Chapter 28 - I fell into a pinch (1/2)

“How’s ‘Fortune Lover’ going? Did you beat it?”

During a break, my otaku friend A-chan asked me that with a smirk on her face.

“I was able to capture the self-important prince, but I still haven’t captured the evil sadistic prince…… The villainess rival’s quite amazing at getting in the way……”

As I sighed and said so, A-chan’s smirk became even larger.

“Hehe, I’ve already cleared all of it.”

“Ehh, you’ve already cleared it all!?”

“Mmm, not only the four capture targets, I’ve also cleared all the hidden ones too.”

As she said so, I looked at my otaku friend who was dauntlessly smiling with admiring eyes.

“As expected of A-chan~, so fast~. I guess there are hidden capture targets after all.”

“Yep, after you clear all four capture targets you’ll be able to go on their routes. By the way, do you want to know which characters they are?”

“Wait a minute, stop~~ spoilers are prohibited~~”

I said so and covered my ears, as A-chan’s smile was looking rather sinister.

“The hidden characters are~”

“No~ I don’t want to listen~~”

“Katarina-sama, it’s morning. Please wake up.”

“Mmm~, nooo, I don’t want to listen~”

“Katarina-sama, stop being half-asleep, and if you don’t get up soon, you’ll be late for classes.”

“……Mmm.”

When I finally opened my eyes, I saw my maid Anne standing there next to me.

“……Anne, morning.”

“Yes, good morning. Since you’re awake now, please prepare quickly.”

Anne was already briskly moving about, while my head still wasn’t working quite yet and I just stared blankly…… I tried to remember the dream I was having just up until now……

“Somehow…… I feel like that was a rather important dream……”

“……Dream?”

Anne replied to my muttering.

“Yeah, the dream I was having just up until now…… For some reason, I feel like it was a really important dream, but…… After waking up, I’ve forgotten it all~.”

“……Is that so…… You did seem to be saying something in your sleep…… But it didn’t sound like anything important……”

“Eh? Was that the case?”

Is that it, was it just my imagination? What kind of dream it was, I can’t remember at all…… Since Anne is saying so, that must be it.

Thinking that it was an important dream was probably just my imagination. And so I reached a conclusion, and began preparing to go to school.

It’s already been more than half a year since I’ve enrolled in school, and it’s just about to turn from fall to winter.

I’m already getting along really well with the game’s heroine Maria. Also, I’ve been able to become friends with students outside the student council as well. The field is going well, and I’m getting really good at throwing the toy snake.

I’m completely prepared for all oncoming destruction flags.

However, the only part I’m troubled about is, that I’m completely clueless about how love between the all-important Maria and the capture targets is progressing.

No matter how many times I asked Maria if she has anyone that she really likes, she would always reply with “I look up to and admire Katarina-sama” and dodge the issue. What’s more, Maria seems to have no self-awareness at all about how popular she is.

“I’m sure that all the boys in the student council are head over heels in love with you after being charmed by you, Maria” is what I enlightened her with.

“That’s definitely impossible. Everyone already has someone else that they’re head over heels in love with.”

Maria had a very surprised look on her face as she said that.

As for these capture targets, other than the heroine Maria who’s simply so charming, they shouldn’t have anyone else that they’d be head over heels in love with……

I think Maria really needs to pull herself together, it seems that her traits as an otome game heroine “denseness” and “misinterpretation” are activating……

Just recently, Maria and Keith also explored this topic together, and Keith had said “the person I’m always thinking about is incredibly dense” and he sighed as I accidentally overheard the conversation, I think that Maria’s denseness must really be quite something.

The capture targets probably have quite a lot of hard work ahead of them, eh……

And so, even though I didn’t know how everyone’s love was progressing, everything else was going really well, and I was having a calm and peaceful school life. It suddenly ended.

The game’s finally started its movements, eh……

During lunch break on a day that was quite cold, I was heading to the cafeteria with several of my classmates.

Usually, I would be together with my friends and stepbrother in the student council, but on that day, everyone else said that they had something else to do and would be there later.

Now that I think back on it, something around me seemed to be different that day. While the student council members are quite busy, and would sometimes have to work during lunch break, but…… Even so, for all of them to be missing, it’s never happened before.

However, at that time I didn’t suspect a thing at all, and my head was filled with thinking about the lunch menu for the day.

And so, without having noticed anything was off, I carefreely arrived at the cafeteria - that’s when it happened.

“Katarina Claes. I have something important to say to you.”

Standing in front of me when I entered the cafeteria was a noble girl of quite high ranking.

Before I got engaged to Prince Jared, she had been the strongest candidate…… She was always someone who was glaring at me or verbally attacking me…… Honestly, she never says anything decent at all.

However, she also had upturned eyes and thin lips, and had a villainous face similar to me, I had always felt that she was a comrade in looks, but……

The girl’s upturned eyes were turned even further up while she was glaring at me, and she was blocking my way. My eyes became round as I had no idea what was going on.

However, behind this girl, were ten or so other students, and they were all glaring at me just like she was. As expected, it seems like just like her, they’re all people that one-sidedly hate me and want to verbally attack me.

However…… I feel like I’ve seen this scene somewhere before.

“Katarina Claes, today, we shall publicize a number of your wrongdoings right here!”

The girl’s voice resounded loudly throughout the cafeteria as she confronted me.

There should be more than half the school gathered here at the cafeteria during lunchtime…… If you use such a loud voice…… The usually noisy cafeteria suddenly became quiet, as everyone seemed to be looking this way.

Perhaps she’s noticed this as well, the girl raised her thin lips.

During all this, as for me…… Honestly, I had no idea what was going on, and just stood there frozen still in confusion.

Something such as…… my wrongdoings…… That I’m practicing throwing my toy snake? No, but I haven’t even thrown that at a person yet…… I don’t think it would even be that annoying…… Or maybe the fact that I’ve been making a field at the school has been exposed? It’s something like…… having made a field at such a venerable school?

And then, without caring about the way my head was spinning from trying to think about the cause, the girl continued.

“You’re a duke’s daughter, and Prince Jared’s fiancee, you’re abusing your authority, and oppressing those of lower status than you! And, you’ve been jealous that Prince Jared and the student council have been on friendly terms with the holder of light magic, Maria Campbell, and you’re guilty of the crime of repeatedly harassing people!!”

“……!?”

At this girl’s lines, I remembered…… I should have seen this somewhere before.

This is the event in the game which I’ve seen several times over where Katarina Claes is convicted of her crimes…… In front of all these students, all her crimes were publicized, and Katarina fell straight to her ruin……

And I had always been so vigilant, unbelievable, to suddenly get into such a predicament……

I just dazedly looked at the girls in front of me. Everyone was staring at me with such grim faces.

However…… I really don’t understand at all…… Indeed, no matter how I look at it, this is the event where Katarina gets condemned for her crimes, but……

Originally, when condemning Katarina, the capture targets on the student council should have been here as well.

If it was the Jared route, Jared should have been here standing next to Maria and protecting her…… If it was the Keith route, Keith should have been here standing next to Maria and protecting her……

Right now, none of them are here……

I was completely confused, why this girl was taking the place of the game’s student council members and accusing me loudly.

“It’s no use to just play dumb! I’ve properly brought along evidence, and there’s witnesses as well!”

And so, she opened up a bundle of papers, and gave a sign to the girls that were glaring at me while waiting near her.