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“Alright, all boys—turn around and shut your eyes! And no peeking sideways either, that doesn’t count!”

Cestlavie and Regulus followed my command instantly and did a complete about-face.

“Um, Lady Clara, I can’t move… My feet are still locked in place…”

Colin pointed at his feet while averting his gaze from the very naked Eliza.

“Coppelia, close Colin’s eyes!”
“Understood! DIE!! Drill Spiral Rolling Screw Punch!!”
“KYAAAAAAAAH, COLIN!!”

The moment I gave the order, Coppelia slapped on a pair of brass knuckles adorned with skulls and ominous bolts, then launched a roaring, high-speed rocket punch straight at Colin’s face.

Maria Lou’s scream, like silk being torn, echoed through the underground. I reflexively swatted it away with a full swing of my staff—Ali Di Luce.

Cha-shu-men! …Or something like that.

“Wait, no! I said cover his eyes, not end his life!”
“Whoaahhh! To think you’d counter my finishing move so effortlessly—truly impressive, Lady Clara!”

With a deep sigh, I handed Coppelia a handkerchief I pulled from my pocket.

“Just use this cloth to blindfold him, okay? …And don’t soak it in water and try to smother him!” Why is your first instinct always murder!?

Just then, Cestlavie—still diligently facing away from the pool—raised a hand.

“Hey Jill, just a thought, but… isn’t the real issue not us closing our eyes, but the fact that Barbara’s butt-naked?”
“You’re right. Coppelia, please get her something to wear.”
“Leave it to me! On it!”

Then suddenly, Coppelia came for my clothes.

“K-KYAAAAAAAH! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Why, helping Lady Clara undress, of course. That Barbara woman might think stripping gives her dramatic impact, but your elegance even half-dressed would blow her out of the water! Victory guaranteed!”
“Wrong! Absolutely wrong!! Stop—you’re gonna make them spill out!!”
“Kekekeke… No need to be shy…”
“Stop it! I’m keeping my body pure until marriage, thank you!”

“““…(gulp)”””

“You there! I know you’re sneaking a peek!! Don’t look!!” Feeling all too many eyes on me, I fended off Coppelia’s grasping hands with growing desperation.

“…Honestly. Still as noisy—and as ridiculous—as ever, aren’t you?”

At that moment, having been left completely behind by our antics, Eliza muttered with cold dispassion as she approached, emotionless as always.

““““…””””

She hadn’t even raised her voice much, but whether it was the acoustics of the underground hall or the sheer chill of her words, we all sobered up instantly. The mood that had slackened into chaos snapped tight again, and we stood awkwardly in a kind of embarrassed silence.

“Well… I mean, it’s true. With Lady Clara at the helm, we are kind of famous in the Holy Capital as a ‘colorful bunch,’ after all.”

Coppelia, ever herself, said this matter-of-factly.

“Just—let go of me already, Coppelia!”
“Oh, my bad. I meant to stop at ‘halfway,’ but the moment I saw your stunning form, my mental breaker tripped. I lost all sense of reason. To think even my steel will could be unraveled by your allure… Truly, Lady Clara, you are dangerously divine.”

Wrenching Coppelia’s hands off me, I fixed my now-disheveled clothes and snapped:

“I seriously question whether you have a will to begin with. And for the record, I never asked to lead some kind of comedy troupe, so stop bragging like it’s a badge of honor! In fact, that whole idea is nonsense! Utterly baseless!”

““—Eh…!?”” I quickly shut down Coppelia’s “Lady Clara and Her Wacky Friends” remark, but for some reason, Colin and Maria Lou were both staring at me in surprise.

Wait. Wait. That reaction—don’t tell me… Is that how we’re viewed in the Holy Capital?! As some kind of sideshow act?!

Just as I was starting to unravel, Eliza let out a long, exasperated sigh. “…Ugh. I can’t believe I spent so long seeing you as a rival. It makes all my effort feel pointless.”

“Eh, you thought of me as your rival?!”
“Fufufu… laughable. You might’ve thought so, but as you can see, Lady Clara never even noticed you. Besides, she’s the officially recognized ‘Shrine Maiden Princess’ now. A mere appointed shrine maiden like you couldn’t hope to compete.”

Coppelia immediately piled on after my stunned gasp.

“…Yeah, apparently. Congratulations, Adelheid. You really are amazing. I used to envy you out of jealousy, but now it’s just admiration.”

Eliza didn’t even flinch at Coppelia’s jabs. She just offered me calm, sincere praise.

“…Vuh?! Wait. No “You cheater!” or “You schemed this while I was gone!” or dramatic rants? No sore-loser speeches at all?!”
“…Why are you the one who sounds disappointed by that?”

Coppelia looked utterly dejected, kicking a pebble like she’d been hit with emotional whiplash.

“…Okay, something’s off. Is that really Barbara? Could be a fake, right?”

Cestlavie pointed at the suspiciously polite, mild-mannered “Clean Eliza,” a doubt I couldn’t help but share, even a little.

“Don’t just turn around like it’s nothing and stare at Eliza while she’s still naked!!”

I tried to cover Cestlavie’s eyes with both hands, but for some reason, he gave me a disturbingly perfect smile.

“No worries. After seeing your fair skin and graceful, voluptuous form etched into my eyes and memory, that level of nudity won’t faze me anymore.”
“I hate that even more!! Forget it immediately! Wait—so you were peeking after all?!”
“Lady Clara, here you go.”

Just then, like a loyal retainer offering pre-warmed sandals, Coppelia handed me a terrifying spiked knuckle duster.

I took it almost on reflex and nearly strapped it on—

“—Wait! No! That’s not what we’re doing!” I frantically handed it back to Coppelia.

“…May I finally speak, Adelheid?” Eliza, who had been patiently waiting this whole time, tilted her head and asked in a tone that said she couldn’t care less either way.

“S-sorry… again…” Embarrassed beyond belief, I bowed my head. Still—how does Eliza manage to stand there completely nude in front of everyone, totally unfazed?

An unmarried woman, let alone a shrine maiden, would be condemned for her lack of modesty, and if she were unlucky, she could lose not only her social credibility but also her very life. Something is really off.