第３２７堀：ケーキの恨みと女子会 (Part2)
Princess Inis was the only one to let out a gasp of shock; we immediately rushed to Aslin’s side.
"Gyaaaaaah!! M-my arm!? My arm is gone!!"
"Shut up!!"
"Be quiet!!"
"Keep your mouth shut, you pervert!!"
*Thud! Crack! Thwack!*
With our combined efforts, we silenced Hikky.
"Waaaah... my chest hurts..."
"T-this is terrible!! We must contact Rurua-neesama immediately!!"
"Wait, where did Rurua go? Let me try calling her..."
"No, we’re in public."
Ah, right. I’d forgotten.
While we comforted the sobbing Aslin, I kicked that piece of trash known as Hikky aside. Since it would be a huge nuisance if the soldiers in the hallway started moving, I used magic to paralyze and put them to sleep.
By the time we finished, Aslin had stopped crying.
"Sniff..."
"Are you alright, Aslin?"
"Is the Heal working?"
"Yeah... *sniff*. It doesn't hurt anymore. Thank you."
Seeing her finally smile, the three of us let out a sigh of relief. We were moments away from having the Ten Great Beasts blow this castle to smithereens.
"So, Princess Inis. What will you do with us?"
"A-ah. Don't worry. It is clear that Hikky is at fault here. You will not be punished for this incident. I will make sure to state that personally. Also, I am truly sorry for the trouble this idiot has caused you!!"
...Princess Inis really is straightforward about these things. I think it’s quite something for her to bow her head to us.
"I called for an emergency assembly, and this fool was the one who showed up. He is the idiot son of a regional duke. He’s been spoiled rotten, so he has no common sense. He’s only good at fawning over others."
"So, we are free to report this to Yuki-san and Popuri-san, then?"
As for Shera... she didn't care about those excuses. She was staring at Princess Inis with absolute zero-degree eyes, as if to say, *I don't care about your excuses. How do you intend to make amends for making my precious little sister cry? Do you think a simple bow is enough to settle this? Huh!?*
Since she’s a princess herself, she doesn't hold back at all.
"You think a simple apology is enough after he laid hands on us?"
"N-no, wait!! I will properly punish Hikky!! I will ensure you and Yuki-dono receive a formal apology and appropriate compensation!! So, please, do not report this!!"
Princess Inis turned pale as she blurted that out. She clearly hadn't expected someone she thought of as a child to speak so fluently and sharply. Furthermore, if such a report were made, it would put August in a very difficult position. It was a mistake for her to think she could smooth things over with Shera.
Besides, the crime of making Aslin cry, stealing my cake, and touching a maiden’s chest is unforgivable!!
Later, after Ratz, Rurua, and Deryu returned, we held a formal discussion regarding the apology and compensation. That piece of trash Hikky was stripped of his status as the duke’s heir and sent back from the royal capital immediately.
Aslin and Firia said they felt sorry for him, but the higher-ups like Princess Inis were also at fault for failing to manage him properly. So, I made sure we squeezed them dry. It’s for Yuki’s sake, after all.
That night, we were moved to the room next to Princess Inis’s bedroom so that we could be alerted immediately if any problems arose, and to prevent any other idiots from trying to sneak in.
"Whoa!! This is delicious!! That Hikky just snatched this away? This is definitely a capital offense!!"
We ate the chocolate cake—the root of the whole incident—together.
"Ahaha, I admit it’s delicious, but are you sure about this? Won't punishing the duke’s son like that cause a stir?"
Ratz said this while placing another slice of cake on Princess Inis’s plate.
"It doesn't matter. They have been a thorn in my side for a long time. In a way, I should thank Labyris and the others for giving me a reason to significantly reduce their power. Still, I am truly sorry for what you had to go through. I’m sorry. I thought he would come to me, but I never imagined he’d be lured by cake. Well, I can understand why he’d be lured by such deliciousness."
It sounds like she has her own troubles to deal with. Come to think of it, Ratz and Rurua mentioned that most of the compensation was squeezed out of that duke, so she really did want to get rid of them.
"Yeah. Thanks to this, I’m happy I can eat cake with Inis-oneechan."
"I am happy too."
"Yes. Thank you. I’m happy to be able to eat cake with you all in peace. I could never invite you to the room next door under normal circumstances. In a way, I’m lucky."
And just like that, our status as Princess Inis’s close friends was officially recognized.
...Yuki might be a little annoyed by that, though.
"Mmm!! Delicious!!"
But the cake is delicious. We have to share the happiness with everyone. Everyone except that piece of trash.
As for the rest, the hands of the fool who crept up on Aslin and the others were shattered, and his sword was broken. A massive amount of payback has been promised.
YES Loli-protection!! NO touching!!
...Don't call me that, Yuki? The world is just unfair.
Also, as planned, I should be able to post the story of that quartet in February. I’ve already written 16,000 characters across three chapters, separate from the 20,000-character side story. It’s going to be wild, so readers, be prepared! It goes even further beyond the usual tropes and convenient plot devices than ever before!! But I’ve made it a story where everyone will go, "Ah, I get that feeling."