DFCWD 77

Chapter 77

Betty spread news of Pasta’s misdeeds at an incredible speed.

Among them, the most sensational was probably the story that she was too embarrassed to approach the marquis’s son herself, so she had someone else do it for her, then tried to steal the result afterward.

A few days later, Pasta was expelled. The sight of her mother dragging her out of the school by her hair was truly something to behold.

In the original story, Fruhling, the girl who bullied the heroine, ended up in that state after self-destructing. It seems every household treats its problem children in a similar way.

“I should have known ever since you bullied your little sister. I should’ve locked you up back then!” “Mother, please let go of me! Aagh!” “Let go? Ha! From now on your home is the wardrobe. Don’t expect to come out for a year!”

And so, one of my small goals was accomplished.

I had wanted to build a wide network of connections here, but Pasta made the noble ladies’ circle so tight-knit that it was impossible to break into.

But the moment I knocked Pasta down, the children naturally began to mingle. Yes, this is how school should be.

Actually, I had one worry.

Would someone try to dig up weaknesses on the remaining noble children and use them? That’s exactly how I’d been ruined in the past.

The moment I confessed I’d been scammed, the people who heard it turned around and made me their next target.

…But this time, it didn’t happen. Because one of the ladies confessed her own “weakness” first.

Her father had been swindled, her family went bankrupt, and she had enrolled here because it was the cheapest school. She had been ashamed and tried to hide it, which allowed Pasta to use it against her.

“It wasn’t something I should’ve been ashamed of… But because I let Pasta hold it over me, I ended up isolating Sol for so long. I’m sorry.”

After that honest confession, no student ever mentioned the word “weakness” again.

Even if it was only surface-level consideration, it was enough. Nobody had to be hurt anymore. What a relief…

Watching nobles and commoners alike playing together afterward was truly a joy.

Seraphina smiled from behind me.

“Sol, you created this peaceful scene.”

“…”

“The rumor about you being some shadowy information broker? That’s nonsense. I know you’re really a good kid.”

I’m not a good person. Inside, I’m pitch-black, always scheming how to use others.

Especially you, Seraphina. I keep trying to push you forward like you’re some universal mental cure-all.

…And yet.

“Thank you for bringing us peace, Sol.”

When I received her thanks alongside her bright smile, I honestly—

I didn’t want to turn her words into lies.

“…Thank you, Seraphina.”

Just for that moment, I decided to let myself be considered a good kid.

I’d like to say things ended warmly, but one problem remained.

Last Wednesday, I had tricked Kai—pretending to set him up with Roll-Bun, but giving him a false time and place.

Of course, I had intended to send Seraphina instead. Kai is the second male lead—so naturally, he needed to meet the heroine first, right?

But when I passed along the plan, Seraphina shook her head.

“I don’t want to.”

“Eh? Why not?”

Sweet, gentle Seraphina had answered firmly with ‘I don’t want to.’ Had she heard something bad about Kai?

“Kai’s a good guy! He’s really kind!”

Probably true.

But Seraphina still shook her head.

“Wasn’t it originally Lady Fruhling who was supposed to go? Then it should be Lady Fruhling who talks to him. That’s what Sir Alkaeos will be expecting too, right?”

In other words—Roll-Bun.

After giving me that serious advice, Seraphina smiled brightly.

“I might be too rigid, even frustrating. But I only want you, Sol, to make choices you won’t be ashamed of!”

So dazzling I could go blind.

What started as persuasion ended like a counseling session. And after that, I actually went to Roll-Bun’s room to ask.

“Fruhling. H-hey, don’t shut the door! Do you maybe actually want to meet Kai one-on-one?”

Roll-Bun didn’t buy it.

“Get lost! There’s no way someone as full of wicked schemes as you would sincerely invite me!”

“N-no, I just… I want to do something I won’t be ashamed of—”

“Eeek, what nonsense! No daughter of House Schlaeger would ever think something that noble! Don’t say such scary things, just leave, please!”

“…”

Thrown out.

Why is Seraphina growing more angelic by the day while I’m just getting more certified as a demon?

Ugh, everyone in the candidate pool rejected me. Am I supposed to take responsibility for the promise myself now?

But the thought of meeting Kai again makes my heart pound.

I was the one who unilaterally declared our breakup two years ago, so it’s awkward… And the way Kai has suddenly grown up makes him feel like a complete stranger.

So I even asked other nobles if they would meet him, but no one accepted. The reasons varied:

“My family’s status makes it awkward,” “I already have plans that day,” “If Pasta hears about it later, who knows what she’ll do—it’s scary,” and so on.

In the end, the one who ended up sitting at that time and place I told Kai… was me.

Late Friday afternoon, the one day dorm managers overlooked students coming back late. I went to the tea house behind the Great Temple to meet Kai.

He had arrived before the appointed time and was already seated.

“Kai!”

“Oh, Lady. You’re he—…?”

Until the moment he turned, Kai looked every bit the perfect prince, welcoming a princess from a neighboring kingdom.

But the instant he saw me, the prince vanished—replaced by a puppy who’d just spotted a squirrel.

Kai’s eyes went wide, and he jumped to his feet, reaching out to grab me.

I tried to flee, but his large hand instantly caught my shoulder. A shiver of cold ran down my spine, like a mouse snatched by an eagle.

“Kyaa! What are you doing all of a sudden?”

“I didn’t expect you! How are you here? You said it wouldn’t be you!”

“Well, it’s kind of a long story… Anyway, could you let go—”

“Oh, sorry!”

Kai quickly clasped his hands behind his back, as if to emphasize he was no threat. The military-straight posture didn’t match the excited, bumbling words spilling out.

“If it’s long, that’s great! I like long stories! Tell me, okay? For a long, long time!”

The predatory fear from a moment ago vanished instantly. Now he was chattering like a golden retriever puppy.

…But still, what was that chill I felt earlier?

We soon sat across from each other on the tea house terrace.

It was only the first floor, so the view wasn’t much. Still, I muttered “Nice view” and stared only outside, because Kai’s gaze burned too intensely.

Ugh, maybe I should distract him with conversation.

“Did you hear about the recent incident at Grüner Wand?”

“Nope!”

“Oh… It was pretty big news.”

“I don’t have any way to hear society gossip.”

Huh? Didn’t he come here to take part in social circles? Usually noblemen were busy attending banquets and building connections in salons.

“Kai, did you come with your grandfather?”

“I came alone. Grandfather doesn’t have the stamina anymore.”

“Oh dear, that must be—wait, that’s not the point! You came alone?”

“Haha, well, I did ride in someone else’s carriage. It was a long trip, I got tired.”

That’s not the issue here!

Kai deftly shifted the topic.

“Sol, did you come with your father? The servants were gossiping about it. Lord Schlaeger himself escorting his daughter in person, apparently.”

“Ugh, yeah. Honestly, my brothers would’ve been enough…”

“Seems your father is really thinking about your future. To personally bring you to a faraway school like this.”

“It was my idea to come to the capital. I need to study, and also make my society debut…”

The moment I mentioned a society debut, it felt like sparks lit in Kai’s eyes.

“Sol, you’re interested in the social scene?”

“Uh, yeah? I mean… as a lady, it’s something I have to take part in. Marriage too, and all that.”

“Marriage, huh.”

His eyes narrowed. But instead of fading, that spark inside them only grew stronger.

“So when you showed up at that gathering, was it because you were looking for a good match?”

“It’s complicated to explain.”

“Then explain. I like complicated, long explanations.”

“…”

He didn’t look like someone interested in the story itself—more like he just wanted me to sit in front of him for as long as possible.

His eyes kept roaming from the top of my head down to my chest at the table, then to the fingers holding my teacup. Maybe if I kept talking, he’d stop staring.

And besides, I owed him for using him to break up the noble girls’ cartel.

“There was this group of noble ladies at school—a cartel, basically.”

I started telling the story, skipping over the “weakness” part to protect their honor.

Kai was a good listener.

He got angry with me when nobles abused their status to trample commoners. He clapped at the satisfying parts. When the story turned bitter, he took my hand in both of his.

It didn’t seem fake. Probably this personality was why, in the original story, he got along so well with Seraphina. Even if it ended in unrequited love…

But the moment I remembered that, I felt like I’d been hit over the head.

In the original, Kai fell in love with Seraphina at first sight. But because he’d always insisted personality mattered more than looks, he denied even to himself that it was love at first sight.

By the time he admitted his feelings, Seraphina’s heart already belonged to Elber.

That love, born at first sight, ended the moment he realized it.

…I remember feeling so bitter reading that.

And yet I had been about to send Seraphina here anyway.

Even knowing Kai would be hurt…

The more I imagined it, the sicker I felt.

Sure, I was touched by the way he gave up the heroine in the original.

But would I really make him walk that thorny road again, just for my own sense of drama? That would make me no better than those documentary crews who come to orphanages begging for sad stories.

This boy, who’s happy just to see me again—how could I…

“Sol, what’s wrong all of a sudden?”

His expression shifted immediately.

“Are you sick? You don’t look well.”

“I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not!”

Kai suddenly stood and put his hand to my forehead.

No change in temperature. Still, he reached to my neck as if trying to find cold sweat, a racing heartbeat, any sign of illness.

His touch was so earnest I almost felt like I should be the one calming him.

…And then suddenly, I felt a strange chill in my lower stomach.

Wait. Don’t tell me…

“Kai. Hold on, I need the bathroom!”

“Ah… Oh, th-that’s what it was! Sure, go ahead, take your time!”

His face went bright red as he turned away. Whatever he thought it was, that’s not it!

I rushed into the tea house restroom, slapping the front of my muslin dress. A cold sensation leaked through the fabric.

“Hey, come out! You bit my stomach just now, didn’t you?”

“Grrr…”

Out popped the silver dragon my father had given me, crawling up my back.

“You lizard! What’s with you suddenly acting up after being quiet all this time?”

Its teeth were blunt, so it hadn’t really hurt—but I’d thought I had a stomachache, scared me half to death! I was about to scold it, but then noticed its expression was strange.

“Kyaaak! Krrk!”

“…You did it on purpose?”

“Screech!”

The dragon nodded. Was there a reason for that?

…Ah.

“Was it because Kai touched my neck?”

“Screech!”

“Oh, of course. No wonder—you really are my father’s lizard. But you don’t need to worry, I can handle it.”

“Krrrk!”

The dragon shook its head, triangular eyes narrowed. What on earth was it trying to say?

But if I stayed here too long, Kai might assume “so it really was diarrhea”—and that was absolutely unacceptable!

“This time, stay put!”