Re: Who needs a prince when you're a queen?

Chapter Thirty-eight: The irrationality of a schemer's environment

The Kingdom of Sacriere was a naturally humid country. More so in the summer.

Summer break was not actually a break at all but a field trip. It was a chance for students to travel to a variety of locations while immersing themselves in the place's culture and additional educational content. During my primary stay in the academy, first years were usually just limited to within the kingdom. That year was all about knowing how the economy of the kingdom works yadda yadda. It was stuff that was already known to most students in the academy, especially when the students are mostly nobility. The second year was when the spring soiree fiasco happened. And due to security reasons, all trips were canceled.

Fortunately, my third year academic life was mostly peaceful so far. I don't really want to jinx it but I just hope nothing big and stressful happens.

"You pushed me!" Viveca's shrill voice was heard for miles in the middle of the sea.

Of course, something big and stressful always happens.

While intensely fanning myself to keep the heat away as best as I can, I turned around to see Viveca with arms akimbo glaring at the heroine who was shaking timidly like a prey in front of a predator. By the looks of Viveca's impeccable posture opposing the heroine's frightened one, it hardly looked like Viveca was the one who was supposedly pushed.

"I- I did not push you . . . " the heroine meekly said.

"Ha! And you have the audacity to lie to me, you conniving b-"

"Okay, that's enough!" I immediately stepped in. Words are about to be thrown and I do not want to have this situation escalate. "What is this about now?"

Viveca was the first to point fingers. "This ignorant girl who does not know her place pushed me. Can you believe that?"

I looked at the heroine whose face was adamantly refuting Viveca's claims. "Your highness, I am hardly within your bounds, how could I ever push you?"

The look on Viveca's face was incredulous. If looks could kill, Viveca's ruby red eyes would be shooting flame towards the heroine, effectively roasting the latter.

"Did you see her push you, Viveca?" I inquired and scanned the area. We were currently on the open deck of the ship and only a few students were milling about. The curious gaze of the onlookers was apparent and it was best for both parties to quell this down or else it would only invite more unwanted attention. Heaven knows that's the last thing I want right now.

"Well, I did not . . . " Viveca said but then immediately followed up. "But I swear to the gods that I felt someone push me!"

"You said it yourself, you did not see anyone push you," the heroine stated as a matter of fact.

That's a valid point.

"Care to explain how no one is near me except you?!" Viveca was insistent. She crossed her arms and her expression was more dubious.

It was only then that I noticed that the other bystanders were many feet away from Viveca's position. If someone did push her and ran away, someone would have seen the culprit running away. Unless someone was deliberately hiding the culprit . . .

Observing the people loitering about, none of them seemed to be brave enough to hide someone who would offend the princess of a foreign kingdom. Everyone else was in a proximity that was nowhere near the scene of the crime.