NOVEL NEXT Chapter 106
Trick!, it means I might specially consider dating you.
At that moment, memories of the first day I possessed this body rushed back.
Lev Denec was a third-rate villain.
He was the type who threw flirts at many female students, including Aria Bluebell and Melissa de Prominence.
-…
The pink-haired princess, Melissa, wore a face reminiscent of an anime tsundere.
With her beautifully wavy pink hair, matching rosy-red eyes, and a hint of blush,
if this were a romantic comedy,
it could’ve been a pivotal moment.
I pondered over what to say, and finally settled on the most appropriate reply.
“I see.”
“…?”
Melissa’s garnet-like eyes blinked in confusion.
That was the end of it.
I immediately brushed past her and headed towards Raphae Cheong-gwan…
“Le, Lev…? Wh-what…?”
Melissa seemed to possess more persistence than I expected.
Thud!
She dashed back in front of me.
“Did I hear you right…? I said I’d date you.”
“I know.”
“…Then what’s your answer…?”
“Rejection. Do I have to spell it out for you?”
“…!”
Melissa looked shocked.
Of course, I was the more shocked.
No matter how much Lev made the confession, to think she’d assumed I’d accept it without question!
Still, she was popular at the academy.
Except for Caeran, she must have always received attention.
It was painful for me to realize that her feelings for Edwin could be so lighthearted.
“Why…? I apologized just now.”
“…”
“And you liked me, didn’t you?”
Melissa continued with an expression that suggested disbelief.
“Oh, if it’s about needing money, just say it! I can support you enough from [Eternal Flame].”
Her tone still held a hint of haughtiness.
Not that I was interested in prolonging this conversation, but I had to say something.
“Hey, get a grip.”
“Um…?”
“With someone dying in the last raid, who do you think you want to date?”
“……… ”
Honestly, I understood her intentions.
She definitely wasn’t serious about dating me; she was just trying to use me to cover up what happened.
Her vision narrowed on that one goal, incapable of seeing the larger picture.
Flustered, Melissa seemed to want to hide her feelings and instead asked me,
“…What about you?”
“?”
“Isn’t it the same for you? You lured Aria Bluebell, didn’t you?”
Thinking she had seized control, Melissa started giving me suspicious looks.
“Wait, don’t tell me… you set this up intentionally? Getting me into trouble and pretending to save me to gain my favor?”
That was quite a bold provocation for her.
“…Not answering means it’s spot on, huh? You like Ria, don’t you? You did ask her out after I turned you down. Not that she treated you well…”
“Exactly.”
“!”
I answered while grinning.
And once again, Melissa’s expression shifted drastically.
To one of panic.
“W-wait a minute. Are you serious about that?”
“…”
My feelings toward the foundational characters remained unchanged.
“You like Ria…? Why, why on earth?”
“Before you get curious about that, how about focusing on writing the incident report?”
I thought there was no need to keep talking, so I turned to leave.
After all, everything would end tomorrow.
*
– Yeriel-senpai, what about this?
– Oh, this is a magic spell! I can help you!
In the cafeteria on the first floor of Raphae Cheong-gwan,
the pure white girl was assisting her juniors with assignments as usual.
While waiting for her to finish, I indulged myself in tea time after a long while.
“Oops!”
Jeriel finally spotted me and smiled brightly.
“That’s it for today! You can handle the rest on your own, right?”
“Yes…? Yes…”
She approached me softly, leaving her juniors with looks of regret.
“Lev…! You could’ve called me casually…!”
“Ah, you looked busy.”
“Have you been waiting long…?”
“No.”
That’s how the conversation came to an end.
I discreetly observed Jeriel, who seemed to have organized her thoughts, and finally spoke to me.
With her same fresh tone, she radiated a soft, sweet fragrance.
“This time too…”
“?”
“Thank you for once again keeping me safe… Lev…!”
I remembered receiving a cake that said ‘Thank you for being born’ during my time in reality.
But being born wasn’t exactly my achievement.
It felt awkward and somewhat embarrassing back then.
Now hearing something similar felt rather heartwarming.
After all, I really had almost died.
With a myriad of mixed feelings bottled up, I asked the girl who wore a smile.
“Aren’t you mad?”
Jeriel shook her head gently.
“No. I believe there must’ve been a reason this time too.”
Like Aria, it seemed she no longer simply viewed what happened to me as misfortune.
Considering she had always been right at my side, it was silly not to have realized.
“If it weren’t for you, this incident could have spiraled out of control. Thank you for saving the others, Lev…!”
Jeriel’s gratitude made me feel rather solemn.
“However… every time incidents like this occur, I start worrying about you.”
“…”
“I hope that if something similar happens again, we can face it together…”
It wasn’t exactly easy protecting the main characters in a hyper-difficult setting.
Starting with the water dragon sleeping under the lake, there were endless threats.
Not even from the perspective of [Reincarnated Hero], as they also needed to evolve.
“And… while I’m relieved that you keep coming back, I really am thankful, but… if there’s anything I can help with, please don’t hesitate to ask…!”
“Sure.”
“That… Ah, Aria has been worried a lot, too… It’s not just me… And more than anything, during the second semester, we’ll be separated by dorms…”
“Eh? Aren’t we resuming at Sellafi Black House next semester?”
“…Huh? Right…”
“I was planning to stay in the Black House for the second semester…?”
“Uh…? Um… Huh?”
For a moment, Jeriel’s eyes went wide with shock as if she didn’t expect to hear that.
Jeriel’s Tarchangel phase wasn’t over yet.
I had a duty to keep an eye on her.
Considering how Toby and Bunea had been interested in her, it was too dangerous to leave her alone.
Still, it wasn’t like I had the right to impose anything.
“Oh. You’re the Dormitory Supervisor, Jeriel… I guess I’m out? Sorry.”
At this point, I needed to monitor her as discreetly as possible…
Suddenly, Jeriel’s face turned beet red, and she fluttered her hands in front of her.
“No, no! I would never kick you out!”
“Really? Then I’ll continue to be in your care.”
At my common statement, Jeriel bowed her head and mumbled.
“I… I’m thankful… too…”
*
In the same Raphae Cheong-gwan, rank S,
“Why…? Why…?!”
Tick. Tick. Tick.
In Melissa de Prominence’s dorm room.
She sat alone in a dim corner, repeatedly biting her nails.
While no one was watching, her demeanor fell below what you’d expect from a princess of the Principality of Prominence.
Though she held the title of princess, at the academy, she was treated equally with other students in a formal capacity.
It’d spark a backlash if she treated others with disdain like a princess.
So she had made efforts to blend in with the students,
forgoing some of her grace to portray the image of a hardworking student.
However…
– Was it Aria Bluebell? Didn’t you say you were close?
And even Lev Denec, who replied flatly,
– You like Ria, don’t you?
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Why is it not me…?”
Initially, they had shown interest in her, but whenever she extended a little care, their attention shifted to Aria Bluebell.
Their backgrounds and promising prospects…
Aria must have had a significant edge over her.
“Ugh, it’s so annoying… really annoying…”
This was where the facts suffocating Melissa’s pride lay.
If she wanted to persuade Lev right away, her only option was to ask that Aria for help.
Using their previous connection, she had to bow down.
This reality struck hard against Melissa’s heart.
“Okay. Calm down, Melissa. Calm down…”
She took several deep breaths.
Tossing a tantrum wouldn’t change anything.
Now was the time to make sound judgments for the Principality’s sake.
Let’s sort the situation out…
Lev Denec probably wouldn’t cooperate, so she’d have to endure whatever penalties the academy imposed.
Yet humorously, the sudden actions of both didn’t escalate into a big deal thanks solely to Lev Denec.
Surely, the Pitbit Jae showed no signs of being taken out after being struck by Aveline, and while the situation worsened, Lev managed to attract attention and resolve it.
Thus, she could avoid severe penalties as a result.
‘After all, it was Aveline who suggested initiating an attack… not me…’
It was also Aveline who brought up the attempt to take it out.
If she testified this way to the committee, at least she’d come off better than Aveline.
‘Besides, it wasn’t wrong to try and take it out…?’
While she indirectly disobeyed her superior’s orders, after all, both aimed to take down the Pitbit Jae as their primary goal.
Proving it was for personal gain would be difficult…
‘It’s not like they ran away during the raid.’
Image-wise, it wouldn’t harm her either.
Facing her reality, Melissa stood up with the worst feelings.
Swish.
She then stood in front of a full-length mirror reflecting her.
The mirror helped her think more objectively when she was mentally anxious.
-…
Even in a dark place, her stunning looks and pink hair, her number one treasure, shone bright.
Unconsciously removing her student uniform jacket, Melissa,
Swipe.
Grabbed the waistband of her white shirt and puffed out her chest.
With the shirt stretching tightly, her body curves protruded enticingly.
‘…So annoying.’
Even though she wouldn’t lose to Jeriel or Aria in appearance.
Just by choosing Caeran and the Royal Class Circle, she ended up like this.
More so, Lev Denec was undeniably an unremarkable guy.
– “Melissa, won’t you date me? No, date me right now! Just wait a little. I’ll be strong soon; I’m better than that Edwin punk…!”
Even Edwin received bad reviews since the start of the semester.
However, the current Lev Denec was someone entirely different from then.
– “Rejection.”
– “Hey, get a grip.”
Following that blunt rejection, Melissa’s unrestrained provocation failed to shake him at all.
Rather, understanding his genuine feelings for Aria pushed Melissa into a frenzy.
“Right…”
Thinking back, Aria wasn’t particularly good at turning down requests.
‘I need to help. Ria is kinder than me…’
If she asked her in reverse, wouldn’t Aria also distance herself from Lev Denec?
“Just borrow it briefly and return it… Sorry, sorry, Ria.”
Melissa forced a restless smile before heading to the shower to calm her heated body.