless impression in Lina's eyes.
Seeing how readily she came along.
'This feels weirdly like I'm kidnapping a child. Well, as long as I help her find her way back later, it should be fine.'
Lina naturally took my hand.
It was quite fun to tour the festival with the cute little kid.
Although the students I ran into occasionally gave me strange looks.
"She's just a lost child. Not my daughter."
I muttered a brief explanation to everyone I met.
Most of them just nodded and went on their way.
As the student council president known for his constant eccentricities, being seen with a little kid was apparently not that surprising.
While we were in the middle of enjoying the festival, a woman appeared, holding a large stuffed rabbit.
It was Lisa Sorvino, the winner of the beauty pageant.
"Hmm? Why are you here...?"
She flinched and stopped, looking at me with a puzzled expression.
'Ah, a simple denial probably won't be enough for the Dean of Liberal Arts.'
As I was wondering how to explain, there was a quick movement beside me.
"Wow! The doll is pretty."
Lina waved her arms wildly, trying to touch the stuffed rabbit's foot.
But Dean Sorvino deftly stepped back, avoiding her touch.
"You may not."
"Waaah! I wanna touch the bunny."
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
Even in the face of the little girl's teary-eyed gaze, Lisa Sorvino was unmoved.
'She's so cold even to a child, so why does she have tastes like that?'
Hiding my bewilderment, I cautiously made a suggestion.
"Dean? I can find a way to get you the same one, so how about letting the kid have it for today?"
"Impossible. It's a limited edition, so this design is no longer being produced."
However, Dean Sorvino's attitude was resolute.
She narrowed her eyes and hugged the stuffed rabbit tightly, as if she would never let it be taken.
'Come on, Dean. What am I supposed to do if you act as cute as Lina right here?'
It was an expression that lasted only for a fleeting moment, but her previous statement seemed entirely genuine.
Lisa Sorvino placed the stuffed rabbit on top of her head.
Now, no matter how much Lina jumped, she couldn't grab the doll's foot.
With the rabbit still on her head, Dean Sorvino threw a question at me.
"How did you come to be accompanying this person?"
"Pardon?"
She spoke with such an incongruous visual that I didn't quite catch what she said for a moment.
In that time, Lisa Sorvino's gaze had already shifted elsewhere.
It was because Lina was whining so much.
"Your Highness, did you slip away from your escort knights again?"
Wait a minute. Dean?
What did you just say?
With a dumbfounded expression, I looked back and forth between Dean Sorvino and Lina.
'No wonder. I thought she looked a bit like the Chancellor. She was a princess?'
Just then, someone with a megaphone shouted loudly.
"Your Highness! Where are you?"
It was the sound of the escort knights who had come to the festival with Lina, searching for her.
"So you did run away. Your little outing has been long enough. Shall we return now?"
"Hmph. I don't want to."
"Shall I return to the Imperial Palace and offer to take charge of Your Highness's education myself?"
As Lisa Sorvino gave a cynical smile, Lina's face turned pale.
Hey, is that even allowed?
She's a princess, for crying out loud.
'Come to think of it, the princes also seemed a bit... intimidated by the Dean, didn't they?'
I recalled the stiff expressions on Frantz and Ellington's faces and slowly nodded.
Finally, Lina waved her hand at me.
"Bye! Let's play again sometime."
"Okay. Get home safe."
"Mhm."
Dean Sorvino immediately started walking in the opposite direction of the escort knights.
It seemed to be a consideration for Lina, who wanted to play a little longer.
Taking a roundabout way home would make it feel like a small act of rebellion.
'She'll handle it. She's from the Imperial Palace, after all.'
The woman who served as the head maid of the Imperial Palace for decades wouldn't kidnap a princess, right?
Seeing her lift the stuffed rabbit high to keep it away from the hopping Lina, I figured I didn't need to worry.
"Still, she's got some serious walls up."
You'd think she'd let her touch it just once.