BXBX NOVEL Chapter 69 – School Trip (3)
Chapter 69 – School Trip (3)
"It seems like you’re having trouble handling it alone. I thought I could lend you a hand."
"…?"
"What do you think?"
The snake asked softly.
The girl, who had momentarily frozen, soon understood the meaning behind his words and reacted belatedly.
Her face flushed bright red.
"Wh-Wh-What did you just say…?"
Her lips stammered as if they were malfunctioning.
Her pupils trembled violently.
"H-How can you say such shameless things so casually…!"
"Hmm?"
The villainess cried out in shock.
However, the blonde boy only tilted his head, as if confused by her reaction.
As though he didn’t understand what the problem was.
"But you’ve been struggling with it, haven’t you? I only meant to help you."
"E-Even so…!"
"If you don’t want it, I’ll step back."
"Ugh."
The girl, who had been resisting, fell silent.
It was because of the look in his eyes.
His narrowed gaze reminded her of a certain whisper from before.
The memory was still vivid.
—I hope you’ll live for my sake.
The truth was, the villainess had no right to refuse.
In exchange for being saved, she had made a contract to give everything to him.
However—
"Such a shame."
Could things progress this quickly?
Even if one side had feelings, wasn’t this moving a bit too fast?
The girl, who had no experience with men, found herself floundering.
\'B-Besides, last time we kissed, but that was when I wasn’t in my right mind…!\'
Emilia was flustered and panicking inside.
Of course, none of this mattered.
At least, not to the snake, who saw vanity as an utterly powerless emotion.
After much internal turmoil, the girl finally reached out.
"W-Wait… Hold on."
She timidly grabbed his sleeve.
A deep sense of shame washed over her.
She tried to speak confidently, but even she could hear how pitifully her voice trembled.
Emilia extended the bottle toward him and made her request.
"…Please."
"My Lady?"
"Help me apply it. So my skin doesn’t burn in the sun."
Her face burned as if it were about to explode.
A short while later.
Emilia lay down on the mat.
She had taken off her cardigan, leaving her pale skin exposed.
All that covered her body was a sky-blue swimsuit.
Her soft, feminine curves flowed naturally.
Her blue hair cascaded down, and within those waves lay her undeniable voluptuousness.
Her carefully sculpted figure was as if drawn in a painting, capturing the gaze of men and women alike.
True beauty was like that.
"…"
Perhaps it was because she found the situation too embarrassing.
The girl couldn’t raise her head.
If she so much as showed her face, she feared her flushed expression would be entirely too obvious.
So she just lay there, face down, resting on her arms.
"You don’t need to be so tense. It won’t hurt or anything."
"…Shut up."
The snake whispered soothingly, as if calming the villainess.
The boy wore a faint smile as he poured sunscreen into his palm.
And then—
"Let’s begin."
Slap.
His hand touched the villainess’s back.
Perhaps because of the cold temperature, Emilia, who had been holding her breath, let out a small sound without meaning to.
The lotion-covered hand slid smoothly over her skin like scales.
"Ugh…"
This was the first time she had allowed someone else to touch her back.
Before her startled mind could settle, the hand that clung to her began to glide across her skin.
Swish.
His gentle hand moved slowly.
White traces appeared on her soft skin, only to be absorbed as he rubbed it in again.
The boy carefully spread the sunscreen, taking his time.
"Ugh… Hmph…"
She kept letting out small noises in response to the strange sensation.
Emilia bit her lip.
A strange, unsettling feeling hovered in the air.
The villainess trembled slightly but tried her best not to show it.
She didn’t want to lose her composure.
Swish, swish.
Meanwhile, the boy’s hand continued its work.
Perhaps due to his supposed vast experience with women, his actions were confident and unhesitant.
She found it strangely infuriating.
\'It\'s annoying.\'
The sight of his narrow eyes curving into a mischievous smile.
As if he were purely innocent, with no ulterior motives, just grinning sweetly—it really rubbed her the wrong way.
It made her feel like she was the only one being weird.
"Hmm."
Of course, it was a misunderstanding.
In truth, the boy had no hidden intentions.
He merely wanted to help, but somehow, his words had been misinterpreted.
This was something Emilia was unaware of.
Her deeply rooted misunderstanding only grew.
"How long is this going to take… Hmph."
"I’m almost finished."
Her breath became shallow.
The villainess had no choice but to endure, face down, until the moment the cool hand finally lifted from her back.
Her body trembled with anticipation all the while.
***
After the sunscreen was fully applied, Emilia shakily got to her feet.
The villainess, whose pupils still seemed a bit dazed, quickly regained her composure and shot a glare in my direction.
It was the kind of look you’d give to garbage.
"…You pervert."
She hissed like a feral cat.
She stepped back, putting some distance between us, and even went so far as to hide behind Regia’s body.
I asked why, but all I got in response was a hiss.
In the end, despite helping her, I ended up being treated like some kind of villain.
"Why are you acting like this?"
"Don’t come any closer."
"Could you at least tell me why?"
"Pervert."
There was no reasoning with her.
In the end, I gave up trying to get an answer and turned to Irene, who had been quietly watching the whole situation.
Since she had witnessed everything firsthand, I asked her.
"Miss Irene, do you know why the lady is acting like that?"
"Yes."
"And the reason is?"
"Your garbage."
"Seriously?"
"Well, it’s not wrong, is it?"
"…"
Pervert, degenerate, garbage.
In the span of just a few moments, I’d been hit with three insults in a row, leaving me speechless.
What a cruel world this was.
Anyway,
Now that the sunscreen issue was resolved, the girls began to wade into the sea.
The wind swept in, carrying with it the cooling scent of the ocean.
It was a refreshing sea breeze, powerful enough to chase away the summer heat.
"It’s cold!"
"Well, of course it’s cold. It’s the ocean."
"Still, I’ve never seen such a clear sea before! Even when I traveled across the continent, there were few places like this…"
"Okay, okay. Just watch your step and don’t trip."
"Y-Yes…!"
The protagonist and the villainess walked side by side along the shoreline.
Their steps brushed against the waves as they moved forward.
I sat a little ways off in the shade, watching their retreating figures.
I had no plans to go into the water, just to observe.
"It’s peaceful."
I muttered quietly.
As I enjoyed the fresh air, I suddenly noticed someone approaching from beside me.
Turning my head, I saw the fox sitting down.
She didn’t seem interested in going into the water either.
"…"
The girl sat silently, almost as if she were lifeless.
I threw a casual remark her way.
"Why not at least dip your feet in? We’ve come all this way to the beach."
"I don’t have a swimsuit."
"You could just get your clothes wet and change later. We have plenty of spares."
"No thanks."
Irene refused firmly.
Her voice lacked its usual energy.
I blinked in confusion at her strange reaction, but the fox continued, almost as if to herself.
"…I just don’t like the ocean."
Her gaze seemed oddly distant.
It was as though she was reflecting on something.
Even her fox ears were drooping slightly.
As I waited in silence, the girl suddenly asked a question of her own.
"What about you?"
"Hmm?"
"You’re not going in either. So why are you just sitting here?"
"Well…"
I answered calmly.
"It’s not that I hate the ocean. It’s just that I don’t really feel like wearing a swimsuit."
"A swimsuit?"
"I’m embarrassed by revealing clothes."
"There you go, talking in circles again."
"It’s true. I don’t think my body is anything to show off."
"You’ve got a pretty good physique, though…"
"Heh."
I smiled without saying more.
It was my way of dodging the question.
After all, everyone has a few things they’d rather keep hidden.
"Everyone’s got their reasons, I suppose."
"…Yeah. If you say so."
Irene didn’t ask any further.
She simply closed her lips.
And so, we sat there in peaceful silence.
Respecting each other’s quiet until the day at the beach came to an end.
Only the sound of the sea breeze brushed past our ears.
***
After an enjoyable day, the four of us returned to the hotel.
Having spent the entire day at the beach, we were all starting to feel hungry.
We gathered in one room for dinner.
As we’d discussed earlier that morning, I would be the one cooking tonight.
The others sat around the table, half nervous and half excited.
"Alright, you may dig in now."
Fortunately, the food I made was more than just edible.
In fact, it exceeded expectations, rivaling what you’d find in a high-end restaurant.
For Regia and Emilia, who were tasting my cooking for the first time, it was only natural they were astonished.
"It’s… it’s delicious…!"
"This is unbelievable."
The girls paused, their forks suspended in the air, marveling at the food.
Wearing a pink apron, I simply smiled at them.
"I’m glad it suits your taste."
"It’s even better than the restaurant we went to this morning! I had no idea you could cook this well, my lord. I-I want to learn from you…!"
"Haha, perhaps I’ll treat you like this from time to time."
Regia’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
"…How is there nothing you can’t do?"
"I’ve just picked up a bit here and there."
"This is so frustrating… I was planning to mock you if it was bad."
"I’m quite the domestic man, you know."
"Don’t even think about trying to use that to win me over…"
"Oh, what a shame."
Despite her complaints, Emilia acknowledged my skill.
I smiled with satisfaction.
"All in all, this was worth it."
Dinner continued in a warm and relaxed atmosphere.
It was a pleasant way to wrap up the day.
However, there was one person who wasn’t able to fully enjoy the moment.
That person was Irene.
"…"
The girl seemed to be lost in thought.
She only responded when her name was called, as if her mind were elsewhere.
She had been like this ever since we returned from the beach.
"Miss Irene."
"…"
"Miss Irene?"
"…Ah. Sorry, I didn’t hear you."
The fox finally responded.
I looked at her hazy eyes with concern and spoke softly.
"Are you alright?"
"What?"
"You seem distracted. Is something bothering you?"
"Bothering me? No, nothing like that."
"Then?"
"I’m just… tired, I guess. Don’t worry about it."
Irene brushed it off casually.
She resumed eating, her expression as calm as always.
"…"
But her black eyes seemed dull, as if a light had gone out.
Though she tried to act as though everything was normal, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
And so, dinner came to an end.
***
That night.
Irene couldn’t sleep.
"…"
Her black eyes remained wide open.
Although it was already late into the night, she felt suffocated, making it impossible to stay still in bed.
After tossing and turning for a while, the fox finally got up.
She decided to step outside for a breath of fresh air.
Creak.
As she exited the bedroom, the first thing she noticed was the blonde boy.
He was leaning back on the sofa, fast asleep.
He must have gone to bed early.
Careful not to wake him, she quietly left the room.
Since it was only going to be a short walk, she didn’t bother leaving a note.
The fox simply continued on her way.
"…"
Irene headed for the beach near the hotel.
Shwaa…
As she crossed the wide sandy shore, the sound of the waves lapped at her ears.
The salty ocean breeze stirred her thoughts.
The fox took in the harsh scenery.
The starlit sky.
The clear sea reflecting the night’s hues on its surface.
It was a beautiful sight, but—
The words that escaped her lips were the complete opposite.
She muttered as if chewing on the words.
"…I still hate the ocean."
Perhaps it was because of her nightmares.
When she looked at the water’s surface, she couldn’t help but see herself trapped in a cage.
It felt as if those waves might swallow her whole at any moment.
She found herself thinking that maybe it had been a mistake to come out here.
It only seemed to worsen her mood.
The sharp, salty scent of the sea filled her nostrils.
Irene mulled it over, slowly leaving her footprints in the sand as she walked.
The air was so still that not even the smallest sound disrupted it.
Whiiish.
She brushed aside her windswept bangs.
After walking for a long time, she realized she had wandered into an isolated corner of the beach.
"Should I head back?"
She was thinking it was about time to return when——!
Suddenly, an unfamiliar noise reached her ears.
Her fox ears twitched instinctively.
Focusing her hearing, she quickly realized what the sound was: someone’s scream.
It wasn’t far off.
"A scream…?"
Irene furrowed her brow.
Without hesitation, she kicked off the ground and ran toward the source of the noise.
It was a back alley, not far from the beach.
Creak, creak.
Several large carriages were lined up in a row.
Around them stood men wearing robes, stationed as if guarding the area.
Irene immediately recognized them.
Her eyes wavered as she watched from the shadows.
There was no mistaking them.
How could she not recognize the people who had thrown her life into hell?
\'Slave traders.\'
Her fists clenched tightly on their own.
She hadn’t encountered them since her escape, but here they were, their transport carriages right in front of her in this resort town.
Their sneaky methods of sticking to back streets hadn’t changed.
—How dare you try to escape!
—P-Please help me…!
—Shut your mouth! Unless you want to die, get back in the wagon!
—Eek…!
It seemed someone had been caught while trying to flee.
A woman was being dragged by the collar and thrown back into the carriage.
That was likely the source of the earlier scream.
\'What should I do?\'
I should help.
She wanted to jump in right away, but the problem was, she couldn’t gauge the exact number of enemies.
Nor could she tell how many people needed rescuing.
If they were transport carriages, there were probably many more trapped inside.
Charging in recklessly could make things worse.
\'The regular guards aren’t a problem.\'
They were manageable enough.
But if there was a "hound" among them, the situation would change.
There was a chance she could end up captured herself.
\'Still, if I don’t do something…\'
As she hesitated, hand hovering over her sword, the carriages began to move, one by one.
"Damn it…!"
She couldn’t let them get away.
Irene cursed under her breath and began to move, slipping past the guards unnoticed.
She swiftly hopped onto the last carriage in the line.
The cargo area was filled with supplies.
Holding her breath, she concealed herself between the rattling boxes.
Neigh!
The sound of the horses’ hooves echoed as the carriage began to move.
In the end, she had no choice but to follow along.
Meanwhile.
Someone else was watching the departing carriages with an ominous smile.
The snake’s narrow eyes gleamed dangerously.
"The protagonist’s event is done… Looks like it’s time for the supporting character’s growth arc."
His cryptic words hung in the air.
A moment later, the sound of clapping rang out.
Clap!
The shadowy figure that had been standing in the darkness disappeared without a trace.
Only the night breeze remained, filling the empty space.
[EP.10 Slave Traders]
—The Raging Waves, and the Sunken Cages—
A new episode was beginning.