NOVEL NEXT Chapter 31
‘But to seduce someone like that and make him my man… what the heck…’
Her mind is in turmoil, caught between the conflicting commands and emotions of her lord.
Shinozaki Rin doesn’t really like Kim Deok-Sung. In fact, she hates him.
But the lord’s orders must be followed at all costs.
So, she must seduce someone she dislikes and make him her man.
“Ugh…”
A groan escapes Shinozaki Rin’s lips as she completes all the propositions.
Her brain is throwing an error.
Suddenly, she recalls what Shinozaki Ichiro said.
“The lord said you can become close through fighting, but how on earth…?”
Become close through fighting.
That’s how I got close to my wife.
But to Shinozaki Rin, it doesn’t make sense.
Isn’t seduction something that requires willingness from the heart?
Yet, she can’t just sit back and do nothing.
‘No matter how much I despise him… there must be some other merits apart from his skills.’
If she dislikes him, she’ll just have to make herself like him.
She needs to get her heart in tune.
Having reached a forced conclusion, Shinozaki Rin finds herself lost in thought again.
How would she do that?
She doesn’t know much about Kim Deok-Sung.
Her brows furrow.
“Well, is that really the only way…?”
Reluctantly.
She’ll have to consult the student who knows him best, apart from himself, which is the platinum knight princess, Olivia.
Asking either him or his roommate Kurosawa Yuji is out of the question.
Her last remaining shred of pride won’t allow it.
“Ugh…”
Shinozaki Rin’s lips quiver.
The platinum knight princess, who stole the top admission position she coveted, is a nightmare and a rival in a different sense—she’s someone Rin can’t stand to lose to.
It’s humiliating.
Her face reddens with shame.
“It’s all to carry out orders, all of it.”
Shinozaki Rin mumbles to herself as if casting a spell and stands up.
The special room where Olivia is staying is on the same floor, right across from her.
If she wants, she can meet her right now.
But her feet just won’t budge.
‘I have to go. Shinozaki Rin.’
With her eyes tightly shut, she takes a step forward.
Creeeak.
She opens the door.
Across from her, she sees a door ornately decorated, befitting a French princess.
Thump, thump.
Shinozaki Rin’s heart races.
She presses the doorbell.
[Who is it?]
A calm voice.
It’s Bella, Olivia’s attendant and personal maid, speaking through the speaker.
Shinozaki Rin replies in a cold tone.
“It’s Shinozaki Rin. I’ve come to see Miss Bonaparte. I have something to discuss.”
[Understood. Please hold for a moment.]
The doorbell shuts off.
After a while, the door opens.
“The lady has granted you an audience. Please take this as an honor, Miss Shinozaki.”
“Ugh.”
Bella’s comment pokes at her pride.
Shinozaki Rin bites her lip as she enters the room.
Unlike her room, which is decoratively Japanese, the interior is typical European aristocratic.
Moonlight shines on the terrace.
A platinum-blonde beautiful girl is staring at her directly, holding a white bone china teacup.
Olivia’s cold voice stabs into Shinozaki Rin’s ear like a dagger.
“So, what urgent matter could possibly make you dare to summon me at this hour?”
Are you crazy? (Illustration included)
Olivia pouts.
‘I don’t like it.’
She could never bring herself to like Shinozaki Rin.
‘How dare you disregard the strength of someone who defeated me? There’s a limit to arrogance!’
Kim Deok-Sung.
No matter how stupid the man is in the universe, a ruffian who knows nothing of manners or decorum.
He is a man whose skills and qualifications are guaranteed by none other than herself, the French princess.
Olivia could not tolerate someone—like Shinozaki Rin—undermining him.
‘The only person who can evaluate him in this academy is me!’
Her position as the recognized French princess and the authority of the Bonaparte family should not be dismissed.
Moreover, the duel between Shinozaki Rin and Kim Deok-Sung, which was done under the pretext of a challenge, was caused by a third party failing to recognize her guarantee.
How dare they.
Because of ignorant fools who couldn’t comprehend a hero’s sense of responsibility even 1%.
Olivia’s cold gaze falls on Shinozaki Rin.
“If you were not a lady of the Shinozaki family, we wouldn’t even be sitting here like this. So.”
Olivia sips from her teacup.
No matter how bad her personal feelings are, she is a young lady representing the heroic nation of Japan.
If she were to treat the French princess like this, it could escalate into an international issue.
The only reason she met Shinozaki Rin so late was that.
“Please get to your point quickly.”
Clink.
She sets down her teacup.
‘Kuh.’
Shinozaki Rin bites her lip.
It was expected, but it’s humiliating.
But for now, she has no choice but to bow her head.
Shinozaki Rin sits across from Olivia and says, “…It’s about Kim Deok-Sung.”
At the mention of his name, Olivia’s face turns red.
“Wh-why is that fool suddenly coming up? What qualifications do you, the loser, have to bring him up!!”
Olivia screams with her eyes squeezed shut.
Her hands clutching the bone china teacup tremble.
The relaxed atmosphere from earlier is completely gone.
Shinozaki Rin’s eyes narrow.
“I’ve never seen the Platinum Knight Princess so flustered before.”
Olivia, always maintaining an elegant and noble demeanor like a flower on a cliff, now shows a different side.
‘That man, who can stir the famous Black Prince’s heir, the Platinum Knight Princess, with just a name.’
Kim Deok-Sung and Olivia.
Shinozaki Rin has heard the rumors about how these two completely mismatched individuals are related.
Rumors that Olivia has taken it upon herself to be his exclusive maid or that they enjoy hot nightly rendezvous.
However, Shinozaki Rin did not believe such trivial gossip.
She knows Olivia is absolutely not that kind of person.
‘But looking at her now… maybe those rumors might be true.’
To anyone looking, Olivia seems to harbor special feelings for Kim Deok-Sung.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for the cold-hearted princess, known for being unyielding, to react so sensitively.
Shinozaki Rin’s eyes narrow.
“Sh-shut up!”
“You’re so noisy!”
Olivia shouts with a flushed face.
Memories flood into Shinozaki Rin’s mind.
Since before the entrance exam, the public had labeled Olivia and Shinozaki Rin as rivals of the century.
A lady from Japan’s top noble family and a princess from the French royal family.
Japan’s greatest talent and France’s top genius.
An eastern samurai and a western princess-knight.
The gift of freezing and the gift of burning.
Both are beautiful girls and quite frosty towards others.
Japanese media published article after article comparing the similarities and differences between Shinozaki Rin and Olivia.
The public was thrilled by the battle of genius beauties representing their respective countries.
Thanks to this, the clash between Olivia and Shinozaki Rin evolved into a battle of pride between France and Japan.
Shinozaki Rin still remembers Ichiro’s command that came down the day before the entrance exam.
“Show the power of Japan’s top noble family to the French princess. Rin.”
And so, the attention of the public was focused on her duel with Olivia.
But the result was a crushing defeat for Rin; it was her first humiliating loss since childhood.
That’s when it began.
She resolved to never lose to Olivia, no matter what.
Shinozaki Rin’s gaze shifted toward Olivia.
“So, the rumors about you liking Kim Deok-Sung aren’t true?”
“Who-who on earth spread such nonsense! Why would I like that universe’s biggest fool? I’m a noble French princess! A princess dating a commoner? N-no way, that’s absurd!!”
Olivia stammered and shouted.
Indeed, it’s nonsense.
A French princess cannot date a commoner.
That’s a completely different story from her personal maid’s promise.
As Olivia cooled her flushed cheeks with a fan, she said, “So, you wake me up in the middle of the night just to check the truth of some rumor? That’s so trivial, Shinozaki. I thought someone like you would already know something like that.”
After saying this, Olivia glanced back at Shinozaki Rin.
Seeing that, Shinozaki Rin was certain.
“Good thing it’s just a rumor.”
A cold voice slipped from Shinozaki Rin’s lips.
“My lord ordered me to make Kim Deok-Sung my man. If you and Kim Deok-Sung were actually dating like that rumor said, it would have been troublesome, but I’m relieved that’s not the case.”
A sly grin spread across Shinozaki Rin’s face.
If asked whether she liked Kim Deok-Sung, she would say no for now.
However, more than that, Shinozaki Rin wanted to ensure she would never lose to Olivia.
Even if it were a romantic relationship.
Stealing the man Olivia likes.
That would be a perfect chance to execute her lord’s order while simultaneously returning the humiliation Olivia had given her.
Shinozaki Rin thought that way.
“Wait a minute. What do you mean, my man?!”
Bang!
Olivia slammed the table with both hands.
Her blue eyes shook with fury.
Her snow-white cheeks quivered.
Olivia was boiling with indignation.
She could not accept it.
“How dare you… a mere maid of the noble French family… even after receiving the vision of the Bonaparte family…!”
Olivia could not accept the fact of adding another woman to someone she has not yet satisfied.
Seeing Olivia’s reaction, Shinozaki Rin couldn’t help but smile.
A strange thrill surged inside Rin’s heart.
The noble and elegant French princess that had gracely maintained her inherent status was now shaking like a lovesick adolescent girl after losing her crush.
From Olivia’s recent reaction, Shinozaki Rin was convinced.
If she could make Kim Deok-Sung her man…
Olivia would feel even more humiliation than she did during the entrance exam.
I can feel the humiliation creeping in.
“Did you not hear me? Bonaparte. Lord Shinozaki has stated he is fond of him. She wishes to have him as her son-in-law. Therefore, I have been instructed to make Kim Deok-Sung my man.”
Shinozaki Rin drives the nail in.
Olivia, fuming, jabs her finger at Shinozaki Rin.
“I cannot accept someone like you! Absolutely not!”
No way can she accept it.
Especially not if the opponent is Shinozaki Rin.
When she ignored him before, and now she calls him her man?
Olivia thought there needs to be a limit to wordplay.
Shinozaki Rin’s eyes grow cold.
“By what right? Are you even his lover?”
“Well…”
Olivia gets momentarily tongue-tied.
Not a couple, that’s for sure.
But she absolutely hates that Shinozaki Rin is trying to take him.
With conflicting emotions swirling inside her, Olivia’s cheeks start to tremble.
“If you’re saying you’re nothing to him, don’t get in my way with him.”
“I am qualified! I am his personal maid! As a personal maid, I have the duty to verify what kind of person my master’s lover is. Yes! It’s the natural duty of a personal maid!”
Olivia shouts while placing her hand over her heart.
Her face reddens.
“Oh? Really? So why can’t I? As Kim Deok-Sung’s personal maid?”
Shinozaki Rin’s eyebrows twitch.
Olivia takes a deep breath.
Her blue eyes stare straight into Shinozaki Rin’s dark blue eyes.
“Shinozaki, a person like you who absolutely cannot fathom a hero’s sense of responsibility… How dare you not recognize the skill and qualifications that I have acknowledged… You are just a bundle of inferiority complex directing your frustrations towards him.”
Olivia coolly delivers her verdict.
“You have no right to be by his side.”
“…Still acting on your own, Bonaparte.”
Shinozaki Rin’s expression hardens.
This French princess is simply intolerable from start to finish.
From her born nobility to her arrogant personality, everything.
“No one would even glance at you, the worst kind of woman… So you might as well give up here. Shinozaki.”
“What if I refuse?”
“I’ll obstruct you with all my strength. As his personal maid.”
Olivia and Rin.
Their gazes cross in the air.
Creak.
Shinozaki Rin stands up.
“The discussion is over. I will take my leave now.”
“Do as you wish.”
Clunk.
Shinozaki Rin leaves, and the door closes.
Alone on the terrace, Olivia bites her lip.
“I can’t believe it… How dare she… that thieving cat…”
Her hands tremble uncontrollably.
The cold spring breeze blowing in from the window wraps around Olivia’s body.
*
Maybe it’s because I went to bed early yesterday.
I wake up this morning feeling completely back to normal.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a refreshing morning since I came to this world.
With a light step, I head to the classroom with the protagonist.
The HR hasn’t started yet.
In the teacher-less classroom, the students are grouped together, chatting away.
“Kim, pay attention in class today.”
Kurosawa Yuji smiles and greets me before returning to his seat by the window in the back.
Class, huh.
The thought of today’s chaotic theory lecture alone makes my head feel like splitting.
I guess it’s good, but not really.
Study is definitely the thing I dislike the most in this world.
Sighing inwardly, I head to my seat.
“Low-quality, subpar, the worst, garbage, pervert.”
With familiar insults, my desk gets spaced out another seat.
Nishizawa Eri is glaring my way.