Even Off-Campus: The Heroine and the Villainess

The fact that Summer, or rather Hiiro, had awakened as a Saint would be concealed under the pretext of "currently under investigation."

Koleha saw through it immediately. This was surely Harks's ploy to avoid handing Hiiro over to the church.

"So that's the situation. The royal family recognizes me as a Saint for the time being."

"Oh, is that so? … Won't you be getting a bodyguard?"

Koleha asked, drawing on her meta-knowledge from the game. In it, the Saint had been assigned a capture target named Jangaria as her bodyguard.

He was skilled enough to serve as the rear guard in the Handsome Prison. Though now that she thought about it, after Jangaria joined, the Handsome Prison events had stopped entirely, hadn't they? What a trivial thing to remember.

"Um, ah… eventually? At least for the girls' dorm, they said the existing security is sufficient, so they'll respect my privacy there."

Hearing that, Koleha let out a sigh of relief.

If a bodyguard's watchful eyes extended into the dorm, Summer would have no choice but to spend all her time as Hiiro. In that case, Koleha would essentially be alone.

Sure, if it made her look like a selfish young lady foisting chores onto the Heroine, that might work in its own way, but they wouldn't be able to chat casually like this.

"Mm, but outside the dorm… you'll basically have a bodyguard watching you, right? What about during class…?"

"Ah, right. They said academy grounds are fine thanks to the academy's security! So if I do get a bodyguard, it'll only be when going off-campus."

The student dorms were on academy grounds, which raised the question of when a bodyguard would actually be needed.

"I mean, what's the point of protection if you can't even notice it… Ah, I see. If they guard too openly, it would be like proclaiming 'the Saint is here.'"

"Yes, that! Exactly! So inside the dorm, or rather inside the academy, it's fine to carry on as usual!!"

"How wonderful, desu wa. Then you can keep taking care of all the housework, Summer?"

"Yes! The one who looks after Ojou-sama is me, Summer! Now and forever, that role belongs to me! No matter what happens!"

In other words, even if the serves-you-right scheme failed and Koleha was exiled, Summer was declaring she would follow her. Nothing could delight Koleha more. How reassuring.

"… To have such a splendid retainer, I am truly blessed…!"

"Yes, Ojou-sama…!"

"Let's keep up this pace and give His Highness Harks his just desserts!"

"Y-yes, Ojou-sama…!"

Summer's tone always seemed to stiffen whenever Harks came up, but perhaps she was simply nervous because he was royalty.

Or perhaps it was guilt over deceiving a capture target while playing the Heroine. Koleha rather enjoyed that shadow of guilt and the pained expression it brought, so she didn't point it out.

"Anyway, the bodyguard should be a capture target as well: Jangaria Hastur. We met him when the Heroine was kidnapped… or rather, when we were kidnapped. That adventurer-looking guy."

"Ahh, that person."

"If there's no guarding inside the academy, then to interact with that capture target, we'll need to make trips off-campus… which means we need to stage some pseudo-bullying outside the academy!"

"Ah, then shall we go shopping and I'll carry the bags!? I'll carry them until I drop! And if I have to, I'll heal myself with Holy Magic and push past my limits!"

"Pushing past your limits just from carrying bags? Well, having a retainer carry her lady's luggage is perfectly normal. —Yes, a villainess forcing the Heroine to carry her bags. This works, desu wa! Approved!"

Thus, sightings began of a villainess abusing the Heroine even off-campus.

However, the Heroine in question spent the entire time with a slack-jawed expression that practically screamed "An off-campus date with Ojou-sama is the best! Hehehe," while radiating some kind of holy aura, so apparently there was no bullying vibe whatsoever…