13
ガン、グシャ。
廊下を歩いていたら突如としてすぐ近くに鉢植えが降った。見上げると、一瞬だが数人の女子生徒が上の階を逃げていくのを見た。
恐怖に勝ったのは驚きである。
「そ、それ、私がやるやつ!」
「嘘でしょ?公爵家で王太子の婚約者のあなたに犯罪まがいの嫌がらせって、相手はどんな命知らずの猛者なの?」
とは、その一時間後私に事情を説明されたメリンダの言である。
殿下にはこのことを言わないつもりでいる。余計な仕事を増やしたくないからだ。あの程度のいたずらなら、また何かされても気をつけてさえいれば対応できるので問題ない。スカートに短剣も忍ばせていることだし。ただ、メリンダに危険が及ぶのはいただけない。彼女にはしばらく私から距離を取るように頼んだ。
「嫌よ。我が身可愛さにあなたを一人にしろって言うの?」
そう言ってくれるメリンダは友人の鑑だ。私は幸せ者だ。
「大丈夫よ、一人じゃないわ。エミリアを連れて歩こうと思ってるの」
エミリアなら純粋な戦闘力が下手な男性より高いし、万が一私が怪我した時もすぐに治してくれるだろう。この状況にうってつけである。
しかしそう伝えたとき、メリンダは珍しく言い淀むような様子を見せたのだ。
「あなたには言わないよう口止めされていたんだけど...多分あの子も嫌がらせを受けてるわ。それも随分前から」
理解に数秒を要した。
「ひっ」という小さな叫び声はメリンダのものだ。私を見つめる彼女の顔が血の気をなくしていくのを、怒りで真っ赤に染まった世界で見た。
翌日の昼休み。いつも通り廊下を歩いていたとき、良くない気配と視線を感じた。
その瞬間頭上に水の入ったバケツが現れたので、身を翻して躱す。振り返れば後方の柱の影に人が隠れている。首ギリギリを狙ってナイフを投げた。一本、二本、三本。3人の女子生徒。何が起きたのかわからないといった様子で座り込んで、声も出せずに壁に刺さったナイフと私とを見比べていた。
突然の事態にその場は騒然となる。先生も駆けつけたのに、何故動かないんだろう。
まあどうでもいいか。
「あのね。水をかけられそうになっても、鉢植えをぶつけられそうになっても、未遂なら別にいいの。私、小さいことは気にしないわ」
ゆっくりと近づく。
彼女たちの青ざめた顔が目の前に来るところまで。
「エミリアに、何かした?」
いつだって優位なのは笑っている方だ。気持ち悪いほど微笑んでいるであろう私には、ガタガタ震える彼女たちの答えられないという答えが十分だった。
私の胸の中では、昨日からどす黒い感情が泉のようにこんこんと湧き出続けている。
私はその泉に片足をつけていた。私の髪みたいに真っ黒な色をした泉だ。もう2.3歩踏み出して体を投げ出してしまえば、私は『レベッカ』になる。
心のどこかで、そんな自分に自分で失望していた。それでも気持ちは抑えられなかった。
許せない。許せない。
エミリアを傷つけたこの人たちが。それを許した周りが。
何より、友人が一人で戦っていることに気づけなかった、あまつさえ気を遣わせてしまった、自分が。
なけなしの理性で感情を抑えるのをやめながら、思った。どんなに周りの人に優しくしようと。どんなに毎日を楽しく過ごそうと。
はずっと私の心の中にいたんだな。
心の中の私と現実の私が後戻りできない一歩を踏み出した。
――――踏み出そうと、した。
「レベッカ」
その声は全ての邪を消し飛ばした。
急に視界がひらけて、そこに私の大事な人がいることに気づいた。彼はただいつも通りの優しい顔で、柔らかな声色で、悪役令嬢ではなく彼の婚約者の名前を呼んでいる。
初めて会った日みたいだと思った。あの日も彼は名前を呼んで、『私』を取り戻してくれた。
そしてほら、こんな風に。両腕を大きく広げ私を見つめるのだ。あの日と唯一違うのは、彼を見て私も安心することができるところだろうか。
彼に向かって駆け出し、目の前に来た群青を見てそんな風に思った。
この人は何回私を救えば気が済むんだろう?きっと今この瞬間をもって私の中の悪役令嬢は消えてなくなる。殿下の腕の中で多幸感に包まれたとき、私はそう確信した。
自らの婚約者をその腕に抱いたまま、ルウェイン・フアバードンは女子生徒たちに淡々と告げた。
お前たちが何をしたかは知っている。誰に指示されたかも把握している。処罰はスルタルク公爵家と話し合い、追って伝える。フアバードン王家の名の下それまで謹慎処分を言い渡す。
一部始終を見ていた生徒たちの心は一致していた。
スルタルク公爵家の力の大きさは計り知れないし、狙われたのはスルタルク領の宝石たる彼女だけでない。もう一人、平民といえど稀有な治癒魔法の才能を持った貴重な人間も。
何より彼らは噂に聞いている。王子は婚約者を愛している。
全てを考慮した結果、女子生徒たちはその場で貴族籍を剥奪された上追放されて、一族はみな降格を言い渡されてもおかしくなかった。
しかし王子は言った。己の優しい婚約者は厳罰を望まない。罰よりも、これから先この国への奉仕によって、お前たちが自らの罪を雪ぐことに期待しよう、と。
聴衆は打ち震えた。一切感情的になることなく仇なした者の罪を暴き、その上で許容した王太子とその婚約者。彼らに任せておけばこの国の安泰は約束されたも同然だ。王子とその婚約者への口々の賞賛をもってして一連の事件は幕を閉じた。
翌日私に会いに来てくれたエミリアは両目に涙を浮かべていた。
「また助けられちゃいましたね。黙っていてごめんなさい。迷惑をかけたくなかったんです」
そう言ってボロボロ涙を落とした。さすがヒロイン涙も綺麗、なんて感想を浮かべるのはもうやめだ。
「大事な友人を助けられて良かったわ」
目の前で泣いている少女は私の友人だし、それを心配する私も、ただの彼女の友人だった。
Ch 13
"Gan, Gusha."
As I was walking down the hallway, suddenly a flower pot fell right next to me. I looked up and for a moment saw several female students running away on the floor above.
It's surprising that fear was defeated.
"T-That was what I'm supposed to do!"
"No way? You, the fiance of the Crown Prince in the Duke's house, are being bullied with criminal-like harassment? Who is the reckless person on the other side?"
That's what Melinda told me an hour later, explaining the situation.
I don't intend to tell this to His Highness. I don't want to add any unnecessary work. If it's just a prank like that, as long as I'm careful, I can handle it if it happens again. I also have a short sword hidden in my skirt. But, I can't let Melinda get hurt. I asked her to stay away from me for a while.
"I don't like it. You're telling me to leave you alone because of my attractiveness?"
Melinda, who says that to me, is a friend worth a million. I am a lucky person.
"It's okay, I'm not alone. I'm thinking of walking with Emilia."
Emilia has a higher pure combat ability than clumsy men and if I were to get hurt, she would be able to heal me immediately. This situation is perfect.
But when I told her that, Melinda showed an unusual hesitation.
"I was told not to tell you... probably that girl is also receiving harassment. And it's been going on for a while."
It took me a few seconds to understand.
"Ahh." A small scream came from Melinda. She saw my face, which had lost its blood, turn red with anger in a world that was also dyed red.
The next day during lunch break. As I was walking down the hallway as usual, I felt a bad presence and gaze.
At that moment, a bucket of water appeared above my head, so I dodged by turning my body. When I looked back, there were people hiding in the shadow behind a pillar. They threw knives at me, aiming for my neck. One, two, three. Three female students. They were sitting down, looking at the knives stuck in the wall and me, unable to say anything or understand what had happened.
The situation suddenly became chaotic. Even though the teacher had come running, I wondered why they weren't moving.
Well, it doesn't matter.
"You know, even if you're about to get drenched with water or hit with a flower pot, it's okay if it's just an attempted attack. I don't mind small things."
I slowly approached them.
As their pale faces came closer.
"Did you do something to Emilia?"
It's always the person who's laughing that's in a position of advantage. For me, who was smiling so much that it was sickening, the answer that the girls who were trembling couldn't give me was enough.
In my chest, a black emotion that's been bubbling up like a spring since yesterday.
I had one foot in that spring. The spring had a color as black as my hair (metaphor). If I took just two or three steps forward and threw myself in, I would become [Rebecca].
Somewhere in my heart, I was disappointed in myself for that. But I couldn't suppress my feelings.
Unforgivable. Unforgivable.
I can't forgive those people who hurt Emilia. I can't forgive the people around me who forgave them.
Most of all, I couldn't even notice that my friend was fighting alone, and I even made them worry about me.
While giving up trying to suppress my emotions with just a bit of reason, I thought, no matter how much I try to be kind to the people around me, no matter how much I try to enjoy every day.
Villainess Rebecca has always been in my heart.
The me in my heart and the me in reality took a step that couldn't be taken back.
----And tried to take that step.
"Rebecca."
That voice blew away all evil.
Suddenly, my vision cleared and I realized that the person who was most important to me was there. He was calling me by my name as his fiancee, not as a villainess, with his usual kind face and gentle voice."
It felt like the day we first met. On that day, he called out my name and brought me back.
And look, he's holding me like this, spreading his arms wide and looking at me. The only difference from that day is that I can feel at ease when I look at him.
I ran towards him and saw the blue sky in front of me and thought that.
How many times will this person have to save me before he's satisfied? Surely, at this very moment, the villainess inside of me will disappear. When I am wrapped in happiness in the arms of His Highness, I am convinced of that.
With his fiancee in his arms, Llewayne Huaverdon calmly told the female students.
I know what you've done. I also know who instructed you. The punishment will be discussed with the Duke of Slutarch and I will inform you later. I will pass on a stern punishment under the name of the Huaverdon family.
The hearts of the students who had watched everything from start to finish were in agreement.
The power of the Duke of Slutarch is immeasurable and not only is his fiancee, the gem of the Slutarch territory, a target. Another person, a valuable human with rare healing magic abilities, even though she is a commoner.
Most of all, they have heard the rumors. The prince loves his fiancee.
As a result of considering everything, the female students could have their noble status stripped and be expelled on the spot, and it wouldn't have been strange for their entire family to be demoted.
But the prince said, "My kind fiance does not wish for harsh punishment. Instead of punishment, I expect you to atone for your sins through service to this country from now on."
The audience trembled. The Crown Prince, who had revealed and forgave the sins of the wronged without any emotional involvement, and his fiance. If they were left in charge, the security of this country would be guaranteed. The event closed with numerous praises to the prince and his fiance.
The next day, Emilia came to see me with tears in her eyes.
"I was saved again. I'm sorry for being quiet. I didn't want to cause any trouble."
She said that and shed tears. As expected, the hero's tears are beautiful, but thinking that way is pointless now.
"I'm glad I could save an important friend."
The girl crying in front of me is my friend, and I, who am worried about her, am just her friend.
The Villainess Carries a Strategy Guide
その悪役令嬢は攻略本を携えている
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/the-villainess-carries-a-strategy-guide/
Fantasy Josei Romance Shoujo
Academy Adapted to Manga Aristocracy Doting Older Siblings European Ambience Female Protagonist Love Interest Falls in Love First Magic Nobles Otome Game Reincarnated in a Game World Villainess Noble Girls
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n6554fr/
岩田加奈