"Why don't you find something to do on your own? I'll just rest for a bit. She should be back soon."

…She seemed so natural, as if she were in her own home.

Having the key to the counseling room and being so familiar with the place made it clear that she visited often. It was as if my presence didn't bother her at all. She casually pulled out a book and laid down on the bed.

Was that a manga? It seemed like something provided for the students who visited the counseling room.

Even though she was just reading something left out for the students, there was an air of carelessness about her, likely due to her background. I wanted to tell her to be more respectful, but I held back. After all, this place seemed like a regular hangout for her. From her perspective, I was probably more of an intruder.

In that case, it was understandable that she would treat someone like me, a princess, with such casual disdain. Besides, Ophelia-sensei mentioned that she hadn’t been in a good mood after losing to me. If she still harbored those feelings, it wasn’t surprising she would act this way…

…Wait.

Why was I trying to understand her?

Something felt off. There was no reason for me to justify her rude behavior. Why was I thinking like this? This wasn’t like me at all.

Something definitely felt wrong…

"What? Nothing to do?"

"Hmm?"

"Perfect timing. I'm getting tired of reading the same old manga."

…Maybe it’s nothing.

I was feeling a strong sense of unease, but thinking it over, it must’ve been a mistake. As a princess, it’s my duty to care for my citizens.

But because I stood there lost in thought, she seemed to assume I was bored. After tossing aside the manga she had been reading, she approached me.

"That teacher said if someone comes when she's not here, I'm supposed to entertain them."

"…And?"

"The problem is… I’ve never entertained anyone before, and I don’t know how."

That was obvious, even without her saying it.

Given her background, it made sense.

Someone who’s always been shunned wouldn’t have had many opportunities to practice hospitality.

Even if a demon like her went on a rampage, someone like me would easily escape unharmed, but… most citizens wouldn’t be so lucky.

There was always a lot of public outcry about why demon-possessed individuals were even allowed to live, given the number of incidents they’d caused.

"So, let’s settle this with a match."

"…A match? What, do you want to fight me again? If it’s just to pass the time, I don’t mind, but you shouldn’t expect to win."

So that’s what she wanted. She wanted to challenge me again.

I could appreciate her competitive spirit, but with her skill, it was impossible. Unless she went berserk, there was no way she could defeat me.

It hadn’t even been a month since our last bout—there’s no way she could have improved that drastically…

"What’s wrong? Don’t want to? Why are you just standing there?"

"…No, it’s fine. Let’s do it. I’ll have to inform the old hag, though. We’ll need to borrow a space."

I found myself unexpectedly pleased with the idea.

It seemed I might be able to commend her competitive spirit after all.

It felt like I had just added another name to the list of people worthy of my praise.

Someone like her, who has survived this long despite most demon-possessed people dying by middle school, must be quite capable.

Perhaps I’ll go easy on her this time.

I could fight her gently, then tell her she’s improved and give her some praise—that would cover my daily quota of compliments.

…A perfect plan.

It wouldn’t just last a week.

If I handle this right, I could stretch this out until the end of the academy term.

"Borrow a space? …Why?"

"Hmm? Aren’t we going to fight? You wouldn’t want the counseling room to get damaged, would you?"

"Fight? Me? Why?"

"?"

Orca’s reaction was quite different from what I had expected.

I thought for sure she wanted to fight.

…Was I wrong?

"What’s with you? Did you really think I wanted to challenge you?"

"Is that not the case?"

"I’m not that stupid. I know I can’t make you kneel just yet, so I don’t want to fight you right now."

"…I see you’re not as reckless as I thought."

"Charging in without thinking would only get me killed quickly."

"…"

So she’s smart enough not to pick a fight when she knows the difference in our abilities.

I had thought of her as someone who acted without thinking, but now I saw her in a slightly different light.

It seemed I needed to reevaluate my opinion of her.

"In that case, what do you mean by a match?"

"This."

With confidence, Orca pushed something into my view.

…It was a wooden object.

A box with black and white tiles on it, nothing too fancy, and it had hinges, suggesting it could open and close.

Was the inside empty?

As Orca presented it, I heard something rattling inside.

"…Chess."

"Yeah. Today’s match will be chess. I’m bored, so this will be perfect. I’ll crush you."

Does she have some culture after all?

She didn’t seem the type at all.

I looked at her in surprise, then nodded.

Well, it wasn’t a bad way to pass the time. The chessboard looked like a mass-produced product, but…

It would be too much to expect anything better from a counseling room.

"Alright. Let’s see what you’ve got."

I decided I’d entertain her until Ophelia-sensei returned.

I let out a deep sigh as I closed the door to the headmaster’s office.

Had I gotten too worked up?

If the headmaster had been even a little more concerned with her authority, I might have had to get her drunk and hypnotize her again.

Even if it's for the students' sake, I’ll need to be more careful in the future.

Hypnosis, while effective, isn’t foolproof.

As easy as it is to use, it’s not without its conditions, so it’s best not to rely on it too much.

I need to reflect on that.

Taking a deep breath, I walked quickly toward the counseling room.

More time had passed than I thought.

Though Orca had been calmer lately, she might be bored, and I should…

"…Huh? Leo?"

"Oh, hello, teacher."

"What are you doing? Did the door not open?"

Since I had moved quickly, I arrived at the counseling room earlier than expected.

Leo was lingering in front of the slightly open door.

…What’s going on? Was it locked?

"No, the door wasn’t locked. I just…"

"Just?"

"I felt a bit awkward about going in…"

"?"

Awkward? Why?

If the door was open, Orca must be inside.

Leo and Orca had known each other for a while, so Leo would know that.

What could make him feel awkward…?

"Why don’t you take a look yourself?"

"What on earth…?"

I peeked through the crack in the door, curious about what could be happening inside the counseling room.

What I saw shocked me.

"Do it again… Do it again!"

"No, that’s enough. Let’s stop."

"Why?!"

"Are you asking because you don’t know? You’re terrible at chess. Absolutely hopeless."

What had happened while I was away?

I couldn’t make sense of the scene before me.

…Why were they playing chess?

"They looked like they were having so much fun, I didn’t want to interrupt."

"…"

Then you could have just come back later.

Did he really stand here waiting, hoping they’d notice him or finish their game?

Leo’s bright smile looked slightly pitiful to me…

"Grrr…! This can’t be…! I’ve been studying so hard!"

"That wasn’t studying, just basics. At this level… You could beat someone who knows nothing about chess."

"But I even beat the teacher recently!"

"You sure she wasn’t letting you win?"

"…"

Seeing Orca hang her head like a scolded puppy made me feel a bit sorry for her.

Recently, she had started to enjoy chess, so I had been deliberately letting her win to build her confidence.

I never expected her to challenge Stella at the peak of her newfound confidence…

There was no way a beginner like her could defeat the princess.

Not when nobles learn chess as part of their education.

…Stella’s character was even based on chess. Most of her skill names were chess-related, and her mini-games were mostly chess-based.

Her character illustration even featured mismatched black and white gloves and thigh-high socks—naturally, she was supposed to be good at chess.

…And Orca decided to face her?

After all the confidence I’d tried to build, losing to Stella might have crushed her spirit.

I was about to step in and separate them when Orca, still looking down, spoke up.

"…Let’s play again."

"Give me one good reason…"

"There’s nothing else to do. You might as well teach me as we go."

"Your audacity deserves some praise. Fine, you can start."

I stood there, watching the scene unfold.

They were bickering, yet still playing chess.

The sight was oddly peaceful, like watching children their age play.

"…Sorry, Leo. You might have to wait a bit longer."

"Don’t worry about me."

I continued watching them from the doorway.

Until they noticed I was there.