episode_0028

A plain sentence, softly spoken. I spoke to the girl. I told her that in exchange for protecting her weakness, she should help me. The girl’s expression stiffened for a moment. “Just now, wh-what did you say…?” “There’s quite a lot for Lady Emilia to do.” I smiled subtly and continued my answer. “We’ll have a lot to ponder, just the two of us… working closely together.”

Emilia was a capable individual. Her grades and abilities were unquestionable, and she was particularly skilled at reading the atmosphere. Her quick calculations made her proficient in foresight. In the original story, she was an extra who appeared as a villain, but it would be a waste of talent to discard her like this. ‘She seems useful in many ways.’ She also had hidden connections, whether known or unknown. Her written exam scores were also top-tier, so it might be perfect to delegate tasks to her when assignments became annoying. Just the thought of it brought joy. “Huhu.” A smile naturally spread across my lips. As I sat there, beaming, the girl suddenly began to whimper. As if the world was a sorrowful place. “Ugh, huh…!” What? Why is she suddenly crying? Doesn’t she like the terms of the deal? No, I’m saving her life, aren’t I? Can’t she do some grunt work until graduation? “Why are you crying so sorrowfully?” I asked, flustered. “Isn’t this a truly desirable deal?” “…” “You just need to do your best to satisfy me. Then I, too, will protect Lady Emilia’s weakness.” “How can I trust someone like you…?” “You’ll have to trust me.” Are you in a position to be picky right now? If I say just one word, you’ll be expelled and immediately forced to say goodbye to this world. She’s just too suspicious. A sigh escaped me out of frustration. It seemed I needed to give her a dose of reality.

***

“I will make your body mine.” Emilia couldn’t help but freeze in that instant. It felt as if her breath had turned cold. She trembled involuntarily. It was a reflexive surge of anxiety. “Just now, wh-what did you say…?” She must have misheard. Perhaps her consciousness wasn’t entirely clear after crying all night yesterday. The girl asked, harboring a futile hope. But. “There’s quite a lot for Lady Emilia to do.” Even that hope shattered emptily. “We’ll have a lot to ponder, just the two of us… working closely together.” “Ah.” Her heart sank. It felt as if the pulse connecting her to life had stopped. Her blue eyes were dyed with despair. Weakness, condition, and price. The golden snake stared at the villainess with lewd eyes, flickering its poisoned tongue. Emilia realized. The boy wanted her body. ‘Physical slave.’ A single word suddenly came to mind. It was a reality she desperately wanted to deny, but his gaze was too blatant for such efforts to be meaningful. A peculiar ominousness was embedded in his narrowed eyes. “Huhu.” His hollow laugh was terrifying. Her breathing became erratic. The girl had to bite her lip tightly to keep from crying. Emilia had always been devoted solely to academics. While she had spent nights training, she had never shown any interest in male-female relationships. This only magnified her confusion. Fear of the unknown. Her face paled, blood draining from it. ‘Why, on earth.’ Why was this happening? The villainess couldn’t even form the question. She knew it was all her own doing. Regret bloomed with each breath. ‘I shouldn’t have fought that duel.’ She had desperately wanted to be the top student. She thought reaching a brilliant position would allow her to strike a blow against her family’s elders. So, she had acted hastily. The boy who exuded such a shabby aura. She never dreamed he would be that strong. Perhaps it was arrogance. In the end, she was humiliated in front of countless students, and now, even her purity was at risk of being taken. “Ugh, huh…!” Tears fell. She didn’t want to cry. She didn’t want to be weak. Even if she had to walk a thorny path, she wanted to face it with dignity if it meant surviving. But. “Why are you crying so sorrowfully?” “Hic…!” Her tears wouldn’t stop. As she sat there, pitifully slumped, spewing out her cries, a whisper reached her again. “Isn’t this a truly desirable deal?” “…” “You just need to do your best to satisfy me. Then I, too, will protect Lady Emilia’s weakness.” “How can I trust someone like you…?” “You’ll have to trust me.” His lips curved into a dangerous smile. The boy answered as if he had been waiting. “If you wish to protect your precious family.” “What do you mean…?” “Don’t you have a twin younger brother? In the same predicament as you.” The boy who entered Class A this term. His name was Ruska Vanity. He was Emilia’s last remaining family in her life. Her desperate efforts were also fueled by her concern for her brother. Because she had to protect him. “That kin you relied on so much… I wonder if the family elders would truly leave him alone.” The sharp supposition pierced her heart. The children had no one to lean on. If Emilia, too, were to pass away in this situation, how they would act was as clear as day. It was truly the end. “…From the start, I had no choice, did I?” Her voice murmured quietly. Her transparent blue eyes had already lost their vitality, dying in gloom. “Ugh, hah… sniff.” The situation forced a choice. The cold reality chasing her. The girl could only choose the last remaining path to avoid the worst outcome. Even if the path ahead was thorny. “Alright.” It was better than dying. In the end, the villainess fell prey to the cunning snake’s tongue. Emilia lowered her gaze. “I’ll follow your words.” How pitiful. The tears glinting in that fleeting moment held a sadistic beauty. “You know what?” “Hmm?” “I… have no experience whatsoever in that area. I hope you’ll understand if I’m inexperienced.” “That’s fine.” A sly answer returned. “Slowly molding an innocent Lady like you seems quite enjoyable, actually.” “…It’s a little scary.” “Oh, there’s no need to be afraid, you know?” The boy lightly extended his arm. A fingertip slowly approached and touched the villainess’s chin. As she lifted her head, guided by his gentle pressure, her gaze met his narrowed eyes, which stared intently. Emilia’s breath hitched for a moment. “I’ll be gentle.” Such a vile person. What light does your pupil see me in? Surely it must be glistening with desire. “Ah.” The boy’s face drew closer. Is it starting already? A little. She was scared. “…” She closed her eyelids. Blocking her vision at least made it bearable. Of course, the trembling didn’t disappear. Thump, thump, thump, thump…! Her heart pounded as if it would burst. Her feeble pulse consumed the girl’s world without mercy. And then. “…” Something touched her lips, then fell away. It held a warm sensation. Emilia instinctively judged it to be a lip. Her eyes squeezed shut even tighter. As if not satisfied, the boy pressed his lips against hers a few more times. But it wasn’t rough. ‘That’s strange.’ She felt heat rising. Her breathing became uneven. To steady her hazy consciousness, the girl had to clench her fists. It continued for a while. ‘It wasn’t… painful or agonizing, like I feared.’ A gentle, permeating sensation. It was her impression of her stolen first kiss.

***

Meanwhile. “Slowly molding an innocent Lady like you seems quite enjoyable, actually.” This meant he would patiently teach her if she was unfamiliar with things. “Oh, there’s no need to be afraid, you know?” This truly meant ‘don’t be afraid.’ “I’ll be gentle.” This meant he wouldn’t push her too hard, so she shouldn’t worry.

The boy himself had no particular thoughts. His expression wore a question mark. ‘Why is she closing her eyes when I’m just wiping her lips?’ He was merely trying to wipe away the blood that had appeared on her tightly bitten lips. But then, she suddenly got all dramatic. Now, every time his finger touched her lips, she trembled. ‘Maybe she’s had a hard life… Her condition seems off.’ That was it. The sensation the girl thought was a lip was, in fact, a finger. The two of them simply didn’t understand each other. ‘Anyway, I’ve got a new friend. I should tell her to get along with Regia.’ The misunderstanding deepened.

***

And so, the boisterous duel event came to an end. We each kept our promises. Following the victor’s will, the [Execution] was indefinitely postponed. Emilia diligently followed by my side, fulfilling the role of a secret friend. The conclusion was. “Ta-da!” I made a new friend. “Young Master-nim? What is this all of a sudden…?” “You, what trouble have you gotten into again?” Regia stood with a stiff expression, Irene stood with a hand on her hip, looking nonchalant. Though they didn’t show it overtly, their reactions conveyed bewilderment. Regardless, I introduced someone to the two of them. “This is an acquaintance I’ve grown close to recently.” “…Hmph.” It was none other than Emilia. The villainous Lady stood silently in her place. A chilling light lingered in her blue eyes. She exuded the haughty aura characteristic of a high-ranking noble. “L-Lady Vanity…?!” “That Lady we met last time. The one who acted disrespectfully towards you.” The appearance of an unexpected person. Regia, who particularly had trauma from the villainess, looked startled. I smiled to reassure her. “Now, now~ She won’t bite.” “Y-Yes…?” “We had an honest talk a few days ago. We seemed to communicate well, so we decided to become friends.” There’s no need to be afraid. With those words, I naturally stroked Emilia’s hair a few times. It was a gesture to show she wasn’t dangerous. “…!?” “Huh.” Pilot and Foxis were simultaneously aghast. The act of treating a Lady of a ducal family so freely. Furthermore, Emilia, far from showing anger, was meekly obeying, which amplified their shock. Foxis asked, dumbfounded. “What kind of threat did you use, exactly?” “Didn’t I tell you? It was an honest talk.” “As if.” “Oh… You don’t believe me?” “Nine-tenths of what you say is a lie. If I believed you, that would be naive.” “Everyone lies, you know.” “Not as much as you do.” A few words exchanged lightly. Even amidst this, I continued to play with her blue hair. “…” It was an uncomfortable situation for the villainess. At first, her eyes tensed, and now her fists were clenched so tightly they looked like they would break. Emilia finally couldn’t bear it any longer. Smack! She roughly slapped away the hand resting on her head. What glittered in her blue pupils was anger. “You two. Don’t misunderstand.” Her cold gaze was directed at the two girls. Perhaps she couldn’t bring herself to rebel against me directly. Emilia, subtly turning her back to me, was autocratic towards the innocent girls. “I have no intention of associating with commoners who don’t know their place, or beast-folk maids in vulgar clothing… those of low status.” Even though she had been humbled once, a villainess remained a villainess. Vanity burned red in her heart. Although she had knelt before me, she showed that she wouldn’t be subservient to others. Her characteristic arrogance spread. Emilia subtly glanced in my direction. Her eyes seemed to ask for permission to keep this much pride. “Though I agreed to give my body to you… that doesn’t mean I’ll dedicate my heart as well.” “That’s a fair point.” “…I will never lose my heart.” “As you wish.” So, although she’d become my ally as promised, she couldn’t fully trust me? Well, I had been acting suspiciously, after all. It was natural for her to be doubtful from her perspective. It’s a little disappointing that she won’t give me her heart (trust). But for now, I’ll be satisfied with this. I have plenty of time. I’ll conquer her slowly. “However.” There was a part I couldn’t concede. “I’d appreciate it if you’d be careful with your words and actions towards these two here in the future.” Irene, and Regia. I could tolerate it from other students, but I couldn’t bear sharp words towards my people. I deliberately put on an eerie smile. “They’re quite precious to me, you see. In fact, I almost got angry just now.” “…” “Surely you don’t wish to incur my wrath?” “…I’ll be careful.” Emilia finally nodded. Her dignified demeanor from just before had vanished, instantly crumbling. The villainess muttered to the two girls. “I seem to have gotten too agitated… I apologize.” “Oh, y-yes? Oh, no! Lady Emilia-nim, there’s no need for you to apologize…!” “No, I am sorry.” She even apologized on her own. It seemed I was truly frightening to her. Regia, who had initially been stiff, also seemed to relax as she watched the dejected villainess. I watched the scene with a pleased expression. “Huhu.” Just as I was nodding my head. “…” A gaze poked my cheek from the side. Turning my head at the stinging sensation, I saw Foxis, her eyes filled with scorn. “You said you didn’t do anything.” Her usual expression was already cold, but this time, it was different. Why was she suddenly like this? “Giving her body to you, what on earth did you do to make her say something like that?” A chilly aura emanated from her. After a brief pause, Foxis furrowed her brows and condemned me. “…Fiend.” It was a sincere accusation. For a while, I couldn’t understand Foxis’s reaction, and a question mark floated above my head. No. Why are *you* upset with me now?

***

Anyway. A week passed. As life gradually became more familiar, I spent each day. “Irene-yang?” “It’s about the children. It’s been over a month since I last saw them. I just want to show my face.” “Huhu, you seem worried.” “Well… I can’t say I’m not.” “I understand. They must be precious to you, Irene-yang.” Irene made a request. A request to see the foxes I had entrusted to ‘safe people.’ I readily accepted. “I was planning to visit them anyway.” It’ll be good to see their faces after a long time. I wonder how they’ve been. ‘Astro.’ The rulers of the city that does not weep. Chewing over the faces that came to mind, I rose from my seat. Alright then. Shall we go meet my members?