𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐: 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐉𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫!
“. . .This is. . .”
I, who tried not to meet many people, left the dormitory at five in the morning and sneaked to school.
Something was stuck in the locker installed in the classroom.
“Today, at noon. Please come to the back of the second school building.”
The only sentence written in beautiful handwriting was that one.
Is it a love letter, or a challenge letter?
Either way, if we meet alone. . . a kabedon, I guess. . . The back of the school building is a perfect spot for a kabedon. . .
𝐀𝐰𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: (𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐧/𝐛𝐢𝐤𝐮𝐝𝐨𝐧) 𝐀 𝐩𝐨𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥
Alright, let’s ignore it!
I made up my mind in about three seconds. I didn’t want to throw the letter away in the school, so I tore it up and threw it away when I got back to the dormitory.
[Today, at noon. Waiting at the back of the second school building.]
[Please come to the back of the second school building at noon on the fifth. I’ll be waiting.]
[After school on the sixth, I’ll be waiting for you at the back of the second school building. I would be grateful if you could come.]
[Noon on the seventh, at the back of the second school building.]
“Sheesh, persistent. . .!!!”
And it’s finally just a note.
Somehow, I feel a little guilty. It’s cute that they changed the time once.
“. . .If I just sneak a peek. . .”
Yeah, just a little bit.
And so, I headed to the back of the second school building.
I cast a magic spell to erase my presence. . . and quietly checked the person waiting there.
. . .Huh?
An unexpected person entered my field of vision. A sparkling aura that can be seen even from a distance. Not just an aura, but actually, his golden hair is shining like gold in the sunlight. That tall person with blond hair and blue eyes, no, that person is. . .
“. . .Wha?!”
With a bang, something seemed to explode, and I accidentally let out a voice.
Damn, our eyes met perfectly.
The sound of shoes kicking the ground echoed.
“Oh, you cheekily used a magic spell to erase your presence. You don’t seem to be a thoughtless fool.”
“Eek.”
His long, flashy blue eyes with powerful lashes glared at me hiding in the shadows.
Flipping his cloak, he approached me.
“C, Crown Prince. . .?!”
In a hurry, I paid my respects to the highest-ranking being. The prince, seemingly unconcerned with my minor gestures, approached me steadily. With each step he took, the ornaments or something he was wearing made a jingling sound.
Why is the Crown Prince in the back of this school building. . . No, rather. . . The author of that beautifully written and gallant letter was. . . the prince. . .?! What should I do, I’ve been diligently tearing it up and throwing it away every day. . . If he finds out, it might be a crime of disrespect. . .
While I was panicking, the prince had already come right in front of me. I hurriedly backed away.
This distance might be bad. Even the prince might become that thing that has happened many times before. I don’t know why, but everyone wants to kabedon me. . .
“Ah, um, it’s better not to get too close to me. . .”
“Don’t underestimate me. Your level of charm magic won’t work on me.”
“. . .Huh.”
Charm. . . magic?
I was taken aback. Was His Highness somehow angry?
He raised his well-shaped eyebrows, and deep wrinkles formed between them. His handsome face was intimidating.
――Bang!
“Eek.”
Just like before, there was a sound of something popping. Did it come from under His Highness’s. . .mantle?
“I see, you’re unaware. . . Well, that makes sense. It’s a magic that’s supposed to be kept secret. You probably wouldn’t be able to use it if you were aware.”
“Hmm,” His Highness snorted, jerking his chin.
“Um, excuse me. . . Are you saying that you, the Crown Prince, are the sender of this letter. . .?”
“That’s right! You’ve kept me waiting for days!”
“I, I’m very sorry! I didn’t think it was from you. . .! I had trouble with a similar letter before. . .!”
“. . .Hmm, well, never mind. Let’s get to the point. Time is precious.”
His face is so handsome, but his aura is even more intimidating and scary.
As I was bathed in the aura of the Crown Prince, I trembled slightly.
What should I do? Should I prostrate myself? There is a basic principle that all students are equal while they are enrolled, but what should I do?
His Highness lowered his eyes, took a deep breath, and then blurted out.
“Because of your charm magic, I can’t make any progress in finding a bride!!!”
“Huh. . .?”
Finding a bride?
“Because you’re charming everyone, men and women alike! All the students in this school are spineless! Useless! Daydreamers! Everyone only likes you! How am I supposed to find a suitable woman to be my wife from among them?!”
“Uh. . .”
I was dumbfounded. The Crown Prince was speaking rapidly. Because he was making such a big fuss, his ornaments or something were making a jingling sound.
Charm. . . charm magic. . .
. . .No, but. The Crown Prince, isn’t he a creature that has a fiancée from a very young age. . .? I see, in this school where magic users gather, he’s trying to find a suitable, excellent person to be the Crown Princess. Probably. That must be it. If he says he can’t make progress in finding a bride, that must be it. I didn’t know. Well, that doesn’t matter now. More importantly.
“Charm magic. . .? Me?”
“That’s right. It seems you’re unaware.”
“What?”
“I thought it was impossible, so I watched for a while. . . But I was convinced by the commotion at the school assembly the other day when an engagement was broken off. Your charm magic is abnormally powerful. Something must be done.”
“T, That, well. . .”
I’m at a loss for words when it’s suddenly brought up.
Charm magic. I’ve heard the name in class. It’s a forbidden magic that’s classified as dangerous and top-tier. Even if I’m suddenly told I’m using it, I don’t get it at all.
“Y, Your Highness, about my control of magic. . . I have received an ‘excellent’ grade. I wouldn’t unconsciously use magic. . .”
“Oh?”
His Highness narrowed his eyes sharply. It was scary. A handsome glare, it was scary.
“Unfortunately, you are undoubtedly constantly deploying charm magic with an extraordinary power. Just now, when I approached you, my ‘Protection Against Evil’ exploded, proving it.”
“P, Protection Against Evil?”
Repeating his words in confirmation, His Highness dramatically spread his thick, deep red cloak.
On the inside of the cloak. . . there were many small accessories made of gold, silver, copper, and iron, shaped like swords and dragons. So this was what was making noise every time His Highness moved. There were also things like wooden and straw dolls.
. . .No, there are more than I thought?! I thought he was coolly wearing a cloak, but this is what was inside?!
There were so many ‘Evil-Banishing Items’ lined up inside the cloak that it looked like something out of a dream. It’s scary when you make eye contact with a mask.
“. . .Y, Your Highness, isn’t this very heavy?!”
“You, what do you take me for? This is nothing.”
“Amazing, Your Highness!”
“Hmph,” His Highness snorted arrogantly. It’s rare to see someone who can pull off such an insolent attitude.
“. . .These are a collection of accessories with ‘Evil-Banishing’ effects specially made by the royal family. They have the power to repel ‘charms’ and ‘curses’ like yours. However, each effect can only be used once.”
“So, the ‘pop’ sound earlier was. . .?”
“It was the sound of your charm magic being repelled and exploding.”
“So, it explodes and becomes useless, then.”
It seems easy to understand that this can’t be used anymore. It feels like a bad cost-performance ratio to only be able to use it once per item. . .
But His Highness is wearing a large number of Evil-Banishing Items. With this, even if one or two break. . . well, yeah, that’s about it.
As I was overwhelmed, His Highness suddenly smirked cynically.
“. . .Your ‘excellent’ grade is suspicious. All the faculty at the academy are under your charm magic.”
“No, surely the teachers aren’t. . . ah.”
But the other day, I was. . . approached by the teacher with the triangular glasses. . .
“But, but, all my grades are ‘excellent’. Surely not. . .”
Surely not everyone, every single person, is a victim of my charm magic? That can’t be. . .
“Normally, it’s impossible to get ‘excellent’ grades in all subjects. Even I get ‘good’ grades!”
For some reason, His Highness leaned back and loudly declared. He pointed his index finger at me, quite rudely. I felt a vibe like “There’s no way you’re better than me, don’t mess with me.” I’m a merchant’s daughter, so I’m sensitive to people’s silent pressure.
“Eh, if I’m just doing normal, isn’t it usually superior?”
“Fool. Normal is ‘passable’. With lenient grading, it might be ‘good’. The purpose of this academy is to ensure that magic, which has the potential to threaten the state, humanity, and other environments, can be controlled reliably. Therefore, strictness is required in the grading criteria.”
“. . .Then.”
“What do you mean by ‘then’? If you like the word ‘normal’, I’ll tell you this. It’s impossible for all grades to be ‘superior’.”
. . .Is that so?
Then, my all ‘superior’ grades. . . Are they due to the consideration of the teachers who were charmed by me?
I was shocked and fell to my knees.
“Your grades could be seen as proof that your extraordinary charm magic is always running wild.”
In front of my eyes, as I lay on the ground, His Highness’s cloak fluttered. I caught a glimpse of the ‘Evil-Banishing Items’ stuck all over the inside of his cloak.
“If things continue like this, I’ll probably have to confine you in a solitary cell for life.”
“C, Confinement?”
“Charm magic is originally a kind of magic that is sealed in the innermost part of the State Temple. If you can’t use it correctly. . . Charm magic users are too dangerous. Even if they are unaware of it, as the future ruler of this country, I can’t let you run wild.”
“But, I won’t do anything bad. . .”
“Even if you don’t intend to, the people around you will surely go mad for you. Confining you is not only for the sake of the state and the people. It’s also for your sake.”
“. . .”
I couldn’t say anything to His Highness’s words. . . I see, I’m not normal. Everything up to now is because of charm magic. Thanks to charm magic.
. . .I’ve been causing trouble for many people because of me.
“Don’t worry. That’s why I called you here.”
“Your Highness. . .”
His Highness extended his hand to me, who was hanging my head.
“I’ll help you control your charm magic.”
The ‘Evil-Banishing Item’ tied to his cloak jingled.
・・・
『”𝓐𝔀𝓮𝓫𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓼.𝓬𝓸𝓶” – 𝓓𝓲𝓼𝓬𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓪 𝓬𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓲𝓿𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓸𝓯 𝓵𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓪𝓭𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮, 𝔀𝓱e𝓻𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓾𝓵𝓰𝓮 𝓲𝓷 𝓪 𝓬𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓼𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵𝓼 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 “𝓭𝓪𝓲𝓵𝔂 𝓾𝓹𝓭𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓼” 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓮𝔁𝓬𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓪𝓬𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓽𝓸 “𝓪𝓭𝓿𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓭 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼”.』
・・・
