Ch.86Trigger (2)

“Please… save us.”

Despite the sudden request, I felt more elation than confusion.

I was barely managing to hide the twisted smile forming at the corners of my mouth.

I had been wondering when she would finally take the bait.

Seeing her move exactly as I intended, I couldn’t suppress my smile from the pleasure it brought.

I had to deliberately erase the ominous atmosphere.

“Ahem.”

A light, affected cough.

While I wore my perfectly normal mask, Sharlotte, who had been hesitating, added a few more words.

She seemed to be gauging my reaction.

“I know. You must be wondering what I’m talking about. But I truly need your help.”

It was a refreshingly different response.

She was originally a character who never revealed her emotions.

Sharlotte was always expressionless, never showing agitation, sadness, or anger—a character who flowed quietly through events.

She resembled the tranquility of a calm lake.

-Hehe… It’s been an enjoyable performance all this time.

-No more pathetic acting now. I’ve already achieved the goal I set out to accomplish.

-From now on, I shall fulfill His will.

The moment when Judas Snakus betrayed everyone in the latter part of the original story.

While the other children were shocked, only Sharlotte stood there with a composed expression.

Perhaps because of her lifeless reactions.

Among players, there was even slander treating Sharlotte as a robot.

It was a popular meme classified within the game.

[Category: Free Board]

[Title: I really don’t understand people who like Sharlotte]

Do you actually feel affection for a machine?

I’m not usually picky about these things,

but a robot lover is a bit…

[Are you saying she doesn’t even count as human now? lol]

-> Turning a girl into a machine

-> But it makes sense. Even a real robot would have more expressions than her.

-> For real, she’s expressionless all the time

-> That’s what’s attractive about her

-> Tag:emotionless

-> Oh.

[The fact is that despite all this slander, she’s a character who consistently ranks in the top 3 of popularity polls]

-> Does everyone see Her Highness the Princess as just a sex object?

-> Doesn’t she get worse as the story progresses? In the end, she’s just a loser from a bygone era

-> Take that back…!! What you just said……!!!

[So when Sharlotte holds a broom, is she a robot vacuum?]

-> LMAO

[Calling her a robot… You just don’t understand the beauty of Gundam]

-> ?

-> ?

-> You need to leave

I remember using this meme quite often myself.

Whenever I uploaded videos featuring Sharlotte, I would always add slanderous comments in big, bold letters.

It was good for attracting attention since she was a popular character.

“Help… It’s sensitive information, but I can explain if you want.”

Anyway.

That’s how stoic she normally was, but now her voice trembled with anxiety.

Even this would be considered calm by normal standards, but for Sharlotte, it showed considerable agitation.

The rare unsteadiness in her blue pupils proved it.

‘As expected.’

Was it because it was related to the rose?

Even her gaze seemed desperate.

I composed my ominous smile.

Adding a light smile, I interrupted the hesitating girl.

“You don’t need to explain.”

She had taken the bait completely.

My performance against the thought entity had clearly worked.

I had acted flamboyantly aiming for this situation, but I didn’t expect such a perfect response.

It must mean the situation was truly desperate.

“I already know what help you’re referring to without explanation. Your Highness is surely talking about the rose.”

“How did you…?”

“I have rather sharp ears.”

“……”

The girl looked up at me blankly, as if at a loss for words.

I gave her a gentle smile with my eyes.

Then I slowly brought my face closer.

Stopping beside her snow-white ear, I whispered in a faint voice.

“I would be delighted to help you. If that is your request.”

My cool voice wrapped around the girl’s neck.

At the tip of my cunning tongue dissolved a bewitchment that would devour the wavering opponent.

A snake constricting its prey’s windpipe.

“Your Highness need only trust me.”

My innocent little prince.

By now, I was at the stage of gaslighting her, ensnaring her.

I wore a sinister smile.

“Yes… thank you.”

Yet even then.

Sharlotte simply nodded.

***

After what happened at the cathedral, we each returned to our places.

The mission had been completed successfully.

We had safely rescued our missing collaborator.

Medro was immediately transported to headquarters.

Once he regained consciousness and recovered, we planned to question him in more detail about what happened during this incident.

The deputy commander agreed to submit a report on this process.

I made a separate appointment with the princess.

When I offered to help, her eyes sparkled, and she accepted my proposal without any suspicion.

I shook hands with her while hiding my dark intentions.

-I look forward to working with you.

It was more of a beginning than an end.

Leaving the fierce dawn air behind us, we made our way back to the academy.

My body felt heavy, probably from staying up all night.

Fortunately, it was the weekend.

Instead of attending lectures, I could rest in the dormitory.

It was also a good opportunity to recover my depleted energy.

I spent time holed up in my room.

While quietly going about my day in the study, the fox who had been standing beside me suddenly spoke up.

Her voice suggested she had made a decision after much hesitation.

“…Um.”

A gaze I had felt for quite some time.

I put down the book I was reading and answered.

“What is it, Irene?”

“I was wondering if you’re okay.”

“Hmm?”

“You said you used a lot of power again this time.”

“Well… I didn’t use a small amount. We had to save Medro, who was tainted by Demonic Energy.”

“Are you… not feeling sick or anything?”

Deep black pupils.

She seemed worried.

There had been incidents before.

I had coughed up blood in front of Irene, and during the school trip, I had even been unconscious for three days, so in her eyes, I must have seemed extremely fragile.

I shrugged lightly to reassure her.

“I feel light enough to float away.”

“Really…?”

“Of course.”

“That’s good then.”

The fox quietly agreed.

Feeling touched by her concern, I stroked her tail.

The girl silently accepted my touch, but soon parted her closed lips again.

Her eyes were fixed on my slightly rolled-up sleeve.

“That… scar.”

“Ah.”

My disheveled sleeve.

The edge of a scar was visible through it.

I belatedly realized and tried to fix my appearance, but Irene’s determined hand stopped me.

The fox was staring at me with an ambiguous expression.

“Irene?”

“……”

I gently called out to her, but there was no response.

She just held onto my sleeve.

What could she be thinking?

After a moment of silence.

Irene broke the continuing stillness.

“You.”

“Yes?”

“…Would you consider wearing more comfortable clothes?”

My neatly worn formal attire.

The girl pointed at my stuffy outfit and asked.

The black fabric covered my entire body without gaps, preventing any bare skin from showing.

It was to hide the scars.

“You’re always wearing uncomfortable clothes. Even if it’s necessary outside, I don’t think you need to do that in the dormitory.”

“……”

“After all, there’s only you and me here.”

I understood what she meant.

The reason I insisted on formal attire was to hide my scars.

They were too ugly to show.

Despite the discomfort, I had to maintain a neat appearance.

‘But.’

Irene now knew about the scars.

That’s why she was saying this.

Suggesting that I could be more comfortable in the dormitory.

Since there were only the two of us in the room, and we both knew about the scars, wouldn’t it be okay to reveal them?

She seemed to have thought a lot about it since nursing me that time.

“…I’m not sure.”

I opened my mouth after a pause.

I smiled awkwardly.

As if I was considering how to respond.

After a moment of silence, I voiced my concern.

“Comfortable clothes would be nice, but I should consider the person I’m living with first.”

“What do you mean…?”

“You might find it unpleasant. As you’ve seen before, my body isn’t just a little unsightly…”

“Absolutely not.”

As I was continuing with self-deprecating humor, a clear statement suddenly cut me off.

Irene raised both hands to hold my cheeks.

Then she turned my head so I would look at her.

“Irene…?”

There were black eyes looking at me.

Transparently blinking eyes.

Her expression was strangely irritated.

The girl brought her face closer.

At a distance where our warm breaths mingled and we could feel each other’s body heat.

With lips that seemed about to overlap, she said:

“I absolutely don’t think that way.”

A firm voice.

She murmured as if without a trace of falsehood.

“I’ve decided to rely on you, so I’ll accept you in any form.”

“……”

“I’m not disgusted at all. Even the scars on your body are part of you whom I’ve chosen to follow.”

The fox whispered calmly.

By now, she had lowered her head and pressed her forehead against mine.

“So… you can be comfortable in front of me.”

“……”

Was it because of the unexpected response?

I remained frozen.

The warmth transmitted through our touching skin.

In the subtle scent of her skin, I had to maintain silence for a while.

Irene wouldn’t let go.

Finally, I was only released after promising to try wearing different clothes sometimes.

The fox nodded happily, wagging her tail vigorously.