Chapter 44: The Naked Principal’s Reckoning

Principal Nabo vaguely felt as though he were dreaming.

In his dream, the alluring Duchess gently caressed his cheek, whispering a request.

He agreed without a moment’s hesitation.

The rest of his memory was a complete blur, and he couldn’t recall how much time had passed before he was jolted awake by a woman’s scream.

Principal Nabo regained his senses, finding himself standing in the lobby of the Crystal Knight Hotel. For some inexplicable reason, a chill ran through him.

Before his eyes was a throng of enraged gentlemen and many ladies whose faces had drained of color. They stood in small groups around dining tables, having all risen from their seats, clearly disturbed during their meal.

“A pervert! There’s a pervert here! Call the guards!” a lady shrieked, her voice shrill.

Another young woman clutched her chest and fainted, only to be caught in time by her male companion.

‘A pervert? Where is this pervert?’

Principal Nabo instinctively followed their gazes, looking behind him to find the source of the commotion.

To his surprise, he found no pervert. Instead, he saw another group of guests dining in the hall, whose reactions were no different from those behind them.

He gazed around in bewilderment, astonished to find everyone in the vicinity behaving similarly, their eyes all fixed in one direction.

They were all looking at him. In other words, he was the spectacle.

Indeed, he was the ‘pervert’ the ladies were screaming about.

‘How could this be—’ He had barely thought this when an apple struck his forehead, nearly making him dizzy.

A furious male customer grabbed fruit from his plate and hurled it at him. This action became a signal, and soon everyone began seizing food, cutlery, and dishes from their tables, pelting Principal Nabo with them while showering him with a torrent of furious curses.

“Where did this madman come from?”

“Get out!”

“No, seize him! Hand him over to the constable!”

“To think my daughter had to witness such an indecent sight, you wretched scum!”

Principal Nabo frantically dodged the projectiles. Just then, someone splashed a cup of water on him, sending a wet chill from his face to his chest.

He instinctively wiped the water from his face and body, then his expression suddenly changed.

He realized he felt no fabric on his body. As his gaze dropped to inspect himself, he finally understood the true reason for the uproar—he was completely naked.

Principal Nabo gasped in shock, crying out loudly as he desperately tried to cover his body with his hands, but it was futile.

What’s more, an even more despair-inducing situation followed swiftly.

“Constable, it’s this man! Catch him quickly!” He heard a familiar voice from a certain direction.

“No, let me explain—” Principal Nabo covered his indecent parts and turned in that direction, desperately trying to defend himself.

Then his eyes widened.

The person who had brought the patrolling constables and guards was none other than Duchess Liddell, her face streaked with tears. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes askew, and she pointed at him, accusing him with a mixture of grievance and fury: “He just drank too much and tried to take advantage of me!”

“I did not!” he retorted, his eyes wide with disbelief.

He was utterly bewildered.

How could the entire world have changed so drastically in the brief moment he’d been disoriented by the alcohol?

‘Could I really have gone mad from drink and done something so foolish, something that would throw me into a pit of fire?’

Given the ambiguity of his memory, he plunged into profound self-doubt.

The constables who had been brought over made their judgment with a single glance—this was clearly a drunken troublemaker.

“Arrest him!” the constable barked sternly.

His utterly indecent ‘attire’ was enough to treat him as a criminal caught in the act, requiring no further evidence.

The two guards accompanying the constable immediately rushed forward, kicking Principal Nabo to the ground without a word. They produced ropes and bound him tightly, much like a pig awaiting slaughter.

The constable shook his head. He had seen countless commotions caused by drunkards in the city, but this was the first time he had encountered one so brazen. The Crystal Knight Hotel was one of Maplewood City’s most exclusive establishments, frequented by the city’s upper class, including influential magnates and officials. This incident had undoubtedly offended many.

More critically, if the noblewoman he had just molested belonged to a prominent family, then this man would likely never be able to find a foothold in this city again.

“Wait, don’t!” In his desperation, Principal Nabo tried to grasp at any straw, his mind temporarily clouded. “I know your superior, Viscount Dumpty! He’s the Chief of Public Order here! We have a connection!”

‘That’s right, with Chief of Public Order Viscount Dumpty protecting him, who could possibly send him to the Public Order Bureau’s detention center?’

It took him two seconds to realize the foolishness of his words.

The constable looked at the drunkard in shock. It seemed this fellow was truly inebriated beyond measure. The previous Chief of Public Order, Viscount Dumpty, had died in the line of duty a month ago, and his position had long since been filled by someone else.

“Take him away!” He couldn’t be bothered to say more, waving his hand to signal the guards to carry the man off.

There might be local officials dining here. If he didn’t handle the situation promptly, he might lose his job.

Principal Nabo collapsed on the ground, his face ashen, offering no further resistance. He knew his reputation was irrevocably ruined.

****

The very next day, the sensational news of the Southwest Saint Academy Principal streaking naked in the Crystal Knight Hotel after getting drunk spread throughout Maplewood City.

That afternoon, outside the Southwest Saint Academy campus, students leaving after classes were almost all discussing the big news from yesterday:

“Exposing himself in public! I never imagined the principal of this school would be such a terrifying pervert.”

“I heard he was drunk, though?”

“There are so many drunkards in the world, but none as outrageous as him. It just means he’d always wanted to do it, doesn’t it?”

“We should be thankful he doesn’t drink at school.”

“Who knows if he ‘wanders around’ like that in the school when no one’s watching?”

“Ugh! Don’t say that, I’m getting a mental image.”

Having bid farewell to her classmates, Alice held her textbooks and slowly left the school, pretending to casually listen to the students’ discussions.

She exited the school building, walked through the main gate, crossed the avenue, and returned to the mansion the Duchess had bought for her.

“Welcome back, my dear daughter. Did you have a good time at school?” The Duchess, having clearly anticipated her return, slowly descended the grand hall’s steps.

“Never happier,” Alice replied, a genuine smile gracing her lips.

Principal Nabo was finished. He had committed an indecent act in a local luxury hotel, offended a group of influential figures, and even attempted to molest a great lord’s widow… These myriad offenses were enough to strip him of all his titles and status, along with a few years in prison.

In Alice’s eyes, knowing his corrupt and self-serving actions, this was nothing less than deserved retribution.

“Isn’t this method a bit too simple and crude?” Alice asked.

“As long as it achieves the goal, simple and crude methods have their advantages, just as complex schemes have their own pleasures. You could actually do the same thing to your enemy, you know,” the Duchess replied with a smile.

“No, for her, it certainly cannot be that simple,” Alice shook her head.

“Alright, then we’ll proceed as planned,” the Duchess said. “Come here, I want you to meet someone who can help you.”