Volume 1 Chapter 27 Mean Villainess, Collecting Flags In Seconds
"Finally, you're a second-year student. And today is the day when the prince from the grade below is enrolling, right?"
"Ah, the prince of this country, huh?"
Seeing my mother casually brush off my excited appeal, I began to have doubts.
Is it really possible that a character with such convenient settings as the prince isn't a capture target in an otome game?
Indeed.
However, that doubt was immediately resolved.
'I never had much interest in younger characters anyway.'
I thought while listening to my mother's usual Japanese.
It's not that he's not a capture target; it's just that my mother isn't interested.
Still, I was hoping she would give me some tidbits of information, but afterwards, there were no tips related to otome games in Japanese, and instead, I was advised in this language, "Be careful not to get involved with him since apparently, the prince has a bit of a mischievous personality."
Even though I've gotten into trouble with the Marquis family, I definitely shouldn't cause any issues with the royal family.
After all, my head could be on the line.
Besides, if our grades are different, the chances of us interacting decrease.
I can't even be sure if we will cross paths.
...Well, I mean, there were some incidents with the young master of the Marquis family who is in a different grade.
Wait, is this getting dangerous?
Is there a whiff of a weird flag?
No, no, no, I'm just overthinking it.
'The villainess route for the prince... a moment to shine... confinement? No, wait, isn't that something like a yakisoba bread...?'
...No no no no no mom?
What now?
Say it louder?
In the end, I was unable to hear the full extent of my mother's mutterings, which included clearly threatening words, and I arrived at the school in a carriage.
"Elena, Elena, Elena!"
As I stepped into the classroom with a somewhat gloomy feeling, Rudger came running up to me with a radiant smile.
By the way, although I have moved up a grade, there is no system of class changes, so the members in the classroom have remained the same.
"Good morning, Rudger"
"Hey, good morning! Did you know, Elena, that new bread will be on sale at the store starting today!"
The reason for the radiant smile was the bread.
"Is it a new kind of bread?"
"It's melon bread!"
"...Is it going to sell out quickly if we don't hurry?"
"It might sell out. So"
"I got it."
Let's use our ultimate weapon, Rolus!
So, Rudger and I decided to use Rolus's power to get the new melon bread.
To activate the ultimate weapon Rolus, I came to the Attendant waiting room during the break after the second period.
Though the area around the Attendant waiting room, which is usually quiet, was a bit noisy, I was so filled with thoughts of melon bread that I didn't even pay attention.
Although the yakisoba bread didn't perform that well, the melon bread is sure to be delicious.
While letting my expectations for the melon bread run wild, I quietly knocked on the door of the Attendant waiting room and gently opened it.
"──Everyone acts like I'm a spectacle!"
...I quietly closed the door.
This is... yeah, I've just set off a flag in an instant.
"Who is it?"
My faint hope that the voice of the person inside wouldn't have heard the knock or the sound of the door opening was dashed.
Because the door was thrown open boldly from the inside.
"What are you doing here?"
The person who opened the door and saw my figure asked while peering suspiciously at my face.
"Well, I came to see my attendant, but it seems you're busy so I'll come back later."
"...Hmm"
The boy in front of me, who was staring down at me as if to determine my escape, was the prince that everyone was talking about this morning.
Because he has the same face as the picture I saw in the newspaper.
Although he is one year younger than me, he is taller than me and has an intimidating presence.
But you must not succumb to that intimidating feeling.
I have to leave so I don't cause any trouble.
...but.
But what will become of Rolus if I leave this place?
Or rather, what is Rolus, who should be in this room right now, doing?
There was noise even before the knock, so it's possible that Rolus was involved.
If I think about it that way, I started to worry intensely.
As I pondered whether I should run away or confront them, the prince in front of me opened his mouth.
"Come in"
I suppressed the urge to point out that this isn't your room, and ultimately decided to go inside.
Since he told me to come in, there's no helping it.
If I refuse here and try to escape, that would probably cause some trouble anyway.
It's better to go along with those in power.
As I smoothly entered the attendant waiting room, I quickly grabbed Rolus's hand, intending to head out into the hallway.
However, sadly, that was blocked by the prince.
"What are you doing here at this hour?"
I was addressed with those words.
"I have a bit of business with my attendant"
"What kind of business?"
I just came to ask them to buy me melon bread, is that a problem?
...I know I can't say that to him.
As I hesitated, searching for a way to smoothly get through this situation, the prince furrowed his brows.
"You didn't come here knowing I was here, did you?"
I didn't know.
Actually, if I had known, I wouldn't have come.
"Or did you come knowing my knight is here?"
It was only when he said that that I noticed the knights present in the room.
Two handsome knights wearing not overly ornate but beautifully decorated armor stood there,
This is something that girls will scream about.
"No, that's not the case. I'm just here to see my attendant."
To avoid offending the other person, try to smile and be friendly.
Please do not provoke me too much.
If I provoke him here, it will not only cause trouble for me and Rolus, but also for the Attendant here.
That's how nervous the prince is in front of me.
To everyone's annoyance.
"...I see, then go and get that done right now"
Still, I just want to buy you a melon bread, okay?
Are you a demon?
I thought so, but for now, I'll just go along with it.
If you dig in, you lose.
Moving quietly and paying close attention even to the sound of my clothes rustling, I approached Rolus.
And then, in a tiny, tiny voice, I called out to Rolus.
"Hey Rolus, I want to ask you for a favor."
"Yakisoba bread?"
"No, it's a new product, melon bread. Can you buy one for me and one for Rudger?"
"Sure."
"Thank you."
After making that request, I whispered to Rolus in an even quieter voice.
"If you feel any danger, run away immediately," he said.
"Well then, excuse me."
I gave a slight bow to the prince and his group, and then I left the scene.
* * *
And then it was lunchtime.
I came to the cafeteria with Leve and a cheerful Rudger, excited about the melon bread.
"Lady, I apologize."
The one welcoming us at the cafeteria was Rolus's cowlick.
It seems that the melon bread had sold out and he couldn't buy any.
"Oh dear, it's okay for now, so please lift your head, Rolus."
"Even Rolus couldn't buy it...!"
I comforted Rudger, who looked incredibly shocked, and while stroking Rolus's back, who looked somewhat downcast and seemed like he wanted to say something, we headed toward our usual seat for now.
"I never thought melon bread would be that popular"
Well, it's certainly delicious, but melon bread,' I muttered as I sat down, and felt someone looking at me.
When I casually looked around, I saw the prince I had met earlier.
I wondered if the prince would use the cafeteria, but it was only for a moment that I realized what was in the hands of the knight next to him.
They bought it all up, didn't they?
He probably bought them all up on purpose when he found out that I had asked Rolus to buy melon bread.
I am bewildered to death by the indescribable appearance of the prince with his big grin and the two knights carrying bags filled with what are clearly far too many melon buns.
"It's your attendant's fault. Aren't you going to scold him?"
No matter how you look at it, it's not Rolus fault, but his harassment, but what can I do?
"It's not something worth scolding about. It's just how it is."
Inside my head, another version of myself is fuming to the point of being uncontrollable, but I manage to hold it back by pinching my thigh.
"An attendant who can't prepare what's asked of them is nothing but incompetent. If it were me, I'd have their head on a platter."
I realized in an instant that blood had rushed to my head.
I tried to stand up and argue, but it seemed that Leve and Rolus sensed my intention and grabbed my hands, bringing me back to my senses.
If I move recklessly, not just my own head, but everyone else's could end up rolling.
I need to stay calm.
However, the mention of beheading suddenly reminded me.
My mother once said that Rolus would not be part of the story anymore by the time the heroine arrives in this game.
Could it be that the me in game accidentally caught the prince's eye, and as a result, I might lose Rolus?
Am I going to end up losing Rolus because of my own actions?
"Rol... my, my attendant isn't incompetent at all..."
My voice was shaking terribly.
"No, it's not Rolus's fault; it's all my fault, everything is my fault."
"Ah, Elena, let's have lunch in the classroom today."
Rudger interrupted my words and said that.
Then Rudger and Leve both stood up together.
"Well then, we shall take our leave."
Leve bowed deeply and then pulled me and Rolus along as they fled the scene.
Rudger turned back to check that no one was following.
"I was scared Elena would cry...Wait, you're' crying!?"
"Elena!?"
"L-Lady!? "
I don't think you need to be so scared.
"Because...because Rolus was insulted. He's my proud Attendant! "
Of course, that's not all.
The thought that I might lose Rolus because of my own fault was so terrifying that it brought tears to my eyes.
It wasn't that I hated losing it, it was that I was scared.
I am terrified that Rolus will no longer be by my side.
"It's okay Elena, everyone knows"
Leve tries to soothe me, but the fear just won't go away.
"Because of me, Rolus..."
"Lady, um, I'm okay with whatever you think of me."
"Ugh..."
Unable to hold back, I clung to Rolus's torso.
"Uh, well..."
I could hear Rolus's confused voice and Rudger's wry smile.
Coming to my senses a bit, I began to think about how I should detach from Rolus.
Because I'm sure I must look terrible right now.
I realized that if I had to attend the class later with this face, it wouldn't be good.
I wondered if it would be alright to let Rolus go to the Attendant waiting room like this.
If he goes to the Attendant waiting room, he will encounter those knights.
"Rolus, let's ask the teacher for permission to attend class together today."
"...Huh?"
"Elena has broken."
The confused voice of Rolus and Rudger's half-smirk echoed in the hallway.
"Because, because if you go to the Attendant waiting room, you'll meet those knights, and if I leave Rolus alone, they might say something again...!"
"But that doesn't mean a non-student like me should be attending class."
"Then I'll go to the Attendant waiting room."
"Lady, I'm okay, really."
"...Either way, let's go back to the classroom and have lunch."
Rudger was the only one who was strangely calm.
No, I'm hungry, though.
I kept complaining during and after lunch, and in the end Rudger said, "Commoners have more freedom than nobles," and took Rolus away.
I tried to follow Rolus but was caught by Leve and handed over to Ms. Natalia and the others.
Ms. Natalia and the others did not understand what had happened, but as if they had sensed something, they followed Leve's instructions without complaint.
I can only be amazed at their mysterious team play.
And so, that day, I was in a state of confusion as I attended classes of Healing Magic and Divination Magic.
Unfortunately, I don't remember much about the lessons.
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