The Evil Lady Who Wants to Go to the Academy

In the room, now just Olivia and me after Hanna left, I stroked the hair of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the sleeping Olivia as evening fell.

A lot had happened today. I'd fought Ruin, and Hanna had come by to keep Olivia company before heading home. All in all, it had been an exhausting day. Tiring and weary, but fun too.

"Was it fun?" I murmured, still stroking Olivia's hair as she slept.

"Mmm... mmm... Mikhail..."

She was calling out to Mikhail in her dreams like a total sap. I wanted to flick her forehead, but tonight I could let it slide. She'd been tired and had a good time, after all. I'd gotten to see all sorts of expressions on her face. Especially Hanna's—that was priceless.

-In the inter-class match, Mikhail sunbae used body enhancement magic and zipped behind Ruin sunbae in an instant, slashing with a whoosh.

-Oh...!

-He was so cool, I almost fell for him.

-Oh... ooh...!

-Ah... what am I doing?

She'd gotten all excited and passionate talking about Mikhail, only to snap back to reality with an "Ah..." when she finished. It was a sight to behold.

Only one thing worried me: Olivia. She used to go on forever about Mikhail, but today she'd listened to Hanna with this vague expression. Like someone eating mint chocolate, unsure if it was good or bad.

Fortunately, her favorability hadn't changed. But something was dangling there. I pondered her status window.

The Academy... huh.

The reason those kids came today was for readmission to the academy. Not for the lady, but for me. I had no idea why. The lady had way more talent than I did. If she asked if I wanted to go back, I'd say hell yes. I'd love to watch the heroine and hero flirt around, and thinking ahead, graduating from the academy would be huge for my future. Plenty to learn, connections to build. All pros, no cons.

"Zzz... snore... snooore..."

But leaving behind this villainess who couldn't do a damn thing without me? Unimaginable. Handing her off to someone else? No way. Honestly, no one else would look after her like I do. She snaps sometimes, cries when she's upset, laughs at bad jokes. She's not a bad person, just too brutally honest—and that makes more people see her as the villain.

I pinched her nose shut as she slept soundly.

"Hnggh... kkh... air raid...!"

"Pffft...!"

Her brows furrowed. So damn cute it was killing me. How the hell did I end up tangled with Olivia? This was the villainess I wanted to avoid most—the one who crashes and burns the worst in the novel. No clue why I stuck around.

Probably our first meeting. Looking at her frowning face brought back memories of the slums after possession. Back when I was cocky and clueless. I got beat up a lot. By thugs collecting protection money, the bakery uncle, nobles. Thugs for shortchanging them, bakery guy for getting caught stealing bread with my shitty sleight-of-hand, and if ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠luck was bad, nobles for no reason at all. First time getting hit for nothing left me stunned. Coming from a democratic world, my unbreakable free spirit wrecked my common sense. I got beat every day. And I beat back three times harder. Harsh? Sure, but what can you do? I was pissed.

Fuck. Life sucks!

Screaming at the world's unfairness, that's when I met Olivia. A noble lady in a fancy dress marching right up to me—terrifying. Does she know how scared I was?

-Shut up, you beggar!

-What're you, kid?

Back then, I didn't see jack. Neither did she.

-Kid? Did you just call me kid?

-Who else, you brat?

-Eeeeek!!!

I won. Slum-honed brawling and past-life dogfight skills clinched it. Even against a lady who'd yanked hair off countless nobles in high society, I won. She glared, looking ready to burst from injustice. Funny thing—she didn't cry.

-I'll kill you.

-Pfft. Go suck more mommy milk first.

-You suck mommy milk!

-I... don't have a mom.

-Uh... th-then! I'll give you money, buy some!

And that's how I bonded with the lady. Not normal, obviously. We fought our way to friendship, idiots that we were. But that's how Olivia and I got close.

-Back again?

-Yeah! I'm gonna beat your ass today.

-Pfft. The villainess dropping by daily. I didn't hold back, pounding on a noble lady.

-You mangy mutt!

-Mangy muuutt~

-Don't copy me!

-Don't copy meee~

-Sniff... hngggh...

-Don't cry. Sorry.

Looking back now, I was insane then. Fighting a noble lady as a commoner? Instant execution. But she forgave it all. When guards tried to intervene, she'd yell, "Don't touch him! Touch him and I'll kill you!" No knight or maid could stop our fights—they knew her temper. Afterward, guards didn't hassle me. One even slipped me cash to go easy. Anyway, we got close like that. Then, when I nearly died for real...

-Just... come live at my house.

She saved me. She's my friend and benefactor. That's why I can't abandon her, why she weighs on me so much.

"Snooore..."

She slept like a rock. Always has since she was little—sleeps like the dead. Guess it's true beauties need their beauty sleep.

Sleeping soundly, huh.

I checked her favorability again. That liked topic was dangling.

The academy...

Olivia's evasive words from earlier flashed by.

-Do you want to reenroll?

-Uh... huh? No?

She'd looked pretty flustered. Same as always—no talent for lying. I could tell. She missed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the academy. After 13 years, it'd be weird if I couldn't read her. But I had to ignore it. Nothing I could do. She was expelled, her rep in the gutter—going back wasn't smart. She knew that, wasn't a fool. Might get bullied, live worse than not going. But she still wanted to.

-That... wistful voice still echoed in my ears.

I looked at her sleeping face again. Pinched her cheek—she didn't stir.

"Wuheh..."

Just dumb noises. I pinched and asked,

"You wanna go to the academy?"

"Mmm... yeah."

Her honest sleep-talk answer. I chuckled. What a pointless worry. Possessors don't do impossible.

Gotta do something.

I pulled a small card from my pocket.

-Hanna Histania.

From the Histania family. She'd given it to me—said if I needed pocket money, her family's knight order needed temp help. Decent pay. I stroked Olivia's hair and stood.

Prep finished by 9 a.m. Snuck the sword Olivia bought for Mikhail, strapped a dagger to my belt. Ditched the butler suit for old activewear and admired myself in the mirror.

Whoa... even I look hot.

Olivia blinked blankly at me.

"Where you going?"

"To make some money."

"Money?"

Question marks popped over her head. I kindly explained our mansion's wallet woes.

"Don't you want meat?"

"Want."

"Then we need money, right?"

"We broke?"

"Beggars."

She finally got it with an "Aha," nodding vigorously before asking again.

"What for?"

"Gonna hunt some monsters."

"Monsters?"

The villainess pondered deeply, then pointed at the desk.

"Gimme that."

I held up the paper and pen.

"This?"

"Yeah."

She scribbled fast. Noble handwriting fit for her glory days—artistic. I could never write like that. Hell, no one could mimic mine—in a bad way.

While I admired, she finished and proudly handed it over.

"Here."

Her expectant face tugged at my heart. Thought it was a protective charm for her dangerous butler. Holding back tears, I took it... and went "Eh?" like an idiot.

Her mukbang wishlist. Classic Olivia, always exceeding expectations. Still, the cute handwriting won me over—I pocketed it.

"Skipping chocolate."

"Ah."

Olivia glitched at my blunt refusal. I grinned brightly.

"Candy instead."

Her eyes went wide. I left her behind and opened the door.

"Um..."

"Yeah?"

"Come back safe."

She waved.

Alone now, Olivia plopped on the bed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with a flop.

Goosebumps prickled Olivia's shoulders.