漫画大王

Chapter 298

Thanks to the painstaking efforts of Eleris and myself, I bore very little resemblance to my original self.

“Ah, um. Ahem.”

Another important thing: my voice.

I had changed it to an ambiguous tone that was neither overly feminine nor masculine. It was possible that someone could recognize me just by hearing my voice.

It was quite sad that I had to take all these detailed precautions—including making myself look somewhat like Reinhart but not exactly, and changing my voice to this ambiguous tone—just to make sure I wasn’t caught. If this wasn’t a cross-dressing contest, I could have just transformed into a completely different person.

‘It would have been better to have entered Miss Temple...’

With the last bit of insurance in place, though there was no further reason to hesitate. All that remained was to return to the Temple in time for the start of the cross-dressing contest. However, if I returned exactly on time, who knew what might happen? Participants had to show up earlier to the competition to prepare.

I waited in Eleris’s semi-basement room to pass the time before finally emerging back out to the Aligar shopping district, wearing casual clothing. Obviously I wasn’t in the Temple uniform, nor was I wearing women’s clothing. So far, I had only changed the way I looked with makeup, and the shape of my body slightly.

‘Wait... doesn’t that mean I’ve basically changed everything about myself?’

Worried that someone might see me, I pulled my hood down tightly over my robe and dragged the heavy garment bag behind me. It felt like I was going on some secret mission.

‘Is status really that important...? Do I really have to go this far...?’

I slowly headed towards Aligar Station, wallowing in self-depreciation and self-justification. Each time I entered a station, I would check to see if the shops in the stations had been properly set up. Of course, the scale of the business had expanded.

When I’d first proposed the business idea, I saw it as a nice thing to have, but once business began, the Merchants’ Guild realized it was a goldmine and expanded their investment even further. What had started as simple snack shops were now increasing in number and variety.

Soon, it would grow to such a scale that the Rotary Club members wouldn’t be able to handle it alone, and we would have to rely on others. At this rate, a structure like an underground shopping mall below a large terminal might emerge. I didn’t know when that would be, but it was a possibility.

In any case, the money the club was earning was increasing exponentially. It wouldn’t be bad if other organizations or businesses came in. Since we held the business rights, we could collect rental fees or hire employees to do the work for us while reaping the profits, and find endless ways to make money using other people’s hands.

If we didn’t like a tenant, we could use our business rights to kick them out. This was what power was. I found it quite surprising that I, who never used to think about such things, now had no qualms about having such ruthless thoughts as I stood in front of the shops at Aligar Station.

The Aligar district was like Yongsan-gu in Seoul. It had a very high transient population and was famous for its shopping district. Of course, the merchants were more famous for their ruthlessness.

I saw some kids loitering around the shops.

—How much is this?

—Oh, that’s ten bronze coins.

—Wh-What about that one?

One kid was standing in front of the club member managing the shop, pointing at various items and asking about their prices, while another kid was cautiously watching from the club member’s blind spot.

‘These little brats.’

One of them was creating a distraction, while the other kids were stealthily pocketing snacks. People who were busy with their own affairs either didn’t notice or chose to ignore what was happening.

‘Hah.’

Compared to the trouble I got into with subway peddlers, this was child’s play. But still, a business is a business.

‘These little brats with no future...’

I thought I’d teach these budding criminals a lesson and started to approach them.

Whack!

“Ow!”

“Got you, you little brats.”

Someone suddenly appeared and grabbed the necks of the two kids who were shoplifting.

Realizing that the situation had gone south, the kid who was creating the distraction at the counter tried to make a run for it.

“Catch that kid!” commanded the one who had grabbed the two young kids, and another person who had been waiting nearby sprang out and quickly caught the fleeing kid.

The three kids had been caught red-handed. Passersby began to stop and look, surprised by the sudden commotion.

‘Wait, who are these guys?’

They weren’t dressed like guards and they didn’t seem to be club members either, since the club member managing the shop looked just as bewildered as I was.

“You little brats have no idea how long we’ve been waiting for this,” said the man who had caught the kids, slapping one of them across the face.

Slap!

“Ow!”

I could only watch in a daze as the man slapped the kid again.

“Brats like you guys...”

“Ow!”

Whack!

“Need to be taught a lesson!”

Whack!

“Ow!” The poor kid started to cry.

“We’ll lock you up in the underground prison so you’ll never see the light of day again—”

Whack!

Before I knew it, I had moved. I found myself grabbing the hand of the man who was slapping the kids.

“... What do you want?”

“Ah, well... The kids... They did wrong, but... Do you really have to go this far?” I stammered, not quite believing the words coming out of my mouth.

This was not what I had in mind when I thought about teaching them a lesson.

‘But still, hitting kids like this?’

“Whoever you are, these three have been going around every station and stealing things. They’ve done it over twenty times. They’re practically hardened criminals. They’re a blight on society. There’s no need for a lady like you to be concerned for them.”

‘“A lady like you”? Did he just call me a lady?’

My hair felt like it was bleaching just from hearing that... No, it was already bleached since I had silver hair.

But, twenty times? Were these three really such professional petty thieves?

They had stolen from my business twenty times! They deserved a beating, didn’t they?

It was so bad that I wanted to beat them myself.

Passersby were looking on with confused expressions—at the thugs who had suddenly begun beating the kids, at me who had jumped in to stop them, and at the kids who had started crying after getting hit.

The kids, who had initially believed me to be their savior, were now even more terrified when they saw the change in my demeanor.

“Yes, what they did was wrong. But doing this in front of everyone... isn’t it a bit... you know, unsightly?” I said, trying to reason with the thugs, though my choice of words felt awkward given the situation.

The leader of the thugs narrowed his eyes at me.

“It’s none of your business, miss. Move along,” he said threateningly.

These guys were definitely not security guards. Their attire was no different from any other passerby’s. But I had developed a keen eye for certain things.

The wrists of the arms holding the kids, their thick necks and trapezius muscles, their forearms, and the calluses on their hands... These weren’t just any thugs.

They were trained individuals. Very well-trained. If I pushed any further, it would cause a bigger commotion. The kids were looking at me, pleading for help. But I had intended to beat them myself, so looking at me wouldn’t do them any good.

I didn’t want to cause more trouble in this state. I didn’t know who these guys were, but if I escalated things, matters could get complicated. I didn’t want anyone to find out that I was Reinhart from the Temple’s Royal Class under this disguise.

Seeing that I was hesitating and about to back off, the thug smirked.

“You’re a pretty-faced lady who hasn’t seen much hardship. Be careful. The world isn’t so kind.”

‘Ah. This feeling of losing my temper... It’s been a while.’

“You son of a bitch,” I said.

“... What?”

“What makes a piece of shit who beats kids on the street think he can run his mouth?”

The thug’s expression changed drastically at my sudden outburst. My temper was flaring, and I couldn’t stop myself.

“Who the hell are you anyway?” I demanded. “You guys aren’t guards. This is their job, not one for nobodies like you.”

“I warned you to be careful, miss.”

“Careful my ass, you piece of sh—”

Whack!

“Hah, so you’re the type who resorts to violence when things don’t go your way, are you?”

A look of shock ran across the thug’s face. I had caught the hand he had tried to slap me with.

Sure, my physique had shrunk, but my strength remained the same. My Self-Deception was still intact.

I glared at him.

“Are you sure you want to do this, old man?”

Obviously I wasn’t the same Reinhart as before. I was different in many ways, in a very different sense...

“Hah... dealing with this kind of crap attracts all sorts of crazy bitches...”

The thug’s eyes changed, and a strange light flickered in them. My Qi Sense detected it.

‘Killing intent.’

If he made a move now, I would have to get serious too. Just as the tension between us was about to escalate into a full-blown confrontation, someone interrupted us.

“Stop.” A voice cut through the silence. “What’s going on here?”

The murmuring crowd parted, and someone emerged.

“Y-Young Master...”

“... I thought I told you not to make a scene.”

Vertus approached us with a calm expression.

‘Wait, why is he here?’

***

I was screwed.

I didn’t know how it had happened, but I was definitely screwed.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“... Ah, no.... I was also... rude...”

I stood there stiffly as Vertus apologized and offered me tea. He didn’t recognize me at all.

I hadn’t expected my disguise to be tested in this way. Given the heavy makeup and all the changes, it was no wonder he didn’t recognize me. It was reassuring that he didn’t, but at the same time, I was sweating bullets, afraid that I might be discovered at any moment.

“The Temple festival has caused an increase in the number of passengers riding the magic trains recently, leading to various inconveniences. Therefore, we’ve had to deploy additional security personnel, some of whom are not in uniform. Since they aren’t professionals, they sometimes overreact. I fully understand if you found their actions uncomfortable.”

“No, no... I didn’t know that...”

“However, the actions of the personnel in question were clearly wrong. We will take disciplinary action according to our internal procedures. It may not be enough, but I hope you can forgive us to this extent.”

“O-Of course! Of course!”

‘So this is what Vertus has been doing while he’s been away from the Temple dormitory.’

He hadn’t revealed that he was the prince, and had only introduced himself as the person responsible for the operational stability and security of the magic trains during the festival.

People from all over the continent flocked to the imperial capital for the Temple festival. Therefore, the transient population of the capital had skyrocketed, and naturally, there was a dramatic increase in the ridership of the magic trains as well. People didn’t just gather at the Temple; they were all over the imperial capital.

Vertus seemed to be using this time to build his resume by gaining practical experience in governing rather than enjoying the festival. In the original story, where his competitor Charlotte did not exist, he had participated in Mister Temple. In this timeline, though, with Charlotte as his rival, he probably felt the need to accumulate achievements.

It seemed he was a workaholic too.

Charlotte, on the other hand, was having fun.

Still, I felt it was better for Charlotte to enjoy the festival rather than work at this time of the year.

I had unexpectedly learned that Vertus’s absence from the Temple was because he was in charge of the operation of the magic train system during the festival—a significant responsibility.

He was here handling various issues that had arisen at Aligar Station, and it seemed he had anticipated that the petty thieves who had committed over twenty thefts would appear around this time, and had stationed personnel to catch them.

He had probably issued the order to catch the thieves, and these men who had grown increasingly frustrated while chasing them had ended up hitting them. I just happened to witness it.

This was a cruel coincidence. Meeting Vertus at this exact moment was just too much. It felt like the universe was conspiring against me... Why was this happening to me?

To be fair, Vertus was offering me an apology as the chief of operational security because his subordinate, who was on special duty, had hit a member of the public, and he was doing this without revealing his status as a prince.

Vertus was genuinely a decent guy. I couldn’t deny it anymore. He had the qualities of an emperor.

“Well, I didn’t know the full details, so... I’m sorry too.”

Now that I knew the guy who had been hitting the kids was someone akin to an undercover cop, I had nothing more to say.

The kids would face proper legal action, and the guy would be disciplined for losing his temper and attempting to strike an innocent person. There was no reason for me to stay any longer.

More importantly, I didn’t want to remain in Vertus’s sight any longer.

“Well, then, I’ll be going now....”

Vertus’s voice stopped me as I was about to leave. “But, silver hair... It’s really a rare hair color.”

“... Oh, it’s, uh, dyed.”

“Ah, is that so?” Vertus narrowed his eyes as he looked at me. “Are you, by any chance, a Temple student?”

“... Sorry? Why do you ask?”

“Well, you seem... familiar.”

‘Shit. Shit! I need to run!’

But Vertus seemed surprised by his own words and looked flustered.

“Oh! I didn’t mean anything by it. Really. You just seemed... familiar. Never mind. It must sound strange,” he said as he fell silent, perhaps realizing that his words might have come off as intrusive.

An awkward silence ensued.

I needed to escape, but when was the right moment? Vertus seemed to be struggling to find the right words, believing he had said something inappropriate, while I was just looking for the right moment to flee.

“... Are you going on a trip?” Vertus asked, looking at the large bag I was carrying.

It was just a casual question.

‘Should I say I’m traveling?’

“Uh, yes... that’s right.”

I mumbled vaguely as I held the teacup Vertus had poured for me. It was black tea.

“A person who doesn’t even know how to hold a teacup properly can’t be a noble.”

An old memory suddenly flashed through my mind.

How was I supposed to hold the teacup? If I held it any old way, would he think, ‘This person holds a teacup just like Reinhart’?

‘Vertus can’t possibly remember something like that... But what if he does?’

I was on the verge of losing my mind from the anxiety.

‘Damn it, why couldn’t I just hold back? Why did I have to intervene and escalate the situation and make things worse?’

Even though the situation was awful, I was the one who had initiated it. I felt an overwhelming urge to bash my own head in as I held the teacup with both hands.

Tremble, tremble...

Naturally, my hands began to shake due to the extreme tension, making it look as if I had a tremor. Vertus watched me quietly.

“I, uh, have a bit of a tremor... as you can see.”

“Ah, I see.”

I managed to take a sip while holding the teacup with both hands. Trying to act normal only made me seem more suspicious.

“You’re still young, but you have a tremor? That’s quite unexpected,” he said.

Vertus also picked up his teacup.

‘That’s right. Having a tremor at this age? That’s obviously strange! What excuse could I use?’

“I-I’m an alcoholic.”

“Pfft!”

The excuse I came up with was so absurd that Vertus spat out his tea, right onto my face.

“...”

“I-I’m so, so sorry!”

Vertus, genuinely flustered, fumbled with a handkerchief, unsure whether to dab my face or not.

“It’s... fine.”

I wiped my face with the handkerchief Vertus handed me. The excuse I had come up with on the spot was ridiculous.

Vertus seemed deeply embarrassed, as if he had never imagined committing such a faux pas in his life.

I carefully dabbed at my face with the handkerchief.

‘Damn it. What if the makeup comes off?’

The fact that I was worrying about this was infuriating.

“Well... I’ll be going now.”

“I’m really sorry...”

Vertus bowed his head, looking utterly mortified. It was better this way. He probably thought I was leaving early because of his rudeness.

At least I knew my disguise was good enough to fool even the sharp-eyed Vertus.

“Um, may I ask for your name?” Vertus called out to me as I was about to leave the station master’s office.

I hadn’t thought of a fake name for my cross-dressing self yet. I had already turned myself into a female in so many ways and didn’t want it to become any more “real.”

“... There’s no point in someone of high status like you knowing my name.”

“... Oh...”

I fled the scene, leaving Vertus’s puzzled reaction behind.