I Became the Absolute Hidden Villainess Princess of the Academy

Chapter 21: A Duel of Wits with the Principal (1)

Summoned by the Principal on the very first day at the academy, I, Esti, dutifully headed out without complaint, despite the weight of suspicion hanging over me.

'It was just getting better, too. Tch.'

"I’ll be back…."

—Slump.

My small shoulders sagged pitifully, as though someone had confiscated my favorite cookies.

Watching my dejected figure, Louis let out a sigh.

Not because he was worried about me, of course.

While I was inwardly fretting, wondering if my overly playful attitude had finally caught up with me, Louis had no such concerns.

After all, what could they possibly say to a princess?

Most likely, the Principal would be bowing and scraping, thanking me for gracing him with my presence and asking if I had any complaints about my stay.

No, Louis’ sigh stemmed from a very different source.

"Sigh..."

'If she’s not here, how am I supposed to hold it together?'

So far, the presence of "unripe" Esti had been just enough to keep Louis in check.

But now, with her gone, he was left alone with two "well-ripened" women.

After the ballroom incident that left him exiled from high society, Louis had no immunity to women, making this situation particularly cruel.

To avoid an embarrassing incident, Louis silently turned his gaze to the window.

Looking too long could easily lead to another "Blézer moment."

Seeing this, Irene stifled a laugh.

'Look at him, pretending to be so uninterested the moment the princess leaves. Does he secretly have feelings for her?'

"Excuse me, Lady Schefor?"

"Huff! Y-Yes?"

Irene cautiously called out to Schefor, who was on the verge of melting into blissful oblivion thanks to Esti’s unintentional charms.

The mention of her name snapped Schefor back to reality.

And with her regained composure, she noticed… something odd.

"What is it that you—oh?"

'What’s this? That girl I found so unpleasant before… doesn’t bother me at all now.'

Moments ago, Irene had triggered an instinctive aversion in Schefor.

But now? There wasn’t a trace of it. In fact, she couldn’t even understand why she had felt that way earlier.

Schefor wasn’t alone in her confusion. Other students also found themselves bewildered.

Before class, they had been repulsed, yet now Irene seemed perfectly ordinary.

Why did I even look at her like that? they wondered.

As a result, Schefor’s response came with unexpected warmth.

'Could it be because I’m in such a good mood thanks to Esti? Oh, and now that I think about it, it was thanks to this girl that I got such a wonderful reward yesterday.'

"Do you have a favor to ask of me? Please, feel free to say anything."

'Hehe. Lady Schefor always repays her debts.'

"...?"

This genuine kindness caught Irene off guard.

While she had assumed Esti’s unique constitution made her immune, Schefor had clearly reacted to her yesterday.

Before class, when Schefor had clung to her, Irene had sensed an undercurrent of disdain.

Now, however, it was as if Irene’s "witch’s aura" had completely vanished.

But Irene, unaware of the sudden shift in her condition, didn’t dwell on it.

She simply concluded, The princess’ presence must be so commanding it overpowers my usual unpleasantness.

'Hmm. I guess this is what it means to be royalty, huh?'

"This is about Princess Esti...."

"...Please, tell me anything!!!"

"C-Could I whisper it to you? It’s a sensitive matter."

"Of course!!!"

The two began to exchange hushed whispers.

Their secretive conversation….was a plot.

The kind of plot that would make Louis shudder if he overheard.

But, since he had resolved to ignore any interactions between women, he refrained from eavesdropping.

Thus, the scheming concluded without issue.

'Hmm. If it’s a personal request from the princess herself, I suppose I have no choice but to cooperate.'

"...Alright. I, Lady Schefor, will lend you my strength."

"Thank you, Lady Schefor!"

From that moment, Irene and Schefor agreed to work together for Esti’s sake.

Their gazes then fell on Louis.

—Glare.

'To think we have to pair that trash who doesn’t even appreciate the beauty of cuteness with the princess… sigh.'

'If it weren’t for her request, I’d have spit in his tea by now.'

Their icy stares were enough to make Esti, had she been there, sigh in exasperation.

* * *

While playing Cupid to bring Irene and Louis closer together, I was summoned by the Principal of the academy.

At first, I was a bit nervous, wondering if I had overstepped.

But as I followed the secretary, a cold smile spread across my face.

Clack. Clack.

'Actually, this works out perfectly. I needed to see the Principal sooner or later, anyway.'

The Empire Academy, the stage for the original novel.

In a story as dark as this, there was no way its Principal could be a mild-mannered figure.

The Principal of the academy was no ordinary man; he was a bona fide villain.

He harbored a grudge against the Empire, orchestrated all manner of corruption within the academy, and used the funds he amassed for his own agenda.

This meant he was a high-priority target I couldn’t afford to ignore.

With that in mind, I steeled myself and followed the secretary.

This man, meticulous enough to avoid any slip-ups even under the scrutiny of the TS Brigade, was no small fry.

But today, I’d strip him bare—enough to scatter his pride like cookie crumbs on a rainy day.

Tap, tap, tap.

"We’ve arrived, Your Highness."

Sharpening my mental blade as I walked, I soon found myself standing before an elaborate door.

A door that practically screamed "excessive spending."

The sight of it only fueled my determination.

'Just how corrupt do you have to be to decorate the door to your office this extravagantly? You’ve been caught red-handed today.'

—Creeeeak. Thud. Thud.

The secretary slowly opened the door, and without hesitation, I stepped inside.

No matter how thorough a villain he was, he couldn’t possibly compare to me, the mastermind behind the TS Brigade.

As I entered, the opulent interior of the office greeted me.

And there, seated inside, the Principal promptly stood to his feet.

Pop!

"Her Highness Esti Noir de Avrien, Third Princess of the Empire. Thank you for gracing me with your presence. I should have come to you, but circumstances prevented me…."

'Just look at him—he reeks of suspicion.'

The Principal greeted me with a sly, animalistic smile and even went so far as to rub his hands together like an innocent lamb.

It was disgusting, but I responded with a practiced smile of my own.

What followed was a subtle exchange of jabs cloaked in politeness.

Smile.

"It’s fine, Principal! I’m a student, after all. If the Principal calls, of course, I’ll come running!"

"Oh no, please don’t say such things. I am but a humble servant of the Empire. How could I regard Her Highness, the Empire’s treasure, as just another student? There’s another reason I’ve troubled you to come."

'Oh? You’re a sharp one.'

Our exchange boiled down to: “I’m a princess, so don’t summon me unless it’s important.” “Then don’t give me a reason to summon you.”

His silver tongue was impressive enough to explain why the TS Brigade had struggled to deal with him.

Plop. Thud.

"So, what’s this about?"

I lounged back comfortably on the sofa, leaning into it as if to signal we’d had enough of the preliminaries.

In response, he returned an equally cunning smile.

"First, may I ask, are you finding your time at the academy comfortable? I heard from Professor Stella that the chairs in the auditorium might be a bit low."

'Is he mocking my height? How petty.'

"Not at all! Sitting on my friends’ laps makes them just right, actually!"

"Haha. I see. Still, in case you do find it inconvenient, the academy will look into alternative arrangements."

"Sure, thanks~."

On the surface, our conversation was peaceful, even cordial.

But he was undoubtedly flustered.

He had tried to needle me with that "low chairs" comment, but I hadn’t even blinked.

By now, he must’ve realized I wasn’t someone he could manipulate with a few well-placed words.

His expression finally turned serious.

"Now, as for why I’ve called upon Your Highness…"

'Ah, here comes the real reason. Let’s see what you’ve got.'

"I’ll be blunt. May I take a picture of Your Highness?"

"...Huh?"

My face twisted in disbelief.

Wait, take a picture of me?

What?

'Hold on, is this about… an actual physical threat? Is this not a political matter at all!?'

"Are you planning to chop me with an axe!?"

"W-What!? Your Highness, how could you say such an unrefined thing? I’m talking about photographs! For a report to the Imperial Family!"

"...Oh."

Though I’d screamed in misunderstanding, his startled explanation quickly cleared up the confusion.

...Right, I’d forgotten this world had magical devices resembling cameras.

Looking at his beastly demeanor had thrown me off.

"Ah… eheh, sorry, I got startled for a moment."

"Phew… I thought my heart was going to stop."

"So, why do you need a picture?"

"I’ve been instructed to provide regular updates to His Majesty on Your Highness’ well-being. It was the Emperor himself who insisted…"

He explained the reason behind his request.

Apparently, my father, the Emperor, had demanded daily reports on me, having turned into a doting parent overnight.

The Principal, caught in this storm of paternal affection, had been agonizing over how to fulfill the order.

The solution he arrived at was to send photos of my daily life from afar—essentially creating a "Princess Esti Newsletter."

I couldn’t help but grimace.

"...Did my father bother you about this a lot?"

'The Principal’s a bureaucrat, not a saint. There’s no way he’d take on extra work voluntarily. This has to be my father’s doing.'

"Haha… His Majesty’s love for Your Highness is truly boundless."

The Principal’s eyes were tinged with weariness.

Our gazes met.

Though no words were exchanged, our mutual understanding was clear:

'Hang in there…'

"You’re welcome to take photos of me during lectures, if that helps."

"Thank you for your understanding…."

For a brief moment, we became allies, united by our shared struggles.

***

Ker-Logue, the newly appointed Principal, let out a sigh of relief.

'Truly, His Majesty… To demand daily photos of a young woman at her prime… it’s a relief she agreed.'

Yesterday, upon hearing that Esti had worn a dress, the Emperor had fallen into a state of extreme excitement.

But since he couldn’t simply visit the academy on a whim—doing so might disrupt Esti’s progress—he had unleashed his frustrations on the poor Principal.

"Bring me photos of Esti! Now! No excuses!"

It had been nothing short of a nightmare for Ker-Logue.

To photograph the daily life of a 20-year-old woman? Most would have slapped him for such a suggestion.

But Esti’s unexpected agreement had put his mind at ease.

'She may be eccentric, with her axe jokes and all, but she’s considerate toward her subordinates. How refined.'

His expression softened—Until Esti spoke again.

"Is that all you needed from me?"

"Yes, and I’m truly grateful—"

'Hmm, so he’s not planning any tricks on me? …Well, I won’t let him off the hook either way.'

"Then, Principal, may I ask you something in return?"

Wearing an insincere smile, I tilted my head.

The Principal, still feeling relieved, nodded.

"Of course, ask away."

"———Have you ever pushed someone into a river?"

'Time for a direct approach!'

"…Excuse me?"

The Principal’s smile froze in an instant.