Chapter 146: The Luckiest Day of My Life

Near Zeryon Academy.
I felt a hint of confusion in my eyes when I saw Nikita again, the person I had promised to see next year.
It was because I hadn’t expected her to appear again at this timing.
Was it a coincidence?
That thought crossed my mind, but as soon as I saw Nikita’s face, I knew it wasn’t.
She had come to see me.
“Nikita, how come—”
“……Because I heard you were in danger.”
The news that had spread recently about Isabel and me being transported to the 9th floor of the Demonic Palace.
Nikita had clearly heard about it too.
As she said that, she glanced briefly at Seron, who was standing next to me.
She didn’t yet know what kind of relationship Seron and I had.
That’s why she was deliberately calling me ‘junior’ in front of her.
The fact that Nikita was alive would be a troublesome truth for her, too.
And yet, the fact that she had come all this way in a hurry meant she must have been very worried about me.
“That makes sense. I mean, if I had heard Nikita was transported to the 9th floor, I probably would’ve come running too.”
Knowing someone cares about me—that’s something to be grateful for.
So when I expressed my thanks, Nikita smiled softly.
“You pushed yourself again, didn’t you?”
She let out a sigh and held tightly onto my collar.
Maybe it’s because I’ve shown her so many times that I overdo things.
It seemed like she had already decided I had pushed myself too far.
“You haven’t changed, junior.”
“If a person suddenly changes, they say it means they’re dead. Of course I’m living unchanged.”
Nikita laughed again.
She seemed to be enjoying the conversation with me quite a bit.
The smile of a beautiful woman is the greatest reward.
A sense of pride filled my chest.
Then, suddenly, I realized—I had completely forgotten about Seron standing beside me.
It had been so long since I last saw Nikita that I didn’t think of her.
“Seron, Nikita-sunbae is…”
Just as I turned to explain Nikita to Seron—
Seron had her head bowed, both fists clenched tightly.
“Seron?”
When I called her name, her shoulders flinched.
Then she suddenly lifted her head and gave a bright smile as she slapped me on the back.
“That’s great, Prince Sweet Potato! Now that Nikita-sunbae is safe, you’ve got nothing to worry about!”
Judging from her words, she hadn’t been listening to our conversation at all.
“You guys just reunited, right? I’m fine, so go have a meal together or something!”
After saying that, she spun around and ran off.
Caught off guard by her sudden outburst, I didn’t manage to stop her and just stood there dumbfounded.
Why is she acting like that all of a sudden?
As that thought crossed my mind, my gaze drifted back to Nikita.
She was watching Seron’s retreating figure.
“That girl… she likes you, doesn’t she.”
It was only then that I understood all of Seron’s actions just now.
I—or rather, Vikarmern—had loved Nikita.
He never confessed, but everyone knew he had feelings for her.
And Seron had been openly showing that she liked me.
For her, seeing me reunite with Nikita—who she thought was dead—must have been…
It didn’t take much thought to understand how that must’ve felt.
“I’m sorry, junior. I got in the way, didn’t I.”
Nikita looked apologetic.
“Do you like that girl too?”

Do I like her?
I fell silent at the question.
Through the Veil Bandages, I had lost the ability to love.
No matter how much someone said they liked me, my heart had stopped beating long ago.
‘What I’m doing now…’
I’m merely responding with actions I learned through various media from the past.
That’s the best I can do now.

“I don’t know.”
But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to love.
I’m grateful for the feelings Seron and Sharin show me, and I want to return them.

“That’s why I keep trying to get it back.”
So I’ll give it everything I’ve got.
Because I’m the kind of guy who’s simple and straightforward to a fault.
Even when it comes to things like this, I’ll give it my all.

“Until the day I can return all the feelings directed at me—I have to.”

Nikita looked at me.
She had a small frame, but the strength in her eyes shone even brighter than before.

“I have a lot more I want to ask, but I’ll hold off today. I interrupted by mistake, after all.”
A full smile spread across Nikita’s face.

“You know, I like you because you’re that kind of person. The kind of amazing person who can give everything for someone else.”

In the past, I used to be the one giving out compliments, but now I’m the one receiving them.

“You’re getting generous with the praise. Did someone teach you that?”
“A dear junior taught me. That kid was really good at giving compliments. Thanks to them, my self-esteem’s gone up a lot.”

We were in perfect sync.
There was a reason I’d worked so hard to support Nikita for that one semester.

“Don’t forget this one thing.”
Nikita pressed her hand to my shoulder like she was engraving her words into me.

“I’ll help you get your feelings back—just like you helped me get my life back.”

A surge of emotion rose in my chest.

“So go on—catch up to her already.”
Nikita had noticed my urgency to follow Seron and spoke kindly.

“Nikita, don’t worry. I’ve got no plans on dying before I graduate from the academy.”
“You’re the one who climbed back up from the 9th floor of the Demonic Palace—I believe you. But still…”

Nikita quietly looked at the place where Seron had run off to.

“I’m only stepping aside until the end of this year. After that—no more.”

What was that supposed to mean?
She didn’t seem like she intended to explain—just smiled gently.

“This time, really—see you next year.”
Nikita waved to me.
Her face was full of regret, but I couldn’t leave Seron alone any longer.

“Yeah. See you next year.”
I gave Nikita a parting nod and took off in a hurry after Seron.

Out on the street, I saw people bustling about.
But Seron was nowhere to be seen.

“Excuse me, did you happen to see a girl with red hair?”
I asked people as I moved along.

Before I knew it, a few raindrops started falling from the sky.

Swaaah—
Then, all of a sudden, it began to pour.

It had been sunny just moments ago—what kind of grudge did the sky hold, to rain at this timing?
My steps quickened as I searched more frantically for Seron.

After running for a while, I saw people hurrying to take shelter from the rain.
And among them, standing still in the middle of the street, was a single girl.

Her red hair, which she had put so much effort into styling, now hung drenched and limp from the rain.
Her clothes were soaked through, and the chill of autumn was robbing her of warmth.

“Seron!”
As I called her name, Seron flinched and turned toward me.
Then, startled, she quickly covered her face.
It seemed the rain had started to wash away her makeup.

“Wh-Why did you come?!”
At her shout, I stopped in my tracks.

“What do you mean why? I came out today to go on a date with you.”
The whole reason I came today was to go on a date with Seron.
Nothing more, nothing less.
And Seron knew that.
So she must’ve known I would follow her.

But she couldn’t bring herself to meet my eyes.
The rain came down even harder.

“Seron.”
“……”
Her shoulders flinched once more at the sound of my voice.
Then, biting her lip tightly, she hung her head low.

“Nikita-sunbae… Nikita-sunbae was the person you liked, wasn’t she, sweet potato prince?”
As I thought—Seron had been caught up in the past.

“You met her again. So… I’m not really needed, am I?”
Today, of all days, her self-esteem was at its lowest.
Was it because of what happened with Sharin earlier?
No.

Seron had always struggled with low self-esteem.
The misfortunes that had piled up in her life had tormented her endlessly,
And it was only natural that her sense of worth had taken a hit.

Her sharp attitude toward others was a reflection of that fragile self-esteem.
Before others could look down on her, she struck first—to protect herself.

And now, that low self-esteem had reached its peak.
The person she liked… facing the one I used to love.
Nikita’s reappearance had driven her confidence into the ground.
So, in the end, she retreated.
Because backing down hurts less than trying to fight and losing.

Her body trembled.
It wasn’t from the cold.
She was shaking in fear—afraid of what I might say next.
Even a stray puppy left on the side of the road wouldn’t look this miserable.

“…You’re right.”
At my words, Seron’s expression crumbled.

Vikarmern had loved Nikita.
That was an undeniable truth.
The remnants of that feeling may still linger.
And yes—I had cared for Nikita more than most.

But that was all in the past.

“Seron, remember what I told you before?”
I’d made a promise with her.

“That someday, I’d ask for your help in getting my feelings back.”
The day I graduate from Zeryon Academy—
I had asked Seron to help me recover the emotions I lost through the Veil’s bandages.

“Is that promise… not valid anymore?”
Seron flinched.

Her gaze slowly rose to meet mine.
She looked into my face.
I don’t even know what kind of expression I had.
But her eyes—her eyes were trembling, filled with fragile hope and aching sorrow.

“That would never happen!”
Seron shouted.
Even with her body trembling, she pushed down her emotions and kept speaking.

“That was a promise between you and me. I will help you get them back.”
It was her genuine truth.

“Seron, you’re the one I asked.”
I saw her crimson eyes go wide.

“Not anyone else—it was you.”
I didn’t ask anyone else. I asked Seron directly.

Like I said before, if someone likes me, I’ll give everything I have in return.
Whether it ends in rejection or acceptance, I believe that’s the least respect I can give to someone who offers me their heart.
Now that I’ve lost the ability to love, this is all I can do.
Speak clearly, say what I believe.

So that when I do regain my emotions, I’ll be able to give her an answer that truly makes sense to her.
This was the best I could offer.

Tears streamed down Seron’s cheeks.
I couldn’t tell if it was rain or tears, but they were there all the same.

“…You know, I really thought there might not be a place for me next to you, sweet potato prince.”

The people around me each shine with overwhelming talent.
Seron has been trying desperately these days, but the world doesn’t ignore the weight of natural talent.
And catching up to that kind of gap is no small task.

I know that better than anyone.
After all, I’m just a third-rate villain—Vikarmern Niflheim—whose only asset is stamina.
Keeping up with geniuses is exhausting.
Even I’ve had to burn through every bit of luck and push my body to the brink to stay in the race.

For Seron, who started with no knowledge, it’s been even harder.

“Everyone’s so dazzling, so pretty, so cool… I just didn’t think I’d ever catch your eye.”

But a person’s worth isn’t defined by any of that.
I’ve found comfort in Seron more times than I can count.
Even though we bicker and mess around constantly, those little moments mean the world to me.

“But now, I don’t care about that stuff anymore.”
Seron shook her head and looked straight at me.
There was determination in her eyes—like a decision had been made.

“Sweet potato prince, I like you. I like you so much, it’s driving me crazy.”
She confessed with everything she had.

“So if there’s no place for me, then I’ll make one. If the others shine, then I’ll shine even brighter.”

Seron stepped in front of me.

“You’re the only person I’ve ever been greedy for.”

The rain started to let up.

“Today is the luckiest day of my life.”
She held her hand out to me.

“And that day back then—that was the luckiest day of my life too.”

I reached out and took her hand.

“W-Would you care for a dance?”
Last time, it was under the moonlight.
But today, as the rain cleared, it was under the brightest sun.

Seron invited me to a dance.

“With pleasure.”

The streets were empty, thanks to the sudden downpour.
And so we held each other close, and we began to move.

A waltz with no grand ballroom, no fancy lights—just the two of us, soaked through, dancing in the aftermath of the rain.

But the way she smiled as the sunlight peeked through the clouds…
She truly was more radiant than anyone else in the world.