I Became the Absolute Hidden Villainess Princess of the Academy

Chapter 14: Locking Down the Absolute Hidden Villainess Princess (2)

Irene, who had eagerly awaited her admission to the Academy, lay sprawled on the luxurious bed, letting out a deep sigh.

“Haa….”

‘I was so worried, but I didn’t expect things to go this smoothly on the first day.’

Her sigh carried a faint happiness. The events of the day felt like a dream, and she sighed as if to confirm it was real.

On her first day, she’d planned to stay quiet and unnoticed in the shared dormitory, doing her best to avoid drawing attention. But instead, she found herself lodging in a luxurious mansion fit for royalty.

Not only that, but she’d met people who promised to protect her in her new life.

It was no wonder Irene was overwhelmed by this rare stroke of good fortune.

Had Esti seen this scene, she’d have been delighted.

If events had unfolded according to the “original story”…

Right now, Irene would be in a four-person dorm, suffering from bullying akin to outright abuse. 

The others would have blamed her for a surprise attack and claimed it was all her fault, just to justify their cruelty.

But Irene, who had sealed away her witch’s power, had no knowledge of the “original story”—the preordained future of her own life.

Nor did she know that one girl had been working for 10 years just to change that fate.

Happiness soon gave way to unease.

‘…But all it takes is one change of heart for it to end.’

As a witch who had sealed her powers, Irene was nothing more than a powerless commoner.

Worse yet, she was someone whom people—for reasons unknown—instinctively hated from the depths of their souls.

So why had she made it through her first day at the Academy unscathed?

It was entirely thanks to Esti.

For some reason, Esti wasn’t affected by the curse of hatred. On the contrary, it felt like the curse disappeared when Irene was near her.

Not only that, but Esti treated her with unexplained kindness and warmth.

It was strange but undeniably endearing.

Which was why Irene felt so uneasy.

She was afraid that Esti might abandon her.

Like everyone else had.

Uncertain hope is always scarier than certain despair.

After a moment’s hesitation, Irene moved toward the window.

— Squeak.

‘Just in case… I should check.’

With a quiet creak, the window opened.

Irene’s eyes gleamed eerily as she gazed at the night sky.

Her vision shifted abruptly as she activated a spell—a “Surveillance” spell, one Esti also frequently used.

— Hissss….

‘Familiar, go to the room next door and observe the princess.’

Her familiar—a bat—fluttered busily, flying toward the window of Esti’s room.

Currently, Esti—who had secretly gone to the TS Brigade’s hideout—was absent from her room.

Soon enough, the bat’s gaze took in the scene within the room.

— Flap, flap.

‘…Huh?’

Irene tilted her head in confusion.

What she saw inside the room was far from what she had expected.

Instead of a sleeping girl, Esti was wildly devouring cookies.

Her smile was more carefree and sloppy than usual, as if she’d dropped her guard entirely.

— Munch, munch. Grin, grin.

‘Why is she eating so many cookies at night? She’ll gain weight.’

The sight was so bizarre that Irene couldn’t help but tilt her head in confusion.

Women, after all, are usually afraid of putting on weight. And Esti, despite her small frame, rarely ate much at night. Her appetite was so small that just a few bites would leave her patting her full belly.

So why was she now having a cookie-eating frenzy?

The answer was simple.

It wasn’t Esti.

— Munch, munch. Gulp.

‘How is all that fitting in that tiny belly…?’

The one feasting on the cookies wasn’t human.

It was a spirit—a reflection of Esti’s soul—that acted as a stand-in whenever Esti snuck out for her secret activities as a hidden villainess.

With the same appearance and mannerisms as the real Esti, Irene had no reason to suspect otherwise.

— Gulp, gulp. Cough.

‘Oh, she’s got a milk mustache. Cute.’

The sight of the small girl gulping down a cup of milk, then letting out a contented sigh, was so disarmingly innocent that Irene’s worries melted away.

‘No way someone that clumsy could be suspicious. Yep.’

— Why did you come to the Academy, Irene? — To live. — That’s a great reason!

The words she’d heard earlier came to mind.

Remembering Esti’s words, which had seemed to affirm Irene’s simple wish to live as a human, filled her heart with warmth.

With a soft smile, Irene canceled her spell and climbed back into bed.

— Flop.

‘It’s been so long since I’ve had a real bed.’

“Hmm…♡”

Sleep found her quickly.

For the first time in years, she fell into a peaceful slumber on the soft bed, free of the usual unease that haunted her nights.

— If only those perverts from the TS Brigade… weren’t….

Her last conscious thoughts were filled with complaints about the TS Brigade, who had once chased her with the intent to kidnap her.

***

Meanwhile, in the depths of the Empire’s underworld lay the stronghold of the TS Brigade.

The TS Brigade.

They had emerged about seven years ago as a comet-like force that crushed one criminal organization after another, targeting those who had crossed the line.

The number of villains they had condemned was beyond counting. Some even speculated that they were a secret execution force wielded by the Empire to eliminate rot from within.

However, that speculation didn’t last long.

The TS Brigade didn’t solely pursue justice.

Under the guise of following the “Saint’s Orders,” they raided orphanages and kidnapped some of the orphans.

If a girl had brown hair and golden eyes, they’d capture her on sight.

Even innocent people, known for their goodness, often ended up maimed at their hands.

In short, the TS Brigade was a group that defied prediction or control.

Fanatical devotees who obey every word of the “Saint” without regard for good or evil.

A horde of madmen that no one would want to get involved with.

…And on top of that, they’re dangerously obsessed with little girls in a different sense as well.

Because of that, they were shunned by everyone. People wouldn’t even spit in the direction of their hideout.

If those people knew what was happening inside that hideout right now…

Some might’ve actually spat.

— Flail, flail.

“I told you to bring her here politely, not kidnap her!!”

“B-But with the description you gave us, this seemed like the best method….”

“All you had to do was ask if they’d seen the person we’re looking for and offer a reward for help!! Why did you go straight to kidnapping?!”

Inside the TS Brigade’s hideout, an abandoned cathedral, a small girl wiggled her bare feet while scolding them. Around her, nearly a thousand members of the TS Brigade knelt in devotion.

The so-called “young girl” scolding them had their lips curling up in blissful smiles.

— Look at her cute little feet…. — Her soles are so soft and round…. — Imagine being stepped on with those little feet. — When I have kids, I definitely have one like her.

Despite being people who could overturn the Empire if they felt like it, they now looked no more dangerous than a bunch of weirdos.

From an objective standpoint, it was a repulsive sight.

But Esti—no, “Saint Stie”—didn’t care at all.

From the throne, she couldn’t see them clearly anyway, and she knew the reason behind their behavior: unwavering devotion born from 100 favorability.

“Huff, huff… Lady Stie♡ I’ve committed a grave sin♡”

‘…This one’s actually a bit concerning.’

The person speaking was Crow, the leader of the TS Brigade and the first to be chosen by the Saint. Even Esti, as fearless as she was, found Crow’s devotion a bit much.

Afterward, Esti explained why she’d come to the TS Brigade’s hideout and launched into a thorough internal review.

From her perspective, it was harsh enough to bring tears to her eyes.

“Didn’t I tell you? We’re doing this to prevent the end of the world. So, pay extra attention!”

— Smooch.

“But thanks to you all, the world almost ended! What do you have to say for yourselves?!”

— Smooch, smooch.

“You’re all going to make me lose my mind….”

“L-Lady Stie, here’s some refreshments♡ I’ll feed them to you myself….”

“Ah, thanks, Crow~ Aaah♡”

“…Aaah♡”

— Nom. Munch, munch.

“Kyaaah♡”

‘…Adorable.’

Of course, none of the members of the TS Brigade so much as flinched.

No matter how much she scolded them with that tiny frame of hers, all they could think was how cute she was.

And when she drank her milk tea with both hands and nibbled on the cookies Crow handed her, it didn’t feel like scolding—it felt like a reward.

The sight of the most adorable Saint in the world up close was more than enough to make them hide their rising smiles by bowing their heads even lower.

‘…Heh heh. Look at them all bowing their heads without saying a word. As expected, I’m a true hidden villainess!’

— Grin, grin.

Seeing their reaction, Esti mistook it for submission to her charisma.

Her grin widened as she relished the feeling of fulfilling her dream of being a hidden villainess.

“Alright, I’ll forgive you since I’ve handled it well this time. But next time, check with me before you do anything.”

“Your boundless mercy is immeasurable♡”

Feeling satisfied with the result, Esti let her raised eyebrows relax.

Her nagging, which had gone on for almost 10 minutes, finally came to an end.

The members of the TS Brigade showed clear signs of disappointment.

— But only for a moment.

— Step.

“Then… Lady Stie, please issue your orders.”

At the mention of orders, all of them focused their attention.

They knew well that her orders, born from foresight, had saved the continent from peril more than once.

Moreover, each of them had been saved by her in some way.

So not a single word from “Saint Stie” could be taken lightly.

With all eyes on her, Esti issued her command without hesitation.

“How’s the recruitment of the Academy’s board members coming along?”

“About one-third have agreed to grant small ‘favors’ on our behalf.”

“That’s not enough. Get it past the halfway mark. If anyone’s got skeletons in their closet, use them. I’ll handle any fallout.”

“It shall be done as you command♡”

“Don’t disappoint me this time.”

This was all in preparation for the inevitable moment when the Academy’s administration questioned her cohabitation with Irene and Louis.

Next…

“What about the new headmaster—any dirt on them yet?”

“We’ve mobilized all our informants, but we’ve found nothing suspicious so far.”

“They’re thorough. Fine. Leave it to me. I’ll handle it from here.”

“Yes, Lady Stie♡”

Her commands continued, covering the board, the headmaster, and even dealing with the prophesied revival of a dragon.

No one asked, “Why should we?”

— Step.

— The entire TS Brigade follows the Saint’s will. — As the Saint wills it.

Everyone present had already reached 100 favorability toward Esti.

In other words, they would do anything she asked.

“Alright, then… yawn~.”

‘…It’s already this late?’

The endless list of orders finally came to a stop when Esti let out a big yawn.

When Crow checked the time with her magic device, it was 11 p.m.

For someone like Esti, who usually fell asleep at 10, she had lasted quite a while.

“Lady Stie, you look tired. Shall we wrap it up for tonight?”

“No, no… The dragon… will appear… during the midterm….”

— Nod, nod.

Still nodding off, she continued giving orders until sleep finally overtook her.

— Slide. Plop.

“…Honestly, Lady Stie is just too precious♡”

Those who watched the scene couldn’t help but wear helpless smiles.

Despite her small frame and young age, her dedication to the grand cause was undeniably admirable.

To the point where they felt compelled to devote their very lives to supporting her.

Amid this peaceful atmosphere, a sleep-talking murmur echoed.

“Crow… everyone… you all listened so well, so I’ll forgive you….”

“Hehe. Thank you very mu—”

“But I was going to spank you all… slap-slap….”

“…Pardon?”

Crow’s expression froze the moment she heard the unexpected words in the midst of Esti’s sleep talk.

— Wham!

“L-Let me go! I’m a foolish, stupid, dimwitted idiot who couldn’t even fulfill Lady Stie’s command properly, so I deserve punishment…!”

“Crow, if you wake up the Saint, we’ll be in serious trouble! Pull your pants back up, now!!!”

While Esti was soundly sleeping on the throne, a silent struggle unfolded in front of it.

But it was a common occurrence.

The next day.

“Oh my, Lady Stie♡ Did you just sneeze—”

“…Hiiieeek!? I’m late!!!”

Esti.

Her tardiness to the first class at the Academy was now a certainty.