Chapter 86: The Problem Is That I Got Caught (2)
The current Astrid, now occupying this body, was not pleased with how the situation was unfolding.
There was a specific reason she had come to see Ashray, and Violet’s presence made it difficult to ask him about it.
“Isn’t it about time for you to leave?”
“Oh my, you were speaking so politely earlier, and now you’re using informal speech?”
‘I was speaking informally to her, wasn’t I?’
【Yes… you were.】
After confirming this with the fake Astrid, I turned back to Violet. She was casually sipping tea, while Ashray, seated between us, looked visibly uneasy.
“Why do you look so nervous?”
“N-nervous? Me? Of course not, Sister.”
“You’re clearly on edge just by looking at you.”
I let out a derisive snort and turned to Violet again.
Ever since I arrived, Violet had been sitting there as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
It irritated me to no end. Spending time together during the day was one thing—I could tolerate that. But now, it was quite late.
If they stayed together for such an hour, rumors could spread. And if rumors did spread, who would suffer from them? Me, of course. Moreover, those rumors could…
【That’s it.】
‘It’s just as I suspected, isn’t it?’
Was Violet deliberately scheming to spark such rumors?
There was no formal confirmation of Violet’s intentions, but my mind was already certain.
“Ashray, what time are you meeting Baizik tomorrow?”
“In the morning, Sister.”
“Really?”
With Violet here, I couldn’t make any progress. I decided it would be better to accompany Ashray when he went to meet Baizik tomorrow.
Besides, Baizik was likely to have a broader perspective than me. Listening to his conversation with Ashray could provide more useful information.
However, there was a problem—I had classes tomorrow, not just in the morning but throughout the day until late afternoon.
【You know you have classes tomorrow, right?】
‘Of course I know. But tomorrow’s Friday. It’s the school’s fault for scheduling classes on a Friday.’
【What kind of nonsense is that…】
The fake Astrid was dumbfounded but didn’t argue further. After all, I wasn’t the type to listen to anyone once my mind was made up.
【Honestly, coming to the academy was a mistake.】
‘I didn’t want to come, but whose fault was it that I ended up here?’
Who could have predicted this kind of situation? No one.
‘You never know—the academy might just explode or something.’
【As if that’s going to happen…】
Still, I thought that might not be such a bad outcome. If the academy were to shut down, I could return to the North without hesitation.
Perhaps I could even hasten my marriage to Leopold and quickly make my way back.
Quick marriage, quick information gathering, quick return…
Return, return, return…
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed my original goal was simply to go back to where I belonged.
Initially, my main reason for wanting to return was because it was the world I was familiar with. But now that I had grown accustomed to this world, did I really have a reason to go back?
Was it truly necessary to return?
At that thought, the fake Astrid shuddered in horror.
The very idea—however fleeting—that there might be no reason to go back was terrifying.
【Right, right! Forget about the classes! They’re not important!】
‘You’re unusually flustered. Anyway, fine.’
“Alright, Violet, time to leave.”
Having already confirmed my intention to accompany Ashray, the only remaining task was to drag that brown-haired girl from Autria out of my brother’s room.
“Well, fine. It’s late, so I should head back.”
To my surprise, Violet got up from her seat without protest. She had already finished her tea earlier, and it seemed she would have left soon even if I hadn’t shown up.
Still, she found my anxious behavior, all for the sake of her brother, quite amusing.
“Let’s go, Astrid. You told me to leave, so why are you hesitating now?”
“…Fine, let’s go.”
Her willingness to leave was suspicious, but there was no point in revealing my doubts. I quietly opened the door to Ashray’s room.
“See you tomorrow, Ash.”
“Goodnight, Sister.”
“See you tomorrow~”
Violet’s sultry voice lingered as she turned to leave, leaving Ashray too flustered to respond. Truth be told, he still found Violet quite intimidating.
As soon as we stepped outside the guesthouse, Violet frowned slightly.
“You better keep your promise, Astrid.”
“Showing your true colors already, are you?”
“What do you mean, true colors? We agreed to help each other, didn’t we?”
I almost retorted, “That wasn’t me who made that promise,” but I held my tongue.
Although I hadn’t opposed the agreement at the time, it was hard to complain now, especially when seeing another woman hovering around my brother irritated me so much.
“Well, you should help me first!”
【Where’s the logic in that!?】
Even the fake Astrid, who had been silent until now, was appalled by my shamelessness.
“If you’re trying to woo my brother, the least you could do is show some sincerity!”
“What?”
Even Violet blinked in disbelief.
“Why should anyone help first? And besides, Leopold isn’t even here. What could I possibly do to help you?”
Her argument was sound. Leopold wasn’t present, so there wasn’t much she could do to assist me. Besides, we had never agreed on the order of helping each other.
“W-well, still! If you’re targeting someone from the Miterien family, you should at least show that kind of effort!”
“…Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.”
Violet stared at me with wide eyes before narrowing them into a sharp glare.
To Violet, I probably looked like a little kid who didn’t want to share her favorite toy. My behavior screamed that I didn’t want to let Ashray go.
“Fine, whatever. I’ll help you if the opportunity arises. Since I didn’t really lose anything tonight, I’ll let it slide.”
Violet waved her hand dismissively and walked ahead.
“…Why does it feel like she’s letting me off the hook?”
【I can’t say she isn’t.】
I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling Violet left behind.
***
Meanwhile, Leopold sat at his desk, methodically jotting down the current state of affairs.
The peculiar events occurring within the academy were gradually escalating. Rumors were spreading quietly among the students.
While these incidents didn’t seem particularly dangerous or ominous, their accumulation was concerning.
Like clothes soaking in a light drizzle before the rain turns heavy, it was best to prepare before things got out of hand. Otherwise, it might be too late to take shelter once the storm intensified.
At the bottom of his notes, Leopold wrote Astrid’s name in large letters.
Just seeing her name conjured up the image of her face—pale and statuesque. The thought of her brought an odd sensation, prompting Leopold to rub the back of his neck.
The vivid memory of that searingly warm tongue licking the nape of his neck resurfaced in Leopold’s mind. Shaking off the thought, he added another note next to Astrid’s name: “Great Magic Device.”
He was well aware that Astrid had no resistance to magic. While such a flaw had been inconsequential after the war—since there were no longer any forces opposing Einthafen—it was a different matter now.
The strange occurrences within the academy and the audacious individual who had cast an arousal spell on both Astrid and himself… there was no guarantee that these two were unrelated.
If, by any chance, that brazen caster attempted to use the arousal spell on Astrid again in his absence…
Leopold’s fingers trembled slightly. Then, with a soft crack, the pen in his hand snapped, spilling ink all over his palm and the desk.
He barely noticed. His gaze remained fixed on the paper, now marred by spreading black ink.
No.
That cannot happen.
It must never happen.
The mere thought made his blood boil. He needed to resolve this matter with Baizik as soon as possible.
“Yes, there is indeed a Great Magic Device,” Baizik had confirmed. “But you understand, I must demand a price for it.”
Leopold had been right to consult Baizik, a master of magical arts. He had anticipated that a price might be required, though he didn’t expect it to be financial.
Baizik continued, his expression sly.
“My daughter, Emilie—you will spend some quality time with her.”
“Of course, I’m not asking you to harm her or tarnish her reputation,” he clarified quickly. “But if she’s entered the competition to become the Crown Princess, she must have her reasons.”
“You see, I’d like you to ensure she has a fair chance. That means participating actively, young man. You never know—” Baizik chuckled, “—perhaps you’ll come to see that Emilie is a better woman than Astrid after all.”
Baizik’s smile widened, clearly pleased with his own proposition.
Leopold, on the other hand, crumpled the ink-stained paper into a ball and hurled it into the trash bin with force.
“…Is this some kind of joke?” he muttered, his voice low with irritation.