Chapter : 7
From the Bad Ending Route, I’ll Save You
Emerald Garden and Freya
Five days later, the news I’d been waiting for finally arrived.
“Did you see the notice on the board?”
“Is everyone crazy? How did Lord Aron catch her? This is why commoners are hopeless.”
I was leaving the library when some students, chattering excitedly, walked past us—shoving Pina aside as they did.
“Ah!”
“Ew, commoner germs!”
“Hey, hey, she might steal something. Hurry!”
What the—? Are they insane?
I was about to say something, but Pina grabbed my arm and rubbed her own.
“Don’t worry about it. Uh… I-I have something urgent. I’ll go first.”
“Huh? Oh—okay.”
Pina disappeared quickly. Weird. Was something going on? I started to worry.
Then I remembered—today was the day Aron promised to contact me. I headed straight to the main hall.
On the first floor stood a magical bulletin tree. News hung from its branches like fruit. One massive sheet drew every eye in the hall.
『It has been confirmed that the culprit in the theft of Lady Freya and Lord Aron’s graduation thesis is Sally Wright, Lady Freya’s page.
She was apprehended on site by Aron of House Xennight, attempting to sell the stolen work to repay her family’s debt.
She has confessed to all charges. Punishment will be handed down directly by House Lartea.』
The students gathered around the tree were stunned.
“Sally was the culprit? Has the world gone mad?”
“Do you not remember the stunts she pulled just because she was Lady Freya’s page?”
“Knew she’d get what was coming.”
Gossip buzzed through the hall.
Oh, so it’s today. The day Sally disappears from the game.
I had eliminated the game’s top villainess by teaming up with Aron.
So he should contact me any moment now…
I headed toward my dorm with a light step, and just as expected, found a short letter placed at my door. I bent down and opened it.
『I’ll keep my promise. Come to the Emerald Garden by 12:30.』
I glanced at the clock embedded in the angel statue in the corridor.
12:15.
Perfect timing.
The Emerald Garden—kept warm by heating magic—bloomed like spring, despite the deep winter outside. Butterflies and bees fluttering through the air felt surreal.
“You keep time well. Not bad.”
Aron sat on a bench, checking his pocket watch, long legs crossed arrogantly. He watched me lazily, but with a satisfied expression.
Looks like he’s in a good mood. Must be happy he got rid of Sally.
Seeing that smug smile made me feel like I’d really accomplished something.
He stood and handed me a bottle containing a shimmering golden liquid.
“This is what you wanted, right? ‘Tears of Laotis.’”
“Yes, it is.”
I’d only seen it in game graphics before—but up close, Tears of Laotis gleamed so beautifully it made magic feel undeniably real.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
I bowed lightly and turned to leave, but Aron strode in front of me, casting a massive shadow.
“Wait. Freya wants to see you.”
“Lady Freya?”
Aron sighed, fiddling with his tie.
“Yeah. Says she wants to hear the details. Come and talk.”
“…All right.”
He guided me toward Freya.
She wants to ask about Sally? Just as I expected!
After winding through the maze-like trees, we reached a lake and a Western-style gazebo.
Freya stood there, brushing aside her long silver hair. Her bright blue eyes met mine—but something felt off.
The confident girl I’d seen at the cafeteria was gone. She looked so sad that even a stranger would feel heavy-hearted.
Aron sighed as he approached her.
“How long are you going to stay like that?”
“…What do you mean.”
Her voice cracked. Aron spoke reluctantly.
“You’ve been like this ever since you saw Sally yesterday.”
Freya didn’t answer for a long time.
Ah… so it’s this event. Just as I thought…
This was the event where, after learning Sally’s true nature, Freya spirals into despair.
(The dialogue-heavy scene follows; I’m skipping annotation here because it’s a direct translation in narrative form.)
Freya eventually asked me, in a hollow voice:
“How did you know Sally stole it?”
“I saw her… trading something with a suspicious person. So I told Lord Aron.”
“I see. And… Pina didn’t get dragged into anything, did she?”
“Huh? Pina…?”
Why bring up Pina?
“Yeah. I’m worried Yelina’s group might’ve done something again.”
Lightning struck through my mind.
Yelina’s taunts.
Pina being shoved moments ago.
Freya muttered like she was blaming herself.
“So it was foolish of me to trust Sally… This is… this is my fault.”
Her shoulders trembled. She was fighting so hard not to cry that I couldn’t speak.
She’s worse than in the game.
My heart pounded.
I’d planned everything perfectly—
until a rock to the head reminder hit:
Freya expels Sally in MAY.
By that time, the protagonist Raven is already reforming the school’s class system.
But right now?
Freya defended Pina—a commoner—publicly.
And now her own page, also a commoner, was exposed as a thief.
The nobles would never let this go quietly.
They would mock Freya nonstop.
And Freya would hear every word.
I’d accelerated Sally’s downfall.
There were benefits—but I ignored the timing.
And now the situation was worse than the game.
If Freya’s wounds aren’t healed properly, she goes home over break, drinks poisoned tea sent by the First Prince’s spy, and—too tired to fight—lets herself die, thinking of Sally, the friend who betrayed and saved her all at once.
“No one cares about me… Everyone just uses me…”
Bad ending.
No. Focus. Save her. I can’t let Freya fall just to survive myself.
I couldn’t fail—not after coming this far.
“Anyway, thank you,” Freya said.
“Because of you, I didn’t get fooled again. Thank you for having the courage to act.”
“No, I…”
Her graceful smile stabbed my heart.
What should I do?
What do I say?
The only words that surfaced spilled out.
“…I hope you won’t be hurt because of Sally.”
I meant to sound calm—but my voice shook.
“…Thank you.”
Freya smiled weakly.
Aron looked away in silence.
Now what? No dialogue options left. This is hard.
My brain froze—I was only an expert in bad endings.
“T-thank you for the potion. I’ll use it well. Excuse me.”
And like an idiot, I escaped the garden.
I turned back, worried.
Freya was looking right at me—unable to tear her gaze away.
Freya, don’t fall into your bad ending.
Suddenly, memories of the game’s Freya flooded over me.
