第２９１堀：暴れん坊お姫様 (Part2)
"And then, at the entrance ceremony that day, that old hag took the stage as the principal and gave a general address to us incoming students. Well, that much was fine. But at the end, she started praising some young person who had kindly led her by the hand to the staff room, and she even had the nerve to blurt out that she almost fell in love with them."
It’s hopeless. That’s a total failure.
"Thanks to that, from the very first day of school, I was branded as a perverted lolicon who was hitting on that old hag."
"……Master. My condolences."
"Condolences won't cut it!! I tried my hardest to beat that old hag to a pulp to clear up those rumors, but that was just taken as me trying to make a romantic advance, and I couldn't even win a single fight against her. My heart is in tatters……"
The entire story was essentially about how Popuri-san was in the wrong. Far from being a candid confession, it was a story that dragged Popuri-san’s reputation through the mud.
Well, I suppose one could argue that her ability to fully exploit her appearance is something to be commended for someone in a position of authority, but……
After Feigel-san’s story ended, a brief silence descended upon the room.
Piercing through that quiet, the sound of someone rushing toward the room echoed, and the door was thrown wide open.
"Alright, I’ve finished writing the letter. I want to hand it over, but…… hm? This isn't Amanda-kouhai’s room, is it? Well, since Yuki-danchou is here sharing a table, this is perfect. Won't you come with me?"
"Y-yes, of course."
Master agreed to Princess Inis’s request, though his face was twitching. She really is a boisterous person.
Feigel-san, who had been talking to us until just a moment ago, approached Princess Inis while letting out a sigh.
"Is there any reason you must open the door without even knocking?!"
"My apologies, my apologies."
"Honestly! These people are not your kouhai, Princess! This is incredibly rude to our guests!"
"What are you talking about? On paper, the mercenary corps are students of the academy, aren't they? If so, they are my kouhai. Besides, Cleena and Samantha-dono from Roday are also kouhai, so there shouldn't be any problem, right?"
"There is a massive problem! Cleena is one thing, but Samantha-dono is the daughter of a ducal house in Roday!"
As Feigel-san pointed out, this is the sort of thing that could normally escalate into a diplomatic incident, but……
The person being scolded looked completely blank, tilting her head in confusion before turning her gaze toward Samantha and opening her mouth.
"Samantha-dono, are you dissatisfied with my conduct to the point that you would turn this into a diplomatic issue?"
"N-no, not at all. It’s not as if you barged in while I was sleeping, and I have no intention of letting something like this sour the relations between our two countries. Since Princess Inis says she is visiting as a senior at the academy, it would be rather narrow-minded of me to complain about this……"
Samantha spun those words out on the spot.
As expected of a daughter of a ducal house. It seems she has been trained in the etiquette for dealing with these types of people.
In that case, it would be best to let Samantha take the lead in negotiations with the power brokers of the New Continent. I am truly happy to see the capabilities of my new wife.
"See? It seems there is no problem at all."
Princess Inis said this to Feigel-san as if nothing had happened.
She likely acts this way because she is unconsciously aware of her own standing and the power balance around her. In a sense, she is an incredible person, but since those around her can't keep up, there is a risk she might get severely burned if she isn't careful.
She seems to be a person who values loyalty, and in that sense, she is reliable. Therefore, utilizing the form of a "friend" is the optimal strategy.
With someone like this, it is best not to pull them into one's own camp, but rather to support them from a friendly or neutral position.