“You idiot...” I rubbed my aching temples and let out an exhausted sigh from the bottom of my heart.
There was no helping it. Since I had stumbled into this, I couldn't just stand by and watch my most loyal follower be handed over to the Academy Disciplinary Office by the Swordsmanship Department on the spot.
I took a deep breath and walked toward the shadows.
As I drew closer, the conversation between the two in the shadows drifted into my ears, word for word.
“...Last chance, Miss Noren.”
Waldenburg’s voice was neither high nor low, but it carried a heavy quality that pressed down weightily on the air. “Everyone is heading toward the central preparation room to hunt down the pervert Miss Horn spoke of, yet you, walking against the crowd, are suspiciously attempting to force open the private wardrobe of Liliana, the commoner representative.”
“Tell me, who sent you? What is your purpose?”
Held by her collar like a little chick, Misha’s entire body was visibly... trembling.
“Mmm...”
She was clearly so terrified that her face had turned completely pale, tears glistening in her eyes as her teeth chattered uncontrollably.
Yet, in the face of this icy interrogation from the strongest student of their year, this eldest daughter of a low-ranking viscount, who was usually so cowardly and insecure, did something that made me see her in a completely new light.
She tightly closed her light brown eyes, letting tears slide down the corners of her eyes, and shook her head with all her might.
Her sharp, tearful voice was completely warped by extreme terror, yet it carried an almost pathologically resolute tone as she cried out:
“No—No one sent me! I came on my own! I-I just couldn't stand that Liliana... I wanted to ruin her gown before the second half opened and make her lose face in front of all the nobles of the Royal Capital! I came up with all of this myself; it has nothing to do with anyone else!”
“E-Even if you hand me over to the Disciplinary Office, that’s still my story!”
Misha closed her eyes, having given it her all.
She was not good at arguing, and even worse at lying.
Her full-of-loopholes speech and her trembling shoulders, shrunk back in fear, were as clear as a standard answer written on paper to a sharp-witted swordsman like Waldenburg.
There was absolutely something fishy going on here.
And yet, she kept her eyes shut tight and bit her bloodless lip, refusing to leak another word.
Even though at this very second she believed she was about to face complete expulsion, family disgrace, and total social death, she still used her fragile body to shield me—the villainous daughter—from all the mud and storms.
Seeing this, my heart was actually somewhat touched, and a sudden wave of shame welled up inside me.
I really am too wicked...
To make someone like this do things for me...
And she really is a hopelessly foolish squirrel.
Since you have already recited the villain's lines to this extent, if I don't show myself now, wouldn't I be doing a disservice to this overflowing display of self-sacrifice?
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I intentionally heavy-stepped. The crisp sound of heels clicking against the marble floor rang out abruptly at the entrance of the quiet changing area, instantly breaking the nearly frozen atmosphere of the interrogation in the shadows.
“Who's there?”
Waldenburg’s reaction was as swift as a startled black hawk.
A cold, sharp light erupted in his deep gray eyes, and his hand instinctively pressed onto the hilt of the ceremonial longsword at his waist. He shifted his stance slightly, shielding Misha behind him as his gaze pierced like lightning toward the direction of my approach.
After all, there was still no news regarding the pervert.
He shielded Misha, keeping things strictly business.
When he clearly saw that the newcomer was me—dressed in a dark blue ducal gown flowing with silver star patterns, with a cold, arrogant expression practiced countless times on my face—
the expressionless swordsman’s brows furrowed deeply.
The look on his face practically said, “?”
“Lady Loris,”
Waldenburg released his grip on his sword hilt, but he still showed no intention of letting Misha go.
“If you are here to change your gown, please proceed to the duke's private preparation room next door. Do not interfere with official duties.”
The moment he spoke, it was the classic tough-guy style, establishing rules and boundaries strictly.
I had no choice but to stop three paces away from him. I tilted my head slightly, my emerald eyes carrying a mix of ridicule, silence, and condescending indifference.
I cast a side glance at Misha, who was stealing a peek. Seeing me, her tears flowed even faster, yet she desperately signaled with her eyes: Miss, run! Don't worry about me! Then, I shifted my gaze back to Waldenburg’s emotionless, poker face.
“Official duties? You are indeed quite dutiful, Student Edmond.”
Ahem.
Though some of the blame probably lies with me.
Anyway.
“However, in the social etiquette of the Kingdom of Barton, roughly holding a noble young lady hostage like a captured prey is hardly an ‘illustrious achievement’ worthy of being written into the Swordsmanship Department's roll of honor, is it?”
Faced with my sarcasm, Waldenburg didn’t even bat an eye.
He merely shifted his body slightly and explained the situation to me concisely with highly persuasive logic:
“Lady Loris, it is not that I am deliberately making things difficult.”
“Five minutes ago, a commotion broke out in the central preparation room. And one minute ago, your follower, Miss Noren, came here sneakily. According to Article Three of the Barton Royal Academy's Campus Disciplinary Regulations, I have sufficient reason to suspect that Miss Noren is involved in a premeditated malicious destruction of property targeting tonight's ball representative.”
His reasoning was clear, every word aligning perfectly with the regulations.
It was obvious he intended to nail down Misha, the caught-in-the-act culprit, on the spot.
At the words “malicious destruction of property,” cold sweat began to break out on my back. After all, that was exactly what I had ordered her to do. Yet, the expression on my face remained as steady and unruffled as ever.
“Premeditated destruction? Your imagination, Student Waldenburg, is truly as impressive as your swordsmanship.”
“...” Waldenburg’s face darkened.
I decided to take a hard line first.
I raised my chin slightly, adopting a contemptuous posture as I said coolly:
“Misha was only acting on my orders tonight, coming over early to help me verify the dimensions for my gown change for the second half of the ball. What she is holding is nothing more than tools commonly used by tailors. Since she is naturally somewhat clumsy, she was startled by the screams of ‘catch the pervert’ in the corridor. In her panic, she accidentally stumbled into the wrong room and ended up here.”
As I spoke, I shifted my gaze to Waldenburg’s large hand, which was still clamping down tightly on Misha’s collar, my tone carrying a hint of resentment:
“Since it is merely a minor misunderstanding, and Misha is an inseparable friend of mine, I wonder if Student Edmond could show some consideration for the Aldheim family and let her go now?”
Rate on N.U.
