After I decided to join the Council, peaceful daily life flowed on as if nothing had happened.
The hour after lunch — when a full stomach and waning concentration leave you rubbing your eyelids to keep the sleep monster at bay — and the occasional student visibly losing the fight.
In school life, no time drags like time in class.
Without magical aptitude, I’d spent my early childhood stuffing myself with knowledge, so the material is in territory I’ve already covered.
Which is why what occupies my head is the question of how to deal with Reina, Mashiro, and the rest from here on.
I joined the Council; might as well frame it as a positive.
My contact opportunities with Reina increase. In other words — my chance to appeal to her grows.
To pull her over to my side, the most important thing is to show her a better working environment.
Future financial security is one thing, of course, but she doesn’t seem to have much of that kind of desire.
If I’m going to topple her, that’s the angle.
First — show her that I’m different from Floné.
What I need to do is spoil Reina relentlessly. Stay close to her, build the environment she wants.
Once I get her signature on a contract, she’s mine.
What — funds I have plenty of.
Heh heh heh…… is exploitation the exploiter’s side this fun? My face is breaking into a grin without my permission.
“Ouga. What are you doing……?”
“A little thinking. Tell you later.”
“Okayyy.”
Cocking her head with a huh, Mashiro returned her focus to class.
The wonderful Mashiropai on the desk today as well…… no, that wasn’t it. Mashiro, attending class, had refocused quickly.
She’s commoner-born, so the chance to learn about magic must be enjoyable beyond measure.
“Hmm……”
Let’s do a training camp at the estate over the long summer holiday after all.
Introduce Mashiro to my parents at the same time. Meet Mashiro’s parents while I’m at it.
Three birds with one stone. Excellent.
For Karen — let me give her a newly tailored dress. She’s been freed from the Lebetsenka curse, but she’s been crossdressing all this time and shouldn’t own a dress fitted to her body.
I have to get her measurements from her attendant maid.
I have no improper feelings about it. It’s necessary information for making the dress. Can’t be helped.
My plan to make those two happy is also a vital piece in extracting Reina later.
Gentle to the newcomer, harsh to the existing — that breeds dissatisfaction.
If I only fuss over Reina and the unfair! feeling builds up in those two, it’ll explode at some point.
I obviously don’t want to carry that risk.
I was born into a ducal house — I might as well use the position.
That leaves Alice…… nothing I can think of that she’d want, though……
Probably faster to ask her directly.
Given that it’s Alice, she might say something like “I want to crush a villain’s base.”
The moment the two of us are alone in our room, I’ll ask.
“All right, that’s it for today. After-school questions are accepted; come to the faculty building if you have any.”
The moment I’d set my next moves, the last class of the day ended.
A buzz of voices rose around me.
“Ngh~! Today was lecture-style straight from first period, so I’m a little tired.”
Mashiro stretched her arms, loosening her cramped muscles.
Not good. That pose is seriously bad.
“You’re a diligent one, Mashiro. Maybe your posture’s been a touch forward.”
“Eh, really? I’ll have to be careful next time.”
In Mashiro’s case it might just not be helpable.
If you’ve got big boobs attached, the weight naturally pulls you forward.
“Posture affects all kinds of things. It’s worth minding. By the way, Mashiro — back to what I asked you earlier……”
“What~? Ask me as many things as you want?”
“What are things that make you (when you’re the recipient) happy?”
“Things that make Boku happy (when you do them)!?”
“Yeah. (For toppling Reina,) I’d like a reference. Please tell me.”
“Th-that’s pretty direct…… what brought this on? Lately you’ve been really aggressive about——”
“I won’t deny it. (About toppling Reina, that is.) But — can you forgive a me like that?”
“It’s not even something to forgive! If anything, I’m happy, or — um — ehehe……”
Mashiro fidgeted her fingers and blushed.
Cute today, as always.
“D-do you really mean anything?”
“Within reason, of course.”
“Then, um…… don’t draw back, okay?”
Mashiro steadied her breath — fuu-haa.
To avoid letting my gaze slip to her up-and-down chest, I held a serious face and waited for her words.
“B-Boku…… would be happy if I could sleep over in Ouga’s room…… is what I’d say.”
“Sleeping over……?”
…… I see.
Spending time in the same space, sharing the same hours all the way until sleep, to deepen trust — that’s what she means.
Yes, what Reina and I need first is exactly that kind of trust relationship.
My own room may be tricky given the rules, but if Mashiro and Karen, and Alice too, are there, Reina will feel secure.
“Thank you, Mashiro. Thanks to you, I can take a step forward.”
“M-mn. I-I’m looking forward to it.”
“Yeah. I’ll invite Reina right after this.”
“That’s it, the Council Pres…… eh?”
“Hm?”
In that instant — for the first time since this morning — cold air flooded the space.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
Sometimes I dream.
Of a prince who takes me away from this hell, and of marrying that wonderful person and building a happy household.
I know a dream that won’t come true only injures me when I dream it.
But that day, watching him save Miss Lebetsenka from the Crown Prince — feeling envious — must just be my weakness of spirit.
”……I haven’t grown at all.”
I’m trash, defective, a substitute…… you could line up the insults thrown at me without end.
The values (trauma) forced on me for so long can’t be wiped clean.
Denial by others easily destroys a personality.
But — while I was brewing tea, I could forget all of those distractions.
So when I was misled into thinking I’d been summoned over that pretext, I acted on raw anger.
“And to think that, too, was a misunderstanding……”
Ouga-kun genuinely thought my tea was delicious.
He recognized the value of effort I’d put in.
I’ve spent my life lying, so by looking at someone’s eyes, I can tell whether words are true.
A piece of me had been acknowledged. That made me deeply happy.
And that very person had asked for Reina Milfonti.
The one who breaks a stalled state of things is always a genius.
…… If it’s Ouga-kun…… perhaps that Sensei (monster) could be……
”…… No. I mustn’t have hope.”
I shook my head, casting away the sweet thought.
I finally — across years of effort — acquired an iron mask that keeps me from being hurt. There’s no point in throwing it away here.
And anyway, my life…… no, the self of me — Reina Milfonti — is going to disappear from this world.
”…… It’s about time they arrived.”
Let me switch over.
To the usual me. To the doll, Reina Milfonti.
I put a finger to my cheek and crafted the familiar smile.
If I do this, I can put my mask back on.
“Reina!!”
His voice arrived precisely on cue.
For some reason wearing a bright-red handprint on his cheek, he flung the door open and announced:
“Tonight, won’t you stay over in my room!?”
”…… Eh?”