Chapter 121 - 33 - The Countermeasures (part 1)
|Did the event already happen...? But the first prince isn't acting any different, it's only her...|
The dark-haired boy was observing his master and her fiance but literally, nothing was out of the ordinary - the two of them were carefully listening in to the teachers during classes and casually talking and flirting from time to time during breaks.
"Uh-oh...! No, no way...! You have seriously done that, truly and actually?"
Horeo mocked Miriette with a sleazy smile.
"What? It was in the heat of the moment!"
Miriette frowned at him but ended up blushing so she looked away to not give the gold-haired prince the satisfaction of seeing her embarrassed.
"It's not like I asked him to elope with me – yet!"
The dark-haired scoffed, shrugging her shoulders dismissively, acting as if she didn't just say something very dangerous just to make Horeo envy her a little bit more.
"Well, you didn't – mostly because you know how that would end up like - but seriously? 'Will you always be by my side? Cliche much? You read too many romance novels!"
The gold-haired prince waved his head dismissively with a mocking smile and laughed right in her face.
"Ugh! Why you little...!"
What Zoemi thought was flirting was, in fact, the exchange of information and juicy topics that was normal for those two supposed lovers.
"Alright, now. All jokes aside..."
The first prince breathed out and his expression turned serious...
"Eh? You were joking?!"
"...seriously...?"
Miriette raised her brows and gasped genuinely shocked which made Horeo sigh and roll his eyes.
"As I was saying. You should watch out for Surou - my little brother has been acting a bit too suspicious when I saw him last time. And I mean more than usual, this seems to be something more personal for him this time."
The gold-haired prince leaned towards the dark-haired girl and declared in a conspicuous whisper.
"Oh? And what he would be able to do to me?"
Miriette smirked smugly but Horeo shook his head.
"Personally - he can do nothing. But don't forget that this is the Aspakeony Academy and if there's one thing my little brother is good at, it's plotting and being a little shit."
"...oh..."
Horeo was serious so Miriette sighed and nodded.
"Fine, I'll try to keep my temper in check around him..."
She promised with a mixed expression.
"Oh? And since when are you able to do that?"
"Hey!"
Horeo smirked, making Mireitte blush and smack him in the arm – but since she wasn't using any enchantments, it felt like getting smacked with cotton candy and made the first prince laugh.
------
During the first recess, the second prince Surou came to their classroom and started talking with the heroine completely ignoring everyone else, including his older brother and especially ignoring Miriette.
"Why does the second prince bothers with a mere commoner, her magic isn't even that impressive..."
one of the students murmured, glaring at the two in disbelief.
"Who does she think she is!?"
Another person scoffed, staring daggers at the back of the blond heroine.
In short - if Surou wanted to show up just to make a statement that the blond commoner girl was under his protection in hopes of stopping the ongoing bullying – well... he failed and only added more fuel to that fire.
"..."
The second prince didn't care for the whispers and the attention he was getting and started talking with the heroine in a hushed voice.
"..."
Zoemi became very anxious but couldn't do anything without getting the attention of everyone else closely observing the pair, so he could only clench his fists under his desk...
...or could he...?
The black-haired boy closed his eyes and focused, the next moment his body became enveloped by a deep shadow, and all of his senses sharpened.
"...my prince..."
Form all the other vices the black-haired boy finally managed to focus on the ones he wanted to hear from.
"...don't worry – I have a good helper advising me... the plan is foolproof... This will pull out the root of the problem, and everything will be fine..."
Surou suddenly grabbed the heroine's hand and caressed it with his fingers, the onlookers boiled with indignation and the heroine blushed and bashfully nodded while blushing.
"...I...I see... just, don't do anything reckless, my prince..."
After her response, Surou grinned widely, and just for a fraction of a second, his eyes darted towards Miriette.
Zoemi immediately felt cold sweat emerging on his neck.
What the hell is that plan of his and what does it have to do with Mireitte..!? She isn't taking part in the bullying at all!|
Zoemi gulped down his saliva.
It was clear to him that the second prince is actively plotting against Miriette - the day before the black-haired boy focused too much on the heroine and completely forgot about the suspicious behavior of the blue-haired second prince, and now that suspicion came right back with twice the force...!
If everything was alright with Surou, active plotting against the villainess shouldn't happen until almost the end of the school year, two months after the route-switching event!
Even if his route accelerated shouldn't the events happen in chronological order and not interfere with one another!?
"...see you after class...?"
"...I would love to, my prince..."
The blue-haired prince asked, leaning down towards the heroine who honestly looked very worried over the whispers and glares surrounding her from every direction – and then...
"...nnngh...!"
"See you then, Buru."
The second prince then kissed the heroine's hand and left the classroom, leaving Burushitto stunning right in the middle of a hornets' nest.
"...that bitch...!"
"...You've seen that...?!"
"I am definitely sending a message to my mother the moment the classes are over – I will make sure that she gets what she deserves!"
"...I heard that she is being bullied- I hope that whoever is doing that will not hold back!"
Needless to say, basically everyone was enraged by the second prince's behavior – after all, some of the students' families made a marriage proposal to the royal family aimed especially at the second prince – so it wasn't even surprising that they would get furious over him publicly kissing a COMMONER.
Still, since in the first place in the Bellcephora kingdom the nobles that reached fifteen years old could get engaged - although not married, since that would have to wait until they graduate the Aspakeony Academy – the Academy itself didn't have any rules banning the displays of affection like that so nothing could be done through the official means...
But since even through the unofficial means, nothing could be done to the second prince himself in fear of the royal family's reaction - everyone's anger focused on the blond heroine who had no actual connections to anyone important and was the easiest target to vent out at.
"Maybe she's blackmailing the second prince?"
"She probably seduced him with her indecent body! What a shameless wench!"
"...Surou you dummy..."
The heroine was hated - to say the least - and she didn't look comfortable with that at all - which was further confirmed by her pitiful sigh that only Zoemi have picked up on thanks to his shadow enchantment.
In the game, everyone liked her character - with exception of the villainess and maybe two or three girls from her posse.
But now?
There was no one who would even look at the blond-haired girl with good intentions.
At the sight of the heroine, slouching above her desk with a red face, Zoemi fell deep into thoughts.
|Out of the two of them, it's the heroine who acts just like she was in the game... that means that the problem may lay with Surou – I need to get closer to her and find out what's wrong with the second prince, or at least learn what is he planning...!|
The black-haired boy thought to himself, clenching his fists with conviction.