Chapter 87: Chapter 87

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: The Sweet Sleep Project

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Iris, tormented by nightmares, suffered from insomnia. The next day, I dragged her to train with Aisha.

Last night, Iris had been full of questions after hearing my story, but she had already become unable to sleep without my warmth.

So, even if she couldn't understand my words, she still hugged me and fell asleep.

The next day, I forcibly woke up a groggy Iris. I had now mastered the art of waking Iris up with precision.

Iris was incredibly ticklish on her sides. I had stumbled upon this fact while constantly trying to figure out how to escape her grasp.

Glancing back, I saw Iris rubbing her side.

"Lady Iris, how does the morning air feel?"

Hearing my question, Iris looked around.

"Refreshing."

The autumn air, arriving after summer's end, was invigorating. Iris seemed to feel the refreshing morning air too, as her expression relaxed slightly.

Thanks to me, Iris had fallen asleep early yesterday. Her previously gloomy mood seemed much better.

"We've arrived."

I led Iris to the designated spot, where Aisha was already standing.

Aisha, who used to wear short athletic attire, was now dressed in slightly longer workout clothes. As expected of someone taller than me in my Hanon form, her long limbs were striking.

If this were reality, Aisha possessed the height of a model.

Fortunately, Isabel wasn't there. Since the recent boycott incident, Isabel hadn't bothered to join our morning training sessions.

"Aisha."

"Ah, Senior..."

Aisha paused as she was about to answer my call. This was because she had seen Iris, who was standing beside me.

Her eyes widened. It was a natural reaction, given that I had brought along the Third Imperial Princess, one of the nation's treasures.

"Aisha, this is Lady Iris. She'll be joining our training from today."

"Greetings, Your Imperial Highness."

As Aisha bowed formally, Iris waved her hand.

"This is Jerion Academy. Please treat me as a senior, just like Hanon."

"Yes, I will."

Aisha wasn't an inflexible child. If Iris asked her to, she would gladly comply.

"Today, I was thinking of slightly changing the training method for Lady Iris. Is that alright with you?"

"Yes, training naturally requires consistently changing methods so the body doesn't adapt and continues to progress. I actually welcome it."

It was a typical Aisha response.

"Let's go, Lady Iris."

"Mm-hm."

With Iris still looking puzzled, our three-person training session began.

The training method was simple. Iris was one of those who had awakened their aura at a young age, like Ban.

However, Ban's mastery of aura was superior, so Iris couldn't burn her aura as spectacularly as he could. But the very fact that she could use aura was what mattered.

I made Iris continuously use her aura throughout the training.

Iris was initially perplexed. But perhaps because I had built up her goodwill so well, she followed my instructions.

And so, Iris poured out all her aura throughout the morning training.

We concluded the training when her body was so exhausted that she couldn't produce any more aura.

"Huuu, so you do this kind of training every day?"

As Iris caught her breath and asked, I smiled.

"Lady Iris, stamina is national power."

"I think I'm starting to understand why Hanon never gets tired."

Even when I was stranded in the Imperial Palace last time, I endured purely through physical stamina. Iris seemed to understand that aspect after this training.

"More importantly, how do you feel physically?"

"Physically?"

Hearing the question, Iris slightly lifted the hem of her workout clothes. For a moment, her pale white stomach was visible, and my vision blurred.

I felt like I was about to be arrested for sacrilege.

"I think I've lost weight."

"Lady Iris, if Hania were here, she would've fainted."

Most likely, she would've fainted from joy. I tidied Iris's clothes.

"Rather, Lady Iris, try to focus on your inner self."

Iris blinked her large eyes, then proceeded to examine her inner self.

Iris was an aura user. She was certainly capable of examining her inner self.

Soon after, Iris's eyes slowly opened. She looked at me with a slightly surprised expression.

"...All that murky energy is gone."

What had permeated her inner self was the power of the Evil Lord.

The Evil Lord's power was supplied through nightmares. So, the solution was to expel as much as was supplied.

During the morning training, I instructed her to continuously release aura. As a result, when Iris reached her limit from expelling aura, she also inadvertently consumed the Evil Lord's power.

As a result of consuming the Evil Lord's power that tormented her, the strange magic that permeated Iris disappeared.

Iris's expression became a little refreshed. It was a natural reaction, as the oppressive feeling that had weighed down her body had vanished.

As the Final Villainess, Iris possessed a power on a different level from others. People instinctively tend to accumulate their strength, so it was likely that Iris hadn't often completely expended her power as she did today.

"I will stay with you tonight as well, Lady Iris. Let's try to sleep."

Even so, Iris's insomnia was a fundamental problem. Her body had developed a habit of avoiding sleep because she was tormented too much by nightmares.

Even if the Evil Lord's influence lessened, she wouldn't immediately fall asleep due to her ingrained habit. So, for the time being, I decided to consistently stay by her side and look after her.

"...Mm."

Iris gazed at me with an unreadable look in her eyes.

Although I couldn't discern its meaning, Iris's Sweet Sleep Project had officially begun.

***

Time flowed relentlessly. It had been two weeks since Iris's Sweet Sleep Project began.

Iris's face had noticeably brightened.

"Hanon, good morning."

She even started waking up before me to prepare for morning training.

Iris increased the intensity of her training every day. She put all her effort into shaking off even a bit of the nightmares.

Thanks to this, Iris had recently begun to look forward to the nights. Peaceful sleep was such a rarity for her that she couldn't help but anticipate it.

"Hanon, come here."

As always, Iris called me over, hugged me, and fell asleep. By now, I was accustomed to sleeping like this.

However, the fundamental problem of the nightmares remained unresolved.

'It's about time to prepare.'

The time had come to prepare the real solution that could truly reduce Iris's nightmares.

So, I spent my days focusing on Iris's nightmare care. In the meantime, new faces began to appear at the academy.

They were all newly appointed teaching assistants and professors, replacing those who had been expelled after the boycott incident. Many of them greeted Iris immediately upon arriving at Jerion Academy. This was evidence that they were part of the Third Imperial Princess's faction.

The newly arrived teaching assistants and professors were extremely diligent individuals.

Perhaps having been thoroughly educated by Duke Robliajou, they fully utilized their abilities to guide the students.

Thanks to them, the atmosphere at Jerion Academy had significantly changed.

Many of the teaching assistants and professors who had committed corruption already had poor reputations.

As these individuals were replaced by diligent instructors who conducted classes earnestly, the students were also positively influenced.

"It wasn't for nothing, then."

Seeing the changed academy atmosphere, Seron playfully poked my arm.

Iris and Hania, who usually accompanied us, happened to be absent, so today I was returning from lunch with just Seron.

Card seemed busy with work lately, diligently moving around. Because of this, the number of times we ate lunch together had decreased.

That's why Seron and I ended up eating alone like this.

Seron was certainly right. Rosamine, who had chaired the boycott, would surely feel a sense of accomplishment once her one-month suspension was over.

"More importantly, Prince Sweet Potato."

She called me, lowering her posture. I matched her, lowering mine as well.

"What?"

"...Why do you keep coming to the girls' dormitory in Hania's form?"

Had she finally found out too?

"Seron, have you been stalking me?"

"Did you think I wouldn't check after what I said last time? Of course I'd investigate when there's a pervert entering the girls' dorm."

Why was the stalker acting so proud? It was absurd.

"You keep going in and out of Lady Iris's room. What exactly are you doing? What if you get caught?"

Iris knew me as Hanon.

If she were to find out I was Vicarmon, I would be executed on the spot for infiltrating the Imperial Princess's chambers.

"I'm just helping Lady Iris get a good night's sleep."

However, all I was doing was acting as a comfort doll. I swore I had never done anything shameful.

To be precise, due to the forced suppression of primal desires rather than feelings of love, such a thing couldn't even happen.

"As long as you keep your mouth shut, there's nothing to get caught."

"I don't want to see you executed, so I'll keep quiet, but..."

Seron grumbled slightly, then glanced at me.

"...From my perspective, it's just unfair."

"What's unfair about it?"

"I don't sleep well either."

I blinked. What was this girl, who had been dozing off this morning, talking about?

"Because, because I'm thinking about you."

Oh, my god.

Seron, her face bright red, squirmed. She had turned into a tomato after saying that herself.

I never expected her to attack so directly here.

"...Aren't you embarrassed saying things like that?"

"Y-yes, I am! But what can I do?! It's true!"

So, it was true. Seron bit her lip tightly and covered her face with both hands.

"Don't look at my face."

I was almost embarrassed just watching her.

"No, don't. Look at my face properly. Remember clearly how sincere I am!"

I stared at Seron for a moment, then looked around.

As it happened, there was no one around. It was natural, as we usually took walks on paths less traveled.

Apparently, Seron had subtly led me to a secluded spot to say something like this. She was quite cunning.

So, I slightly loosened the bandage of the veil, transforming into Vicarmon.

"Oh, ugh, ack."

As I became Vicarmon, Seron froze solid.

"Seron, say that again."

Seron's eyes darted around. She had suddenly become an infinitely timid girl, wiggling her feet.

"Hee-ung."

And then, making a strange sound, she turned and fled.

Recently, I had discovered a new way to deal with Seron.

When I was in Hanon's form, she would act cheeky as usual, but when I transformed into Vicarmon, she couldn't bear it and would simply flee.

It seemed she just couldn't get used to Vicarmon's face.

'Well, he was someone she had held in her heart for almost her entire life.'

Seron still needed time to mentally prepare herself.

I successfully dealt with Seron and re-wrapped the bandage of the veil. Seron was becoming bolder and bolder, which worried me for the future.

'More importantly, the time has almost come.'

I gazed at the ripened autumn leaves, sensing the beginning of Act 4, Scene 2.

Act 4, Scene 2: The International Individual Tournament.

It was a sort of friendly competition event where academy students from various kingdoms and empires contended every three years.

And there was one person I absolutely had to transfer to Jerion Academy from here.

'For that, I had spectacularly burned through this summer vacation.'

I clenched my fists tightly.

This person was necessary for Iris's nightmares and for the future ahead. Someone who possessed a power similar to the Flame of Fighting Spirit.

I had to transfer her to Jerion Academy.