Her True Identity
Rina's interminable "special education" had finally come to an end.
Nearly an hour of nonstop lecturing had left my ears ready to bleed, but…
Somehow, I had survived.
At last, we were about to start discussing the group assignment.
Except our group project hit a massive snag the moment it began.
"Um… so…"
Rea opened her mouth with a troubled look.
"Matters this important… I think we really need Lady Medici here before we can decide anything…"
"See?! I told you we should just call it a day!"
I jumped on the opening like I'd been waiting for it.
"We don't even have our group leader. How are we supposed to settle anything? We're just wasting time."
"But…"
Rina tried to protest in a weak voice.
"But what?!"
I snapped at her, desperate to escape this unbearable situation as fast as possible.
"It's just…"
Rina fumbled for words.
"The truth is… the Holy Kingdom has been incredibly busy lately. After class every day, I've been locked up in the cathedral helping with work. I only managed to slip out by using this group project as an excuse… If we just go our separate ways here…"
…Huh?
Something about Rina's words struck me as odd.
The Holy Kingdom was busy? All of a sudden?
"I haven't heard anything about anything special going on in the Holy Kingdom. Why would they suddenly be that swamped?"
When I asked, Rina tilted her head.
"I don't really know the details either. From what I've heard… they recently started some important joint research with the Lapellasia family… Everyone's been running around like crazy because of it."
Research with the Lapellasia family? And the Holy Kingdom, of all people?
That never happened in the game.
The Lapellasia family and the Holy Kingdom had overlapping spheres of influence, sure, but they were hardly close.
And now those two were joining hands for some secret research?
This felt… like a bad omen.
"…Yeon?"
Just as I was about to sink into thought, Rina called my name with a pleading look.
She gazed up at me with a faintly pitiful expression.
"So… could you please stay with me just a little longer? Please?"
Ugh… when she asks with a face like that…
In the end, I could only sigh deeply and nod.
"…Fine. Fine, I'll stay a bit longer. But! No more of that weird education stuff!"
Color flooded back into Rina's face.
"Really? Thank you, Yeon!"
And so we found ourselves sitting across from each other at the café table once more.
"So… what do we do now?"
The three of us fell into an awkward silence, glancing at one another.
Then Rina clapped her hands.
"Exams are coming up soon anyway! Since we're already here, why don't we study our notes together?"
…Study?
"Oh, and I heard Rea has absolutely incredible grades!"
Rina turned sparkling eyes on Rea.
"If you wouldn't mind… could you maybe tutor Yeon a little? Yeon is… um… she could use some help."
"What? M-me?"
Rea flinched and waved her hands frantically, looking back and forth between Rina and me in pure panic.
"Forget it! What studying? If that's the plan, I'm leaving!"
The dull theory that showed up on exams was stuff I already knew cold from the game lore.
Studying material I already had memorized was a complete waste of time.
I was planning to half-ass the written exams just enough not to fail, so extra studying wouldn't do me any good anyway.
Rina looked dejected at my firm refusal, but she quickly rallied and offered something else.
"Hmm… then how about we just chat over dessert? I heard this place has a ridiculously famous dessert! We should try it!"
"Well then…"
Rea spoke up carefully.
She hesitated for a moment, then suddenly turned to me with surprising boldness.
"…Lady Bennet should treat us!"
"…C-come again?"
I stared at her, dumbfounded.
This girl had been looking at me with pure contempt until a second ago, and now she wanted me to buy her dessert?
Rea didn't flinch for a second.
"As you know, I'm a commoner, so I don't have money. I can't afford expensive desserts like that."
She pointed straight at the most expensive-looking cake on the menu.
No… even so, who just straight-up asks someone they're barely friendly with to buy them food like that…?
"Wow! What? Yeon's treating today?"
Rina's eyes lit up as she jumped in.
"Everyone at the Academy already knows you're loaded! This is the perfect chance to show your groupmates the dignity of House Bennet!"
"……."
I hesitated.
Ordinarily I would have coldly refused for the sake of that pointless villainess act, but…
At this point, it hardly mattered.
My reputation was already as bad as it could get. Nothing I did now would change that.
Besides…
Sigh. Fine. She must have really wanted it if she's asking someone like me.
"…All right. I'll pay."
The moment I reluctantly agreed, both Rina and Rea's faces brightened.
In the end, we ordered a mountain of desserts each.
A short while later, the waiter brought the bill.
"That will be three hundred gold, miss."
"…Th-three hundred gold?"
I momentarily doubted my ears. Three hundred gold for a few slices of dessert? Had they dusted it with actual gold leaf?
How much money do I even have right now…?
Panicking, I checked my account balance through the System.
Yeon Bennet — Account
House Bennet — 0 Gold
Academy Stipend — 450 Gold
…Huh?
I stared at the numbers on the System window in shock.
The support funds from House Bennet were… zero gold?
Just last month an enormous sum had been deposited, and now every last coin of it was gone.
There was only one person who would pull something like this.
Unnie…
Not like I was planning to spend that bastard's money anyway. Whatever. Good riddance.
I decided not to make a big deal of it.
"Here. I'll take care of it."
I told the waiter.
Three hundred gold… Sigh. Guess I'm surviving on one meal a day until next month…
I sighed inwardly.
But what choice did I have?
I'd already said I would pay.
A short while later, the desserts arrived—so extravagant they made my eyes go wide.
Multicolored fruit, cream, and glittering sugar sculptures.
They certainly looked like they were worth the price.
"Thank you, Yeon! Digging in!"
Rina chirped with childlike excitement.
"Thank you, my lady."
Rea bowed her head in thanks as well.
We each started on the desserts in front of us.
Well, at least it tastes as expensive as it looks.
The sweetness melting on my tongue lifted my mood a little.
Then Rea lightly covered her mouth and asked me,
"Lady Bennet, could I have a napkin?"
A bit of dessert must have gotten on the corner of her mouth.
Right. As a commoner, she probably isn't used to fancy desserts or formal table manners. A place like this might even feel a little overwhelming.
Without much thought, I handed her the napkin beside me.
Rea carefully accepted it and wiped her mouth—then suddenly frowned, as if something about it displeased her.
…Why is she making that face now?
I was just starting to wonder when—
"These desserts are amazing! Right, Yeon?"
Rina beamed at me from the side, cheerfully interrupting.
Her sudden question scattered whatever thoughts I'd been having about Rea.
"Yeah. Way better than that place we went last time."
I nodded along.
Clink—
At that exact moment, something hit the floor.
I turned my head. Rea's fork was lying on the ground.
But her expression was… off.
Normally someone would look flustered or apologetic in a situation like this. She just stared down at the fallen fork with a completely blank face.
"…Sorry. My mistake."
Her voice was dry, utterly devoid of emotion.
"It's fine, Rea. These things happen."
Rina soothed her as gently as ever.
But that indifferent attitude of Rea's left me uneasy.
And then, the next moment, Rea lifted her head and looked straight at me.
Her eyes were completely different from usual.
The timid demeanor was gone, replaced by something almost boldly demanding.
"My lady, could you get me a clean fork?"
"…Ah. Sure."
After a brief hesitation, I quietly pulled a spare fork from the side of the table and handed it to her.
By the time we finished dessert and left the café, the sun was already sinking low.
Unlike that awkward first meeting, the sweet desserts—or maybe just Rina's endless chatter—had softened the atmosphere between the three of us, at least a little.
"Well then, I had a wonderful time today! Everyone get home safe!"
Rina called out her goodbyes in that bright voice of hers.
"Thank you so much for today, Lady Bennet. And you as well, Lady Rina. Please both take care on your way back."
Rea, looking a touch more at ease than before, offered a polite farewell of her own.
But her eyes still held that deep, thoughtful look—as if she were turning something over carefully in her mind.
Yeon simply dipped her head in silent acknowledgment and turned away first.
And so the three of them parted ways, each heading toward their own dormitory.
Alone in a dim corridor, Rea walked toward her room.
She thought of the black-haired girl she had just been with—Yeon Bennet.
Six months since enrolling at the Academy.
In that time, Rea had watched and analyzed the existence known as Yeon Bennet from afar—and sometimes from very, very close.
The vicious rumors surrounding her. The horrific deeds she was said to have committed. The countless suspicions that clung to her name.
And today, at last, Rea had reached her conclusion.
The worst villainess in all of Tera.
The shame of House Bennet.
The traitor who had invited Contamination.
And every other terrible name people called her.
Yeon Bennet's true identity was—
"……."
Rea stopped in the empty hallway and muttered under her breath, unable to hide her disappointment.
"…She's just a sucker."