episode_0007

“I deceived myself.”

As I finished what was, in a way, a satisfying(?) lunch and headed back to the academy, Ellis threw these words at me.

“Me? Deceive you?”

“Of course! You talked as if something important had happened!”

“You should speak directly, Ellis Arkstra. I have never brought up such a matter to you.”

You figured it out on your own.

You figured it out with your unnecessarily quick information-gathering skills.

It wasn’t an incorrect statement.

I never brought up to Ellis that something had happened with Aria in the first place.

Seemingly aware of this fact, Ellis, trembling with anger, only declared to me.

“I will get my revenge. Lian Trice.”

“What evidence do you have to seek revenge on me? Shouldn’t you seek revenge on the informants who exaggerated the information to you?”

“Anyway! Just know that I will definitely get my revenge on you someday.”

“Oh, okay.”

Honestly, it was unbelievable.

A promise of revenge with no certainty made to someone already under a death sentence. It was so unbelievable that I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

Will I die first?

Or will Ellis’s uncertain revenge reach me first?

To receive revenge from Ellis Arkstra.

Considering the original work’s portrayal of Ellis, this was by no means a lighthearted statement.

For me, it’s just a matter of lightly laughing it off since I’ve already received a death sentence.

Thinking about the dark image of Ellis Arkstra in the original work, it was not a situation to take lightly.

There was even an incident like that.

One freshman who kept bothering me because he thought Ellis was pretty suddenly disappeared without a trace.

In the original work, it was simply an event that added to the mysterious and frightening nature of the character Ellis Arkstra, but from my perspective, it was quite a frightening incident.

I just confessed my feelings to a senior I liked.

And one day, without a word, their existence was erased without anyone noticing.

Lost in these thoughts, Ellis, who had returned to her usual expressionless self, spoke.

“Ugh. Fine, what are you going to do about it?”

······What’s the big deal? You have to tell me what it is before I can respond.

“It’s your betrothal family. The Brilliant Duke’s family has started collecting your embarrassing past.”

Alice continued as if she were poking at me, as if to say how many times she had to say it for me to understand.

“There’s a limit to blocking me. It’s becoming difficult to stop now. Don’t you have any thoughts on how to resolve this?”

“I think I mentioned this yesterday, didn’t I? There’s no need to block it.”

“Well, then are you really planning to break off the engagement with that woman?”

······If Elena wants it, then I guess I have to.

As I said last time, I had no intention of stopping Elena and my breakup.

It was an undeniable fact.

The fact that Lian Trice and Elena Brilliant don’t match.

It was an absolute and unchangeable fact.

“Anyway, why do you keep showing interest in that?”

“What?”

“I said it didn’t matter yesterday. But why are you personally trying to stop it?”

And, there was something else I was curious about.

Why was Ellis Arkstra, who never moved unless it benefited her, trying to prevent my breakup?

······That’s right.

Ellis, who heard my words, seemed to flinch as if she had been struck by a sharp object.

Seeing her like that made me wonder if the speculation I had only been making in my head might actually be true.

“You, by any chance.”

“···.”

“By any chance, do you have feelings for me?”

It was a reasonable inference.

From my perspective, there was no benefit for Ellis to prevent my breakup other than this.

However, it wouldn’t take long to prove that my thinking was wrong.

“That’s nonsense, Lian Trice.”

······I’m sorry. Please don’t look so serious because it’s scary.”

Ellis, who had just been maintaining a minimal business-like expression, hardened her expression frighteningly upon hearing my words.

Look at that icy expression.

She could probably kill someone and still remain.

No matter how much I’ve been given a terminal diagnosis and have no lingering attachment to life, it doesn’t mean I want to die like this.

Fortunately, after hearing my heartfelt apology, Ellis quickly softened her expression.

“Don’t talk nonsense. I’m already in a bad mood as it is.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“Sigh, I wasn’t going to say this, but if you’re delusional, I have to speak up.”

“…Isn’t it obvious? If you and that woman break off the engagement, where do you think her next marriage meeting will take place?”

“Prince Michael?”

I was well aware that this was also mentioned in the original work. After Elena’s breakup with Lian, the royal family directly arranged a marriage meeting between Prince Michael and Elena.

“…By then, the relationship between Elena and the protagonist had already begun to grow closer, so it was meaningless.”

Perhaps, if it weren’t for the existence of the original protagonist, Elena wouldn’t have married Prince Michael. That was my speculation.

Of course, Ellis, who knew nothing about these facts, looked at me as if I were pitiful.

“But you’re not completely stupid. You managed to figure out the answer, even though it’s very late.”

“…If that woman really marries the prince, there is no family in the empire that can rival the Brilliant Ducal Family.”

“…So, was I a hindrance to the growth of your family?”

“Yes, that’s the feeling. That’s why I tried to prevent your breakup with that woman as much as possible.”

It made sense. In this alternate world, Arkstra Hujak’s only heir to the throne, Ellis, was already full of ambition, so Elena and the Brilliant Ducal Family would be a thorn in her side.

“Should I tell her?” It crossed my mind.

Of course, I already knew the original story. I knew that the future Ellis was worried about would never come to pass. But I didn’t feel like telling her the content of the original work, and even if I did, I doubted whether Ellis would believe it.

“…Well, that’s a shame.” I chose to remain silent.

She’ll figure it out on her own.

This is the translated text:

He didn’t just get involved in the family business from a young age for no reason.

It wasn’t because I felt bad about being treated like a mere suppressor.

Alice, who seemed to have no idea of my thoughts, made a disgruntled expression as if she was feeling bad.

“So, someone like you, a good-for-nothing, should have been by that woman’s side all along.”

“…That makes me feel uncomfortable.”

“Do you have anything to say in response?”

“No.”

No, it’s not that.

It’s true that I’ve been taking advantage of Alice based on the original content.

I did have some slight feelings of remorse.

“Trash.”

“…”

“Truly a worthless human being that has done nothing to benefit my life.”

Hmm.

Thinking about it again, I don’t feel all that sorry.

Of course, I didn’t voice this sentiment.

“Ugh, what guilt could you possibly have? It’s all because of my inadequacy that your true identity was exposed to someone like you.”

“That’s somewhat true…”

“Alright. Let’s stop this conversation since it’s making me feel bad.”

Cutting off my words by saying she feels bad, Alice immediately brought up another topic.

“How are you planning to handle the midterms for the second semester? Are you going to just maintain the average like last time?”

“…Already time for that?”

“Yes. About two weeks left.”

The midterms for the second semester at Seacrest Academy.

It’s the first major event in the original work and the opportunity for the protagonist to make an impression on the main characters for the first time.

If the protagonist proved their abilities in the first semester, from the second semester onwards, they would start proving their capabilities.

“…Do I need to just aim for the average again this time?”

By the way, during the last midterms, I had just aimed for the average.

I could have scored higher originally, but I purposely got a few questions wrong out of fear of being suspected of cheating.

“Weren’t you suspected of cheating last time doing that?”

“That’s why. That’s why I’m worried.”

The fact that I was suspected of cheating despite intentionally getting a few questions wrong was the issue.

It was a moment where I once again felt how the original character, Lian Trice, was being treated by others.

“Just solve it according to your abilities, right? Even if you’re doubted, all you have to do is prove yourself.”

Alice frowned as if she couldn’t understand such a concern. Well, she wasn’t wrong. As Alice said, if you’re doubted, you just have to prove yourself again, and that’s the end of it.

In the past, I would have accepted Alice’s words. I would have studied all night, preparing for the future, aiming for the highest grades possible.

“But now, there’s no need for average or good grades.”

However, the present me was not the same as the past me. The current me was like a snowman with a predetermined future called spring. A melting existence. Soon to melt away, leaving no trace in the world. Even if I diligently gathered cold snowflakes, I would be like a snowman melting before the giant presence of the sun. Did I really need to study hard and get good grades in the exams as this kind of existence?

“What’s so important about grades? Just doing well on that one test won’t change the future.”

“Well, you’re not wrong. It’s the same for me; it’s mostly just self-satisfaction.”

Yes, self-satisfaction. Studying hard to get good exam scores was truly just an act of self-satisfaction for my current self, who had resolved to live comfortably for the little time left. The word “self-satisfaction” was so far from me. It was a word that meant something entirely different to me.