Chapter 32
Ash told Violet to do only two things today.
The first was to greet Bluedin confidently when she saw him.
Bluedin stared at her blankly, his mouth opening and closing. Then he spoke belatedly.
“What on earth is that look?”
At that moment, Ash wrapped an arm around Violet’s shoulders and gently pulled her closer.
“What urgent business do you have that you’re wandering around in such a pathetic state? If you had even a shred of manners, it would be more beneficial to the world for you to give up your own life instead. How pitiful.”
Ash said it calmly.
Bluedin turned his head toward Ash, grinding his teeth.
“What do you think you’re doing, clinging to my fiancée?”
Oh, please. Fiancée?
A scoff escaped Violet without her even trying.
“I hear Violet has already conveyed her intention to annul the engagement to your father.”
Ash’s voice dropped.
“T-that’s…”
“Putting your arm around my girlfriend’s shoulder, or dressing her up beautifully, is none of your business.”
That was the second thing Ash had asked her to do.
To tell Bluedin that they were dating.
‘Will that plan really work?’
She wondered, but there had been a similar scene in the Lady Rosniss novel. Violet figured she had nothing to lose.
‘But… it’s working?’
Bluedin’s face turned bright red as he spoke to Violet.
“Say it yourself, Violet. Is what this bastard’s saying true?”
Violet looked at Bluedin as if he were pathetic. Then she tightly grasped Ash’s hand.
“Bluedin, think about it logically. I’m a knight too. How could I possibly feel attracted to a weakling like you? It’s only natural to be drawn to someone special and strong like Ash.”
“…You…”
“You always looked down on me anyway, so isn’t it better for both of us that I met Ash? People should live their lives with someone on their own level.”
Bluedin stood there with his mouth hanging open, as if turned to stone.
“Choosing Ash over a trivial, weak, and stupid man like you is only natural. You could call it a perfect collaboration between instinct and reason. If you were in my position, you’d have done the same.”
She did it.
‘Right now, I feel just like Lady Rosniss.’
A wave of exhilaration surged through her heart.
She even felt liberated. The sense of accomplishment from having done something was a bonus.
‘I’m not the insignificant idiot Bluedin always said I was.’
To think she’d be able to say something like this right to the face of the man who had constantly chipped away at her self-esteem.
Bluedin was nothing. In fact, if Ash or she herself really wanted to, they could knock him down anytime.
As proof, Bluedin couldn’t say a word right now.
“You dare say that to me and then—”
No, it was more than that. Bluedin looked as though he were melting, like liquid slumping down.
“Don’t worry, I’ll live happily and safely, so go to your father and tell him about our broken engagement while crying.”
Violet said gently. This time, the words flowed as naturally as water.
“Shall we go, Violet?”
Ash said. Violet lightly rested her hand on Ash’s arm.
“Violet, you’re making a huge mistake right now. Do you understand?”
Bluedin shouted belatedly. Honestly, it wasn’t threatening at all. If anything, it sounded like the dying cry of a loser.
“Stay here.”
Ash released Violet’s hand and quickly walked toward Bluedin.
“Oh, I hear you’ve been hurling quite a lot of insults at her all this time. This is repayment for that.”
Smiling softly, Ash drove his fist into Bluedin’s nose once more.
Thud!
With a dull cracking sound, Bluedin collapsed onto the ground.
‘So Ash is the type who hits someone, then hits them again… That’s amazing.’
Violet marveled.
Bluedin was foaming at the mouth.
“Bluedin, it’s not over yet. Wait for the final word.”
Installment payment. For Bluedin, who had provoked such boundless rage, Violet decided to give him a carefully prepared gift.
“Oh, right, you idiot.”
Ash leaned down toward Bluedin.
“Before you run off to your father and whine, read this. It was interesting, wasn’t it?”
Ash smiled as he handed something to Bluedin.
Then, holding Violet’s hand, he slowly turned away.
The two of them walked in silence for a while.
The place where they eventually stopped was a small library.
There were large and small libraries scattered throughout the academy, but most of them were usually completely empty.
“Violet, are you okay?”
Was that even a question? Violet’s heart was overflowing with pure joy.
“Ash, thank you so much!”
Violet turned back to Ash with a bright smile. Unable to contain her good mood, she lightly hugged his shoulder.
Ash’s body stiffened completely. He stared at Violet without moving, then grabbed her arms.
“A… Ash?”
“Well, I’m glad you’re happy.”
Ash looked at Violet’s eyelashes for a moment, then stepped back.
“Sorry, I got too familiar. I just couldn’t hide my excitement… Your plan worked perfectly, Ash. I can’t believe it was this easy.”
Ash reacted a few seconds slower than usual today.
“I told you, it was nothing.”
“But are you really okay, Ash? I’m worried you might become enemies with Bluedin’s family. What if your future gets ruined because of it?”
“Don’t worry. I actually enjoy ruining my life.”
“I’m the same. But rumors could spread that you’re dating me, you know.”
Even if Violet wasn’t complete trash, the bad reputation she’d built up so far wouldn’t just disappear.
But Ash was different. He had a bright future ahead of him, now and always.
“Both of us like ruining our lives, and according to Marin, the picture looks good when the two of us stand together.”
“……”
“At this point, aren’t we a pretty decent fake couple?”
Ash, watch what you say…
Violet thought desperately. Her heart had almost dropped just now.
‘Don’t forget—the terrifying side effect of handsome men.’
Come to think of it, they said heroes should keep their distance from beauties.
Being able to look at such a beauty beside her like a stone would be excellent mental training for a knight.
“But that bastard Bluedin—was he actually the type to like any woman in a skirt?”
Bluedin had actually been secretly in love with Marigold for a long time. That was why he’d been furious when he ended up engaged to Violet instead of Marigold.
But what was with that dazed reaction when he saw her today?
“People with low self-esteem tend to obsess over socially valuable partners.”
Ash said.
“So he reacted like that just because I put on some new clothes? Isn’t he an idiot?”
“You said it yourself. He is an idiot.”
“I don’t know why everything Bluedin used to say felt so right back then.”
“That’s the power of words.”
The power of words. Hearing that phrase made something come to mind.
[Say everything you think about that guy. All the words stuck in your heart. I’ll teach you how to refine them elegantly.]
If Marin had been polishing Violet’s outward appearance over the past few days, Ash had helped her hold a blade inside her.
A blade she could sharpen herself and use to protect herself.
Thankfully, thanks to advance learning through Lady Rosniss, it wasn’t as difficult as she’d expected.
“In that sense, Ash’s lessons in sharp-tongued remarks were perfectly timed too. It was like…”
Violet hesitated as she was about to bring up Lady Rosniss.
“Like?”
Ash asked.
“You might find it strange. There’s someone I really admire. It felt like I’d become that person.”
“Who is it?”
“You might think I’m foolish.”
“It’s fine. Go on.”
“It’s a novel called The Story of Lady Rosniss. It’s lighthearted, but… it means a lot to me.”
This time, Ash fell silent for a bit longer.
‘What’s wrong?’
“So, Lady Rosniss in the novel is special, you know? She’s confident, smart, and really good at delivering sharp remarks. Only when it’s necessary.”
Now Ash’s face was slowly starting to turn red. He turned his head away.
Even his ears were crimson.
“I think the person who wrote that novel must be a genius. Only someone thoughtful and warm-hearted could write something like that. Of course, it’s not exactly a refined novel, so it might seem silly.”
Ash grabbed Violet’s shoulder.
“You don’t have to talk about the novel anymore.”
“O-oh. Okay.”
“And it’s not silly.”
“…Really?”
Violet’s expression brightened.
“Having something you like that much isn’t a bad thing. …I mean it.”
“Yeah.”
Violet replied without thinking.
Then she noticed something odd about Ash, who seemed to be avoiding her gaze.
‘What is it? Has Ash read the Lady Rosniss novel before?’
No way. Violet dismissed the thought. It wasn’t that famous a novel to begin with.
