The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

---

Suddenly being yanked and shoved into the locker made me wonder what the heck was going on, but when I heard the door open not long after, I felt a chill run down my spine.

I didn’t feel anything, but she must have extraordinary hearing after all. Should I say it’s typical of a beast person?

The person outside was probably someone from Stephanie’s side. No one else had any reason to be here.

If someone was coming, it would likely be from the church, but until the protagonist intervened, we hadn’t even caught a whiff of her whereabouts.

In the first place, regardless of who was outside, it seemed like the White Royal Family’s Eldest Daughter didn’t want anyone to know about her relationship with me.

As I awkwardly waited for whoever came to leave, I suddenly realized something.

I had been so focused on the noises coming from outside that I hadn’t noticed what was brushing against me here and there.

A chest that felt much bigger than it looked against my own, the breath tickling my nape, and limbs that were unbelievably soft, making one doubt the strength just seen moments ago.

And her tail, brushing against areas that were just too risky.

Squeezed inside this cramped locker, I couldn’t move for fear of being caught by someone outside, but being a guy, there were things I couldn’t control.

Please, if only I could think of something else while recalling the national anthem and memories of military and company life, but the stimuli were just too powerful.

…It felt like there wasn’t an ounce of abs on me. I was anxious if she would realize what she was touching, yet I had no sharp methods to deal with it.

All I could do was hope to sink lower while thinking about life. My desperate prayers seemed to work, though I was already touched, so it felt pretty pointless.

Is she embarrassed? Or could she still be pricking her ears with an ultra-serious expression? If there were even a beam of light, I might have been able to catch her reactions, but sadly, there were no holes to see through, making it pitch black.

And the unique scent that tickled my nose couldn’t help but make my thoughts wander.

Is it a honey scent? It was the kind that made you want to keep inhaling. Honestly, it made me feel like I wanted to bury my face in it.

Of course, given the situation, I couldn’t do that. I wished it had been anyone else’s child but them.

Continuously claiming to be friends yet having no concept of the distance of friendship is bizarre.

No, it seemed she didn’t understand the distance between men and women, either. Perhaps she truly had no friends at all and didn’t know how to interact with others.

The differences in her behavior towards others compared to how she regarded me as a friend, along with her strange behavior today, all raised so many questions.

For instance, constantly demanding skinship, mishandling someone else’s requests as if she was blithely granting them, or suddenly apologizing to me.

Maybe she wasn’t aware of her position or even that she was a girl. To that extent, the White Royal Family’s Eldest Daughter seemed defenseless and ignorant.

But I couldn’t touch her. After all, she needed to approach me. If I made a move that failed, I wouldn’t be able to handle the consequences.

However, aside from winning her heart, I also needed to gain recognition from her parents, making everything feel overwhelming.

Of course, it would be easier than confronting Byeolbi…

…

I wonder.

I know the situation is extremely dangerous, yet a contradictory thought of wanting to stay just a little longer was surfacing.

Fortunately, before long, someone outside left, so I didn’t lose my composure.

“…Did they leave?”

“…Yeah, looks like it.”

When I opened the locker and came out, my head felt a bit dizzy. Being inside such a cramped, confined space may have affected my brain somewhat.

Was the White Royal Family’s Eldest Daughter feeling suffocated too? She took off her outerwear and kept fanning herself. Maybe she was hot, as her face looked flushed, and above all, her shirt was wet with sweat, becoming somewhat transparent.

It was black.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Inside, I hadn’t seen anything, so I could have easily denied it, but if I were caught now, it would be the end.

“…I’m sorry for suddenly dragging you into the locker without a word… but there was no time!”

“No, no need to worry about that. You didn’t mean any harm, so it’s fine.”

If it hadn’t been for her, I would have been killed without even entering the main event of part one.

Rather, I should be the one thanking her.

“…By the way, were you… feeling trapped…?”

“…Why do you ask?”

Could it be?

“You know, your leg… rubbing against my stomach. I was curious how trapped you must have felt.”

In that brief moment, all sorts of thoughts sprang to my mind. When she mentioned “leg,” I thought she was twisting her words and would declare herself a slave, but hearing her follow-up made it clear she genuinely believed she was thinking about a leg.

Is it really okay to be this naive? Before even liking her as a character, I was worried as a person.

If she thought for just a moment, she should be able to realize what was touching her stomach, but did she perhaps not receive any sexual education?

Setting aside what she learned, I started to wonder if it was okay to leave her as she is.

Being weak over the mere word “friend” is one thing, but to be this ignorant about sex? If one person who harbors ulterior motives approaches her while pretending to be friends, this continent might be doomed.

Moreover, I also felt uneasy about continuously deceiving her. Claiming to be friends, how long was I going to keep deceiving her? The White Royal Family’s Eldest Daughter was considering me to such an extent.

I felt like I could almost hear that kind of sound echoing within me.

Would it be better to brace myself and tell the truth, even if it meant suffering a slap?

Since it was a matter between friends, I thought it would be fine to say not to tell her parents. The way she couldn’t handle being treated as a friend made it seem worth a shot.

Our relationship might worsen, but if I keep approaching her while still claiming we’re friends, I might eventually win her heart.

I steeled myself to spill the beans. Whether I got kicked or punched, cursed at or despised, I would take it all.

“…I wasn’t feeling trapped. But I should apologize in advance. That wasn’t a leg.”

“Are you saying it was an arm?!”

Please, Ho-yeon. Realize. I don’t want to say that word with my own mouth.

“Neither was it an arm. Anyway, I’m truly sorry.”

Ho-yeon seemed to think for a moment and then finally appeared to grasp something.

“…Oh, uh… Aahhh…”

Thank goodness, at least she knows what a man’s body is. I felt a bit relieved, but I also thought it was somewhat funny. However, the job was still far from finished.

“…I’m not trying to make excuses, it’s just… there’s no way I could help it. There was a lot of touching going on.”

If I was going to spill everything, I wanted it to be all out in the open. I didn’t want to hide anything. In fact, I preferred clearing everything out at once.

This was something I learned while dealing with women before I fell into a novel. If you hide it, they will find out somehow. So you might as well just spill it all at once.

Ho-yeon’s face was flushed red, and now, nearly like an apology, she had her head bowed low.

I expected her to throw a punch or slap me. At this rate, I felt we could be stuck there for hours.

Realizing it would be dangerous if someone from Stephanie’s side came again, even knowing I wasn’t in a position to say anything, I had to speak up.

“Ah… uh…”

“…I’m sorry. I’ll make a proper apology later; for now, let’s just get out. Someone else could come in, right?”

She seemed to agree, responding, but she didn’t look quite sober.

“That’s… true… yeah.”

I reached out my hand to her to grab. She was still looking a bit shy, probably blushing, but I couldn’t keep waiting for her.

“Are you not going to hold me this time?”

“No… I’m okay. Let’s just go.”

It might not appear outwardly, but she probably hated me. Still, I had no regrets. After this incident, she would be a bit more cautious.

“Is that so?”

The way back was awkward. It felt like we were merely walking in the same direction, with no intention of getting any closer or talking.

Having some distance was good, but on the other hand, I felt sad that it had suddenly shifted so far apart.

With nothing specific to do until dinner time, I glanced at Stephanie’s plans, but found no notable yield.

As someone who was a baby regarding magic, I couldn’t possibly understand Stephanie’s plans, which were meant for a great magus.

Besides, thinking of Ho-yeon didn’t leave me with anything to act on. The feel and scent still lingered…

It might just be one step beyond what I could see.

More than that, regarding legs, I honestly thought it wasn’t that extreme. Falling into this novel had changed my body in various ways, but it hadn’t transformed that drastically.

Thinking about all this, dinner time had already come. As I strolled into the hallway, I found Ho-yeon waiting in front of her room.

It seemed she hadn’t cleared her head yet, but there was no need to rub salt in the wound. As I pondered that dinner might be a solo meal, I took a step toward the dining hall, and she followed suit.

As we gradually got closer and arrived at the dining hall, she stood by my side, just not holding hands.

I thought about trying to strike up a conversation, but it didn’t seem necessary to rush. It was clear she was fidgeting.

Of course, given her status as a princess, people around naturally kept their distance, but knowing her true nature, I wasn’t very afraid.

By the time we finished our meals and were about to head back, I figured she’d start talking.

Having finished our meal leisurely, on our way back to the dorm, she was the one to speak first.

As expected, she was more straightforward than I thought.

“…So, about that… unpleasant incident during the day. I’ve been thinking about it.”

It was a bit odd considering we were alone yet she was still in her princess state. Maybe she found it too embarrassing to speak in her true form and borrowed the appearance of a princess.

“I’m listening, Ho-yeon.”

No matter what, I had to fit into her rules. When she was in her princess state, she was above me. When she was in her real form, she would be my friend only then.

“…I was too hasty. There were better alternatives available, but I made a poor judgment in the moment. I failed to consider that you were a man… that was my error. You have no reason to apologize. I’m sorry…”

I knew she would come out like this. It seemed she genuinely had no awareness of her position. Did she know that if she wished it, this continent would be set ablaze?

If she didn’t, that would be great for me. Still, seeing her so deflated made me feel sorry.

“No, don’t blame yourself too much. I also had my share of mistakes.”

“…Ugh.”

“How about we do this? Since we each have mistakes, let’s stop blaming each other for this. After all, it’s a matter between friends.”

“…Matter between friends?”

I could see the moment she nearly reverted from her princess state. She must have been genuinely happy.

“Friends should forgive each other’s mistakes and learn from them while making mistakes, right?”

I thought it a bit cowardly but realized this was her way of connecting. I wanted to have this safety net.

A matter between friends should stay between friends.

Whether it worked or not, she had gradually begun to reveal her true self.

“Right… friends do that…”

“Exactly. That’s what friendship is.”

“…So, is this settled now…?”

“Yeah. As long as it doesn’t happen again, we’re good.”

It was a relief to see she was easy to handle. I felt it was okay to let her have spontaneous reactions. Of course, I still needed to keep her close and monitor her behavior.

Returning to the dorm without any incidents felt like nothing had happened. She went to her room, and I went to mine.

Somehow, every interaction I had with Ho-yeon felt like nothing but a sweat-inducing affair.

…Especially with our bodies so close.

I figured today wouldn’t be tolerable. I had held off since coming to the academy, but what had happened during the day was enough to awaken desires I had kept dormant.

Even if Ho-yeon was a being of heightened senses, she wouldn’t be able to hear anything.

– – – –

When I entered my room, having promised not to mention the events of the day, I felt lighthearted. Honestly, if I were a man, I wouldn’t have been able to handle being stuck so close with a cute girl.

On top of that, it was a matter between friends. There was something ticklish about that.

Friendship. Friendship.

Having never shared a secret with anyone in my life, I never imagined I would create a bond in this way.

Recalling my promise with Dokan put a smile on my face.

Since I had excluded any troublesome matters, I actually found myself with nothing to write in my diary. But the saying “no news is good news” surely had its merits.

Just a lustful phase, but overall, I’m doing well. Just as I was about to jot that down and head to bed, an annoying sound caught my ear.

It was a strangely rhythmic sound.

The noise coming from Dokan’s room was clear, yet it was hard to grasp what it was. It sounded like something was being rubbed…

…But why couldn’t I escape this sound? Why was I pouring all my mental effort into a noise whose identity was still unknown?

Something felt familiar yet abnormal at the same time. But I couldn’t tear my ears away. It felt like my body was heating up for some reason.

I had never experienced a heat up during rut season.

As the mysterious sounds continued, I felt a pressing sensation in my belly, making me think I should sleep quickly. It was the first rut I’d experienced away from home, so maybe my body was reacting unusually.

The unidentifiable sound fell silent after a while, but just seconds before it stopped, Dokan called my name.

I thought about it until I fell asleep, but couldn’t figure it out.

Should I ask him tomorrow?