“Ugh…!”

The moment I grimaced at the wave of monsters rushing in.

[Training ended.]

At the same time as Professor Selenda’s voice rang out, I felt myself being pushed out of the training ground.

“…Phew.”

The pain in virtual training is only a tenth of the actual pain. However, that doesn’t mean you don’t feel any at all.

Having my arms and legs bitten off inside the training ground, I grimaced and let out a long breath from the sense of disconnection felt upon returning to reality.

“Remember that feeling just now. Don’t be afraid of it.”

“…Yes.”

I silently nodded at the words of Professor Selenda, who had approached at some point.

After standing still for a moment to gather my thoughts, I turned my gaze to the scores displayed on the hologram.

“…Looks like I won.”

“Isn’t my score higher?”

When I asked, looking at the scores in response to Ashillya’s words as she approached, she tilted her head and said.

“Your team’s score hasn’t increased nearly as much as before.”

“… It’s troubling if you put it that way. Isn’t it harder for me to raise my score further?”

“Hmm, if you had controlled your team, the score probably would have been higher.”

Actually, the wager with her was a bit ambiguous. Because the team she belonged to didn’t have very high potential.

It was a lower-middle tier team, but with Ashillya participating this time, it rose to the upper ranks. In the end, even among the top ranks, our team was at the very top.

Our team consisted mostly of kids with high grades, so naturally, if there was an advantage, you could say we had a bit more of an advantage.

“…Still, the side with the higher score is ours.”

I was willing to lose to Ashillya if possible, but it was a different story if a wish was at stake.

It wasn’t that I intended to do something to her, but rather the uneasiness of not knowing what she might ask of me.

As I firmly refuted Ashillya’s words, she narrowed her red eyes and glared at me. When I smiled awkwardly at her coy glare, she soon showed a mischievous smile.

“Alright, let’s say I lost.”

“… I’m just honored.”

“Since you want to order me around so badly, I can match your tastes.”

“…I had no such intention at all though.”

Realizing what Ashillya was saying, I answered with a hollow laugh. She looked at me with a devilish smile, not erasing it.

As if asking what the problem was.

“Yes, if you say so, that’s how it is.”

“…”

“If you want, you can go somewhere and spread a rumor. That I became your slave.”

“Slave… I don’t think we made a bet like that.”

As I refuted Ashillya’s words one by one while letting out a short breath, I soon realized this was a fight I couldn’t win.

“I understand. I’ll admit I lost.”

It was a bit disappointing to not get the wish. Still, it didn’t seem like Ashillya would make unreasonable demands of me, and I felt like I would only lose out if I argued.

“Fuhu, there’s no need to go that far.”

“… Don’t lie.”

This time, it was my turn to glance at Ashillya.

She slightly tilted her head with a faint smile at that gaze. Her dazzlingly shining white hair flowed down beautifully.

“I’ll make sure to use the wish carefully and wisely. Thanks.”

“… Don’t mention it.”

Actually, putting aside the bet, Ashillya’s performance was amazing.

It was true, even considering the score difference between the lower-middle and upper tier.

She probably would have shone even more if it had been a large-scale battle. So it wasn’t very difficult for me to admit I lost.

However,

“Then, let’s make sure to meet again. I’ll make the wish then.”

Because Ashillya’s retreating figure as she said that was very unsettling.

‘I should have insisted until the end…’

I ended up regretting it a little.

***

“Did you enjoy your time, Your Highness?”

“…”

Ashillya, having finished training, began walking down an empty corridor where no one was present.

A girl was waiting for her at the entrance of the training ground. The girl asked Ashillya in an emotionless voice.

Even if Ashillya was still a student, she was the Crown Princess. Before that, she was the most likely candidate for ascension.

It was natural for the Imperial Family to assign students to assist her.

The girl waiting for Ashillya was such a person.

Walking slowly down the corridor, Ashillya answered the girl’s words.

“Yes, it’s the most fun I’ve had in a while.”

Ashillya’s voice was cold and emotionless, unlike when she was with Felix.

Externally, she was someone who didn’t smile much and whose voice didn’t carry emotion.

The girl, who knew well from seeing with her own eyes that Ashillya always spoke with a smile when she was with Felix, silently watched her, who was different from usual, and followed behind her.

“You seem curious too.”

“… That’s right.”

Those who had been by Ashillya’s side all thought her attitude was strange. However, they didn’t dare bring up that question.

It wasn’t that she was a tyrant, but they weren’t foolish enough to freely ask their lord personal questions.

But Ashillya, who was in a good mood today, readily opened her mouth to answer her question.

“What are you so curious about? Tell me.”

“What is it about that boy that pleases you so much?”

“…Hmm.”

At the girl’s question, Ashillya stopped walking and let out a hum of thought for a moment.

The girl also obediently stopped walking behind her and waited for her to finish thinking.

The place they stopped was a path leading to the old school building, where few people passed by. The girl didn’t know why she was headed there but didn’t question it.

“Well.”

After pondering for a while, Ashillya slowly opened her mouth.

“At first, I just thought he was a peculiar child. He didn’t fear Leon at all.”

Leonhardt was quite a famous figure, even at the academy.

He was pushy, had a bad personality, and did as he pleased, but no one wanted to get involved with him because he was royalty except for the sycophants trying to suck up to him.

Felix didn’t fear him at all. Even though his head could be cut off at a single word from him.

“Next was curiosity. I was curious about how he could talk back to Leon like that.”

“…”

“And after that, it was interesting. I was curious where his confidence came from, and when he protected me, I started to feel a bit of affection.”

Ashillya was unusually talkative.

It was a completely different attitude from usual, where she only briefly said the necessary points even if she had to speak, but the girl didn’t question that either.

“It’s fun being with him. Felix doesn’t fear me like Leon. But he doesn’t disrespect me either.”

“…”

“He shows me courtesy while not fearing me. That’s why it’s comfortable, and that’s why it’s fun being with him.”

The girl nodded at Ashillya’s words.

She didn’t understand what Ashillya was saying, but she knew it wasn’t strange for her to think that way. No, to be precise, she didn’t have such thoughts in the first place.

“So.”

Ashillya turned around to look at the girl as she spoke.

The girl naturally lowered her eyes to avoid meeting her gaze. It was a natural posture of submission.

“If someone were to harm that child, I think I would be very displeased.”

Ashillya’s voice grew cold. Although her voice originally didn’t carry any emotion, it now gave a chilling feeling just hearing it.

As her mood sank, the surrounding air was growing cold.

“You know, I heard of a child whose arms and legs were all cut off and sent somewhere and another who puts on a bright face on the outside while ominously plotting behind the scenes.”

“…”

The girl only then realized her body was trembling.

She was afraid. How could one not be afraid in front of a woman like this? The reason the girl lowered her eyes wasn’t only because she couldn’t dare to look at royalty.

If she were to meet Ashillya’s red eyes straight on, like the rumors that only circulated as urban legends,

“I don’t like that someone was assigned to me, but what I really dislike is them gossiping about him behind my back.”

She felt like her true feelings would be found out.

Thud.

The girl quickly knelt down at Ashillya’s words. Unlike her usual apathetic appearance, her eyes were trembling as if there were an earthquake.

“P-Please spare me… Your Highness the Crown Princess…”

“It’s too late to beg for your life now. You know too much.”

Only then did the girl realize why Ashillya was so talkative today.

She had no intention of letting her live from the beginning.

“Spare-!”

Stab…!

The sword that flew out from the shadows mercilessly pierced the girl’s heart.

The nameless girl couldn’t even properly scream as the hand that flew out from the shadows tightly covered her mouth, and she breathed her last on the spot.

“Find out whose order it was. Also, check if the sent information has been properly sent.”

“I shall obey your command.”

The reason Ashillya kept this child by her side.

Even though she knew she was someone’s spy.

Without even sparing a glance at the shadows soundlessly dragging away the girl’s corpse, Ashillya turned her gaze out the window.

The fun mood sank in an instant. However, considering the unexpected harvest she gained from today’s bet with him, it was a bearable level.