episode_0021

“It’s the first day, so everyone do well. See you tomorrow.”

Today was Wednesday, club activity day.

As soon as Sara left the classroom after homeroom, students formed their own groups and moved towards their club activities.

I remained slumped over my desk until the classroom was empty, then finally lifted my head.

After a few weeks of living like this, I’d found it more comfortable this way.

‘It’s annoying to act.’

Even a devil-like child who secretly descended into the world becomes quiet when they fall asleep. A scoundrel doesn’t act out while sleeping, so there’s no need to intentionally glare or act rowdy.

I tidied myself with a dry wash and left the classroom to attend the club.

And by chance, by sheer chance, I ran into Skadia, who was also heading to the same club.

Usually, she’s surrounded by followers, but for some reason, she was alone today.

“……”

“……”

A silence so long it was unbelievable for two engaged people passed between us.

What should I say?

Before I could even think about it, Skadia walked past me as if she had no regrets, disappearing down the hallway.

It’s not like I wanted her to talk to me or anything, but she was a bit rude.

“I’m already starting to not want to go.”

As Royal Palace is a gathering of nobles, everyone knows about my relationship with Skadia.

It doesn’t really matter since I only plan to attend today and then skip out from now on, but considering the gossip this will cause, it’s already a headache.

Of course, I can’t give up on attending.

‘I have important business.’

Let them gossip all they want. After all, most of them are just extras who barely show their faces in the game anyway.

As I mused to myself, I quickly arrived in front of the club room.

Opening the luxurious door, incomparable to other club rooms, I saw nobles who had already arrived and were waiting.

Among them, the one who approached was the Crown Prince.

Crown Prince Damian Solias hasn’t participated in Royal Palace activities since he began his role as student council president, but today was an exception.

Normally, his fiancée, Remian Herana, manages and operates it.

“Welcome, Young Master Ruan. It’s been a while.”

“Yes. I apologize for not visiting often.”

“Haha! There’s no need for such formality. Please, sit comfortably and wait. The new member welcome party will begin soon.”

The Crown Prince knew that my fiancée, Skadia Maryland, was present, but he didn’t direct me to sit next to her.

It was clear he was being considerate.

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

“Not at all. I’ll take my leave now.”

After the Crown Prince left, I found a suitable seat and looked around.

‘Has he not arrived yet?’

There was someone I absolutely had to confirm was here, but he was nowhere to be seen.

That guy is extremely dangerous.

He possesses immense power and is young, and his personal might is also formidable. Furthermore, as an apostle, he wields the power of the Dark Goddess, and that strength doesn’t even show on the surface.

His name, the one who acted as the protagonist’s nemesis from the mid-game to the late-game, was…

Clank!

“I apologize for being late.”

“Oh, Young Master Ethan. You’ve arrived just in time. We were about to begin the welcome party.”

“That’s a relief. My mind is at ease.”

A typical Western handsome man with golden hair and blue eyes. A gentle smile played on his lips, making women feel drawn to him.

But his dazzling appearance only further emphasized the cruelty hidden beneath.

‘Ethan Gloucester.’

The eldest son of the Gloucester Ducal Family, which boasts a thousand-year history, and an apostle who forms a pillar of the Dark Cult.

Despite being only 20 years old, his level exceeds 200, and by the mid-game when he fully begins to act, he boasts an absurd growth rate, reaching level 300.

Of course, even so, he couldn’t compare to Abel, but he was still the one I had to be most wary of.

Indeed, no matter how many times I thought about it, coming here to see him was a wise decision.

I sighed anew.

‘The Dark Cult, the possessors, they’re all just troublesome individuals.’

I’m already busy enough focusing on the game, but with these other variables added, it’s hard to believe I’ll ever see the ending.

While grumbling inwardly, I continued to observe Ethan Gloucester, making sure not to show it.

“Young Master Ethan. It’s nice to meet you. My name is Syrilla Yurines. I’m the second daughter of the Yurines Earldom. Please take good care of me.”

“Haha, I am Ethan Gloucester. It is I who should thank you for such a warm welcome.”

As expected, that bastard is popular.

‘Do women have no taste?’

What’s so great about that psycho-like bastard that they cling to him so much…?

I clucked my tongue disapprovingly.

Though it’s unlikely, thinking that I might have to fight that guy someday makes everything he does seem unpleasant, even if he’s doing nothing special.

While I was criticizing Ethan Gloucester, the new member welcome party finally began.

“Greetings. I am Damian Solias. I welcome all of you to Royal Palace. A party has been prepared, and I hope you all enjoy yourselves. Thank you!”

As expected, the Crown Prince is a new generation.

Having personally experienced how much resentment boring speeches cause, he didn’t drag it out, simply saying what needed to be said and finishing.

Of course, this was also possible because the authority of the imperial family was so firm.

In any case, as soon as the party began, the surroundings instantly became boisterous.

Lower-ranking nobles swarmed in like a pack of jackals, seizing opportunities, while higher-ranking nobles, propped up by them, formed groups to manage their connections.

Me? I was, of course, alone.

‘This is comfortable.’

In fact, I wish they wouldn’t pay any attention to me. It’s easier to observe my surroundings that way.

I found a suitable spot, picked up one or two pieces of food, and kept an eye not only on Ethan Gloucester but also on the other nobles.

There might be a possessor here.

As I did so, the party atmosphere matured, and it became dance time.

The nobles each found partners and began dancing in the hall.

Skadia was no exception.

“Lady. Will you grant me the honor?”

“……”

Upon receiving a proposal from a brave young master, she silently looked at me.

Then, as if to provoke me, her lips twitched, and she simply took his hand and left. She probably wanted me to see it and make a fuss.

‘She really wants to break off the engagement, it seems.’

If I could, I’d tell her to get lost because I’m done with it too.

However, regardless of my feelings, the people around me seemed to pity me for being ‘NTR’d,’ sending sympathetic glances and whispers.

“Look there. Young Master Ruan is alone.”

“Lady Skadia is too much. How could she abandon her fiancé and…”

“But honestly, I think I would have done the same. There are so many rumors, after all.”

Should I call this openly gossiping?

I don’t know if they’re just brazen or why they’re gossiping so loudly that everyone can hear. Perhaps they wouldn’t even know if they asked themselves.

As I was pondering various thoughts to myself, a presence soon approached right in front of me.

It was a woman with teal hair.

“Young Master Ruan. How about a dance?”

“With me?”

“Yes. As you know, my fiancé is rather busy. It seems neither of us has a partner, don’t you think?”

It was a very unexpected proposal.

To what extent? To the point that her followers were making a fuss.

“Oh my! As expected, the Lady is so kind!”

“Right? As expected of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s fiancée. She has such a generous spirit!”

Remian Herana.

As the Lady of the Herana Marquisate, she was known to be quite a rival to Isis.

And yet, she, of all people, couldn’t bear to overlook the pitiful sight of Ruan Friuli, who was famous as a scoundrel, and even offered him a dance first.

The moment I refused this, I would become a bug, a word too good for a scoundrel like me.

I roughly understood what she was aiming for.

‘Her inferiority complex, truly…’

It was clear that she was desperate to find even a single flaw in Isis.

Those ‘followers,’ those middle-aged women who didn’t know what I knew, must have had knot-hole eyes.

My course of action was set.

“It would be an honor, Lady.”

“A wise choice. Let’s go then.”

We clasped hands and walked to the center of the hall, where music flowed.

The gazes of those dancing converged, and while surprised by the unusual pairing, they smoothly moved aside to create space for us.

As we stood facing each other, Remian Herana asked.

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t heard anything about Young Master Ruan’s dancing skills.”

“They are terrible. I’m worried I might cause you trouble.”

The last time Ruan Friuli danced was at the Imperial Ball when he was twelve years old.

Eight years had passed since then, and even if there were memories, I, who had never danced in my life, had possessed this body, so it was safe to say I was essentially a beginner.

“Is that so? Don’t worry. I’ll adjust to your pace. Then…”

As soon as our eyes met, without a word, our feet moved simultaneously.

The tempo wasn’t too fast, and just as she had said, Remian Herana adjusted to my pace as much as possible, so even with my mediocre dancing skills, we managed to form a somewhat presentable shape.

But there was no way it would end like this.

Her true objective was to humiliate me and create a blemish on Isis’s reputation.

As expected, as the music entered its highlight, Remian Herana’s movements rapidly accelerated, and she began to execute complex steps.

If before it had emphasized harmony with a partner, now it felt like a struggle between us.

My feet naturally tangled.

Crunch!

My aimless foot’s destination was none other than Remian Herana’s instep.

“Ugh…!”

Her expression twisted abruptly.

And for good reason: I hadn’t simply lost my balance and stepped on her; I had deliberately put force into it, as if to crush her instep.

‘Did you think I’d just let you get away with it?’

Even if I’m humiliated today, I’ll turn your feet into rags!

With that resolve, I tap-danced.

Stomp! Crunch! Thump!

“Aargh! Hmph! Ugh! S-stop!”

As I continuously stomped on her big toe and even kicked her shin, Remian, unable to bear it, urgently cried out and pulled away from me.

Her followers rushed over.

“Lady Remian! Are you alright?”

“Young Master Ruan! Isn’t that too much? How could you be so ruthless to the Lady’s foot!”

“It must have been intentional! I clearly saw him kick her shin!”

As I ignored their nagging, picking my ear, the Crown Prince rushed over.

“What’s going on? Remian! Why are you like this?”

“Agh… Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince.”

As her fiancé appeared, Remian’s eyes moistened as if she was about to cry, provoking sympathy.

The Crown Prince’s gaze then turned to me.

“Young Master Ruan? I’d like an explanation.”

“Ah, well, I accidentally stepped on the Lady’s foot a bit. I apologize.”

“I see. It was an accident, so it can’t be helped. Remian. Try to stand up. Let’s find a priest first.”

As the Crown Prince helped Remian, and the situation seemed about to conclude, one of the followers shouted.

“Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince! It’s a lie! I saw it clearly with my own two eyes. It was intentional!”

She’s a brave woman. To dare interrupt the Crown Prince’s words. Unless she’s brazen, she either discussed this with Remian beforehand or she’s just foolish.

“…Did you say it was intentional? Can you take responsibility for those words?”

“N-no, that’s not it. But I think it’s strange to stomp on a foot twice and kick a shin in just one second!”

“Hmm…”

It seemed even the Crown Prince had no immediate rebuttal, so he passed the turn to me.

As if I had been waiting, I awkwardly replied.

“I apologize. It’s been so long since I last danced—I was a child then—so I made a mistake without realizing it. I never had such issues back then.”

“You never had such issues?”

“Yes. My dance partner was always my sister. Now that I think about it, my sister’s dancing skills must have been incredibly outstanding, to the point of masking my terrible moves.”

“Haha! Lady Isis certainly has excellent dancing skills. Though we don’t see them much these days.”

The Crown Prince wore a somewhat enraptured expression, gazing into the distance.

Here, I delivered the decisive blow.

“So, I hope you won’t speak ill of my sister. It’s simply that I am lacking.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it.”

When the Crown Prince cast a glance, all the nobles nodded, giving their unspoken agreement.

Thus, with even the Crown Prince directly stepping in to resolve the situation, the only conclusion left was: “Remian must have done that because her dancing skills are inferior to Isis’s!”

No one would say it outright, but everyone would be thinking it inwardly.

Remian gritted her teeth and lowered her head.

She must have wanted to humiliate the Friuli family, but it had only backfired on herself…

‘Too bad it didn’t go your way.’

But it was her own doing.