Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Evangelin Polignac
Evangelin Polignac.
She had originally been the daughter of a ducal family even more powerful than the Volanschefort Count family.
She was born into a house that wielded authority so great it rivaled the royal family itself.
Her childhood had been one of abundance, lacking nothing.
“Miss Evangelin is truly kind.”
“She may be a bit… naïve, but.”
“Well, if you think about it, that could also be a virtue.”
Even among the servants, she was well regarded.
Though she sometimes did foolish things like trying to eat dirt or falling from trees, she grew up as a fundamentally kind child who knew how to care for others.
Her poor academic performance at the nursery worried her father, but… it was within tolerable limits.
After all, Evangelin was a girl.
One who would someday become the wife of a noble or even royalty.
As long as she possessed the proper character as a bride, shortcomings elsewhere could be forgiven.
Moreover, the eldest son who would inherit the ducal family was already the top student at the academy, so there was no need to demand academic excellence from Evangelin.
Adam Polignac.
At fifteen, he was already over 180 centimeters tall, a handsome prodigy known throughout high society.
He had mastered all forms of magic and entered the academy as the top student, graduating as the top as well.
Everyone wondered what he would become.
If he entered politics, he could become a great minister or chancellor.
If he joined the military, he would be fit to become a marshal.
If he became a merchant, he would grow into a great magnate.
If he simply danced in society, some nation’s princess would surely take him.
Anyone who knew Adam had no doubt about his brilliant future.
But his choice was devastating.
The moment he graduated from the academy, he disappeared.
The Duke and Duchess of Polignac searched desperately for their son, but it was in vain.
With his perfect mastery of magic, once Adam chose to hide, no one could find him.
He reappeared only after his existence as a genius mage had begun to fade from memory.
As the leader of the bandit group “Octopus.”
Adam became an S-rank wanted criminal.
Why he had fallen into crime, no one knew.
Hunters, the imperial army, even the magic tower—all failed to capture him.
Without catching him, there was no way to understand his motives.
In the end, the Polignac family, which had produced the worst criminal, fell into ruin.
Her mother shut herself away due to mental illness, and her father, worn down from constant interrogations, died.
With all the adults gone, the Polignac family became like the carcass of a great elephant, targeted by hyenas.
Young Evangelin had to watch countless times as greedy relatives and acquaintances stripped away the family’s wealth.
In an instant, she fell from heaven into hell.
And she herself had done nothing wrong.
Yet she went from living without a care for the future, needing only to prepare as a bride, to worrying every day about her next meal.
It was painful.
It was lonely.
She wanted to die.
But she couldn’t.
Because she had younger siblings she had to protect.
Her slightly prickly but kind-hearted younger brother Louis, and her gentle twin sisters Luna and Lucy, who never complained even while eating potatoes every day.
For their sake, Evangelin could grit her teeth and grow strong.
She would protect her siblings.
She would make them happier than anyone else.
With that sense of duty, she continued to live on, tightening her belt day after day.
Her desire to enter the academy wasn’t for her own success.
The academy was also a social arena for nobles.
Her goal was to build connections there and link them to her siblings.
After all, they couldn’t spend their entire lives eating potatoes in a hut.
—that was Evangelin Polignac’s basic character setting.
And I knew her inside and out.
Of course I did—she was one of the main characters in the game.
In the original story, Evangelin fails to find a guard knight for entering the academy.
Because as a fallen noble, she had no money to hire one.
Being a guard knight is a job, after all—who would serve a noble without pay?
Unless they were insane.
And that insane person appears.
Sylvia Alesta.
After losing to Solomon and missing her life’s opportunity, filled with resentment and frustration, Sylvia wanders the streets, sees Evangelin’s flyer, seeks her out, and becomes her guard knight.
Whether she was paid or not didn’t matter—as long as she could enter the academy and eventually take revenge on Solomon.
Afterward, the two discover that they both share a grudge against Octopus and grow even closer.
Once Evangelin establishes her position as “West,” Sylvia also becomes a powerful shield protecting the world.
That was the original story.
Which meant, now that I had sent Sylvia to Roze, Evangelin’s guard knight position was empty.
If I left things as they were, I didn’t know what would happen to Evangelin.
Would she fail to enter the academy because she couldn’t find a guard knight?
That would be a problem.
If a main character of her level disappeared, even I couldn’t predict how the story would unfold.
I wanted to avoid that.
Besides… even if she’s a bit of an idiot, once she awakens, her defense is the strongest in the empire.
Thinking about what’s to come, being protected under her would be the safest option.
With that in mind, I came here to become Evangelin’s guard knight.
To the clumsily built hut she lived in.
“Um… Miss Evangelin? You’re the one who distributed this flyer, right? If you’re looking for a guard knight, how about me?”
“Heh… hehehehe… hehe…”
Evangelin turned around with a proud expression.
For some reason, she was smiling while looking at her younger brother.
“What did I tell you? I said people would flock like clouds once they saw this flyer, didn’t I?”
“That’s impossible… I can’t believe someone actually came after seeing that thing.”
“Louis, you’re still young and don’t understand how the world works. Just trust your big sister.”
Evangelin puffed out her chest smugly.
Wow.
That’s… big.
“My plan was a complete success! It must be because I’m suuuper cute! Hohoho! You must have seen my photo and been so enchanted that you came here without realizing it, right?”
“Huh? No, not really… your face was mostly covered anyway, so how would I know if you’re cute or not?”
“…You say that, but actually, you couldn’t help but fall for my cuteness that can’t be hidden, right?”
“Look… instead of those pointless jokes, let’s settle the guard knight issue. You’re hiring me, right? It’s not like you have any other applicants.”
“Ugh!”
Evangelin’s face turned bright red.
She puffed up her cheeks like a balloon, looking offended.
What’s wrong with her?
“N-no! There are so many applicants that I need to carefully review them first! Don’t underestimate me! There’s no way you’re the only one who wants to be the guard knight of someone as super cute as me! What kind of rude misunderstanding is that!”
“So where are these rivals of mine, then?”
I glanced around the hut full of children.
Evangelin kicked my shin lightly in irritation.
“T-they’re not here, but there really are lots of applicants! If you keep acting like this, I won’t hire you! I don’t need you anyway!”
“Really? Then I’ll just leave.”
“Wait! Don’t go!”
I only pretended to leave, but Evangelin immediately hugged me from behind.
The soft weight of her chest pressed against my back.
With a weak mentality, she clung to me while crying.
“In truth, there are no other applicants! So please don’t go!”
“Honestly… if you’re going to back down so quickly, why act tough in the first place?”
“Sniff… sniff… but I’m still the proud head of the Polignac ducal family.”
That pride.
That nobility.
That family.
Everyone in this world was the same.
They valued the dignity and pride of being a noble above all else.
As someone raised in a democratic society, I just couldn’t relate.
Come to think of it… Roze was the same.
Even when she could have run away, she chose to charge alone into an army of a million demons.
“As a noble, I cannot run away here.”
“To die for the country as a noble is the greatest honor.”
“You wouldn’t understand because you’re not a noble!”
That was the last conversation I had with Roze.
No matter the route, it was impossible to persuade her.
She would always choose to fight to the death for the sake of her noble pride.
It seemed that for nobles in this world, pride really was that important.
Even a fallen noble like Evangelin spoke of it.
“Anyway, stop crying. I’ll become your guard knight. No matter how many applicants there are, only one gets chosen, right? I’m quite capable, you know.”
“Um… I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t have any money to pay you.”
“That’s fine.”
“That’s fine?”
“Once we enter the academy, lodging and meals are provided for free. That’s more than enough for me.”
“But… even so… you won’t get paid at all. Being a guard knight basically means doing all kinds of chores… it’ll be really troublesome…”
“I already said it’s fine.”
“Such a firm answer without hesitation…”
Of course I wouldn’t hesitate.
I had nowhere else to go anyway.
But Evangelin’s reaction was strange.
Her cheeks flushed red, and she fidgeted with her fingers.
“Why would you sacrifice so much for me…? Could it be—you! Are you after my body?!”
“…….”
“That makes sense! After all, I’m super cute! I have a great body! I’m beautiful! It’s only natural you’d want to devote your life to me without pay! Ahh… what a sinful woman I am! I’m sorry… I didn’t choose to be this pretty… I was just born this way… I apologize for stealing your heart…”
Evangelin bowed her head in apology.
I could see her cleavage.
Before I knew it, I flicked her forehead.
“Ow! Why did you hit me!”
“I really wanted to… sorry.”
I knew I shouldn’t have done that, but I didn’t regret it.
Because this girl—
in a completely different way from Roze—
was just as irritating.
If I didn’t hit her at least once, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to stand being around her.