Princess Hugs
Is it already dinner time?
Now that I think about it, it seems even darker than before.
Since there’s no clock in the outdoor bath, I lost track of time.
If I had known this would happen, I should have gone out earlier.
It’s embarrassing to think someone might find me in this ridiculous situation.
At least it’s Mayuzumi-sensei, right?
If it had been some random extra or even a male, I don’t even want to imagine.
“Oh my gosh… K-Kim…”
Mayuzumi-sensei covers her mouth.
Her face turns beet red.
Yet, from an objective perspective, this is definitely not a pleasant sight.
“T-T-T-T-Teacher, this is…”
The first to react to Mayuzumi-sensei’s words is Olivia.
Her eyes start to tremble.
The other heroines are frozen in shock at that moment.
“Mayuzumi-sensei.”
A cold voice shatters the awkward atmosphere in the hot spring.
Han Seo-Jin rises from her spot.
Thanks to the tightly wrapped towel around her, her toned body is revealed, and her indifferent gaze fixed on Mayuzumi-sensei doesn’t waver at all.
Everyone is taken aback by Han Seo-Jin’s strangely calm demeanor.
“*Hic!*”
Beatrice hiccups.
“What? Y-Yes! Han Seo-Jin!”
Mayuzumi-sensei responds with a flustered expression.
Han Seo-Jin speaks with a serious look.
“As Assistant to Kim Deok-Sung, I have something to discuss with you, Teacher Mayuzumi. Let’s move to a quiet place for a moment.”
“Uh, okay…”
Mayuzumi-sensei nods.
She and Han Seo-Jin disappear outside the large bathhouse.
What could they possibly be talking about?
I have no idea what they might say.
The atmosphere has turned frosty.
“……”
Even the heroines who had just been bickering a moment ago fall silent.
After a brief, awkward pause, time passes slightly.
Swoosh.
Han Seo-Jin reappears.
In a calm voice, she addresses us.
“Kim Deok-Sung, other cadets. My conversation with Teacher Mayuzumi has concluded. You may now leave the bath and head to the dining hall.”
It’s already over?
What on earth did they discuss?
My mind is flooded with questions.
“Thanks, Han Seo-Jin.”
Olivia places her hand over her heart as she speaks.
“Right, Han Seo-Jin! Amazing! Eri Ring, I’m impressed!”
“This much is expected from my master’s aide… I need to step up my game.”
I can hear Eri and Makoto expressing their admiration from the side.
This time, I can’t refute her words.
What exactly did she say to send Mayuzumi-sensei away?
How does the National Intelligence Service train their agents, anyway?
“Then, Kim Deok-Sung and all the cadets, enjoy your meal.”
As a question mark floats in my mind, Han Seo-Jin quickly bows her head and leaves.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been in the hot spring water for too long.
I’m feeling dizzy.
And my stomach is starting to grumble.
Thanks to Mayuzumi-sensei, the hot spring bath is finally over, so I guess it’s time to get up.
My body is swollen from the water.
I rise and head outside.
The hot spring water spills over the edge of the open-air bath.
The cold evening air cools my hot body.
“See? Let’s go eat now.”
“I shall accompany you!”
“Deok-Sung! I want to join too.”
As I move, Rin and Evangelin follow me.
Dinner seating is naturally organized by groups.
Only Rin, Evangelin, and Beatrice, who are in the same group as me, sit at the same table.
Of course, the other heroines here—Olivia, Eri, Makoto, and Haru—can’t eat with me.
“Tch… Eri Ring will definitely eat with my master next time.”
“Ugh… It’s unfair that this maid and that fool are in different groups…”
“Geez…”
“Sisters, enjoy yourselves to the fullest. Haru will be super fast like a cheetah from behind!”
I can hear the voices of Eri, Olivia, Makoto, and Haru.
Just as I’m about to leave the large bathhouse, I suddenly…
“Ugh.”
My legs give way, and my body sways.
I’ve seen characters from Japanese anime wobble after being in a hot spring for too long.
Yuji did that in the original too.
But I didn’t think it would happen to me.
I’ve been feeling dizzy for some reason.
“Ugh, I feel dizzy…”
I stumble like I’m drunk.
It’s the first time since losing a drinking game at the freshman orientation in college that I’ve struggled to walk this much after downing a mix of soju, beer, and hard liquor all at once.
But it doesn’t make sense that I’d feel this bad, especially since I’m technically superhuman—like when I caught a cold on that deserted island.
Damn this light novel world.
Not a single advantage of being a superhuman in daily life.
“Master? Are you okay? Eri Ring will help you!”
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung! I’ll assist you!”
“Deok-Sung, weren’t you in the hot spring for too long? I’ll help you.”
“Master! I’ll lend a hand!”
“Deok-Sung oppa! Are you okay?”
Just then, as I wobble like a drunkard, the heroines crowd around me.
It’s already painful enough, and their chatter only makes me feel more dizzy.
“Everyone step aside! His support is my duty as his devoted maid, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte!”
Olivia’s voice rings out.
“Hey, you. Why are you so weak? Anyway…”
Just as Olivia approaches me, my body weakly collapses against her.
I weakly collapse onto Olivia.
“Uh?!”
A strange scream escapes Olivia’s lips.
“Hey, Olivia. Can you help me to the dining hall…?”
I helplessly say into her ear.
At this rate, if I keep fighting here, I’m definitely not going to get anyone to help me, and I won’t be able to eat.
It’s better to just designate someone to help me.
I mean, anyone would do, but the closest one right now is Olivia, so I chose her.
No other intentions.
Flustered.
Olivia’s face turns bright red.
She stammers, “W-well, if that’s the case, I-I guess I have no choice! If it’s an order! As your devoted maid, I have to follow!! Y-yeah! It’s an order!”
Having somehow rationalized herself, she hugs me and lifts me up high.
Princess carry.
I mean, this is fine, but why this pose of all things?
I want to say something, but I’m too exhausted to manage it.
“Giiiii…”
“I had forgotten, Master. That you only favor the princess.”
“Ugh…”
“Olivia, you’re really something. Haru, I see you in a new light.”
“I must also strive harder…”
The voices of other heroines, Makoto, Eri, Rin, Haru, and Evangelin, reach my ears as I’m being princess-carried.
Leaving their voices behind, I exit the large bathhouse.
Changing room.
When we arrive at the place where my clothes are stored, Olivia carefully sets me down on a table.
“Here you go. Your clothes. Lift your arms.”
Olivia pulls a yukata from my locker and speaks, her face a bright shade of red.
“U-uhhhhhhh…”
Naturally, to wear clothes, I need to first take them off.
So right now, I’m in the state of being undressed before putting anything on.
Seeing me like this makes Olivia’s face turn red for obvious reasons.
“Making your devoted maid do this…! You pervert! Scoundrel!!”
Olivia yells with a flushed face.
“I’ll just change myself…”
“Forget it!”
Slap.
When I lift my arms, she lightly slaps my forearm.
If you’re going to refuse, why ask me in the first place?
With Olivia half-lifting me, she slowly dresses me in the yukata.
Once I’m all changed, Olivia picks me up again in a princess carry.
Are you not giving up on the princess carry?
“Well then, let’s head back to the dining hall.”
Olivia and I step out, followed by the other heroines as we leave the large bathhouse.
Entering the corridor leading to the dining hall, I can hear the voices of some extras around us.
“Black Beast, he’s being princess-carried!”
“Where? No way, really?”
“They say he even had a mixed bath with the harem members!”
“Not only did he do that in the hot spring, now he’s being princess-carried?”
“Is he even having the princess help him walk now?”
“So scary. Just how much has he been trained? He’s really a beast.”
What? Training?
Ridiculous.
I want to say something, but I don’t have the energy.
So, I listen to the extras’ chatter while being cradled by Olivia as we enter the dining room.
*
Ryokan Dining Hall.
It’s a place set with tables in a traditional floor-seating style, unlike typical Western dining.
I’m seated in a room with tatami mats and sliding doors, just like I’ve often seen in Japanese anime.
I was sitting in a room with tatami mats and a sliding door.
Since we were a group of four, the table was also set for four.
Naturally, my group members were sitting at the table where I was.
“Hehe, young lady. It is an infinite honor to sit next to Kim Deok-Sung!”
The person sitting right next to me was Evangelin.
Having just finished a hot spring bath, she tied her pink hair into fluffy twin tails and seemed to be in a good mood, humming a tune.
Fortunately, by the time we arrived at the dining hall, my strength had significantly recovered, so I could manage sitting alone.
“Hmm. Deok-Sung, is it your first time having kaiseki cuisine? Kaiseki is a traditional Japanese multi-course meal, starting from the appetizer, sakizuke, to the dessert…”
Right in front of me was Rin.
With a serious expression, she started explaining kaiseki cuisine.
It was mostly the same stuff I had seen on blogs when planning our trip to Japan.
Clatter.
Several dishes were served.
“Kim Deok-Sung! Try this one!”
“Deok-Sung! Eat this!”
Rin and Evangelin were competing to present food to me with their chopsticks.
But wait, why is Evangelin, who’s a foreigner, so good at using chopsticks?
Snap.
I accept the appetizer they offered me.
I heard it was quite expensive, but it tasted good.
They say the presentation is important in kaiseki, and the pottery set out on the table is pretty nice too.
“I wanted to feed Master too.”
“Getting my serving role stolen… This is the humiliation of being a personal maid! Clearly, the group arrangement must be wrong!”
“Grrrr…”
“Haru also wanted to eat with big brother~”
I could hear the voices of Eri, Olivia, Makoto, and Haru sitting at the adjacent table.
Regardless, the food serving kept going.
“Black Beast, I envy you. I wish a beautiful girl would feed me.”
“A black beast who can’t even walk and doesn’t eat by himself… Impressive. At this point, it’s almost admirable.”
“From serving baths to serving meals. Next will be serving during the night, right?”
“Uwaaaah!”
I could hear the extras whispering.
Meanwhile, dishes like grilled fish, sashimi, tempura, and fish stew kept coming out.
But why was everything fish?
Anyway, as Rin and Evangelin kept feeding me, suddenly—
“Guh!”
Beatrice covered her left eye, which was hidden by a blindfold, bowing her head.
“My Eye of Prophecy… It’s going wild…! Ugh! Graaah!”
Drip.
Blood dripped from Beatrice’s blindfold.
The artifact she possessed, the Scarlet Eye, allows its holder to foresee danger in the form of pain.
The intensity of the danger corresponds to the level of pain experienced by the user.
And right now.
“Ugh…”
“Is it okay, Trixie?”
Seeing Beatrice suffer even more than during summer school was a clear signal that a definite danger of at least EX rank was approaching.
As all this sunk in, the blood in my body turned cold.
It has finally arrived.
The League bastards.
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