The World After the Bad Ending

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I was in the most tense state of my life, following Iris.

It was no surprise since I was cross-dressing and entering a girls’ dormitory.

The moment my identity was discovered, it would be insane enough to be caught immediately.

Perhaps due to the tension, my throat kept tightening, making me swallow.

I don’t think I was this nervous even during a group match earlier.

This was one of the most frightening moments of my life.

‘Sure, there’s a scenario where Lucas sneaks into the girls’ dormitory.’

But I never thought I would end up doing that.

“Hania, we’ve arrived.”

Here we go.

When I lifted my head, I could see the entrance of the girls’ dormitory.

Just in time, I noticed female students entering the dorm after school.

Feeling anxious about their gazes, I subtly moved closer to Iris.

If I entered with Iris, I would at least draw less suspicion.

It was a defensive move.

Seeing me like that, Iris kept smiling brightly.

It was the first time in my life I had seen Iris smile that much.

“Iris, you’re smiling too much.”

“Sorry, I just feel like I’m seeing something fun for the first time in a while.”

Iris didn’t deny that she was enjoying herself right now.

It was killing me inside.

But this was all for the sake of the scenario.

I had to hold on.

I had to endure.

“Let’s go in.”

In the end, I entered the dorm with Iris.

Soon, I saw the interior which had a different atmosphere from the boys’ dormitory.

The structure itself was the same, being just the opposite building.

But somehow, the atmosphere felt strangely warm.

‘Is it the scent?’

Unlike the boys’ dormitory, the smell of women’s perfume lingered everywhere.

“Iris, welcome back.”

Every so often, female dorm maids greeted Iris as we passed.

Iris responded warmly to their familiar faces.

“Miss Maid, don’t you notice something different about Hania?”

At that moment, Iris asked a ridiculous question.

When I turned to Iris with a surprised face, one of the maids glanced in our direction.

Then she smiled widely and said,

“Your hairstyle is a bit different than usual. Hania, that hairstyle suits you well.”

“Ah, ah, thank you for noticing.”

As I forced a smile, Iris, standing behind the maid, snickered.

She really enjoyed teasing people.

The maid finished her greetings and left.

As soon as she was gone, I rushed up to Iris.

“Uh, Iris?”

“You’re good at acting.”

“Do you really hope I get caught and end up in a troublesome situation?”

“Hania doesn’t even use that tone.”

Here comes the 3rd Princess causing trouble.

Tears filled my eyes.

“You beat me in the group match, remember?”

Then Iris explained why she was teasing me.

“It’s revenge for that.”

It was a sufficient excuse.

However, as she said it, Iris smiled playfully.

Iris, who has nightmares daily due to being in the demonic realm, rarely expresses her emotions.

Even the process of revealing her emotions leaves her feeling fatigued.

But the fact that she is smiling like this means she is genuinely enjoying this situation.

‘…Right, I might as well make it fun.’

I owed Iris for this incident.

If she could laugh at it, I could sacrifice myself.

“Just don’t do this too much.”

“Okay, I got it.”

If my identity were revealed, I would be in trouble, but so would Iris.

So when I asked her to refrain, she gladly agreed.

“Hello, Iris.”

At that moment, a passing student greeted Iris.

Given that she is the 3rd Princess of the Empire, Iris often receives greetings from passersby.

The problem was that the owner of the voice sounded somehow familiar.

Honey-blonde hair swayed as if holding the refreshing sun.

Underneath it, bright crimson eyes sparkled.

Isabel Luna.

As soon as I saw a familiar face, my body instinctively stiffened.

“Hi.”

Isabel, who greeted Iris, then turned to me.

“Good evening, Hania.”

Isabel had a friendly demeanor.

It was rare to find a 2nd-year Martial Arts student that wasn’t close with her.

Isabel was also on friendly terms with Hania.

“Yeah, good evening, Isabel.”

I replied minimally, and Isabel tilted her head.

“Hania, is something going on?”

“What do you mean? Nothing is going on.”

“Really? But it feels like something is off today.”

Isabel said that while alternating their gazes between Iris and me.

What was it? We hadn’t done anything suspicious.

At that moment, Iris made eye contact with me and lifted her arm slightly.

Seeing that, I realized what I might have done wrong.

Hania was always by Iris’s side.

Having been friends and in a servant-master relationship since childhood, Hania always walked arm in arm with Iris.

Noticing this, Isabel casually came closer to ask,

“…Did something happen between you and Iris?”

As expected, Isabel inquired about that point.

Iris was still staring at me, her arm lifted.

Damn.

I quickly moved to wrap my arm around Iris’s.

“Why would something happen between me and Iris? Of course not! If that happened, I might just die!”

When I pretended to be hurt, Isabel reacted as if to say, ‘Well, that makes sense.’

Of course, Iris turned her head the opposite way, fighting back laughter.

Her ears turned red.

Something inside my heart felt like it was shattering.

“Good to know. Well, I’ll be going then. I have training today as well.”

No wonder she was in sports attire.

Isabel was diligently working on her training yet again today.

Even with the summer Magung Academy taking place tomorrow, she was still practicing.

I could feel how sincere Isabel’s passion was.

“Isabel working that hard is all thanks to you.”

As I watched Isabel walk away, Iris casually remarked.

“All thanks to me? If anything, I’ve just fought with her.”

Of course, I couldn’t show that sense of pride.

“Yeah, that makes sense.”

Iris was observing everything.

In the twenty-nine clears, Iris played the role of both the final boss and heroine.

Yet despite that, Iris remained an intriguing character filled with questions for the player.

She was a charming character because of her hidden nature.

The developers had made excellent use of Iris’s mysterious character traits.

However, one thing was clear.

“How have you been sleeping lately?”

She suffered from severe insomnia.

“Pretty much alright.”

Dark circles remained around her eyes, indicating her ongoing struggle with insomnia.

“There’s a music box called the ‘Mystical Melody of Argol.’”

Iris perked up as I began sharing what I had once advised her several times about getting better sleep.

“It’s a rare item, but when you play it, it plays music that helps you sleep. I’ve heard it can even devour nightmares.”

Iris’s eyes widened.

The main reason she suffers from insomnia was due to nightmares.

Such a tool that could swallow those nightmares would have an unimaginable effect on her.

‘Originally, the flame of determination would be the best remedy…’

But it would serve as a temporary fix.

Of course, even that would lose its effectiveness over time.

Unless the root of the nightmares is dealt with.

Iris’s nightmares wouldn’t come to an end.

‘After this incident is settled…’

I’d have to start preparing as well.

“…How do you know all this?”

Iris suddenly asked me.

The information I had shared was not commonly known.

That made Iris curious about how I came to know about it.

“I’ve studied it to some extent.”

“For what purpose?”

“Well, of course, it’s for you, Iris.”

Using Hania’s tone, I smiled.

Iris blinked her large eyes, slightly bowed her head, and then playfully flicked my forehead with hers.

Her ruby-lit alluring eyes drew closer.

For a brief moment, a rose scent wafted deeply into my nose from her hair.

I felt my heart drop for a moment.

Iris whispered into my ear with a sultry tone.

“Don’t tease me too much.”

Who was it that started the teasing first?

Iris floated away lightly.

‘What if someone thought that allure was her unique trait?’

She knows how to make hearts flutter instinctively.

Still, I realized that my emotional turmoil wasn’t that great.

‘…Is this?’

Was the bandage of the veil having an effect?

I vaguely sensed that the bandage was erasing certain emotions.

“So now it’s bath time.”

“I’ll do it in my room.”

Even so, that’s not okay.

＊ ＊ ＊

After returning to the room, I didn’t leave and stayed quietly inside.

Hania’s roommate was, of course, Iris.

So I could relax in the room without worries.

“Haah.”

Perhaps because I had such a rough day today, I sighed deeply, leaning against the window.

Iris left, saying she would go take a bath.

Was she not worried at all about what I might do in her room?

‘Well, who would be crazy enough to do something to the 3rd Princess?’

If I didn’t want to die, I wouldn’t do something like that.

Grrr—

The problem was that I was starting to feel hungry, perhaps due to all the tension.

I turned my body in the chair I was sitting.

Then the delicate scent characteristic of women lingered in the room.

Hania’s bed was filled with a dizzying amount of pink.

On the other hand, Iris’s bed was exceptionally tidy.

It was a reflection of their personalities.

‘If I had known this would happen, I would’ve brought something to eat.’

I hadn’t thought of it because I was so frazzled.

As much as I wanted to ask Iris for it, there was no way I could ask the 3rd Princess for such a favor.

‘Should I go out with Iris?’

After a moment of pondering, I shook my head.

Today, Iris was playful.

I wasn’t sure what trouble she would get into next.

It would be better to quickly head to the dining hall and ask for a sandwich than find myself in an embarrassing situation.

‘It’s dinner time, so everyone should be in their rooms.’

I gently opened the door.

The hallway was empty.

Let’s just make it quick.

As I resolved this and was about to take a step,

“Hmm?”

At that moment, I came across someone walking down the hallway.

As soon as I saw her, my face gradually stiffened.

Because she was…

“H-Hanon?”

She was the only one with the ability to see through the veil’s bandages.

Sharine Sazarith.

What a timing to run into her.