I Became a Demon Who Can Never Be Headpatted in the Academy?!

"You want me to get along with Sitri?"

Nikea slowly placed the fork she was holding in her right hand down as she spoke.

"Yes, it's Murmur's request. Please get along with Sitri."

"...I think we're already getting along very well, Murmur."

"You shouldn't lie, Nikea."

Nikea gave a small wry smile at Murmur's words, which were rather bold, as if she was accurately seeing through her mind.

Unfortunately, Princess Nikea Hollimpia's mind was already very complicated and painful even before Murmur made this request.

'Murmur doesn't know what I'm feeling right now. I don't even think she would know this feeling.'

Nikea took a small sip of the cold peach black tea with the hand that had put down the fork. No matter how much cold drink she drank, no matter how much sweet tea she drank, Nikea's mind had no intention of calming down.

It was only natural. The reason for her complicated mind was Murmur, who was in front of her.

"Murmur thinks that Sitri and Nikea can get along."

Nikea forced a smile.

What a kind and cute child she was. When she thought about the ladies and peers who had asked her for 'favors' so far, Murmur's request was so cute that she wanted to take her cheek to her soft cheek and rub it.

Please say good things to your father, lend me money, say a word in the Imperial Council, introduce me to your sister, what did the Empress say?

Murmur was making a cute request that couldn't be compared to the requests that she had heard throughout her life, that made her head throb, her stomach turn, and her shoulders feel heavy.

"If Murmur says so... but why do you want Sitri and I to be friends?"

Nikea liked Murmur like that. To be honest, she thought of her as the first 'friend' she had ever made.

Ironically, the 'scent' that rose when she looked at such a friend and embarrassingly twitched her nose was still there. That scent was telling Nikea a cruel fact.

Murmur is an evil being.

The sweet scent that tickled the tip of her nose was a warning from her 'sensory organs' that she was deeply related to the Demon race.

"Sitri is Murmur's friend. Nikea is also Murmur's friend. If you fight every time you meet, Murmur can't be happy."

"...Is that really the only reason?"

"Yes, and Sitri is a good friend too. Because she's Murmur's friend. I think Nikea can also be very happy and get along very well."

Nikea swallowed the words that had risen to her chin, 'There's no way. Sitri is a changeling...' by drinking the cold black tea.

The sweet scent wafting from Murmur was a cruel warning.

Just like she could know by seeing with her two eyes, hearing with her two ears, and feeling the other person with her skin, this scent she felt from Murmur was a warning that Nikea could know because she was of the 'Royal race'.

So, the world was warning her.

Murmur is bad.

Murmur is evil.

Murmur is a treacherous being.

'...No.'

Nikea squeezed her hand shut as she closed her eyes tightly, pretending to savor the scent of the black tea.

Isn't it a bit of a funny story?

If this kind of scent had risen from another being, Nikea would have immediately reported it to the Holy Kingdom's Inquisition, but she was ignoring the senses she had relied on for over 10 years just because this scent was felt from 'Murmur'.

"Tell me about Sitri's good points. Then I'll think about trying to get along with her..."

"Nikea, you're bad."

"...Am I bad! Is it Murmur who is bad for asking me to get along with her with that cute face, even though you know we don't get along?"

Murmur accepted the small grumbles and jealousy cutely. Nikea honestly laughed.

"Hmm... Sitri has a lot of money."

"And?"

"Although Nikea might not think so, she takes good care of the people who are on her side."

"...That's true. She did during this collaborative project, didn't she? She used quite good equipment."

"And she's a good kid. Unlike Nikea's first impression, her personality is really nice."

"... ...She told me I don't have any friends, and she wouldn't even let Murmur go to the bathroom?"

Murmur shook her head from side to side. At that sight, Nikea chuckled once and took a cookie with raspberry chips embedded in it to Murmur's mouth.

"Okay, I was just joking... Even though Sitri has a bad reputation, I've never thought that she herself was bad..."

Nikea's lips trembled as she recalled the conversation between Murmur and Sitri in the Starshadow Forest.

Changeling, Rowan.

As soon as she saw him attack Sitri, Nikea rushed out, and she was impressed to see Murmur defeat him instead. Logically, a question arose as to why Murmur was saving Sitri, but anyway, she felt good seeing Murmur's performance.

And then, she was going to say something like, 'Sorry I was late,' but...

Sitri revealed that she was a changeling and stuck to Murmur, giggling that she would become Murmur's 'bride'.

'I still don't know what a bride means...'

Nikea let out a wry smile. The answer to the question of how evil and treacherous a changeling is was already there in the form of a good answer sheet called Rowan.

"...I've never thought that she herself was bad."

Nikea, accustomed to it since childhood, told a 'lie' to maintain a good relationship between people and took a sip of her black tea.

Since the glass cup was already showing its bottom, the head maid, Liora, who was standing next to her, refilled her glass.

"You became friends with Esme, too. I hope you become friends with Sitri as well, Nikea."

"Esme's situation is different."

"Really?"

At those grown-up eyes that once again saw through her, Nikea rolled her eyes to the side.

'Sometimes... It's like I'm talking to my mother.'

Nikea wiggled her fingers.

This time too, Murmur knew the answer. It wasn't for nothing that she pushed away Esme, who suggested they have breakfast together this morning.

Sitri's words weren't wrong either. Nikea didn't make friends. She had made a lot of friends during her soft, pudding-like days when she didn't know anything, but at some point, she broke off those relationships.

When was that?

Was it when she started to feel a lump in her chest and started wearing underwear?

Was it around the time she realized that the 'friends' who had approached her, the beings she had thought were 'friends,' were actually just crows who had rushed to eat the bread crumbs that fell whenever Nikea Hollimpia moved?

"Esme is... Okay, Murmur. I give up. I'll try my best to become friends with Sitri too."

Her wealth, her reputation, her relationship with her mother and father.

She had pushed Esme Bloodberry away, thinking that she was definitely approaching her with those things in mind.

Thinking about it calmly, Esme was still calling her 'Princess~ Princess~', so it didn't seem like she wasn't looking for those things at all, but she was still much better than the crows she had made friends with so far.

She had honestly invited Nikea, a princess, to her mansion and told her a lot of stories, saying that this was delicious, this was good, and this was cute, and acted intimately.

That's how she was able to become friends with Esme. Would she have been able to become her friend without Murmur's help?

"Thank you, Nikea. Then please wait a moment."

"A moment? Okay, I understand."

Nikea smiled and looked at Liora, who was standing behind her. Liora, who saw Murmur jump down from the chair and go out of the room, immediately stroked Nikea's shoulder.

She didn't know everything, but she knew at least that Nikea was agonizing and suffering.

'A friend...'

Nikea took another sip of her black tea and recalled the conversation between Sitri and Murmur.

'You said it doesn't matter even if she's a changeling... How can Murmur say such a thing?'

Just now, Rowan, who was a changeling, had attacked Sitri and herself, so how could she say it doesn't matter?

Nikea, recalling Murmur's grown-up and ''future-seeing' actions that she occasionally showed, clenched her left fist tightly.

'...Colette Bloodberry didn't come to the Academy for no reason, did she?'

Without even having to investigate, Colette Bloodberry was probably sent by the 'sister' that Nikea really hated.

The Crown Princess and the 'Moonlight Dawn Society'.

Nikea, as a princess, knew that relationship well. That's why Nikea couldn't ignore the scent she could feel from Murmur when she concentrated.

'A Demon God's... ...There's no way. Where in the world is there such a cute Demon God's offspring?'

While Nikea was comforting herself, Murmur returned with a hesitant Sitri.

"Huh...?"

"Sitri, do you remember the promise you made with Murmur?"

"Y-yes, of course I remember. But I didn't expect you to act so quickly."

What on earth was this awkward and embarrassing situation?

"Liora... Please prepare another seat."

Nikea was honestly impressed by Murmur's quick actions.

"...Um."

"It's a nice smelling black tea."

Sitri managed to say one word, and Nikea wiggled her fingers.

Murmur quickly moved her head from side to side, looking at both of their faces.

'I'm not ready at all.'

How could she become friends with a changeling?

Nikea felt uncomfortable. For her, it was like Murmur was asking her to get along with a murderer.

Even when she closed her eyes tightly and tried to think about getting along, the common sense she had screamed that she was crazy.

"Please take care of me, respected Princess Nikea. Although it was Murmur's request, I was also thinking about becoming friends."

Nikea swallowed. Nikea didn't particularly like Sitri, who tried to solve everything with money.

"Okay. Thanks to Murmur, I've made a new friend. Please take care of me."

Nikea awkwardly reached out her hand. Sitri took it and shook it up and down.

"Hmm..."

"Um..."

Their conversation ended there.

Sitri was also uncomfortable with Nikea's personality, and there were some aspects of her that she personally viewed with suspicion, so the intimacy between the two was limited to this state.

"Nikea, Sitri."

"Yes, Murmur, what is it?"

"Did you call for me? Murmur-nim?"

The two, who answered with bright smiles at just one word, simultaneously felt embarrassed.

"I guess you really don't want to get along."

"W-what. No! Murmur. We've only just met today, haven't we?"

"T-that's right. Since we don't know each other's hobbies and don't have any common topics, we just can't have a lively conversation."

Murmur looked at the two who were hurriedly making excuses and let out a cute sigh.

"Then both of you. Please listen to Murmur's request."

"If it's Murmur-nim's request, I can do anything!"

"Me too... well, if it's not a completely impossible request, I can do it."

Murmur smiled cutely.

"Then I'll call Esme too. Let's all four of us play a game together."

"If that's what Murmur-nim wants, anything is fine!"

"A game... you say? I haven't really played those before, is it okay?"

Murmur jumped down from the chair and smiled.

"It's a game that makes friends get along better, so it's not difficult."

Murmur's eyes, as she spoke those light words, were so grown-up that Nikea once again ignored the scent that tickled the tip of her nose and smiled.

"Okay, I'll look forward to it, Murmur."

Nikea unknowingly stroked her lower abdomen with her left hand once.