Chapter 88: Eikou-kun, you wouldn't want your little exam-cheating secret to be made public, would you?
[You just barely avoided Arjuna Alter's "Mahāpralaya."]
[However, waiting for you now are Zenobia and Murasaki Shikibu.]
"...You naughty child, you were trying to cheat just now, weren't you?"
Murasaki Shikibu pressed her face close to his, her voice sweet yet filled with teasing ambiguity.
Eikou was so frightened he couldn't make a sound.
What the hell is this, this is seriously the worst! He'd just barely escaped from the Lostbelt King's clutches, only to be pinned down by a lonely widow instead?!
'No, wait… this might not necessarily be a bad thing...'
Because his relationship with Murasaki Shikibu was rather good, maybe she would let him off this once.
But what would the price be?
Eikou already knew well — this Japanese female writer might look gentle, elegant, and demure on the surface, but deep down she was the type who enjoyed playing rough more than anyone.
And unfortunately, today she had him completely at her mercy.
But what about Zenobia? He wasn't close to her at all — she'd definitely report him for cheating!
"..."
Eikou's heart suddenly began pounding wildly, not knowing whether it was because of Murasaki Shikibu's slender, ice-cold hands wrapped around him, or out of fear from having his cheating exposed.
Even after catching him red-handed, Murasaki Shikibu didn't rush to accuse him. Instead, she only looked at him with a smile full of hidden meaning.
"...Mou, Eikou-kun,"
Her voice carried a faint trace of reproach, and her soft, warm body — like a cold-blooded snake seeking warmth — gently wrapped around him.
"I saw everything just now. You stole Arjuna-sensei's clothes to distract us, didn't you? You did it to divert our attention so you could cheat on the test, right? To think you'd go that far against a teacher just to cheat... Kaoruko really misjudged you!"
What the hell kind of logic is that?! You're a writer, but your imagination is way too wild! — Eikou silently cursed in his mind.
"...If you really wanted to steal," she continued, "then why didn't you go after me instead? Kaoruko dressed quite boldly today, you know — the kind I think you'd like~."
What the hell are you even saying?! I'm getting more and more confused here! Is this seriously how a proctor is supposed to talk to a student caught cheating?!
Eikou truly didn't know whether he should be terrified or furious.
Are you trying to humiliate me, or kill me — could you make it clear already?!
"If you wanted to cheat that badly," she went on softly, "why didn't you just tell me beforehand?"
Murasaki Shikibu's voice was sweetly seductive, her purple eyes glimmering with a hint of sincerity.
"No need for words — we're close partners after all. If you need me, I can serve you anytime."
"Easier said than done, but..."
Eikou started to reply, but realized that even if she wanted to help, it was already too late. Because it wasn't just her who saw the cheat sheet — Zenobia had noticed it too.
"Murasaki-sensei,"
Zenobia stepped forward, lowering her voice slightly.
"He really was cheating just now, wasn't he?"
"Shh——"
Murasaki Shikibu raised a finger to her lips, signaling for silence.
"Don't talk about it, Zenobia-sensei."
"What? You're planning to cover for him? That's not right, is it?" Zenobia hesitated slightly, a flicker of uncertainty on her face.
"Umu, that's true, but..."
Murasaki Shikibu's cheeks flushed red, her expression visibly flustered.
But that flustered look wasn't because she was struggling over whether to report him or not.
Rather, she was thinking of how to persuade Zenobia — and how to make use of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
At that moment, an idea flashed in her mind.
[Caster Murasaki Shikibu does not want to miss this chance to possess you, so she chooses not to report you.]
[Murasaki Shikibu uses "Verse of the Great Poet A" on Zenobia.]
[Under her eloquent, flowery words, Zenobia — usually strict but inwardly shaken — slowly shifts her stance to Murasaki's side.]
[The two women quickly reach an agreement.]
[While you are anxiously unsettled, they form a two-sided pincer aimed directly at you.]
"You're right, Murasaki-sensei..."
Zenobia lowered her head shyly, her gaze bashful, her hands fidgeting together like a nervous maiden.
"Since he's been a bad child, we should find a way to punish him a little..."
"Umu umu, let's punish him in our own way." Murasaki Shikibu smiled radiantly.
Eikou sensed the situation turning for the worse, but in this position, he had no chance to resist.
Wait a second — this is a sacred exam room, what are you two planning to do to a student here? Don't tell me you're about to use this as blackmail!
"W-wait..."
Eikou swallowed hard, trembling.
He was sitting in the very back row of the classroom, so no one else noticed what he was going through.
Arjuna Alter showed no reaction at all, still sitting there with eyes closed as if resting, and even his sword made no further judgments.
Hey, seriously? So your Noble Phantasm only reacts to exam cheating? That's way too narrow a range of function! Something far worse than cheating is happening right here! Open your eyes, man, a serious crime is taking place!
Before he could even resist, Murasaki Shikibu had already straddled him, her bold hands wrapping around his neck, pressing her body against his in a position that was both intimate and daring.
"You'd better endure it — this is your punishment."
Murasaki Shikibu smiled, her cheeks slightly flushed:
"To think that one day, Kaoruko would get to say such classic lines from those kinds of works—— Eikou-kun, you wouldn't want your little exam-cheating secret to be made public, would you?"
What kind of works are you even talking about, Fujiwara Kaoruko?! Just what kind of novels do you usually read?! So you've been waiting for a moment like this all along, haven't you?!
"..."
"Be good, don't resist, okay?"
As she spoke, her beautiful face was dyed with a charming shade of pink; though a little embarrassed, it didn't stop her from acting boldly.
She parted her soft lips slightly, then gently bit his ear.
"Mm..."
Eikou's heart instantly began to pound faster, and he let out a small gasp of surprise.
Beside him, Zenobia, seeing this, didn't just stand by — she reached out and pulled his head against her warm chest.
He could feel the soft, gentle brown skin, the comforting warmth, and that mature, ripened body...
"Mm..."
Caught between two adult women, Eikou's face flushed violently red, his cheeks burning so hot it felt like they might evaporate.
You two—just what are you trying to do to me? Is this really an exam room?!
Why not just kill me already!
[Twenty minutes later...]
[Thanks to the cheat sheet, you barely managed to cheat successfully.]
[After Murasaki Shikibu and Zenobia finished their proctoring duty, both left the exam room in satisfaction.]
[In a sense, this could be considered a mutually beneficial ending.]
[How wonderful, how wonderful... right?]
...