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Chapter 51: The Third Princess Harasses Me

Following Iris, I took step after step, feeling more nervous than I ever had in my life.

And for good reason—I was cross-dressing and sneaking into the girls' dormitory.

If my identity were discovered, it wouldn’t be surprising if I were immediately dragged off.

My throat felt dry, and I kept swallowing to ease the tension.

I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous, not even during a team battle.

This was probably the most terrifying moment of my life.

‘There is a scenario where Lucas infiltrates the girls’ dormitory, but…’

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be the one to actually do it.

“We’re here, Hania.”

Here we go.

When I raised my head, the entrance to the girls’ dormitory came into view.

Coincidentally, a group of female students returning from school was entering the dormitory.

Feeling self-conscious, I subtly sidled closer to Iris.

If I stuck close to her, I might attract less suspicion.

It was a defensive instinct.

Iris noticed this and smirked, her lips curling up the entire time.

I had never seen her laugh this much in all the time I’d known her.

“Iris, you’re laughing too much.”

“Sorry, it’s just been a while since I’ve seen something this entertaining.”

She didn’t even try to deny that she was enjoying herself.

For me, though, this was torture.

But it was all for the scenario.

I must endure it.

“Let’s go in.”

In the end, I entered the dormitory with Iris.

The interior was different from the boys’ dormitory in atmosphere, though the structure was similar—it was just a building on the opposite side, after all.

But somehow, the place felt distinctly warm.

‘Is it the scent?’

Unlike the boys’ dorm, there was a subtle aroma of perfume lingering everywhere.

“Welcome back, Lady Iris,”

A maid greeted her here and there as we passed.

Iris responded to their greetings with a practiced familiarity.

“Maid, doesn’t Hania look a little different today?”

At that moment, Iris asked an outrageous question.

Startled, I turned to Iris with a panicked expression.

One of the maids glanced my way.

After a moment, she smiled and said,

“It seems like your hairstyle is a little different than usual, Lady Hania. It suits you well.”

“Oh, uh, thank you for noticing.”

I forced a smile, while Iris chuckled behind the maid’s back.

She’s a natural at teasing people.

Once the maid left, I hurried over to Iris.

“Lady Iris?”

“You’re a great actor.”

“Are you really hoping I get caught and end up in trouble?”

“Hania wouldn’t speak like that.”

The Third Princess’s antics were relentless.

I felt tears welling up.

“This is payback for beating me in the team battle,”

Iris finally admitted.

A justified reason, I suppose.

But Iris’s mischievous smile made it clear she was just having fun.

Iris, who regularly suffered from nightmares due to the pressure of her responsibilities, rarely showed her emotions.

Even expressing them was exhausting for her.

But now, she was laughing like this—because she genuinely found the situation amusing.

‘...Well, as long as she’s laughing, it’s fine.’

I owed her a debt anyway.

If this could make her laugh, I’d let her have her fun.

“But don’t take it too far.”

“Alright.”

If my identity were revealed, it wouldn’t just be bad for me but also for Iris.

I hoped she wouldn’t push her luck.

“Lady Iris, good evening!”

Just then, a passing student greeted Iris.

As the Third Princess, Iris often received greetings from those around her.

The problem was, the voice sounded oddly familiar.

Golden blonde hair that seemed to shimmer like sunlight swayed as the student approached. Beneath it, bright crimson eyes sparkled.

Isabel Luna.

Seeing a familiar face, I instinctively froze.

“Good evening,”

Said Isabel, exchanging greetings with Iris.

Then, she turned her attention to me.

“Good evening to you too, Hania.”

Isabel had a friendly personality.

In fact, there were few in the second-year martial arts class who weren’t on good terms with her.

Even with me, Isabel was quite familiar.

“Yes, good evening, Isabel.”

Isabel tilted her head slightly as I replied casually.

“Hania, did something happen?”

“Something happen? No, nothing at all.”

“Really? You just seem quieter than usual.”

As she said this, Isabel alternated her gaze between me and Iris.

What was going on?

I hadn’t done anything suspicious.

Just then, Iris raised her arm slightly, and I realized what was missing.

Hania always stuck close to Iris.

As childhood friends and in a master-servant relationship, Hania always walked arm-in-arm with her.

Noticing this, Isabel stepped closer and whispered,

“Did something happen between you and Lady Iris?”

Of course, she noticed.

Iris, still holding her arm up, stared at me expectantly.

Damn it.

I hurriedly grabbed Iris’s arm and hugged it tightly.

“Why would anything happen between me and Lady Iris? If something did, I might just die on the spot!”

I exclaimed dramatically.

Seeing my exaggerated reaction, Isabel nodded as if satisfied.

Meanwhile, Iris turned her head to hide her face, trying to stifle her laughter, her ears turning red.

Something inside me felt like it was breaking.

“Well, that’s a relief. I’ll be off now—I have training tonight,”

Isabel said as she left.

So that’s why she was in her athletic gear.

Even with tomorrow’s summer palace training ahead, Isabel was still hard at work.

Her dedication was impressive.

“She’s working so hard thanks to you,”

Iris remarked as we watched Isabel’s retreating figure.

“Thanks to me? All I’ve ever done is fight with her.”

Of course, I couldn’t let any pride show.

“Yeah, I guess that’s all it was.”

How much does Iris see?

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In my twenty-nine attempts at clearing the game, Iris played the role of both the final boss and the heroine.

Even so, Iris was always a figure of mystery to the players.

The less revealed about her, the more fascinating she became.

The developers made excellent use of her enigmatic traits.

But there was one thing that was certain.

“Have you been sleeping well these days?”

She suffered from severe insomnia.

“More or less.”

Her eyes still bore the shadows caused by her sleepless nights.

“There’s a magical music box called the Argol’s Whisper.”

Perhaps because I’d often offered her advice on how to sleep better, Iris listened to me with interest.

“It’s a rare item to come by, but it plays music that’s said to induce sleep. Rumor has it that it even devours nightmares with its mysterious power.”

Her eyes widened.

Nightmares were the primary cause of her insomnia.

A tool said to swallow nightmares would have an unimaginable effect on her.

‘Of course, the Flame of Resolve would be the ultimate cure.’

But this might serve as a temporary solution.

Though, even this would lose its effectiveness over time.

As long as the root cause of the nightmares wasn’t addressed, they wouldn’t end.

‘Once this current matter is resolved…’

I’d have to prepare for that as well, step by step.

“...How do you know all this?”

Iris asked me a question.

The information I shared wasn’t commonly known.

She found it curious that I had access to such knowledge.

“I’ve done my research.”

“For what purpose?”

“For you, of course.”

I adopted Hania’s tone as I smiled gently.

Iris blinked her large eyes before leaning forward, resting her head lightly on mine.

Her ruby-colored eyes shimmered seductively just inches from my face.

For a moment, the faint scent of roses wafted through her hair, piercing deeply into my senses.

My heart skipped a beat for just a second.

With a sultry voice tinged with decadence, she whispered in my ear.

“Don’t tease me too much.”

Who teased who first?

Iris gracefully retreated.

‘If her unique trait isn’t charm, I don’t know what is.’

She instinctively knew how to make someone’s heart race.

Yet, despite that, I realized my emotions weren’t overly stirred.

‘...Could this be?’

The Veil Bandages—were they affecting me?

I had a faint idea of what kind of emotions they might be erasing.

“Anyway, it’s bath time now.”

“I’ll bathe in the room.”

Not that, of course.

＊ ＊ ＊

After returning to the room, I stayed put, not stepping out.

Hania’s roommate was, of course, Iris.

So, at least in the room, I could relax without concern.

“Hah…”

Maybe it was because today had been so exhausting.

Leaning against the window, I let out a deep sigh.

Iris had left, saying she was going to bathe.

She didn’t seem to have the slightest concern about what I might do in her room.

‘Well, who’d dare try anything with the Third Princess?’

Unless they had a death wish, no one would.

Growl—

The problem was, the tension had made me hungry.

Still sitting in the chair, I turned slightly.

The room was filled with a delicate feminine fragrance.

Hania’s bed was overwhelmingly pink to the point of dizziness.

In contrast, Iris’s bed was impeccably tidy.

It reflected their contrasting personalities.

‘I should’ve brought something to eat.’

I was so preoccupied that I hadn’t thought of it.

I wanted to ask Iris for help, but I couldn’t possibly make such a request of the Third Princess.

‘Should I ask Iris to come with me?’

After a moment’s hesitation, I shook my head.

Today, Iris was in a mischievous mood.

Who knew what she’d pull next?

It seemed better to quickly head to the dining hall and ask for a sandwich.

‘Most people should be in their rooms since it’s past dinner time.’

I quietly opened the door.

The hallway was empty.

I decided to move quickly.

Just as I took a step forward—

“Huh?”

I bumped into someone approaching from the hallway.

The sight of her made my face stiffen.

Because the person was none other than—

“...Hannon?”

She was Sharin Sazaris.

The only one who could see through the Veil Bandages.

Why did I have to run into her now?

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