Entering the Academy

The chirping of birds announced that morning had broken.

"...Guess it's about time to put you down, huh?"

I carefully lifted Kania, who was sleeping soundly on the bed, and gently placed her back on the floor where she'd collapsed. Then I lay down in the bed she'd been occupying and started yelling.

"Hey!! How long are you gonna laze around!?"

"...Hah!"

She jolted awake on the floor, realized she'd been lying there the whole time, and started glaring at me with gritted teeth.

"...Why are you looking at me like that? Got a problem?"

"...No, sir."

"Then get breakfast ready."

"...Yes, sir."

"Oh, and if you bring me another shitty meal like last night's... just take your sister and get out of the family."

"........."

"What? Don't wanna take your sister? Fine, leave her here then. I'll make her my concubine."

The moment I mentioned her sister, Kania lost control of her expression and tears welled up in her eyes.

That's right. To her, her sister is her most precious treasure—and her reverse scale.

"I'll... prepare it... right away..."

"Yeah, good luck."

As she left the room sniffling, the system window popped up right on cue.

'...What's with the message next to the points? Does it explain the villainous act ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I just committed?'

I stared at the system window with a puzzled expression for a moment, then nodded and muttered to myself.

"...Well, yeah, it was insincere."

Kania's sister will become a vital key to treating her in the future. No way I'd treat her carelessly.

Of course, I need ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to keep hinting that I'm coveting her sister to make Kania hate me even more.

"...Breakfast is served."

I got out of bed and sat at the table, and Kania brought coffee and a sandwich.

"........."

I silently stared at the meal, and Kania started grinding her teeth. She probably thought I was about to flip the table again.

But I was just checking if Villain's Instinct activated. Since the once-a-day death warning didn't trigger, there's no poison in the breakfast.

"...Whatever, I'm tired of nitpicking anyway."

I made a face like I was reluctantly eating out of boredom and started chugging the coffee.

'...This is damn good.'

I've always thought this, but Kania's an amazing cook. This coffee alone could outshine any imperial barista.

"...Why is this so bitter?"

"...My apologies."

Of course, I can't let on that I like it. I have to be the bad guy.

"Jeez... nothing about this is to my liking."

"...I'll strive to meet Young Master's standards."

"Enough lip service. Hand over the academy invitation. I wanna show you something."

"...Yes, sir."

At my cold command, Kania pulled the academy invitation from her pocket.

"See that? They want me to be their starlight."

I read the invitation quietly, then snorted, crumpled it up, and tossed it at Kania's head.

"It's a far cry from a worthless orphan like you who barely scraped in on Father's recommendation."

"........."

"So take good care of me at the academy too, Kania?"

"Yes, but Young Master... there's something you should know..."

"That all academy students are equal? That's for baron's sons to follow. I'm from one of the empire's rare duke families—and direct lineage of the hero bloodline."

"So don't spout that retarded crap at the academy. If any commoner plebs bring up the rules, you deal with them yourself. Got it?"

"...Yes, sir."

"Alright, time to head to the academy. A storied hero family can't be late on the first day."

With that, I deliberately left more than half the coffee and sandwich and stood up.

I wanted to devour it all since I barely ate last night... but to earn her hatred, no choice.

"Young Master, the carriage is ready."

"Greetings~! Young Master Frey! We'll escort you safely to your destination in our guild's finest luxury carriage!"

"...Yeah."

As I stepped out, a magnificent golden carriage stamped with the family crest awaited me.

"Oh my, you're even more handsome than the rumors! Goodness... I'm smitten at first sight...!"

"...Really?"

"Yes! If you have time... ahem..."

A woman from the merchant guild suddenly clung to me as I eyed the carriage.

'Your intentions are obvious, you slut.'

I'm known empire-wide as a notorious lecher. My reputation's in the gutter right now.

Of course, as the first son of the hero family even the imperial family can't ignore, I'm always fawned over despite it.

They deliberately picked a beauty to seduce me... too bad I'm barely clinging to life—no time for games.

"Pfft! As expected, lowborn trash is so predictable!"

I burst out laughing, wrapped my arm around Kania's waist, and whispered coldly.

"Thing is, even though you're lowborn too, I've got someone more useful."

"Ah, y-yes..."

".........!"

Kania, suddenly embraced, gritted her teeth to suppress her killing intent.

"...And I'm kinda busy."

"I-is that so... my apologies..."

At my icy tone, the woman's face drained of color, and she hurriedly backed off.

"Kania, get in the carriage with me."

"I'll... ride horseback..."

"I said get in the carriage with me, Kania?"

"......Yes, sir."

I smirked, boarded with Kania, and tossed a line at the stunned guild woman behind us.

"...I remember your face."

"Y-yes! Thank you!"

In high society, when Starlight's first son says he "remembers your face," it means he's marked you for a night.

"........."

Sure enough, the guild woman grinned triumphantly while Kania struggled to hide her disgust.

'...Actually, I just added her to my mental blacklist.'

She's probably some whore the guild hired from a brothel. I'll write Father later to dig into their underworld ties.

"...Young Master."

"Hm?"

"I'm worried your arm might go numb. Could you please remove it from my waist?"

Instead of sitting opposite, I sat beside Kania in the carriage with my arm still around her. She spoke in a trembling voice.

"...Don't wanna."

"...Please."

"Hm, you're right—waist might be awkward. How about... this?"

Ignoring her, I moved my hand to her thigh.

"Young Master... please... don't do this..."

Kania squeezed her eyes shut and started sniffling.

"...Ugh, you're such a buzzkill. Tsk."

Only then did I pull away, sat opposite, gazed out the window, and discreetly wiped the blood trickling from my lips while muttering inwardly.

'Jeez... no matter how many times, I never get used to this...'

This is the only way to infuse her with life force when she's awake. It strains my body several times more than when she's asleep—and gets me labeled a harasser.

But if it extends Kania's life, I'll gladly take the harassment rap.

"...I'm gonna nap, so shut up and stay quiet, Kania."

"......Yes, sir."

"........."

I tried to catch some sleep in the carriage before academy arrival... but remembered the woman right in front of me was dying to kill me.

'...Fuck.'

I gave up sleeping, closed my eyes, and checked the new Villainy Points from my self-sacrifice.

'...Oh, quite a bit stacked up already?'

Less than a day since regression, but nonstop villainy piled up 100pt fast.

"...Shop."

I whispered "Shop" in a mosquito-like voice, opening the window. With eyes closed, I rolled my eyeballs to browse.

'Let's see... Stat allocation... Item shop... Skill shop too? Quite a selection.'

As the prophecy book said, the shop consumes Villainy Points for rewards. Wanna dive in, but with murderous Kania here... better later at the dorm.

"Mmm... hehe... Kania... hold still... hehe..."

".........!"

Decision made, I faked sleep-talking Kania's name the whole ride to the academy. The killing intent from her grew, but so did my points.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Gotta use this often.

. . . . .

"...Young Master, wake up."

"Kania... hehe... nice pose... keep it up..."

"Young Master, please..."

"...Yaaawn, what? What's up?"

I'd been faking sleep-talk forever when Kania shook me awake. I rubbed my eyes like I'd just woken.

She sighed.

"...We've arrived at the academy. Time to get off soon."

"Already? Carriages are fast these days..."

Stretching, I peered out: Sunrise Academy loomed ahead.

Seeing it standing firm on the ground again—truly moving. In the original timeline, the Demon King razed it.

- The first young master of the great hero family Starlight Duke, Frey Raon Starlight, enters!

"See that, Kania? They recognize me before I even entered."

"...Probably saw the family crest on the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠carriage."

"...You killjoy. Just play along sometimes."

"...My apologies."

I picked on Kania on purpose, eyed my rising points, and muttered inwardly.

'Equality my ass—with all this pomp still around... as if the equality rule holds.'

The academy has a big "all students equal" rule, yet they bellow announcements for prestigious heirs on enrollment day. Why hasn't that tradition died?

This is a place of learning, not a ballroom.

These bad habits, corruption, and scandals are rotting the empire from within. Sure, I toppled it last loop... but even without me or the Demon King, it'd collapse soon enough.

So I need to slay the Demon King, survive the heroines, and clean up some imperial stains. After all, I won't be around post-Demon King.

Prophecy knowledge plus last loop's intel makes it doable... but the heroines are the problem...

"...Sigh. Speak of the devil, and she shall appear."

Quoting an ancestor from the prophecy book, I let out a deep sigh.

Not just "killing intent"—"intents". Looks like our main heroines are pretty pissed.