episode_0193

A week had passed since the festival. During that time, life at the academy flowed peacefully without any particular problems. However, perhaps due to the attack at the festival, the level of security had increased, and the overall atmosphere felt chaotic. And today, an incident finally occurred.

As I stepped into the hallway after school, I spotted a crowd gathered around Class 6. Pushing through the wave of people, I saw Alisa and Felicia confronting each other.

“Alisa! Come to your senses! How long are you going to keep defending that man?” “You’re the one who should watch your words. You don’t know anything.” “Hmph! Don’t know anything? That’s right. I certainly don’t know as much as Alisa. But even so, everyone knows this, don’t they? That man is a traitor to the Empire, and a rapist!”

It seemed they were talking about me. Rumor had it that ever since the festival, Alisa would intervene and argue whenever she saw people badmouthing me. Even I didn’t know why she, who knew my true identity, would go that far.

“There must have been circumstances! Eunrang isn’t someone who would do such a thing recklessly!” “Circumstances? What circumstances would lead someone to publicly humiliate a woman like that? And how do you explain the insult toward His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?!”

“Why is that an insult? It’s a fact that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s dick is small, isn’t it? Eunrang just spoke the truth.” “Alisa!!”

Felicia cried out as if appalled. Although the Empire didn’t have laws like defamation of character for stating facts, unlike some idiotic nation, such words directed at the Crown Prince could be a grave crime. As if Felicia’s worries didn’t even register with her, Alisa coldly turned her back.

“If that’s all you have to say, I’ll be going. I’m busy, you see.” But before she could even take a step, Felicia’s words stopped her. “You won’t be repaid.”

“…What?” “Even if you defend him like that, that man won’t be grateful. You’re just being used right now.” “How can you be so sure?” “Looking at his past actions, it’s clear enough! Everything he’s done to help you so far must have been for some ulterior motive. He’s deceiving you!”

The moment she heard the word ‘deception’, Alisa’s face contorted like a malevolent demon. At the same time, a slap exploded across Felicia’s cheek. Smack!

Felicia, who had been slapped unexpectedly, staggered back, clutched her cheek, and stared at Alisa with disbelief. Her blue eyes shimmered as if on the verge of tears.

“What… what are you doing?” “I told you to watch your words, didn’t I? Say something like that one more time. I won’t let you get away with it.” “Are you really… crazy?” “No? I’m perfectly fine. So don’t needlessly interfere from now on. You’re a nuisance.”

Alisa, without a trace of hesitation, despite her old friend’s tearful reaction, spewed harsh words and then disappeared beyond the crowd. The remaining Felicia ultimately couldn’t bear it and collapsed, bursting into tears. Her friends gathered around her.

I left Felicia behind and looked in the direction Alisa had gone. ‘…This won’t do after all.’ I thought it had passed more easily than expected, but that wasn’t the case.

Alisa had completely lost her mind. In a reality she absolutely couldn’t accept, she had separated me from the existence of Eunrang. The fact that she, who hadn’t budged at countless words, had a fit at the mere word ‘deception’ must be because she knew it deep down.

Now, it’s time to end the deception. “Sigh…” A sigh naturally escaped my lips.

*

In a dark alley, Alisa, who had been learning sword dance until late at night, was returning to the dormitory. Since the talent show was over, there was no longer a need to learn sword dance, but she found it fun and quite helpful for sword training, so she continued attending. Of course, the biggest reason was that her doubts about Eunrang disappeared when she was performing the sword dance.

Alisa recalled the events from a few hours ago. ‘Felicia was crying…’ Although she had said irritating things, slapping her was still too much. She could have persuaded her with words.

‘I’ll apologize tomorrow.’ If she slowly persuaded Felicia, Felicia would eventually understand that Eunrang had some circumstances. It was then, as she firmly resolved this,

“Alisa.” As a presence appeared directly in front of her, a familiar voice was heard. Alisa raised her head and saw a face that was both longed for and beloved, yet one she absolutely never wanted to meet.

“E-Eunrang?” “Yes. It’s me.” “W-why are you here?” “I have something to tell you.”

Eunrang slowly approached. Feeling an unprecedented sense of unease, Alisa instinctively took a step back.

“W-what is it you want to say? I have an urgent matter; can’t you tell me later?” “This is something I must say now.” “…What is it?”

In the tense atmosphere, Eunrang slowly raised a hand and placed it on his mask. Alisa screamed as if in a struggle. “Stop!”

“…” “W-what are you trying to do? D-don’t do it. If you do, I’ll hate you!” Outwardly, it was a threat, but hidden within was a plea. Alisa desperately shook her head.

Eunrang’s hand fell from his mask. He asked, his eyes holding complex emotions instead of their usual indifferent gaze. “…Are you okay with that?” Even his way of speaking had changed.

As his appearance increasingly overlapped with someone else’s, Alisa shrieked as if pleading. “Don’t! I don’t want it. Just leave things as they are!”

She knew it too. That she was treading a wrong path. That only ruin awaited her at the end of it. But despite that, she wished for complacency. She desperately hoped and wished that the false world she had built wouldn’t shatter, and that this deception would last forever.

However, reality cruelly forced the truth upon her. “Alisa. I’m sorry.” Eunrang’s hand grasped the mask again.

“S-stop! No! Don’t do itttttt!” Click! Finally, the mask fell away, and his brilliant silver hair turned black, his luminous golden eyes dyed silver. The revealed face bore features that were both hateful and familiar.

Alisa collapsed onto the ground. “Ah, ahh… N-no.” Her heart pounded, her vision blurred, and it became difficult to breathe. It felt as if her blood was flowing backward.

As she gasped for breath, writhing in agony, Ruan cautiously reached out a hand. “Alisa.” “Don’t call my name!!” Clang!

At Ruan’s call, Alisa haphazardly threw the sword she had belted at her waist. Since she hadn’t even checked its direction properly, the sword only shattered the innocent ground and ended up in a corner. Alisa emitted murderous intent from her entire body.

“Why… why is this happening? Why are you doing this now?” “…” “If you were going to deceive me, you should’ve done so until the very end! What’s your reason for doing this now?!” “I…”

Ruan couldn’t easily string words together. Because whatever he said wouldn’t be properly conveyed to Alisa in her current state. Perhaps interpreting his silence in some way, Alisa stood up and grabbed Ruan by the collar.

“Are you feeling guilty now? Or did you just get tired of deceiving me? Are you doing this just for your own convenience? Huh? Say something!” “…I’m sorry.” “Who said I wanted an apology from a guy like you? Tell me why! Just… just keep deceiving me! Then I would have been fooled my whole life. Why on earth… whyyyyyyyy!!”

Alisa let out a scream, tightening her grip on his collar until her knuckles turned white. It was then.

“Gah! Ugh… Ughhh!” Suddenly, Alisa’s face turned ashen blue, and she released his collar, stepping back. She clutched her mouth with both hands, writhing in agony.

“…Alisa?” As Ruan, worried, called her name, she suddenly widened her eyes, “Bleargh!” and vomited bright red blood from her mouth.

Though she tried to stop it, the gush of blood, once unleashed, didn’t stop, staining everything crimson. With his keen eye, Ruan recognized it as a mana backlash phenomenon.

Generally, mana backlash is incurable. However, his semen, specifically the semen with a ‘Rape Level’ of 98 obtained from Deborah, could even cure mana backlash.

Ruan quickly pulled out a potion and held it out. “Alisa, this…!” “Get that away from me!” Shatter!

The semen potion was struck by Alisa’s hand, flying through the air and shattering into pieces. A precious resource, one he didn’t know when he could obtain again, was wasted. Ruan felt a slight sense of emptiness.

Disregarding his feelings, Alisa continued to vomit blood as she backed away. “Don’t touch me. I don’t need help from the likes of you!” “I know you hate me. But your condition…” “I know my own body well! I don’t need it, so get lost! You disappearing from my sight is helping me. Understand?”

“…” Alisa’s complexion grew increasingly pale. If time truly dragged on like this, an irreversible situation could occur. Ruan decided to comply with her stubbornness.

“Alright. But go to the church immediately.” “I’ll take care of that myself. Don’t pretend to be good now, after all the deception. It’s sickening.” “…”

At those harsh words, Ruan bit his lip tightly. Alisa, seeing his face colored with sadness, felt a moment of guilt and regret, but quickly covered it with hatred.

Facing her hate-filled gaze, Ruan soon left the alley with a bitter smile. Left alone, Alisa slowly sank to the ground.

Her face, which had been blankly staring at the ground for a moment, soon twisted horribly. “Sob! Sob!” Tears streamed down her cheeks.

For her betrayed love, for the cruel reality, and for her own weakness that had wished he hadn’t left. Even after knowing Eunrang’s true identity, and even after he had directly shown his face, her affection for him burned as fiercely as her hatred. It was a battle between reason, which demanded she make him pay for the deception, and emotion, which urged her to throw away her pride and cling to Ruan.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, reason still held the upper hand, but no one knew how things might change. That’s why she resented it even more.

If she had been able to build up just a little more affection like this, she might have followed her emotions without regret. If so, even if she couldn’t achieve her goal of escaping her family, she could have at least found happiness as a girl in love. Now… had she gained even one thing?

In her self-reproach, Alisa’s vision began to blur slightly. It was because she had lost too much blood. Just as her consciousness was about to completely fade, someone came running.

“This way! We need to transport her to the church immediately!” A voice she didn’t want to hear, yet longed for. A strange warmth that was both warm and comforting, yet made her heart ache. Ruan Friuli. He, who had left the alley, had painstakingly returned with a priest.

‘Why?’ After ruining every relationship himself, she couldn’t understand his desperate attempt to save her. Only one thing was certain. When she felt his presence again, when she heard his voice, when the warm sensation spread, she had felt relieved. That fact made her so furious and feel so foolish… she squeezed her eyes shut.