NOVEL NEXT Chapter 85
Chapter 85: The Problem Is That I Got Caught (1)
The room was empty.
Astrid’s dormitory, like all cadets’, was a single-occupancy room. No one was supposed to be there except Astrid herself, and right now, the room was silent, save for the sound of her breathing.
Kneeling in the center of her room, Astrid sat with her head bowed.
It had been an unconscious slip of the tongue.
Astrid had always known that if the real Astrid ever found out she had originally been a man, everything would fall apart. That realization had driven her to keep the truth hidden, even from herself.
She’d been careful. Extremely careful. Never even whispering to herself that she was once a man.
And yet, she had let it slip.
And the one who had exposed her secret wasn’t anyone else—it was her own careless words.
And now, here they were.
【Don’t lie to me. Do you think I’m an idiot?】
‘I-I…’
The real Astrid’s initial reaction was outright denial. It was the first stage—complete disbelief. Rejecting the idea outright and refusing to accept the possibility.
【It’s impossible. No matter how you look at it, claiming you were a man is just… just…】
Just what?
Astrid wanted to ask, but she held her tongue.
She already had a sense of what the real Astrid was about to say.
And knowing it, she couldn’t bring herself to ask.
【But why didn’t you tell me from the start?! Were you planning to deceive me all along?! Even if I nearly died, this—this is too much! A man! A man inside my body! What on earth is going on here?!】
Astrid couldn’t say a word.
She kept her head bowed, kneeling on the floor, silently enduring the real Astrid’s fiery rage.
No apology or excuse she could offer would extinguish that anger, nor would anything she said now make a difference.
【Say something! Sitting there silently—what were you thinking?! Did you enjoy using my body to bathe, to dress, to ogle yourself?! Did you enjoy it?! That body has never been seen by anyone else! How are you going to take responsibility for this?! Answer me!】
Astrid silently thanked her stars that they hadn’t switched control of the body.
It was a genuine relief. If they had switched right now, the real Astrid might have thrown herself out the window in a fit of rage.
Not that falling would necessarily kill her, but after nearly dying from tumbling down the stairs, who knew?
【Say something… What are we supposed to do now…?】
What could she say?
She was the one who had deceived the real Astrid until now.
No explanation or excuse she offered would make things better for someone so clearly on the verge of losing her mind.
【Fine. Fine… What’s done is done. But honestly, this is too much! How could someone so naturally… so naturally feminine have been a man?! No, wait. This is a lie, isn’t it?】
‘What… what do you mean?’
【You’re just lying to make me feel better about leaving once you’ve seduced His Highness into marrying me, aren’t you? So I don’t feel guilty when you go. That’s it, isn’t it?】
What on earth was she talking about?
Astrid couldn’t follow her logic.
She had never tried to seduce Leopold.
She swore to the heavens she had never done such a thing.
Even in this body, she still thought of herself as a man. The idea of seducing Leopold was preposterous.
It had never happened.
And yet, the real Astrid’s words made no sense to her. The premise was wrong, the reasoning was wrong, and the conclusion was wrong.
But she couldn’t refute it.
What was the point of arguing with someone twisting reality into self-justification?
【Why is this happening to me? At my age, in my prime, I’ve lost control of my body and have to watch from the sidelines. And now, someone who’s even more feminine than me turns out to have been a man? This doesn’t make any sense…】
‘Hold on, more feminine? That’s not fair—’
【Are you denying it?!】
‘No, but… it’s not true, is it?’
This was unfair.
Out of all the accusations, this one stung the most.
Astrid genuinely felt wronged.
Anyone who heard this would misunderstand.
Sure, the real Astrid lacked a certain… feminine grace, but Astrid wasn’t that much better.
Despite the scandalous accusations of being a flirt or a temptress, those were just baseless rumors.
To say that someone who was originally a man was more feminine than a woman—it was ludicrous!
【Why? Why is this happening to me? I can’t believe it. Why me? Why… why…】
A deep sigh, as if the ground itself were collapsing, filled the silence.
The real Astrid seemed genuinely shaken, and her sigh carried the weight of her despair. It left Astrid unable to say anything.
【…Fine. Fine. I have no choice but to accept it.】
‘Accept what? It’s the truth—I was originally a man.’
【That’s irrelevant now. The important thing is, you were a man, which means you understand men better. You know what they like, what they think. A woman who was once a man…】
The logic was taking a strange turn.
【Come to think of it, this situation is unprecedented. I must be the first, but… when I think about it, it’s not that strange.】
It continued down an even stranger path.
【Becoming a woman… that’s something only a man could achieve.】
‘No, no, that’s definitely not how it works.’
“Shut up. If becoming a woman is something only a man can do, then it’s the most masculine thing ever. A man who’s become a woman—yeah, that explains how you can act like such a shameless temptress without a second thought. Even though it’s my body.”
It was slander.
A misunderstanding.
A baseless accusation.
“You’re the woman who knows men’s hearts best, so of course I can’t win against you. It was a fight I was destined to lose. So, it’s not that I’m not feminine—it’s just that you’re impossible to compete with.”
That’s absolutely not true, Astrid thought to herself.
“…Switch back. Now.”
Astrid wanted to ask why, but she bit her tongue. Any objection at this point might lead to something even more terrifying spilling out. So, she obediently closed her eyes and relinquished control.
“Phew. Alright, fine.”
It had been a while since the real Astrid had requested a switch. Astrid had held control of the body for so long that the transition back felt like she was watching television—an oddly detached experience.
“Let’s go, then.”
【Go where?】
“Where else? To Ashray’s room.”
【At this hour? Why?】
“Just stay quiet and watch.”
“Sister!”
“I’m coming in.”
Before Ashray could fully open the door to his guest room, Astrid shoved past him and walked inside.
The guest room was well-furnished, as expected of a space designated for visitors.
The room featured a polished carpet, a table in the center, and a teapot still steaming with warmth.
Sitting by the table was a woman with dark hair and brown skin, her wide, startled eyes fixed on Astrid.
“…Why are you still here?”
“Oh, Astrid. Hello~.”
Violet gently placed her teacup down and waved at Astrid. Despite the surprise of Astrid’s sudden entrance, she seemed remarkably composed, her demeanor calm and unflustered.
“I asked why you’re still here.”
It was late at night. If Violet’s attire had been the slightest bit disheveled, Astrid would’ve immediately grabbed Ashray by the hair. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.
“I was just having tea. What about you, Astrid? Why are you here at this hour?”
“Breaking into my brother’s room is my right as his sister. I don’t need a reason. Ashray, am I wrong? If you think so, I’ll make you see things differently.”
At Astrid’s sharp tone and her piercing glare, Ashray shrank back, his neck drawing into his shoulders.
“N-no, you’re not wrong. That’s fair. Haha…”
His awkward laughter filled the room as Violet studied Astrid curiously.
“So, what’s your business here?”
“Cadet Violet, keeping someone else’s brother here at this hour is rather impolite, don’t you think?”
At that, Violet’s lips curled into a playful smile.
“Oh, Astrid. You shouldn’t be so curt with me. I might be of some help to you.”
“……”
【What are you planning?】
‘We’re going to the North.’
【W-what excuse are you going to use?!】
Midterms were just around the corner.
In other words, it was still the middle of the semester. Traveling to the North—where even a round trip would take two weeks—wasn’t something that could be easily done, especially with the time needed once there.
‘Excuses can be made. What matters is me, not the Academy or its rules.’
【W-well, that’s true, but…】
‘Excuses can always be crafted.’
The confidence in her tone left the real Astrid flustered.
【Are you seriously planning to lie? What if you get caught? The school rules… your graduation…】
The real Astrid’s brows furrowed deeply.
‘You’re surprisingly uptight. Were you a Magic Knight too? You need to broaden your horizons. If you don’t get caught, it’s not a violation of the rules. Got it?’
Her brazenness left Astrid speechless. She simply couldn’t understand how the real Astrid could be so bold.