I’m Just an Ordinary Clown at the Academy

116 – Special Training 6

“Please talk to Father, Mother. It seems like Father has misunderstood something…”

[Ho ho, yes, I’ll tell him to come right away. But when do you plan to come?]

“…I don’t know either.”

Originally, I had only planned to have a simple conversation with the clown.

But as we talked…

[Didn’t realize how time flew, huh?]

Erika, who could read my thoughts, looked surprised and glanced at the communication device.

There, I saw my mother smiling as if she was having a good time.

Did I accidentally say it out loud?

No…then how did she know?

[hehehe, curious about how I knew? Well, I often have those thoughts when I have conversations with His Majesty. It’s easy to anticipate to some extent.]

“Um, the clown and I are not like father and mother, we’re not married, you know?”

[Is that so? If our adorable daughter says so, then it must be true.]

For the first time, my mother, who spoke as if she knew everything, was annoying.

My heart was already in turmoil, and now even my mother…

“Oh! Are you planning to sleep there and come back tomorrow?”

“…Yes?”

[If you’re really going to sleep there, let me know in advance. I’ll explain it to His Majesty on your behalf, so you don’t have to worry.]

“Mother!”

What on earth is my mother talking about?

-Crackle.

Mother now covered her mouth with a fan, but I could tell from the faint sound of her laughter that the corners of her mouth were curling up.

[Why are you so embarrassed again? Don’t make me feel embarrassed for no reason. When I was your age, I used to go to an academy and whenever I met the Emperor, I would enter an empty classroom…]

“Mother, please!”

[If you’re going to do something like that today, you should be in a committed relationship. And most importantly, always use contraception. You’re not ready to see a grandchild yet. Hoho.]

“Mother! I’m really getting angry!”

[Hoho, I’m sorry. Our daughter is just too cute. Oh! Before you go, take a look in the mirror. And if you’re going to sleep and come back, let me know again, because I’m worried….]

“I’m leaving soon!”

Just as I was about to hang up,

Mother called urgently.

“Erika, wait!”

-Click.

Mother folded the fan she had opened. As a result, her expression, which had been hidden, was fully revealed.

The corners of Mother’s mouth were definitely lifted up.

[I said I’m not ready to see a grandchild, but if it happens, I would be happy to have a grandson…]

“End the call!”

I hung up on Mother and immediately left the bathroom to go to the clown.

I remembered what Mother had just said.

“Oh! Before you go, take a look in the mirror.”

I thought she was just joking anyway, but when I checked the mirror, I was taken aback.

Perhaps it was because of the tears I shed earlier, but my eyes were red and my face was flushed.

“Surely, it wasn’t like this when I was with the clown earlier, right?”

– Bang!

“Uhhhhh.”

With a flushed face and wanting to forget the embarrassing situation from earlier, they started washing their face with cold water.

Even though the freezing water touched their face, it still burned hot.

Just thinking about being in front of the clown like this made them want to disappear into a mouse hole.

They always wanted to show only their beautiful side to the clown.

“This is all because of my mother.”

They were already embarrassed for making a shameful sound twice in front of the clown.

But with their mother constantly bringing up such stories through the telecommunication device, the situation from earlier kept replaying in their mind.

“Act like nothing happened. Act like nothing happened.”

After finishing washing their face with cold water and preparing themselves mentally, they finally opened the bathroom door and stepped outside.

“The call was going well…”

“Did something get on my face?”

They paused for a moment when they saw the clown stop speaking.

Did something really get on their face?

No, that couldn’t be. They just washed their face, so there couldn’t be anything on it.

“Oh, am I so beautiful that you’re lost for words?”

They tried to act as nonchalant as possible.

Because if not, it seemed like the situation from earlier wouldn’t leave their mind.

“Yes, you’re really beautiful.”

Compared to the compliment I gave earlier in the classroom about the goddess, this was a short compliment without any embellishment.

But even so, my heart fluttered.

Beautiful, lovely, cute.

I’ve heard those compliments from other people to the point of being tired of them.

When I heard them from others, I didn’t feel any special emotions.

But when I heard them from the clown, my heart strangely trembled.

“……….”

“………..”

After a very brief conversation, silence settled in.

I don’t like the awkward atmosphere, but this feeling of my heart fluttering wasn’t bad.

However, the awkward silence didn’t last long.

As the short conversations piled up, laughter never ceased inside the dormitory.

And above all, there were many special things in the clown’s dormitory that I had never seen before.

The clown knew several games that I had never heard of in my life.

One game involved sticking a knife into a wooden barrel with multiple holes, and if a man wearing a blindfold popped out of the barrel, you would lose.

“I won again this time.”

“Ugh. Clown, don’t tell me you know exactly where to stab to make him pop out?”

“What? No way. I wouldn’t play games so unfairly. Hurry up and bring the headband.”

“Be gentle… Ah! Are you hitting me this hard? Let’s play one more round!”

“If Erica insists so much, I can’t help it.”

The clown called this the “Tongajossi Game.”

There were many other fun games besides Tongajossi.

Rolling the dice, moving around, buying land, and if the opponent landed on the bought land, they had to pay money. That game was also fun.

“Ugh, I’m on a deserted island. Does this mean I have to stay still for three turns?”

“hehehe, I’m sorry, Erica, but I will win this game. Hoo-cha! Let’s see, I rolled a 7. If it’s 7…”

“Huh? Then the clown isn’t on a deserted island either?”

“…………………….”

“Clown. You landed on my land, right? Since this is the capital of the empire, it’s 10 million gold!”

“Ugh! Erica, how about reducing it to 2 million gold, thinking of our past friendship?”

“No way. Earlier, when I asked the clown to reduce it, you ignored me. Hmph! I won’t reduce it at all!”

“Then I will borrow interest-free from the bank.”

“What? Interest-free loan from the bank? You never mentioned that before.”

“It’s the administrator’s privilege.”

“Where the hell is such a thing!”

The clown called this game “Broomarble,”

and said it would be more fun with four people, not just the two of them.

But no matter how much they thought about it, playing with just the clown seemed to be the most fun right now.

While playing the game, the clown asked if they were hungry, and when they answered yes, the clown walked to the kitchen.

“Just wait a moment. I’ll make something delicious for you.”

“Do you know how to cook, Clown?”

“Heh. It would be harder to find something I can’t do.”

“Can I expect something from you then?”

“Of course. Do you think Erika has ever tasted a dish like this?”

The completed dish was truly something she had never seen before.

A food with a bright red color.

Its stimulating aroma and scent tempted her nose.

Just looking at it made her mouth water.

“So, how is it? Delicious, right? Of course it is. After all, who made it?”

“……………….”

“Erika…?”

“Clown, my personal bodyguard, and my exclusive chef. Shall we work together?”

“But won’t that double the workload?”

“If we double the salary as well, then it’s worth considering, isn’t it?”

The Clown called this dish tteokbokki.

She would have to ask him to make it again later.

.

As they enjoyed themselves, time had quietly approached nightfall.

It had been a long time since they had played like this.

No, in a way, it was the first time.

My parents weren’t particularly strict.

But there was no one fun in the palace.

“It’s so nice.”

But this place was so interesting.

Games I’ve never seen before, food I’ve never tasted.

And even the jester next to me.

It was so comfortable and enjoyable that I didn’t want to go to the palace.

“Erika, do you have any plans to leave?”

“Why? Do you want me to go?”

Without realizing it, a grumbling sound escaped my lips.

Could it be that the jester doesn’t enjoy being with me?

“Well, of course, I want to have more fun with Erika. But I have an appointment soon.”

“What kind of appointment? Is it important?”

I wanted to say, “Is it more important than me?” but I didn’t.

“Yes, it’s a very important appointment. I have to talk to a certain woman who I talk to every day around this time.”

Erika checked her watch and couldn’t help but laugh.

Of course, she knows who Loki is talking to at this time.

“Oh, really? Can I ask who this woman is?”

“Of course. She’s a very beautiful and cute person.”

“……………..”

“You could say it’s cute that he can’t hide his expression well enough for his face to turn red even now.”

Upon hearing Loki’s words, Erika looked surprised and glanced at the mirror beside her, but her face remained unchanged, without turning red.

“Jester, are you teasing me right now?”

“Well, I’ve never said that woman’s name was Erika.”

“Hmph! I have a promise to talk to a handsome person, so I’ll stop here.”

“Do you want to ask who that person is?”

“I do. They’re someone who is good in every way except for being completely oblivious.”

.

Returning to the palace, Erika immediately called Loki and chatted with him until she fell asleep.