NOVEL NEXT Chapter 69
“How can you not even notice that? Isn’t it your head that’s getting all the nutrients instead of your chest, Shinozaki?”
Shinozaki Rin is left speechless by Olivia’s remark.
Today.
It’s because the expression on Makoto’s face when she deliberately fed him lunch keeps popping up in her mind.
That was definitely the look of someone with a crush.
“…That’s certainly true… I did get that feeling.”
Shinozaki Rin closes her mouth.
Seeing this, Nishizawa Eri chuckles.
Nishizawa Eri, while gingerly touching her collar, says, “Well, our master is such a perfect man that even someone of the same gender might be enchanted, even Eri-chan here.”
Nishizawa Eri speaks in a serious tone.
After tearing open a cookie box, she pulls out a cookie and takes a bite.
Shinozaki Rin’s face goes red as she responds to Nishizawa Eri’s words.
“Putting everything else aside, I can agree that he’s a perfect man. A laundry board. Just like you said, Kim Deok-Sung is… he’s a man worthy of being my husband.”
Shinozaki Rin’s face quietly lights up.
Her heart races.
“He made me fall for him after all.”
Shinozaki Rin mutters under her breath in a small voice.
‘This is the worst.’
Rin bites her lip.
She doesn’t know how she ended up liking such a terrible man.
But now that she’s aware of her feelings, she doesn’t want to lose to anyone.
That was Rin’s wish.
She lowers her head.
As if representing her feelings, her dark blue ponytail sways.
The scene of an unexpected crush confession.
In the middle of it, someone is fidgeting.
“Ughhhhh…”
A sound escapes the lips of the platinum-haired beautiful girl.
It’s Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte.
Her proud, tsundere personality wasn’t ready to admit the crush she was harboring.
“What in the world are you saying right now!? Where on earth is that universe’s number one idiot so perfect?! I can’t accept this!”
Thud.
With her eyes squeezed shut and her face flushed, Olivia bangs her fist on the desk while shouting.
In contrast to her mouth, her heart was beating like it was about to burst.
“Hey, is that so? The princess is still not being honest, huh? But I still like this princess, even if not as much as the master.”
Nishizawa Eri laughs with ease.
Although she has devoted her body and heart to the master, her admiration for the platinum knight princess has not vanished.
The best talent in France, the top student of Shuo Hero Academy, the heir of the Black Prince.
Her noble lineage and dazzling name embody the elegant image of the perfect heroine that Nishizawa Eri has always admired.
‘A princess with a girl’s face is a little cute, huh?’
But the sight of Olivia, who seems like a girl in love, isn’t too bad either.
It just proves that Olivia is not the perfect lady, but just another girl like Nishizawa Eri herself.
“I can’t have a bothersome cow, but for the princess, I might share the master just this once?”
“Well, even though it might not be possible, if it’s the princess, maybe she could share the master, right?”
Nishizawa Eri chuckles.
Olivia’s face turns red from her blunt words.
Sharing.
What on earth does that mean?
“W-Who said anything about sharing?! And I, Olivia, will absolutely not allow you, Nishizawa, or Shinozaki to be by his side! I—I can say that with the authority of a personal maid!”
Olivia shouts.
“Princess, you really have your cute moments.”
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!!”
Olivia snaps at Nishizawa Eri.
Seeing this, Shinozaki Rin smirks coldly.
“How amusing. Bonaparte. If I, the daughter of Japan’s top family and the legendary Samurai of the Cold Wind, don’t meet your standards, then what kind of woman would?”
Shinozaki Rin’s navy blue eyes lock onto Olivia.
“Th-That’s…”
Olivia bites her lip.
“Ugh…”
“So you really can’t say anything, huh? Bonaparte, you truly…”
“U-At least a woman who’s as dignified, noble, capable, and understands the responsibilities of a hero as I am must be by his side!”
Olivia interrupts, her cheeks and neck flushed.
Her heart keeps pounding as if it’s broken.
“So, does that mean someone like you is the benchmark? Bonaparte.”
Rin bites down on her potato chips like they owe her money.
“W-Well! If she’s not better than me, I can never give him up! Shinozaki, you’re the second in entrance exams and never beat me once, and your femininity is lacking. Nishizawa, you come from a common background and have no sense of responsibility as a hero!”
Olivia points at Shinozaki Rin and Nishizawa Eri, spitting her words out like a machine gun.
“Therefore, I can’t possibly give him up to mediocre girls like you two. He may be the worst, a fool, and the dumbest, but at least he’s a man worthy of having this Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte as his personal maid!”
“That’s absurd. A complete fallacy.”
Shinozaki Rin scoffs.
She knows the France princess isn’t being honest about her character.
But this is clearly a ridiculous claim.
“Still stuck in your tsundere princess phase, huh? You seem like a foolish girl who doesn’t even understand your own feelings.”
Shinozaki Rin fires back coldly.
Olivia’s eyes waver.
“W-What did you just say?”
Tsundere? What kind of nonsense is that?
I’m not a tsundere.
Olivia bit her lip, desperately denying her identity.
Her pounding heart feels betrayed.
Watching the flustered Olivia, Rin declares with a cold smile.
“I’m different from you, Bonaparte. I will seize my own love.”
“Wh-Whose permission do you need? I absolutely won’t allow it!! As a personal maid!!”
Olivia shouts, slightly pulling her arms and hips back at Rin’s words.
She can’t accept it.
Especially not the thought of Shinozaki Rin becoming his woman.
Nishizawa Eri, who had been enjoying the situation, chuckles and casually throws a line at Olivia.
“If the princess is like that, then I guess she qualifies too?”
Olivia’s face heats up at her words.
“W-W-What kind of filthy thought is that?! O-Of course, that might be true, but… why, why on earth should I like that rude and foolish man?! Not at all?!”
Olivia points her finger at Nishizawa Eri.
“And I told you to stop with the nonsense! Okay, I’ll acknowledge your intuition, Nishizawa. If the transfer student has unique tastes… well, I might have a countermeasure against it!”
“I told you to stop babbling nonsense! Alright, I’ll admit your intuition has some merit, Nishizawa. If the transfer student’s taste is unique… well, there must be some way to intervene, right?”
“I had a vague feeling that the transfer student might be dangerous recently. I could never have imagined their taste would lean that way, especially seeing how Kim Deok-Sung, who is usually so cold towards me, acts oddly friendly towards the transfer student…”
Shinozaki Rin shakes her head.
“It’s one thing if he likes women, but what if Kim Deok-Sung has that kind of taste? I don’t even want to imagine it.”
Rin’s body shivers slightly.
“We must prevent such a thing from happening. We have to stop it before something terrible occurs, like him going down the wrong path.”
“Y-yeah! It would be troublesome if the person I serve has that kind of taste! I absolutely do not have any personal feelings for him or anything like that!”
Olivia grumbles in agreement.
“Of course, Eri is smart, so she’s already thought of a plan!”
Nishizawa Eri smiles.
“What is it?”
“Let’s see, a washing board?”
Both girls turn their eyes towards Nishizawa Eri.
“That’s… we’ll follow the transfer student and the Master’s mentoring outing.”
Nishizawa Eri chuckles.
Crunch.
She munches on a potato chip.
Mentoring outing.
A system for new students at Shuo Hero Academy, where they explore the area with their roommates. While the original intent was for friends to hang out, it’s dangerous with a new student.
That’s what Rin and Olivia think.
“Indeed, we need to keep an eye on this.”
“As a personal maid, I can’t let the person I serve go astray!”
The voices of the two echo in the small auditorium.
“Then everyone agrees, including the princess and the cow, right?”
Nishizawa Eri laughs.
“Washing board. I don’t like you, but given the circumstances, I’ll cooperate with you this once.”
“Hmph. Normally, this silly child’s play wouldn’t even be worth my time, but… for this time, know that I, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, am graciously joining your childish game. Understand?”
After securing the agreement of the two, Nishizawa Eri finishes the remaining cola and sets it down.
“Alright. An alliance is formed.”
That was the moment the heroine alliance was established.
*
It’s been a while since Makoto transferred, and it’s Saturday morning.
“Master. Wake up. Master.”
I can hear Makoto’s voice from afar.
“Wake up…”
Shake.
Someone is grabbing my arm and shaking it.
My eyes open.
“Master, you’re awake!”
My hazy vision gradually sharpens.
I see someone in my line of sight.
Green hair, green eyes, and wearing oversized pajamas, with an unusually puffed-up front showing off her presence—a big chest.
It’s Kamiya Makoto.
She said it was okay to let her hair down in the room, and then she appears like this.
“Ah, you scared me! Why did you wake me?”
“Today’s the mentoring outing. So… I wanted to go out with you quickly. That’s why I woke you up…”
Makoto smiles.
Her words snap me wide awake.
Right, today was the day.
The day Kamiya Ritsuko is coming.
“Right. Mentoring outing. We should go.”
I gather my thoughts and get out of bed.
It seems today is going to be a long day.
She said I matched well with her.
I head out with Makoto, who’s finished dressing as a boy, to the Shuo Hero Academy parking lot.
“Thank you for waiting, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung.”
As soon as I step into the parking lot, I meet Han Seo-Jin, who bows politely.
Behind her is a daunting black sedan, the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
A luxurious limousine I would never have ridden in my original world.
A car so expensive it’s absurd just to look at the price—she inexplicably brought it.
Moreover, a small Korean flag is adorning the corners of the hood.
A small Taegeukgi is waving.
What kind of presidential vehicle is this?
I’m going crazy, seriously.
“I told you not to bring that.”
If you’re Korean, you should use domestic cars.
Something like Hyundai.
The Avante X is so nice. Or the Sonata.
“······I couldn’t prepare a vehicle haphazardly for Mr. Kim Deok-Sung, the pride of Korea. I hope you understand.”
It’s like looking at a zealot.
That stubborn attitude that won’t compromise.
Sigh.
There’s no turning back now.
Relations with Korea are quite important.
After all, Korea is my biggest sponsor, so I have to play along a bit.
Well, since it’s already here, I can’t help it.
“Wow, Kim-kun. This car is amazing…”
Makoto exclaims in awe, circling around the shining black Rolls-Royce Phantom.
“Kim-kun, were you actually a young master?”
“······No.”
Stop with the young master nonsense.
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung is Korea’s only proud hero candidate, a pillar responsible for the security and future of Korea.”
Han Seo-Jin speaks passionately.
When did I ever say I was responsible for security and the future?
My face is heating up.
I didn’t realize it when watching national pride YouTube videos,
But brainless national pride is truly harmful.
“R-Right…”
Makoto is slightly taken aback by Han Seo-Jin’s fervor.
“I was just curious because I’ve never seen a car like this before.”
Makoto grins like a prince.
At that moment…
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung.”
Han Seo-Jin, who approached me, whispers in Korean.
“That classmate named Kamiya Makoto appears to be a woman in disguise, not a real man. Given the high level of her disguise, she might be a spy from an opposing faction. Should we handle her?”
Her words provoke a chuckle from me.
In the typical light novel absurd atmosphere, no one, except for Han Seo-Jin, seems to notice Makoto’s cross-dressing.
I reply in a small voice, making sure Makoto can’t hear.
“You’re sharp.”
Isn’t Han Seo-Jin perhaps the most capable person in this world?
However, there’s no need for the NIS to get involved in this matter.
“You’re overpraising me.”
“Just let it be. We’re using her anyway.”
“Understood.”
Han Seo-Jin bows politely.
I speak to her in Japanese.
“Then let’s get going.”
“I will do that.”
Beep.
As Han Seo-Jin responds in Japanese and presses the remote, the door opens automatically.
“Wow.”
Makoto’s eyes sparkle.
Ignoring it, she looks around.
“!!”
I see three women wearing sunglasses and masks, hurrying to hide near the surrounding cars, wearing a fedora and a trench coat.
With the platinum hair that’s hard to miss and a presence on her chest that can’t be concealed by a trench coat, that’s definitely Olivia; the navy ponytail swaying behind the fedora is striking, that’s Rin, and the orange hair next to her is undoubtedly Nishizawa.
“Damn it.”
It reminds me of the cherry blossom festival.
It was like this back then too.
Just by looking at their outfits, I can tell what they’re trying to do.
It’s obvious they’re trying to follow me.
I thought about it before, but it’s absurd to think I wouldn’t recognize them like this.
Isn’t it an outfit that’s guaranteed to stand out?
The difference from the cherry blossom festival is that the trio’s following me isn’t something I intended this time.
‘No, actually, this works well.’
It’s possible to hold off against the S-Rank villain Ritsuko with just me and Makoto, but honestly, I’d rather not.
The more party members, the better.
It just means more pieces to oppose Ritsuko and the Kamiya clan.
So from my perspective, if they’re following me, it’s a win-win situation, not a loss at all.
So let them follow me as they please.