Chapter 359: The Cross-Dressing Contest

I looked around and saw the others looking utterly bewildered.

Hale had gone completely rigid.

Well, of course. It must be infuriating to have the protagonist of another novel rehash the touching words he’d offered to give her confidence.

Especially when the reason behind it was just to convince me to participate in a cross-dressing contest.

‘If Hale grabbed her childhood friend by the hair and started pulling right now, wouldn’t everyone cheer her on instead of stopping her?’

I can’t help but admire Hale’s patience.

How in the world is she enduring this?

“Karbaldr. You absolutely have to enter the contest.”

“Why would I participate in such an absurd contest…?”

“Absurd? This contest has a long history and tradition!”

A beauty contest that includes cross-dressing and cross-dressing categories having a long history and tradition.

No matter how baseless this world’s worldview is, I have to wonder if this is really okay.

What on earth was the original author thinking when they added this kind of setting?

‘Surely the original author’s subconscious doesn’t hold the misguided belief that school festivals must have cross-dressing contests, and that this influenced the world enough to grant such a contest a long history and tradition, right?’

Given that Reysir, the original protagonist, doesn’t hide his otaku tendencies, the possibility isn’t entirely out of the question.

But thinking about it logically, the original author must have intended it deliberately….

‘No, is that even weirder?’

Whether the original author intended it or not.

Either way, the fact remains that a cross-dressing contest was in their head, so this situation must have come about somehow.

Is there any point in distinguishing the difference?

‘And if it was intentional, that means they planned to send someone to a cross-dressing contest.’

But I only learned about this contest last year, and the original author tried to kill me just a few days ago.

That means they intended to have someone other than Karbaldr cross-dress.

‘Surely they weren’t thinking of Reysir…?

Author Senna seems to avoid caricaturing her own protagonist.

Considering that, it’s impossible.

But while it’s rare these days, there was a time when fantasy novels would frequently feature scenes of the protagonist cross-dressing.

Besides, Reysir has a fairly delicate appearance—not as much as this possessed body, but still.

Though he does have a somewhat broad and solid build, so even when I try to imagine him cross-dressed, the image doesn’t come to mind.

Could he actually pull it off surprisingly well without looking ridiculous?

“If it’s such a wonderful contest, then you should go.”

I’d like to clarify in advance, lest the dear readers misunderstand due to the previous narration.

I didn’t say this because I want to see the protagonist of another novel cross-dressed.

In fact, I absolutely do not want to see it.

But the reason I brought it up anyway is….

‘If the protagonist cross-dresses and suddenly everyone around him dies and a tragic development unfolds, that would be weird, right?’

To summarize.

In order to steer this festival episode toward a comedic development where no one dies, I made this counter-proposal to the protagonist of another novel.

Of course, I didn’t think the protagonist of another novel would readily accept it…….

“If I go? Then you’ll go too?”

Wha.

No, I was wrong.

Far from hesitating, the protagonist of another novel flashed his golden single eye as if he’d spotted an opportunity.

I couldn’t help but ask the following question.

“Why in the world are you so desperate to send me to a cross-dressing contest?!”

“Because I want to see you cross-dressed?”

“Okay, but why?!”

“Because you’d obviously be incredibly pretty and beautiful.”

“……”

As someone possessing this body, I don’t want to admit it.

But from an objective perspective, what the protagonist of another novel said is true.

I don’t even need to imagine Karbaldr cross-dressed.

Just looking at the portrait of the Duchess hanging in the stair hall of Austri Ducal Castle makes it clear.

Of course, since this body is male, it would have a more androgynous vibe than the Duchess.

“If you’re blessed with that kind of beauty, I think it’s only human decency to wear a dress and put effort into your appearance at least once.”

“That kind of thing is… human decency? How rotten is the image of humanity you have in your head?”

“Huh? I think this is pretty normal?”

The protagonist of another novel must have no sense of shame at all.

He’s making a puzzled expression as if he genuinely can’t understand what I’m saying, and throwing glances at others seeking agreement.

“Right, right! That is decency!”

Pret, who has a tendency to seek fun, quickly cast his vote of agreement.

“I’m not sure about decency, but I do think Kar would pull off a dress magnificently.”

“I think so too! He’d definitely look good!”

Vigdis denied the protagonist of another novel’s claim of “normal” while expressing agreement about my possessed body cross-dressing.

Liolikin echoed Vigdis’s opinion.

At that moment, Fjodra’s head moved slightly up and down.

“Huh… All this time at the academy, I’d never seen a ‘woman’ prettier than me, but that statement feels different now…”

Fortunately, Hale didn’t join the others in agreement.

But she gave off an aura that said she shouldn’t be provoked.

“U-um, anyway. Let’s enter the contest together! When we look back on this later, it’ll all be memories.”

The protagonist of another novel kept teasing his childhood friend while watching her reaction.

“Oh! Speaking of which, the beauty contest is held in the commercial district, right? That means we can stop by a photo studio and take pictures to remember this!”

Judging by how smoothly he was rattling off this plan, the protagonist of another novel must have no aversion to cross-dressing.

As expected of an otaku, he must think of it as just another form of cosplay.

When he suggested I join him at the cross-dressing contest, it was the same as inviting me to an otaku event.

Finally, all the pieces fit together.

And so, when my bewilderment subsided and my questions were resolved.

“But Young Master Reysir, unlike Lady Hale, do you not need to worry about money?”

Fjodra suddenly raised this question.

“You have no dress to have altered and ready-made clothes won’t fit you, so you’ll need to have a dress custom-made…. Considering the cost of dressmaking, even if you receive the first-place prize, you’d barely recover the principal.”

“……!!”

The protagonist of another novel made a face like he’d just realized something.

His mind must have been so filled with the thought of seeing his possessed body cross-dressed that he completely forgot about the financial issue.

But then Fjodra had to cut in and interfere……

‘Wait, was the original author not planning to have her protagonist cross-dress? Does that mean it really is the result of Author Senna’s subconscious being reflected in the world?’

A wave of bewilderment washed over me, but this wasn’t the time to be floundering in it.

For the safety of everyone including myself, I needed to somehow encourage the protagonist of another novel to cross-dress.

“Reysir. It would be best for you to enter the cross-dressing contest alone. Make sure to win first place and recover your dress costs.”

“W-wait, hold on. I don’t have the confidence to win first place…?”

“You pushed your childhood friend to have confidence, so you shouldn’t be saying things like that. You’ll definitely… well, I can’t guarantee it, but you’ll probably win. If you don’t receive an award, there’s nothing I can do about it, but at least you’ll have the memories.”

I said this with a generous helping of mockery, but I wasn’t sure if the protagonist of another novel would rise to the bait.

Then a thought crossed my mind: wouldn’t it have been more promising to say, ‘I won’t enter the contest, but if you win, I’ll show you my cross-dressed self’?

Suddenly, a sense of disillusionment washed over me.

“Karbaldr. Maybe you should just enter the contest alone after all.”

Judging by how deflated his voice sounded when he said this, disillusionment must have visited the protagonist of another novel as well.

‘Should I actually cross-dress after all?’

It would have less impact than the original protagonist cross-dressing.

But surely no one would attempt to enter the angst genre while a supporting character was cross-dressed.

If it were a character whose concept was originally a cross-dresser, that would be different.

Killing a male character who’s wearing a dress to enter a cross-dressing contest wouldn’t draw readers into the story.

Even if they killed another supporting character.

If a cross-dressed character was among the mourners, it would be impossible to maintain a serious atmosphere.

So I couldn’t confidently assert they’d never do it.

But I was also wary of accepting reluctantly.

Not just because I didn’t want to cross-dress… well, I did dislike it, but there was a bigger reason.

“Why would I do that?”

That’s the problem.

There was no plausibility for Karbaldr to cross-dress.

No matter how wealthy this possessed body was, purchasing an expensive dress to participate in an unwanted cross-dressing contest would be a textbook character break.

“There’s nothing to gain, and I have no desire to become a spectacle while cross-dressed. So you should enter instead, since you have a taste for preserving cross-dressed photos as memories.”

“I did mention taking pictures, but I don’t actually have that kind of taste…”

“Humph!”

The protagonist of another novel protested with an indignant expression.

But there wasn’t a shred of persuasiveness in it, so I dismissed it with a scoff.

“Karbaldr. Is there nothing you want from me?”

Not willing to give up so easily, the protagonist of another novel asked this quietly.

It seemed he wanted to offer to grant my wish in exchange for me entering the cross-dressing contest.

‘Why wouldn’t I have a wish? I’d love for you to enter the cross-dressing contest and turn this festival event into a comedic episode!

…was what was caught in my throat, but those were words I couldn’t utter.

After deliberating again and again, I spoke up with the mindset of a fox trying to reach grapes it can’t eat.

“There is something I ‘want’ personally, but it’s impossible for you to obtain.”

“What is it? Something even you can’t get?”

Even though it was practically a non-answer, Reysir showed interest.

Whether he was planning to make a verbal promise to obtain it later, or it was just simple curiosity, I couldn’t tell.

Anyway, I glanced at Fjodra as I revealed what the item was.

“As I understand it, there’s a law that only those with special permission from the Imperial Family can possess a portable camera. So it can’t be purchased even with money.”

That’s right.

I’m currently demanding that Fjodra offer a portable camera as a beauty contest prize to create plausibility.

She’s been moving according to ‘Author Senna’s will all this time, so shouldn’t she reflect this ‘novel’s author’s will at least once for fairness?