Deal

I left the Headmaster’s office. Moonlight was visible through the window. It was daytime when I left the cathedral, so I must have been in the Headmaster’s office longer than I thought.

I sat on a nearby bench and sorted out my thoughts for a moment. I needed to check the plans I had to make and solve the immediate problems at hand.

The biggest problem for me right now is Princess Bella.

Clearly, Bella will set another trap to eliminate me without any guilt.

I stroked my chin, wondering what to do with Bella.

There was also the simple method of snitching to Roel. Given Roel’s personality, he would surely fight Bella over the betrayal, and their relationship might end.

But if that happened, it would be a really big problem for me and Roel.

The original novel of this world is called [The Hero’s Harem Can’t Help But Win]. In other words, as the title suggests, the heroines play a role in filling Roel’s shortcomings and needs.

Among them, Bella, with her nasty personality, played the role of a mastermind who gave tremendous political fights and help to Roel without him knowing.

If Bella and Roel grow apart because of this incident, the event of Roel saving Bella’s life as planned may not happen. If that happens, I couldn’t control the variable that Bella, who became the Empress, blocked numerous plots to kill Roel.

Even if a trashy royal family member other than Bella becomes the Emperor, they won’t be able to beat the Order and the Demon King.

If I choose revenge for a moment of pleasure, it might be okay for now, but it will be even harder to control Bella, who is estranged from Roel.

And I couldn’t make this incident bigger with my own power. Bella is a Princess and the top student in the second-year Magic Department, but I was just a commoner from a privileged background who was admitted by special admission because I had a good older brother.

Even if I was lucky enough to spread rumors, it would be useless because Bella would still be a threat to me.

Roel’s heroines must be in their original places. But I can’t let Bella be a threat to me like she is now.

After planning for a long time in this troublesome situation, I finally sorted out my thoughts and headed to Bella’s lab.

*

Perhaps she didn’t expect me to come to her. Bella, who opened the door at my knock, looked a little embarrassed for a moment, but quickly composed herself and let me in.

We sat down with a desk between us. Bella asked with a strange smile.

,I thought you’d go straight to Roel to snitch… Why? Did you come to realize that you regret rejecting my offer?

I scoffed at Bella’s mocking words.

,No, I came to get compensation for the unfair interrogation.

At those words, one corner of Bella’s mouth went up.

,Compensation? If it weren’t for the Headmaster, you’d still be locked up in the interrogation room.

Is it because my nervous breakdown is gone? I used to get annoyed and stressed by Bella’s words, but now Bella’s words just sounded funny.

There’s no way I, who knows Bella’s settings and personality, can lose in a war of words with Bella.

Maintaining composure rather than emotion, I stared into Bella’s golden eyes and said.

,Let’s make a deal.

,What?

I gave Bella, who asked me back with a dumbfounded expression, a relaxed smile and said.

,It’ll be better for you to make a deal with me. If I snitch to Roel like this, you and Roel will become like strangers.

,If Roel wants that kind of relationship with me, that’s fine. Do you think I would have acted without thinking about taking that responsibility?

Bella’s words are true. That’s really what Bella’s personality was like. A twisted person who would do anything for Roel, even if she was abandoned, cursed, and hated. She thought and believed that was love.

Looking at Bella like that, I leaned my upper body over the desk and whispered lowly.

,Really? What if I pretend to commit suicide in front of Roel because I was unfairly interrogated by a Princess for being a deficient younger brother? What will happen to Roel?

,What…?

At those words, Bella’s eyes filled with a dark murderous intent. I leaned back in my chair, pretending to be relaxed, and replied.

,Not only will you be holding Roel back with guilt, but Roel’s sword may be pointed at the Empire.

,Crazy talk. Do you think you’re worth that much to Roel?

I replied sarcastically to Bella, who snapped at me as if she was having a seizure.

,Isn’t that why you said I colluded with the black magician because I would be an obstacle to Roel? If I really wasn’t worth anything, you would have just left me alone.

In fact, in the novel, when Ross continued to show his inferior side, Bella didn’t do anything to Ross.

He was at the level of a pebble buried in the ground that she didn’t even care about.

Ross, who felt a deep sense of inferiority to his older brother, didn’t talk to him after entering the Academy and kept his distance from him.

Bella didn’t even feel the value of using Ross.

Feeling offended by my sarcastic tone, I said to Bella, who was glaring at me fiercely, in a serious voice.

,Isn’t it what a novice would do to refuse without even hearing the terms of the deal?

Bella’s brow furrowed at my provocation, but as expected of Bella, who had been doing politics in the Imperial Palace every day, she quickly put on a relaxed expression.

,Okay, I’ll listen once. Try to persuade me.

I couldn’t help but smile as I remembered when I was writing Bella’s settings with her rhetoric that instantly changed the situation as if she was doing me a favor.

Realizing that she didn’t like that smile, I pulled myself together at Bella’s cold gaze and opened my mouth.

,First. Completely eliminate the rumor that I colluded with the black magician that spread in the Academy, admit that it was the Imperial Family’s fault, and spread the rumor that you promised compensation.

,Ha… That’s ridiculous-

Cutting off Bella’s words, I continued.

,Second, get a notarization from the Headmaster before the interrogation that everything was a misunderstanding. Spread the rumor that I wasn’t interrogated and that Princess Bella personally gave me a tour of the cathedral and the Imperial Palace as compensation for the misunderstanding.

At those words, Bella made a puzzled expression. Does she think I’m taking a step back for her? Bella’s cold gaze softened a little.

,Last, third. A year later, duel me in front of everyone, including you, who thought I was a hindrance. Put what we want on the line.

When I finished speaking, Bella touched her mouth and tilted her head, as if she was dumbfounded, and asked.

,Do you not know the basics of a deal? This is just a demand, isn’t it?

,No, this is a deal. If you keep the terms of the deal, I’ll hide the truth about this from Roel. I’ll lie that I’ve never been interrogated and that I had a happy time because you gave me a tour of the Imperial Palace to make up for your mistake.

Come to think of it, I seem to have lied to Roel a lot. I told Bella that the truth always comes out… What will Roel think if all these lies are revealed? Will he feel betrayed that I used him?

Suppressing the guilt that was rising in one corner of my heart, I continued.

,If I say that, Roel and you won’t have anything to fight about, and I’ll be able to return to my normal Academy life. If we make a deal, Roel won’t be held back by guilt.

Bella, who was touching her crimson lips as if she was thinking about my words, looked at me silently as if to say, tell me more.

,I get reasonable compensation, and you can make up for your mistake. And I’m giving you a chance to legally remove the hindrance you’re thinking of a year later. Isn’t that the basis of a deal, to benefit each other?

If I grow without being checked for a year and achieve the plan I’m thinking of… I was confident that I could beat Bella in the duel.

Of course, I had a plan in case I lost the duel, so I could say this confidently.

When I finished speaking, Bella leaned her upper body over the desk. I didn’t waver even at Bella’s cleavage, which looked like she was seducing me.

,I thought you were just trash. Your mental strength is good, and your thoughts are okay? I guess I’m not very good at seeing people?

At Bella’s seductive smile, I leaned my upper body closer to her face as if to kiss her, provoking her instead.

,That’s right, you’ll regret touching me for the rest of your life.

Realizing that my words were sincere, Bella gave a fascinating smile and whispered softly.

,You’re a Princess and I’m a commoner. Once we leave the Academy, we’ll never be involved. If you run away now, I won’t follow you.

Feeling Bella’s breath, I whispered, looking at my confident self reflected in Bella’s golden eyes.

,You’re not going to send an assassin because you’re afraid of dueling with a trash like me who has an inferiority complex, are you?

At those words, Bella, who was looking at me as if observing me, slowly raised her leaning upper body and gave a fascinating smile.

,Okay. It looks like you want to buy a year. I won’t touch you as you wish. Try to work hard and struggle. But if you get Roel involved in the incident and put him in danger, or if you waste time, the deal will be void.

At Bella’s words, I returned my upper body to its original position and quickly went over the events of the next year in my head.

Except for the mutant Orc raid that had already occurred during Roel’s second year, there were no major incidents outside the Academy. For a year, Roel grew up at the Academy, made good memories with the heroines, and created a solid harem.

I regained my manners and told Bella my request.

,Okay. And I want a weapon in the Imperial Palace warehouse as compensation for the interrogation.

,Ha, you crazy bastard…

I felt a strange sense of satisfaction that Bella finally swore.

,I heard there’s a weapon called the Spear of Destruction there. I want that.

In the future, when one of the nobles who cooperates with the Order rebels and raids the Imperial Palace warehouse, the Spear of Destruction will fall into the hands of an Order executive.

I knew too well how much Roel suffered in the fight against the Order because of that… It was a trial I created.

It was a good choice to prevent the Spear of Destruction from falling into the hands of the Order and to help me.

Bella sighed and looked like she was about to refuse, so I hurriedly added.

,But let’s say I’m borrowing it for now. If I lose the duel in a year, I’ll return the spear too. I don’t think I’ll be willing to make a deal unless that’s the condition.

Bella has no guilt. She only thinks that her choice after much deliberation is right and doesn’t doubt it. That’s Bella’s strength, but it’s also her biggest weakness.

So, she won’t even think about the possibility of losing to me, who she thinks is trash.

When I provoked her by thinking about Bella’s settings, Bella scoffed and replied.

,Okay, I agree to those conditions. Let’s make a deal.

Bella, who took out a golden staff, waved it. A piece of paper flew from somewhere and floated onto the desk.

I wrote down the details of the deal and wrote each other’s names on the paper, cut it in half, and decided to keep it.

Looking at Bella, who was imagining how she would use me if she won the duel in a year with a sinister smile, I also put the paper in my arms with a sinister smile.

Bella, you’re not only going to be Roel’s, but also my sugar mama.

Thinking each other was stupid, we gave each other fake smiles.