The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy – Chapter 81

Chapter 81: That seems good for you

Even the goddess couldn’t provide Cecilia with a clear answer. As a result, Cecilia spent two weeks hovering around Dogeon and Hoyeon without any progress.

Though she maintained amicable relationships with the other humans she had befriended, she couldn’t approach Dogeon.

Every time she tried, Hoyeon would either drive her away or completely avoid her, making it impossible for Cecilia to get any clues.

Though she observed that the bullying wasn’t particularly intense, that brought her little comfort.

After all, bullying was still bullying. If it had been just humans involved, she might have dismissed it as a human quarrel. But since a beastkin was tormenting a human, Cecilia became resolute in her determination to help Dogeon.

“If you can’t rely on roots, rely on the stem.” If she couldn’t get help from the gods, she could seek advice from her friends. With that thought, Cecilia continued to gather opinions and advice.

Even the goddess had once left her a piece of advice: “Don’t depend on me too much. Seek answers on your own.”

“Long time no see, Cecilia.”

“Yes, it has been a while, Iris. You look well. Have you been doing better lately?”

“Do I? Well, yes, I’ve been taking it easy these days. So, what brings you here?”

With that, Cecilia sought out Iris, someone she had previously gotten to know. While there were many others she could have consulted, she chose Iris for one specific reason.

“…I wanted to ask how to deal with bullying.”

Among the many crimes revealed after Stefania went missing was her long-term harassment of Iris.

Cecilia wanted to ask Iris, the victim, how one could stop bullying.

“Yes… Someone I know is going through something similar to what you experienced, Iris. I want to help them, but… I don’t know how.”

For a moment, memories of the past hardened Iris’s expression, but she soon regained her usual bright smile.

The one who had tormented her was dead, or at least gone, and would never interfere in her life again.

“Hmm… That’s a tough one. It’s really not an easy problem, Cecilia. First, you have to figure out why they’re being bullied. Only then can you do something about it.”

Iris knew that Stefania had tormented her out of twisted interest.

If the person Cecilia wanted to help was being harassed for a similar reason, Iris was determined to help. No one understood that kind of pain better than she did.

“I think… It’s because they’re interested in them. To be honest, it feels like they see them as their possession…”

“Are they using their power to suppress them or flaunting their superiority to torment them?”

“Yes! How did you know so… Oh, sorry, Cecilia.”

“No, it’s fine. She’s gone now. Anyway… I see.”

Noticing why Cecilia had apologized, Iris reassured her. It was a reaction unimaginable from the timid person she had once been.

Since Stefania’s disappearance, Iris has gained more emotional stability. The girl who once flinched at the sight of a bug now calmly observed which type it was.

After comparing her own experiences with Cecilia’s account, Iris shared her thoughts.

“There’s no solution.”

“Pardon…?”

“Cecilia, I don’t know who you’re trying to help, but as someone with experience, let me be honest with you.”

Iris spoke fervently, recounting why there was no clear answer and why it was difficult to intervene.

“…In short, unless the bully suddenly disappears, there’s no hope. There’s also the chance that they’ll lose interest and let go, but from what you’ve said, that doesn’t seem likely. It’s like hoping a tiger will spit out the meat it’s holding.”

“I see…”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”

“Oh, no… It’s me who should apologize for bothering you during your precious rest time. Thank you for your valuable advice. If… If you’re free, maybe we could share a meal sometime…”

“Of course. Anytime.”

As Iris wished Cecilia success, her eyes caught a glimpse of a head of black and white hair.

However, unlike before, seeing Hoyeon didn’t unsettle her.

There was no need to approach that calamity, nor did that calamity have any reason to come toward her.

It felt like observing a predator passing by from afar.

Until Hoyeon walked toward them. Fixing her gaze on Cecilia and Iris, she approached with clear intent.

Iris tensed.

Why was Hoyeon, who looked far more irritated than usual, coming their way? Was there a reason?

Could it be… was she aiming to become a second Stefania?

“You…!”

Thankfully, before Iris’s fear-fueled imagination could spiral further, Hoyeon stopped in front of Cecilia.

“Cecilia. Come with me.”

***

I’m talking about the heat cycle. It was bound to return after a month.

Remembering the disgraceful mess I made during the last one, I set some strict rules for this time as soon as I sensed it starting.

No physical contact with Dogeon.

…Yeah, I know it’s an unreasonable rule. But I still wasn’t ready to cross the line between friendship and something more.

Yet my body was screaming for me to cross it, so the only choice was to cut off the source of temptation entirely. Mom had also said she wasn’t ready to be a grandma.

I hadn’t informed Dogeon beforehand, but I planned to spend this time apart. It should be fine.

I couldn’t keep clinging to Dogeon under the guise of friendship forever. Besides, I had my own matters to investigate.

…Even so, I couldn’t shake the discomfort. Just imagining him eating with another girl made my stomach churn.

Maybe that’s why everything felt so disgusting today. It was probably just my mood, but it was infuriating all the same.

I need to figure out what’s up with Cecilia’s weird spirit and meet Dogeon again quickly.

“…But where is Cecilia, anyway?”

As I walked, I realized I had no idea where Cecilia was. Cursing my heat-addled brain, I thought of places where people might gather.

…Maybe I’ll try the café first.

Normally, I’d be too self-conscious to go somewhere like this, but right now, I don’t have the mental capacity to care about that.

All I wanted was to wrap this up quickly and check on what Dogeon was up to.

By sheer luck, Cecilia was in the café, talking to someone. Who was that again… Iris, maybe?

Not that it mattered. I had no business with her, so it wasn’t important. As I walked toward Cecilia, her expression changed for some reason, but since she was naturally timid, I didn’t think much of it.

“You…!”

Cecilia looked at me with a startled expression, as if wondering why I was there.

“Cecilia. Follow me.”

I had no intention or obligation to explain myself to her. In fact, her questioning only irritated me, so I delivered my words a little more sharply than usual.

I could have handled this here, but I didn’t like having too many eyes watching.

“What are you up to?”

“Do I really need to say it twice?”

I could have phrased it more nicely, but for some reason, my words came out pointed. Maybe it was because she was one of those girls who kept clinging to Dogeon.

“…Fine. Let’s hear it, then.”

“Hmph.”

She could have just agreed from the start instead of wasting time with a pointless power struggle.

I led her out of the café to a quieter area. Cecilia, seemingly uneasy about my actions, surrounded herself with spirits.

Well, that saved me the trouble of asking her to summon them. Since she cherished them so much, I had been wondering how to make her bring them out.

Now that I think about it, I hadn’t even come up with a proper plan for that. Maybe it’s true that I get dumber during the heat cycle.

Still, no matter how much dumber I get, I’m not going to cross the line with Dogeon, so it should be fine to see him.

“…Anima, was it? If you can hear me, answer.”

“What? How do you know that name?!”

How do I know? She practically shouted it while stroking them in the arena back then.

Her surprise was understandable, though. She had practically whispered it to herself, so it would have seemed strange for me to hear it from a distance. At least, on this continent.

-…Child of God, bearer of omnipotence…

Oh, it answered. The voice wasn’t audible in the traditional sense—it resonated in my head, like when the deity spoke to me. It confirmed that, twisted and fragmented as it was, this thing still originated from the gods.

“You—what are you doing to Anima?! Anima, come back!”

Cecilia, who usually stayed calm and polite no matter what, was visibly angry for once. But right now, figuring out what this “Anima” was took priority.

“Be quiet. Anima, tell me everything you know. Now.”

-…Command to return. Confirming authority of the issuer. General user detected. Reassessing priority…

It sounded oddly mechanical. Well, considering that some gods were created as machines, it wasn’t entirely surprising. I wondered if this deity had originally possessed a mechanical body as well.

“…Anima? Why won’t you come back…?”

-…Command rejected. Reason: A higher-priority command has been identified. Apologies, Cecilia.