I Became the Absolute Hidden Villainess Princess of the Academy

Chapter 22: A Duel of Wits with the Principal (2)

"Have you ever pushed someone into a river?"

The shocking question froze the Principal’s smile.

Esti, confident she had struck a nerve, silently celebrated.

'Hah! I know everything. Feeling guilty, aren’t you?'

One of the Principal’s crimes in the original story involved silencing a subordinate who had discovered his corruption by drowning him in a river.

Knowing this, Esti crossed her legs triumphantly, her posture saying, I know what you’ve done, so you’d better submit.

But the Principal merely shook his head.

"Of course not. Are you referring to a swim? As you can see, I’m not one to enjoy water, so I’ve never done such a thing."

"...What?"

'Huh? He didn’t even flinch?'

Esti was taken aback. She had expected him to panic, even slightly, at her accusation.

Instead, his composure remained intact, as if the crime she described was utterly foreign to him.

Her cheeks puffed up in frustration, resembling a pufferfish brimming with venom.

'Impressive... His acting skills might even surpass mine.'

"Puufff..."

"Haha."

'No wonder His Majesty is so protective of her. With such an adorable daughter, anyone would worry.'

Unbeknownst to Esti, her attempt at intimidation only made her look like a child pouting in defiance.

The Principal’s expression softened into a fatherly smile.

"So, why do you ask?"

'That relaxed smile—he’s a formidable opponent!'

"Th-then, have you ever wanted to push someone into a river?"

Esti, desperate, threw out another question.

She knew, after all, that the Principal in the original story had been responsible for drowning dozens of people and causing hundreds of others to fall to their deaths.

Her persistence was a message: I know your sins, so don’t bother denying them.

"If it’s swimming you want, there’s a fountain behind the academy. I could arrange for something there if you’d like."

"Y-youuu! Haven’t you ever kicked someone off a cliff at lightning speed!?"

"Why would I ever kick someone? I’m not that uncivilized."

The Principal remained completely composed.

Because he had never committed those crimes in the first place.

'H-how is he so calm!? Even a Hollywood actor couldn’t keep a straight face after this!'

The Esti of the current timeline didn’t realize the butterfly effect she had set into motion.

In the original story, the Principal’s descent into villainy was triggered by a chain of events starting with her own death.

Her assassination led to paranoia among her siblings, escalating into a brutal succession war that threw the Empire into chaos.

The Principal, having lost his beloved wife during the turmoil, succumbed to hatred for the Empire and began his dark schemes.

But in this timeline, Esti was alive.

The succession war never occurred, nor did the ensuing chaos.

With no motivation to pursue his original villainous path, the Principal was now nothing more than an unusually wealthy and impeccably clean bureaucrat.

'Maybe it’s because I look intimidating? Judging someone based solely on their appearance… Immature and lacking refinement.'

"I, Ker-Logue, would never commit such an uncivilized act."

'Is this man a monster!?'

Unaware of the massive butterfly effect she had caused, Esti couldn’t grasp the reality of the situation.

Her cheeks puffed out even more.

'Am I really losing this battle of wits!?'

"Puuffff..."

Click.

'...His Majesty will love this.'

The sight of her puffed-up cheeks was captured by the magical camera device, destined to bring joy to the Emperor’s face.

***

After the intense psychological battle, Esti reached a conclusion.

The Principal was either the worst villain imaginable…Or an entirely innocent man.

'He’s too calm. Even I, the mastermind, would have panicked if cornered like this. But a mere Principal maintaining this poker face? Impossible.'

Her inner scale tipped toward innocence.

Could a villain act so convincingly under pressure? Even the best actors in the world couldn’t pull that off.

…And perhaps, part of her wanted to believe he wasn’t a villain because admitting otherwise would mean she’d been thoroughly outplayed.

Her puffed-up cheeks deflated with a soft sigh.

"Fuuuh…"

'Hmm. Now that I think about it, he doesn’t seem villainous at all.'

She began noticing more about him—the warm smile directed at her, which had initially seemed suspicious, now appeared genuine and kind.

Her inner scale tipped completely.

Ding!

[Current favorability from ‘Ker-Logue’: 70]

'Innocence confirmed!'

Checking his favorability score, I found it surprisingly high for a first meeting.

If he harbored the same grudge against the Imperial Family as in the original story, such a thing would have been impossible.

Who was I, after all? The youngest daughter of the Avrien Imperial Family.

If he despised the Imperial Family, he would have to dislike me as well.

But his favorability score was this high.

It was proof that he wasn’t a villain plotting treason.

In other words, he wasn’t a schemer dreaming of overthrowing the Empire but rather a loyal bureaucrat devoted to the Imperial Family.

Realizing I had wrongly accused him, I quickly corrected my behavior.

-Bow.

"…I apologize for the misunderstanding!!!"

'Villain or not, when you’ve done something wrong, you should apologize!'

I stood up abruptly, placed my hands over my navel, and bowed a full 90 degrees.

Asking him if he had ever pushed someone into a river or kicked someone off a cliff—those questions were undeniably rude.

So I apologized as sincerely as possible.

The Principal chuckled deeply.

"Please, raise your head, Your Highness. If anyone is at fault, it’s me for looking so intimidating."

"…You’re not angry?"

"It wouldn’t be proper for a gentleman to lose his temper over something like this."

'He’s genuinely a good person!!'

A wave of guilt hit me for suspecting him of being a villain.

A bright smile spread across my face.

Grin, grin.

"No way! Principal, you don’t look intimidating at all!"

"…Really? With this appearance, I thought I’d inevitably scare women."

"Not at all!"

'Okay, maybe you look a little suspicious, but not to the point of being scary!'

I even complimented his appearance to preserve his pride.

As a princess, a few kind words from me usually pleased people immensely.

And sure enough, his reaction suggested he was quite pleased.

Ding!

[Ker-Logue’s favorability score has been adjusted. Current favorability: 75 (+5)]

"I’m grateful for your words, Your Highness. You truly are a paragon of refinement."

'Wow, it’s climbing fast.'

With his favorability score now at 75, I was convinced.

If he had been a villain, I’d have politely declined his growing affection.

But having a loyal subject of the Empire regards me kindly? That was a blessing.

So I decided to show him a little goodwill in return.

"Even so, I did ask you some rude questions… Oh, didn’t you say you needed to take a picture of me to report to Father?"

"Ah, yes, that’s correct."

"Well then, wait a moment!"

I glanced around the room, searching for something suitable. And there it was—something that Father would undoubtedly find amusing.

"Principal, can I use that?"

When I pointed to it, his expression changed dramatically.

"…?! That, Your Highness…?"

"If you take a picture of me using it, Father will surely commend you for your efforts!"

'Building goodwill early is crucial. If the Principal isn’t a villain, being on good terms with him can only help.'

His face turned serious, conflicted by my suggestion.

After a long pause, he gave a reluctant nod.

"Of course, if that’s what you wish… But wouldn’t it seem ridiculous or unpleasant to you?"

"Not at all! It’s adorable!"

"…Indeed, Your Highness! You understand aesthetics so well! Truly refined!"

'What’s with the sudden enthusiasm?'

For some reason, my simple compliment sent the Principal into an over-the-top display of agreement. But whatever.

With his permission granted, I gently placed it on my head: a pair of black cat ears.

'No idea why he has something like this in his office, but who cares? It’s cute.'

-Slip.

"Hehe. How does it look? Pretty good, right?"

"Oh… Oooooh!!!!"

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

He burst into enthusiastic applause, his hands smacking together like a seal.

After a moment, he quickly retrieved a magical camera device.

"With such grace and refinement, His Majesty will surely be overjoyed to see this!"

'Why does he seem more excited than me?'

"Just make sure it’s a cute shot, okay?"

I struck a natural pose.

While I’m not one to go out of my way to act cute, I’m fully aware of how adorable I am.

If showing this side of me would win the Principal’s favor and please Father, I didn’t mind.

I curled my hands into tiny cat paws.

'You better appreciate this. I don’t do this for just anyone.'

"……Meow♡"

-Click!-

"U-Uwoaaah…!!!!"

Thus, the photo of Esti wearing cat ears was taken. Its effect? A massive surge in the Emperor’s favorability.

The Principal, now in possession of an ultra-rare item, let out a cry of joy.

"A princess with fluffy animal ears… Ah, truly, animal-eared women are the best! This elegant photo would’ve been worth 500 gold! This, this is true refinement!!!"

[Ker-Logue’s favorability score has been adjusted. Current favorability: 90 (+15)]

'Wow, look at that favorability jump. He’s a real beastkin himself and still into stuff like this? Creepy.'

The sight of the Principal, who was beyond the usual beastkin and firmly within the "furry" category, trembling with excitement and his blue fur rippling, was…

Honestly, a bit unsettling.

***

After safely leaving the Principal’s office, I returned to the lecture hall a short while later.

"Guys, I’m back!!"

"Lady Esti, you’re ba—… Ack!"

-Thud!-

"…!!!!?"

The moment I returned to the auditorium, Schefor clutched her chest and collapsed dramatically.

Her undergarments, completely visible in the fall, were black.