Avoiding Murder
"……What?"
A heavy silence fell. I knew my voice had been loud. Fixing Leonhardt fil Hamen Ulais with a cold, sunken gaze, I opened my mouth.
"Your Highness the Prince."
"……."
Even the selfish, fiery Leonhardt was too stunned to answer my call. I tightened my grip on the hand I held and looked him straight in the eye.
"I told you to stop at a reasonable point."
I ground my teeth and growled low. Pain shot through the captured hand, and only then did Leonhardt come to his senses. He grimaced and met my gaze. Ignoring Silvia and Helena's restless fidgeting beside us, I took a bold step toward him. Though we were similar in height, he instinctively retreated one step in time with my advance.
"Y-you insane bastard……!"
Leonhardt glared at me, clearly displeased that he had backed away without realizing it. Staring into those blue eyes, I slowly spoke.
Leonhardt fil Hamen Ulais.
"What exactly makes you so confident you'll become crown prince?"
It was laughable. His arrogance and self-conceit were so ridiculous I could hardly bear it. One of Leonhardt's eyebrows twitched at my question.
"What part of you is so outstanding that you can be so certain?"
This wasn't because I knew the future or the original novel's plot. Anyone who thought about it for even a moment could see it. If he truly wanted to become crown prince, he wouldn't have been chasing after a woman with his head full of her. While he should have been gathering allies and earning the trust of the nobles who supported him, even in this small academy he was nothing more than an object of fear. And yet he believed without doubt that he would become crown prince.
Leonhardt was the kind of person who looked down on commoners, noble daughters, and even noble sons, calling them vulgar. I asked the silent Leonhardt, genuinely curious.
"Do you know why the academy is called a miniature society?"
"……."
"Because everyone here will eventually form society. They will support the empire."
Leonhardt, who scorned and despised such people, becoming crown prince? Then it would be exactly as I had said before. The empire would surely walk the path to ruin. Not that he could ever become crown prince anyway.
"……What do you know?"
"More than Your Highness, at least."
I knew Leonhardt's psychology all too well. The fool who thought the First Princess and Second Prince left him alone because he was so great. That was Leonhardt. In reality, they simply didn't bother dirtying their hands because he wasn't worth touching. He was someone who could never reach the top in the succession struggle.
"Come to your senses. Only then might you at least keep your life."
"You've really gone mad. How dare you speak to me like that?"
Leonhardt's mental age was lower than a child's. Therefore, even advice based on facts only made him angry. I let out a long breath at the sight. Looking down at him from a slightly higher eye level, I shook my head.
I could laugh off insults directed at me. After all, they were nothing more than the childish tantrums of a brat who thought the world revolved around him. But Leonhardt had insulted Helena. He had tried to vent his anger by insulting someone who had done nothing to him. That was why I could no longer stand by.
"Your Highness."
"Don't call me that! I'll have you punished for the crime of insulting the imperial family!!"
The crime of insulting the imperial family. Even the foolish Leonhardt seemed capable of thinking that far. The empire certainly had such a system. Even if a prince committed a wrong, insulting him could be punished as a crime against the imperial family. Leonhardt had blurted it out, but believing his words were right, he forced a smile and looked at me. My gaze grew even colder.
"Go ahead."
"……What?"
"Try charging me with that pathetic crime of insulting the imperial family, you son of a bitch."
The crime of insulting the imperial family was a serious offense that could carry the death penalty. Even so, I wasn't afraid. I spat out the curse and flung his hand away. I hadn't acted without resolve. Nor had I cursed in a fit of momentary emotion. I had anticipated Leonhardt would react this way. Staring even more fiercely into his blue eyes, I growled.
"If you can, do it. As much as you want."
"……Y-you……!!"
"It's pathetic enough that a bastard like you struts around claiming to be royalty."
The obsessive, yandere male lead. Sure, I understood that such characters were popular in romance fantasy novels. I also understood why the term "obsessive yandere" ranked high on certain sites due to demand. But this was the real world. Even if it was a novel's world, it was ridiculous for such an idiot to throw his weight around just because of his bloodline.
Whew. Having said everything I wanted to say, I exhaled again and turned around.
"There……!"
"That's enough, Leonhardt."
And I had no choice but to stop in my tracks at the person standing before me.
"……You!!"
"I told you to be quiet. Didn't I?"
Leonhardt, who had only now noticed her, gritted his teeth and raised his voice, but at her cold, low tone he couldn't help but close his mouth. He was overwhelmed by the aura emanating from her without realizing it. Silver-white hair and striking red eyes. Every movement of hers exuded nobility. She looked at me with an intrigued smile.
At the same time, I realized her identity and offered a proper greeting.
"I greet Her Highness the Imperial Princess, the light of the empire."
The First Princess. And the one who would ascend to crown princess in the original novel… and in reality, it was now certain she would soon become crown princess. Achillea fil Hamen Ulais.
As I had said, there was no future in which Leonhardt became crown prince. Even if I had possessed Leonhardt's body, his personality and actions would have distanced him from the crown prince's seat on his own. In the original novel as well, Leonhardt never ascended to crown prince. The one who took that position was the person standing before me, Achillea fil Hamen Ulais. Her dazzling silver hair and eerily bright red eyes. Her pale skin, so transparent the veins showed through. A beauty that reminded one of a legendary vampire. Yet she possessed a charm that offset all of that. There had been rumors that she was the child of a vampire, but using her own intellect and talent, she had ultimately risen to the position of crown princess.
And when Achillea became crown princess, Silvia stayed by the side of the despairing Leonhardt. Thanks to Silvia, Leonhardt regained his senses and from then on turned over a new leaf. His nasty personality didn't change, but in the end he stopped looking down on others, suppressed his violent tendencies, and became a true male lead devoted to Silvia.
"Hmm, who might you be?"
"……I am the second son of the Astria family. Felice van Astria."
"Oh my, so you were the second son of the Astria family."
As I had mentioned, Felice was an extra who didn't appear in the original novel. Of course, Achillea wasn't given much weight in the novel either. There had only been a brief mention that Silvia, who pitied Leonhardt, became close with Achillea, and Achillea postponed Leonhardt's punishment. In any case, while the existence of "Felice" didn't appear in the original novel, "Astria" made a brief appearance. Though only in Achillea's mention.
"So, is the Count in good health? Before I ascend to crown princess, I should see his face at least once."
The Astria family was one of the few houses that had supported Achillea from the beginning. In other words, it was one of the families that would benefit the most when Achillea ascended to crown princess. Keeping my head bowed, I answered her politely.
"The Count is still in excellent health. I will convey Your Highness's words to him immediately. He will surely be delighted."
"Hehe, I am even more grateful to you all. It is because of you that I exist."
"You flatter me. It is merely that Your Highness's light illuminates us."
As I bowed even deeper, Achillea let out a pleased laugh and slowly turned her gaze. Leonhardt, meeting her eyes, flinched and trembled without realizing it. He still didn't understand the conversation between me and Achillea, his eyes darting about.
"You're still at it, I see."
"Ugh……!"
"I have something to discuss with this child."
When I slightly raised my head, Achillea's red eyes gleamed even more coldly. Her icy voice and imposing presence. The true image of a ruler, confident that she could overwhelm others without curses or shouting.
"Disappear at once."
With Achillea's cold voice, Leonhardt was completely defeated. Ignoring the retreating Leonhardt, I began to follow Achillea as she turned and walked away. Though I wanted nothing more than to break at least one of his arms…… doing so would have been truly irreversible, so I simply walked in silence. I didn't forget to give a small wave to Helena and Silvia as well.