(What is this? What the hell is this? Nobody told me there was someone this strong! I—I don't know anything about this!)
She lifted her foot off
"Wait, is this really okay? All four of them lost without being able to do anything!"
He stared at his white Armor.
"—I didn't expect an opponent that strong. But my Armor is built with the kingdom's finest technology. Marie, don't worry."
Marie forced an awkward smile onto her face.
(That's what they all said before getting beaten to a pulp! They're completely useless, honestly. Come to think of it, I pushed the clearing of the war route onto my brother because these guys were so useless!)
Marie's thoughts drifted to her previous life.
Perhaps this was escapism—a refusal to accept the reality of her current situation.
(And it's all my brother's fault anyway! He went on a trip, I told Mom, and then he just died—and after that, I had no place in the family! I couldn't even have a wedding, my fiancé ran off and nobody helped me! It's all his fault! And that
Julius removed his jacket.
Underneath, he was wearing a skintight bodysuit. Normal clothes would get in the way when entering an Armor, so it was designed for that purpose.
But actually seeing it was— (It looks kind of ridiculous. In the game, the muscles showing through was a little exciting, but…)
When Julius entered the Armor, the eye slit on its helmet began to glow. It had a twin-eye design, giving it an unnecessarily robotic appearance.
Kyle gazed up at the white Armor with envy.
"That's so cool~ I want one too!"
Marie shook her head.
"You can't. You're not a knight. And besides, you're an elf—you wouldn't be able to pilot it."
"You don't know until you try. I'm a half-elf, so there's a possibility."
"No. Besides, I don't have an Armor—"
She stopped mid-sentence and thought.
(Wait… if a demi-human and a human had a child together, shouldn't that be impossible…? Well, I guess the game was vague about that kind of thing.)
Julius looked down at Marie.
*'Marie, I'm heading out.'* Marie recalled the words she was supposed to say in response.
(Right, at times like this—) "Yes. I wish for your victory, Julius."
*'Ah, leave it to me!'* Imitating the heroine's lines and demeanor, Marie played the part of the ideal woman before all five of them.
(Ugh, this is exhausting. Playing the ditzy, flower-brained heroine is honestly the worst.)
For her second life, she had worked hard to steal the heroine's position.
She staked out the meeting locations, drove the heroine away, mimicked gestures and lines, and captivated the boys.
Knowing each person's personality certainly helped, and the results had been successful.
The fact that she nearly managed to drive
Leon.
(Anyway, I have to do something about that mob. Wait, what happens if I lose? In the game, it was a game over, I think.)
Because her life was on the line, Marie's opinion was that she absolutely wanted Julius to win.
(That's right. I need to enjoy this world more. I'm going to fall in love with all sorts of other men and live in luxury. The old world was nothing but misery. Finally, I can grasp happiness. I won't lose to some mob-looking man like that!)
◇ A white Armor descended into the arena.
The Armor that seemed to radiate brilliance was one of the strongest in the kingdom. An even stronger version would appear later, but at this point, it was among the elite.
…And yes, the fact that there were others considered "the strongest" too means it wasn't literally number one—save the nitpicking.
*'I never thought the turn would come to me even. Be proud.'* In the face of this arrogant attitude, I found comfort in the desperate cheers of the spectators.
There might even be some idiot who bet their entire fortune. But the winner would be me.
I understood perfectly well that I was a small fry.
The reason someone like me entered this duel was partly because of arrogance, but mainly because these princes were still first-years.
Moreover, having just finished the first semester meant they had barely begun to grow. Even these talented individuals who would become stronger in the future were currently lacking in both experience and actual ability.
If you're going to crush someone, now's the time. It was convenient for me.
"You're proud of beating small fry… right?"
I tried to goad him, but the Crown Prince's reaction was flat.
I held a shield in my left hand and a sword in my right.
Two cannon barrels that draped over both shoulders were mounted on the backpack, fitted with rotary magazines.
The extravagantly equipped Armor was truly befitting of a prince.
The person the heroine was originally supposed to end up with… or so it should have been.
"Your Highness, may I ask you one question?"
*'If it's something I can answer.'* "What do you think of
However, the Crown Prince's reaction was tepid. He seemed not to understand why I would ask such a question.
*'Is her name Olivia? I've heard she's been working hard, but what about it?'* "I… see."
I raised my own shovel as well. Come to think of it, this was a pretty surreal scene. But was it really fine to switch to a blade at this point?
Since I'd made it this far with a shovel, I might as well fight with it until the end.
The referee looked somewhat pained.
But he raised his arm and brought it down.
*'Begin!'* Even at the signal, neither side moved.
The Crown Prince showed a defensive posture, holding his shield forward.
*'Having watched the previous fights, you're taking the back foot? What a disappointment. The performance gap is obvious. Your Armor looks better than the others, but is that really all it is?'* "Then I'll just have to attack."
I blocked it with the handle of the shovel, and sparks flew.
*'Not yet, not yet, not yet!'* The Crown Prince launched a continuous assault with shield and sword.
I caught each blow on the shovel, parrying as I retreated. As the Crown Prince pressed me back, the crowd sent out passionate cheers.
"These people just don't want to lose their bets."
*'They'd probably feel better if the Master lost, too. Just like before, they were lecturing people so self-righteously. From the audience's perspective, the Master must be pretty annoying, right?'* "Watch your language! Whoa!"
The Crown Prince's sharp thrust came hurtling toward my face. I slid along the ground to dodge backward. He did the same, skating across the floor to close the distance and slash at me.
When I caught the blade, I heard the Crown Prince's voice.
*'I can't lose! For her sake—I can't lose!'* Perhaps because his emotions ran deep, the blade's brilliance intensified.
Blue flames erupted from the back of the Armor, making it look stunningly beautiful.
*'I acknowledge its artistic value.'* "That's surprisingly high praise coming from you. But look, I can't back down either."
I caught and parried every emotion-laden strike with the shovel. The skill of the person inside—the pilot—was clearly superior.
"Crown Prince, I have to say, you're quite impressive. Your fighting spirit is leagues ahead of the previous four. Were the other four actually thinking in their heads, 'If one person drops out, that means more time for me and Marie-chan, so could the Crown Prince please just disappear?'!"
*'Don't talk nonsense! What do you know about us!'* The blue flames on the back of the white Armor burned even brighter, intensifying with momentum. I could tell he was pushing the Armor beyond its limits to overcome the overwhelming performance gap.
That meant he was serious… but.
"I don't know anything, of course. But I don't think this is a good idea."
In the spectator seats—looking at Olivia and Angelica, they were watching me.
Olivia clasped her hands together as if praying, cheering me on.
Angelica had a complicated expression. She probably didn't like seeing me fight the Crown Prince.
I spoke to the Crown Prince.
"Your Highness, what does it feel like to sincerely love another person? I can't understand that kind of feeling."
*'That's right. That's why you can so casually interfere with others. If you had truly ever loved someone, you would never have started this duel spectacle! If you truly loved her, you should simply step aside gracefully!'* "Are you talking about Angelica? No way—she loves you, Your Highness."
*'—I'm not.'* "Huh?"
The flames on his back surged, and the Crown Prince's Armor accelerated.
He moved faster than any previous opponent, slashing at me.
So he really was serious.
*'Her feelings couldn't possibly be love! She never once noticed my feelings! She's the same as all the women of the court! She tries to force upon me how I should live as royalty! I never wanted to be born into royalty! A life in the court where nobody sees me—'* Well, can't be helped. You are royalty.
That's what I'd like to say, but from his perspective, he hadn't been born into royalty by choice.
*'Marie was the only woman who noticed my feelings.'* She was the type of woman you wouldn't find at court, and while his interest grew, he got completely duped.
Originally, the connection should have been with Olivia—at least, in terms of the game.
This was the result of the transmigrator ruining everything.
Five guys played like fiddles, and they were being humiliated spectacularly.
*'You talk big, but you're no different! Your words are shallow! The current you is just an arrogant man who obtained great power! Is it fun? How does it feel to overpower others with that much power and lecture them from above!'* "——It feels AMAZING!!"
*'Wha—!?'* I kicked the Crown Prince's Armor away, but he blocked with his shield. As he flew backward, he fired both shoulder cannons at me, but I didn't bother guarding.
Arrogance didn't budge. Not a single scratch.
"I'm having the time of my life! Smashing you guys who acted so high and mighty and then lecturing you with overwhelming power—it's a total relief! Your buddies who can't even talk back are pathetic too! Well, losing and being able to do nothing but argue back just makes it even more miserable! And let me tell you something. I may be arrogant, but you can't even beat someone like me. How does that feel? How does it feel to lose to someone you looked down on, Your Highness?!"
*'You—!!'* Overpowering the opponent and lecturing them with absolute dominance.
This was addictive.
And the best part was, these were people who had looked down on me… the lack of guilt was a plus.
Luxion agreed with me.
His voice didn't leak outside. He kept our conversations private. Very capable, but…
*'The fact that you can't even refute someone of the Master's caliber means you're done. Of course, the shock of losing probably left you speechless. What a garbage human being. I'm impressed—in a bad way.'* I swung my left hand and struck the shield. The Crown Prince's Armor seemed to take heavy damage on its left side, emitting smoke.
The shield warped, and the Crown Prince discarded it. The Armor's fingers were bent and broken—it was clearly no longer functional.
"One more thing. Who cares about your feelings, you moron! And who are you to understand MY feelings? And Angelica's feelings—"
*'Silenceee!'* He charged at me, so I locked shovels and pressed helmets. There was a difference in weight, and mine was larger in size.
The Crown Prince's Armor was being forced down.
"What's this about not wanting to be born royalty? Have you ever nearly been sold off to a crone? Have you ever bowed down to a woman, begging her to be your bride? Have you ever been told the countryside is too much, or to support a mistress too? It's miserable! Getting married and shouldering all the living expenses, only to be told 'but I'll nurture my love with the mistress'—do you even understand how that feels?!"
It had actually happened to me, and I was sure many other guys agreed.
I could see men in the audience nodding or even shedding tears in agreement.
Everyone… just watch me deliver divine retribution to this sheltered rich boy!
*'S-So what if that happened? You're free, aren't you? Just find a good partner!'* That pissed me off, so I punched him over and over. Each time, the white Armor shuddered and the Crown Prince's strained voice could be heard.
"Free!? Find a good partner? A man like me who's lived desperately—free? Don't make me laugh, you spoiled brat! Have you ever risked your life, feeling the crisis of losing your virginity, setting sail to the heavens in a tiny boat!? You have a gorgeous fiancée, you're allowed to play around with other women—and what's this about not wanting to be born royalty? You're living the dream! Come back when you've got a real problem!"
*'This isn't play! I'm serious!'* "Then that's even worse!"
As a viscount's daughter, she might have barely passed as a concubine or mistress. But could she have?
I didn't know the details, but it was no excuse for disregarding a duke's daughter.
And the bigger picture—this guy was supposed to be the future leader? Was the kingdom going to be okay?
The future powerful nobles were the same.
Allcircling around the same woman—it was nothing but trouble.
I swung the shovel in a full arc, sending the sword flying, then grabbed his arm and crushed it.
With both arms rendered useless, he created distance and attacked with his cannon.
I dodged and waited for him to run out of ammo.
There was a limit to his rounds, and he quickly ran dry.
"Alright… I think we're done here. Playtime's over. Your partner is over there. Got it?"
I pointed my thumb toward the spectator seats—toward Angelica. She had a sorrowful look on her face, leaning forward as she waited for the Crown Prince's words.
Angelica loved the Crown Prince. No, it was fair to say she loved him. This duel, in its own way, had been triggered because she wanted to separate the Crown Prince from the woman called Marie.
The Crown Prince, now unable to fight—.
*'…Not yet.'* "Huh?"
*'It's not over yet. I'd rather die than let Marie be taken from me! I absolutely refuse to acknowledge this defeat. If you want to kill me, then kill me! This is a duel! This duel shall not be stopped until one of us dies!'* He meant that no one was to interfere.
He was doubling down.
Going on about being royalty and all that, but now he was ordering that nobody intervene. The double standard… I'd do the same thing myself, but when others do it, it's infuriating.
However, this was going to make things troublesome.
"Fine. I'll beat him until his spirit breaks."
I muttered quietly, and Luxion was exasperated.
*'That was a truly despicable exchange. However, it carried more genuine feeling than anything said before. I'll give you credit for that.'* Of course. It was my own lived experience.
This wasn't some feel-good "lecturing makes you feel great" story.
◇ Julius's white Armor charged at Leon's Armor despite both arms being broken.
There was a sense of desperation in that figure.
Facing Leon, who possessed overwhelming strength—Angelica gripped the railing as tears streamed down her face.
"You're serious… aren't you, Your Highness. You truly love that woman."
Angelica accepted that her feelings would never reach him and wiped her tears.
(Fine. I'll step back. If the Crown Prince doesn't want me there, then I'll withdraw.)
Her gaze shifted to the opposite side of the circular arena.
She glared at Marie's pale face.
(But I won't accept you. You won't be the one standing beside the Crown Prince. You'd only be a hindrance. I won't allow that.)
Even in resignation, Angelica still intended to separate Marie from Julius. She believed that was what was best for him.
A woman who kept a lover at her side while entangling herself with four other men—she simply couldn't let someone like that take the queen's throne.
A woman who had seduced five men in such a short time.
She would only continue to accumulate more men going forward.
If Marie became queen, the seeds of conflict would multiply explosively—that much was obvious.
And the royal court would never stand for it.
Angelica glared at Marie, who had gone pale and was panicking as she watched Julius get battered.
(Even if I lose everything, I'll drag you down with me. I will never let you fall in love with the Crown Prince.)
Tearing apart the relationship with the woman Julius had declared he loved pained her heart, but Angelica was prepared to execute that plan no matter the method.
Then— "W-Wait, that's wrong!"
—Olivia raised her voice.
"Perhaps the Crown Prince does love Marie. But, but! Angelica loves the Crown Prince too! Because she's been watching this fight with such pain in her eyes this whole time! Even though it's painful to watch, she refuses to look away and gazes on with such sorrow! Please don't say it isn't love!"
Angelica hastily spoke to Olivia.
"Hey, stop."
She was emotional, so Angelica grabbed her shoulder to pull her back, but Olivia wouldn't stop.
With a clear, compelling voice, she shouted.
She drew the attention of every spectator in the arena—students and teachers alike.
"Why do you deny it? If it's not mutual, it doesn't count as love?"
"Just stop. Olivia, please stop!"
"No, let me speak. Angelica's feelings are love. Whether those feelings are accepted or not is up to the person themselves. But please don't deny them!"
Olivia's words reached Marie as well.
◇ …I'm pissed off.
Marie thought so plainly.
(This is why goody-two-shoes are the worst. Is her head filled with flowers or something? One-sided feelings aren't love—they're a nuisance! God, she's so annoying. This girl's lines always make me irritated.)
Marie fundamentally thought differently.
But facing Olivia, whose transparent voice captured the hearts of those around her, Marie couldn't hide the frustration on her face.
It felt like being shown the genuine article.
That was partly because she was aware she was the counterfeit.
She had stolen the place where Olivia was supposed to be.
The men she surrounded herself with—handsome, wealthy, and powerful—were originally meant for Olivia. She had taken that position, and yet Olivia still shone.
(So what if she allied with a somewhat strong mob? I have all of them. They're definitely better than some third-rate comic-relief mob who's only good at fighting.)
Olivia looked straight at Marie.
Those eyes were frightening.
As if she could see right through the pretense, Marie took a single step back.
To Marie, it looked like Olivia was saying, "I'm taking back my place from you, you fraud."
That was when it happened.
*'Is that all you have to say, woman?'* Julius's voice squeezed out from inside the Armor.
His voice was muffled since he was speaking from within, but Julius retorted to Olivia. His tone brimmed with fury.
*'You think forcing your feelings on someone counts as love? That woman who only sees me as a prince—her feelings are love? I… I found a woman who sees me as an individual. And I understood. This is love. THIS is love! Angelica, did you ever try to understand me? Your feelings were an imposition. Not love. Never involve yourself with me again!'* Julius's voice restored Marie's composure.
(R-Right! I'm not wrong! The wrong one is over there! What the hell—heroine and villainess standing side by side? In the game, they were fighting each other tooth and nail. Hurry up and argue already!)
Julius still intended to fight.
*'Now then, shall we continue? This duel won't end until one of us dies. I've made up my mind. What about you?'* The gray Armor simply stood there, carrying a shovel.
(Julius is the Crown Prince. If you're a noble, read the room! Are you seriously planning to kill your own kingdom's prince? Just admit you lost already.)
Then Leon pressed Julius even harder than before.
*'You've made up your mind? So you've been fighting without any resolve until now? You only find the resolve after you're about to lose? Are you joking? And besides… that's what duels are. There are unspoken rules within the academy that prevent killing, but if either side got serious, it would've ended instantly. Did you not realize? If that's the case, I could've fought all five at once. That would've finished faster. I was on guard because you all acted so confident about being stronger, but you were weaker than I expected. Give me a break. This way… it looks like I'm bullying the weak.') He piled on the insults, thoroughly mocking Julius and his group.
Marie thought.
(Wh-What is this guy? He's nitpicking like my brother—such an annoying person!)
*'You didn't have any resolve before, but now that you're beaten to a pulp and about to lose, suddenly you've found it? I acknowledge the tenacity of using your own life as a shield to win. And you can see right through my faint hope that if you phrase it that way, I'll back off—how transparent. But I can't actually kill the Crown Prince, so I'll be generous and let you have your loss. Congratulations. You won because you're the Crown Prince. You say you never wanted to be born royalty, yet you use your position to its fullest extent—that tenacity is commendable.'* Everyone in the arena thought the same thing.
—This guy is the worst.
His criticisms were cutting, but since they contained truth, they weren't entirely off the mark. Julius couldn't retort and stood frozen. Perhaps, deep down, he'd held a faint hope that Leon might be moved.
But Leon didn't waver in the slightest.
*'Come on, just say "please let me lose." Beg me not to separate from my beloved Marie-chan. Beg me to let you win. You never expected to lose, did you? Try saying "please forgive me." Go on.'* Julius retorted.
*'I-I could never do that! This is a sacred duel! It's proper for both sides to fight with everything they have!'* *'Huh? You want me to be nice and concede? Crown Prince, that's pretty rough~. Admitting defeat here would clearly be an insult to the sacred duel, wouldn't it? There's no way to turn things around from this point. Or are you going to give some grand speech to move my heart? Well, I'm absolutely certain my heart won't be moved. All five of you have said nothing but absurdities that make me want to tilt my head in confusion. My heart hasn't been moved one millimeter. If anything, I'm impressed you could say such blatantly fake lines with a straight face.'* The atmosphere in the arena was at rock bottom.
Frustration mounted toward Leon for taunting the Crown Prince. From the spectator seats, the girls' voices grew louder: "Crown Prince, beat him up!"
(This guy is disgusting. There's always a scumbag like this somewhere.)
Most of the girls, and the boys too, were hurling insults at Leon.
◇ Inside Arrogance, I let out a small sigh.
Luxion called me the worst.
*'I'm amazed you could say all that with a straight face. Are you feeling great?'* "I know I went too far. But all five of them need to be more self-aware, or I'll have problems. These guys might be like this now, but they'll be the pillars of the kingdom in the future."
Right—all five of them being the way they currently were was a problem. At the very least, they needed to realize that there were people out there stronger than them, or things would get ugly.
*'Playing the villain? You seemed to be enjoying it quite a bit.'* "…Honestly, it was incredibly fun. I probably won't do it again though."
The arena was against me, with the cheers overwhelmingly favoring the Crown Prince.
That was fine.
With insults raining down from all around, I approached the Crown Prince.
He tried to punch me, so I caught his arm.
"…Your Highness, I'm not backing down."
*'Let go! Let me go, you beast who doesn't even know what chivalry means! Even if I can't defeat you, I have no intention of stopping this duel—'* Arrogance easily pinned down the thrashing white Armor.
The performance gap really was a blessing.
"Let's have a serious talk. Do you really think you'll be happy like this?"
*'What—what are you trying to say!'* A man who insults his own fiancée and calls his love for a woman surrounded by other men "true love"—the thought that this person would be the future king brought tears to my eyes.
The people around him were still in a student mentality and didn't notice. No—perhaps they noticed but chose to look away.
The future fires centered around Marie were visible to anyone.
A woman surrounded by five men—if she bore a child, whose child would it be? Someone would inevitably question it, and people would absolutely exploit that doubt.
And when that happened, what would he do?
Would he snap out of it mid-way and marry a woman who could produce an heir?
Well, before even that— Even as Crown Prince, in this world, he needed backing. Powerful ministers, territorial lords—the nobility.
Even a king recognized by no one couldn't govern properly.
Between factions and whatnot, being king was tough enough.
And looking into the Crown Prince's background, his greatest supporter—or rather, his backbone—was the duke's house. Angelica's family.
They united factions and supported the Crown Prince's succession.
This man was about to antagonize his greatest supporter on his own.
In the game, the saint had stepped in to resolve this, but the problem was that Marie wasn't the saint. She was merely a transmigrator who was playing her cards well.
In other words… she was a mob, just like me.
She seemed destined to screw up eventually. No—I felt like she was already halfway there.
It was like I was cleaning up Marie's mess. I wanted to say, "Are you my sister from my past life or something?"
"Love? Wonderful. I acknowledge your spirit of wanting to obtain it even at the cost of giving up your claim to the throne."
*'…!?'* He probably knew that too.
And he chose Marie anyway.
"So you'd really give up your current position?"
*'Will you laugh and call me a fool? But I obtained a woman worth that much. I don't need status or prestige. As long as she's with me—'"
"I'm pretty sure she wants the Crown Prince with all the status and prestige included. I doubt she'd even look at a mere prince."
Status, prestige, wealth—if he lost everything, Marie would surely lose interest. I couldn't help thinking that.
*'That's not true! Marie will stay with me. I—we just need Marie!'* Getting him to say all that meant Marie was one terrifying woman. Getting someone to declare all that just by imitating the heroine—that was a talent in itself.
I couldn't imagine someone like that possessing genuine love.
And if you truly loved someone, you wouldn't surround yourself with six men.
"That's great then. But since you're going to lose, I'd appreciate it if you kept your distance from now on."
I released the Crown Prince and smashed him with the shovel.
The white Armor dented heavily, and the Crown Prince inside was thrown off balance.
Luxion informed me that preparations were complete.
*'Analysis complete. Pilot safety can be guaranteed.'* "Pulling your punches is tough, you know. Look—this is the end."
I let go of the shovel and pressed my right hand against the Crown Prince Armor's chest armor. The moment my palm made contact, Arrogance's right arm armor opened, its interior glowing—and the next instant— *'Impact.'* Along with Luxion's word, a shockwave erupted and the Crown Prince's Armor exploded into fragments. The spectators screamed at the sight of the Armor disintegrating in an instant.
Although the Armor had shattered, I caught the Crown Prince with my left hand.
He was unconscious, so he didn't resist—made things easier.
Once my right arm returned to normal, I retrieved the shovel I had discarded.
The arena fell silent.
I looked at the referee, who had already sent doctors over to confirm the Crown Prince's safety before the victory declaration.
Once they confirmed he was merely unconscious, he declared the winner with a bow of his head.
*'The winner is Leon Fou Bartfort—thus, the victor of the duel is Angelica Rapha Redgrave. Per the terms of the duel, both parties—'* The moment it was announced that the losing party must follow the winner, blue tickets—the evidence of bets placed on the Crown Prince—rained through the arena.
I was enveloped in the exquisite sound of screams and insults mingling together.
The insults directed at me were particularly delightful.
"Give us our money back!"
"This is cheating! How can a duel like this be recognized?"
"Give it back! Give me my money!"
I raised the shovel overhead and flew slowly across the arena, recording everyone's faces.
Every last one of them wore looks of despair, though some who had bet on me were carefully tucking red tickets into their pockets.
"Everyone—gamble in moderation, won't you!"
When I taunted them like that, garbage and debris were hurled my way. I gracefully dodged them all, laughing maniacally as I returned to where Olivia and the others were.
I landed, removed the Armor, and placed it back in the box. The Armor was stored away, and the box returned to the sky.
"…You can retrieve it like that?"
*'Of course you can.'* The box vanished into the sky, and I received a jacket from Olivia, draping it over my shoulders.
"There you go, my lady. I've won spectacularly."
Angelica wore a complicated expression.
Well, it was only natural that she'd have mixed feelings about the man who had just beaten up her beloved Crown Prince.
"Right. Let me thank you."
She didn't look particularly grateful. Her face was pale, clearly still worried about the Crown Prince.
So I said with a straight face: "I didn't injure him. He's only unconscious—that's the truth."
If anything had gone wrong, it would've been Luxion's fault. Not mine.
Olivia also wore a worried expression. More than anything, she seemed alarmed by the looks from those around her.
"A-Are you sure this was okay? The way everyone's looking at you…"
Students glared at me as though they wanted to kill me with their eyes alone.
Some hurled insults, and some were crying.
"What are we supposed to do!? Because of you, we lost everything!"
"Please, just give it back! I went into debt! I bet money I borrowed!"
"How can a bet like this be recognized!?"
This was good medicine for the sheltered noble brats who took the world for granted. Some mentioned going into debt, but anyone who bet borrowed money was a fool.
"Leave them be. They bet their entire fortunes on gambling. They brought it on themselves. Consider it a valuable lesson and chalk it up to tuition fees."
Angelica let out a sigh.
"Easy for you to say. You knew this would happen, and you bet a large sum yourself, didn't you? I owe you for this one. Thanks. …I'll properly thank you later. I'm going to see His Highness."
Watching Angelica leave briskly, I headed to the changing rooms with Olivia.
Olivia gazed at me with concern.
"Leon, why did you say such terrible things to the Crown Prince and the others? Wouldn't it have been better to stay silent?"
We talked along the way, but Olivia seemed to have an idealized image of me for some reason.
More importantly, why was she so kind to me?
I couldn't recall doing anything special.
I was the only one she talked to at the academy, and given the circumstances, we had grown closer—but that was a slight concern.
"It was better for the hate to be directed at me. That's all."
"Is that okay? Um, I think I'd start worrying about marriage and things going forward…"
"Oh, that's fine. I'll probably get expelled."
At my words, Olivia let out a dumbfounded "Huh?"
But being beautiful had its perks. Even with that expression on her face, she was adorable.