Chapter 06 ….
Should I Avoid Rakash? Or Should I Not Avoid Him? That Is the Question — Part 1
The reborn Luciana was supposed to work hard at studying after turning over a new leaf, but during that day’s lessons, she could not concentrate at all and spent the entire time thinking about something else.
…Aaah, this makes me no different from the old Luciana.
Unable to focus in class because I’m thinking about one of the capture targets…
And yet, I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. I felt as though I absolutely had to get to the bottom of this lingering unease.
—Rakash Fritillaria.
The heir of the foremost ducal house, the beautiful man with the iron mask.
He turned out to be kinder than I expected, but otherwise he seemed exactly as described in the game… or so I thought. Yet somehow, something about his back had felt strange to me.
What was it? What exactly had bothered me…?
I kept thinking about it.
No, truly—I spent the entire class thinking about it.
According to the game’s story, I was the villainess destined for exile.
To avoid that fate, I had to respond with everything I had, body and soul.
That meant that whenever I noticed something, I had to think it through thoroughly. Because there might be a clue hidden there that could help me avoid destruction.
And finally…
Only after classes ended that day, when it was time to head home and I saw Rakash once again, did I finally realize it.
“Ahhhhhhh!”
The students around me turned in surprise at my sudden shout, but I was far too absorbed in my discovery to care.
It was the way he walked! In the game, Rakash slightly dragged one leg!
If I remembered correctly, he had said he was attacked by a monster in his territory.
Monsters—
Savage and violent creatures that possessed magic power and carried magic stones within their bodies.
Most lived in forests or seas, so the chances of encountering one in daily life were low, but if you did encounter one, your life would often be in danger.
Rakash had been attacked by one of those monsters in the ducal territory.
—I desperately searched through my memories of the game I had played in my previous life.
When the heroine entered the academy as a new student and the game began, Rakash had already been a third-year student.
At that point, he had already been dragging his leg, so my image of Rakash had always included that limp. But thinking about it now, before the monster attack, he should have been able to walk normally.
I see. So at this point in the autumn of his second year, there was nothing wrong with his gait.
…As I corrected the mistaken image of Rakash in my mind, I clapped my hands together internally in satisfaction at having solved the mystery.
But then another concern struck me.
Wait… don’t I know way too much about Rakash?
I tilted my head, wondering what to do about that, but after a few seconds I resigned myself to it. There was really no helping it.
After all, in my previous life, I had spent most of my time after work and nearly all my holidays playing The Cinderella of the Magic Kingdom.
Naturally, I had already completed Rakash’s route as well.
In other words, whether I liked it or not, I had obtained an absurd amount of Rakash-related information from clearing his route!
Rakash, I’m not your stalker, but I probably know more about you than your own family does! If you don’t want your embarrassing secrets exposed, then please stay away from me!
…That said, there were also times I played in a half-asleep daze, so it wasn’t like I remembered absolutely everything.
Having solved the mystery, I felt refreshed and began preparing to go home.
It hadn’t become a clue for avoiding my destruction, but at least the uncomfortable feeling had disappeared, leaving me in a good mood.
Just then, I spotted Rakash gracefully entering my classroom.
Watching absentmindedly, I saw him stop in front of the Crown Prince, and the two began talking.
…Oh? Come to think of it, I haven’t even greeted the Crown Prince today, have I?
It was only three days ago that I collapsed in the middle of talking with him. Shouldn’t I at least say a word of apology or thanks?
But even as I thought that, I realized something else.
The Crown Prince, my classmate, obviously knew I had returned to the academy today, yet he had not even asked, “Are you alright?”
For the gentle, polite, kind-hearted Crown Prince he was supposed to be, that was unthinkable behavior.
…Luciana really is seriously hated by the Crown Prince, huh?
Or rather, the heroine hasn’t even appeared yet, and he already dislikes her this much. The groundwork for becoming a villainess was absolutely perfect.
Half impressed at that bizarre fact, I picked up my bag.
Alright. Since the Crown Prince dislikes me anyway, he’d probably just be annoyed if I spoke to him. Better to leave without saying anything. Keeping my distance is safest.
And just as I was about to leave the classroom, I heard Rakash’s voice.
“Yes, I’ll be returning to my territory now. According to the schedule, I should be back at the academy by Water Day.”
I see. Right, tomorrow starts the weekend.
So he’s taking a few extra days off and returning to his territory.
While secretly listening to Rakash’s words, I recalled the setting of The Cinderella of the Magic Kingdom.
The game was Japanese-made, and most of its players were Japanese, so many of its basic settings were adapted to Japanese customs.
In other words, the academy operated five days a week, with two days off.
The days of the week were also named in a Japanese-friendly way: Moon Day, Fire Day, Water Day, and so on.
And Earth Day and Sun Day were academy holidays.
Since only high-ranking nobles attended the academy, every student maintained a residence in the royal capital.
Even if commuting daily was difficult, nobody lived so far away that they couldn’t return home on weekends, so most students left the dormitories every weekend and returned to their family estates.
But apparently, this weekend Rakash would not be going to the Fritillaria mansion in the capital, but to his territory itself.
Well, he is the kingdom’s highest-ranking noble. Even if it’s called a territory, it’s probably adjacent to the capital and not very far away.
“It’s your father the Duke’s birthday celebration, isn’t it? If I have time, perhaps I as well—”
But the moment I heard the Crown Prince’s words, my feet stopped dead.
The student behind me nearly bumped into me and looked annoyed, but the moment they realized who I was, they quickly detoured around me and left.
“The Duke’s birthday celebration! T-that’s it!”
I muttered faintly to myself in shock.
That’s right.
Rakash returned to his territory to attend his father’s birthday celebration—
And that was where he was attacked by the monster.
His leg was torn apart so badly that it could not be reattached. Even though healing mages desperately treated him, the aftereffects remained, leaving him with a limp.
I glanced toward Rakash.
Rakash Fritillaria was the arrogant high noble who showed neither shadow nor sorrow.
And yet, through the incident in which his leg was severed, he would learn defeat.
And by being forced to walk with a limp, he would begin to see himself as defective.
Of course, thanks to Rakash’s pride—higher than the tallest mountain—he skillfully concealed those twisted emotions from everyone around him.
But there was no doubt that this injury deeply wounded his heart and warped his personality.
Without thinking, I walked straight up to Rakash and opened my mouth.
“L-Lord Rakash, would you perhaps like to go shopping with me in the capital tomorrow?”
“…………Hah?”
Caught completely off guard, Rakash looked at me suspiciously.
“Unfortunately, I’m about to return to my territory. That would be impossible.”
“T-then perhaps the theater? Tomorrow night, the marquis house has reserved balcony seats for a highly popular performance in the capital—”
“Yes, and as I just said, I will be in my territory tomorrow. Besides, do you really think the Fritillaria ducal house would be unable to obtain something that a mere marquis house could secure?”
“Th-that’s… true…”
Unable to press any further, I drooped my shoulders in disappointment.
At the edge of my vision, I could see Rakash and Crown Prince Ernesto silently watching me repeatedly try to invite him out.
“…Lady Luciana, you had been absent for several days, so I was concerned, but it appears you’ve become quite energetic.”
The Crown Prince spoke with a gentle expression.
At first glance, he looked every bit the kind and considerate Crown Prince worrying about a classmate who had been absent for days.
A ray of sunlight struck his softly smiling face at the perfect moment, causing his glossy silver hair to sparkle brilliantly. The surrounding female students all let out dreamy sighs at the sight.
I stared at the Crown Prince with a deeply skeptical expression.
…Why exactly had Luciana admired the Crown Prince as a gentle and kind person?
His lips were curved in a smile, but his eyes were not smiling at all.
If anything, he was openly mocking me.
Proof of that lay in his words just now.
Despite my consecutive absences from the academy and my supposed recent recovery from illness, I was already trying to invite a man out. He was mocking me for that.
By hiding it beneath a calm expression and phrasing it in a way that could sound considerate depending on interpretation, he mocked me in a manner no one else would notice.
His “You seem energetic again” really meant:
“You certainly seem eager.”
Without realizing the Crown Prince’s cold and ruthless true nature, Luciana had gone around saying things like, “Prince Ernesto is so kind and wonderful.”
What an idiot.
Though, considering every student in the academy believed the Crown Prince to be gentle and kind, perhaps he was simply that much more skilled than everyone else.
And yet, even while recognizing how cold-hearted the Crown Prince was, part of me could not help but admire him.
Because Luciana’s outward appearance alone was perfect.
An ordinary man would surely be seduced by Luciana’s beauty and charm.
But the Crown Prince had properly judged her after seeing her inner nature and decisively discarded her.
His method of mocking me in a way no one else could notice was nasty, but at least his judgment of women was accurate.
Since ancient times, there had been countless examples of nations destroyed because rulers became infatuated with women. In that sense, perhaps this kingdom was safe after all.
I calmly analyzed the situation while letting out a quiet sigh of relief.
No matter what, enduring the gazes of these two men was incredibly uncomfortable.
The Crown Prince Ernesto’s gaze, hidden behind a gentle expression yet filled with mockery—
And Rakash’s gaze, which mocked me directly to my face.
…Yes, retreating was definitely the best option here.
Thinking that, I mumbled, “I apologize for causing concern,” under my breath and turned on my heel.
Unfortunately, however, I was unable to leave immediately.
Because standing directly in my path was an astonishingly beautiful black-haired girl.
