It Started Off Wrong From the First Meeting
It Started Off Wrong From the First Meeting
"Ugh, hey! Just take her! The Crown Prince said he'd cover for us anyway."
"Ugh!!"
Miserable.
If a god truly exists, I wanted to ask them.
Why did they give a commoner such a beautiful appearance, one that makes you fall for her just by looking?
Why are parents like that, instead of understanding their daughter?
Why did they force her to take the Academy exam despite their lack of means, claiming she had to make the most of what she had?
Why, on top of that dazzlingly beautiful appearance, did they also burden her with outstanding talent that invites everyone's jealousy, making her life miserable to the very end?
I looked around.
No one seemed to have any intention of helping her.
Instead, they just stood by, harboring base desires, thinking it was a fun sight to watch or wanting to join in.
'Fine... let's just go along with it for now.'
Just as I was realizing once again that there was no fairy tale prince to save her, and was about to be led away by those dirty hands, it happened.
"Everyone, stop right there! How dare you commit such filth in the presence of the Denius successor!?"
Jet-black hair, and red eyes that shone so intensely they instilled instinctive fear.
Yet, paradoxically, the man who brought this woman—who possessed an appearance that made everything look beautiful—forward, continued speaking.
"Do you all lack even the slightest shred of shame as nobles?"
I could feel the air around us growing heavy.
The male students who had been holding Sereniel's shoulders and harassing her froze.
The expressions of the students who had been laughing and watching from the sidelines as if it were an interesting spectacle also stiffened.
Of course, the one whose expression turned the most menacing was Rihel, who had been dragged into this by me when she only intended to be a bystander.
Rihel, who had suddenly become an enraged ducal daughter, was glaring up at me with an expression that said she found this completely absurd.
'You crazy bastard. Who are you to bring up the Empire and sell my name!'
Her large red eyes were screaming exactly that.
If things continued like this, I was in danger of getting slapped across the face immediately, and all my plans would go down the drain.
'In that case...'
Quickly reading the atmosphere, I suddenly tickled the soft palm of the hand I was holding—Rihel's.
"Ugh...!"
Rihel flinched at the sudden tickling, but immediately twisted her expression into a menacing glare, radiating an aura as if she were about to burn me to a crisp with her Black Flame.
Of course, to everyone else's eyes, it would just look like the face of a Young Lady filled with displeasure and rage.
Alright, I'll worry about calming her down later!
"Do you see? How furious the Young Lady is right now?"
I didn't miss the chance and raised my voice even higher.
"In this sacred Academy where countless distinguished guests of the continent are gathered, how dare you drag the Empire's prestige through the mud because of one commoner woman! Which noble families do you high-and-mighty lords come from to be acting out such nauseating spectacles?"
Even while shouting, I bowed my head slightly and sent a desperate, pleading wink toward Rihel.
'Please, just go along with it once.'
'Don't you think those guys crossed the line using the Rodpen Empire's name?'
"Tsk......."
Did my desperate eye signal work?
Rihel, who had been gritting her teeth and fuming, finally let out a deep, earth-shattering sigh.
Then, she rubbed her eyes with her free hand and shook her head, before stepping toward the group with her already-shining red eyes flashing even more creepily.
"You bastards who were smirking and watching from the sidelines, and the five of you who led this trashy behavior. I've memorized your faces."
The image of the young, bratty girl who usually nagged at me was nowhere to be seen.
She looked exactly like the villainess from the novel I knew.
Seeing that, everyone began to hold their breath even more, and the atmosphere sank so low it felt like it was buried underground.
"If you dirty my eyes with such vulgar behavior in front of me again, you'd better prepare to be expelled."
Having confirmed that the faces of the noble sons who had led the harassment were turning pale, Rihel clicked her tongue and turned around without a second thought.
"Follow me!! We have a lot to talk about."
"Yes! As you command."
Following behind Rihel, who was barely swallowing her anger, I marveled inwardly.
'Wow, the atmosphere really shifts instantly when she's in Villainess Mode. Her aura is insane.'
And as we were leaving the scene, Sereniel, who had been sitting in the corner, slowly lifted her head and looked toward us.
Her large eyes were filled with a mix of surprise, faint relief, and an inexplicable longing.
I deliberately pretended not to notice that gaze.
'Well... I saved her from a bad situation, so this level of intervention should be fine.'
It should be fine.
Probably?
A top-class, three-story dormitory mansion, the size of a detached house, prepared only for a very small number of high-ranking noble children within the Academy.
As soon as we stood in the middle of the living room, Rihel's suppressed anger finally exploded.
"Hey, you crazy bastard!! How dare you use me to save some commoner girl? Who are you to sell my name and smear my reputation!"
"I apologize, Young Lady. But in that situation...."
"Shut up! How dare you tickle my palm? It's so creepy and ridiculous!"
"S-sorry...."
If things went on like this, I'd be packing my bags and getting kicked out on the very first day of Academy life.
No, getting kicked out would be a lucky outcome; I might end up turned into a pile of ash by her Black Flame.
That's why I judged that just bowing my head and acting servile wouldn't be enough.
I needed a quick decision.
Can't be helped, I have no choice but to use my secret weapon again.
I strode forward, cutting through her barrage of verbal abuse.
Rihel, seeing me, trembled her lips.
"W-wait? What are you doing...!"
I grabbed Rihel's right hand, which was trying to back away, and firmly supported her slender waist with my remaining left hand.
"What is this...!"
"Shh."
Ignoring her reflexive resistance, I brought my face right up to her red eyes.
The distance was close enough for our breaths to mingle.
Rihel's pupils began to shake wildly, as if experiencing an earthquake.
And after holding that gaze for a moment, I equipped my most soulful and devoted look, then poured out some syrupy, sweet lines.
"How could I ever cast my eyes on another woman? I simply couldn't bear to see such gutter-like filth splashing into the space where someone as noble and dazzling as you resides."
"W-what kind of crazy talk... Let go!"
"My heart beats only for this thorny black rose held in my arms, yet how can you be so oblivious to my sincerity? I only acted because I didn't like seeing the people I love facing such harsh treatment."
"I mean...!"
"Please forgive me for having to show my sincerity this way because I lack the power to do otherwise."
With the combo of sudden close-contact skinship and shameless romantic lines that sounded like they would melt eardrums, the Young Lady, who had been bristling with thorns and ready to scratch me, turned completely bright red from her earlobes to her neck in the blink of an eye.
"A-ah... Y-you're really insane...!"
Rihel could no longer endure it and shoved my chest away hard.
Breathing heavily and putting more than a few steps of distance between us, she fanned her face with her hand as if to cool down her burning cheeks and shouted.
"A-anyway! Since you entered here under my mother's recommendation... under the Denius name, you can just live in my dormitory from now on!"
"Oh, really? You told me not to approach you, so it was all an act?"
"It wasn't an act!! I was serious, but I'm just living with you because my mother asked! So don't you dare come up to the 3rd floor!! The only space allowed for you is the 1st floor! If you cross the line even once, I'll really kill you!"
Rihel shouted everything she had to say while fuming, then ran up the stairs without even waiting for my answer.
Bang!
Somewhere in the distance, the sound of a door slamming shut shook the mansion.
"...Anyway, I really doubt if she's the villainess I knew."
Chuckling at seeing yet another new side of Rihel, I turned my body to check the room on the 1st floor assigned to me.
Swoosh.
I clearly hadn't heard a sound, but I suddenly felt someone standing behind me.
And the moment I sensed their presence, it was already too late.
Mysterious black shadows appeared in the blink of an eye and twisted my arms behind my back.
"Mmph...!"
I wasn't even given a chance to resist.
At the same time, a thick leather bag was pulled over my head.
Complete darkness blocked my vision, and along with a suffocating pressure, my body was lifted from the floor into the air and dragged outside.
'Huh? Huh??'
In the overwhelming situation that happened so instantly, I couldn't even think to resist and had no choice but to hold my breath and be dragged away quietly.
How long had I been led by the hands of these assailants with my vision blocked?
Creeeak—!
Along with the sound of a wooden door opening, the assailants who had been carrying me around dumped me onto the floor.
After forcing me into a position that looked like submission, they removed the leather that had been blocking my vision.
"Gah... Phew...!"
I regained my sight despite the blindingly bright lights and slowly looked around.
Since I'd been kidnapped, I expected to be dragged to a torture chamber or a dungeon....
But the place I was dragged to was a space that felt very similar to the Duke's office, decorated gorgeously on all sides.
And in the center of the room, sitting on a luxurious chair with her legs crossed, a woman was looking down at me.
Brilliant silver hair that looked like it was woven from moonlight.
But blue eyes, radiating a murderous intent that overshadowed that beauty, were staring straight down at me.
'...Silver hair and blue eyes...?'
As far as I remembered, only the Imperial family had silver hair in this world.
Silver hair meant the symbol of the Imperial family.
That meant the woman in front of me was a member of the Imperial family.
And there was only one person among the Imperial family with blue eyes.
The other villainess of this world, Ilusia Rodpen.
'Don't tell me I've been kidnapped by the Princess? Did the love letter arrive?'
It seemed like my first day at the Academy was just getting started.