Planting Flags Requires Caution
"Hound? Hound! Where on earth did you go?!"
Mikaris's voice calling out for me was filled with anxiety.
She must have been flustered since I had vanished into thin air when I was right beside her just a moment ago.
But I hoped she would understand. After all, she wasn't the only suffering villainess in this novel...
I quietly slipped around a corner, out of Mikaris's line of sight.
"Phew. I'm sorry, Lady Mikaris."
Leaving her all alone did prick my conscience a bit.
Even so, as for who I was heading toward...
"What are you sorry for?"
Whoa, holy crap!
I looked straight ahead, only to find Seri Verdia blocking my path.
"I greet the young lady of the House of Count Verdia."
"No need for such a stiff greeting. So, where are you off to?"
"..."
I couldn't help but freeze up at the sight of her.
The mere fact that Seri Verdia was conversing with an extra like me meant the original plot had already been heavily derailed...
"Why the silence?"
"My apologies. I was simply... captivated by your beauty, Lady Seri."
Of course, that was a total lie.
The original heroine wasn't my type at all. She was far too spineless.
Seri Verdia clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her head up to look at me.
"Flattery won't get you anything from me, you know?"
"Haha..."
It was that same sensation I felt when we first met.
My mind grew hazy, as if I were being pulled into her orbit.
This feeling crossed the line from uncomfortable to downright repulsive.
Forcing my slipping consciousness back into focus, I forced an awkward smile and quickly spoke.
"Haha, I actually have some urgent business to attend to. If you'll excuse me."
I practically fled from Seri Verdia.
Something felt incredibly off about her, and I knew better than anyone that getting entangled with the original heroine never ended well...
Seri Verdia quietly watched Hound's retreating figure.
"How strange... This isn't how it's supposed to go."
So, leaving my favorite character, Mikaris, behind, where was I heading?
I was on my way to Lonia Cardelia.
It was around this time in the story that she would be crying all alone after Winston Arcadia abruptly broke off their engagement.
At this point, the protagonist watches Lonia and realizes for the first time that many people are being hurt because of them.
That was how I knew about this.
The place where Lonia Cardelia could be found was...
The Garden of Blue Roses, one of the famous landmarks of Estrada Academy.
Lonia would be weeping her heart out in the garden filled with blue roses.
She had loved Winston Arcadia more than anyone.
But...
Winston had called off their engagement just a single day after getting involved with the heroine.
Cruelly abandoned by the person she loved most, Lonia Cardelia would eventually spiral into jealousy and self-loathing, suffering from auditory and visual hallucinations.
Her mental state would deteriorate in every possible way, ultimately transforming her into a notorious villainess.
Just thinking about that bastard Winston made my teeth grind.
Even if it was a political engagement, wasn't this going way too far?
Gritting my teeth in frustration, I soon arrived at the Garden of Blue Roses.
My very first impression of the garden described in the novel was...
It looks like a place where fairies would live.
As I walked forward, marveling at the blue roses, the sound of Lonia Cardelia's sobbing reached my ears.
"Sob... hic, sob..."
Seeing this scene in person was heartbreaking. My own chest ached for her.
If only she had been born into a better story, she could have been happy.
I approached Lonia and offered her a handkerchief.
"Are you here all alone?"
Startled by my sudden appearance, Lonia opened her eyes wide and stared at me.
"Who are you...?"
"I am Hound Egil. I believe you might know of me, as I'm quite famous around here."
"Ah, the special scholarship student..."
Lonia took my handkerchief and dabbed at her tears.
Good thing I started carrying a handkerchief around.
"So... did you come to comfort me out of pity?"
"I simply couldn't stand by and watch a lady cry."
Argh!
The line was so incredibly cheesy that my fingers curled in cringe even as I said it.
But what could I do? This was a romance fantasy world, and this was exactly the kind of stuff that worked here...
As I gazed at her gently, she let out a soft chuckle.
"Fufu, you really are as strange as the rumors say."
"I suppose I am a bit odd."
I sat down beside Lonia and asked,
"So, may I ask why you were shedding tears...?"
"It's a bit embarrassing, but..."
Don't worry. I already know.
"My engagement was broken. I truly adored him, but I guess the feeling wasn't mutual."
Lonia stared down at the ground with a melancholy expression.
But how do I win her over from here?
My brain scrambled to recall lines spoken by male leads in the romance fantasy novels, webtoons, and rom-com dramas I'd consumed in my past life.
However...
...I have no idea. I was a solo-since-birth in my past life.
Relying on my extensive experience as a romance fantasy reader, I cobbled together a comforting line on the spot.
"There exists a red thread in this world. It is called the thread of fate, and those connected by it will always find their way to each other, no matter what."
"Pardon...?"
"You and that gentleman simply weren't connected by that thread. It is by no means because you are lacking in any way, Lady Lonia."
Did that sound okay? I have no clue.
How would I know? I've never even been in a relationship...
In that moment, she smiled.
"Haha! I like that story."
The radiant smile blooming through her sorrow was more than enough to leave me utterly spellbound.
Seriously, is Winston blind or something?
Lonia looked up at the sky above the garden.
"I heard you are the exclusive knight of the young lady of House Marquis Merian. Is it alright for you to stay here with me?"
"Well, I'm only a contract worker."
"A contract worker?"
"It could end at any moment. Though she did say she would wait for me for three years."
"I've thought this since the entrance ceremony party, but you really are an eccentric..."
"Don't nobles usually view all commoners as eccentrics anyway?"
At my words, Lonia gazed back up at the sky and spoke.
"I think differently."
"About what?"
"The difference between commoners and nobles is merely a difference in education arising from their environments. Regardless of bloodline or status, we are all just human beings."
Hearing her words, a warm wave of emotion washed over me.
Though I hadn't lived as a commoner in this world for very long, almost every noble I'd encountered looked down on commoners as a matter of course.
But she was different. How could someone with such a beautiful heart turn into a villainess?
Honestly, Winston deserved to be arrested for high treason just for this.
"To think you held such thoughts, Lady Lonia. You possess great wisdom."
"I get that a lot."
Lonia brushed off her dress and stood up.
"Thank you. Thanks to you, the heavy weight on my chest has lifted."
"It was nothing. I didn't have much else to do anyway."
Just as a warm atmosphere was settling between Lonia and me...
"Hound!"
Mikaris appeared.
"Oh, Lady Mikaris!"
"I was wondering where you went after leaving me behind, and here you are! What are you doing?"
"No, wait, this isn't what it looks like..."
"Are you planning to become her exclusive knight now? Is that it? Did I somehow misunderstand the definition of 'exclusive knight'?"
Ah, crap. I'm in deep trouble.
Maybe wanting to save all the villainesses was a bit too greedy...
Just as a chaotic scene was about to erupt, Lonia spoke up in my defense.
"I greet the young lady of House Marquis Merian. Lord Hound was merely offering me some comfort."
"I don't care about that. Hound, you're dead meat."
With sharp, clicking footsteps, Mikaris stormed out of the garden.
How on earth do I smooth this over? Ah...
"What are you doing? Hurry up and follow her."
"Ah, right. Please excuse me, then."
I hurriedly ran after Mikaris.
"My lady? Lady Mikaris."
"..."
She was absolutely furious. I should have at least told her before slipping away.
But what could I do? I had to follow her every step.
Becoming the new pillar of support for someone who had lived so passively might turn out to be quite a handful...
As I followed Mikaris, groveling and apologizing, the sharp clicking of her heels suddenly stopped.
"So, what was your reason for leaving me behind?"
"Seeing your beautiful blue hair made me want to see the blue roses, my lady."
"What on earth is that supposed to mean?"
"Please, hear me out. I usually walk behind you, gazing at your back, don't I? Seeing your gorgeous blue hair made me think, Ah! The famous blue roses of Estrada Academy! So I went there, only to find a young lady weeping her eyes out."
Mikaris snorted.
"Ha! And you think that's a reasonable excuse for abandoning me to go flirt with another girl in the garden?"
"Oh, come on, my lady. When did I ever flirt with her...?"
"You did! Lady Verdia told me. She said you were rushing off to the Garden of Blue Roses. I saw almost the whole thing from the beginning, and you're still trying to deny it?"
Seri Verdia did? How did she know I was heading to the Garden of Blue Roses?
Still, seeing Mikaris get jealous over me was kind of flattering, even if the situation was incredibly awkward...
"My lady, I simply do not possess the heart to ignore someone who is deeply hurting."
"Is that why you approached me as well?"
"Pardon?"
"Not because you liked me, but because you felt sorry for me after my engagement was broken off? Was it all just pity?"
"..."
I had simply liked Mikaris as a character, and I despised Lutera for hurting her. That was why I became her exclusive knight.
My affection for her was a given, so there was no need to even state it.
But since pity had indeed been part of my motivation, I couldn't refute her words.
"I knew it. You are dismissed as my exclusive knight. Do whatever you want."
"My lady."
"What?"
I looked at her with an unwavering gaze.
"You might think me insolent for saying this, but yes, it was pity."
"..."
"However, it wasn't just pity. Who would risk their entire future to duel the eldest son of a Duke out of mere pity? Please know that my feelings for you have never held a single shred of falsehood."
Mikaris hesitated for a moment, then turned and resumed her brisk walk.
Ah, damn it. Did I just break my own flag?
As I closed my eyes and scratched the back of my head in frustration...
"What are you doing? Aren't you coming?"
"Huh?"
"We have our liberal arts class."
"Ah, yes!"
I quickly caught up and fell into step behind Mikaris.
Though Mikaris's anger hadn't completely melted away, it seemed the misunderstanding had at least been cleared up.
Well, technically, it wasn't really a misunderstanding since I had gone there to plant a flag with Lonia.
Let's keep that little detail to myself...
After the theology lecture ended, the professor squinted through his spectacles, reviewing the submitted assignments.
"I have received all of your assignments, but..."
Just as I was burying my face in my desk, about to drift off to sleep...
"Student Hound? Please step forward immediately."
What now? Did I do something wrong again?
When I walked up to the front, the professor patted my shoulder, his face filled with admiration.
"Student Hound, your response truly touched my soul. Won't you consider transferring to the Department of Theology? It would be a tragedy to let your talent go to waste."
Ah, he must be talking about that answer from before.
Of course he was impressed. It was written by a famous poet from modern times; even a university professor back then would have been deeply moved.
I offered an awkward smile and replied,
"Haha... My family has a long lineage of adventurers. I am deeply honored, but I must respectfully decline your offer, Professor."
The theology professor let out a heavy, disappointed sigh.
"Sigh... What a pity. I truly believed you had the potential to become the greatest theologian in history, Student Hound..."
The greatest theologian in history... Well, that's never going to happen. I just plagiarized it, after all.
"Well, I will post the grade sheet on the bulletin board, so please check it later. That is all for today's lecture."
Finally, the last class of the day was over.
Just as I was happily packing up to head back to the dormitory...
Mikaris tugged on my sleeve and spoke.
"You know we have the Dungeon Practice next week, right?"
"Already?"
"Who are you going to party with?"
"With you, of course, my lady. As for the third member, why don't you decide?"
"Right? Of course it should be me. Got it."
Humming a satisfied tune, she left the classroom.
Dungeon Practice, huh...
The opportunity to settle things with Winston Arcadia had finally arrived.
From his perspective, he would probably be utterly baffled if he knew some random commoner he'd never met was targeting him.
But that wasn't my concern.
He had become my target simply because I, as a reader of the original novel, didn't like him.
Still...
Will things go as smoothly as they did with Lutera?
I might have to open the Special Shop once again.
Winston Arcadia possessed the talent to become the future Magic Tower Master, after all.
I only had 500 coins left. I had to choose very carefully.
This could very well be the final choice that decided my path.
It's my first time facing magic...
Come to think of it, I had forgotten that both Mikaris and Lonia majored in magic.
If I asked them, wouldn't I get a chance to practice fighting against magic?
Mikaris was definitely going to be in my party.
I would need to get permission first, but it would probably be a good idea to invite Lonia to join us as well.