Chapter 9: Chapter 8

8 – Change – 2

The next morning, Priscilla was waiting for me in her school uniform.

“Why the school uniform?”

“I don’t have anything else. This is all I’ve been able to wear…”

“Weren’t there any episodes in the original work where you wore casual clothes?”

“Not yet. Only when I become a third-year and leave here with the hero do I start to wear casual clothes. For Priscilla Agnes, who knows nothing beyond studying, a school uniform should be enough. So I didn’t bring anything else.”

Perhaps due to her role of highlighting the protagonist, the original character Priscilla Agnes seemed to have a rather rigid personality.

And having to faithfully imitate such a character, she presumably had no need to attach importance to clothes. As I bitterly contemplated this, Priscilla fidgeted with her fingers and looked up at me.

“Um… if it’s okay, I would like to wear yours as well.”

“My clothes?”

“Uh, yea. I’m not asking for much, just a T-shirt or so. I can keep wearing my own skirt.”

Priscilla was barely up to my shoulder, my shirt would definitely not fit her. It might be a different story if it were Brunhild, who is tall for a woman.

She must know this fact herself, so why would she bring it up? Her intention was clear.

“I don’t think it would fit you. You can clearly see that just by looking. I’ll buy you some clothes while we’re out, so bear with it a bit longer. Let’s come back wearing new clothes.”

But I decided to pretend I knew nothing. I could forgive such an obvious lie as an affectionate teasing.

“…Okay.”

Even when told we would buy new clothes, Priscilla responded with a slightly sullen expression. This confirmed my suspicion. Borrowing was just an excuse, it was obvious that she just wanted my clothes.

“Miss Mira! Agnes Senior! Over here!”

“Miss Mira…?”

As we headed towards the school gate, Aria greeted us with a wide smile. Next to me, I heard a soft murmur repeating the nickname that Aria had just called me.

Unlike Priscilla who was compelled to wear the school uniform because of her original character’s traits, the two of them were in casual clothes.

Aria was wearing a sky-blue sleeveless dress that was thin enough to show her knees and thighs, and Brunhild was wearing jeans that went up to her knees and a crop top that stopped just below her belly button.

“Is that appropriate for a hero to wear?”

“If you didn’t like this, you shouldn’t have made me a hero. The most modest attire I can bear is the academy’s uniform.”

Once we became close, Brunhild’s words and actions became much more straightforward. It seemed more casual than I initially thought, to the point that it felt like her behavior on our first meeting was a lie.

“You’re using the dimensional gate, right?”

“What else? If we were to travel by carriage, it would take at least two hours just on the road, wouldn’t it?”

We stood in front of the dimensional gate, heading towards the city center as if it was something we always do. Being conveniently located near the main gate of the Bellium Academy, the gate was connected to most of the capital’s areas.

‘I remember they closed it during the entrance ceremony to prevent unauthorized entrance.’

After scanning our student cards and listening to the announcement about free return fare within 8 hours, I set the coordinates for the gate closest to the department store.

With a sensory flash that made us feel like we were floating and then settling, we stepped out from a dimension gate into a bustling city.

“Woah….”

“…It’s still disgustingly crowded.”

Aria’s eyes sparkled as she took in the surroundings and Brunhild hung onto her side looking slightly annoyed as if she recalled something unpleasant.

I took advantage of the moment they walked ahead to ask a question.

“Have you been here before, Priscilla?”

Priscilla shook her head sideways.

“He never had time. On weekdays, he was holed up in his room studying. On the weekends, he was stuck in the lab conducting magical experiments. Even when he returned home, he was confined to the workshop, always researching.”@@novelbin@@

The world looked like this through her eyes. Priscilla softly voiced out as she took in the surrounding landscape with trembling eyes. Her sideways glance was dreadfully pitiful.

She extended the hand that was temporarily left empty, crossing through the dimensional gate. With a smile of delight, Priscilla took my hand and interlaced our fingers.

And while she rubbed my hand against her cheek, feeling its warmth, Aria and Brynhild, who had finally come back, were watching us with eyes filled with numerous emotions.

“You know, there’s something I’ve been curious about.”

“What is it?”

“Are you dating Agnes?”

I had always expected to be asked this question. It was a glaring question, considering the apparent relationship between Priscilla and me.

“No, I’m not dating anyone.”

I hesitated before saying no, as I was worried I might hurt her feelings. Priscilla, however, opened her mouth first. Shock was evidently seen on Aria’s and Brynhild’s faces.

“That’s true? But why….”

“Ours is a much deeper relationship.”

“Oh.”

Brynhild let out an unanticipated exclamation, caught between being startled and amazed. Aria was also surprised, covering her slightly opened mouth with her hand.

“We can’t reveal that we are spirit hosts, okay?”

Priscilla spoke quietly, so only I could hear. She puffed out her chest with confidence.

She wasn’t wrong. If we have a much deeper relationship than dating, they would usually think that we are engaged. I was about to point that out, but I gave up because I saw Priscilla looked so proud.

Well, I guess those two girls are not the type to spread rumors so that would be fine. We can clear the misunderstandings later on.

“Then, are the hand holding and the hugging also…”

To Aria’s cautious question, Priscilla replied, “Isn’t it obvious?”

“It’s warm.”

Their expressions seemed puzzled this time. It was a reply that they couldn’t fully comprehend without knowing about Priscilla’s past.

“Um… Okay? I understand?”

“Sure.”

With that said, Priscilla returned to giggling and touching my hand. The two watched me with confused eyes. I chuckled somewhat.

After a slight encounter, a group of women groused as they passed by us on the way back to the department store.

“It’s really awful the department store is closed today.”

“I think so. I had my mind set on coming, but why today of all days?”

“I’ve heard it’s been like that since yesterday evening.”

Without the attention of Priscilla, who is preoccupied with my warmth, the three of us heard that and instinctively looked at each other. It would be the department store in that direction.

The place we were about to go.

“The department store is closed? What happened, Mira?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t get any messages. I only heard we can just go.”

Beatrice’s last message to me was this morning. Everything is prepared so you can come with your friends. If the department store is closed, why would she say that…

‘Hold on.’

A dreadful thought crossed my mind. Although it was a possibility I didn’t want to consider, ironically, it had the highest chances of happening.

“Let’s just go. It’s probably fine.”

“Your face doesn’t look fine at all, Mira.”

“That’s for a different reason. Don’t worry.”

Suppressing my anxiety, I moved toward the department store.

“It’s an honor to serve you, Lord Crate. And his friends too.”

“It’s an honor indeed!”

I quietly sighed at the scene, exactly as I had expected.

I was suspicious from the entrance, as someone who seemed of a high rank appeared, and when I entered, all the employees warmly greeted me.

“Wow…”

“And…”

Aria and Brynhild, who naturally had never experienced this before, were wide-eyed, and even Priscilla, a noblewoman, was clearly intrigued by the scene.

“Welcome, Lord.”

At the center was Beatrice. I subtly felt a vague headache and approached her and whispered.

“What is this all about?”

“Did you not ask for it, my lord?”

“Me?”

“…Was it not you?”

Once I questioned her, Beatrice realized something was amiss.

“Of course not. I was merely visiting today and told them to slightly adjust their tone accordingly.”

I barely know the top-level employees, but they all recognized the faces of the Crate family. So they could quickly identify and serve them no matter when and where they encountered them.

But I had no interest in watching the flustered employees upon my arrival.

“…I apologize, Lord. We misunderstood the intent. I am willing to accept any punishment. I really am sorry.”

Beatrice bowed her head with a regretful expression.

“That’s not necessary. Just be cautious next time.”

Having said that, I began browsing for merchandise, and Beatrice, whose special promotion of 99% discount for all items just started at the department store, started to serve enthusiastically.

With the end of my sentence, Beatrice snapped her fingers. The staff swarmed in and surrounded Aria and Brynhild, and guided them somewhere.

The two looked at me in confusion. They disappeared among the employees. The rest scattered as if they had been awaiting this moment, and only Beatrice, Priscilla, and I remained.

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Priscilla tightly hung onto my arm and didn’t seem like she was going to let go anytime soon. Beatrice looked at us with a pleased smile.

“Is this the daughter of the Agnes Duke? She is well suited to stand by your side. It would be an honor if I, Beatrice, could also look after your children with love, sire…”

“Stop nonsense. Let’s pick clothes for the moment.”

As I was about to say that we should choose our clothes first, Beatrice and I simultaneously felt a chill run through us and drew up mana. Priscilla dragged the sleeve of my clothes all of a sudden.

“Why, why?”

“I feel something. Beatrice, do you think the same?”

“It’s unmistakable. It’s definitely a feeling of Demonic Beast. But how can Demonic Beast appear in the middle of the capital of the empire…?”

Before Beatrice could question further, a sharp scream was heard from outside. It was nearby.

“Shall we take care of it?”

“Of course, my Lord.”

Just as we exchanged glances and rushed out, Priscilla grabbed my sleeve.

“I know, I know about this situation.”

I froze. This meant she had already experienced this situation in the previous life, and this series of events was the original plot of the novel.

But if she had really known this, she wouldn’t have been silent before we got here, so it seemed that the incident occurred at a different time due to changes made in the original plot.

“I’ll do it. I can take care of this.”

Priscilla, with extremely complexed eyes, forced a smile.

“So, lend me a cane.”

His eyes weren’t even smiling a bit.