༺ First and Beginning ༻
The ends of the hair, curled into a spiral shape resembling a roll cake, gave rise to the nickname “roll bun hair,” a hairstyle commonly found in animations and webtoons.
Usually a distinguishing feature of important supporting characters rather than the main heroine, if only the ends of the hair are curled, it emphasizes elegance and maturity. If curled up to the mid-length, it gives off an elegant and lush feeling, and if tied in pigtails, it exudes the aura of a mischievous girl – this is precisely the roll bun hair.
Depending on the portrayal, it’s a style that can convey various atmospheres, but it’s somewhat a matter of personal taste, making it more suited for supporting roles than main characters.
The blonde woman who introduced herself as sitting diagonally behind Elden, fortunately (?), had roll bun hair with only the ends curled.
My taste…, no.
In any case, it was an unusual physical characteristic, and since she mentioned sitting diagonally behind, she seems to have been a classmate at the academy… But it doesn’t easily come to mind, which suggests I wasn’t particularly interested.
‘After all, Elden wouldn’t have been interested in a character that looks like an ordinary student.’
Elden would have preferred the look of a prickly fox or cat over that of an innocent puppy.
And the fact that I don’t remember her means, the fact that she smiled and greeted me first, it’s highly likely she was just an ordinary student who hasn’t gotten involved with the villainous Elden.
A brief silence followed.
Fortunately, I vaguely remembered the blonde roll bun hair girl who always buried her head in a novel in the seat diagonally behind me.
A student who was uninterested in academics and socializing.
A student who carried more novels in her bag than textbooks.
“Ariel… was it?”
“Yes! You finally remembered?”
Ariel answered with a bright smile.
A fellow classmate from the Royal Academy.
A person who would have been the academy’s worst trash due to Elden’s notorious past, but for some reason, she was someone I was hesitant to interact with, even though the title of the book she was holding, [The Return of the Demon God], was intriguing.
It was definitely the title of a fantasy novel.
I had assumed she would be interested in female-oriented romance novels, but contrary to appearance, she seemed to have a taste for male-oriented novels.
“I didn’t expect to run into you here, so I was a bit surprised.”
“Ha. I feel the same.”
Ariel, who made such a remark, again smiled mischievously and offered a handshake.
“Anyway, it’s nice to see you again.”
A delicate hand like white jade reached out.
After being possessed in another world, after being possessed by the villainous character Elden, it was the first handshake I received.
No, thinking about it, Ariel was the first to extend a greeting.
Unlike others who looked at me with awe or horror, Ariel conveyed a sincere kindness.
She must have known.
What kind of monster Elden Rapellion was.
Yet, the fact that she approached me without hesitation meant she probably had an indifferent personality, not interested in incidents or anything beyond novels, along with a sense of ‘unexpectedness.’
During her introduction, Ariel mentioned she lived in the Duchy of Tabir.
It’s a journey of at least fifteen days to the southwest from the northern territories.
Meeting someone you know in a distant land, in a strange place, is a pleasant event, and since memories have faded over time after graduating from the academy, it was easier for her to approach Elden, who was considered a villain, without hesitation.
In any case.
It’s about time to set aside unnecessary sentimentality and grasp Ariel’s hand.
“I’m glad to see you too.”
“Oh, by the way, I heard you made it to the final candidates of the engagement battle. Congratulations.”
Wondering if it was right to reply to the first greeting with bad news, but since there was no reason to hide it, I disengaged the handshake and responded indifferently.
“I withdrew.”
“…Huh?”
“I said I withdrew. From the final candidates.”
“What? Why?”
Ariel’s blue eyes widened.
The story enthusiast seemed to have found an interesting topic.
However, I didn’t want to elaborate, so I cut the conversation short.
“It doesn’t make sense for a person who has lived as a vile delinquent to become a duke’s husband.”
“…”
“So, I withdrew.”
“Ah… I see.”
With a single sigh, Ariel’s dilated pupils contracted.
Her parted lips also closed.
The contracted pupils wandered aimlessly.
The closed lips struggled to find something to say, rubbing against each other.
‘……’
It was an implicit agreement.
Acknowledging that a life of a vile delinquent cannot become a part of the grand ducal family.
And that withdrawing was the right decision.
But as a human being, it was impossible to verbalize that, resulting in silence and eyes wandering, not knowing what to fill them with.
It’s strange for someone who voluntarily withdrew in a critical moment to receive support, agreement, or consolation.
Unable to find an appropriate response, Ariel was caught in an awkward atmosphere.
“Ha, hahat. Well, I think you, you would have been fine… No, that’s not what I mean logically… It’s just, compared to the other candidates, you were, well, that…?”
Ariel ended up delivering a half-hearted mixture of encouragement and consolation.
It seemed as though a confession had occurred, but it didn’t matter.
Unintentionally, the situation became more embarrassing for the listener than for the person who withdrew, so it was naturally the respondent’s duty to take responsibility.
Chuckle.
Ariel’s flustered reaction was amusing, marking the first time since being possessed that laughter managed to escape my lips.
After being possessed by the villainous character Elden, there had been more reasons to scowl than to laugh.
However, I decided to think of the laughter as more of a sneer than genuine amusement.
“It’s fine. Anyway, the withdrawal hasn’t been officially processed, so I’m still technically a final candidate.”
“Eh? On hold…?”
“It’s the first time in the history of the engagement battle that a final candidate has withdrawn, so the ducal family seems to be confused.”
“Ah… I see.”
And with that, the topic of the withdrawal concluded briefly, and Ariel’s gaze turned to the seven-story book tower.
The engagement battle was probably out of Ariel’s interest anyway.
Whether I withdrew or won, she wouldn’t have cared.
To her, the seven-story book tower was a good way to dissolve the awkwardness.
Pointing at the seven-story book tower, Ariel asked.
“Are you planning to read all of these?”
“I’m thinking of just checking out one book from each. They all seem interesting, so it’s hard to decide.”
“Hm. But weren’t you not interested in novels before?”
“I thought I’d try to pick up a hobby now.”
“Ho… Is that so?”
Ariel’s blue eyes sparkled sharply for a moment.
Saliva coated her radiant red lips.
The gaze of a predator that has spotted its prey.
It didn’t take long to realize that this was the excited look of a veteran who had caught a newbie.
“Would you mind if I recommend some? Based on the books you’ve chosen, it seems like we have similar tastes.”
Just what I wanted.
“That would be great.”
“Yay! Then follow me!”
Ariel, excited, headed back to the literary corner.
It seemed none of the seven books chosen by the newbie had caught the veteran’s eye.
Needing someone to recommend a beginner’s book, Ariel’s help was like a ray of light to me.
In a medieval era where communities are not active, meeting someone with similar hobbies is harder than expected.
Thus, it was a joyous occasion.
Offering myself to a veteran eager to dive into the newbie’s world was mutually beneficial.
Thinking this, I willingly followed Ariel.
**
At the same time.
In Lermian’s laboratory, the experiment that had been temporarily halted was being resumed.
Bubble, bubble.
Clack, clack.
The first evaluation with the final candidates had ended.
More of a reconnaissance than an evaluation, and as expected, the flow went as planned.
Deron, Kyle, Blund.
The message was delivered as planned to these three.
The taste of forced swallowing of loathing, the deeper and more pungent it becomes, was conveyed.
However.
It seems that the message was not delivered to Elden Rapellion, the only one, but it was just the beginning.
There was plenty of time left, and numerous opportunities remained.
Although Lermian had suffered two defeats, to a researcher of perseverance, failure is a good nourishment, so it was accepted with humility.
This experiment involved storing condensed mana in a specially crafted alchemical crystal.
If successful, it would be quite useful for magicians.
Therefore.
After completing a perfect analysis of the four subjects of revenge following the first meeting, Lermian, wearing a lab coat, was stirring a solution in a triangular flask.
The experiment was proceeding smoothly and was nearing its end.
It should have been completed much earlier, but the emergence of the significant variable known as Elden Rapellion caused a delay in the schedule.
A competent researcher must adhere to plans and sequences and strive for perfection.
Especially since magic and alchemy are undeveloped territories of exploration, handling complex and unstable crystals like broken glass, where even a speck of dust can change the outcome.
Moreover, there is always an unexpected risk.
Everything had to be perfect, and all experimental conditions and circumstances had to be under the researcher’s control.
Therefore.
The uncontrolled decision named Elden Rapellion inevitably irritated the researcher’s nerves.
An intractable problem was frustrating, to say the least.
Of course, the thrill of overcoming and solving a difficult problem was a significant motivation.
“Ha…”
Lermian, absent-mindedly stirring the solution in the flask, sighed and cleared her mind.
It was the climax of a devoted experiment.
Having already experienced disruptions in the schedule, it was necessary to shake off any distractions.
“…Is there something wrong?”
Marien, who was assisting her while leaning on a cane, cautiously asked.
She seemed different today.
Because when an experiment reached its final stage, Lermian was always excited.
Instead of sighing, she should have been humming a tune.
“Marien.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Do you think a person’s nature can change?”
Faced with an unrelated question, Marien answered thoughtfully.
“Well… If there’s a specific reason, perhaps it’s possible.”
“……”
After a moment of silence, Lermian narrowed her eyes and stared at the swirling solution in the flask.
“I think it never changes. Nature is a law that doesn’t allow for exceptions.”
Lermian poured the swirling solution over the special crystal.
She had devoted her heart and soul, considered all possibilities of failure, and sought perfection.
It had been a flawless experiment until now.
She had assured success.
Crack!
If only the sound of the crystal breaking hadn’t been heard.
Then.
Pop! Puff! Puff!
Like fireworks exploding, like water being poured into boiling oil, mana solution exploded in all directions.
The entire laboratory began to resemble a canvas splattered with colorful paint, announcing a festival with its annoyingly explosive solutions.
The explosion sounds were even cheerfully sharp.
And this explosion, so annoyingly and regrettably similar to someone, was a failure.
Psh… Sss.
The perfect experiment ended in failure at the last moment.
What went wrong?
It was a controlled, perfect experiment.
After the explosion ceased, Lermian looked down at the shattered special crystal and laughed as if she had lost her mind.
“…Ha, haha…, haha, ha.”
The laboratory, now colorful with various hues, was filled with the disillusioned laughter of a researcher who had fallen at the final stage of the experiment.
And.
For Marien, who had served the lady, it was the first time hearing such a despondent laugh.
‘Sc, scary…’
