23
頬を伝う涙を拭おうとしない侯爵令嬢。自分が泣いていることを認めないためだろう。声を荒げるわけでもなく、弁明をするわけでもなく。潔く凛とした彼女の姿は私の目に好ましく映った。
キャランが殿下に想いを寄せていることは最初から知っていた。
しかし、その感情が原因で幻獣が暴走したと知った今、わかったことがある。幻獣に悪影響を与えたということは、彼女にとって殿下への恋慕は心の弱い部分だったのだ。つまり私に対して負の感情を持っていたということだ。
気高い彼女はその感情を押し殺していただろうがオウカはそれを利用した。私たちに嫌がらせをしたり誘拐したりするよう操るのがずっと楽だったに違いない。
彼女は一度「申し訳ございませんでした」と私に深々頭を下げ、遅れてやって来た教師に連れられてその場を去った。幻獣が他の生徒を傷つけようとしたのだ、彼女の今年度の三強入りは難しくなったと言わざるを得ないだろう。
事件が解決の兆しを見せ、固まっていた空気がやっと動き出した。
話を聞いて飛んできた殿下のせいでまた一度騒然としたが。殿下が「怪我はないか」とぺたぺた私の体を触っている間、シャルロッテに声をかけた。
「あの、なぜ私のようなものから龍の幻獣が生まれてきたのか、お考えをお聞かせ願えませんか」
「確かに君はあまり魔力が強いほうではないようだね。そうすると人間性が大きいんじゃないか?」
答えたのはシャルルだ。それほど人間ができているつもりはないので納得できない。
首をひねったら、「殺されかけたのに相手に怒りもしない人間は初めて見たよ」と笑われた。それでも、私より性格の良い人間は沢山いるだろう。
「幻獣との絆」
今度こそシャルロッテが呟いた言葉を聞き返す。
「絆?」
「貴方様の幻獣は貴方様に大変懐いている様子。卵が孵る前『龍に成れ』と仰った事は?幻獣が主人の命令を叶えようとした可能性が有ります」
「いいえ、そのようなことは...」
「ああ」と声をあげたのは殿下だった。
「言っていたな。『空飛ぶ蛇になってもいい』と、グルーの背の上で」
えっ、あれで!?
思わずポケットの中を確認した。危険を排除するなりまた小さな蛇に姿を変えたクリスティーナは、「そうだよ」と言わんばかりに目をキラキラさせて私を見ていた。
***
「レベッカ様、一位おめでとうございます!」
『夏』の結果に春が来たかのような笑顔を浮かべるエミリア。私はそれをクリスティーナへの賛辞と受け取り、満面の笑みを返した。
『夏』から今日で一週間。発表された結果は以下の通りだった。
10位 ジュディス・セデン
9位 該当者なし
8位 オズワルド・セデン
7位 セクティアラ・ゾフ
6位 サジャッド・マハジャンジガ
5位 ヴァンダレイ・スルタルク
4位 オリヴィエ・マーク
3位 ルウェイン・フアバードン
2位 エミリア
1位 レベッカ・スルタルク
第3学年の部が終わった時点で、優勝候補は殿下とオリヴィエと私の兄のヴァンダレイだった。兄は炎のたてがみを持つ馬で行った
が見事なものだと大好評を博したらしい。
しかし第1学年の部で状況は変わる。伝承にしか無い獣が幻獣となって現れたケースは開校以来指を数えるほどしか無い。それが今年はどうしたと言うのか、同じ年に九尾と龍の2組が現れて教師もたまげた。
空席の9位はおそらくキャランのはずだったのだろう。あの事件は内々で処理されてあまり噂にはなっていない。私も彼女の評判が落ちるようなことにはならないでほしいと切に願っている。
親衛隊の生徒たちは校内で私やエミリアを見ると頭を深く下げ道を譲る。その中には私とエミリアに嫌がらせをしていた生徒もいた。操られていた間に出した指示に関してキャランから話があったのだろう。そんな生徒を見るたび、私とキャランは出会い方が違ったならきっと良い友人になれたなと思う。
授業が終わってエミリアと話していると、眼鏡が似合う長身の男性がやってきた。
「エミリア!2位おめでとう!」
「ありがとうございます、ガッド」
彼はガッド・メイセン。私にも軽く頭を下げて挨拶してくれる。普通に見れば『第1学年の同級生』、個人的には『エミリアに恋しているのに全く相手にされていない人』だ。
ここ数日彼の顔はよく見ている。夏期休業があけてからやたらとエミリアに話しかけているのだ。エミリアは夏季休業中王都の図書館でたまたま会って話したと言っていた。さほど親しくなったわけではないとも言っていたが、あっちはそうは思ってなさそうだ。
でももしエミリアさえ良いのなら。談笑する二人はなかなかお似合いで絵になっている。彼は攻略対象ではないがかなりの良い男だし、性格も優しそうだ。
そんな二人を見てつい、攻略本で読んだ、殿下と主人公が結ばれるシーンを思い出した。
『冬』は『合戦』のあとに全校生徒参加の舞踏会が開かれるまでが伝統だ。生徒たちは一年間の互いの健闘を讃えあい、語り尽くして踊り明かす。
その場で婚約者である悪役令嬢を断罪し、わだかまりがなくなった殿下は、ダンスの途中で主人公に掠めるようなキスをして、
「これからも、一緒にいるならお前がいい」
こんな風に伝える。
...しまった、腹痛・胸痛・頭痛等々全身の体調が急に悪くなってきた。もう思い出すのはやめよう。
ともかくこの未来を回避するためにも、個人的にガッドくんにはエミリアの迷惑にならない程度に頑張ってもらいたい。
まあ、昨日「彼と付き合うのもいいんじゃ」という趣旨をエミリアに伝えたところ、「私はレベッカ様一筋です」と妙に誇らしげに言われたのだけど。
ガッド・メイセンは別の名を『サポートキャラ』。攻略本には主人公と結ばれる運命には無い不憫な男だと書いてあった。
Ch 23
The Marquis' daughter didn't try to wipe away the tears running down her cheek. She probably doesn't want to admit that she's crying. Without raising her voice or making any explanations, her dignified and composed appearance looked pleasing to my eyes.
I had always known that Kyaran had feelings for His Highness.
However, now that I know those feelings caused the Phantom Beast to go on a rampage, I realize that her love for His Highness was a weakness in her heart. In other words, she had negative feelings towards me.
She must have been suppressing those feelings, but Ouka took advantage of them. It must have been much easier to manipulate her into harassing and kidnapping us.
She bowed deeply to me and said "I'm sorry", then left the scene with the teacher who came late. It's hard to say that her chances of becoming one of the top three students this year have been hurt, as the Phantom Beast tried to hurt other students.
The incident showed signs of being resolved and the tense atmosphere finally began to move.
The situation became chaotic again because of His Highness, who came over after hearing the story. While His Highness was patting me all over, asking "Are you injured?", I talked to Charlotte.
"Excuse me, could you tell me why a Dragon Phantom Beast has been born from someone like me?"
"Surely, you don't seem to be very strong in magic. Could it be because you have a strong sense of humanity?"
Charles replied. I can't accept that because I don't think I'm that human.
When I shook my head, she laughed and said, "I've never seen a human who doesn't get angry even after being almost killed." Still, there must be many better-natured humans than me.
"The bond with Phantom Beast."
This time, I heard Charlotte's murmured words.
"Bond?"
"Your Phantom Beast seems to be very fond of you. Did you say that before the egg hatched [become a dragon]? There is a possibility that the Phantom Beast is trying to fulfill its master's command."
"No, I don't think so..."
"Oh." The one who said that was the Prince.
"You said, [I don't mind even if you become a flying snake], on Grue's back."
What?!
I checked my pocket without thinking. Christina, who had changed back into a small snake to eliminate the danger, was looking at me with sparkling eyes and said, "That's right." as if she was saying it.
***
"Congratulations, Rebecca-sama!"
Emilia had a smile on her face like spring had come from the [summer] results. I took it as a compliment for Christina and returned a full-faced smile.
It's been a week since the [summer] results were announced. They were as follows:
10th place: Judith Ceden
9th place: N/A
8th place: Oswald Ceden
7th place: Cectiara Zoff
6th place: Sajad Mahajanjiga
5th place: Vanderlei Slutarch
4th place: Olivier Marc
3rd place: Llewayne Huaverdon
2nd place: Emilia
1st place: Rebecca Slutarch
At the end of the 3rd year, the top contenders were His Highness and Olivier and my brother Vanderlei. My brother had received high praise for his fierce horseback riding and blazing fire-red hair.
It was a rare thing for Christina to be given 1st place, but I was happy that many people recognized Christina.
But in the 1st year, the situation changed. Since the school opened, there have been only a handful of cases in which a beast that only exists in the legends has appeared as a Phantom Beast. But this year, it was different. Two, the Kyuubi and the Dragon, appeared and even the teachers were amazed.
The 9th place was probably Kyaran's. That incident was dealt with internally and hasn't really spread as a rumor. I hope that it doesn't cause her reputation to fall.
Kyaran followers would bow their heads deeply and make way for me and Emilia when they saw us in the school. Some of those students even used to bully me and Emilia. I wonder if Kyaran talked to them about giving orders while they were being controlled. Every time I see those students, I think that if we had met under different circumstances, we could have become good friends.
After class, when I was talking to Emilia, a tall man with glasses came.
"Emilia! Congratulations on the 2nd place!"
"Thank you, Gadd."
He was Gadd Maysen. He greeted me briefly with a bow. Normally he was just [a first-year classmate], but personally he was [a person who was in love with Emilia but is not taken seriously at all].
I've seen his face frequently these past few days. He's been talking to Emilia a lot since the summer break began. Emilia said they met by chance at the Royal Capital's library during the summer break and talked, but she didn't seem to have become close friends with him. But he doesn't seem to think that way.
But if only Emilia is okay with that, the two of them talking and laughing together look quite good together and are like a picture. He's not a target for conquest, but he's quite a good man and his personality seems kind too.
Seeing them like this, I remembered the scene in the strategy book where the prince and the main character get together.
----Traditionally, [winter] is to have a school-wide dance party after the [battle]. Students celebrate and share their stories of mutual success throughout the year."
In that place, the villainess, who was his fiancee, was denounced and the prince, who was no longer holding a grudge, kissed the protagonist in a way that would sweep them off their feet during the middle of the dance.
"From now on, I'd like it if you were the one by my side."
To convey it like this.
...dammit, my stomach ache, chest pain, headache, and all my physical symptoms have suddenly gotten worse. Let's not remember any more.
Anyway, to avoid this future, I personally want Gadd-kun to do his best not to be a nuisance to Emilia.
Well, I told Emilia yesterday, "It's also good to be with him," and she said, "I am completely devoted to Rebecca-sama," in a strangely proud way.
In the strategy book, Gadd Maysen, otherwise known as [support character] is written as a pitiful man who doesn't have the destiny of being tied to the protagonist.
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