A Real Man in a Romance Fantasy

As the entrance ceremony came to an end, the students filed out of the grand auditorium one by one. I, however, couldn't bring myself to leave so easily. The crushing pressure of having to defeat Lutera—who was objectively stronger than me at this point—forced me to start racking my brain. I wanted to relax, but if I didn't at least try to come up with a plan, the anxiety would eat me alive.

Should I use the Special Shop? Or...

Using the Special Shop might give me an easy win. But we were still in the very early stages of the novel. If I recklessly squandered my coins now, I would definitely regret it when a real life-or-death crisis hit.

"Hmm..."

As I stood there with a grim expression, utterly lost in thought, a young woman approached me.

"Excuse me, are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I was just thinking about..."

The moment I looked at her, I recognized her instantly. Seri Verdia. The heroine of this story.

As I stared at her, completely dazed, she spoke up again, her voice laced with concern.

"Um, are you really alright?"

"I am fine. Thank you for your concern. If you will excuse me..."

I heard Seri Verdia calling out to me from behind, but I pretended not to hear and hurriedly made my exit from the grand auditorium.

She's not the protagonist for nothing.

The eldest daughter of the Count of Verdia, Seri Verdia. With her flowing golden hair and jewel-like blue eyes, her beauty was truly worthy of a main character. But there was a strange, almost hypnotic pull to her.

Is there some kind of magic cast on the protagonist?

It was never mentioned in the novel, but the instinctual warning bells ringing in my head were more than enough to arouse suspicion.

I have no idea what's going on. If only the author had been a slightly better writer, I could have had an easier time...

Lost in these idle thoughts, I soon found myself back at the dormitory. The moment I stepped into Room 302, the first thing I did was...

Well, what else would I do in my dorm? Aura training, of course.

The upcoming fight against Lutera was overwhelmingly stacked against me. A gap between 2-Star and 3-Star was one thing, but from 4-Star onward, the power scaling was on a completely different level. Besides, forming a star became exponentially harder once you hit 3-Star.

"..."

Still, it was best to do everything within my power. With that resolve, I closed my eyes and sank into meditation to cultivate my Aura, but...

I quickly realized that Aura wasn't what I needed most right now. It wasn't like I could suddenly manifest four stars overnight anyway. The most critical issue was the gap in combat experience.

Lutera hailed from the prestigious Edelian family of swordsmen. He was the future Duke, having received brutal training and top-tier education since childhood. On the other hand, I was just a commoner who had spent the last month since transmigration doing nothing but repetitive Aura training and basic swordsmanship—essentially the fantasy equivalent of lifting weights. That kind of gap wasn't easily bridged.

Should I open the Special Shop?

Hoping to find something cost-effective and useful, I opened the Special Shop. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I scrolled through the various items, scanning the list.

Found it. The exact ability I needed most right now, and an incredibly cost-effective package at that.

Of course, I wasn't discounting the physical reaction speed of the body I possessed, but I highly doubted whether I could utilize it to its full potential on my own. That was why I bought the package.

Ding!

The moment I purchased the Eye that Sees Crisis, the change was immediate. My field of vision expanded significantly, and anything that posed a threat to me began to glow with a faint red hue.

I wished I could test it out in a real fight right away, but...

A commoner swinging a sword at the training grounds on the very first day of school would only draw unwanted, negative attention.

How do commoners even survive in a place like this?

Living as a commoner in an academy teeming with nobles was an absolute nightmare. The sheer frustration of it was enough to make my head spin. My only choice was to trust in the power of the package. After all, the 500% Mastery Rate package had already proven that the items from the Special Shop were the real deal.

And so, I spent my first day at the academy entirely focused on my Aura training.

The original Hound would have never attended the entrance ceremony party, but I had to go. That party was where the catalyst for all the major events in the story took place.

But do I even have a suit to wear?

I was already facing a crisis.

Should I just wear my school uniform...?

The nobles would undoubtedly show up in bespoke suits and elegant gowns. Walking into a venue like that wearing a school uniform would make me stick out like a sore thumb.

What should I do?

I could already picture the sneers and looks of utter contempt. But was I really in a position to be worrying about such trivial things?

"..."

Besides, I was already used to being looked down upon. If I was going to be ignored and despised anyway, I might as well get it over with. I was going to that party.

The banquet hall was magnificent, illuminated by brilliant silver chandeliers that sparkled across the ceiling. Students stood in clusters, drinks in hand, engaging in polite conversation.

"Hmm..."

Contrary to my expectations, absolutely no one paid any attention to me. Even though I was a mere commoner who had dared to crash their high-society gathering, they didn't even spare me a glance. Was it because they didn't even view me as human? To them, I was probably nothing more than an annoying gnat.

That's actually a bit depressing...

I scanned the room as I walked in. Neither Micaris nor Lutera was in sight yet. Since I had some time to kill, I decided to check out the buffet.

"Ooh..."

Back in my past life, macarons were too expensive for me to buy on a whim, but this place was a literal macaron heaven. There were even cakes so beautifully decorated that it felt like a crime to cut into them. And the desserts were just the beginning.

Turkey!

The kind of party food you only ever saw in webtoons and comics was laid out right before my eyes, looking incredibly mouthwatering.

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

Wait, does turkey count as chicken breast?

Just in case, I began piling turkey breast onto my plate. As I shamelessly hoarded the lean meat, the whispered gossips of nearby students drifted into my ears.

Thanks to my Aura-enhanced senses, I could hear every single word. Those bastards. Do you snobs have any idea how hard it is to find decent lean protein around here? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Tsk, this is why you're all a bunch of scrawny weaklings.

Come to think of it, reading those lines in a novel was one thing, but hearing that high-and-mighty noble tone in real life was incredibly cringeworthy.

Do I really have to get used to this?

Just then, the heavy doors swung open, and the guard at the entrance bellowed:

"Lady Micaris Merian is entering!"

The doors parted, and Micaris Merian stepped into the hall. She wore a stunning black dress adorned with crimson roses. As expected of my favorite character, she was gorgeous.

And just as I had anticipated...

Lutera Edelian was nowhere to be seen by her side.

Is it starting?

The crowd immediately began to buzz with whispers about Micaris arriving alone.

Those vultures are already starting to slander her. I watched Micaris while stuffing my face with the pile of turkey breast I had gathered. Her eyes were hollow, and her expression was incredibly grim.

This must be that scene from the novel.

Before entering the party, Micaris had gone to find Lutera, only to catch him confessing his love to the heroine.

And the narration that followed was...

Lutera, you absolute dumbass.

I wanted to go over and comfort her right away, but I couldn't. I was just a commoner. For now, my best move was to keep stuffing my face with turkey.

Because protein is precious...!

Once again, I shamelessly piled turkey breast onto my plate, but the nobles paid me no mind. Their attention was entirely consumed by Micaris Merian, who had arrived alone.

Thanks to my Aura-enhanced senses, I could hear every single word.

What do any of you know? Poor Micaris had been raised solely to be married off to the Crown Prince or the Duke's family by parents blinded by greed for power.

But her fate was about to change. Because a variable named Hound Egil had entered the equation.

Whether it was because of my thoughts about Micaris or simply because the turkey breast was incredibly dry, my throat felt tight. I grabbed a drink from a passing tray and washed it down.

Ah, refreshing.

At that exact moment, the doors opened again, and Lutera made his grand entrance. Sure enough, he was arm-in-arm with Seri Verdia.

The nobles seemed taken aback, but the one who received the greatest shock was undoubtedly Micaris Merian. Seeing her face—filled with utter despair as she confronted a reality she never wanted to believe—made my heart ache.

Her entire life had been lived solely for Lutera Edelian, and now, her very existence was being invalidated.

Micaris rushed forward and cried out, her voice trembling.

"W-what is the meaning of this?!"

Lutera looked down at her coldly and spoke.

"I have found my true love."

"What on earth do you mean by—!"

"Micaris Merian, our relationship is over."

Ugh, there it was. The classic, cliché second act of a romance fantasy novel.

I have found my true love.

I had felt this way when reading the novel, but hearing it in person made it sound incredibly corny.

Seriously, what era are we even living in...?

But that wasn't the point. The real show was about to begin. Lutera tightly clasped Seri's hand and spoke.

"As soon as I can, I will send a formal request to dissolve our engagement to my family."

I could see Micaris's lips trembling. It was my cue to step in. I strode purposefully toward Lutera.

"Young Lord?"

Lutera's brow furrowed.

"And who might you be?"

"I am Hound Egil."

"Who...? Ah, are you that commoner who entered as a Special Scholarship Student?"

"Indeed I am. But tell me, did you truly feel the need to announce the dissolution of your engagement in a place like this?"

Lutera scoffed.

"Hah. I hardly think that is any concern of a commoner."

"You are correct. I am a commoner, and I have no business meddling in the affairs of nobles. However..."

I leaned in close, staring directly into Lutera's eyes as I continued.

"It seems you have absolutely no regard for the fact that you have dragged Lady Merian's honor through the mud?"

"And I am asking you, what does that have to do with you?"

Is answering a question with another question a habit for this bastard? Realizing that trying to reason with Lutera was a waste of breath, I turned toward Micaris and dropped to one knee.

"Lady Micaris Merian, please appoint me as your exclusive knight."

Micaris blinked in utter bewilderment.

"I will restore your honor, my Lady."

"But why would you..."

"I have a plan, so please, appoint me as your exclusive knight. You may dismiss me afterward if you wish. If I fail to deliver, you may punish me as severely as you see fit."

"There must be a reason you are doing this! We have never even met before..."

I let a smirk play on my lips as I replied.

"Simply because this whole situation displeases me."

A heavy silence fell over the banquet hall. The sudden breaking of the engagement between the young Duke and the Marquis's daughter was shocking enough, but to see a commoner scholarship student step forward and pull a stunt like this must have looked utterly absurd to them.

In the dead silence of the hall, Lutera Edelian burst into laughter.

"Haha! And what, pray tell, do you plan to do about it?"

"I challenge you to a duel."

Lutera's face stiffened instantly.

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"Do you even know who I am to speak to me like that?"

"Of course."

I turned back to Micaris and spoke clearly.

"Lady Micaris Merian, please trust me and appoint me as your exclusive knight. I promise you will not regret this choice."

Micaris quickly calculated the situation. If the crowd's attention shifted to this strange man, the humiliating gossip surrounding her broken engagement would at least be pushed to the background. She decided to accept his proposal.

"V-very well. I hereby appoint you as my exclusive knight."

Meanwhile, Seri Verdia, who was standing nearby, glared at me with sharp, piercing eyes. Her gaze was incredibly chilling.

What's her deal? Why is she looking at me like that?

Lutera stroked his chin, holding his head high with arrogance.

"I suppose the duel is officially set, then?"

"I will leave the scheduling to you, young Lord. Farewell."

With that, I picked up my plate piled high with turkey breast and walked out of the banquet hall.

Holy crap, my heart was practically in my throat.

Honestly, it was an incredibly reckless move. Challenging the eldest son of a Duke to a duel in a world ruled by the aristocracy... my hands were still shaking. But what was done was done. It was fine. At the very least, the nobles' attention had successfully shifted from Micaris to me.

But seriously, "I have found my true love" in this day and age...?

The sheer second-hand embarrassment gave me goosebumps. When I was reading the novel, I had been too focused on the villainess to notice, but now that I was experiencing it firsthand, it wasn't just the story that was weird—the author was definitely a bit off in the head too.

By the way, what was up with Seri Verdia's gaze?

A gaze so sharp it sent a shiver down my spine. It felt like a toxic mixture of jealousy and resentment. But that wasn't the most pressing issue right now...

Lutera, that arrogant prick. I was going to beat him to a pulp, no matter what it took.