I Became the Absolute Hidden Villainess Princess of the Academy

Chapter 28: Undressing in Front of Louis

"I’m going to teach you about women!"

Esti’s words sent shockwaves through the room.

Irene and Schefor’s mouths hung open.

"………!!!!!?"

‘Wait, what!?’

‘Is Esti making a huge decision…?’

The two of them froze as if they’d been hit with an ice spell.

Meanwhile, Louis—the direct target of this attack—simply voiced his confusion.

"……Huh?"

‘Her? Teaching me? That doesn’t make sense.’

Louis and Esti had known each other for ten years.

They had spent enough time together to be considered childhood friends.

Which meant Louis knew one thing for sure:

Neither of them saw each other that way.

Just as he couldn’t see her as a woman (not ripe yet and all), Esti also didn’t see him as a man.

Not to mention—he had only learned yesterday that Esti didn’t even like men.

And despite his slightly androgynous features, he was definitely a man.

There was absolutely no reason for her to like him.

So suddenly declaring she’d teach him about women?

‘What is she even talking about?’

His confusion quickly turned into a direct question.

"…You?"

"Yep! Louis, you’re already twenty, but you barely know anything about women! I’m going to teach you!"

"……? Oh."

‘Ah. She didn’t mean that.’

Esti’s completely innocent tone immediately cleared up any misunderstandings.

She was too offbeat to mean it the way it first sounded.

Louis exhaled in relief.

‘She’s probably just trying to lecture me. Since we’re all living under the same roof, she’ll tell me to be more mindful around them.’

"No need. I already know plenty."

‘Really, she treats me like a child.’

Louis refused her bizarre offer.

He didn’t even consider that Esti was scheming to push him and Irene closer together.

Irene and Schefor, however, were horrified.

‘What the hell did he just say to Esti!?’

‘Is he even human!?’

Unlike Louis, who immediately understood Esti’s true meaning, the two of them had only recently met her.

So they interpreted her words differently.

A girl desperately in love, longing to be seen by the man she adored.

And after exhausting all other options, she had resorted to a final, desperate measure.

Throwing herself at him.

But his response?

Not just a rejection—but “I already know about women”?

Their eyes filled with pure contempt.

‘Should I slap him? I could do it in the name of House Vernone.’

‘…Maybe I should unseal for a moment?’

If Esti had a system message, Louis’s favorability score would have plummeted.

But Esti, oblivious to how her words sounded, simply frowned.

‘What does he know, this chunky rice cake bastard?’

"Just shut up and follow me. I’m the only one willing to teach you!"

—Stomp, stomp.

Esti grabbed Louis’s hand and dragged him along.

Like an older sister disciplining an immature younger brother.

‘She must be so worried about her girls… Sigh. Guess I’ll humor her.’

"Yeah, yeah."

—Step, step.

Louis didn’t resist, assuming Esti just wanted to warn him about something.

Irene and Schefor, meanwhile, glared daggers at his back.

—Glare.

‘Does he even realize how much courage Esti had to muster to say that!? Should I slap him!?’

‘A girl puts herself out there, and that’s his reaction? Who does he think he is?’

Louis’s favorability score hit rock bottom—not that he was even aware.

***

After dragging a reluctant Louis along, Esti suddenly overheard a conversation behind her.

"…Shall we go for a walk, Irene?"

"Tch. Let’s."

‘Huh? Why are they acting like that?’

Hearing their irritated voices, Esti tilted her head.

Then realization dawned.

A bright grin spread across her face.

‘Ohhh, what’s this? Irene, are you jealous?’

—Smirk.

Of course, she’d be annoyed.

Objectively, Louis and Esti were a young man and woman who looked good together.

So if I suddenly asked him to come to my room, of course she’d get suspicious.

‘Is she trying to flirt with my man?’

But she was missing a very important piece of the puzzle.

Louis and I were the most impossible couple in existence.

I could probably bathe with him, and he’d just pass out mumbling about unripeness.

Whatever Irene was imagining—it wasn’t happening.

Not that she knew that yet.

‘I should clear things up later. Tell her Louis doesn’t even see me as a woman, so she has nothing to worry about!’

There was a very simple way to solve this.

Just make it absolutely clear that Louis only had eyes for Irene.

It lacked elegance, but…

If I just outright told her he wouldn’t even get hard for me, she’d understand. Probably.

Yeah. Once they finished their walk, I’d go reassure her.

—Pause.

"……Esti, you’re thinking something horrifying right now, aren’t you?"

"Hmm~? What do you mean?"

"I got a chill all of a sudden… Ugh. Maybe it’s just me."

Louis hesitated for a moment, as if sensing something was off.

I ignored it and dragged him straight to my room.

And then, without hesitation—

"Anyway, I’m going to teach you about wom—"

—Creak.

"……!!!!!!?"

—Slam!

—I barely cracked the door open before shutting it immediately.

A glimpse of pink had flashed before my eyes.

Something Louis should never see.

I quickly checked his reaction.

‘Did he see? If he saw, this is bad—’

"What are you doing?"

‘…Thank the heavens!!!’

Louis was surprisingly unfazed.

Which meant he hadn’t seen anything.

If he had, he wouldn’t be this calm.

I let go of his hand and forced a cheerful smile.

‘Louis, I’ll teach you about women… another day.’

"Oops~! I just remembered my room’s a mess! I can’t let you sit in such a dirty room, right? Haha!"

A perfect excuse.

A classic mastermind-level deflection.

"……? Since when did you care about that?"

"Come on, Louis! Cleanliness is important for a lady! Now, hurry up and go back to your room!"

"Suspicious. I’ll just call the maids. They can clean it up for you."

‘Louis, why are you being like this today!?’

He had completely dismantled my excuse.

Arms crossed, he was now determined to figure out what I was hiding.

And that… could not happen.

Which meant—

Time for drastic measures.

‘Forgive me, Louis…!!!’

—Rustle.

"……? What are you doing?"

I took off my jacket and cardigan, even untying my ribbon.

I was now down to just my shirt and pants.

Then—

—I started unbuttoning my shirt.

—Slip, slip.

"……!!!!!!? HEY! HEY!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?!?"

"I’m taking my clothes off before they get dusty from cleaning!!!!!!"

‘Louis, I truly am sorry!!!’

Buttons popped open one after another.

And for extra effect, I used my toes to slide my pants down.

If he wanted to see inside my room, he’d have to endure seeing this too.

Louis turned pale and whipped his head away.

"Y-YOU’RE INSANE!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!"

"I don’t know! I’M TAKING THEM OFF!!! If you don’t want to see, GO TO YOUR ROOM!!!"

Standing there in just a loose shirt and underwear, I had fully weaponized Louis’s Blézer bloodline against him.

The effect?

Devastating.

"Urgh… A-ALRIGHT!! JUST STOP!!!"

—Scramble! SLAM!

‘Sorry. Truly, I am…!!!’

With his hand over his mouth, eyes tightly shut, Louis sprinted to his room and slammed the door shut.

A moment later, I faintly heard the sound of retching.

…I knew that would happen.

I really didn’t want to do that to him.

But there had been no other way.

I had no choice.

Letting him see inside my room would’ve been far worse.

Even if it meant traumatizing my dear little brother.

‘It had to be done… but I won’t ask for forgiveness.’

Sighing, I turned back toward my door.

I was not smiling.

If anything, my expression was probably twisted in frustration.

—Grrr… "Muuu……!!!!"

‘Still, Louis… at least I’ll avenge you.’

—Creak.

I cautiously checked that no one was watching before opening the door again.

Determined to punish the one who had forced me to do this to my innocent brother.

I stepped inside.

—Click.

"……Hey."

As soon as I locked the door, my voice turned cold.

Normally, no one should have responded.

But I wasn’t alone in this room.

A frightened voice answered.

"S-Saintess…?"

"Honestly."

Slowly, I turned around.

My sharp gaze radiated the full weight of my mastermind persona.

And under that gaze—

My contractor.

The leader of the TS Brigade.

—Crow knelt before me.

"Did I not tell you to leave? What exactly do you think you’re doing here?"

"W-Well, um… That is…"

A warrior strong enough to assassinate the Emperor if she so wished—

Yet she trembled under my fury.

Pitiful.

But unforgivable.

Because her actions had forced me to scar my dear brother.

—Step, step.

"You do know you deserve punishment, don’t you?"

I stepped forward, my tone icy.

Like a scene straight out of a noir film.

"W-Wait. Y-You’re not wearing much—♡"

"……Ah."

‘Oh. Right. I never put my clothes back on.’

…This movie was about to get banned.