Chapter 17: Reflections and Revelations

Time flew by, and it was Friday again.

Thanks to her efforts, Sayo had made significant progress.

Her magical power had grown stronger.

Regaining Sayoreinne’s original magical power through practice had been quick, but her progress had then stalled, like a dense fog obscuring the path ahead. The reason was likely ‘Juseong,’ who knew nothing about magic, despite Sayoreinne possessing top-tier magical talent.

She could use magic, but without understanding why or how. It was like using skills in a game, her body simply acting on muscle memory. Even in class, she followed instructions without truly grasping the purpose or the lessons.

Fortunately, since that day, it was as if her eyes had been opened, her ears unblocked. She had gained a newfound clarity, the path ahead now clear. Indeed, within a week, she had made some progress, however small.

‘This is what it means to have the best talent in the academy, no, the world.’

Emelly’s talent would eventually surpass hers, but for now, Sayo was unmatched.

As Sayo indulged in a moment of self-praise, Ahrin’s voice broke through her thoughts.

“Miss, let’s make sure you make a friend today!”

“…I know,” Sayo replied curtly, slightly annoyed. Ahrin’s face fell at her sullen tone.

It was Friday again, the end of another week, and Sayo still hadn’t made any friends. Her days were much the same as the previous week – solitary, with brief interactions with her two followers(?). She felt slightly closer to Euru, but… could she call that friendship?

When she tried to initiate conversations with others, they either ignored her or responded with curt, dismissive replies.

‘I need a catalyst.’

Sighing internally, Sayo took a bite of her cream puff. It was a favorite of both hers and Ahrin’s. Ahrin, beside her, was already happily munching on her own pastry. Sayo smiled faintly at the sight and focused on eating.

Friday morning was designated for self-study.

While she no longer felt the need to assert her dominance over commoners and lower-ranking nobles, Sayo’s desire to excel and be recognized still motivated her to study diligently.

‘But I have a different objective today.’

She stopped studying and looked around.

Some students were sleeping, others studying or practicing their mana control, and some were chatting and laughing. Everyone was spending their self-study time in their own way.

Sayo spotted Euru practicing mana orb manifestation. She stood up and approached her.

“May I sit next to you?”

“By all means.”

Euru, the princess, smiled and replied, dispelling her mana orb.

“…”
“Did you have something to say?”

Sayo hesitated. She wanted to confirm if they were friends, but asking, “Are we friends? We are friends, right?” sounded too desperate.

Pathetic.

Snap

She gracefully opened her fan.

“Would you like to meet up this weekend?”

“Hmm, I don’t mind. What for?”

“Do we need a reason to meet as ‘friends’? I just thought we could spend some time together.”

I’m such an idiot, thinking of asking her directly if we were friends.

“How many people?”

“Just the two of us.”

“Ah, asking me out on a date? Sure, let’s meet on Sunday.” Euru readily agreed with a playful smile.

‘Asking me out…? I can’t believe I struggled with such a simple thing. So frustrating.’
A faint smile touched Sayo’s lips.

Friends.

Euru hadn’t denied it.

In the game, Euru had the lowest difficulty level among the romanceable characters. A kind and forgiving girl, easily appeased and friendly to everyone.

It seemed ‘real’ Euru was the same.

Perhaps that’s why she considered Sayo a ‘friend’ after the incident, talking to her, smiling at her, and treating her with familiarity.

Regardless, Sayo had taken a step towards her goal. It was just a small step, but it was enough to bring her some relief and ease her worries.

‘But what should we do when we meet?’

Another worry surfaced.

“That’s great, Miss.”

“It’s nothing.”

Sayo told Ahrin about her plans with Euru. She’d expected Ahrin to be more enthusiastic, but her reaction was subdued.

“Now that you’ve made a start, I’m sure you’ll make lots of friends.”

“I hope so…”
Ahrin leaned closer. This was that signal. She wanted to be petted.

Ahrin nuzzled her face against Sayo’s chest, her face flushed, her eyes full of anticipation. Unlike before, when she pretended to resist, she was now openly seeking affection.

‘This is so embarrassing…’

Sayo couldn’t understand how she had so casually touched and petted the girl before. The ‘her’ back then and the ‘her’ now were definitely different.

While she was fine talking to girls, physical contact felt awkward and embarrassing. While she no longer felt anything from touching her own naked body… it did build up sexual tension. Ahrin’s lack of boundaries was particularly challenging. While usually graceful and ladylike, when she relaxed, her behavior became more tomboyish.

This confused Sayo, but she didn’t dislike it.

The current ‘her’ was Juseong, but not quite. She was different now. Physical contact with girls was a bit embarrassing, but she was comfortable talking to them face-to-face. Unlike before, when her self-esteem had been rock bottom, she now felt a sense of confidence.

She was no longer confined to her room, listlessly wasting time. She enjoyed her walks with Ahrin, and she had plans with Euru.

She had changed in many positive ways. Coming to this world had been a blessing. So…

“Miss?”

Ahrin, her eyes wide, snuggled closer, pressing her thigh against Sayo’s, her arms wrapped around her waist, her head nestled near Sayo’s armpit. She seemed to be seeking attention, wanting Sayo to snap out of her reverie.

“Ah, sorry.”

Sayo put her left arm around Ahrin’s shoulders and stroked her hair with her right hand. These actions should have felt awkward, but her body moved with practiced ease.

‘Ahrin is unusually clingy today.’

Ahrin’s small, huggable body, her soft touch, and her warmth were certainly pleasant. At this rate, she would soon become completely accustomed to a girl’s body.

A girl’s body. Her own body was female. Sayo was now completely used to her female form after a month. Perhaps because her mind wasn’t entirely female, she didn’t find it strange. She hadn’t felt much discomfort from the beginning. However—

‘Should I marry a man, since I’m a woman?’

The thought made Sayo frown. She had no desire for that. While she’d assumed such thoughts might arise as her identities merged, it wasn’t the case at all.

‘Sayoreinne’s route is added as DLC, right?’

That meant Sayoreinne, as the protagonist, would be a romance option. In other words—

‘Sayoreinne also likes girls.’

This realization made certain things click into place. Her behavior with Ahrin, bordering on sexual harassment. It was strange, considering how shy and awkward she was around women. It seemed to be Sayoreinne’s influence.

Two souls in one body. While she didn’t fully understand the implications, Sayo had a theory about why she was doing things neither Juseong nor Sayoreinne would normally do.

Their true natures, suppressed by their upbringing, were emerging. Especially Sayoreinne’s.

While Juseong’s inherent shyness and lack of confidence had been amplified by his family, Sayoreinne had learned to hide her true self from a young age, putting on an act for her mother and her horrible family. The difference between her facade and her true nature was likely vast.

‘And the DLC route probably involves healing Sayoreinne’s wounded soul, awakening her true nature, befriending her, and becoming her companion.’

While Juseong had enjoyed the game, objectively, the story wasn’t great. Full of clichés and melodramatic tropes, it was predictable. She couldn’t be certain, but it was likely along those lines.

A sense of accomplishment filled her as she pieced things together. And then—

‘We both want girls, so that’s what we’ll do.’

Feeling the warmth in her arms and against her chest, Sayo impulsively hugged Ahrin tighter, burying her face in her hair. Ahrin smelled of the same fragrant oil she used. The slight tremor and the increase in warmth radiating from Ahrin’s body were endearing.

She wanted to be close to everyone, to be with them. And—

She would protect them all.