I Became the Absolute Hidden Villainess Princess of the Academy

Chapter 8: The Princess Picks Up the Protagonist (3)

Irene hugged my arm.

Not just lightly — she hugged it so tightly that my forearm was completely buried between her breasts.

It was the kind of physical contact only lovers might have, and as someone who used to be a man…

I tilted my head with a completely indifferent expression.

‘…What’s up with her?’

Head tilt.

If this had happened back when I was a man, I probably would have been excited.

But I’d already been living a life where I had to squat every time I used the bathroom for about ten years now.

Because of that, my sense of identity had shifted much closer to that of a woman.

I’d even forgotten my name from when I was a man.

…Though, to be fair, I think I forgot it right after I transmigrated anyway.

For someone like me, physical contact like this only made me feel momentarily awkward.

That’s why I was able to calmly start thinking about it.

Why was she doing this?

Head tilt.

“H-Heh…?”

‘She’s smaller than Elena, but… no, that’s not the point. Was Irene always this kind of character?’

Irene, The main heroine of the original story and the last witch remaining on the continent.

She was a girl who roamed around while keeping most of her witch powers sealed.

Because if it was ever discovered that she was a witch, she’d immediately be subjected to a horrifying witch hunt.

Even so, she couldn’t completely erase the traces of it.

Unlike a “saint,” who was infinitely loved by all creation, a “witch” had a nature that caused her to be hated by all living things.

And no amount of hiding or sealing could erase that nature.

As a result, Irene was constantly hated, bullied, and driven to exhaustion throughout the original story.

The author of the original novel wasn’t great at writing character personalities, so her traits weren’t all that clear.

But still, she didn’t seem like the type to cling to someone like this.

Yet here she was, holding on to me.

Why?

‘…Ah. This actually makes sense, huh?’

With my lips pouting in thought, I decided to see things from her perspective.

Her whole life, she’d been despised because of her witch-like nature.

But suddenly, a noble prince had saved her.

And a princess had hugged her, rubbing her cheek against her own.

For someone who had never received affection like this, it was only natural to be overcome with emotion and unconsciously cling on.

My lips curved upward on their own.

‘To think this is how she reacts to just being saved from a villainous noblewoman. What kind of skinship will she pull on Louis later…?’

“Hehehe, hehehehe.”

Perhaps it was because she hadn’t yet reached the depths of despair that she would face later in the story.

Even something as small as this was enough to make Irene happy.

Just thinking about how she and Louis would live a sweet and happy academy life together made me unable to hold back my excitement.

‘What, what? Are these two gonna end up having a “shotgun wedding” at this rate?’

“……!! S-Sorry…!!”

“No, no~ It’s totally fine! More importantly, you must have been scared, huh? It was tough, wasn’t it? Aww, it’s okay now. No need to worry anymore~.”

Instead of blaming her for her audacity, I stroked her head.

As if giving my blessing to Irene, who would one day live happily ever after with Louis.

‘Hehe. I’ll take care of all the baseless accusations and obstacles myself, so you two just stay quiet, feed each other cookies, and enjoy your romance!’

Muttering.

“…This is the first time I’ve seen Esti smile like that.”

‘What is Louis even mumbling about?’

Louis’s odd gaze fell on us, but…

Well, it’s probably nothing important.

***

While Esti was busy rubbing cheeks with Irene.

Louis remained on alert, ready for battle.

He was ready to summon his spear at any moment…

And pierce it straight through Irene’s heart.

Fwoooom…

‘Honestly, Esti… What’s she thinking, getting all friendly with her? What if that girl’s an assassin?’

The secret spear techniques of the Blezer family, passed down to overcome their small frames and short stature.

Louis, as the eldest son, had also trained in the Blezer-style spear techniques to the extreme.

His skills, acknowledged even by the captain of the Imperial Knights, were so honed that he could react to any situation within a 3-meter radius instantly.

With all his skills on full display, Louis guarded Esti with unwavering vigilance.

If Irene made any suspicious move, he would kill her on the spot.

However…

The moment Irene hugged Esti’s arm.

He stopped in his tracks and couldn’t react immediately.

Cling.

‘That girl… she’s finally showing her true colors…’

“Hehe♡”

“…Huh?”

The pure, happy laughter from Esti caused Louis’s mind to freeze.

For Esti, it was just a smile born from imagining a happy future.

But for Louis, it looked completely different.

Even he, for a moment, thought, “Man, I’m kinda jealous.”

So when he saw Esti’s carefree, wide grin…

It looked like she was simply happy from the physical contact.

‘Hold on. Come to think of it…?’

Louis’s thoughts began to trace back through everything that had happened so far.

As soon as Esti spotted a girl being bullied, she ran over without hesitation.

Then, she even asked him to wipe the girl’s face.

Saying something like, “It’s a waste for the world’s prettiest face to be dirty.”

…To be honest, the girl didn’t have bad features, but with all the grime, she looked more dirty than pretty.

Afterward, she stood up to Lady Schefor to protect that girl.

Then, she even declared that she’d make her a friend.

‘Something about this is off…’

Even though Esti was a kind and quirky person, this was definitely strange.

Was she just moved by pity for a poor commoner girl being bullied?

No.

If that were the case, she wouldn’t be clinging to her like this, rubbing her cheek against hers.

She wouldn’t have said something like “friend” either.

Louis’s gaze shifted back to Esti.

“Everything’s okay now, so don’t worry~ Hehehe♡”

Esti, her arm still hugged tightly by the girl, smiled at her with honey practically dripping from her eyes.

…Had Esti ever looked at someone like that before?

After a brief moment of thought, Louis came to a conclusion.

No, never.

Not once had Esti ever looked at someone like that before.

Louis felt a growing sense of confusion.

‘If they were a man and a woman, I’d just think it was love at first sight. But they’re both girls, so it’s not that either. Then what is it? Why is Esti acting like this?’

Muttering.

“What’s… going on with them…?”

It was a mutter that sounded suspiciously similar to something Esti might say.

After a whirlwind of events, a brief moment of calm returned.

***

Sitting on a bench, Irene wore a hesitant expression as she opened her mouth.

“Uhm, so…”

“If you’re gonna say thanks, save it for later and tell us your name first. Look over here and tell us your name and age, alright?”

Esti, who was also sitting on the bench, smiled brightly as she stared at her.

Irene, feeling baffled, muttered inwardly.

‘That little kid’s a princess…? No, wait. Why are we even sitting like this?’

“…Esti, the bench is already cramped. Do I really have to sit here too? Can’t you two just talk without me?”

That question came from none other than Louis, who was sandwiched awkwardly between the two girls with a visibly uncomfortable expression.

With all three of them squished together on the narrow bench, his question was perfectly reasonable.

But Esti just gave him her classic half-hearted grin.

“Hehe. She’s a classmate we’ll be spending time with from now on, so what’s wrong with a little closeness?”

‘If I just tell them to sit together, it’ll be awkward. But if I squeeze in between them, it’ll feel more natural. I’m a genius Cupid!’

“Come on, tell us your name, okay?”

Rub rub.

Instead of backing off, Esti pressed herself against Louis even harder, shoving him toward Irene.

Of course, since Louis’s trained body didn’t budge an inch, it just looked like Esti was rubbing herself against him.

Irene’s eyes narrowed at the sight.

‘Those two are definitely dating. Ugh, it must be nice to be young.’

From the perspective of Irene, who was an adult woman, it just looked like two cute kids being lovey-dovey with each other.

Of course, Esti didn’t have a single ulterior motive, and Louis was gritting his teeth trying to hold back the inner scream of “It’s undercooked!” but Irene had no way of knowing that.

For a moment, Irene silently ridiculed them, thinking, “These kids are already so shameless.”

Then, with renewed resolve, she straightened her back.

‘Well, thanks to them, I got out of a tight spot. Guess I’m lucky this time.’

“Um, I’m… Irene….”

Contrary to her cynical inner thoughts, her voice came out timid and shaky.

It was a voice she’d trained herself to use, hoping to attract less hatred from others.

It hadn’t been particularly effective up to now…

But when it came to the “Queen of Gullibility,” Esti, she fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

‘Her voice is trembling like a newborn fawn’s legs… She must have suffered a lot.’

“Irene! That’s a pretty name. Right, Louis?”

‘And for a girl like you, I present a dashing prince on a white horse — Louis!’

Completely fooled by Irene’s “helpless girl” act, Esti leaned even harder against Louis’s shoulder, rubbing against him like a puppy.

Louis felt his stomach churn.

“Ugh… Y-Yeah, it’s a nice name.”

‘Yeah, yeah, I get it. You like her. But could you please stop leaning on me…?’

‘Look at these little lovebirds, all over each other like that.’

But for Irene, Louis’s strained response just looked like he was blushing from embarrassment.

With a growing misunderstanding, she began to consider her next move.

‘Alright, how can I make use of these naive nobles? I need to survive at this academy, after all.’

To Irene, the academy was her one shot at survival — a chance to graduate, gain a respectable status, and escape the suspicion of being a witch.

Even if it meant enduring all kinds of hardships, she was determined to do it.

So when she saw this little noble couple, all sweet and defenseless, she saw a chance to make use of them.

Friends? Sure, I’ll play along. But in return, you’d better protect me like you did today.

“Um, but… about that whole ‘friend’ thing…”

“Hmph! What, you don’t like it? From now on, we’ll eat good food together and have fun, you, me, and Louis!”

“Wait, why me…?”

“Don’t be like that, Louis~.”

‘Ah, I see. She’s just using me as an excuse to get closer to her boyfriend. How childish.’

Despite the enormous misunderstanding, none of the three noticed it.

***

After some back-and-forth, Esti and Irene finally shook hands.

It was a handshake to commemorate their newfound friendship.

Grip.

“U-Uhm… I’m just a plain commoner, but I’ll be in your care….”

“Hmph, you’re under my care now, Irene!”

Hehe, everything is going according to plan! I’m the perfect mastermind!

Pathetic. She’s supposed to be 20, but she acts like a child.

Of course, there wasn’t a single gram of genuine friendship between them. But still.

Once their handshake ended, Louis, who had been crammed between them, shot up like a spring.

His forehead was slick with sweat.

‘I thought I was gonna die…’

“Phew… It’s almost time. Shouldn’t we head to the entrance ceremony?”

“Oh, right! It’s about to start. Let’s go, come on!”

“Y-Yes, ma’am…!”

With that, Esti, Irene, and Louis began walking to the entrance ceremony together.

They chatted along the way.

But Irene’s face stiffened at one particular question from Esti.

“By the way, Irene, your clothes… it looks like you’ve been homeless. Did something happen?”

“…”

After a moment of hesitation, Irene opened her mouth.

“This is a secret… but some people tried to kidnap me.”

“Kidnapping!!? Did some bad guys target you or something?”

“Yes.”

And then…

For the first time since arriving at the academy.

A look of unmistakable panic appeared on Esti’s face.

“T-The TS Brigade, or some weird group like that… They keep chasing me…”

“…Wha—Wha-Wha-WHAAAT?!!!”