“No—! I’ve shed sweat for this academy, I’ve bled for Saint Maria! You can’t do this to me! I want to see the Dean! I want to see Pink Bear!”

In the empty Martial Duel Arena, Koren let out a bloodcurdling scream.

“You want to see the Dean? I’ll take you to him right now—but I’m afraid Pink Bear can’t even save himself at this point!”

Kaide sneered viciously and, with overwhelming strength, slammed Koren to the ground. The thick rope in his hand whipped through the air as he swiftly bound him.

He tied him up in a tight shibari-style tortoise shell bind.

And on top of that, he gave Koren several vicious kicks right to the ass.

You motherf***er.

I stood up for you. I vouched for you. And you were actually a bandit?

You played with my goddamn feelings!

Kaide felt like he had become a merciless machine—next step: tie up Pink Bear too and burn both of them alive!

“W-Wait! I still have something to say!”

Seeing Kaide about to stuff his filthy sock into his mouth, Koren let out a terrified wail:

“Let me say just one last thing!”

“One last thing? Fine. Let me hear your final words.”

Kaide sneered and loosened his grip slightly.

“I...”

Koren exhaled a huge breath, then turned his gaze toward Muen—whose hair was standing on end—and gave a tragic smile:

“This time I’ve lost, but it doesn’t matter. My beauty... I’ll come back and marry you...”

Click.

The air turned frigid.

Dazzling ice crystals formed in an instant, freezing Koren—still wearing that nauseating grin—into an ice popsicle.

Celicia gave him a cold glance. “Foul words for the ears.”

“...”

Muen silently took a small step back and hunched his shoulders.

He got the feeling Celicia wasn’t in the best mood right now.

“Since the truth is now out in the open.”

Celicia’s cold gaze swept over the “heroes” in the stands who’d been loudest earlier, and who were now just as deathly silent.

“And since it seems no one has any objections—Instructor Kaide, I’ll leave the rest to you. I won’t interrupt your class further.”

“No, no—it’s me who’s inconvenienced you.” Kaide gave a wry smile.

He normally hated when anyone disrupted his class, but at a time like this, what could he say?

And honestly, more than continuing class, what he really wanted now was to go find Pink Bear and beat the snot out of him.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

Celicia gave a polite nod, then glanced at Muen again:

“Muen Campbell. You’re coming with me.”

“Oh, oh.”

Muen nodded dumbly.

He was about to follow her when Instructor Kaide suddenly called out.

“Uh—Muen.”

Muen turned around and saw Kaide—completely different from his usual stern, fierce self—scratching his head awkwardly.

“Earlier... I misjudged you. Uh... sorry.”

“Huh?”

Muen blinked in surprise.

Instructor Kaide... was apologizing to him?

After a brief moment of confusion, Muen came to his senses.

Kaide might have a bad temper, but he really was a straightforward kind of guy.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have reacted so strongly earlier.

“It’s fine, Instructor Kaide.”

After thinking for a second, Muen chose to forgive him.

After all, Kaide had just acted out of impulse. And the fact that he never actually struck Muen showed he really was trying to uphold a teacher’s responsibility.

Compared to him... others...

Muen glanced once toward the audience, then followed Celicia as she turned to leave.

...

...

Outside the Martial Duel Arena, walking behind Celicia, Muen found himself at a bit of a loss for words.

So all he could do was ask awkwardly:

“By the way, Celicia, why did you suddenly show up?”

And such perfect timing too. No way it was a coincidence.

“Why?”

Celicia stopped walking and turned to look back at him, one delicate eyebrow raised high like a sharpened blade.

“So I wouldn’t have to watch you die like an idiot.”

“...”

Muen felt like her words were a sword too, stabbing straight through his chest, cold and merciless.

But... he had no comeback.

Because what she said was true—he really had done something incredibly stupid.

There were so many ways to expose Koren’s bandit identity: he could’ve reported him to Professor Prang, or waited for an investigation. Instead, he chose the dumbest option—punching him in public. Not only did he put himself right in the middle of a firestorm, he’d also risked destroying the bit of hard-earned goodwill he’d just started to rebuild.

“But that punch... wasn’t bad.”

Celicia suddenly said, with a tone that oddly resembled a father being relieved his son turned out straight.

“If you hadn’t thrown that punch, I think Duke Campbell might’ve seriously considered disowning you.”

“Can you not bring that up?!” Muen groaned tearfully.

In the trees lining the road, birds perched for a moment. Celicia gave them a cold glance—and they scattered in fright.

“It was Ariel who told me.”

Celicia spoke again out of ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) the blue.

“Huh?”

“She said you got confessed to by a gay guy, told me to hurry over and watch the show.”

“F***.”

Whatever warmth had just started to bubble up in Muen’s chest was instantly snuffed out.

He’d almost been touched—Ariel, who hated his guts, had actually reached out to help?

But nope. That woman just wanted Celicia to come and see him humiliated.

Goddamn it, you plot-armored yuri protagonist. Planning to tackle both routes at once, are you?

Not that either seems to be working out for you.

“Thanks, Celicia. You helped me again.”

Muen gave a heartfelt thank-you.

Looking back, it really seemed like she’d always been helping him.

Even though, if anything, he should be the one compensating her out of guilt.

“If you really feel bad, then cause less trouble in the future.”

She must’ve seen through his thoughts. Celicia spoke coldly.

“Heh...”

Muen could only force a bitter smile.

It wasn’t like he wanted to cause trouble. Trouble just kept finding him.

Including this time...

“You seem really unhappy.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, the issue’s resolved. The misunderstanding is cleared. The perverted gay freak who might’ve kept harassing you is in custody. But you don’t look happy at all.”

Celicia tilted her head, studying him closely, then suddenly said.

“...Do I?”

“Your face looks like a wrinkled old granny’s.”

“Really.”

Before he realized it, he’d lost control over his own expression again?

“It’s not that I’m unhappy. I just...”

Muen looked down at the ground and said softly:

“I just feel a little... disappointed.”

He’d changed so much.

Even upperclassmen had praised his effort.

He thought a lot of things had finally started to turn around.

But...

At a moment like this—

There were still people who refused to believe him.

Still people unwilling to give him even a little time.

Still people...

Hiding among the crowd, showing him nothing but malice.

And that...

It made one wonder—was everything he’d done even worth it?

“Muen Campbell!”

Celicia suddenly raised her voice, snapping Muen out of his thoughts.

He looked up and saw Celicia’s eyes colder than ever, staring at him like he was a pile of flammable garbage.

“You’re really... caught up in your own bulls***.”

“Huh?”

Muen didn’t get it.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not seriously thinking you can get everyone to like you, are you?”

“No—I just don’t want people to keep hating me. I don’t want them to be prejudiced anymore—”

“Then you’re talking out your ass.”

“Huh?”

Muen blinked, stunned.

He didn’t expect that kind of crude language to come out of Celicia’s mouth.

“What do you think of me?” Celicia suddenly asked.

“You...”

Muen was just about to answer, but suddenly grew alert.

A girl, alone, asking you this kind of question in private?

You’d better answer carefully.

“Your black stockings really suit you—mrf!”

Celicia pulled back her knee with a blank expression.

“Try again.”

“Perfect.”

Curled up like a shrimp with his arms around his stomach, Muen raised a trembling thumbs-up.

“Absolutely perfect.”

“But even me—‘perfect,’ as you say. A princess of the Empire. Student Council President. So many auras. Not bad-looking, if I may say so myself—and still, tons of people hate me. Some even loathe me.”

Celicia said:

“Like that gossip rag president Mingot. He’s been stabbing my voodoo doll every day, praying I drop dead on the spot so he can sell more tabloid trash.”

“You knew about that?!” Muen was shocked.

“Heh. His most trusted underling has been in the student council for ages. He just doesn’t know it yet.” Celicia smirked coldly.

“...”

Muen shivered.

Scary. This woman is scary.

“Wanting to change how others see you, wanting to be liked—it’s not wrong. Especially for someone like you, Muen Campbell. But you shouldn’t add ‘by everyone’ to that.”

Celicia looked at him and continued:

“Just a couple of worthless insects biting at you, and you’re sulking like some brat who had his candy stolen. Muen Campbell, you right now are more disgusting than you were months ago.”

“At least back then, when someone cursed you out, you’d point right back at their nose and say, ‘My dad’s a duke—who the hell are you?’”

“...”

Muen opened his mouth silently, like a fish out of water.

“And besides—your change itself might become a source of malice.”

“My change...?”

Celicia’s words left Muen completely confused again.

He’d been a scumbag. Now he was improving. Shouldn’t that be good news for everyone?

At least in this academy.

“I honestly don’t know if your personality changed or if you just got replaced with someone else.”

Looking at his bewildered expression, Celicia sighed subtly:

“You’ve severed yourself too cleanly from your past, Muen Campbell.”

“Huh?”

He still didn’t get it.

But Celicia seemed to run out of patience. She turned and kept walking.

After a while, she glanced back at Muen.

“Why are you still following me? You think I need an escort?”

“Then I...”

“Go do what you need to do. Don’t tell me you’re leaving with your tail between your legs. I’ll curse you out so hard your ears will fall off.”

“Oh, oh.”

Muen scratched his head sheepishly—finally remembering what he was supposed to be doing—and turned to head the other way.

But after only a few steps, he suddenly turned back to look at the same silver-white girl who was always cold on the outside, warm on the inside.

“Celicia.”

“What now?”

“You were so cool just now.”

“So?”

“I think I might be falling in love with you.”

“Might?”

Celicia raised an eyebrow.

“But didn’t you already say you were in love with me?”

“That was...”

Muen chuckled awkwardly.

“A little different.”

“Well, I don’t love you.”

“Ah.”

“Get lost.”

“Okay.”

“Faster.”

“Mm-hmm.”

...

...

After Muen left—

Student Council secretary Veil popped out of nowhere and asked curiously:

“President, aren’t you going to tell him about that?”

“Why should I?”

“But... wasn’t that the whole reason we came to find him?”

“What am I, his mom? I have to remind him of everything?”

That’s what she said—but Celicia’s gaze lingered on the file in her hand:

“Report on Abnormal Behavior of Eamon Biondi”

“I was going to give him a heads-up.”

Celicia sighed.

“But seeing how dumb he looked, I figure a little suffering might do him good.”

“Eh? But what if he runs into danger—”

“If he dies, he dies. What’s it got to do with me?”

Celicia casually shredded the report and tossed it in the trash.

Then walked off without looking back.

But if it had nothing to do with you...

Why were you so angry?

Watching her leave, Veil stuck out her tongue and swallowed the second half of her sentence.

Something told her that saying it out loud...

would’ve made the president very scary.