Chapter 38: Out into the Night
The following night, I was spending time with Rouge as usual while secretly waiting for the right moment to slip out of the room. Alissa had specified the time as 10 PM. It was a bit early for bedtime, and of course, Rouge was still awake.
After finishing dinner, taking a shower, and completing my homework, Rouge was sprawled out on the bed in her pajamas, hugging Nokoko tightly.
…Looking at her like this, she really does look like a girl (which she is), but she still thinks she’s hiding her gender from me…
I can’t deny that I share some of the blame for this. I should just point it out since I already know. But if I do, this clueless roommate might end up revealing that she is Princess Lucretia von Reese, the Seventh Princess.
The meaning changes depending on whether I’m the only one who knows or if we both acknowledge it. At the very least, it would make it difficult for me to treat Rouge as I always have.
“…Sorry, Rouge. I’m going out for a bit.”
I steeled myself and told her I was heading out.
“Hmm…? At this hour!?”
Rouge initially responded with a half-hearted reply, but she must have remembered the time. She jumped up from the bed, still clutching Nokoko.
“It’s almost 10 PM! Where are you going at this hour…?”
“Ah… I’ve got some business to take care of. Don’t worry, I’ll be back before the night is over.”
“Before the night is over…? Wait, could it be that you’re meeting a girl in secret!?”
“If that were the case, I wouldn’t be so straightforward about it.”
…Well, the person I’m about to meet is Alissa and Lily, so it could be considered a secret meeting with girls… Of course, the real purpose is the subsequent secret meeting with Prince Lucas.
“I see… I figured you had your reasons, but…”
Rouge hugged Nokoko tightly and buried her face in it. After a moment, she looked at me with a questioning gaze.
“You can’t tell me what’s going on, can you…?”
“Well, not for now.”
I could tell her, but I still couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was afraid that our current relationship might shatter. Just thinking about it scared me…
However, I also felt it was dishonest to say nothing. Keeping everything hidden and making Rouge anxious probably wasn’t the right thing to do.
So, I decided to share at least this much.
“I’m planning to do what I can to help Lily.”
“To help Lily…?”
“Yeah. So, I think I’ll be going out at night for a while. But I promise I’ll come back, so I’d appreciate it if you could wait for me without worrying.”
“……Okay.”
Rouge pressed her lips together in thought before giving a small nod.
“If it’s for Lily, I’ll believe you. But you mustn’t do anything dangerous, okay? If you don’t come back, I won’t forgive you.”
“I promise. I’ll definitely come back.”
“…Then, take care, Hugh.”
“See you later.”
With Rouge seeing me off, I stepped out of the dormitory and into the hallway.
There were probably many things she wanted to say or ask. But Rouge swallowed her words and sent me off. …Thank you, Rouge.
I had already switched my Skill to «Ninja». I erased my presence and footsteps, then jumped out of the window onto the ground below. Our room was on the second floor, so with the Physical Enhancement from the «Ninja» Skill, it was a height I could easily manage.
I blended into the darkness and made my way to the meeting spot with Alissa. When I arrived at the school gate, I climbed into the carriage that was waiting there, where Alissa and Lily were already present.
Alissa had her hand on the hilt of her sword, nearly drawing it.
“I heard you can switch Skills, but it seems to be true. To get this close without noticing my presence… what kind of Skill did you use?”
“Let’s keep that a secret, shall we?”
I had partially disclosed my Skills to Alissa, just as I had with Lily. I mentioned that I could switch between several Skills at will… but I didn’t touch on the subject of Brainwashing.
“I don’t recommend being too secretive, you know? It just raises unnecessary suspicion. If you act suspiciously, I might have to cut you down.”
“…I’ll be careful.”
From Alissa and Roan’s perspective, someone who can switch Skills like me would be the last person they’d want near Prince Lucas… It’s no wonder they’d be on guard, and I wouldn’t be able to complain if I got cut down by accident. It had been quite dangerous just now.
Rouge had just expressed her concern for me. I needed to be more cautious from now on.
“Well then, shall we depart?”
Alissa moved to the driver’s seat, and the carriage began to move slowly.
Since Alissa was both a knight and a teacher, it seemed she had permission to come and go freely within and outside the academy. That said, it wouldn’t do to be caught taking students out, so Lily and I crouched down in the carriage, holding our breaths.
As we approached the school gate, Alissa casually greeted the guards on duty. Just like that, the carriage was able to leave the academy grounds without issue.
Once we confirmed that there were no signs of people around the carriage, Lily and I let out a sigh of relief and sat back down.
“I never thought I’d be using Alissa-sensei to sneak out of the academy.”
“It was smoother this way.”
If I really wanted to, I could have jumped over the wall carrying Lily, but the goal was to meet Prince Lucas. It was better to leave everything to Alissa, the messenger, to avoid raising any strange suspicions. I had just been warned about that.
“Do you have any idea where we’re headed…?”
“Well, not really.”
I figured it was somewhere not too far from the Royal Castle. I didn’t know if it was a lodging facility, a knight’s barracks, or somewhere else entirely.
Thanks to the «Ninja» Skill, I could see clearly in the dim carriage. Lily was fidgeting nervously, her gaze darting around.
“Are you perhaps feeling nervous?”
“Of course! I know who I’m going to meet without being told!”
I hadn’t told Lily who we were about to meet.
However, given the circumstantial evidence, she would likely figure it out quickly. I, who knew that Rouge was Princess Lucretia, was contacting someone through Alissa, who belonged to the Knights Order, to resolve the issues Lily was facing.
“I can’t believe I’m actually going to meet Prince Lucas directly…!”
Lily buried her head in her hands and let out a deep sigh.