I Became A Side Character Fated To Suffer-Chapter 55:The Lazy Princess And Empress Of Chaos

Rustle.

The wind slipped softly through the half open windows, carrying with it the faint scent of damp earth and morning dew, while pale sunlight stretched across the room inch by inch, climbing over the wooden floor before finally reaching the bed, where it stopped at a completely unmoving lump beneath the blanket.

[...Eleanor.]

There was no response, and the room remained quiet except for the faint whisper of the wind.

[...Eleanor.]

The blanket twitched slightly, and a muffled voice escaped from within as she muttered, "...Five more minutes...," sounding barely human, as if a dying creature was making its final request.

A long, exhausted sigh echoed in the room as the unseen presence replied, [...You said that ten minutes ago.]

"...That was a different five minutes..." she murmured weakly, still refusing to emerge.

[...That is not how time works.]

[Ahhh, damn, never have I imagined that I, the Empress of Chaos realm, would stoop so low as to become someone’s personal alarm, and honestly, I cannot believe how far I have fallen.]

Silence lingered for a moment, but it did not last long.

Suddenly, the blanket was yanked away with force, and Eleanor let out a startled cry as she shot upright, her crimson hair completely disheveled while her half-lidded eyes remained unfocused, as though her soul had not fully loaded into her body yet.

"...Why is the world so cruel this early..." she complained, her voice thick with sleep and annoyance.

[...Because you refuse to wake up like a functioning human being, and at this point, it is becoming a habit.]

"I am functioning, just slowly..." she argued while swaying slightly, as if her balance itself was still waking up.

She paused for a brief second before flopping face first back onto the bed and muttering, "...System reboot failed..."

[...ELEANOR.]

"OKAY I’M UP!" she shouted as she jerked upright again, this time forcing her eyes open despite the resistance, and although her face looked pale and lifeless, she was at least conscious, even if only barely.

"...If I die today, it will be because of morning classes..." she muttered under her breath.

[...If you skip again, then it will not be death but expulsion, and I assure you that outcome is far worse.]

The word hit her like a shock, and her entire body stiffened as she repeated slowly, "...Expulsion... like permanently?"

[...Yes, permanently.]

Silence followed, but it was quickly shattered as a sudden surge of mana burst outward from her body, causing the curtains to snap open and the windows to fling wide, while dust scattered into the air as a fresh gust rushed into the room.

Eleanor stood there with her hair fluttering slightly, and the lifeless dullness in her eyes vanished, replaced by sharp clarity and alertness.

She was her father’s princess, but that title came with its own problems, because despite appearances she was incredibly lazy unless it involved fighting, and her mystic, Flame Manipulation, did not merely control fire but also influenced her personality, making her rash and hot headed the moment she activated it, almost like someone struggling with conflicting personas.

Her father had never wanted her to enter the academy, believing there was no need for it, but she had argued, resisted, and ultimately run away to enroll on her own, and although she had technically been kidnapped, that too had been part of her own planning.

Shaking her head lightly as if to clear her thoughts, she glanced toward the ghost and said, "...Why didn’t you say that earlier?"

[...I did, but you assumed I was joking.]

"...I thought you were joking..."

[...About your academic downfall, which is very real and very close?]

"...Fair point."

She stretched her arms as her joints cracked lightly, and then she stepped onto the cold floor, the chill immediately snapping away the last remnants of sleep from her mind.

"...I hate this routine, and I mean that sincerely every single day," she muttered as she began walking toward the window.

[...You say that every day, and yet you still follow it, which makes your complaints slightly less convincing.]

"And I mean it every day," she replied as she leaned against the window frame, letting the morning light brush against her skin.

The academy grounds stretched out below, appearing calm and peaceful on the surface, although there was always an underlying tension that never truly disappeared.

"...Do people really wake up willingly for this kind of suffering, or is there something wrong with them?" she asked lazily.

[...Some do, although their sanity can certainly be questioned.]

"They are insane," she concluded, her gaze drifting idly across the grounds until it suddenly stopped.

"...Oh."

Her eyes focused on a figure in the distance who was running steadily across the training field, each step controlled and unwavering, while sweat glistened under the sunlight, tracing along well defined muscles as he continued without pause.

[Uuu, my prince, just look at him.]

[My prince is unbelievably sexy and I cannot handle this.]

[Those abs, those muscles, and that gaze, I feel like I am melting.]

It was Noel, and Eleanor blinked once before unconsciously leaning forward slightly, because although she had only noticed recently, she had seen him running every single day without fail, and now that she thought about it, he was incredibly hardworking, often training late into the night as well.

"He is already so strong, so why does he keep pushing himself like that..." she murmured remembering the moment Noel appeared before the Chimera and her.

He pinned it down with absolute power.

Honestly,she had a bad opinion about Noel but now,she couldn’t help but marvel at his sheer strength.

And she also owe him one.

"...Does he ever stop?" she asked, although her eyes never moved away from him.

[...Unlikely, because that level of discipline rarely allows for rest.]

"...That cannot be healthy, even if it looks impressive..."

Her gaze sharpened as she observed him more closely, analyzing every movement and detail with quiet focus.

"...That is actually impressive, and I have to admit that..." she said softly.

[...You have been staring for twelve seconds, and your definition of analysis is becoming questionable.] 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"...I am analyzing, and this is completely professional," she replied, slightly defensive.

[...You tilted your head while observing him.]

"...That was for a better angle, and it improves the analysis."

[...You also leaned closer to the window.]

"...Just be quiet."

There was a brief pause before the voice spoke again.

[...You should take a picture, since you clearly want to.]

"...What do you mean, I do not want to..." she denied immediately.

[...You have been staring like a creep, and it is becoming very obvious.]

"I am not a creep, and if anything, you are the one who has been staring," she argued.

[...Is that not the same thing, since you and I share the same perspective?]

"Of course not, and besides, I do not like bad boys," she said with a slight scoff.

[...Say that after you wipe the drool from your face.]

"Yewww, that is disgusting, and also not true," she protested.

[...Then prove it by not taking the picture.]

"...That logic feels completely rigged, and I do not appreciate it."

[...It is rigged, and that is exactly the point.]

Eleanor narrowed her eyes slightly before speaking again.

"...Hypothetically speaking, if someone were to take a picture, it would only be for academic research and nothing else..."

[...Yes, purely for academic research, which sounds extremely believable.]

"...Obviously."

She reached into the drawer beside her and pulled out a small, sleek magical device with a polished surface and a faint blue glow pulsing along its edges.

The bluish crystal rested lightly in her hand as she stared at it for a moment.

"...I still cannot believe I accepted this, because it feels like a terrible idea..."

[...You did not accept it willingly, since it was forced on you.]

"...That is basically the same thing."

She raised the device slightly, hesitating as doubt flickered across her expression.

"...This is illegal, and I feel like that should matter more..."

[...It only matters if you get caught, which means the risk is manageable.]

"...That does not make it better, and you are a terrible influence."

[...And yet you are still considering it, which says more about you than it does about me.]

She paused for a moment before muttering softly, "...Just one..."

A faint click echoed as the flash disappeared almost instantly.

Eleanor stared at the device and then at the captured image, her expression shifting slightly.

"...Huh, that actually turned out better than expected..."

[...You sound proud of yourself.]

"I am simply appreciating the composition, and there is nothing wrong with that," she replied calmly.

[...Of course, it is purely about composition.]

She lowered the camera as her expression returned to its usual calm indifference.

"...Maybe that gift was not completely useless

after all..."

....

Far below, Noel slowed down before coming to a stop, and for a brief moment, his gaze lifted directly toward her window, as if he had sensed something.

A faint smirk appeared on his face as he muttered, "...I guess I will ask her for that picture later..."

Up above, Eleanor froze completely as a chill ran down her spine.

"...Wait, why do I suddenly feel like I made a terrible decision..." she whispered.

[...Because you did make a terrible decision, and now you have to deal with it.]

"...I regret everything, and I should delete it immediately..."

[...You will not delete it, and you already know that.]

"...I will ..." she said, although her voice lacked conviction.

She looked at the camera again, hesitated for a moment, and then sighed softly.

"...I definitely will delete it..."

[...Hopeless.]

"...Just be quiet."

And just like that, her perfectly normal morning had already begun spiraling toward inevitable embarrassment, and deep down, she knew there was no escaping it anymore.