The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

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I informed the homeroom teacher that I had come to receive my resignation letter, and she handed it to me as if she had already anticipated my visit. From her expression and the reluctant manner in which she passed it to me, it seemed she understood that I was doing this to leave with Hoyeon.

“…It seems you’ve already made up your mind. Won’t you reconsider?”

The teacher’s reaction was entirely predictable. What teacher would be at ease knowing their student was heading alone into the den of devils without any weapon or defense?

…Though if it were Georg, I could somehow see that happening. But let’s not dwell on that; after all, that guy is just abnormal. As an aside, rumors have it he’d need about a year to recuperate from the strain.

At least it was fortunate that I wouldn’t end up dissected immediately in the name of reinforcement. They might manage anesthesia properly, but watching my body get opened up would never feel good.

“I’m sorry, Teacher Dorothy.”

Returning to the main topic, this was all I could say to her. After all, it’s hard to be harsh with someone trying to dissuade me, knowing that I’ve already made up my mind despite the dangers.

“…Right, a teacher shouldn’t stand in the way of a student’s choice… But please take care of yourself; you never know what might await you in such places. Be wise and always look for something you can do. There must be at least one thing.”

She might have rambled a bit, but she was right. I had forgotten that while living with Hoyeon. No matter how lacking I felt in skills, there was always at least one thing I could contribute.

“Yes. I will keep that in mind. Oh, wait. That’s a premature thing to say. Thank you, Teacher.”

I did wonder what on earth I could do among those transcendent beings, but I decided to shake off negative thoughts.

I didn’t want to ruin the comfort I had just received, after all. Plus, I couldn’t just remain in despair forever. I had to at least give it a shot.

With Hoyeon’s backing, I felt a tad more secure. After all, being with someone like her meant having top-tier connections, and she was very friendly towards me.

“Well then… You should be going. Organize the remaining time well.”

I thought about what there was to organize but realized it was just my few friendships and my filthy room, which brought my mood down again, but I couldn’t lose hope.

As I exited the building housing the office, I could feel several eyes on me. However, most were trying hard to ignore me or displaying blatant indifference.

It was clear they didn’t want to get involved and create any trouble. Seeing this made it easier to understand my current standing here.

Whether it was different in the past, now I felt like the beloved stuffed toy of the fierce tiger. There was no reason for anyone to touch something that was clearly a high-risk gamble.

“…Oh, Dokan… um, you’re safe…”

But it didn’t seem everyone thought that way. When Cecilia saw me, she timidly approached, holding a piece of paper.

“Yes. Cecilia, were you alright amidst all that chaos? Given the severity of the situation and you being responsible for the patients…”

“Oh, no. Fortunately, I was fine. It was a bit rough, but as soon as I confirmed everyone was gone, I followed suit. It pains me a bit that the World Tree has been slightly damaged, but it should be restored soon… By the way, is what you’re holding… ‘that’?”

“Yes. That’s exactly what Cecilia is thinking.”

“You are leaving, then. Actually, I had something to say… um…”

Was she about to make a later love confession? It seemed odd for me to be in a position where I’d have to reject that. Was she trying to say it before we couldn’t see each other again? But what she said was beyond my expectations.

“…Actually, I’ve been following you with Ethan and recording your every move! Ugh… I’m sorry for keeping that hidden until now…”

……Was it necessary to say that? I was at a loss for words in response to her sudden confession of stalking. It was indeed a confession, but I never expected something like this.

“I see. Um, yes. I’m alright with it, but others might not feel the same, so please refrain from doing that in the future. Well, I’ll be taking my leave now.”

“Ah! Yes, yes. Please go. I’m sorry to have held you up when you’re busy…!”

Not knowing how to respond, I casually repeated my wish that she wouldn’t do it again and quickly left. I suppose that was akin to forgiveness, so she would probably be satisfied.

Anyway, it was bittersweet to realize Ethan was in on it too. There was hardly anything resembling genuine friendship in this.

When I thought about my relationship with Hoyeon, it definitely wasn’t a healthy one.

Alright, so now it was just a matter of saying goodbye to Anya. I had no particular feelings left, but since she was a significant aspect of the original story, I couldn’t entirely erase her from my heart.

It didn’t really matter anymore, though. But once I concluded things with her, I needed to tackle the mess in my room… I didn’t want to ask Hoyeon to help with that; I needed to handle it myself.

I had a feeling that if I went to talk to Anya now, Hoyeon might take the opportunity to come and clean my room entirely. So, I hurriedly made my way back to my room.

– – –

Thanks to the efforts of the guards, the tidying was completed quickly. There were a few adorable mistakes along the way, but fortunately, they were quickly corrected after my brother and I pointed them out, so there was no need for me to intervene greatly.

Thinking about having to ride in the clunky carriage again made me feel downcast, but thinking I’d be with Dokan didn’t seem too bad after all.

“Great job, everyone. Now, since we’re in the flow, let’s move on to Dokan’s room…”

Before I could finish, there was a knock at the door from outside. Without needing to check who it was, it was obviously Dokan. There was no one else who would come to my room.

Upon opening the door, Dokan entered, bringing with him a smell of fresh grass. He must have just met that grassy kid.

“Who did you just meet? What’s that about?”

I asked lightly while smelling the back of his neck, and he replied nonchalantly.

“I just happened to run into someone and exchanged a light farewell while on my way back.”

“…Are you saying you knew that punk has been tailing you all this time?”

“Yes. He was hesitating while saying he had something to confess, and then he mentioned he had been following me all this time. So… yes. I simply forgave him. It seemed like a good thing to do.”

…He said that? No, it was one thing for him to admit it, but he just let it go like that? His nonchalant tone left me momentarily speechless.

No matter how kind Dokan was, wasn’t this something that shouldn’t just be brushed off?

“…You just forgave him? Why? Is it because he didn’t particularly harm you?”

“Yes. And since I won’t be seeing his face again, it’s better to part on good terms. Hoyeon, if I may ask, are you planning to visit this continent again?”

“…No. Well, if I’m not going to see him again, I think it’s better to cause a ruckus in a grand way. So it seems you feel that way…”

Isn’t human nature to want to cause chaos when you know you won’t see someone again…? While I was stuck in shock, Dokan hit me again with a jolt.

“Yes. And I apologize, but if you’re planning to tidy up my room, it’s okay. Please let me handle that myself. It shouldn’t take long.”

How did he figure that out? Did his ears perk up and overhear? Maybe… It could be that. Yes, that must be it.

Since Dokan insists on handling that himself, I couldn’t force the guards to take over.

After moving the boxes outside, only a barren room with just a bed was left behind. All that remained were the clothes I was wearing and the notebook in my hand.

Naturally, I followed him to his room.

“…Hoyeon, I’ll clean my room.”

“Ah, go ahead. I just felt lonely being alone, so I came along.”

It felt like ages since we had the chance to talk comfortably like this. In terms of time, it had barely been a little over a week.

I threw some trash at the back of his head while he busily tidied up, and as I helped him, I found myself wanting to ask Dokan something.

“…So, did you really just forgive her? Without any conditions?”

As I neatly folded and packed the clothes strewn across the floor, I asked him if he genuinely forgave Cecilia.

“I haven’t forgiven everything, but… there’s no reason to kick up a fuss about it. There’s the relationship we’ve built over time. So, I told her not to do that to others and just came back. Hoyeon, judging by your expression, I can guess what you’re going to say, but it’d be nicer to part on good terms, right?”

I didn’t understand…

Perhaps Dokan felt that way. He naturally started cleaning up, and I didn’t stop him or say anything.

What had seemed like a daunting cleaning process was surprisingly nearing its end. Once I returned home, I would have to either teach Dokan how to clean up or get someone to help him.

I thought a day or two was manageable, but if it extended over a year, it would become exhausting.

Well, that would be a story for another time. Since Dokan was saying goodbye, I had someone else to meet.

“Alright, Dokan. Let’s go meet Anya.”