First Year Second Semester – J of Hearts (Part 2) Note: Please don’t read it in the little pop-up for the reader. For some reason it doesn’t reflect my later edits (which I often make a lot of after publishing), so please click ‘view original’.
The schoolgirl began talking proudly before Camille.
“That woman over there isn’t Camille Rhodolite, you know. She’s a fake. She’s a villain who’s continued to deceive you until now.”
The girl spoke to me while pointing at Camille.
“Hey, Current Camille Rhodolite-san. You’re not a person from this world, right? Just like me, you’re a fake who took over and switched bodies with someone else, right?”
Despite ridiculous words being spoken to her, Camille didn’t talk back to the girl. …Strange. Camille isn’t the type to stay quiet when people falsely accuse her of things. Even though she would normally talk back and make fun of them… Her face is bright red. She’s chewing on her lip, her two hands are clenched, and she’s trembling.
“Would you please not say strange things to Camille?”
“Oh? …But, she isn’t denying it, is she?”
Certainly, just as the girl says, Camille just stood there taking it all and didn’t deny it.
“…Camille?”
She looked up at me with a terrified expression. While I was preoccupied with Camille, the girl raised her hands into the air a second time, and by the time I noticed it was too late.
“I’ll… show you how she really should be.”
The schoolgirl drew some unknown magic circle, and fired it this way. It’s similar to communication magic, but I don’t know what kind of magic it is. I immediately covered Camille and used defence magic but… the girl’s magic power was of a volume impossible for one person. Unable to defend completely, some of it hit. I was on my knees, and the girl smiled fearlessly.
“My, my, even though you’re supposed to be bad at magic… You’re strong, aren’t you? You’re a talent(card) that I’m wanting more and more. I’ll come invite you again, so I’d be happy if you accept it next time.”
Like that, the girl gleefully left the area.
My body is unsteady. It seems that Camille who’s in my arms was. .h.i.t with some of that woman’s magic, so she’s unconscious. For her to be shaken enough that she didn’t immediately use defence magic, is not normal. However, I could only keep conscious up until there.
Is this a dream? I’m looking at myself.
I was walking happily together with Royce-sama down a hallway in the magic academy. His Highness seems a little different somehow. He has this hard to describe ephemeral feeling… and is upfront in his behaviour. He doesn’t seem like the person who would even by accident, have a hobby of peeking on and stalking the girl he likes, or whipping a middle aged man.
The me in the dream was talking to His Highness about the future. The contents of the conversation were close to what I have planned in mind now, but I feel that it’s a little too idealistic. You have too many dreams, and it’s kinda embara.s.sing you know, Me.
And then, a pink figure appeared.
“Ah-…”
It’s Camille. Her atmosphere seems kind of different. For one thing her hair is tied into two, and wearing a frilly dress the likes of which I’ve never seen before, she’s clinging to His Highness and flirting with him.
“Wai-… Camille, what are you doing cheating so openly!?”
I accidentally let out a voice, but Camille paid no heed and wrapped herself around His Highness’ arm. Was it intentional that she nonchalantly pressed her chest against him? His Highness is smiling troubledly. As for me… What? Aren’t I frowning incredibly unhappily!? Moreover, it doesn’t look like the reason is jealousy. I’m gazing at Camille as though I’m looking at garbage. No matter what, I can’t imagine myself looking at Camille like that.
The scene changed. This time what I see is myself relaxing in the courtyard. His Highness is lying on the lawn the same way, and sitting by his side is… Eh-?
“Why is it that woman!?”
The schoolgirl who tried to invite me to her cause behind the auditorium was chatting to His Highness with a smile. Chatting to the woman, His Highness’ cheeks were red.
“Your Highness… What happened to Miss Beatrix?”
However, it seems that they couldn’t hear my voice. Not one of the three turned my way.
Once again, the scene changed. This time, with an impatient expression, I was running towards the rooftop of a tower near the school. His Highness who is running by my side with a sword in hand was there too. I don’t really get it, but for now I followed the two. I intended to follow the two up the stairs, but rather than running, it felt more like my body was floating. Having reached the rooftop, I follow the gazes of His Highness and I.
The door to the room at the end of the stairs was open. There, were Camille and that schoolgirl. Camille was standing with a number of men in wait. It looks like thugs she hired with money. It seems that the two of them haven’t noticed His Highness and I.
“Goshhhhh. Royce-sama you knowww~? Loves Camille, you seeee~ So there’s no room for a dirty looking Ugly like you, is thereee~?”
“Uuu…”
The schoolgirl was collapsed on the stone floor, and Camille was overlooking her with arms crossed… It’s obvious that Camille is hara.s.sing the girl. Camile… what on earth are you doing?
“Ahahaha, suits you right~ Like I thought, garbage should be like garbage♪”
The words that came out of Camille’s mouth who was ridiculing the powerless girl who was trying to stand up, was completely unlike her. Camille gave a sidelong glance at the men surrounding the girl, and signalled them. S-, So sly! It’s definitely not a performance that Camille could handle! As expected, this is definitely a dream.
“Heyy, won’t you f.u.c.k this woman? Mess her up, enough so that she can never show her face to Royce-sama again♪”
The men nodded at Camille’s order, and then advanced on the girl while licking their lips.
“N-… No. Save me-”
The girl shut her eyes, and then screamed His Highness’ name.
“ROYCEEE-!”
In that moment, His Highness flashed his sword. Uh, Your Highness… When did you suddenly learn to use something like a sword? His Highness is a magic type, you know? He went, ‘It’s heavy~’ and immediately gave up on the way of the sword, you know? Ignoring the voice in my thoughts, His Highness rapidly mowed down the men.
“S-, Strong… Even though it’s His Highness…”
In an instant, His Highness defeated all the men. And watching from behind him was the other me… Why is he just spectating while His Highness fights? There are a lot of things I want to tsukkomi about.
“Royce…”
The schoolgirl was nestling against His Highness who had run over, and Camille was retreating with a paled face. I who was watching up until now, moved to cut off the escaping Camille.
“Oi, Me! What the h.e.l.l are you doing treating Camille so violently!?”
In a panic I tried to pull Camille over, but my hand pa.s.sed through her arms.
“Geh-, what is this? I can’t get a hold.”
A dream where I have to see Camille in a pinch is the worst.
And then, the scene changed once again. Camille was locked in a dungeon. There was no power in her, and looked just like the Count’s daughter, Claire. A number of men were inside the cell. It was like a recreation of the treatment Camille had given to that girl. And watching expressionlessly from outside the cell were His Highness and I.
“Achille, isn’t this going too far?”
“I’m just returning to Camille what she tried to do to Frau. We can just bribe the men later.”
After giving a single unhappy and cold glance at Camille, I quickly turned around and left. His Highness followed after. Even if I know it’s a dream, it’s a scene that’s more unpleasant than anything.
Hearing Camille shriek from inside the cell, I turned around in a panic, and found the men approaching Camille.
“Wai… Stop!”
Even if I yelled, the men didn’t stop. It seems that n.o.body will recognise my existence in this dream. I pa.s.sed through the cell bars, and tried to tear the men off, but as expected my arms pa.s.sed through them and couldn’t do a thing.
“Get away from Camille!”
Even though it’s in a dream, I can’t stand that Camille has to face this horrible treatment. And moreover, that the one who gave the order was myself in the dream…
It’s a nightmare… This is, a nightmare.
This kind of thing, I would definitely not allow it to happen…
“-, stop!”
The hand that I tried to grab them with once again found nothing but the air. Like that, I felt gravity, and fell… -Pompf!-
…I collided with something soft.
Mn? Pompf…?
“Achille!”
When I turned my gaze towards the voice… I found His Highness.
“Is this reality?”
Have I escaped from that sickening dream? When I looked around to see where I was, I realised that it was the familiar room of His Highness. It seems that His Highness found me collapsed, and carried me to his room. Of course, I don’t think that the person who carried me was His Highness himself, but one of his guards though.
“…Reality? I don’t really know what you’re talking about, but this definitely isn’t a dream.”
Saying that, His Highness grabbed my two cheeks and gave them a long pull.
“…P-, Puease let gow.”
It’s His Highness. Without any feeling of misplacement, I understood that it was the real His Highness.
“Achille, you were having a nightmare, you know? …Camille as well, though.”
“Camille?”
“Look beside you.”
Following His Highness’ finger, I looked to the other side of me… and found Camille lying atop a blanket. She still hasn’t woken, and is having a nightmare. It seems that there are no injuries.
I felt relief from the bottom of my heart that Camille was safely beside me.