Chapter 7

As Yoidel stared intently at the egg, it suddenly went boing! and bounced up into the air.

Did my eyes just deceive me?

Startled, she raised her broom defensively and backed into the corner.

But it was just an ordinary egg—only much larger than normal. The only unusual thing about it was its pale, almost milky shell, decorated with light pink spots.

But why is it all alone in a dark, empty place like this?

It was enormous. An egg… or maybe a giant chicken egg? Either way, there weren’t many people capable of eating something that size.

So that meant…

“It’s His Holiness’s breakfast egg!”

The instant she said that, the egg sprang high into the air.

It bounced around furiously, as if it had just been kicked by an angry horse.

“…Did I really imagine that?”

Yoidel blinked rapidly.

No… she definitely hadn’t imagined it.

She cautiously approached and placed both hands on the shell. Warmth flowed into her palms, as though it were alive.

“Are you angry? I’m sorry. But… are you alive? Can you answer me?”

This time, the egg stayed perfectly still.

But after Yoidel stared at it for a while, it suddenly gave another tiny hop and gently bumped the bridge of her nose, almost as if greeting her.

“So you really are an egg that’s about to hatch!”

Yoidel gasped in amazement and rubbed her nose, where a faint warmth still lingered.

It was alive…

Yet it was all alone in this lonely place.

For some reason, her eyes began to sting.

“Poor thing… Have you been by yourself all this time? How did you end up here?”

There weren’t any security spells protecting the room.

Yoidel couldn’t sense any magic at all.

So it really was just a storage room.

“Did everyone leave you here all alone?”

The egg gave the tiniest wiggle, as if to say yes.

“Then… would you like to play with me? I know lots and lots of stories. Though I’m not sure you’ll believe them.”

Yoidel herself had been lonely.

So she made the round little egg her friend and began telling it all kinds of stories.

It felt almost magical.

Who would’ve thought she could become friends with an egg?

The pink egg rested on her lap as though it understood every word she said, quietly listening to all her stories.

By the time the sun had completely set, Yoidel stood up.

“I have to go now.”

She said goodbye and reached for the door.

Just then, something bumped against her foot.

“Eek!”

It was the pink egg.

How did it follow me without even cracking?

Though bewildered, she carried it back to its original spot.

The egg seemed terribly reluctant to part with her, rubbing its shell against her arm.

It was the first warmth she had found in this place.

Such a mysterious egg…

It felt as though it might hatch at any moment.

Leaving it behind made her heart ache, but Yoidel forced herself to gently pull it away.

“So you’re sad because I’m leaving? I’ll come see you again. I promise.”

Since she couldn’t exactly hook pinkies with an egg, she simply laid her hand on it and stroked it for a long while.

The egg trembled happily.

“My name is Yoidel. You have a name too, don’t you? If you don’t… would it be okay if I gave you one?”

The egg rubbed itself against her palm enthusiastically.

What should I call it?

She thought carefully.

This was the name of her precious friend.

“Flotes. Do you like it?”

Before she’d even finished speaking, the egg bounced excitedly.

Boing! Boing! Boing!

It leapt several times before spinning happily in circles, unable to hide its excitement.

“Good. Then, Flo… we’re friends now, okay?”

The egg vibrated as if it completely understood.

A truly strange and mysterious egg…

No.

Her very first friend.

Flotes.

“Huh? What’s this?”

While sweeping as usual that morning, Yoidel noticed something sparkling caught in the end of her rake.

It didn’t look like something that belonged lying on the ground.

Looking closer, she found a pendant.

It clicked open to reveal a small portrait inside.

There was also a name engraved on the back.

“Lucini…”

“Ah! I heard that name during attendance in training.”

Before class began, Yoidel quietly placed the pendant on Lucini’s desk without anyone noticing, then calmly looked forward as though nothing had happened.

A little while later, a boy with swollen, puffy eyes and nose entered the classroom.

The moment he saw the pendant waiting on his desk, he burst into tears.

“Who brought this back? I lost it during sword practice… I thought I’d never find it again… It was my grandfather’s gift…”

Listening to his tearful voice from behind, Yoidel smiled quietly to herself.

If I tell him I found it, he’ll probably get scared.

Better to stay quiet.

At lunchtime, Yoidel was once again alone.

As she approached the dining hall, her steps suddenly stopped.

“What’s gotten into Yoidel lately?”

She had heard her own name.

Inside the hall, the trainee priests were all enthusiastically discussing her.

“They say people change after surviving death. Yoidel’s human too. Seeing the execution platform must’ve terrified her.”

“But we still have to be careful! Is there anyone here who was never bullied by Yoidel? Raise your hand.”

The boys exchanged glances.

There were probably very few.

“She used to steal my snacks.”

“She dumped her homework on me and took naps instead.”

“She once told me medicine was good for my health, but it was actually stomach medicine! I had to travel halfway across the Empire that day! She’s the worst.”

After venting all their grievances, they let out deep breaths.

Then one of them cautiously spoke.

“But… Yoidel helped me recently.”

“What?”

“I didn’t have enough money to contact my parents. Yoidel paid for me so I could use the communication artifact.”

“Don’t be fooled! You all know how scary Yoidel is…”

“I saw who returned your pendant, Lucini.”

The boy speaking widened his eyes.

“What? Who was it? I’d been hoping to thank them!”

“It was Yoidel.”

“…What?”

“Yoidel. She didn’t steal it or anything. She cleans every morning, right? I saw her while I was coming back after staying out overnight. She was sweeping when something shiny came out of her broom. Thinking about it now, it had to have been your pendant.”

“H-How could that… But why would Yoidel…?”

Clunk.

Unable to ignore her hunger any longer, Yoidel finally entered the dining hall.

The moment she stepped inside, people hurriedly began leaving.

“Oh… haha… This is delicious. I wonder what’s in it?”

“Ah! I forgot the assignment Instructor Priest gave me! I’ve got to go!”

As Yoidel entered, the atmosphere around her froze.

Just how did the original Yoidel live her life for everyone to avoid her like this?

She tried recalling the memories but quickly gave up.

She already knew she was the villainess from the original story.

She didn’t want to remember any more than necessary.

Still… eating all alone is pretty lonely.

Everywhere else in the Grand Temple’s dining hall, trainee priests chatted happily while eating together.

Only around Yoidel was there a strange empty space, as though an invisible barrier surrounded her.

She glanced sideways.

Then suddenly made eye contact with the person sitting beside her.

A sickly-looking brown-haired trainee priest wearing glasses.

He glared at her as if she were his mortal enemy.

Is this my chance to say hello?

But he immediately turned his head away.

The excitement that had briefly blossomed inside Yoidel wilted as she quietly stirred her spoon.

Watching her, another trainee priest frowned thoughtfully.

“But can people really change that easily? I don’t know…”

“Cough! Huh…? Ghk… I… I can’t… breathe!”

He had tossed a grape into the air and caught it with his mouth.

Now his face rapidly turned pale.

“S-Someone… help… It’s… stuck…”

“Antonio! Something’s caught in his throat! Someone run to the South Wing and get a healing priest!”

“What do we do? Can anyone use healing magic?”

The trainee priest named Antonio pounded his chest desperately, unable even to cough properly.

At this rate, he’s really going to die.

The moment Yoidel jumped to her feet, everyone rushed to stop her.

One of them shouted urgently,

“Yoidel! What are you trying to do?”

“A grape is stuck in his throat. I saw him tossing grapes into the air and catching them.”

“You’re not a healing priest!”

Their voices were sharp with suspicion.

Although everyone looked at her distrustfully, Yoidel calmly pushed them aside.

He’s losing consciousness. I have to get the food out of his airway.

She knew exactly how.

“Move.”

“Ghk…”

“Can you really do something? Are you sure?”

Yoidel nodded firmly.

After a moment’s hesitation, they stepped aside.

“Please… If you really can… save Antonio.”

Yoidel immediately moved behind Antonio.

She placed one fist between his navel and the base of his ribs, wrapped her other hand around it, then thrust sharply upward.

“Urgh! Cough!“

“Antonio!”

With a violent retch, the grape flew out.

Antonio, who had looked moments away from death, regained consciousness.

He collapsed to the floor, gasping heavily, but he was alive.

“Thank goodness…”

Her strength left her all at once, and Yoidel sank to the floor.

She never expected something she’d learned before would prove useful here.

But then…

The room fell silent.

Did I do something wrong?

As she slowly raised her head, an astonishing sight greeted her.

Everyone was staring at her with mouths hanging open.

“Wow!”

“W-What was that, Yoidel? How did you do it? Are you talented in emergency treatment? What’s the principle behind that?”

“Well… I…”

“Yoidel, you saved someone’s life! Teach me how you did that!”

The trainee priests gathered around her with sparkling eyes.

They were completely different from before.

Though honestly…

This was overwhelming in its own way.

Antonio, still panting on the floor, looked up at her with admiration.

“Thank you, Yoidel.”

“Seriously, that was amazing. Was that strength? Or some kind of technique?”

As the circle of admiring faces closed in around her, Yoidel grew embarrassed.

Clutching her half-finished tray, she quickly stood and hurried away.

At that very moment—

Swish.

Ah!

A leg suddenly shot out into her path.

Someone had deliberately tried to trip her.

But she was already moving too fast to stop.

For a split second, Yoidel saw who it was.

The brown-haired guy with glasses who was glaring at me earlier!

Why is he trying to trip me?

There wasn’t time to ask.

Everything seemed to slow, like a scene flashing before her eyes.

But Yoidel had already survived death once.

She prided herself on handling crises.

She made a split-second decision.

I’ll jump over it.

Just as she lightly pushed off the ground—

…Right.

Gravity.

She suddenly remembered.

Her physical abilities weren’t anything special.

Which meant…

She couldn’t jump very far.

Thud!

Yoidel landed.

Right on top of the foot of the person who had tried to trip her.

Crunch!

“…Huh?”

“AAAAAAAH!!”