The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy – Chapter 70

Chapter 70: Aftermath

Ignoring the soft, warm sensation against my back and hands, I carefully carried her into my room.

Though she hadn’t drunk much and didn’t reek of alcohol, the faint animalistic scent unique to her tickled my nose.

I liked that scent, though growing up, my family hated anything remotely “animal-like,” which meant no pets for me.

But Hoyeon was not a pet.

“…Alright, up you go.”

Cradling her as if she were a precious treasure, I gently laid her on my bed. 

She stirred briefly, shifting uncomfortably, then settled into a relaxed posture, her breathing even.

Seeing her sleeping so peacefully, with a faint smile on her lips, I couldn’t help but think how utterly defenseless she was.

At the same time, I regretted suggesting she try alcohol.

I’d only wanted to introduce her to the experience and gauge her tolerance. 

I hadn’t expected her to go under after just three drinks.

As she breathed, her chest rose and fell in a mesmerizing rhythm, and without thinking, my hand moved.

And then…

“…It’s soft.”

I stroked her hair.

Her black hair, streaked with white, had always intrigued me. 

It was as soft as I’d imagined, clearly well-cared for.

Even as my hand instinctively drifted toward her more tempting features, I stopped myself, remembering Byeolbi’s warning.

Though she had granted permission, I couldn’t be sure if it was genuine or a test. 

Even the gods described Hoyeon as “anomalous.”

Her purpose in this world wasn’t clear in the original story, and information about Byeolbi was scarce. 

All I knew was that she was close to omnipotent.

With such a being watching over Hoyeon, reckless actions weren’t an option.

…Still. Once wouldn’t hurt, right?

“Hoyeon…?”

I called her name softly, checking if she was awake. 

If she opened her eyes now, I’d have no excuse.

Thankfully—or perhaps unfortunately—there was no response.

Her ears twitched slightly, but otherwise, she remained deeply asleep.

Taking a deep breath, I reached out, my hand moving as slow as a crawling ant toward her chest.

And then… contact.

No lightning struck, no divine retribution descended.

All I felt was the soft, supple texture beneath my fingers. The faint warmth of her skin, exposed through her dress, sent a strange sense of accomplishment through me.

Maybe Byeolbi’s words could be taken literally after all.

Initially, I only intended to touch her briefly, but the temptation was overwhelming.

Tracing her exposed skin with my fingers, I found myself pressing further, adding more fingers until I couldn’t resist squeezing lightly.

“…Hhn.”

She stirred slightly at the contact, and guilt struck me like a hammer. 

That had been too much.

What was so special about this, anyway?

The sensation was pleasant, sure, but was it worth betraying her trust?

Feeling a wave of shame, I decided to clean myself up.

With Hoyeon occupying the bed, I’d have to sleep on the floor tonight. 

Thankfully, I had spare blankets and pillows. 

Leaving her on the floor wasn’t an option.

Splashing cold water on my face helped clear my head. 

Drying off and changing into pajamas, I realized too late that a warm shower might’ve been more relaxing.

Still, the saying about a certain feature turning men into fools seemed uncomfortably accurate.

For now, I resolved to let her sleep while I tried to find my own rest.

***

 

“…Where am I?”

A strange ceiling greeted me. 

My head didn’t ache, and my body felt fine, but it didn’t feel like I’d gotten proper sleep.

I remembered Dogeon suggesting I try alcohol.

I’d drunk it…

But what happened after that?

My memory was blank, as though someone had erased everything after that point.

“…What in the world happened…”

I recalled dancing, watching a dull play, and eating. 

Pleasant memories brought a brief smile, but they didn’t explain my current situation.

Sitting up in bed, I noticed my clothes were the same as yesterday’s. 

The only difference was a few creases from sleeping.

The only thing removed was my shoes, which was normal for a bed.

But then I looked around the room.

The chaotic state of the surroundings seemed oddly familiar. Not uninhabitable, but far from tidy.

And then I saw him—Dogeon—sprawled out on the floor, snoring.

A girl drinks, wakes up in a guy’s room.

Wait.

Why was I in Dogeon’s room?!

Realizing the implications, I jumped out of bed and shook him awake with all the urgency of a disaster drill.

“Why am I here?!”

Lingering Effects

Dogeon, still groggy from sleep, stretched and began explaining the events of the previous day, his expression calm as if he’d been expecting this confrontation.

“…So, you remember drinking, right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, after your third drink, you got tipsy, started rambling a lot, and then fell asleep.”

I rambled and then passed out? That wasn’t what worried me—I was more concerned about saying something embarrassing while drunk.

“…I didn’t say anything weird, did I?”

“It’s not weird to vent to a friend,” Dogeon replied, as if it were no big deal.

That was true, but what if I’d let something sensitive slip?

“Like… about my family, maybe?”

“Oh, not really. Just that your father places a lot of expectations on you, and you’re worried about meeting them.”

If that’s not a family drama, what is?!

“And after you passed out, I didn’t know where else to take you, so I brought you here. That’s all,” Dogeon concluded.

“…You didn’t do anything strange, right?”

More than my rambling, I was worried about whether he had done anything inappropriate. No matter how trustworthy he was, I knew how reckless men could get in certain situations.

“…Of course not.”

Dogoeon paused briefly before denying it.

Should I believe him?

There weren’t any signs of anything amiss with my body, so I had no grounds to press him further.

“Really?”

“Well… if I’m being honest… I did stroke your hair. Sorry for not mentioning it earlier.”

I knew it!

Still, it was just my hair, which I supposed was within the realm of forgivable offenses. 

My father used to stroke my hair or rub my back when I slept, so it didn’t feel entirely inappropriate.

“…In the future, ask for permission first. And only when no one else is around.”

I didn’t mind Dogeon doing it. It might even be… comforting.

“Understood,” he said, smiling slightly despite his groggy state.

That smile nagged at me. I felt like I’d forgotten something important.

Something… academy-related?

Oh no.

“Dogeon.”

“What?”

He still looked as though he hadn’t pieced things together.

“I just remembered—we’re back to regular classes starting today.”

“…What? You must be mistaken. That’s tomorrow.”

“We were missing for an entire day, remember?”

“Oh.”

We both looked at the clock. 

Only 20 minutes remained until class began.

“…See you in class!”

With that, I bolted out of his room and rushed to mine. 

Thankfully, the hallway was empty, so no one saw me.

Still, with so little time left, taking a shower was impossible.

Even changing clothes took me five minutes, leaving barely enough time to prepare. 

I needed to do something about my disheveled appearance.

Divine intervention it is.

Oh, great one, rid me of my impurities!

…Hah. You seem in quite a hurry. What is it?

I’m about to be late for class!

Calling on the divine for such a trivial reason felt shameful, but I didn’t want to face the embarrassment of showing up unkempt.

Summoning me for such a petty reason… If it were anyone else, I’d have punished them. But very well.

Despite his words, I felt the divine energy envelop me.

My messy hair and lingering traces of alcohol vanished. 

I quickly expressed my thanks and dashed toward the classroom.

Ten minutes left.

It would be close, but I could make it.

Running at full speed, I arrived with two minutes to spare.

“…Huff, huff…”

I paused outside to catch my breath, attempting to regain some semblance of composure. 

I entered the classroom just as the morning announcements were about to begin.

Barely made it.

Dogeon was already in his seat, breathing heavily from his own rush. 

Looking around, I noticed several empty desks.

Some of our classmates must’ve been injured.

As the announcements began, the teacher entered, accompanied by a girl I didn’t recognize.

“Good morning, everyone. Due to the high number of injured students in her class, Cecilia will be joining us temporarily. Please welcome her.”

A new student, then.

Cecilia, huh?