Chapter 77: The Virgin Queen
[A peaceful and ordinary day that makes people feel at ease.]
[But as the afternoon class time approaches, a vague sense of foreboding rises in your heart.]
...
Half an hour later, in the teaching area of Chaldea.
Under the lead of the two Jeannes, Queen Zenobia went straight to the Britain classroom block.
Mochizuki Eikou seemed to still be reviewing in the library, so they couldn't find him immediately.
Zenobia lay in ambush on the path Eikou was sure to take. She was preparing to seize him and hand him over to the school to go through the full "arrest – accusation – trial" procedure.
Class time was drawing near.
So Queen Zenobia and the two Jeannes simply set up an ambush next to the classroom.
"Mochizuki Eikou…"
The queen carefully examined the boy's ID photo,
"He really does have quite a handsome face, but I honestly can't understand why you girls would cause conflict over a man like this. Are your standards for choosing men so extreme that you have to fight to the bitter end?"
"Well, that's… a little hard to explain…"
Jeanne White said awkwardly,
"Zenobia-sensei, have you seen the famous haunted house video that's been spreading online?"
"Haunted house video?"
Zenobia showed a puzzled expression,
"I barely use electronic devices except for work, let alone for entertainment. And honestly, what does liking someone have to do with a haunted house video?"
A moment later, she added in a lower voice,
"I don't really understand how you girls view the opposite sex. Maybe that's my fault, since I'm not good with topics involving romance between men and women — I'm rather conservative by nature."
"No, that just proves you're a normal person…!"
Jeanne Alter replied softly.
Good grief, it felt like she had finally found a kindred spirit — liking someone just because of some meaningless haunted house video really was a problem.
A model teacher who's strict and old-fashioned like this — doesn't watch haunted house videos, isn't infatuated with Mochizuki Eikou's face.
Good. All those weird reasons could be eliminated. One way or another, this person definitely wouldn't be swayed by Mochizuki Eikou.
Although Zenobia would most likely punish him harshly, in the long run, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
"Come to think of it, sensei,"
Jeanne White couldn't help asking curiously,
"You claim to be a conservative woman, but then… why are you dressed so revealingly, with so much gold jewelry and chains?"
"Ah, that,"
Zenobia looked down at her own body — golden chains wrapped around her alluring bronze skin.
Every slight movement she made caused those golden chains to jingle softly.
The sound was quite sharp to the ears.
"This is how I dressed after being defeated by Rome. It symbolizes the most humiliating period of my life. That's why, after being summoned, I kept this appearance — to remind myself to feel shame first, then rise up again, and cleanse that humiliation with real actions."
Zenobia explained.
So that's how it was — she kept herself constantly in a state of readiness for battle.
Jeanne Alter felt that this kind of behavior was a little stupid; dressing like that in front of everyone was truly embarrassing, but she had to admit that Queen Zenobia possessed a kind of courage ordinary people couldn't possibly have.
"But don't mistake that as me being a shameless woman… I believe chastity is something very important. I also don't casually interact with the opposite sex — that's the truth. Even now, I remain faithful to my late husband!"
What?!
Jeanne Alter was shocked inside.
Could Zenobia be some new kind of Conceptual God? Old-fashioned and serious + already has a bad impression of Eikou + doesn't get involved in romance + doesn't interact with men + has never watched a haunted house video,
And on top of that, she's still kept her chastity for her late husband to this very day — her entire defense armor against men was fully equipped!
She was completely different from Murasaki Shikibu, who looked conservative on the outside but had nothing but weird things running through her head.
Zenobia might just be the one woman at Chaldea Academy whom Mochizuki Eikou could never make waver!
Jeanne Alter clenched her fists silently.
Everything rested on you now, Zenobia-sensei!
Even if she had to be a little strict with Eikou — it was all for the sake of discipline at Chaldea Academy, to prevent a future filled with horrifying bloody scenes.
… Come to think of it, wasn't she a Servant with Chaotic Evil alignment? Why was she suddenly starting to care about discipline?
Right at that moment,
Footsteps echoed from the hallway.
It was Mochizuki Eikou, wearing his backpack and returning to class, walking alongside his male friends — the Round Table Knights and the Twelve Paladins of Charlemagne from the neighboring class.
"Eikou, wanna play dodgeball with us after class? I'm a dodgeball master, you know," Charlemagne bragged proudly.
"Wait until the exam's over," Eikou replied. "But honestly, I'd rather play hide-and-seek."
"Ha ha, I look super cool when I'm the one chasing!"
"I'm not trying to brag," Tristan said proudly, "but I can pinpoint positions just by listening to the sound of the wind. I'm the ultimate hide-and-seek master of Britain!"
What the hell are they even talking about? This is way too childish. Even elementary school kids have more mature pastimes than you guys.
Come to think of it, Charlemagne is the class rep of France, right? Why is he hanging out with these Britain guys? Since when did they get so close?
"Tristam's good at hiding probably because he's used to getting beaten up by the husbands of married women, ha ha ha," Eikou joked.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
The boys burst into loud laughter.
Should I call them childish or just low-class? One second it's about games, the next it turns into dirty jokes. What are you, a bunch of eighth graders?
Jeanne Alter shook her head. In her heart, she thought she was truly getting fed up with the daily nonsense of these guys.
"Zenobia-sensei, that guy is Mochizuki Eikou. Hurry up and tie him up and put him on trial…!"
"..."
Zenobia showed no reaction at all.
"Zenobia-sensei?"
Still no response.
"…Zenobia?"
Jeanne Alter quietly stepped forward, observing the expression on the Empress's face.
"Hu… h-huu…"
Her beautiful face was flushed red, the bronze skin on her alluring body tinged with a feverish hue.
Those dreamy eyes gazed at the boy surrounded by knights.
In Zenobia's eyes, little pink heart-shaped bubbles seemed to appear. She clutched the golden chains on her body tightly, overwhelmed with shyness.
"That person… that person is Mochizuki Eikou?"
She fell already?!
She really fell in love?! What part of that scene could possibly be "love at first sight" material?! They were just talking about hide-and-seek and dirty jokes, and that's what got her?! I can't comprehend this at all!
You weakling, Queen Zenobia! Not even one second and you surrendered! You just broke the record for the fastest downfall!
"Zenobia?!"
"N-no… it's nothing…"
The bronzed beauty stammered in panic, awkwardly wiping a little drool from the corner of her mouth.
"That pale pretty boy doesn't even look that special… I-I won't give in, I still only have eyes for my ex-husband…!"
"Late husband" just turned into "ex-husband"?! Where exactly did that come from?! Your "only one heart" just split into two directions right there!
Zenobia, don't lose…! Don't lose to that shallow, dumb guy!
...
[Scathach-sensei wants you to update your health check data, but you refused.]
[Because you don't want anyone to know that your "Disaster With Women" secretly gained the ability "Special attack with married woman." For a pure-love warrior who believes in "boy meets girl," "special attack with married woman" is an indelible stain.]
[In your heart, you silently pray not to become someone like Lancelot.]