I Became the Absolute Hidden Villainess Princess of the Academy

Chapter 16: Tardiness is Tradition for the First Class (2)

Rewinding time a bit—early morning.

The leader of the TS Brigade and my contracted companion, Crow, sprinted straight across the capital.

…And I was being carried in her arms, in the classic “princess carry” pose.

‘It’s not very fitting for a hidden villainess, and it’s mortifying, but… I can’t be late on the first day!!’

“Crow, faster!!”

“Understood, as my Lady Esti commands♡.”

The reason I ended up in Crow’s arms was simple:

Last night, I had fallen asleep at the TS Brigade’s hideout.

Not just any light dozing, either—I slept so deeply I overslept.

I had slept so long that if I tried to walk back, being late was inevitable.

Of course, as a princess, being a bit late wouldn’t be an issue, but…

Today’s first class was taught by none other than my mentor.

I came to learn magic from my mentor, at least officially—being late on the first day?

That could easily lead to my being dragged back to the imperial palace.

So I set aside my embarrassment and asked Crow to be my personal taxi.

And it worked wonders.

—Vroooom!

‘At this speed… I might actually make it on time!’

In the original story, Crow was one of the strongest characters, second only to an unsealed Irene.

When she ran with full intent to get me to the academy, we reached its vicinity in no time.

If I hurried, I could barely make it without being late.

So I…

—Undid a spell.

‘Release.’

—Sssshhhh.

The spell I released was the recognition-dampening magic I had cast the day before.

This magic hid my true identity as Esti.

It wasn’t that I distrusted the TS Brigade, but you could never be too careful.

However, I’d have to remove it to attend class anyway.

And I figured it was fine to let Crow know my true identity.

As we moved, I undid the spell in advance.

Purple mana dissipated slowly into the air.

The first place where the recognition-dampening effect lifted was… my face.

The hand that had been squeezing my thigh froze in place.

—Twitch.

“L-Lady Esti…? Your magic lifted, and your esteemed visage….”

‘Hah. She must’ve noticed I was using recognition-dampening magic. As expected of someone so strong.’

Her dark eyes trembled like an earthquake was shaking them.

It seemed she had suspected I was hiding my identity, but…

The sudden removal of the spell had clearly caught her off guard.

Still, despite her unease, her arms continued to support me firmly.

It was as if she were proving that, no matter how I looked, she remained my loyal subordinate.

This unwavering attitude was exactly what I expected from someone like her, who was especially devoted to me within the TS Brigade.

Feeling a little more at ease, I teased her playfully.

“Disappointed? That I’m the empire’s Third Princess, Esti?”

“N-No way!!! Lady Esti is everything to me!!!! I just… wonder if it’s really okay to reveal your status to someone like me….”

“Hehe. That’s why I’m telling only you, Crow. Don’t tell the others, alright?”

“L-L-Lady Esti…♡”

“When it’s just the two of us, you can call me Esti.”

“E-Esti…♡”

As a bonus to boost her morale, I gave her the reward of ‘only telling you.’

Crow’s expression melted into blissful ecstasy.

And the speed at which she ran increased even more.

“Lady Esti is♡ telling only me♡”

“Yep. So… sneak us into the academy. I’ve put up another recognition-dampening spell, so head straight inside.”

“As you command, Lady Esti♡”

—Whoosh!

Shortly after, she leaped over the academy’s towering walls while holding me tightly.

The only problem was… she was a bit too enthusiastic.

We had jumped so high that I ended up locking eyes with a crow soaring in the sky.

Though it seemed oddly tame for a wild bird, I only marveled at it briefly.

When I looked down, a scream escaped from my lips.

“Kyaaa!!!?”

—Cling.

“Heheee!?”

Terrified, I clung tightly to Crow’s neck.

Just looking down at the far-off ground made me feel like I’d wet myself.

Not just a tiny bit either—more like a flood.

Becoming a human sprinkler was not an option.

Thankfully, the soft sound of my cheek pressing against Crow’s calmed me a little.

“This… after your name… such a reward…”

—Whisper, whisper.

“C-Crow… red roof… my mansion….”

“Yes♡ Absolutely♡”

My lower body was still sending danger signals.

With my eyes tightly shut, I whispered for Crow to aim for my mansion and land accordingly.

Even in my terrified state, I hadn’t forgotten to give instructions—a testament to my thoroughness. Crow repaid that with flawless execution.

—Thud.

“W-We’ve arrived♡.”

“Phew… Hey, go through the window to my room. It should be open.”

“As Lady Esti commands♡.”

—Whoosh.

Not only did Crow land gracefully, but she also leapt straight into my room’s window.

Soon, we were inside my room.

It was an infiltration so perfect that no one could possibly have noticed.

“This… this sacred sanctuary where Lady Esti resides…♡.”

—Pant, pant.

Crow’s heavy breaths filled the room. Her animal ears flapped wildly, suggesting just how honored she felt to set foot here.

Well, I couldn’t blame her. Her master had revealed her true identity to her alone and even brought her into her room. It was a lot to take in.

But I didn’t have the leisure to commend her right now.

There was almost no time left before the lecture started.

So, I…

Leapt out of Crow’s arms and immediately tore off my clothes.

—Rustle, flop.

“……!!!!!?”

‘Quick, quick…!!’

It took only seconds for me to strip down to my underwear.

Then, I grabbed the outfit I had prepared in advance from the wardrobe and roughly fixed my hair—all within a minute.

Crow, watching my rapid transformation, seemed completely awestruck.

—Pant, pant!

‘…Or maybe she’s just out of breath?’

She still seemed winded from the mad dash earlier. Either way, I left her in my room as I dashed out.

“Thanks, Crow!! I’m off to class now, so feel free to rest and head back on your own!!”

—Bang.

“L-Lady Esti’s…♡”

I heard her mumble something behind me, but I ignored it. It probably wasn’t important.

***

After leaving my mansion, I sprinted toward the Magic Department building with everything I had.

Ignoring the servants fussing about escorting me, I charged ahead.

—Thud, thud, thud.

“I’m… going to be late…!!”

Despite Crow’s efforts, I still ended up being late.

Apparently, my short legs didn’t produce as much speed as I’d hoped.

—Pant, gasp, wheeze.

‘Still, if I go in now, maybe it’ll be okay?’

Luckily, I was only about two minutes late.

Clinging to that small sliver of hope, I burst through the lecture hall door without even catching my breath. Surely they wouldn’t have started in just two minutes.

—Creak.

“I’m sorry for being late… Huh?”

“Hmm?”

“……!!!?”

‘M-My mentor’s expression… it’s scarier than usual…!’

My optimism shattered the moment I locked eyes with my mentor, Stella.

Gone was her usual gentle smile, replaced by furrowed brows and an intense glare.

It was clear she was quite upset with her star pupil for being late.

I decided to temporarily set aside my dignity as both a princess and a hidden villainess.

‘It’s embarrassing to do this in front of the other students, but… survival first!!!’

“Pant… M-Mentor~ I’m just a tiny bit late~♡.”

What came out of my mouth was a greeting drenched in exaggerated cuteness.

Mixing my labored breathing with a nasal tone, I made an utterly mortifying sound in front of the students I’d be spending the academy years with.

My exhaustion even turned “mentor” into a childish “mmentuh,” further adding to my humiliation.

Upon hearing this, my mentor…

Immediately swung her hand toward my cheek.

—Whoosh… pat.

Of course, there wasn’t an ounce of force behind it.

Swinging her hand was just one of her signature habits—always quick to act.

She even slowed down before touching my cheek. The result? Her hand softly landed without causing any pain.

—Rub, rub, rub, rub.

“I was worried about you, my dear pupil~! You said you were sick, so I was ready to skip the lecture and come find you. Are you feeling better?”

“H-Hehe… I’m fine….”

She began affectionately rubbing my cheeks, as she often did.

I accepted her gestures without resistance. Refusing her would make her sulk for at least a week.

Besides, as someone who had just been late on the academy’s first day, I couldn’t afford to upset her.

As her affection grew more intense—she squatted down and began squishing my cheeks with both hands—I started hearing murmurs from the other students.

—Murmur, murmur.

“Is that really the same person who looked so scary earlier? She’s smiling like someone doting on a grandchild.”

“She may be cute and tiny, but isn’t she still a princess? Is this even okay?”

“Wow, look at those cheeks. They’re so squishy, like pudding.”

“If I could touch them just once, I’d die happy….”

The students were visibly shocked by my mentor’s uncharacteristic behavior.

And then, among them…

“Just being around Esti changes the whole atmosphere.”

“Princess, you seem to be feeling better….”

“Ugh, those squishy cheeks… As a daughter of the Vernone family, I can’t stand it!!!”

‘…Wait, why is Lady Schefor here again?’

I couldn’t understand why Schefor, who had been thoroughly defeated in yesterday’s social battle, was sitting near Irene and Louis.

Desperate to escape, I started wriggling in my mentor’s grasp.

“M-Mentor… please stop now….”

‘No matter how close we are, this is too much in front of others!’

I was worried about Irene sitting next to that troublesome villainess, Schefor.

Moreover, public displays like this were risky, even with my mentor.

Most importantly, it was humiliating.

‘I don’t want to leave this kind of first impression on the other students…!!’

“Just wait a moment. I’m almost done.”

—Squish, squish, squish.

“Bwaaaah….”

‘This doesn’t feel villainous at all…!!!’