Chapter Forty-Six: The Heroine of a Fool (Part IX)

Above me, who was left all alone, the bell signaling the end of lunch break rang.

“…I wonder if I should move to another place for the time being.”

The teacher might find me here. The safest place is…

“Why are you here, Takemiya? You should be in class right now.”

“…What is the Stupid Empress doing here? This is my place.”

As a result of deciding where I should hide, I came to the greenhouse via the elimination method… I can’t say the same when I’m talking to other people, but I think I become too big-headed when it comes to Takemiya.”

“…Well, I mean. Even if it’s Takemiya… If I try to think of this as animal therapy…”

“Go home… Or else insects might come out.”

“Uh… I wouldn’t say I like insects… Well, it’ll be okay as long as I just stay far from the plants.”

…In the first place. The gardener employed by the school takes good care of this greenhouse every day, so there is no way that plants can get insects. I just happened to be unlucky the first time.

Because of that single trauma, Takemiya was able to monopolize such a wonderful skipping place… Let’s recover the wasted time from now on.

“This bed is awesome, yes please!”

I jumped on the sofa bed that was nearby.

For this dog, the greenhouse, which is a public place, was personalized that even a large sofa bed for napping was placed here.

To make matters worse, when you go to the Takemiya route in the original game setting, you will see a depiction of Himeno-chan and Takemiya smiling on this bed.

It wasn’t very becoming of high school students.

What deplorable public morals!

I don’t know if it’ll ever happen… Or rather, I can’t punish you directly because it’s a future that I 100 percent know shouldn’t happen, but I’ll confiscate this bed with the authority of being the Empress at this moment!!

It’s all for returning this dog to a healthy path and for the rest of my brain, which is tired from thinking too much… In other words, I need a nap!!

“…My place to sleep during the day.”

“Hmm–, you could use half, Takemiya. Since it’s so big.”

This is such a big bed that your body won’t hurt no matter what you do.

I think I can take a nap even if I’m only using half of it.

“…Really stupid.”

The dog is saying something uncute, but I can’t hear it. Do other people also ignore barking dogs just to fall asleep?

…Oh, but before I enjoy my elegant Siesta time, I had something I wanted to ask this dog.

“Hey, Takemiya… Why do you like Himeno-chan so much?”

“…What do you mean?”

“No, well, it’s because Himeno-chan is a pervert. Don’t you get disillusioned when you see that?”

I think there’s a limit to how much you can be a dog character. If anything… No, it’s more of, Himeno-chan being an out-of-the-box pervert… I wonder why Takemiya is still able to show the same kind of love.

Is that all because of the game’s coercive powers? If so, I feel a little sorry for Takemiya. Beyond love, it’s like a curse.

“…She’s a Do-Me, but… Himeno-chan is Himeno-chan.”

However, the words that came from Takemiya were clearer and undisturbed than I had imagined.

“I’m just straight and honest with yourself… She helped me when I was having the hardest time… That was when I fell in love with someone for the first time in my life… Disillusionment, there is no way that can happen to me; it’s impossible. Even if it doesn’t pay off, I’ll keep… I’ll keep on liking only Himeno-chan.”

Takemiya’s face with his narrowed eyes was so terrible that it wasn’t even in the stills in the original game.

“I see… I don’t really know.”

“…”

“Oh, no, I’m not talking about Takemiya’s feelings towards Himeno-chan. It’s just this story that I just remembered.”

A story that has been completely twisted and is now utterly collapsed in this world where the game was supposed to be set-up.

Not only me and Himeno-chan but also the existing characters have changed considerably from the game.

…Including Kaname, one of the main and existing characters.

That’s probably why I don’t understand the situation even more.

What to choose and how to live in this world where there aren’t any three choices.

“…Well, no. Let’s just go to sleep, then think about it again later.”

…They say that if your eyes get cold, one may suddenly miraculously heal their idiocy and come up with the idea that will make everything work.

No, I know that’s impossible, but for now, I just want to give up thinking for just a little while.

When I wake up after school, I’ll face Kaname.

As Sukeban Macho-san said, I should make a clean sweep of my heart.

So just for now… Let me escape from reality a little bit more.

“Hey… Wait… Don’t sleep…”

I slowly slipped from the edge of consciousness, ignoring what Takemiya was saying in the distance.

–As if protecting Himeno-chan, Kaname was standing in front of her, staring at me.

“Oh, the dog has come to look at eyes of its owner.”

The words that came out of my mouth had a glamorous sound, including pleasure.

Ah, this is Empress-sama.

It’s not me.

This is the image of the rightful Empress-sama who was expelled when the game was completed using the main route.

“…All right. I’ll let you go. Be by the side of the lady who made you able to look like that. My father and I aren’t so narrow-minded as to terminate the contract just like that. First, we’ll have to cut our ties with the Ryudoji family, causing you to lose a lot of money.”

After saying this, Empress-sama turned her back on Kaname and Himeno-chan, leaving the school in a dashing manner.

She never turned around. She never lost her dignity nor confidence.

Oh, she’s so cool.

Until the end, Empress-sama remained as Empress-sama.

She never clung to anyone nor shown any weaknesses.

Empress-sama was a solitary villainess.

Everything is just a means of amusement for Empress-sama.

She wouldn’t have clung to a dog with a narcissistic ego.

In addition, Empress-sama had the power and strength to live without worrying about anything, nor did she ever need to lean on someone.

…Then, what about me?

I just bear the same appearance as her. The contents are still the same as in my previous life, so can I really live like Empress-sama?

I could also choose to be alone, strong, and beautiful.

…But only in a world where there is no one next to me.

“–Hey, stupid!! Wake up!!”

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