Arian Liberin's Enemy
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Connection will now be terminated.
I opened my eyes in reality first, the last thing I saw being those words written across the sky. I was the first one to wake up. But that moment was fleeting. Even in that brief instant, I took in Lee Se-na's appearance.
She really is beautiful. It was only natural that the real Lee Se-na looked even prettier than the "pure yet glamorous" description from the original novel. Even so, her beauty was the kind that made you realize she was among the top-tier beauties in this world. A heroine whose looks rivaled those of Seo Moon-min-hye, Arian Liberin, Yee Eun-chae, and Yoo Eun-chae.
Since I had already laid the groundwork for changing her perception of me, it was time to stop pretending to be close and maintain some distance. Clinging to her with fake friendliness would only make her feel burdened and push her away. The plan was to keep a moderate distance from my side while subtly hinting at some hidden story, gradually driving a wedge between her and Seo Moon-hyun.
"Mmm."
As Lee Se-na and the others opened their eyes, I stood up and spoke.
"Class is over, so let's head out. We need to get to the next lesson."
"You're right."
"Hehe, our team probably got the highest score."
Everyone looked delighted, probably because they had seen me behead the wyvern. They believed Team 6, which had rescued all the survivors and dealt with the wyvern, would receive the top score. And just as they thought, we likely did earn the highest team score.
What matters more to me than points is perception. I needed to be seen as an outstanding model student. Instructors and professors alike had to view me favorably. That foundation would allow everyone, including Lee Se-na, to naturally develop basic goodwill toward me.
"Everyone did a great job."
With a smile, I offered words of encouragement to the entire Team 6.
"Ah, no, we didn't do that much…"
"Haha, we did put in some effort. But Seo Moon-jin, your performance was the best."
"That's right. Without you, we never could have saved everyone like this."
Honestly, the current situation felt like child's play to me. Still, this kind of play wasn't so bad. These experiences would eventually shape real heroes.
People never forget those who helped them in times of need. It was true that humans tended to especially remember those who aided them during hardship. However, that only applied to relationships between ordinary people. Many viewed heroes rescuing others as a given right. There were countless stories of people complaining that they weren't saved sooner, or even demanding compensation for property damage because the hero hadn't rescued them fast enough—essentially the absurdity of pulling someone from drowning only to be told to pay for their lost belongings.
Will these kids grow strong enough to endure people like that? If they survived, some among them would continue walking the path of heroes. If so, they would encounter countless troublemakers far worse than the survivors we saw in the virtual reality class. But looking toward the future, the real question was whether they would all live to see it.
Well, since I'm attending this academy too, maybe I should lend a hand? As long as I had the power and the leeway, I would help others when I could. I had decided on that. I possessed overwhelming strength and plenty of room to spare. That was why I would save this world from Terenity and grant happy endings to as many people as possible. Along the way, preventing the deaths of those who perished in the original story would also be part of my duty.
* * *
"Arian, your swordsmanship was incredibly sharp, but I was really impressed by how well you utilized your lightning and light powers!"
Arian Liberin forced a smile while maintaining a gentle tone as Seo Moon-hyun kept approaching her with compliments and friendly chatter.
"You were impressive as well, Seo Moon-hyun."
"Thanks for saying that. Think we could spar sometime when we both have time?"
"Yes, if I have time, let's do that."
Arian had avoided giving a clear refusal out of politeness, leaving some room. Depending on interpretation, her words could easily serve as an excuse to reject any sparring session by claiming she had no time. At the same time, she was curious about the relationship between Seo Moon-jin, Seo Moon-hyun, and Seo Moon-min-hye.
Seo Moon-jin must have some connection to the Seo family after all.
She thought Seo Moon-jin wouldn't appreciate her digging into it, so she resolved to ask him directly once they grew closer. Because Seo Moon-jin seemed to dislike Seo Moon-hyun, she felt an odd resistance to getting close to him herself.
I really don't want to get involved with him.
Arian felt strangely unwilling to associate with Seo Moon-hyun. Especially the way he casually approached her felt suspicious, as if becoming friends with her was only natural.
Something about him gives me an unusually strong sense of rejection.
On the surface, Seo Moon-hyun had the kind of face that easily earned favor from anyone. He was kind to others, his speech was refreshing yet gentle, his skills were outstanding, and he came from the Seo family as their heir. Even his appearance—soft features with blue hair and blue eyes—made him a handsome man. Yet every time Arian looked at him, she couldn't shake the suspicion of his connection to Seo Moon-jin or the feeling that Seo Moon-jin had good reason to dislike him. As a result, everything about Seo Moon-hyun felt increasingly negative.
If not for her relationship with Seo Moon-jin, she might not have hesitated to spar with Seo Moon-hyun frequently and build a deeper connection. But now, she wanted to keep a certain distance from him.
"So, Arian. Heading straight to the next class?"
"Yes, I am."
"Want to go together? I'm heading there too."
No matter how politely she tried to handle him, Arian had no intention of accepting this offer.
"I'm sorry, but I need to go with my friends."
She mentioned Yee Eun-chae and Yoo Eun-chae, but Seo Moon-hyun replied as if it were perfect.
"Really? Then we can all go together."
Arian was starting to feel tired of the conversation. Was it because of her negative feelings toward him? Experiencing Seo Moon-hyun while already disliking him, she found him quite exhausting.
He's the type who interprets everything to suit himself.
He performed good deeds and spoke kind words while believing himself to be good. With his excellent abilities, prestigious family, and an aura that easily won people over, most who met him wouldn't notice. But Arian had grasped something important: he was a narcissist who twisted everything to fit his own standards. Even his good actions stemmed from being infatuated with his own image. To him, her existence as the princess of the Liberin Kingdom and a world-famous beauty was nothing more than a trophy to enhance his own standing.
He's acting as if I'm already his friend.
Though she felt this displeasure, she didn't show it openly. But if he pushed further after this, she was determined to get angry, even if it meant discarding her public image.
"Seo Moon-hyun, my friend is shy, so please understand."
"Hmm, if that's the case, there's nothing I can do. See you later then, Arian."
"Yes."
Fortunately, Seo Moon-hyun didn't cross the line this time. As he left the Room 2 first, Arian was about to look away when her eyes caught a black-haired man. His appearance was strikingly similar to Seo Moon-hyun's, but with black hair and black eyes, giving him a more mature and composed impression, perhaps due to being a year older. It seemed they had just come out of Room 3 and were heading this way.
"Ah! Se-na!"
Seo Moon-hyun spotted his friend Lee Se-na, who was standing not far from Seo Moon-jin, and ran toward her with a bright smile.
"Ah, Hyun-ah."
Watching Lee Se-na greet him with a slight smile, Arian felt a slight sense of dissonance. She remembered Lee Se-na as Seo Moon-hyun's childhood friend who had been stuck to him since the entrance ceremony yesterday. Yet the look in her eyes as she faced him carried a hint of confusion and complexity.
Something must have happened.
Since she had no desire to concern herself with their affairs, Arian coldly cut off her interest. Though people often mistook her for a pure and delicate princess due to her elegant appearance and noble aura, Arian Liberin, as the princess of the Liberin Kingdom, sometimes had surprisingly cold thoughts even to herself.
"Oh! Isn't that Chun-ie?"
From behind her, Yee Eun-chae, who had just stepped out of Room 2, spotted Seo Moon-jin and called out joyfully.