8
次に目を開けると、目の前に煉瓦造りの壁と洒落た黒いランプがあった。男子寮は2キロ以内だったらしい。これを3回叩けばゴール、『春』終了だ。
ホッとしたのも束の間。左手から諍うような声がした。目をやって、男子生徒が三人、一人の女子生徒を囲んで何やら声を荒げていると気づいた時はギョッとした。
「さっきはよくも、間違った道を教えたうえに置いていってくれたな!」
「だから知りません!偽物に騙されたのでしょう!」
短いやり取りだけで状況は理解できた。どうするか。
女子生徒はとても華奢だ。肩までの銀の髪、可憐な顔立ち。10人いれば10人が可愛いと言うだろう。
でもそれだけではないことに、あの男子生徒たちは気づいているのだろうか。男三人で迫っているのに押されていない。むしろいつでも反撃に転じられそうですらある。立ち回りを知っているからだ。姿勢や引き締まった手足から見ても、おそらく彼女は武の心得がある。
目の前のランプに視線を戻した。ゴールは目の前だ。
...はあ。
私はそっとランプから距離をとった。
「もし、そちらのお方。今は行事の最中です。おやめになってください」
突然介入した第三者である私に4人の視線が一斉に集まる。
「...見ない顔だな。俺はパサイ伯爵家の長男だ。それでも口を挟むか?」
男子生徒は多少は冷静さを取り戻したらしいが呆れたものだ。こちらに値踏みするような視線を向けてきている。
女子生徒はといえば、彼らに気づかれない程度に後ずさりしたうえで成り行きを見守る構えだ。賢明である。
「ええ。パサイ家のルードルフ様におかれましては、ご健勝のこと何よりです......お元気すぎるのは、いただけませんが」
相手は目を瞠った。表情をコントロールできていない未熟な男に、終始薄く微笑んで対峙する。
そもそも貴族令嬢とは。
一挙一動は柳のごとくたおやかに、指先まで美しく。優美な微笑みの裏で毒を以って毒を制す。そのような戦い方を幼い頃から叩き込まれてきた、言うなれば腹芸の達人である。
私とて交友関係こそ狭かったが、貴族の素養は抜かりなく身につけている。当然、主な貴族の名前や役職、特徴も。
貴族同士の戦いは、隙を見せた方が負け。
ルードルフは私から少しも目を離さないまま言った。
「...申し訳ないが、お名前を、お聞きしても?」
私を見たことがないのは当たり前。その上で、下手に出たのは加点。私の態度や外見の特徴から答えを導き出せなかったのは減点。
そんな彼に、頭の先から爪先まで美しい淑女の礼を一つ。
「レベッカ・スルタルクと申します。以後お見知り置きを」
ルードルフは今度こそ震え、よろめくばかりの狼狽ぶりだった。
「スルタルク公爵家の宝石令嬢...!」
完全勝利を確信した私だが、自分にそんな恥ずかしい二つ名がついているとは思いもしなかった。
***
何やら取り繕って去っていった男子学生たちを眺め、ふうと息をつく。
この学園は身分の壁を取り払うことを原則としているが、それでもスルタルク家は王家も繋ぎ止めようと必死になる国内随一の公爵家。ルードルフは勉強不足という他ない。
私はそこで、こちらへ近づいて来ていた件の女子生徒に手の平を向けて制止した。
「近づかないでいただけますか」
私にお礼を言うつもりだったのだろう。ショックを受けているように見える。
「わ、私、偽物じゃありません。彼らを騙してもいません」
「あなたが偽物か本物かは重要ではないです。こうして目の前にゴールがある以上は。...ではまた後で」
無理やり会話を終わらせた。実はさっきからずっと、他の生徒が来やしないかとヒヤヒヤしているのだ。
女子生徒が何か言う前にランプを3回叩いた。
コン、コン、コン。
その瞬間私は大きな広間にいた。本校舎の中だろう。いい加減転送にも慣れてきた。
そこには既に7、8人の生徒がいて、新たな達成者である私を一様に見つめている。いつにも増して背筋を伸ばした。この人数を少ないと思うべきか、多いと思うべきか。当たり前だが殿下はいない。
間を空けず先程の女子生徒が隣に現れた。偽物ではないというのは本当だったようだ。
「...なぜ私を助けてくださったのか、お聞きしても?」
先程とは違い慎重に尋ねる瞳はあくまで理知的。
...初めて見た時も思ったのだ。侮らない方が良い、と。
「そうですね...あのとき、パサイ様たちはランプを一瞥もしませんでしたが、あなただけはじりじりとランプに向かおうとしているのがわかりました。
あなたはゴールをご存知だった。それだけの実力があり、加えてパサイ様たちにゴールを知られないようにするため、彼らを振り切ってゴールすることもできず困っていらっしゃるのだと察しがつきました。
...ここまであなたが本物というていでお話ししていますが、私にとってあなたが本物か偽物かは重要ではありませんでした。目の前にゴールがある以上、あなたが本物であった場合に私の順位を抜かそうと攻撃してきさえしなければ、どちらでもいいからです」
「だから『近づくな』、ですか...」
「ええ、ただ」
私はそこで壁際にあった椅子に腰掛け静かに靴を片方脱いだ。なんてことはない、ただの靴擦れである。あれだけ森を走ればしょうがない。
傷にそっと手を触れ、状態を見つつ続けた。
「本物であろうと偽物であろうと。女性が複数の男に囲まれ困っているのを放置するのは、純粋に気分が悪かったのです」
女子生徒が息を呑む声が聞こえた。
そして何を思ったのか、突然その手が私の傷口に触れた。
「つまりあなたは、何の損得勘定もなく私を助けてくださったのですね」
何をするのだという抗議は出る前に消えた。私は目の前の光景に限界まで目を見開いた。
聖を体現したかのように神々しく美しい光。彼女の指先から惜しみなく漏れ出て、私の傷を温める。その指は傷を優しくなぞって跡形もなく消し去った。ほんの数秒のことだった。
「感謝します、レベッカ様。私はエミリア。平民ですので、ただのエミリアです」
女子生徒は私に微笑んだ。
Ch 8
When I opened my eyes next, I saw a brick wall and a stylish black lamp in front of me. It seemed that the boys' dormitory was within 2 kilometers. If I knocked on this three times, it would be the end of [spring].
My relief was short-lived. A menacing voice came from my left hand. When I looked, I saw three male students and one female student surrounded by them and raising their voices, and I was surprised.
"You really messed up earlier, leaving us after giving us the wrong way!"
"I didn't know! You must have been deceived by a fake!"
I could understand the situation from this short exchange. What should I do?
The female student was very slender. She had shoulder-length silver hair and a lovely face. If there were 10 of her, 10 of them would be cute.
However, that was not all. The male students must have noticed. They were approaching her in a group of three, but they were not pushing her around. Instead, it seemed that she could turn the tables at any moment. She knew how to handle themselves. From her posture and tense limbs, she probably had knowledge of martial arts.
I returned my gaze to the lamp in front of me. The goal was in front of me.
...Ha.
I gently took a step away from the lamp.
"Excuse me, you all. This is an event in progress. Could you please stop?"
All four sets of eyes turned to me, the sudden third party.
"...Never seen you before. I am the eldest son of the Earl of Pasai. Are you still going to interfere?"
The male students seemed to have regained some composure, but they looked surprised. They were giving me a condescending look.
The female students, on the other hand, were trying to keep a low profile and watch the situation unfold. They were wise to do so.
"Yes. As for Rudolph-sama of the Pasai family, his well-being is more important than anything else... Please do not be too lively."
My opponent blinked. I faced him with a thin smile, looking down on the inexperienced man who couldn't control his expression.
After all, what is a noble lady?
Every move is as graceful as a willow, and even her fingertips are beautiful. She controls poison with poison, hiding behind a beautiful smile. She has been drilled in such a way of fighting since she was young and is, in a sense, a master of deception.
Although my circle of friends is small, I had impeccable manners as a noble. Naturally, I knew the main names, positions, and characteristics of the nobility.
In a battle between nobles, the one who shows a weakness loses.
Rudolph said, never taking his eyes off me.
"...I apologize, but may I ask for your name?"
It's natural that he didn't know me. On top of that, it was a plus that he didn't know me by sight. It was a minus that he couldn't deduce my name from my attitude or appearance.
To him, I gave the beautiful etiquette of a lady, from the top of my head to the tips of my toe.
"My name is Rebecca*Slutarch. Please take a moment to get to know me."
Rudolph trembled again and was overwhelmed with a feeling of helplessness.
"The Duke of Slutarch's precious jewel...!"
I was confident in my complete victory, but I never thought that I would have such an embarrassing nickname.
***
I watched as the boys left, trying to fix themselves up, and let out a sigh.
The Academy's principle is to eliminate the barriers of social status, but even then, the Slutarch family is the best Duke family in the country that maintains their connection with the royal family. Rudolph's poor performance is no surprise.
I then turned my hand towards the girl who was approaching me and stopped her.
"Can you please not come any closer."
She probably wanted to thank me. She looked shocked.
"I, I am not a fake. I did not trick them."
"Whether you are a fake or not is not important. As long as there is a goal in front of you ... I will see you later."
I ended the conversation forcibly. Actually, I have been worried that other students would come since a while ago.
Before the girl could say anything, I knocked on the lamp three times.
Con, con, con.
In that moment, I found myself in a large hall. It must have been inside the main school building. I was starting to get used to transferring.
There were already 7 or 8 students there, all looking at me, the new title holder, with the same expression. I stood even taller than before. I wasn't sure if this number of people was small or large. Of course, his highness was not there.
Without a pause, the female student from earlier appeared next to me. It seemed that it was not a fake after all.
"...May I ask why you helped me?"
Her eyes, which had asked cautiously earlier, were purely rational (intelligent).
... I had thought the same thing when I first saw her. It's better not to underestimate her.
"Well, at that time, Pasai-sama and others didn't even glance at the lamp, but I could see that you were slowly making your way towards them.
You knew the goal. You had the ability to reach it, and in addition, you were unable to reach the goal by cutting through Pasai-sama and others, and were in trouble.
... I've been talking to you as if you're the real thing, but for me, whether you are real or fake is not important. As long as there is a goal in front of me, whether you are real or fake doesn't matter, as long as you don't try to surpass me by attacking me."
"So, you're saying [don't come any closer], right..."
"Yes, that's all."
I sat on the chair by the wall and calmly took off one of my shoes. It was nothing, just a shoe rub. It couldn't be helped after running through the forest so much.
Gently touching the (sore) wound, I checked its condition as I continued.
"Whether it's real or fake, I couldn't just leave a woman in distress surrounded by multiple men. It just felt wrong."
A female student let out a gasp.
And then, for some reason, her hand suddenly touched my (sore) wound.
"So you helped me without any expectation of gain, is that it?"
Any objections I had before they could be voiced disappeared. I stared in amazement at the scene before me.
A divinely beautiful light, as if embodying a saint. It flowed generously from her fingertips and warmed my wound. Her fingers gently traced over the wound and it disappeared without a trace. It only lasted a few seconds.
"Thank you, Rebecca-sama. My name is Emilia. I am a commoner, so just Emilia."
The female student smiled at me. The main character Emilia smiled at the villainess Rebecca.
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