Chapter 9
To prepare for the freshman welcome party, my sister followed Liam’s advice and repeated the same routine of leaving early in the morning and returning home late at night.
During that time, I was also busy in my own way, getting a complete set of things ready from head to toe, including my dress and accessories.
And finally, the day had come to see the results of all that preparation.
“My goodness, Olivia. You look so beautiful today too.”
Mother looked at me and almost seemed like she was about to cry tears of emotion.
“Yes, yes. I know. It’s getting late, so I’ll go now!”
I hurriedly grabbed the edge of my dress and ran into the prepared carriage.
Normally, the academy was close enough to walk from our house, but today it was difficult to walk because of the dress.
My sister had things left to prepare even until today, so she left the house early.
I opened the carriage window and looked at the road leading to the academy.
After getting off the carriage, I held the edges of my dress tightly with both hands and carefully took one step at a time.
The heels I was wearing were higher than usual, making my steps even more cautious.
It wasn’t because Liam kept teasing me by calling me “bean.”
Absolutely not.
Because of the high heels, I barely managed to arrive halfway there with great difficulty.
“Olivia, aren’t you too pretty today?”
“Siana, you’re perfect too.”
When I held Siana’s hand and arrived at the banquet hall, my heart started beating faster without me realizing it.
“Shall we go in?”
“Sounds good. Let’s enjoy ourselves!”
I opened the huge doors of the banquet hall and couldn’t close my mouth at the sight before me.
The chandeliers filling the ceiling and the countless people gathered underneath them were impossible to count.
On one side of the wall, there was enough food piled up for all the students and teachers to eat.
Surprised by the crowd and the huge scale of the event, I became slightly intimidated.
There were so many students that I began to wonder if I would even be able to find the male lead candidates among them.
Seeing signs that my plan might be ruined, I started feeling anxious.
“Olivia, hold my hand tightly. If we’re not careful, we’ll lose each other.”
“Okay. Let’s never let go.”
Only after making that promise and firmly holding each other’s hands did we step into the party hall.
“Excuse me, sorry.”
There were so many people that we were constantly being pushed around, and trying to move through the crowd while holding hands became even more difficult.
“Siana!”
“Olivia!”
In the end, we were pushed apart by the crowd and lost hold of each other’s hands.
I was carried along by the flow of people until I ended up outside the banquet hall.
“Vardedor.”
Was someone calling me?
I looked around, but no one was looking at me.
“Are you ignoring me right now, Vardedor? I’m calling you.”
I was about to answer that I wasn’t ignoring them, but instead of finding the person who called me, I found my sister first.
Then, naturally following my sister’s gaze, my eyes landed on a certain female student.
Ah, she wasn’t calling me.
She was calling my sister.
“Why?”
Unlike her usual gentle atmosphere, my sister looked at the girl with an emotionless expression.
Looking closely at the girl, it seemed she had four other female students following her.
From the way she had her arms crossed, she clearly looked displeased about something.
“I have something to say. Follow me to the backyard.”
After leaving those words to my sister, the five girls passed by her and left the banquet hall first.
This situation feels strangely familiar.
After thinking for a moment, I quietly followed them toward the backyard of the banquet hall, making sure not to make any noise.
From a distance, I could see my sister and the girl facing each other.
I slowly moved closer, just enough so that I could hear their conversation without being noticed.
“Did you hear the news?”
“What news?”
At my sister’s tone, which showed she knew nothing, the girl seemed strangely angry.
“You must have heard! The news that I’m going to become His Highness the Crown Prince’s fiancée soon!”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
Just as expected.
I immediately realized the identity of the girl who looked so vicious at first glance.
She was none other than Rosalyn Carter, the villainess of Academy Love♡ ~Who Is the Male Lead?~
“You’re lying. The whole academy is filled with rumors that His Highness the Crown Prince and I will become engaged soon, but you’re the only one who doesn’t know?”
“I only believe things Liam tells me directly. There’s no way I would believe rumors spreading around the academy.”
Not judging a friend based on false rumors.
That was the very definition of a righteous heroine.
While I applauded and admired my sister in my heart, Rosalyn’s face turned red.
“The discussions about marriage between my family and the Imperial Family are already progressing smoothly. No matter how much you deny it, the truth won’t change.”
My sister shrugged and answered.
“Oh, really? I didn’t know.”
That attitude, as if she had absolutely no interest, seemed to provoke the girl once again.
“Now that you know, you should understand what I’m saying, right?”
“No, I don’t.”
My sister only blinked her large eyes, making Rosalyn point a finger at her.
“I’m telling you not to shamelessly hang around His Highness the Crown Prince anymore! Do you think I don’t know that you’re using your friendship as an excuse to secretly aim for His Highness’s side? From now on, I’ll stand beside His Highness, so you should step aside!”
“That’s right. Someone like you, a mere girl from a lowly merchant family, has no place to reach for.”
“You should know your place.”
The girls beside her also added their own comments.
I became angry.
How dare they insult our family and threaten my sister?
But this was the main event of an innocent romance comic.
The villainess bullying the heroine was only natural.
At a moment like this, one of the male lead candidates was supposed to appear.
If possible, it would be even better if Liam appeared.
“Why should I? It’s only a rumor going around. It’s not like the engagement has been officially decided yet.”
Even now, my sister was only making Rosalyn angrier.
No, sister!
What if she gets hurt?!
“The engagement will happen soon. I’m only removing a bug like you beforehand!”
“Well, is that what only your family thinks?”
“You!”
In the end, my sister refused to back down and brought disaster upon herself.
Rosalyn’s hand drew a large arc.
No, if this continued, my sister’s face would be left with a red mark!
“Wait!”
Smack!
My face turned sharply from the impact, and at the same time, my cheek burned.
“Olivia!”
I had tried to block the attack coolly, but instead, I ended up taking the full force of Rosalyn’s rough slap.
She had put so much strength into it that my head was even ringing.
“You… who are you?”
Rosalyn asked in confusion.
“Olivia Vardedor. Emma’s younger sister.”
Even though my head was still ringing, I held my aching cheek and spoke proudly.
I knew very well that according to the story, one of the male lead candidates was supposed to appear here and save my sister.
From the flow of the story, it would have been better if my sister was the one who got slapped.
But I was still her younger sister.
I couldn’t just watch my sister get hit.
Even if it meant interfering with the main event.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
My sister shouted at Rosalyn while standing in front of me protectively.
“I’m fine, sister.”
I quickly stopped her and turned my gaze back toward Rosalyn.
“If you do not want to face worse consequences, apologize.”
“Why should I?”
“You struck someone who did nothing wrong, yet you don’t even feel guilty? Besides, you said you may become the future Crown Princess. If rumors spread that someone like you hit another student, it won’t be good for your reputation.”
Rosalyn’s eyes moved.
It seemed she realized that she had made a mistake, just as I said.
However, perhaps because she was a villainess, she only crossed her arms and acted confidently.
“I only tried to scare her. Don’t pretend to be a victim after you jumped in and got hit for no reason.”
“Alright, stop there.”
At that moment, as if he had been waiting for this exact moment, a male student appeared.
Then he naturally stepped between Rosalyn and us.
“Brother!”
My sister already seemed to know who the male student was.
“Aiden senior.”
Finally, he appeared.
I looked carefully at the male student standing before me.
Smooth silver hair reaching his shoulders, clear blue eyes, and a smart appearance with glasses.
With a constant smile on his face, he always gave off a relaxed feeling.
The only older male lead candidate in Academy Love♡ ~Who Is the Male Lead?~
Rosalyn Carter’s biological older brother.
That was Aiden Carter.
“Rosalyn, I will give you a chance to explain what is happening here.”
Although Aiden’s expression was smiling, his words were extremely cold.
It did not feel like he was speaking to his own younger sister.
“Brother, you know that I will soon become engaged to His Highness the Crown Prince. But this Vardedor woman shamelessly refuses to leave His Highness’s side. I was only trying to give her advice as the future Crown Princess.”
“So because she refused to listen, you raised your hand?”
“I was only going to scare her a little! The younger Vardedor sister just happened to get hit because she suddenly blocked me!”
“Rosalyn, apologize.”
“Are you telling me to apologize to her?”
“Yes. No matter the reason, you did hit her.”
Rosalyn looked quite unwilling to accept it and tried to say something more, but after seeing Aiden’s warning gaze, she turned her head away and said,
“…I won’t.”
“Say it so she can hear.”
“I’m sorry!”
As soon as Rosalyn finished apologizing, she led her group away from the backyard and left.
