A Firm Resolve

The morning of April 13th. The imperial family's exclusive residence.

A lavish room finished with the finest marble.

Elysee von Roengard sat leaning against the headboard, sipping black tea.

Knock, knock.

"Your Highness, may I enter?"

"Enter."

Her aide stepped inside carrying a thick folder and offered it with a respectful bow.

"Here is the investigation report on Roy Banes that you requested."

Elysee set her teacup down and opened the file.

It was ordinary. No—far below ordinary.

But the moment she flipped to the next page, her eyebrows twitched.

Elysee tossed the file onto the table with a soft thud.

"How interesting."

The corner of her mouth curved up in a seductive arc.

"Your Highness, doesn't this seem strange?" the aide asked cautiously.

"An illegitimate son of a ruined F-class noble somehow maintaining close ties with the Empire's SS-class hero, an elf princess, and a saintess. It defies common sense. Perhaps there's a hidden background..."

"No."

Elysee shook her head.

"On the contrary, it feels perfectly natural."

"Pardon?"

"He's the type who forms bonds through character, not power."

She traced the rim of her teacup with a finger.

"The academy is full of idiots who only believe in their own strength, isn't it? But that man is different. He knows his place. He lives quietly like a background extra, yet he possesses a strange charm that draws people to him."

"However..."

"I've never met a man like him before."

A spark of competitive curiosity ignited in Elysee's eyes.

Every man in the world had always fallen to his knees before her, singing her praises.

But that man—Roy—had looked at her with complete indifference.

He had even seemed annoyed.

"Hehe... This is going to be fun."

She rose from her seat and stood before the full-length mirror. Brushing back her brilliant golden hair, she met her own gaze in the reflection.

"Fine. There's nothing I can't do if I set my mind to it."

A confident smile bloomed on her lips.

After all, when the Empire's greatest beauty decided to seduce someone, what man could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠possibly resist?

The hallway leading to the lecture hall.

I was walking absentmindedly.

Wait, why isn't Adelia showing up?

She had been missing since early that morning. Was she avoiding me because of that kiss last night?

No way...

And Priscilla looked so gloomy.

She must be incredibly worried about her clan. Don't worry, Priscilla. I'll save them soon, along with the others.

Seriously, there were too many things weighing on my mind these days.

"Roy!"

A bright, refreshing voice called out from behind me.

When I turned around, there was Elysee. She approached with a radiant smile, as if our meeting was pure coincidence.

"Ah, Your Highness."

"Hello~♡ Isn't the weather just lovely today?"

"Are you heading to class? What a coincidence—our directions match!"

I could feel the male students nearby dying of envy.

But I wasn't in the mood.

"Ah, yeah. Sure."

I answered half-heartedly and turned away, continuing on my path.

"......?"

Elysee's smile froze solid.

She stared blankly at my retreating back.

...Huh?

He just... left?

After the princess herself spoke to him?

Without even agreeing that the weather was nice?

"......"

She clenched her fist tightly as she stared at the closed lecture hall door.

It was the first time in her life she had ever been ignored.

Her pride was wounded. But at the same time, it ignited her fighting spirit.

This is a first... that kind of reaction...

Her eyes sparkled.

Good. I'll just have to try harder.

Lunchtime. The student cafeteria.

I sat alone in a corner seat and set down my tray.

For some reason Iris was nowhere to be seen either.

I genuinely had no appetite.

Worrying about Adelia, worrying about Priscilla, and preparing for the upcoming demon invasion—my head was a mess.

I was on edge, wondering if the original story would proceed as written or if variables had already appeared.

When I glanced around, I spotted Priscilla in another corner seat.

She wasn't even looking in my direction, completely lost in thought. She was mechanically picking at her food with a vacant expression.

Something's definitely going on.

That was when it happened.

Clack.

A tray was placed on the table directly across from me.

"May I sit here?"

When I looked up, it was Elysee again. She sat down naturally, as if the possibility of refusal had never even crossed her mind.

"...Ah, sure."

"Eating alone?"

"...Yes."

"What about your friends? That hero, for instance?"

"I wouldn't know."

I kept my eyes on my food and continued shoveling it in.

Fuck, please just leave already.

I'm going to get indigestion.

"Oh~ I see!"

But Elysee refused to be discouraged.

"Where are you from, Roy?"

"What are your hobbies?"

"What's your favorite food?"

"Not sure."

"Don't have any."

"Anything edible, I guess."

One-word answers. An iron wall defense.

From the look on her face, Elysee was clearly flustered. No matter what topic she threw out, it must have felt like talking to a brick wall.

I stuffed the last of my rice into my mouth and stood up abruptly.

"Sorry, but I have to go first."

"Ah, yes...!"

Elysee looked up at me in a daze, spoon still in hand.

I left the cafeteria without looking back.

Afternoon. Magic practice room.

I was practicing mana control in a corner when—

Click, click.

Elysee took the seat right next to me.

Again...?

I frowned.

She wasn't even practicing. She just kept stealing glances at me.

Damn it... This is so uncomfortable I can't even focus.

After practice ended.

I quickly left the building, but the sound of clicking heels followed persistently behind me.

Ha... This woman is really tenacious.

I stopped walking and spun around sharply.

"Your Highness."

"Yes?"

Elysee stopped with a bright expression. Her eyes were sparkling with anticipation that I had finally spoken to her.

"I..."

I suppressed my irritation and spoke.

"You're making me a bit uncomfortable."

"......?"

Elysee's eyes widened into perfect circles. She looked like she couldn't comprehend what she'd just heard.

"Could you please stop following me around?"

In that instant, the air in the hallway froze.

Students passing by covered their mouths in shock.

"Whoa... He's insane."

"What the hell did that guy just say to Her Highness?"

"Told her to stop following him? Isn't that treason?"

"Must be relying on the hero's protection. His liver must be hanging outside his body..."

Elysee stood frozen.

All color had drained from her face.

Words she had never heard once in her entire life.

Rejection. Refusal. Annoyance.

Then—

Drip.

A single transparent tear rolled down her blue eyes and traced her cheek.

...Huh?

She touched her own cheek. It was wet.

Why am I...?

She was confused.

She wasn't sad. She wasn't angry. Yet a corner of her chest throbbed painfully.

This was the first time she had ever experienced the pain of rejection.

"...Excuse me."

I left the bewildered princess where she stood and walked past her.

If I comforted her now, she'd only cling harder. I needed to draw a clear line.

"......"

Elysee was left alone in the hallway.

The students' whispers reached her ears, but she couldn't hear them.

This feeling... what is it exactly?

Why... does it hurt so much...?

She clenched her fist tightly.

The tears wouldn't stop.

Biting her lip, she glared at my retreating figure.

Roy... Banes...

Her eyes were changing.

It was no longer simple curiosity—it had become stubbornness, or something deeper.

At the same time, in the female dormitory.

Click.

The lock on Adelia's door clicked shut.

She was curled up in bed with the blanket pulled over her head.

"Uwaaaah......"

She kicked her feet against the mattress while hugging a pillow tightly.

"I'm so embarrassed... I want to die..."

"What the hell did I do yesterday..."

"Sniffing him... and even kissing him..."

How could she ever face her Extra again?

He was bound to think she was a pervert.

But.

She slowly slipped a hand out from under the blanket and touched her lips.

The lingering heat from the passionate kiss she had shared with Roy last night.

"...Still."

The corners of her mouth slowly curved upward.

"Ehehe... It felt so good."

"That feeling of his mouth filling mine... it was so warm..."

She rubbed her face against the pillow and giggled.

"My Extra..."

"He's mine."

"Forever... He'll only look at me..."

Then.

Suddenly, the 'scent of another woman' she had smelled yesterday came to mind.

The lingering trace of another female.

Vrrrr—!

Her expression hardened in an instant.

Like she was possessed, she got out of bed and walked to the mirror.

In the reflection, her eyes were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gradually turning a dark, bloody red.

"......Another bitch."

Her nails scraped across the mirror's surface.

The screeching sound echoed eerily.

"Who is it...?"

"How dare they... touch what's mine..."

She wanted to chop their limbs off and kill them. She wanted to gouge out the eyes of every girl who looked at Roy.

"N-no... I can't!"

She clutched her head and collapsed to the floor.

"Calm down... Adelia..."

"You have to endure..."

She took rough, ragged breaths.

Side effects of the fusion.

The corrupted personality that had regressed over 9,999 times was clashing with her current self.

"Haa..."

After a long while, her eyes returned to normal.

But her hands were still trembling.

"I'm... becoming strange..."

"Lately... I can't control it..."

"My personalities... haven't fully merged yet..."

She hugged her knees and whimpered.

"I'm scared I'll hurt my Extra..."

However, the shadow cast by her figure in the mirror was still smiling with dark crimson eyes.

Adelia covered her ears and sobbed.

That same evening. The hallway.

On my way out of the library, I found Priscilla huddled in a corner.

"Priscilla."

"...!"

She flinched and looked up.

Her face was dark. She looked like she might burst into tears at any moment.

"Are you okay? You don't look well."

"Hehe... It's nothing, Master."

She forced a smile.

Although my Observer's Eye couldn't see it clearly, my instincts were screaming a warning.

Something was wrong.

I sat down beside her.

"Whenever you have a hard time, tell me."

Her smile froze for a moment. She looked like she was about to cry.

"Don't hide anything from me. There's something going on, isn't there?"

Priscilla's eyes wavered.

"...I'm really fine."

"My ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠body just feels a little off, that's all."

She had skipped class today and had been acting strange all day.

This doesn't feel good.

If I pressed her any further, she would probably run away.

I stood up.

"Don't overdo it. Get some proper rest today."

"...Yes."

I left her there and walked away.

But the uneasy feeling refused to leave me.

After the last evening class.

I called Iris aside.

"Iris."

"Hmph... What do you want, human?"

Iris was still sulking.

She was upset about me holding hands with Adelia.

"Sorry, but I have a favor to ask."

"...What?"

"Can you keep an eye on Priscilla for me?"

Iris narrowed her eyes.

"Why should I?"

"Human, are you worrying about another woman again? You really..."

"It's not like that."

I spoke seriously.

"Something feels off. It looks like she might do something dangerous. I'm worried."

"......"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"With your spirit magic, you can watch over her secretly, right? I'm asking you as a favor."

Iris stared into my eyes for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.

"...Fine. I got it!"

"But later, you have to meet me separately and buy me something delicious, okay?"

"Yeah! Of course. Thank you."

"...Hmph."

Iris snapped her fingers.

A small wind spirit, Sylph, was summoned.

"Follow that blue-haired woman. Report back on everything she does without missing a single detail."

[Kikiki!]

Sylph gave me a thumbs-up before flying off.

That night. Deep into the night.

Inside Priscilla's dormitory room.

In the darkened room, she sat on the edge of her bed.

In her hands was a half-burned red letter.

She read the letter over and over.

Until the letters blurred from her falling tears.

"...I can't."

Her lips trembled violently.

"I can't kill Roy..."

Roy, who had promised to save her clan.

It would be better for her to die than to kill him.

"Then..."

Her eyes grew ice-cold.

"I just have to kill the Crown Prince."

If she killed the one who gave the order, perhaps her family could still be spared.

Crown Prince Helios von Roengard.

An S-class Royal Knight.

A suicidal act with a 0% chance of success.

But.

"...My clan."

"My little siblings..."

She opened a secret drawer and took out a black dagger.

A poisoned blade engraved with her family's crest.

"I'm sorry, Master..."

"Thank you so much for saying you would save us."

She roughly wiped away her tears, pulled a black hood over her head, strapped the dagger to her waist, and threw the window wide open.

Whoooosh—

The cold night wind slapped her cheeks.

Without hesitation, she threw herself into the darkness.

Her destination was the imperial family's exclusive residence.

Where Helios was.

She ran across the rooftops like a shadow.

Tears continued to stream endlessly from her eyes, but her steps never faltered.

Master...

Please be happy.

In the darkness, the blade of the dagger gleamed with a chilling light.