How To Live As An Academy Extra Villain

✦ Chapter 119 – Ellie (4) ✦

「Translator – Creator」

𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝

At that moment, I felt like a fool, almost as if I had wandered into a dream; the scene before me was that powerful, that surreal.

Alkmene. The First Princess of the Empire.

Alkmene Lucetta Canias

Her face was always veiled during public appearances so no one knew what she looked like. Even Eugene barely mentioned her in his stories.  Yet, the girl before me was claiming to be that very princess, asserting that the imperious princess from the ball and the innocent commoner girl were one and the same.

I shifted my gaze back to her. The golden-haired girl was still waiting for my response. Her brilliant blonde hair naturally brought back memories of that day’s ball. There was not a trace of deceit in her clear, earnest gaze as she looked at me.

“Ellie…”

“Not that… I just told you… sniffle…” she mumbled, clearly unhappy with me. Her voice was still thick with unshed tears.

“I apologize… Your… Highness…”

“Ed. Are you an idiot? Or are you pretending to be one…?”

The girl, sitting atop me, pressed her body closer. I could even hear her gentle breathing. She softly whispered my name.

“Ed… Edwin Reed…”

Memories of my days spent with Ellie flashed through my mind. The events that seemed extravagant for a mere commoner now made sense.

Ellie, who had exceptional magical talents; Ellie, who always scored the highest in education classes; Ellie, who knew the lineage of nobles by heart; Ellie, who had told me that her hometown was Crestbridge, just outside the capital… It all made sense now.

“It’s only you… There’s no one else but you…”

And then I remembered how the thought of me going to the ball without her was enough to make her threaten to murder her own brother. If Ellie was Princess Alkmene… then who was her brother…?

…And the parents downstairs, were they…?

“D…”

My mind was a tangled mess of questions, knotted together, impossible to unravel.

“…Ed…!”

A sharp voice snapped me out of my stupor. She was so close I could feel her breath on my lips. 

“How can you space out like that when you have such a charming lady right in front of you…?” 

“… I-I’m sorry… I mean, my deepest apolo—”

“Not that…”

“ Ellie…”

“Not that either!!”

For a while, I was really at a loss with regard to how to respond to this girl. But, seeing her puff out her cheeks, it became clear that she was the same person that I had known.

“…Alkmene…”

“…Hehe…”

At that one word, all her displeasure seemed to melt away, like the snow under the sun. A beauteous smile blossomed on her face, akin to a flower in full bloom.

“…Is it over? Can you get down now…?”

“…No. I want to stay like this a little longer… It’s been so long…”

The girl vehemently shook her head, refusing my request and instead snuggled closer. There was no longer any distinction between us; we seemed as if we had always been one entity.

“You were… a princess all along… ”

“Uh-huh. Are you… disappointed… that I lied?”

“Surprised, yes… but not disappointed… But why disguise yourself as a commoner?”

“…‘Do not show yourself to the people. Wear their clothes, eat their bread. Thus, when the three stars fall, he will come to you.’“

“……………..?”

“It was a prophecy,” she explained. “I had my fortune told when I was four. The fortune-teller said there was a dark cloud over my destiny. They told my father to keep me hidden until my fated person appeared…”

The girl continued her explanation.

“Thanks to that, no one outside of those present then knows my face. I even had to pretend to be a commoner at the academy. Well… now one more knows…”

“Isn’t that not allowed? Surely until the nobleman arrives, you should…”

“Ed, you fool. Don’t you understand yet? The day we first met was precisely… the day the three stars fell.”

I was left speechless. It was a difficult notion to respond to.

“That could be a coincidence… there are five such days in a year, after all…”

“Today is one of those days too.”

My last feeble attempt at protest was easily dismissed by the girl. There was a newfound assertiveness in her voice. What she was saying was becoming increasingly clear.

“Uh?”

“Today is also a day when the three stars fall.”

She sat up from where she had been leaning against me and looked at me again. Her eyes were alight with intense conviction.

“This is fate. Even Father will have no choice but to accept it now. Right? Whether or not you are the nobleman doesn’t matter. Ed… you are… my…”

I couldn’t deny her words. I had saved her life—twice. Back in Drakton, and then again today. 

But there’s a vast difference between feeling indebted and being destined as prophesied by fate.

I couldn’t begin to fathom the implications this would have for the future, especially considering who was asserting them.

And now that the immediate danger had passed, all the emotions I hadn’t fully processed were catching up with me. My face flushed with heat, my heartbeat started to accelerate.

Ellie’s warm touch and her indescribably sweet scent only intensified these sensations. To make a logical decision amid this whirlpool of feelings seemed an almost impossible task.

“…I understand… at least I think I do… but can you please get down for a moment…?”

“What? But we were having an important conversation… don’t tell me you’re uncomfortable…?”

“No, not at all… it’s just that…”

“Uh…?”

Soon, it seemed like the girl also began to sense my discomfort. She paused her speech and cautiously posed a question.

“… Ed. Are you… blushing…?”

“… Uh…”

“…Why are you acting like this…? You’ve never been shy before… Now you’re making me feel… awkward too…”

“That’s why… can you get down… please…”

“…………”

An awkward, strained pause hung in the air. Alkmene remained silent from this moment on, her eyes wandering, but she made no move to get off of me. The silence stretched on, each second feeling like an eternity.

— Knock! Knock! Bang!

“I apologize for the intrusion, Your Highness, but you’ve been in there for quite some time. If you don’t come out soon…”

Just when I wondered if I should simply lift Ellie off me, the door suddenly opened and Ada entered the room. Her eyes widened as she took in the sight of us—tangled together like a pair of snails.

The maid couldn’t utter a word. After a brief, stunned pause, the golden-haired girl leaped towards her.

“Ada!!”

* * * * *

Following this, the old inn erupted into chaos. After a tearful reunion with her maid, Alkmene went downstairs to see her parents.

Naturally, her parents were bewildered by the unfolding events. In fact, Kisha even tried to restrain me and cast a spell, perhaps thinking I had used some sinister magic.

However, Alkmene vehemently intervened, putting an end to Kisha’s attempts. After a thorough inspection, no trace of malicious intent was discovered. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, there was a tearful reunion between Alkmene and her parents.

As for me… well, I had to figure out how I fit into all of this.

“…Edwin of House Reed, humbly greets the sun of the Empire…”

“Enough. There’s no need for such formalities. How can I, the Emperor of the Empire,  possibly expect you to kneel before me?”

“Yes, please, rise. What a kind young man you are…”

I found myself in a specially prepared room within the inn. Varion stopped me from observing the formal etiquette.

A woman who resembled Alkmene and wore a satisfied smile stood beside him, echoing his sentiments. The situation had completely reversed from earlier.

Their formal treatment of me felt quite strange. Given who they were, it was even stranger that they were accustomed to formality. After all, how often would such high-ranking individuals need to show deference to anyone?

It was beyond strange to be addressed with such deference by the Emperor. Then again, this was a man who rarely had any reason to address anyone with anything other than absolute authority.

The feeling was quite surreal. For me, the Empire and its royal family were always distant, almost abstract concepts. The vastness of the Empire was too much for me to grasp. My focus had always been on our own domain.

Additionally, having spent my entire life in the South and not even a full year since joining the academy, I only knew of the emperor as a fact of life but never dreamed of meeting him in person.

The Emperor was not only the supreme ruler of the empire but also the head of the distinguished Carnias family. Among the great noble houses, the Carnias family held unmatched power.

Located in the relatively unscathed west during the Great Demon’s descent, they inherited all of the first imperial family’s—Drakan’s—territories and legacies. Even with significant discontent from other noble houses, none dared make an overt challenge due to this power.

And yet, the amiable-looking middle-aged man before me was the ruler of all that…

“I regret deceiving you, albeit unintentionally. I apologize. It was my daughter’s strong desire. She wanted her final moments to be like any other ordinary friend’s. Although things have turned out this way now…”

“Please, Your Majesty, don’t apologize. If anything, I should apologize for my rudeness…”

“Enough. I have already seen your respectful conduct and noble attitude. It’s amusing; you look just like your father but behave so differently.”

The emperor waved his hand dismissively, letting out a light laugh. However, his next words left me bewildered. What about my father?

“Your Majesty… ?”

“Oh, Varion, please. Call me Varion.”

“… Lord Varion… do you… know my father?”

“Know him? I’ve known Albert since our academy days. He was the student council president back then. How much trouble he caused, constantly changing girlfriends…”

Listening to him, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Summer break brought to mind Estelle’s revelations about my father’s past.

She did mention that he was scolded by the student council president over his womanizing ways.

Could it be that the council president was…?

“Countless times I tried talking sense into him, to little effect. It wasn’t until he met your mother that he changed. Yet through it all, a small friendship grew between us…”

Varion trailed off, lost in thought.

“I was so curious that I asked him for his secret. But he never told me, just smiled and shook his head. It was infuriating…”

“…Varion. You asked for his secret? About switching girls…? Why does this sound new to me…?”

“Ahem. It’s all in the past…”

Clythinae’s voice, cool and measured, snapped Varion out of his reverie. He cleared his throat and turned back to me, his expression serious.

“…But I digress. There’s something I need to ask you, Edwin.”

“…Please ask…”

“…When we learned that the poison that afflicted my daughter… that it was basilisk venom… I was devastated. It was aimed at me in my absence, and she ended up suffering for it…”

“………….”

“Nothing worked. There was no glimmer of hope anywhere. I would have sold my soul to a demon if it meant saving my daughter.”

“Varion…” Clythinae murmured, placing a comforting hand on her husband’s arm.

“But then, a miracle happened. You cannot possibly imagine the joy I felt when my daughter was returned to me, safe and sound.”

“………”

“And so, I have to ask: what potion did you use? What magic did you possess to find a cure that had eluded even the finest healers in the Empire? ”

If he were genuinely a wealthy commoner, I might have found a way to deflect his inquiry. But he wasn’t. His status precluded any doubt, and I knew he would be aware of anything I might know.

After a brief moment of consideration, I made my decision. There was no other way but to face it head-on.

“… I’m afraid I can’t answer that question, Your Majesty,” I said, “But I swear, on my life, that the potion came from no source of evil. I would never—”

“That’s enough. Don’t look so serious, Edwin. I was just curious.”

“…?”

“I don’t intend to force an answer from you. I felt no hint of anything wicked, and most importantly, my daughter asked me not to pry. She said your allure lies in your many secrets, so I shouldn’t dig into them… ha…”

To my surprise, Varion dismissed the matter easily. He seemed unconcerned, waving his hand dismissively.

It appeared he had other worries. He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair. At that moment, the room door swung open without warning.

— Bang!

“Your Highness! You need to rest… ”

The golden-haired girl stepped into the room, followed by a maid who wore a troubled expression.

“Ed…! Hehe…”

“…It seems there’s a bit of your father in you after all… ha… What should I do…?”

Alkmene jumped onto my back, almost as if I were giving her a piggyback ride. Varion’s sigh deepened at the sight.

“…Ed. I’m sorry, but could you step out for a moment? I need to talk with Father and Mother…”

Alkmene’s expression hardened as she glared at Varion, her earlier joy swiftly replaced with annoyance.

— Thud!

‘Father! I told you very clearly!’

‘My dear…’

Alkmene pushed me toward the door. Without so much as a proper farewell, I was shuffled outside and the door closed firmly behind me. I had no way of knowing what was happening inside the room, only faint echoes of raised voices occasionally slipping through.

“It seems our lady has quite a bit to unload. While we wait, shall we have a chat?”

A gruff voice called from behind me. Turning around, I saw a burly man with a booming laugh and a woman with a tense expression standing there.

— End of Chapter —

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