episode_0027

It was an uncomfortable situation.

Everyone around was staring at me.

“Did you just hear that?”

“Yeah. Isn’t he crazy?”

As everyone who heard my words muttered, they looked at me.

Of course, it wasn’t the first time I had experienced such a situation.

I had recently experienced a similar situation while sparring with Edgar Tristan.

I had no intention of exaggerating by saying I had never experienced such a thing before.

“This kind of situation won’t become familiar to me.”

However, I couldn’t get used to it after just one experience.

The intense focus of people who seemed ready to pounce.

It was difficult to get used to after an experience that lasted no more than 20 minutes.

“Uh, what did you just say?”

“You didn’t hear? Let’s spar. If you want to seek revenge on your boyfriend.”

Despite knowing this fact, I continued to provoke Erica, who wore a grim expression.

“Are you out of your mind?”

As soon as I finished speaking, Alice’s voice rang out.

Her bewildered expression indicated just how surprised she was, and the woman in front of me nodded in agreement as if to confirm.

“I think the same. Are you really insane?”

“…”

“It seems like you’re boasting about winning against Edgar once by sheer luck… I’m not someone who lets their guard down like Edgar, you know?”

It was a question I threw out just in case, but it seemed like Erica truly believed her boyfriend lost due to complacency.

“…”

“Surely you don’t believe you’ve genuinely beaten Edgar with your own strength until now, do you?”

As someone who knew the truth of the sparring better than anyone, I was utterly astonished.

“Because we’re lovers. This might be a bit enviable.”

I even found myself envying Edgar Tristan.

At least he had one person.

Someone who believes in me, at least one person in the world has become certain.

Despite being a supporting character.

Even though I’m an insignificant villain extra in the original work.

Someone who believes in me.

Someone who unwaveringly believes and loves me.

The person I, Edgar Tristan, desired more than anything in the past already existed.

“······Perhaps I’m the abnormal one.”

Maybe, I didn’t realize that at least one person, excluding myself, exists for everyone.

Because humans are inherently such beings.

Beings who give each other trust, build confidence, share that confidence, and interact with others.

Everyone had someone they believed in.

Everyone had someone who believed in them.

It’s just that I couldn’t fit into that ‘everyone’ category.

Into that easy category.

I was the only one who couldn’t fit into that easy category that anyone could fit into.

It was just such a simple fact.

And because I knew this simple fact well, I didn’t complain.

It was meaningless.

Complaining wouldn’t make someone believe in me.

It was meaningless.

Living as Rian Trice was what I came to hate the most.

“······Then it doesn’t matter if I accept it. If you really think so, then fine.”

“······What are you saying?”

“That’s right. If I’m such an insignificant person, then roughly challenge me and prove yourself, right?”

I was now engaging in something I clearly declared as what I hated the most.

Logically, that was the case.

Logically, I had no reason to meddle in this situation.

What am I doing?

Would I really get involved in such a thing?

Especially in an event mentioned in the original work.

No matter how much I thought about it, there was no reason for me to intervene in the heroine’s event from the original work.

And this was very natural.

‘······Because there’s actually no reason.’

My involvement in this situation was also very impulsive.

It was an unfiltered action that didn’t pass through my brain.

It was an action that just came out without any filtering.

I just felt inexplicably annoyed.

Soon, I grew irritated with myself for foolishly standing by, knowing full well what was about to happen. As someone who was supposed to be a “possessor,” it angered me to see myself just watching the situation unfold like any ordinary character. It was an impulsive act brought on by my frustration.

As I entertained these thoughts, Erica wore an even more incredulous expression. “Why should I waste my time sparring with you for no good reason?”

“If you don’t want to seek revenge on your boyfriend, then I have no intention of instigating you further.”

“Hmph. You really have a talent for getting on people’s nerves.”

Though Erica glared at me fiercely, looking truly exasperated, it was clear that her threats were far less intimidating than those of Ellis. Having been subjected to similar kinds of threats from Ellis countless times before, this kind of intimidation held no sway over me.

“So, what are you going to do? Will you accept?”

“I’ll decline. As I’ve said before, I have no need to waste my time on a loser like you.”

I had already anticipated such a response. From Erica Fairlane’s perspective, there was absolutely no reason for her to entertain this challenge. Winning was a given. And if by some chance she lost, it would be a shameful experience for her lover to have been defeated by a mere loser. For someone like Erica, who had much to lose, it was a proposal she had no need to consider, and I fully expected her not to accept it.

“Instead, I will propose something in return.”

“A proposal?”

“Instead of the duel you so desire, how about we make a different wager?”

However, I hadn’t anticipated the sentence that followed.

“As you’re aware, the second semester midterms are coming up soon.”

“…”

“The person who achieves the higher overall score in the midterms wins the bet. How does that sound?”

Erica wore a smug expression, as if daring me to accept.

“This way, I won’t be wasting my time. After all, as an academy student, I’m obligated to take the midterms.”

“What are we betting?”

“Right now, what I’m curious about isn’t the fact that Erica can’t waste time.

“If we’re going to make a bet, there has to be something at stake. What is it that you want?”

“···.”

Erica’s objective.

I was curious about her purpose in deliberately postponing the midterm exam and increasing the scale of the proposal.

“······Withdrawal.”

“···.”

“What did you say?”

What did you say?

These words burst out from Ellis, who had been silent since the moment she said, “Are you really crazy?” It was a voice so loud that, if not for the contrast, it would have been slightly surprising.

“If I win?”

“······Yes?”

“If you win, I’ll withdraw voluntarily from this academy.”

“······What did you say?”

What did you say?

After remaining silent since saying, “Are you really crazy?” these words burst out from Ellis. It was a voice so loud that, if not for the contrast, it would have been slightly surprising.

“If I win, what can you do for me?”

I didn’t pay much attention to that voice.

The reward for victory.

Because there was no element more important than this in a bet.

Upon hearing my words, Erica seemed incredulous, almost mocking.

“Huh, do you really think you can beat me?”

“···.”

“Fine. If you manage to score higher than me on this midterm, I’ll grant you one thing you desire.”

Of course, such a thing would never happen.

Finally, Erica Pelegrino, who continued to mock me until the end, left as she was.

“······Lian Trice.”

“Why.”

“Are you really out of your mind?”

As soon as Erica left, Ellis, as if just coming to her senses, grabbed me by the collar.

“Why did you make a bet? What were you planning to do if you really lost?”

“Just win.”

“······What?”

“If I win, there’s no need to withdraw, right?”

Upon hearing my words, Ellis looked dumbfounded.

As if she truly hadn’t expected this kind of answer at all.

Staring silently at Ellis’s expression, I spoke in a much calmer voice than before.

“Ellis Arkstrah.”

“···.”

“If you’re going to hide it, hide it properly. Don’t go meeting another sucker like me for no reason.”

“······What?”

“You were trying to take it out earlier. Your dagger that you always keep hidden in your embrace.”

“How did you…?”

Confusion and astonishment. The emotions etched on Alice’s face right now. How in the world. It was an expression of not being able to figure out how she had detected his thoughts in the first place.

“Is that important right now? What’s important is that you’ve lost your composure, even if only for a moment.”

Unfortunately, there was no intention of kindly explaining how she had come to know about his thoughts. In fact, he doubted whether she would believe the truth. After all, Alice had brushed off the fact that he had already disclosed his impending death sentence as a lie. Rather than forcing an explanation that she wouldn’t believe, it was better to receive strange looks as a weird person.

“I told you before. The longsword isn’t your primary weapon.”

“Yeah.”

“Are you telling me that someone who knows this tried to kill their opponent over a slight provocation in a sparring match?”

“…”

Alice remained silent, as if there was nothing more to say.

“Really?”

I shivered slightly at this point. It was a casual remark, but the thought that she might have actually tried to kill Erica Pellegrino… She truly wasn’t just a heroine labeled as a villain in the original work for no reason.

“Anyway, if you’re going to hide, do it properly. Don’t get caught by some weirdo again.”

“Is it because of me?”

“What?”

“The reason you accepted Erica Pellegrino’s proposal. Is it because of me?”

Alice looked at me with eyes tinged with a hint of guilt. As if she were sorry. If her words were true, then she seemed deeply apologetic. And perhaps because of that look.

“No way.”

“…”

“You already know that you dislike me more than anyone else.”

She spat out words that she wouldn’t have said under normal circumstances.

“I didn’t dislike you that much…”

With an expression of injustice, Alice stopped mid-sentence.

“Not that much? Why can’t you finish your sentence?”

“…”

I knew why that sentence had stopped. And Alice, as the party involved, probably knew even better. That’s why I didn’t bother explaining.

“I did it to seek revenge.”

“…”

In the end, Erica Pereirano is Edgar Tristan’s lover, and Edgar still hasn’t apologized to me.

I was just murmuring excuses that I couldn’t even prove to myself.

“If I win this bet, I should be able to get an apology.”

“······But.”

Having heard everything I said, Alice seemed to have something she wanted to say, but her lips trembled as if she held it back.

“···.”

In the end, no additional words came out of Alice’s mouth.

“That’s all.”

“···.”

I didn’t question Alice about it either.

Just, quietly.

Quietly standing there, I could only feel this silence throughout my body.