I Became a Gallery Manager in Another World

[Gallery inspection in progress!! Scheduled inspection time is April 11th, from 00:00 to 23:59!]

An inaccessible gallery.

But the gallery wasn’t what was important right now.

‘… Don’t be nervous, just act naturally.’

I steeled myself and opened the door to the classroom.

“Oh my! Ian.”

A chill ran down my spine as I saw Evelyn smiling and striking up a conversation as soon as I sat down.

“Hello, Evelyn.”

“Yeah! Hi! Ian. Here, take this. Someone came by yesterday and left it.”

What Evelyn handed over was, of course, a student ID.

“Ian. That student ID… who do you think gave it to you?”

“…I wonder?”

“It was none other than Yuris, the candidate for the next saint.”

“What?! Yuris!! Really? How? Why?”

I suddenly stood up, feigning shock.

“Huh? …Hmm?”

Success!

The practice I had done in front of the mirror all night had paid off.

Evelyn tilted her head, her expression one of doubt, wondering if my act had been convincing.

“Ha… Hey, Ian. Be honest. What did you do yesterday that made you skip the academy?”

“I didn’t do anything. I just took a day off because I was tired.”

“Don’t make me laugh. I know you. Are you really the type to skip the academy just because you’re tired?”

Evelyn narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but it was clear that her doubts had lessened.

“I’m telling you the truth… And it makes sense that I’m tired; I’ve had a lot of physically demanding tasks to handle lately. You know that, right?”

“Ugh…!!”

True to her nature, with an attack power of 3000 and defense of 0, Evelyn blushed with even a slight counterattack.

I didn’t miss the opportunity to press on.

“But Evelyn, there’s something I’m curious about too.”

“…What is it?”

“Come closer.”

“Sigh… What nonsense are you going to spout this time.”

Despite her annoyance, Evelyn leaned in to listen, which made me smile.

Whisper whisper-

“I, I, I!!…You crazy…!!…What are you asking first thing in the morning?!!… Did you get, get horny because you didn’t do it for just one day?!”

Surprisingly, Evelyn shouted in a subdued voice, a rare sight indeed.

“So you’re not going to tell me?”

“I won’t!!”

“Really…?”

“I said I won’t talk!!”

“…Really? Even if I ask like this?”

“Ah!!…Uh!!…Aaack!!…I don’t know!!”

Bang-!

Evelyn buried her face in the desk, apparently determined not to divulge anything.

‘…Was it a successful strategy after all?’

I was disappointed I couldn’t extract an answer, but distracting Evelyn was sufficient.

Just when I thought that…

Swoosh- Swoosh-

Still, with her face down, Evelyn traced something on my thigh with her finger.

[2nd, Red]

April 12th

Click-clack, click-clack-

A silver-haired woman, cloaked in a black coat, strode confidently down the hallway.

Despite the corridor teeming with students filtering out of recently concluded classes…

Swoosh-!

A path opened before her as if she were parting a snowy field.

At last, the silver-haired woman halted before her intended destination, Class 2-C.

“Excuse me for a moment. Is Ian still here?”

Laplace inquired, pushing the classroom door open without a moment’s hesitation.

Simultaneously, those who remained turned their gaze towards Ian.

The day before yesterday, it had been the saint candidate; today, it was the princess.

What on earth was Ian involved in to attract attention from such high-profile figures?

Naturally, the most astonished of them all was Evelyn.

“…Why?”

She could grasp why Yuris might seek out Ian.

Though she had her suspicions given Ian’s absence…

The kind-hearted Yuris might have ‘accidentally’ found and brought his student ID herself.

But…

Laplace was different.

Lady Laplace wouldn’t visit without a significant reason.

Click-clack, click-clack-

“So, you are Ian?”

The princess, seemingly certain, approached my desk and addressed me.

“…Yes. What can I do for you?”

As I raised my head to reply, I saw her silvery hair, almost white, signifying her royal lineage and her shining red eyes.

The Second Princess, Laplace Mapleflower, chose to be the ‘Disciplinary Head’ who valued ‘justice’ over an assured victory in the student council president election due to her overwhelming popularity.

“There are a few questions I’d like to ask. May I request your temporary company?”

“…Me?”

Unlike Estelle, the princess seemed emotionless for a different reason.

While Estelle’s expressionlessness was to hide her emotions, the princess seemed genuinely uninterested in the world.

‘What kind of questions?’

While I was pondering what she could possibly ask me, Evelyn interjected.

“…Ju…Just a moment. Lady Laplace.”

“I am still on official duty. Address me as the Disciplinary Head.”

“Uhm… Disciplinary Head… Why are you taking Ian…?”

“Didn’t I say? There are a few questions I want to ask. Are you worried I might eat him up?”

“… It’s not that.”

“Relax. It was a joke.”

The princess joked without even a flicker in her eyebrows.

Creak-

“…If it’s ‘temporary’ accompaniment, may I refuse?”

This time, Estelle asked.

“Of course. It’s ‘temporary’ after all.”

“Then, please leave for today. Sorry, but Ian has a prior engagement with me….”

“But if I come back here, it won’t be temporary anymore, will it?”

“…..”

Evelyn and Estelle glanced at the princess, who then spoke to me again.

“So, once again, I ask, Ian. Will you come with me?”

“I understand… I’ll go.”

“Good choice.”

Swoosh─

As I stood up, Evelyn and Estelle approached me.

“…Ian.”

“….”

“Don’t worry too much. What could possibly happen? I’ll be back soon.”

Though it was said to ease their anxiety, it was sincere.

I had done nothing wrong, so I had nothing to fear.

“Then, let’s go.”

“Ian, you had sex in the old school building, didn’t you?”

“…”

The princess’s question came abruptly as soon as I sat in the Disciplinary Committee’s chair.

“…I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Going to pretend you don’t know? Let me be more precise, then. Ian, did you have sex with Evelyn Marigold?”

“It seems you’re under some misconception, Disciplinary Head. Evelyn and I are just childhood friends, nothing more.”

“Is that so? Yet today, during lunchtime, you both entered the old school building together, didn’t you?”

Squeeze-

My fists clenched tightly at the princess’s words.

‘Don’t get involved. There’s no evidence.’

Yes, there would be no evidence.

If there was, it wouldn’t have been ‘temporary accompaniment’ but ‘forcible apprehension.’

“I won’t deny entering the old school building. But we only went there to eat lunch.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, if entering a restricted area is a concern…”

Swoosh─

I lost my words the moment I saw the photos the princess pulled out.

[Photo of a condom box in the trash can]

[Photo of a birth control pill bottle in the trash can]

[Photo of a wet blanket in certain parts]

[Photo showing signs of use in the shower room]

…

While there were no direct photos of sexual intercourse, the evidence was suggestive enough that it had occurred.

“No need to show more, right?”

The princess continued, waving a camera in front of me.

“For your information, I haven’t even printed the photos taken today.”

“…”

“I consider all these photos evidence of sexual activity… What do you think?”

“…”

“Silence after denial? Typical.”

Thump- Thump-

I had to keep the conversation going to buy time to think.

“Why was it a temporary accompaniment?”

“What?”

“With this kind of evidence, couldn’t you have just arrested me instead of detaining me temporarily?”

“Is that statement an admission of sexual activity?”

“…No, it’s not.”

I couldn’t possibly admit to it.

Admitting to it would mean the end.

Especially with ‘Laplace,’ a person thoroughly obsessed with ‘justice.’

“The reason is simple. If I arrested you forcibly, I’d have to do the same to Evelyn Marigold.”

Laplace continued, her face still emotionless, twirling a pen.

“The Marigold family might not be as powerful as the tri-color families like Redrose, Bluetulip, and Yellowpansy, but it’s still a formidable house. It wouldn’t reflect well if a daughter of such a house were expelled from the Holy Academy due to an unexpected incident.”

“So, because I lack such a background, you can expel me without any concerns… Is that what you’re saying?”

“Think whatever you want.”

“…What do you want from me?”

“I want nothing from you. I am merely executing ‘justice.’”

Swoosh─

Laplace slid a sheet of paper across the desk to me.

“This is a withdrawal form. It’s already filled out; you just need to sign it.”

“If I refuse to sign…”

“Then I will summon both you and Evelyn, publicly announce the violation of the school rules, and proceed with the expulsions.”

“….”

I couldn’t let that happen.

Alone, maybe, but not if it meant dragging Evelyn down with me.

“Could you give me some time to think?”

“One day. Return after tomorrow’s lectures.”

“…Understood.”

Thud- Thud-

I felt suffocated.

It was as if I were caught in a spider’s web, becoming more entangled as I struggled.

‘…I must find a way out.’

How could I extricate myself from this web without causing harm to Evelyn?

The only solution I could think of was a desperate one.

“Ian!!”

I turned toward the voice shouting my name and saw Evelyn waving from an open carriage window.

“Evelyn? Were you waiting for me?”

“Never mind that. Just get in.”

“Okay.”

Squeeze─!

As soon as I entered the carriage, Evelyn grabbed my hand with a worried voice.

“…Tell me honestly. What’s going on? It’s nothing serious, right?”

“It’s nothing. She just asked why I was absent the day before yesterday.”

“Hey! Are you joking? The Disciplinary Head wouldn’t personally come for just missing a day!! Do you even realize how many people Laplace has expelled?”

“No… I was surprised, too. Apparently, someone committed a theft yesterday, and they resembled me. But I’m innocent, so I was let go.”

The lies to Evelyn continued to pile up.

“Really? That’s all? You’re not lying?”

“Of course, that’s all.”

“Sigh… Then that’s a relief. I was worried for nothing… Let’s stop by the shopping district; it’s been a while. You’ve been busy with the library club lately.”

“Sorry. I can’t today. I have things to do. The Disciplinary Head asked me to write down what I did the day before yesterday.”

“Hey… Ian.”

As I tried to brush it off lightly, I turned at the sound of her trembling voice.

Evelyn looked almost on the verge of tears.

“Are you really… really okay?”

“I’m fine, really. Don’t worry, let’s meet up after school on Friday. Here, promise.”

“…Okay, promise. I’ll trust you.”

As I made a pinky promise with Evelyn, just like we did in our childhood, the carriage arrived in front of the house.

“Then, I’m off. See you tomorrow, Evelyn.”

“Yeah… See you tomorrow, Ian.”

Clip-clop, clip-clop-

After confirming the carriage had fully departed, I made up my mind.

‘I must find it.’

To keep my promise to Evelyn…

I absolutely had to find Laplace’s weakness.

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