Chapter : 9
I’ll Save You All in the Bad Ending Route
Tea Party at the Emerald Garden
Yerina only then tried to use magic to climb out of the trash heap. But I pressed her back down firmly with a hand full of mana.
“Argh! What are you doing!”
She struggled against my magic, then collapsed weakly. Yerina glared at me, on the verge of tears.
“Haven’t come to your senses yet? What are you staring like that for?”
“You… you… crazy b****! Pretending to be all nice! I knew you were—!”
“Yeah, you didn’t expect this, huh? Sweet little me acting like this? Must’ve been fun bullying me all that time, right?”
Yerina shook violently to break free, but she couldn’t do anything. She began to cry, her face looking pitifully twisted.
“I-I’m not gonna… let you get away with this…! You ruined orphan trash from the Chandlers, who do you think you—!”
“Really? You think it’s sad I’m an orphan?”
Yerina, I don’t miss a thing.
“But I think you’re sadder. Your dad is so strict you have to act sweet in front of him.”
“What?”
“You forged your grades last year before handing them in, right?”
Yerina’s face turned black, like she was about to puke.
“H-how do you know that…”
“Should I send the real report card to your father?”
“S-stop…”
“Even if I just whisper it to a professor, the news would—”
“I said STOP!”
She panted, then sagged deeper into the trash pile. Yerina looked up at me.
“S-stop… stop… I… I’ll…”
“You’ll what?”
“I was wrong! Please don’t!”
Sweat and tears rolled down her cheeks. She finally understood.
Who was on top.
Satisfied, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the trash. Then I whispered into her ear.
“Yerina, behave at school. I don’t want to talk about this either. If things explode, I get annoyed too.”
Suddenly I remembered how she and her cronies spread awful rumors about Prea.
“And don’t you dare breathe a single word about Lady Prea. Don’t let the sound ‘P’ leave your lips. Got it?!”
Yerina clenched her fists and bit her lips hard. She reeked of garbage.
“I said, got it!”
“Y-yeah… I get it…”
I lifted my hand from her shoulder. Yerina staggered like a broken doll and slowly walked out of the dump.
She was so shocked she didn’t even try to brush the trash off her hair. I waited until she left, cleaned up the heap, and stepped out.
‘School life’s about to be chill for the next year. Maybe not for her, though.’
She’ll tiptoe around me now, afraid I’ll rat her out.
She’ll learn firsthand what it feels like to get bullied.
“Ah~ much better.”
I stretched luxuriously.
‘Don’t mess with someone who’s logged 2,000 hours.’
Now the only one left was Prea.
‘With Yerina’s gang shut up, rumor damage drops. Prea’s healing difficulty just tanked. Maybe I should bring a gift… No, plan the comforting lines first—’
Then someone stepped out from behind a tree.
“…You’re really something else.”
I froze like a thief caught in the act.
It was Prea.
“I didn’t mean to listen… I just heard loud noises while passing by…”
She looked troubled.
Ah. So she heard everything.
I couldn’t say a word.
“Sally told me Yerina was just a bit rough around the edges but kind and sweet. All of it was a lie, huh.”
Her face was bitter. My heart twinged.
No—this might be my chance.
“But why did you defend me? Who are we to each other?”
“Sorry?”
“Whatever Yerina spreads about me… It’s… partly true.”
“What are you talking about?!”
Prea’s eyes sharpened.
“I did go overboard protecting Sally. And yes, Aaron got hurt because of me. I have no eye for people. I’m stupid and—”
“How is any of that your fault?! Sally tricked you—!”
“So what! My actions meant nothing! Because I defended her, she hurt others! And the graduation project, too! If I had doubted her even a little, Aaron and I would’ve graduated properly!”
It looked like tears could spill at any second.
“I believed Sally…”
Hearing Prea say this made me sick—because I remembered her in-game lines.
‘I’m on your side, always! Don’t be afraid! Even if the world collapses, I’ll believe you!’
I realized I knew exactly what to say to her.
“Lady Prea, I like that about you. The way you believe in the person you choose to trust.”
Her blue eyes widened.
“You trusted Sally because she once saved you, right? That’s gratitude. You didn’t look down on a maid’s life. You repaid kindness. That loyalty—it’s something I admire.”
“But…”
She flinched, biting her lip. Then, brushing her hair back, she gave a tiny laugh.
“And what do you want from me?”
“…Huh?”
“Why are you so passionate about me? Do you want my page seat or something?”
Her lips curled into a dry smile. I felt breathless.
Sally’s words were stuck in her heart like a barbed arrow.
I exhaled slowly. I thought of Prea’s bad end—the one I knew by heart.
“No. I don’t want anything like that.”
“Then what?”
“I want you to have a happy ending. Without getting hurt.”
“What…?”
She stared at me, bewildered.
“You trusted Sally, yes. But it’s not like you were stupid. You were deceived.”
Prea shook her head desperately.
“If I just hadn’t been fooled—!”
“Then now you won’t be fooled. You’ve learned something. You’ve grown.”
Her blue eyes lifted to mine. I held their gaze.
“Please stop acting like all of this is your fault. Don’t hate yourself for trusting someone. You’re someone who can form friendships regardless of status—and remain loyal. That’s good. The bad ones are Sally and Yerina, who exploited that. Never forget that.”
“….”
“You drove Sally out. Now, you can choose better people for your side. Don’t let a liar’s words make you forget yourself. I like you better when you stand tall.”
That’s how you grow.
A cold wind swept past.
Prea’s voice leaked out, tight and trembling.
“Is that… true…?”
Then the tears fell.
“Is it…? I only had Sally… only believed her… I was so stupid… And Aaron… I’m sorry for him too…”
“It must really hurt.”
“Sally… how much I… how much…”
Six years of friendship.
There must’ve been real good moments—even if one side forged them.
And she must’ve been a far better friend than Sally ever deserved.
“Don’t let anyone like Sally shake you again.”
Make better friends next time.
Like the protagonist, Raven.
Prea stood crying quietly until she calmed down.
After she recovered, Prea asked if I’d walk with her a bit. She stared up at the sky, cooling her eyes in the chill air, and murmured:
“My heart feels lighter now. Thanks for saying all that.”
“No problem. I’m glad it helped.”
Her slightly reddened eyes sparkled with relief. I felt relieved too.
We walked around Mirror Lake in silence. The pristine water reflected us perfectly. Sunlight danced over the ripples, warming us.
“A little chilly to walk.”
“True. Want to head back?”
“No, stay. Walking helps.”
“Sure.”
Our small talk drifted—from school to friends, studies, family.
Before we knew it, we were laughing side by side. It reminded me of walking home from school with friends.
To think I’m chatting with a game character like this.
Beaming, Prea said:
“You’re so strange… It feels like I’ve known you forever. Why did I only meet you now?”
Not wrong.
I’ve spent 2,000 hours with you. I already knew your best parts.
I just smiled.
“Yeah. I feel the same.”
“…Maybe I really should make new friends now. Won’t you come to my tea party next time?”
Her shy smile was like a freesia bloom.
“I’d love to.”
My goal was to capture Prea and Aaron’s routes. Somewhere along the way, I became Prea’s friend. A real friend, it seemed. I was thrilled.
The first bad-end flag had safely passed.
At the promised lunchtime tea party, I brought Pina with me to the Emerald Garden.
“It’s my first time coming in here.”
Yerina’s group never bothered us again. Either my threat worked or they scattered like cockroaches whenever they saw me. Rumors said I beat her up in a dumpster, but no one believed it.
Iraine was known as a sweet kid, Yerina a delinquent. Easy math.
Her clique fell apart and everyone focused on that mess instead. Yerina got exactly what she sowed. Refreshing. The next year would be quiet.
We entered through the garden door. Prea was setting up tea.
“Welcome.”
“Hello Lady Prea! Thanks for inviting us!”
“Sit. Do you like sweet tea or bitter?”
We sat in a little circle, unpacking desserts. Then a very unladylike presence popped up.
“Well, I’ll be going.”
Aaron got up from under a tree—apparently reading.
“Why? Why not join us?”
Prea teased, and Aaron scowled.
“Should I? You need less sugar in your life.”
He approached, and Prea pulled the basket close.
“Nope. Go away. Nothing for you.”
“Shame.”
Thanks to Sally’s sabotage disappearing, the cousins would no longer be driven apart. As he passed me, Aaron muttered:
“…Better than Sally, anyway.”
I gave him a proud smile.
Prea placed cake slices on our plates.
“Forget that gloomy lump. Enjoy our lady’s tea party.”
“Thank you so much! And I’m really sorry about spilling soup last time…”
“It’s fine. Really. Honestly, I’m glad that happened—let me meet you two.”
That’s how I enjoyed my first peaceful tea party in this world.
So this is what desserts taste like here.
