Chapter 52

The auditorium is packed.

"Cinderella, huh..."

"Yeah, well, if it's Cinderella... It's a fairy tale, after all."

Just as we thought it was a safe choice, a senior from the literature club whispered to us.

"No, no, the drama club here is famous for causing trouble every year, so it's sure to be a controversial piece this year too. I'm looking forward to it."

I can't help but have a bad feeling about this.

What... What is this?

The heroine, Cinderella, is a first-year student!

To be given the lead role as a first-year student! That's impressive.

Well, that's fine, but right from the start, there's a brutal depiction of bullying.

The pink-haired protagonist is mercilessly bullied by her stepmother and stepsisters. She's forced to do unpleasant tasks, shouted at, angrily scolded for small mistakes, deprived of meals, and covered in ashes from the fireplace! She even has to sleep on the floor...

The acting of the stepmother and stepsisters is so intense and sinister that it's almost as if they're really angry about losing the lead role to a first-year student. Maybe the drama club president has already conquered the club leader after joining. It feels like there's a lot of personal resentment involved. To be honest, the audience is completely taken aback.

In the midst of this, a royal decree is issued by the prince to choose a bride, and everyone dresses up to attend the ball. Of course, Cinderella isn't allowed to participate and is left alone.

Cinderella, lying on the floor, quietly sobs.

"Oh, Prince, Prince, why are you a prince? I love you so much, yet I can't even see your face or attend the ball. Why? Is it because I'm a commoner? Is social status so important? Kind, beautiful, and wise Prince, why can't I meet you..."

Then, she sings her thoughts about the prince in a deeply sad melody, accompanied by the orchestra, thanks to the full cooperation of the music club.

But... If I were the real prince, I'd be scared!

To be unilaterally loved and accused by a girl who doesn't even know my face... Can you imagine how that would feel?

It gives me goosebumps. Cinderella is not something a prince should see!

Look at how Sera won't let go of my hand. It's a tense situation...

"This is like a deranged stalker..."

I'm sorry, Sera, I don't understand what you're saying.

Then, out of nowhere, the goddess Ranates appears with a shower of golden confetti (suspended by ropes) and casts a spell on the pink-haired girl. The black-clad extras surround the heroine, and a costume change ensues. The costume is pure white and incredibly elaborate. The effort is over the top!

The prince is played by the drama club president.

Prince, what have you been doing all this time without a fiancée? Looking for a bride now? And inviting all young girls, from nobles to commoners, to the palace for a dance party? Who do you think you are?

Well, Cinderella is that kind of story... I guess I'll have to accept it.

The prince, ignoring all the other girls, immediately takes the pink-haired girl's hand and starts dancing.

"Oh, what a beautiful person. Please, dance with me forever."

That's not right. As a prince, you should at least dance with all the girls who came. Don't you understand, Prince?

Besides, is it really okay to choose a future queen based on appearance alone? I strongly object to that.

At midnight, Cinderella panics and flees the palace.

"Wait! I want to make you my bride! At least tell me your name!"

As usual, one of her glass slippers falls off as she runs away.

It's a high heel, so when one foot slips off, she ends up running awkwardly, which is quite painful to watch.

The prince picks up the glass slipper left on the hall stairs and rubs his cheek against it in despair.

...What a pervert!

Are you a shoe fetishist? Please, don't sniff it.

"...Why does the spell break but the shoe remains?"

"Prince, that's not something we should talk about..."

"Materials exposed to extremely high temperatures, such as from a meteorite impact, can crystallize into glass. Maybe that's the kind of magic it was."

Harthys, do you know what it means to take a joke seriously?

I asked Sera, and apparently it's when someone points out a flaw in a joke by calmly explaining it with examples, ruining the fun.

Well, that's beside the point. In the end, the prince tries the shoe on all eligible women in the kingdom, finds the perfect fit, and marries Cinderella.

"Why the foot? Shouldn't it be the face?"

"There must be many women with the right foot size."

"So, Cinderella either has incredibly small feet or very large feet."

"The prince didn't even remember the face of the girl he proposed to."

"How stupid is that prince?"

"Turns out the prince is a foot fetishist pervert..."

Please, everyone, stop your criticism. It's draining my life force.

After the play, the Miss and Mr. School pageant takes place, and the results are announced. Miss School is chosen by all male students, and Mr. School by all female students.

The absolute queen of the school, Student Council President Eleena Stradis, is Miss School, and the drama club president, who played the prince, is Mr. School.

Poor Picard. We were completely overshadowed. Being overly confident is scary.

The two of them start the traditional dance performance on the auditorium stage, accompanied by the orchestra, thanks to the full cooperation of the music club.

As they dance elegantly, the literature club seniors comment, "This is Eleena's third consecutive year as Miss School," and "The guy changes every year."

I felt a bit melancholic hearing that.

After the play and the dance performance, we return to the library with the literature club.

"Here it is! The Poem Card game!"

It's called "Poem Card" because it's hard to explain as "Karuta."

I guess it's fine to call it that in Sera's language, as calling it "Karuta" might make the heroine think Sera has memories from her past life.

"Thinking of you, I go to the spring field to pick young herbs..."

"Here!"

"Kyaaahh—!"

...This is quite intense. The usually quiet young ladies are screaming and fighting over the cards on the floor.

It requires physical movement, reflexes, and a deep understanding of poetry. It would be a great addition to the girls' events at next year's sports festival.

I also participate in the promotion at the entrance to the library.

"...What are you doing?"

Even the absolute queen, Student Council President Eleena, is here.

"It's a Poem Card game. We read famous poems from all over the world, and the players search for and grab the corresponding cards on the floor. The literature club members made it."

"Oh, how elegant."

"Do you understand, Miss? It tests your knowledge of poetry, memory, and reflexes. Would you like to join us?"

The president participated, and she's really strong!

"Though I try to hide it, my love is evident in my color..."

"Here!!"

She seems to know most of the poems, and her knowledge is impressive. Her memory is also excellent. However, can't she be a bit more gentle when grabbing the cards with such intense speed and force? Where's the elegance? Her competitiveness is the same everywhere...

"It's fun! Adopting this as a girls' event at the sports festival next year is indeed a good idea!"

It seems like a game that heavily favors the president. It might be unfair. We need to come up with a game that all girls can enjoy fairly...

We managed to visit the art club's exhibition just before closing time.

It's like a royal duty. If the royal family, who attend the school, doesn't show up at school events, it would be disappointing.

The music club is essentially part of the drama club, so we'll say we listened to the music during the play.

"Wow... It's beautiful..."

Sera is delighted by the beautiful still life paintings. There are mostly pastels and watercolors.

All still life paintings? I wonder if that's a bit too much. It's a noble pastime, so it's indoor-focused.

"How about it, Your Highness!"

"Please, just call me Shin. I think still life paintings are the basics of art, but I hope the upperclassmen will move on to painting landscapes or lively portraits... It's a bit dull compared to Sera's paper theater."

The art club president is disappointed, but I've seen Sera's paper theater. While not as skilled as the art club, she vividly captures the dynamics of a story scene. In comparison, the art club's paintings seem a bit boring...

"How about painting scenes from myths or stories?"

"Interesting, that's an old technique..."

"Art doesn't have to be technically perfect. I think a work is great if it brings characters and stories to life."

"Understood!"

"How about deciding a theme and having the art club members collaborate to create a single story, like a scroll painting?"

"That's a great idea! I want to do it next year!"

The art club president seems to like the idea.

"Preferably something that children would enjoy..."

"Like a picture book..."

If we create something good, I'd like to show it to the children at orphanages and hospitals with the help of the art and literature club members.

By evening, the school festival is over. There's a closing dance party at night, where I dance one song with Sera and then leave early. I don't want to be caught in any unexpected events.

Since it's late, a carriage from the Colette residence comes to pick us up, and we ride back together.

"The school festival was fun, right?"

"Yes!"

We managed to get through the day without any major events.

I wonder how the heroine did. Did she gain any affection from anyone?

She was on stage with the drama club president, who isn't even a target, and they were acting all lovey-dovey. It might have been hard to follow up after everyone saw that.

"Sera, you were really good as the maid."

"Well, I see real maids every day at the mansion."

"Like Belle?"

"...Belle's style of service is unique to Belle."

Yes, that... Once you get used to it, it's normal, but it can be scary for those who don't know. She never changes her expression.

"But, I realized something today. Even if we lose our positions as prince and princess, we can still make it. We can do any job. With you, I can do anything, Sera."

"Even a job like that?"

"Ahahaha! Come on, cheer up! Even if I'm disinherited and exiled, it's fine. We could open a shop as commoners or work at an orphanage or hospital. Sera and I can definitely make a living, even without being prince and princess."

"Yes, even if we become commoners and live in a shack, I'm completely fine with it!"

I'm happy to hear Sera say this so happily and genuinely. A normal young lady would definitely give up if I said I wouldn't be a prince or king. She might even get angry at me for even considering it.

"...But, if we can only live in a shack, do you think I'm quite useless?"

"Ah... No, that's not true. Shin can do anything. But, please don't overexert yourself."

"Okay, I understand."

We've arrived at the mansion.

"...But, I think Shin went a bit too far today!"

Ah, she's angry after all.

"Then, I'll give you a treat, Sera."

I gently hugged Sera and kissed her.

Next: "52. Martial Arts Tournament"