Chapter 327: Changed Life (3)
After the conversation with the principal, we followed Rina’s lead to the dormitory where I would be staying.
On the way to the dormitory, there were no other guards besides Adelia and Kate. However, we frequently saw personnel patrolling and keeping watch around us.
I was relieved that they didn’t create a path like at the main gate, but a curious thought crossed my mind.
“Rina.”
“Yes?”
Rina, who was walking ahead, turned back with a curious expression when I called her. I looked at her face in silence for a moment.
As always, I thought Rina’s beauty was as dazzling as Marie’s.
Her serene blue eyes, like a calm lake, her golden hair the sunlight, her eyes that held a blend of innocence and maturity, and her straight nose. Lastly, her pink lips.
She radiated a unique elegance that made her even more captivating.
‘Is Rina really coming to me as well?’
That thought crossed my mind briefly, but it wasn’t important right now. I quickly brushed it aside and spoke.
“You might think this is a silly question, but don’t you have any bodyguards?”
“Bodyguards?”
“Yes. Even if not bodyguards, shouldn’t you at least have attendants?”
This had been on my mind for a while. Previously, she always moved with us, so she probably didn’t bring any bodyguards or attendants.
But in this situation, she should have bodyguards. Currently, besides Adelia and Kate, there’s no one else with us.
As I mentioned earlier, there were only knights patrolling around. Knowing my personality, Rina’s consideration was likely the best she could offer, but it still raised questions.
This is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.
Lina blinked slowly at my question before responding.
“Right now, I’m attending the academy. Attendants are only with me when I’m in the palace. The policy is that for academic matters, not official duties, we handle things ourselves.”
“Policy?”
“Yes. After becoming an adult, our royal family has a principle that we should handle things on our own without relying on others’ help. So, I don’t have attendants, although I do have bodyguards. Of course, it would be different if I returned to the palace.”
It was the first time I had heard this, but it made sense. Rina is indeed the type to solve things herself rather than delegating to others.
Her direct apology during the hiatus announcement without sending someone else is evidence of that.
“Isn’t it inconvenient?” freewēbnoveℓ.com
“It’s a bit lonely without someone to talk to, but that will change now with you and Marie moving into the dormitory. Oh, by the way, are you going to live in the same dormitory as Marie?”
“She wants to live together after the wedding.”
“Oh… really?”
For some reason, Rina seemed disappointed. I raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
“Why are you disappointed? Don’t tell me…”
“No, no! I’m not a pervert, okay? Do you think my mind only goes there?”
I hadn’t even said anything yet, but Rina vehemently denied it. I looked at her with an incredulous expression.
I only hinted at it, and she had self-destructed on her own.
“Ahem. Anyway, do you have any questions about the dormitory?”
Seeing my skeptical look, Rina awkwardly changed the subject.
I wanted to dig deeper, but there were people listening around us, so I let it go.
Besides, I did have some questions.
“Even if Adelia is staying in the same room as me, I’m curious about where Kate will be staying.”
“I also wish to stay in Isaac’s room…”
“No, you can’t.”
Kate had subtly requested to stay with me, but I flatly refused. It was already like leaving a fish with a cat.
Living together would be like putting the fish directly into the cat’s mouth.
Kate pouted when I refused her outright. Her expression stayed the same, which made her look rather cute.
“Cardinal Kate, wouldn’t it be better for you to stay at the temple rather than in the dormitory? I think that would be the best.”
“That would be fine, but not right now. We never know when those filthy devil worshippers might threaten Isaac. I need to stay as close as possible.”
Kate’s reasoning was sound. Rina seemed to agree, nodding her head.
“Okay. Then we’ll assign you to the room next to his…”
Rina trailed off mid-sentence, thinking deeply for a moment before looking at us cautiously.
I started to worry that there might not be any available rooms left in the dormitory, but Rina then spoke in a careful tone.
“…On second thought, there aren’t many suitable rooms available. Cardinal Kate will be assigned a room one space away from Isaac. Isaac needs to be in a room close to Marie.”
“What room is Marie in?”
“Room 4. Leort and I are in rooms 1 and 2, respectively. Room 3 was originally used by Princess Hiriya, but it has been left vacant.”
“Oh. Has she returned?”
“Not completely. Her condition isn’t very good, so she’s gone to recuperate.”
Given her near-broken state, recovery is essential. Especially since her body is her most valuable asset as a warrior, she needs thorough care.
If I move into Room 3, Kate will naturally be assigned a room one space away.
Hearing Lina’s words, Kate seemed to think deeply before addressing her.
“Princess Rina.”
“Yes?”
“I sense a hint of something sinister in your words. Is it just my imagination?”
“··· ···”
Kate, with an innocent expression, asked Rina if she felt something odd in her words. Rina couldn’t respond immediately.
Honestly, it’s a bit funny that Kate would ask such a question. Having awakened to her sexuality, Kate was quite cunning in her own way.
I listened quietly to their conversation before directing a question to Rina.
“Rina.”
“Y-yes?”
“You can let someone else into the dormitory, right? Adelia is my personal maid, so she’ll be staying with me.”
“Dame Cross?”
Rina seemed momentarily confused, turning her head toward Adelia. Adelia bowed her head in greeting when their eyes met.
Rina stared at Adelia for a moment before exclaiming, as if she had just realized.
“Oh! That’s right, Dame Cross is here!”
Rina seemed genuinely happy about the idea of me living with Adelia, smiling brightly for some reason. But soon, her expression froze.
Knowing I was suspicious, her reaction only solidified my doubts.
Seeing her stop in her tracks, it was clear. When she halted, we all followed suit.
Swish
Rina then turned her head slowly, cautiously looking at me. Her usual elegant demeanor was gone, replaced by a child caught red-handed.
I chuckled at her and put a hand on her shoulder.
I felt Rina flinch vividly as I did.
“It’s okay. It happens. I understand. Everyone has their own tastes.”
“··· ···”
“So, is this the ‘sinister’ feeling Kate was talking about?”
Rina couldn’t respond. She probably wished she could disappear into a hole right then.
I patted her shoulder a few times, signaling that it was all right. It was a moment of realization that Rina, too, was human, with her own quirks, despite being an elegant princess.
“Are you going to stay still forever?”
“…Please don’t tell anyone. I beg you.”
Rina’s face turned bright red as she spoke softly, unable to meet my eyes. I found her embarrassed demeanor quite endearing.
Luckily, only we knew about her preferences. Thanks to the guards, there were no other people around.
‘Though it seems like quite a few people already know…’
I didn’t voice this thought. People’s preferences should be respected.
“Princess Rina, there’s no need to be so embarrassed. As Lord Luminous said, feeling sexual desire for someone like Isaac is perfectly natural. I felt the same way.”
“··· ···”
“So, there’s no need to suffer in silence.”
Of course, Kate, with her oblivious tendencies, didn’t understand the concept of discretion. She probably thought she was offering comfort by sharing her own experience.
Kate’s words were like driving a nail into Rina, who was already on the verge of breaking down.
As soon as I heard her, I looked at Rina to gauge her reaction. I couldn’t see her face because she was facing away, but I could see her ears turning bright red through her hair. It was very noticeable.
‘She’s earning herself a new embarrassing memory.’
In my mind, Rina’s elegance was gradually fading away.
(TL: A fucking execution LMAO~)
*****
Following Rina, who had just earned herself a new chapter of dark history, we arrived at the dormitory. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary dormitory.
However, the exterior was deceiving. From the entrance, armed knights were guarding the place, patrolling the area at regular intervals.
The patrols included not only knights but also mages and well-trained guard dogs. The security was like that of a fortress, fitting for a VIP residence.
The interior was no different. Surveillance magic was installed in the hallways, and even the simple doors had security measures.
It was similar to the door locks I often saw in my previous life. While ordinary dormitories used keys, the VIP ones required crystal orbs.
These crystal orbs acted as key cards and were difficult to reissue, so I was advised not to lose them.
“…If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
Rina, who couldn’t even meet my gaze anymore, said this before hastily leaving. Understanding her situation, I gave her a simple wave and entered the dormitory.
Before entering, she gave me a strange look, but I chose to ignore it. Right now, it was best to give her time to collect herself.
Meanwhile, I decided to explore the dormitory’s interior. My belongings would arrive soon, so I planned to look around until then.
“This is more like a villa than a dormitory.”
“Indeed.”
As Adelia remarked in awe, the sight was vastly different from the dormitory I used to live in.
The floor was marble, and there was a small chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
A bit away from the entrance was a large bed, big enough for at least three people.
Unlike the single-room student dormitories, this one had several rooms. As I looked around the living room, I picked one of the many rooms to check out.
“There’s even a training room?”
“Really?”
Surprisingly, there was a personal training room equipped with various exercise machines. It seemed I wouldn’t need to go to the training grounds unless I wanted to do cardio workouts.
Even just with the visible equipment, I could handle 90% of my training needs. While Adelia examined each piece of equipment, I explored the other rooms.
‘Adelia can stay in this room.’
There was a room set up for attendants. It wasn’t small, it was about the size of the dormitory I used to live in.
Additionally, there were rooms for office work, laundry, and more. Despite being a VIP dormitory, it seemed excessive.
‘This really is a villa.’
It wasn’t just like a villa, it truly was one. There was even a kitchen, so with the right ingredients, I could prepare meals.
The lack of windows to view the outside was a downside, but it was understandable for security purposes.
Until now, I hadn’t felt much difference in treatment after revealing my identity, but the dormitory made it very clear.
Buzz
“Huh?”
As I was looking around the rooms, I suddenly heard a strange noise. It came from the entrance.
Particles of light began to gather in the empty space next to the entrance. I watched the scene in amazement.
The particles slowly began to form a shape and soon materialized into a solid object.
“······Is this teleportation?”
What was happening before my eyes was teleportation, a top-tier magic that defies spatial constraints.
Though Cecily and Gartz used it frequently, making it seem a bit less impressive, having a teleportation device installed in a personal dormitory was astonishing.
Of course, given the space, it could only handle simple objects. But even that was impressive.
Consider the enormous cost of installing such a device, as opposed to having a mage cast the spell each time.
Swish
I inspected the items transported through the teleportation device. It likely contained the typewriter and manuscripts.
As expected, when I opened the box, familiar items came into view, along with a small letter.
Setting everything else aside, I decided to read the letter first. It seemed to be from home.
[To my dear Isaac. If you’re reading this letter, it means the teleportation has been used. Each dormitory has fixed coordinates, so you can send items anytime you need to.]
As expected, it was a letter from my mother. According to the letter, the dormitory’s teleportation system has fixed coordinates, allowing items to be sent at any time.
Previously, sending and receiving letters took several days, but now that time would be greatly reduced.
‘How much money did they spend on this?’
I looked at the letter and then at the space where the teleportation had just occurred. It was impressive, even by the empire’s standards.
Nevertheless, this provided me with incredible convenience, which I intended to use fully.
[However, it’s difficult to send things back to the estate from your end. The coordinates for the estate haven’t been properly established yet. So, for now, please send items through Sir Balak. I don’t know what kind of life you’ll lead from now on, but your mother always supports you. With love, your mother.]
A short but loving letter from my mother. I read the final part with a gentle smile.
[P.S. Since you’re still in the adjustment period, take your time with Xenon’s Biography. Your mother can wait.]
Though she said that, she loves Xenon’s Biography more than anyone else. She probably meant I should adapt quickly and start writing again.
Of course, once the adjustment period is over, I plan to pick up the pen again. It shouldn’t take long.
‘So, the only thing left is to adjust?’
Barely two days had passed since I thought that.
“…So, what exactly happened?”
“We caught a student who was constantly following you, Sir Isaac. She was apprehended based on a report from another student.”
“··· ···”
A guard who had been watching over me had brought someone in. The problem was…
“Hehe…”
“··· ···”
That person wasn’t Cherry, but Leona.
“What should we do?”
“…Just let her be.”
It was an unexpected twist, to say the least.
Translators note:
New league in poe just deleted a week from my life