“Fuaa.”
Pastel walked weakly.
She looked like an office worker coming home after finishing overtime, with the moon peacefully shining. Since she was wearing a suit she didn’t normally wear, there wasn’t much of a difference.
“It was so tiring.”
After attending the property briefing and roughly finishing the discussion, they were now dispersing into the guest room.
Once the official situation ended and her friends returned completely to their private relationships, they walked together.
Melissa smiled faintly.
“Parties are usually very exhausting. Especially if it’s your first time. It was strategically a good choice to attend late to focus on the briefing and skip the party.”
That was more about a power struggle, though.
Pastel weakly waved her arms.
“I didn’t know there would be another party after the briefing.”
She was drained from dealing with the approaching nobles.
Even though she liked conversing, she couldn’t fully enjoy it with the quiet probing or psychological warfare going on.
Maybe it was because they were all older? Just being in the same space made it a tense situation.
Bbu bbu.
It’s a downside of being popular. Normally, many people come close and it’s enjoyable, but when it’s work, it becomes a hassle.
Even if they’re friends privately, they’re just clients when they meet in a public setting.
“That’s more like a simple time to catch up rather than a party. There isn’t a formal title for it, but it’s an agenda that everyone implicitly keeps in mind.”
“Bbu.”
Pastel pouted her lips like a duck.
“Isn’t it too long to be just a simple time?”
Walking over to the corridor window and looking up at the sky, there was more of the moon. The soft moonlight draped over her pink hair like a veil.
“Fuaa.”
It really is past midnight.
Melissa smiled. As a true noble who had experienced many parties since childhood, she showed no signs of fatigue.
“The main character came late. Those who wanted to talk to you, Pastel, are only just now saying hello.”
“If the purpose of those greetings is just a probe, I can’t accept it happily.”
“That is true. But you handled it well. Everyone was impressed by the first impression of Craft Clan Leader, right? Even though you didn’t make a debutante appearance, you can boast that you debuted splendidly in society. As talk of first impressions spreads, it shouldn’t take this long next time.”
“Ah~! The first impression in a suit?”
Pastel quickened her pace to create some distance. Then she turned to look at Melissa, Althia, and Ellie.
A bright smile spread across her face.
“Friends! Now you can feel the special relationship we have, right? Only those who rank in the friend hierarchy get to taste Pastel’s true feelings!”
“Are you formalizing that? If I were to add a hint of malice, I think ranking friendships isn’t a good idea.”
“Ding! Ding! Ding! When the number one in rank says something like that, it’s deceit!”
Especially someone like Leonard, who would fume every time she casually mentioned rankings while being always in the middle rank.
“Anyway! Our friends, who didn’t start as Pastel in a suit, have the right to feel proud of this sincere relationship!”
Is this a genuine friendship that can only happen during school years?
Clap! Clap!
“Yahoo~!”
Pastel clapped her hands alone.
“Our genuine relationship without acting!”
Seeing the poor Pastel who diligently acted as a black knight, completely different from her true nature, shouldn’t she feel it right away?
A peculiar gaze came over.
Huh?
Melissa looked slightly embarrassed as the representative.
“Even though you have a bad reputation, I don’t suspect you because we’ve spent time together, but you act quite well.”
It’s a bit long for “I don’t suspect you,” isn’t it, with that disclaimer?
“I believe.”
Pastel, who was about to tear up, widened her eyes at Althia’s words.
As expected of Althia!
Sometimes she’s even ahead of Melissa!
I didn’t expect that at all, but thank you!
Althia added.
“Your acting skills.”
Ugh!
“Why would you believe something like that…!”
Pastel held her head in her hands.
“This is all because of the suit! If I had worn my usual fluffy white clothes, you would have felt my genuine heart through the pink and white effect!”
Melissa looked at her somewhat skeptically.
“That statement is very Craft-like. Do you usually care about such things? I’m not doubting my friends at all, but it might be good to objectively recognize a mindset that can be easily suspected.”
“It’s not a mindset that can be easily suspected; it’s a mindset that deserves suspicion!”
“That’s unfair!”
Pastel’s face fell.
I regretted wearing a suit!
With my pink hair, the suit can only remind people of the devil!
The benevolent and great Pastel Chancellor should have avoided being perceived as a devil!
“Miss.”
A maid approached Melissa and spoke to her. Melissa looked out the window at the moon.
“It’s getting late. I’ll be heading back now.”
Her blue eyes gazed kindly.
“Pastel, you should get some sleep too. Even though I mentioned it, don’t worry too much about such things. Everyone has their own personality, you know? We don’t suspect our relationships because of personality.”
Don’t worry too much.
Put differently, it means you should care a bit.
Ugh!
“I’ll be leaving as well.”
Melissa and Althia departed.
Even Ellie, who had been quiet, slightly turned her body in line with the atmosphere.
“Ah, Ellie, wait a moment.”
Pastel reached out. She locked eyes with the demon girl.
“Don’t we have something to talk about?”
A princess I didn’t even know existed?
Ellie bit her lip slightly.
#
“Demon Lord! Two cups of cocoa! Since it’s night, cocoa! Cocoa that helps you sleep! Sweet cocoa!”
Pastel hummed.
The demon brought the cups. The white liquid sloshed gently.
“Drink sugarless milk at night. If you keep eating sugar in the middle of the night, your teeth will rot.”
Cough.
Instead of cocoa friend, I got milk friend.
Pastel gloomily grasped the cup. Warm steam rose.
“Drinking milk in a suit.”
Challenge~.
Gulp.
White milk smeared her mouth. She licked her tongue and savored it.
The warm milk seemed to be better at soothing both body and mind at night than cocoa?
The tiny magic stone powder mixed in was sweet too.
“One more cup!”
“Before that, take off your coat. If you stay in work attire, you’ll never relieve mental fatigue.”
“Okay!”
Pastel swiftly took it off and handed it over. She was now in a white dress shirt.
“Wow! After taking off my coat, the color matches my usual fashion tone!”
With this, she underwent an image change from a demon to an office worker!
“Right, Ellie?”
Ellie, awkwardly, fiddled with her cup. The steam from the milk wafted up.
“It’s somewhat similar to usual.”
“Eh? Does that imply I’m stiff even normally?”
Is that how she took it?
“Not exactly, just…”
She received a new glass of milk.
Pastel seized the opportunity while the demon went to check the room windows to put a generous amount of sugar in the milk.
Deliciousness multiplied by a million~.
The teaspoon created swirls.
“What’s the best way to address you? Princess Althia? Or just Princess? Or perhaps, the great princess?”
“What’s the last one?”
Ellie seemed somewhat incredulous.
“Call me as you would a pundit.”
“Okay!”
Ellie, why did you deceive me?
Did you not know that you need to write down all past experiences when applying for a job?
Pastel hummed. The teaspoon stirred the milk as if it had no reason.
Ellie awkwardly rubbed her cup.
“I wasn’t trying to deceive you.”
An awkward silence flowed.
“I had to use a subordinate identity to enroll due to public duties I can’t talk about, and that has been maintained until now.”
“Okay! I see!”
Pastel beamed.
“I’m not deceived either!”
Her clear voice rang out.
“I investigated Ellie’s background beforehand!”
Ellie didn’t know, but the reason for creating a separate inspection department not under the student council was because of Ellie!
There are many coincidences in the world, and I feel wronged every day, but…
Sometimes it isn’t coincidence!
“Huh?”
The demon girl looked dazed.
“Upon reviewing your identity, actions, and contact persons, while there are suspicions of spy allegations, there is no suspicion of terrorism. You’re presumed to be a separate dove faction figure unrelated to the aggressive hawks.”
The teaspoon was set down.
“The reason for the intrusion is likely to find the Demon Lord heir in a space where talents of a predetermined age gather. The evidence is the unusually large number of records for accessing student lists and actions.”
For reference, these access records are not the same as the meticulously manipulated records by the in-charge Ellie.
Pastel, who usually made paper airplanes, actually doesn’t play around and checks and writes down every document’s access and imports daily!
Not that I suspect her intentions, but mutual records and reviews are effective in security procedures. I started that since the first semester!
Normally, it would be right to disclose security procedures to block any malicious intents.
But!
Since this is a dangerous and fearsome world of swords and magic, I created traps that only I know!
“O great Pastel Chancellor~.”
The girl in the dress shirt chuckled.
“But I didn’t expect you to be a princess!”
The inspection department was a private intelligence organization formed from Leonard and friends, and they haven’t reached deep into political circles yet.
If there had been any suspicion of terrorism and they had conducted confinement procedures from the start, it could have escalated into a diplomatic issue.
No matter how much student safety is at stake, if it were a radical spy, it would have been troublesome, but a princess’s status needs to be treated with caution.
In truth, even peaceful demon races should be wary as they are backing the Demon Lord, but…
I am that next Demon Lord!
Even if it doesn’t suit me, I am the rightful heir~!
Ahem.
“Huh?”
The demon girl looked dazed again.
