episode_0013

Imperial Academy.

Long ago, it refers to an institution of higher education established by the first emperor of the empire to foster future talents.

The first emperor also put forward the groundbreaking idea that everyone, regardless of social status, should receive equal education at the academy.

With this unrivaled education system and quality of classes, we have been able to produce excellent talent.

Even after so much time has passed, that hasn’t changed.

Because of this, even foreign countries wanted to send their children to the Imperial Academy rather than their own country’s educational institutions.

It was also not uncommon for talented individuals from all over the continent to come knocking on its door to make their mark.

‘When I was there, many talented people gathered regardless of their social status, enough to stand out.’

Aria thought back to when she was a student at the Academy before her regression.

‘As many brilliant faces gathered, more incidents and accidents occurred around the Academy than usual.’

At that time, whatever happened was not directly related to her, so she just let it go as a topic of conversation… .

‘The problem is that we cannot leave them alone now that we know that they are or may be related to the Masin Church.’

Aria personally tortured members of the Masin Church in the dungeon to extract information.

Although he didn’t know much because he was low down in the organization.

‘It was already confirmed within the organization that the upper echelons of the Masin Church were targeting the Academy.’

In fact, for Aria now, the Academy was just a good place.

Whether it all burns down or completely collapses, I won’t blink an eye.

‘If only my happiness with Eugene was guaranteed, who cares if the Academy is destroyed or not?’

Rather, it was a place with bad memories before returning.

Her personal wish is that she would just disappear cleanly, never to be seen again.

But since the Masin Church was involved, it was impossible to turn a blind eye or ignore it.

Of course, there was no way Eugene could ignore the evil of the Demon Church.

One day I will face them head on.

Yes, just like in my past life.

‘no….’

What if, what if Eugene gets hurt in the process… what if he dies?

‘No… Don’t leave me alone again.’

Just imagining that cruel future brought tears to my eyes and made me feel sick to my stomach.

If something like that happens again… .

I am sure she will no longer be able to endure the reality without him and will follow him to death.

‘That’s why we have to stop it. So that it doesn’t happen.’

The Academy in its past life had surprisingly never, not even once, been able to prevent an accident from happening or completely clean up an incident that had already occurred.

‘It was definitely like that until I got expelled. I don’t think those incompetent students and teachers would have suddenly come to their senses and stopped it properly after that.’

That is, the previous life’s Masin Church had planned something against the Academy… .

Whatever it was, I hope you got what you wanted without any problems.

And the burden that arose because of that will all be borne by Eugene in the future.

Let’s consider such a scenario.

I was so ashamed and hated my past self who was busy babbling without knowing anything that I wanted to kill myself.

‘That’s why I have no choice but to stop it.’

Even if it’s to make up for past mistakes.

And for the sake of Eugene’s happy future, I will definitely stop their plan.

Now that the group called Masin Church has failed to achieve what it wants, we must nip it in the bud.

Of course, for that to happen.

‘…I have to go to the academy.’

But then what about Eugene? What should he do?

‘I’m alone in the academy… .’

I hated that. It was a place filled with faces I hated to death.

Above all, I had to live apart from Eugene again, even though it was a miracle that I was able to meet him again.

It was an extremely harsh treatment, considering that his period of study at the academy was not short.

‘Then Eugene too… .’

That won’t work.

For his safety, he must be kept far away from the academy where future incidents will occur, and must remain in the north, where he is based.

One, I don’t know exactly when in his previous life he was born.

The sect’s messenger who delivered the news of his death said that he had been fighting with the Masin cult behind the scenes since he broke off the engagement.

Then wouldn’t it be better to go together? Wouldn’t it be better not to leave him alone?

‘Eugene is strong. I’ve never seen it with my own eyes, but…’

The future Eugene was strong.

Enough to defeat the Demon King who had terrorized the continent.

Even Eugene, who was now in the process of overhearing the conversation of the Northern children gathered at Dustin’s mansion, was evaluated as having unparalleled skills.

If that’s true, wouldn’t it be something we can rely on when times get tough?

Wouldn’t it be possible to lean on that broad back?

Wouldn’t it be possible to stay together without falling apart?

‘Disgusting.’

Even though I cherish Eugene and already know what choice I have to make for his safety.

I was so disgusted with my double-crossing self, lying to myself and making excuses out of my greed for not wanting to be separated from him.

Will I make the right choice, or will I make a choice that is true to my desires?

Aria stands at a crossroads where she has to choose between two options.

‘… Ah, I’d be happy if I could walk around the academy with Eugene. We’d take classes together, drink tea together, pack lunches together, and always be together after school.’

Eventually, after much thought and thought and thought and thought.

He lightly placed his personal desires on the taut scale.

With that, the balance of the scales was finally tilted.

“The next target of the Demon Church… is the Academy.”

Aria Floris was a hopeless villainess who was true to her own desires.

She herself thought so too.

***

“Academy?”

I asked back, wondering if I had misheard because a completely unexpected word had come out… .

Aria denied my question by nodding vigorously.

“Yeah, the person in the dungeon confessed like that. It seems like he revealed information he had been hiding in order to beg for his life.”

Certainly, her fiancé had been informed of what she had done in the basement.

When I first heard the news that she had cut off the prisoner’s limbs, I was shocked… .

I didn’t really have any other feelings about it. If I were in her shoes, I would have done it to prevent danger in advance.

“Wait a minute. Why didn’t you tell our family about that?”

At that time, Julian, who was listening from the side, complained.

Aria responded lightly with a light laugh.

“How can I trust you and tell you information when you already have a history of being hacked? I don’t think you would have believed me if I had told you in the first place.”

“You… You’re really rude sometimes. Then why are you talking about it now?”

“You were planning to tell Eugene from the beginning, right? You just overheard. He can trust you no matter what happens.”

I was getting used to it by now, but I was still just embarrassed by Aria’s awkward surprise worship.

But then, this time, Julian made a remark that caught me off guard.

“Yeah, I’m planning on going to the academy anyway. We can go together and investigate.”

For a moment I couldn’t help but doubt my ears.

Because today, I kept feeling like I was hallucinating.

“No, Julian. What are you talking about? You didn’t say anything like that to me.”

“… Sorry, I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, but I just made up my mind. I can’t just sit back and watch those guys who brought my family to this point, right?”

“Da, you can just stay here!? I’ll give you all the information without fail!”

For some reason, he was floundering around and was heading towards Aria, who was opposing him.

This time, on the contrary, Julian responded bashfully, snorting.

“Why are you so flustered? When did you say you wouldn’t give me any information because you couldn’t trust me? So I’d rather go out and do it myself.”

“You… You really are annoying. Did you even get an invitation?”

“Of course, our family is also a count, just like you? Are you ignoring the north now? That’s why I can’t trust the central nobles who wear masks.”

Even after that, the two continued to bicker, but the direction of the conversation seemed to have been set around the idea that both of them would go to the academy.

Rather, it was an invitation… I’m sure something like that had arrived in the family a few months ago from the Academy.

Now that I think about it, how did I do that?

As I was recalling my memories for a moment, I soon recalled one memory that had been vaguely obscured in my mind like a fog.

I’m talking about my past self, throwing something like a piece of paper into the fireplace as kindling.

Immediately afterwards, sweat began to drip from my forehead.

“… I burned the invitation?”

Aria and Julian, who were in the middle of a heated argument, suddenly stopped as if it were a lie, as the monologue that came out unintentionally came out.

He slowly turned his head, creaking like a rusty wind-up doll.

““What… … ?””

The two looked up at me with expressions as if the end of the world had arrived.