The Beginning of the End

Escorted by Harks, she entered the venue.

"Thank you, Your Highness Harks."

"Mm. The pleasure is mine. Oh, Kurushu and the others are here. Let's join them."

Harks and Koleha joined Hiiro and company, who had arrived just a bit earlier.

Kenho was there too. He wasn't a student council officer, if she recalled correctly. As expected of the Heroine—she already had capture targets in tow.

Time to get a jab in. Escorted by Harks, Koleha smirked.

"My, my, a stray cat. Where did you sneak in from?"

"Hey now, Lady Nyarlathotep. Hiiro is a student council officer and has every right to attend. That's not fair."

"No, I meant you, Sir Kenho Cthugua. Unlike the council, the executive committee doesn't have attendance rights, does it?"

"… Did you just call me a stray cat? A cat… me…?"

Kenho's face showed confusion.

"Ah. Kenho's cousin is a third-year—he's here as her escort, if I recall."

"My, is that so, Your Highness Harks."

"Yes. So I have a right to attend."

Kenho puffed out his chest.

"… And you abandoned your cousin to be here? Do you understand what 'escort' means?"

"S-she told me I was in the way because she wanted to talk with friends…"

"Oh. Not a stray cat—a stray dog. My apologies."

"A dog… now I'm a dog…"

"It's alright, Sir Kenho! For an aspiring knight, being a dog is perfect! It's cool and cute!"

"R-right? That's true! Haha!"

Kenho regained his spirits thanks to the Heroine's utterly content-free encouragement.

Over the past year, Hiiro had steadily acquired Heroine power and now had the capture targets eating out of her hand. It was all worth it—the time she'd poured her soul into demonstrating by example.

If only she hadn't then snapped a big 'I did it!' wink at Koleha, it would have been perfect.

"Lady Nyarlathotep. You look lovely today, as always."

"And a good day to you as well, Lord Kurushu. You thoroughly ignored me earlier, didn't you?"

"Yes. I'm Lady Hiiro's escort. It would have been bad manners to address another woman."

"That's right, Lady Koleha—Lord Kurushu escorted me."

"My. If we aren't close, it's bad manners to butt into a conversation."

"We're fellow student council members and close, so it's fine."

Well, being in the same council, that was true enough.

And this wasn't "we are not close," but the opposite—because they were close, it was a lesson in manners for commoner Hiiro. And as Hiiro said, because they were close, it was fine.

The usual pseudo-bullying, pseudo-sniping.

As planned, Kenho was glaring at Koleha, so it had worked.

"Hey, Lady Nyarlathotep. We've worked together in the same council for a year—wouldn't it be stranger if we weren't close?"

"Yes, strange indeed. Why aren't we close, I wonder? Isn't it obvious when you look at how we behave?"

Koleha glared at Hiiro.

The words and the look meant, "Why would you think Hiiro and I aren't close? You can tell we are if you just look. Right, Hiiro?"—and nothing else (or so it would be taken).

Hiiro gave a frightened "Hyah" and tugged at Kenho's sleeve.

"Hyahh, Sir Kenho's going to get in trouble. Stop it!"

Concern for Kenho only. She tugged his sleeve just to hold him back.

They didn't even need to plan this much anymore—they'd been close and doing this for a year!

But Kenho (as intended) misunderstood. How regrettable!

"Hey! You're scaring Hiiro—don't glare at her!"

"My, my. 'Glare'—how rude. What do you think, Your Highness Harks?"

"Enough. That's enough. Today is the seniors' graduation party."

Escorting the villainess while shielding the heroine—truly, a capture target through and through, thought Koleha.

"Hey, Kenho. You have no patience—she's got you wrapped around her finger."

"B-but Harks. As a knight, I can't overlook—"

"Don't misread the situation. You want to be my aide, don't you? If Koleha is going to be at my side, you'll need to handle it, or you can't be my aide."

"… Kuh. Y-yeah. Sorry."

Hearing that, Koleha was certain the preparations for her condemnation were proceeding smoothly.

Handle it—in other words, plan to remove Koleha!

To think they would exchange such words so brazenly right in front of her. Harks had guts. Or perhaps he thought she wouldn't notice. How insulting.

Then the music began. Time for the first dance.

"Oh, is it that time already? Koleha, shall we dance?"

"Yes, my fiancé."

Taking Harks' hand, she headed to the dance floor. As the First Prince and his fiancée, no one stood in their way as they took their place to lead the first dance.

"Heh-heh, just when it was getting fun."

"Koleha. I'll say this now… Today, for once, things may not go the way you intend… but please, enjoy yourself."

"Yes. Quite."

Harks could say something apt when he wanted to.

Let's enjoy the last, climactic party.

And the first dance ended.