『冬』・『合戦』が足音を立てて近づいてきている。一足早く行われる四人の『将軍』の発表が終わったばかりだ。
本格的に『冬』の準備をする冬季休暇まで、残る学園の予定はテスト一つ。攻略本的にはもう一つ。
殿下のルートでのご褒美イベント、『ドキドキ密室イベント』が残っている。
ちなみにオズワルド・セデンルートのご褒美イベント、『ラッキースケベイベント』は起きなかった。良かった。本当によかった。
あるなら秋頃だったので、発生には恋愛感情の域の好感度が必要だったのだろう。
突然だが、みなさんは夜の校舎に入ってみたいとお思いになったことは?
私はある。月明かりしか光源がない校舎はきっと非現実的なわくわくに溢れている。ぜひ探検してみたい。
だがそれは『入ってみたい』なのであって、『閉じ込められてみたい』では断じてない。
ついでに言えば別に一人でもいいのであって、恋人が一緒の方がいいとかも思ってない。
「思ってないんだけどな......」
「何をだ?」
どうもこんにちは。現在恋人と夜の第一校舎に閉じ込められているレベッカ・スルタルクである。
全ての出入り口に鍵がかかっていることを確認し終えて、殿下が息をついた。
よく思うが、彼の金髪は月明かりの元で見ると一層綺麗だ。
「シナリオで何故俺は鍵か窓か壁を壊さないんだ?」
「壊すルートも選べますが、結構な額の請求がくるみたいですよ」
「閉じ込められた側なのに?」
「ええ」
暗い中攻略本の文字を指で追いながら答える。現実では、殿下は先日の兄さまとの戦いから魔法を使うのを控えている。
元々の魔力が少ない私にはわからない感覚だが筋肉痛のような痛みがあるらしい。
「どうしますか?」
「レベッカが風邪を引かないならなんでもいい」
「もう十二月ですしね......」
既に若干冷たくなってきた指先に息をかけて温めながら呟いた。
そもそもなぜ閉じ込められるとわかっていて本当に閉じ込められたか。
シナリオでは主人公エミリアが夜忘れ物に気づき校舎に戻って、殿下は寮の窓からそれを見かけて追いかけて、二人が中にいる間に校舎が閉まってしまうという流れだった。
忘れ物をしなければいいと思っていたのだが甘かったようだ。
最後の授業だった化学の時間、隣の生徒が調合に失敗しておかしな薬を作っていたのは知っていたし、多少吸い込んだ自覚はあった。
だがまさか遅効性の眠り薬だったとは。
放課後抗えない眠気に襲われて、私は近くの医務室のベッドに勝手に倒れ込んだ。
クリスティーナが二時間経っても起きない私に困ってしまって殿下を呼びに行き、あとは同じ寸法だ。
薬がまだ効いているのかさっきから手足に力が入らない。校舎を壊すような魔法は使えそうにない。
「殿下、すみません......」
「いやいい。夜の校舎も珍しくて面白い」
殿下が私の指先を手のひらで包むように握って歩き出した。ふと窓の外を見れば、中庭の掲示板が目に入った。
そこには少し前に出た『秋』の結果が今も張り出されている。
十位 フリード・ネヘル
九位 ハンナ・ホートン
八位 ディエゴ・ニーシュ
七位 エミリア
六位 メリンダ・キューイ
五位 ブライアン・マーク
四位 オズワルド・セデン
三位 キャラン・ゴウデス
二位 ルウェイン・フアバードン
一位 レベッカ・スルタルク
前を行く殿下の背中を見る。『冬』がきてほしくないと思うのは、その後舞踏会をやったら今年が終わってしまうからだ。
殿下が第三学年だからだ。
私の心が読めるみたいに殿下が言った。振り返った彼が、多分『寂しい』を隠せていない私を見る。
「特にレベッカが来てからはあっという間だった」
そう言って教室や窓の外を指さす。
「あそこでよく昼を一緒にとったし、あっちは話をするのに、あっちは待ち合わせに良かった」
「......殿下のいない学園生活は味気なさそうですね」
彼がいた風景は、もうすぐ彼がいない風景になって、それが当たり前になってしまう。
想像したら思ったより視界が色褪せた。
「学園は寮だし、俺も公務で毎日は会いに来られない」
「だから結婚する」
殿下が振り向いた。私に顔を近づけて、こつんと額と額を合わせる。
「学園に行っても俺はいないが、レベッカが家に帰ればいる。毎週末帰ってきてくれるだろう?」
彼の指が私の左手の薬指を撫でた。そこまで考えて結婚の話を進めてくれていたのだと、初めて気がつく。
殿下がいなくなってしまうが、代わりに薬指に指輪がある光景が当たり前になる。たしかにそれなら彼がいない学園生活も怖くないかもしれない。
「もちろんです」
私が笑えば、殿下も満足そうに笑う。そしてまた私の手を引いて歩き出した。歩調を合わせてその隣に並ぶ。
「週末のたびに王宮に行く学生も私くらいでしょうね」
「そのことだが、王宮と学園の間に新しく家を建てないか? レベッカが帰ってきやすい方がいい」
「いいんですか!?」
「父上の許可はもう取った。どんな家がいい? 近いうちにいくつか見に行こう」
私たちは一緒に学園で過ごした二年間を確かめるように校舎を見て回りながら、これから何十年間と続く未来の話をした。
慣れ親しんだ校舎を殿下と二人で歩いたのはこれが最後だった。
The sound of footsteps is approaching as [winter] and [battle] get closer. The announcement of the four [Generals] has just been made a bit early.
Until the winter break, when we will officially prepare for [winter], the only remaining schedule for the Academy is one test according to the strategy guide.
The reward event for the route of His Highness, the [Doki-Doki  Secret Room Event], is still remaining.
By the way, the reward event for the Oswald Ceden routes, the [Lucky Lewd Event], did not happen. I'm glad, very glad.
It should have been around fall, so it probably required a certain level of affection within the realm of romantic feelings to occur.
Suddenly, have any of you ever wanted to go into the school at night?
I have. I'm sure the school, with only moonlight as a source of light, would be filled with an unreal sense of excitement. I really want to explore it.
However, that's just [want to go in and see], not [want to be locked in].
By the way, it doesn't have to be alone, and I don't particularly think it would be better if my lover was with me.
"I don't think..."
"What's up?"
Hello, it's Rebecca Slutarch. Currently, I am locked in the first school building at night with my lover."
After confirming that all the entrances and exits were locked, His Highness let out a sigh.
I think often, his blonde hair is even more beautiful in the moonlight.
"Why am I not breaking the key or window or wall in the scenario?"
"You can choose to break the route, but it seems like you will have to pay a considerable amount."
"Even though I am the one trapped?"
"Yes."
Answering while tracing the letters of the strategy guide with my finger in the dark. In reality, His Highness is avoiding using magic since his battle with Nii-sama.
I don't understand the feeling since I originally have little magic power, but it seems there is a pain like muscle pain.
"What shall we do?"
"If Rebecca doesn't catch a cold, anything is fine."
"It's already December..."
While warming my slightly cold fingertips with breath, I murmured.
Why was I understanding that I was trapped, but in reality, why did I end up being trapped?
In the scenario, the main character Emilia realized she left something behind at school and went back to the school. His Highness saw this from the dormitory window and chased after her, and while the two were inside, the school was closed.
I thought if I didn't forget something it would be fine, but it seems I was too optimistic.
In the last class, chemistry, I knew that the student next to me had failed in the synthesis and made a strange medicine, and I had some awareness of having inhaled it.
"But I never thought it would be a sleeping pill with a delayed effect."
Overwhelmed by an irresistible drowsiness after school, I collapsed onto the bed in the nearby infirmary.
Christina, worried that I hadn't woken up even two hours later, went to call His Highness, and that's when everything became the same story.
My arms and legs still don't have any strength. It seems I can't use magic that would destroy the school building.
"Your Highness, I'm sorry..."
"No, it's fine. It's rare and interesting to be in the school building at night."
His majesty took my hand and started walking; he was holding my fingertips in the palm of his hand. When I looked out the window, I saw the bulletin board in the courtyard.
The results of the [fall] exam that had been posted a little while ago were still hanging there.
10th place: Fried Neher
9th place: Hanna Horton
8th place: Diego Niesch
7th place: Emilia
6th place: Melinda Cuey
5th place: Brian Marc
4th place: Oswald Ceden
3rd place: Kyaran Goudes
2nd place: Llewayne Huaverdon
1st place: Rebecca Slutarch
I watched His Highness' back as he walked ahead. The reason I don't want [winter] to come is that once the winter ball is over, the year will be over.
Because His Highness is in his third year of school.
His Highness said, as if he could read my mind. When he turned around, he looked at me, who probably couldn't hide the feeling of [loneliness].
"It all happened so fast, especially since Rebecca came."
He says this as he points to the classroom and the window outside.
"We often had lunch there and that spot was good for talking and that spot was good for meeting up."
"...Life at the Academy without you, Your Highness, seems tasteless."
The scenery where he was will soon become the scenery where he's not, and it will become something normal.
When I imagined it, the view seemed to lose its color more than I thought.
"The Academy is a dormitory and I can't come see you every day because of official duties."
"So let's get married."
His highness turned around. He brought his face close to mine and pressed his forehead against mine.
"Even if I'm not at the Academy, Rebecca will be home. She'll come back every weekend, right?"
His finger stroked my left ring finger. I realized for the first time that he had thought about marriage that far ahead.
His highness will be gone, but in exchange, the sight of a ring on my finger will become something normal. Indeed, with that, life at the Academy without him might not be so scary.
"Of course."
Whenever I laugh, His Highness also laughs satisfyingly, and then he pulls my hand and walks. We walk in step, side by side.
"I'm probably the only student who goes to the palace every weekend."
"Speaking of that, can't we build a new house between the palace and the Academy? It would be easier for Rebecca to come back."
"Is that okay?!"
"I've already gotten my father's permission. What kind of house do you want? Let's go look at some soon."
We walked around the school, reminiscing about the two years we spent together at the Academy, and we talked about the future that would continue for many tens of years to come.
Walking around the familiar school with the prince was the last time we would do it together.
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