When I Started Capturing the Academy Princesses, Things Turned into a Battlefield - V1 Chapter 24: Interlude – The Ice Princess’s Soliloquy

Chapter 24.5: Interlude – The Ice Princess’s Soliloquy

“…So my net-game husband turned out to be my senpai at school.”

With the computer powered off, I mumbled that out loud—

Like the title of some light novel.

But it wasn’t fiction.

It was real.

Even I hadn’t believed it at first…

But all the signs were there.

It had to be true.

A fated encounter.

A daydream turned reality.

It feels silly to say it myself, but—

I grew up with people doting on me.

I was raised in a wealthy family, spoiled by both my parents, and adored by my older sister.

And I love my family too, so it’s not like I minded.

But that didn’t mean there weren’t problems.

The problem… was with people.

My sister was always there.

Smart, athletic, a natural leader—

The kind of sister anyone would be proud of.

She was kind, reliable, and above all, completely devoted to me.

To only me.

It’s always been that way.

She treats everyone else like cold air—

Cold eyes, blunt words, driving people away without hesitation.

So whenever my sister was around, no one ever approached me.

And when she wasn’t, people would suddenly swarm me all at once.

So many voices, too many questions, and I never knew how to deal with it.

Maybe it was because that had gone on for so many years—

But eventually, I found myself unable to talk to anyone outside my family.

Whenever I tried, I got nervous.

The words wouldn’t come out right.

Eventually, people started mistaking me for being just like my sister—

Cold, distant, unapproachable.

And so, no one talked to me anymore.

But… I didn’t really mind.

Because ever since middle school, I’d had a husband—

In the world of my favorite online game.

It all started as a way to kill time.

I saw an ad while watching videos and decided to try it out.

Even someone like me, bad at talking, might be able to make a friend there.

My character was a blonde, busty elf named Non-Non.

I’d always admired girls like that—

Strong, glamorous, confident.

The kind I wanted to be one day.

Unfortunately, my growth had already stalled, and with both my mom and sister being flat, the genetics weren’t in my favor.

And there was no way my family would ever let me dye my hair blonde.

Non-Non had a husband.

A warrior named Valhalla.

We hit it off right away.

And before I knew it, we’d gotten married for the couple-exclusive skill set.

At the time, it didn’t feel like a big deal—it was just in-game, after all.

But little by little, I started falling for him.

He was always dependable,

Always made me laugh in chat,

And over time, spending time with my husband in the game became the best part of my day.

…Was this love?

I’d imagined it so many times—

What would happen if we met in real life?

What would I say?

How would he react?

But then—

The betrayal came out of nowhere.

From the one I loved most.

『I’ve gotta try winning over a girl in real life. I was hoping I could get your advice. Like… maybe some tips or something.』

Out of nowhere—

A full-blown cheating confession.

On screen, my blonde elf Non-Non was swinging her staff at him in a flurry of rage.

Even real-world me had ended up smacking my desk—more than once.

Apparently, it was all because of his little sister.

Still… if I threw a fit here, I’d just come off as some clingy, possessive girl.

And he might hate me for that.

So I thought hard.

Fine.

I’d let him go through with it—

And make sure he failed.

If he ended up completely rejected, maybe he’d stop for good.

He had no real experience with girls anyway, so it should be easy to trick him into doing something completely cringe.

Then afterward, I’d be there to gently comfort him.

That way, he’d never try anything like this again.

『Girls love surprises. That’s why first impressions matter most. I’ll teach you exactly what to do, so you better follow my instructions to the letter, Darling.』

I didn’t know a thing about romance—

But I sounded like I did. That was enough.

『Got it.』

Once I was sure he believed me, I typed the perfect line—

Something so embarrassing he’d never recover.

『Say this when you approach her: “Good morning, kitten.”』

『What even is that?』

『It’s a magic phrase that melts a girl’s heart. Say it just like that and she’s yours.』

『…Are you serious?』

『Completely. Believe in Non-Non.』

That was a lie.

There isn’t a single girl alive who would actually be happy to hear something like that.

Well—maybe someone out there would.

But they’d definitely be a very specific type.

If someone said that to me the first time we met, I’d be horrified.

I’d never want to be anywhere near them again.

But… what if, by some miracle, it worked?

『Once you throw her off with that bold greeting, hit her with a lunch invite while she’s still confused. That’s when she’ll be totally hooked. Oh, and this part is super important—if she actually agrees, don’t go alone with her. Absolutely invite someone else too. If it’s just the two of you, she’ll get suspicious.』

Just in case, I threw in a safety net.

I wasn’t about to let it turn into some romantic one-on-one moment.

If my Darling had the nerve to flirt with another girl right in front of me,

Then I hoped he got rejected and humiliated.

After what I considered some truly top-tier advice,

I went to sleep that night with a pit in my stomach.

Then came the next morning.

A male upperclassman stepped into the classroom.

The atmosphere shifted—students whispering and sneaking glances.

He walked, step by step, straight toward my desk.

(Was this… a confession?)

I’d already been confessed to multiple times since enrolling.

And after being chosen as one of the Princesses at the end of the first term, the number only grew.

They never approached when my sister was around, though.

Bunch of cowards.

It was honestly annoying.

Not that I planned to say yes to any of them.

I already had a Darling.

No one else could make my heart flutter.

At least this guy was a senpai—

It’d be way more awkward if it were someone from my class.

If I just kept ignoring him and didn’t even look his way,

He’d eventually give up and go away—right?

“Good morning, kitten.”

“…!?”

I couldn’t stop myself—I turned to look.

Standing there was… a totally average guy.

Nothing unusual about his face, average build, average height.

He wasn’t slouching or wearing his uniform improperly.

If anything, he looked like the serious and quiet type.

Definitely not the kind of person who’d throw out such a painful line.

And that’s when it hit me.

The chat from last night.

…Darling?

He’d once told me he was just an average guy—no special features, nothing that stood out.

The senpai standing in front of me now fit that description perfectly.

Plain. Ordinary.

“Wait… Onii-chan?”

As I sat there stunned, someone grabbed the senpai’s arm and pulled him aside.

It was a girl from my class—Ayane Kanbara.

Even from my perspective, she was a cute girl.

Even smaller than me—and I get called tiny all the time.

Like a little animal, really.

To be honest, I’d wanted to talk to her for a while.

Then I remembered what Darling had told me.

Second-year.

Attends the same school as his little sister.

And, through some deal with said sister, was tasked with trying to win over a younger girl.

(Wait a second. That younger girl… wasn’t supposed to be me, was it?)

“Would you like to have lunch together?”

“…”

“Of course, just the two of us might be a bit much. So how about joining us with my sister Ayane here?”

No doubt about it.

Even the way he invited me—it was exactly the line I taught him yesterday.

This was it.

The biggest chance I’d ever had in my life.

I had no idea what to do—words were never my strong suit.

But I couldn’t let this moment slip away.

So, for now, I just gave him a thumbs-up.

“…Welcome.”

After that, the three of us had lunch together.

Looking back, the smartest move I made was advising him to invite someone else along.

Unlike me, who could barely speak, Ayane Kanbara had been amazing—

Cheerful, natural, and incredibly helpful.

Thanks to her support, the atmosphere stayed light and comfortable.

“It really was a lovely time.”

Alright, that’s enough of the emotional stuff.

Sure, finding out that Darling was someone right nearby at school had me jumping with joy—

But there were also… three problems.

Three very big problems.

First, there was Non-Non’s character setting.

I’d said I was an experienced, confident gal-type.

When I first made the account, I didn’t expect to end up “married,” so I just threw together something random.

Now, I seriously regretted it.

I had no idea if Darling would be okay with the fact that the real me was nothing like that.

Should I just tell him the truth and see what happens?

Nope. That’d totally freak him out.

Suddenly showing up and saying, “I’m your wife”?

He’d definitely think I was crazy.

Right now, he was only spending time with me because his sister told him to.

Second—Ayane, Darling’s sister, had apparently said it was fine to stop pursuing me.

I really didn’t want that.

I wanted him to keep trying.

And third—the biggest threat of all:

My big sister.

If she found out what was going on, she’d 100% get in the way.

“…I have to do something.”

◇

This had to be handled quickly—

But carefully.

The next morning, right after arriving at school,

I walked straight toward one specific desk without hesitation.

“Kanbara-san.”

“Yes, Hikawa-san?”

“Um… thank you for yesterday. And… if it’s okay, I… I’d like to be friends.”

“Huh?”

Become close with the little sister—

Get invited to her house—

That way, I could naturally visit Darling’s home.

Since they were supposed to be “close siblings,” I’d have more chances to see him without it seeming weird.

All that was left was to show him what made me special, and when the timing was right, reveal my true identity.

This was the best possible plan.

And the genius part?

Even if my sister found out, I could just say my real goal was to be friends with Ayane.

I stayed up late into the night crafting this strategy.

It was the first time in my life I’d ever said, I want to be friends—on my own.

I’d been terrified of getting rejected.

But I couldn’t run away now.

After all, this girl might soon be my sister-in-law.

“Really!? I was actually thinking of asking you the same thing!”

“…I’m happy to hear that.”

Maybe it was just something people say,

But even so, I couldn’t believe how warm it made me feel inside.

The two of us shook hands.

“Can I call you by your first name from now on?”

“Yeah. I’ll do the same.”

“I’m looking forward to this, Kanon-chan.”

“…Me too, Ayane-chan.”

If you want to win the general, aim for the horse first.

Darling didn’t seem like the kind of guy who had girls chasing after him.

So, no need to panic.

No one was going to steal him away anytime soon.

I’d take my time.

Slowly and carefully, I’d win his heart.

Especially making sure my sister never found out.