I Want Followers, Desu wa...!

In the dorm room.

"I mean, Summer! Am I not floating in class!?"

"Eh. Well, um… yeah, kind of."

"'Kind of'!? You admit it!? You admit that there!?"

"Denying it won't change the facts."

Of all people, Koleha was consulting the Heroine Summer about being a loner in class.

Summer, meanwhile, had used her social skills to make friends inside and outside the class.

"My friends are from the commoner slot. They have strong lateral ties."

"… Could I be included—"

"They'll shrink up around a marquis's daughter."

"That's true."

Nobles and commoners had status differences, inevitably creating a hierarchy.

In fact, Summer handled all the cleaning for this room.

"Perhaps you should make noble friends of your own, Ojou-sama."

"… No one talks to me."

"Ah, among nobles your rank is on another level. They're keeping their distance."

Summer offered comfort.

In truth, Koleha was admired by commoners as the 'Saint of Medicine'.

Her reputation among nobles wasn't bad, either. She was the First Prince Harks's fiancée; he himself had invited her to the council, and their relationship was thought to be good.

With such an obvious difference in rank, everyone hesitated to approach and she floated.

If anything, the issue was how she treated her retainer Summer.

She dressed Summer up as Hiiro Inn, kept a fine but untouchable distance, and then sometimes stared and smirked, so the perception was that she had 'unusual tastes.'

Well, Hiiro Inn was so cute that the reaction was: "I kind of get it," "A living work of art—so she's an artist," "That commoner is so cute, but hitting on her would be out, right…," and "Even treated as property, if it's that one, I could accept it."

But the biggest reason Koleha was a solitary figure was more than that…

(… Should I tell her that His Highness keeps intimidating the class?)

Harks, who should be in another class, would regularly peek into the back of the classroom, intimidate with a smile, and shut out not only men who tried to approach but also follower-hopefuls with full ulterior motives.

And so Koleha became a loner.

"Why not just enjoy school life with His Highness?"

"What are you saying, Summer! I came this far for His Highness's serves-you-right! Getting along with him is the Heroine's job, I won't allow dereliction of duty!"

"I knew saying it wouldn't make you give up."

And while Koleha refused to give up her serves-you-right, there was a sense she'd given up on making followers. That was because she remembered that game-Koleha didn't have followers in tow.

Probably for 3D model budget reasons, in the game Koleha always appeared alone. If there had at least been 2D cutout standees for followers, that would have been different, but…

"It is my fate to lack followers, desu wa…"

"Ojou-sama. What are you saying. I am your follower!"

"But you're the Heroine!"

"Then I'll act as two people."

"…?"

Koleha tilted her head.

"See, when I have makeup I'm Hiiro Inn; when I remove it I'm Summer!"

"…!! That works!!"

What's more, Summer's makeup technique was fast. She could complete her transformation in under a minute.

Well, Summer had good base features, and the makeup could be kept minimal.

"Thinking about the price of cosmetics gives me chills, so I don't want to switch frequently… but I'll gladly do it for Ojou-sama!!"

"Of course I'll expense it! I have cash!"

"As expected of Ojou-sama, a moneyed noble! Nyarlathotep's glorious avatar!"

Thus, Koleha succeeded in getting a follower… but since that follower was the Heroine, she could not appear with followers before the Heroine.

In the end, just like the game, in front of the Heroine, Koleha would act alone.

But that, she decided, was instead a loophole in fate.

Thus, Koleha was freed from being a true loner and found peace of mind.