Chapter 2
“Broken Engagement and a Fake Lover!? The Cunning Plan of the Tsundere Young Lady”
“…That way of talking is so annoying!”
At Roselia Royal Academy of Magic, a prestigious school attended by the children of nobles, an unusually heated argument was unfolding.
On one side, the academy’s queen and daughter of a duke: Luthia von Valenstein.
On the other, a Kansai-dialect-speaking teacher who had suddenly appeared: Kai Cross.
They were arguing upon first meeting. And to make matters worse, the stage of their quarrel was the “fountain square”—the most conspicuous place, where all the nobles gathered.
“Hey… what did I even do? I was just watching from behind!”
“That’s exactly why it’s unpleasant! You’ve been speaking in that weird way all this time, and it’s so vulgar!”
(Wow… she’s literally a textbook villainess…)
Kai sighed but continued analyzing the situation calmly in his head.
As he suspected, this place was undoubtedly the setting of the otome game Rose of Fate.
And Luthia was depicted in the game as the “villainess young lady” who torments the heroine and ultimately meets her downfall.
(Ah… this is exactly the “broken engagement event” in progress…)
Right in front of him, the kingdom’s first prince, Leon Adelheit, declared loudly:
“Luthia, I no longer have feelings for you. I must break our engagement.”
“…What…? Why?”
“I have someone else I care for. That’s all.”
(Filia, right. Just like in the game… But these people have no idea, do they…)
For the prince, the heroine, and Luthia herself, this was no game event—it was real life.
For the one being rejected, this wasn’t a “bad ending”; it was the collapse of her life.
Then—
“…Commoner scum! What are you staring at?!”
“Me!?”
For some reason, Luthia’s anger was directed at Kai.
“Were you enjoying watching a woman whose engagement was broken? Typical of a commoner—terrible taste!”
“No, no, no! That’s not it! I wasn’t watching for fun! I just happened to pass by!”
“Don’t make excuses in that ridiculous language!”
(Ugh… I thought “tsundere villainess” in the game would be simple, but she’s way too much to deal with as a real human…!)
◆◇◆
That night.
Kai was exhausted back in his dorm room when there was a knock on the door.
“…Um… Teacher Cross?”
“…Who is it? I don’t have the energy to talk today…”
The door swung open, and there she was—the very person he had argued with earlier that day: Luthia von Valenstein.
Despite her noble air, her expression was somewhere between desperate and pleading.
“Wh-what are you doing?! It’s common sense that a girl shouldn’t come to a man’s room at night!”
“…Please. Just a little time.”
Reluctantly, Kai let her in. As soon as she sat in a chair, she lowered her gaze.
“…My engagement with the prince is truly over. Now I am the ‘unclaimed young lady.’”
“Th-that’s… tough…”
“If this continues, I’ll be shunned by high society, and no future engagement prospects will come my way. I’ll immediately be treated as a ‘used woman.’”
Her words were cold, but her voice trembled.
(Ah… this is the same scene from the game. The ruin flag has triggered, and the young lady is cornered…)
Kai, recalling the game, realized that this girl wasn’t just a “character”—she was a real human being.
“But… there’s nothing I can do, right?”
“There is.”
She looked Kai squarely in the eyes.
“You’re not a noble, not royal, not from a prestigious family. You’re an ‘unknown teacher’ who no one notices… That’s exactly why you can be the perfect disguise.”
“……You mean… that…”
“Yes. Become my ‘fake lover.’ Act as my bodyguard, my shield, my ally.”
“Whaaaat!?”
“If people see that we are in a relationship, the prince will panic, and the nobles will be cautious. It’s a way to secure a new position for me.”
“Ah… but I’m just a teacher. I just want to hand out candy, open textbooks, and live quietly…”
“Then just give me that candy every day. That’s all. The contract is settled.”
“I… don’t even understand!”
Luthia’s proposal was outrageous, but Kai eventually agreed.
The reason was simple:
“…I just felt a little sorry for you. Being humiliated in front of so many people… I couldn’t leave you like that.”
Luthia widened her eyes.
(…This man is unusual.)
He was not a noble, had no achievements, no prestigious family—but somehow, he had a look that seemed to see right through to the heart.
◆◇◆
The next morning.
In the academy classroom:
“Good morning. I’m Kai Cross, and I’ll be in charge of this class from now on. I speak in Kansai dialect, so don’t mind it.”
The classroom fell silent.
At the back, Luthia covered her mouth with her hand and whispered softly:
“…Even though it’s annoying… this voice is strangely addictive.”
Meanwhile…
Prince Leon received a report:
“Your Highness, there are rumors that the duchess’s daughter has an ‘intimate relationship’ with the academy’s math teacher…”
“…That woman? With a teacher? No way. With such an ordinary commoner… impossible.”
Yet—something prickled painfully deep in his chest.
