How To Survive Clichés

Chapter 14

The princess swallowed hard.
Caught off guard by the unexpected encounter, she had momentarily forgotten that she was in the middle of her Herbology class. She herself had come to this spot to search for ingredients.

However, Damian smoothly handled the situation.
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness, the Second Princess.”

His tone was composed, showing no signs of being flustered, and his demeanor was one of refined courtesy.

“I recalled hearing that the rooftop garden at Aethis Magic School was quite exquisite, so I came up here thinking I might find some Herbology materials.”

He seemed less like a rogue and more like a well-educated noble heir.

It felt strange.

There were so many things she wanted to ask—his actions at the Calathio Magic School, how he had changed so drastically, and exactly what had happened between him and her sister. But she couldn’t bring herself to speak.

If he avoided answering, or worse, lied, even if she could sense it, it wouldn’t bring her closer to the truth.

Just then, Damian smiled faintly and spoke.
“I imagine there are many things you are curious about, Your Highness.”

She tried to keep her expression neutral and remain as composed as possible, but her words came out before she could control them. Her voice carried a sharp, biting tone.

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Was it always this difficult to control her emotions?

Even she was surprised at her inability to manage her expression or her tone, but Damian continued to speak gently.

“I regret the unfortunate incident involving the First Princess.”

“…!”

The princess slowly focused her gaze on Damian.

He knew why she was taking this hostile stance toward him.

And yet.

Even when she had suggested the dormitory allocation test, he had understood her true intentions and pretended not to.
He knew and still acted this way.

When her sister was brought up, the voice of Princess Yuri Elloa dropped to a cold tone.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Would you care to make a wager with me?”

In response to her question, he posed another.
The princess hesitated briefly, then tried to grasp Damian’s intentions using her intuition.
‘What is he up to?’

If there was any disrespect in his proposal, or if he harbored even the slightest intent to harm the royal family, she planned to charge him with treason and expel him once and for all.

But no matter how much she mulled it over, she couldn’t detect any such intent.

A subtle frown appeared at the corner of the princess’s eyes. She couldn’t grasp what Damian was after.

‘What does he want? What kind of wager? What are the terms?’

Her thoughts flooded her mind like waves. Damian, as if sensing her thoughts, spoke again without hesitation.

“If, during the practical training, your score is higher than mine, I will do whatever you wish, and if you have any questions, I will answer them all.”

“Anything?”

“Yes, anything.”

For a moment, a sparkle appeared in the princess’s eyes, and Damian, noticing this, smiled faintly as he continued.

“If you wish, I will even voluntarily leave the school.”

Her eyes widened.

Damian had accurately pinpointed exactly what she wanted.

How could someone so skilled at reading others’ intentions have gone around acting like a rogue? It made no sense.

The princess found herself filled with questions.

The princess realized something after observing Damian directly—he didn’t seem like a rogue at all.

‘Has he been acting all this time?’

Maybe, just like her. She had a sudden flash of intuition and desperately wished for an answer, but quickly corrected her thoughts.
She needed to stay sharp.

The princess shook her head and looked at Damian.
She already knew that offers that sounded too sweet always carried fatal consequences.

Surely, he must want something from her as well. Biting her lip, the princess asked,

“If I lose, what do you want from me?”

Damian smiled leisurely, as if he had anticipated her reaction.

“Of course, if I win, I would also have a request for Your Highness.”

“If there’s even a hint of impure intent, you’d better be prepared.”

“Of course.”

What he said next was unexpected.
“If I win, I would like Your Highness to transfer to the White Tower of Guardians.”

“…What did you say?”
Transfer dormitories?

There was a reason Aethis divided its dormitories into four.

Focus and specialization.
Students undergo comprehensive practical training in all subjects to identify and hone their individual talents. Only the most talented and promising students, after being thoroughly assessed, are assigned to dormitories with different curriculums to further develop their unique abilities.

The White Tower of Guardians.
‘The dormitory for those who protect the brightest light.’

Among all the dormitories, the White Tower of Guardians produced the most royal knight mages. It was a place where students who had trained with swords since before their mana awakening were assigned after their awakening.

Though the princess had taken swordsmanship lessons in her youth, she had given it up early on due to a lack of exceptional talent.
And now, he was asking her to transfer there.

If she lost, she would have to study completely different subjects than she had so far.

Not only would all her current plans collapse, but she would also have to devote even more time and effort.
Even a princess had to maintain her grades at Aethis Magic School; otherwise, she would be expelled like anyone else.

She was already pressed for time, and adding swordsmanship on top of that would leave her exhausted.

Herbology, magical combat, elemental studies, spirit studies… and everything related to the royal family.
None of these could be neglected.

However, the princess’s eyes swept over Damian.

‘His mana is faint.’

The magic he had shown was indeed impressive, but that was all.

In practical training, it wasn’t just about using high-level magic; it was about how effectively you could survive by utilizing magic at the right time and place.

Sometimes, luck could be so bad that you’d have to fight magical beasts without even getting a moment’s sleep during the entire training period.
Damian’s mana wasn’t strong enough for that.

As the princess stared blankly at him, Damian tilted his head, puzzled.

“Shall we make the contract magic now, then?”

“…Fine.”
The princess nodded.

For a brief moment, she wondered if he could even form a contract spell, but the thought passed quickly.
The ritual of the contract spell appeared on their wrists like tattoos, and then it sank deep into their skin and disappeared.

The princess examined her wrist closely.
With the contract in place, if either of them broke it, the backlash would strike them. It could be excruciating pain, or it could return as profound sorrow.

‘The effect is certain.’
She scrutinized Damian once more. She needed to be sure.

It was then that their eyes met.

“Is there something else you’d like to see?”

“…!”

Damian’s gray eyes shimmered.

The princess’s body stiffened.
Realizing she had been caught trying to assess him, she barely restrained herself from raising her hand to her mouth in shock.

‘He knew everything.’

Not only had he noticed when she scanned him for mana, but also when she tried to check him again.

It was always the princess who assessed and measured her opponents, but never did she imagine that she would be the one to be seen through.

The princess quickly added,

“T-That’s not what I―”

“I never expected that what you desired was my body, Your Highness.”

But she couldn’t finish her sentence because Damian spoke first.

Understanding his implication, the princess could feel her face growing hot.

“What… what did you just say?”

“You’ve been sending such heated glances my way.”

Damian smiled mischievously.

Indeed, this man was a scoundrel. There was no other explanation for how he could so effortlessly torment people like this.

Her heart, which had been calm, started beating unusually fast.

She had to beat this man, no matter what.
The princess, trying to hide her flushed face, attempted to regain her composure by summoning a cool breeze, but the pleasant breeze already blowing made her turn her head away.

Click.

Damian opened the door to the rooftop and asked,

“Your Highness, aren’t you coming?”

The sunlight that streamed through the gap in the door was blinding, and his silver hair, fluttering in the breeze, gleamed brilliantly.

In that moment, Damian smiled as if satisfied.

* * *

“That concludes my report.”

“……”

A faint glow lingered in the mana communication sphere. Even though the report was over, the light did not disappear because the count was still organizing his thoughts.

Cedric Draco, head of the Draco family.

He had maintained the Draco family’s reputation as a renowned house of magic, not just with his skill but also with his cold, clear judgment. He always considered the worst possible outcomes and prepared for everything.
Just like now.

How much time had passed?
Cedric Draco finally spoke.

“…Well done.”

“Then, is it over now?”

“The contract isn’t finished yet. Continue monitoring and report back, just like now.”

With those words, the mana flow in the communication sphere was cut off, and the light vanished in an instant.

He didn’t even ask if the report was true. That, too, was within his predictions, and he had it under control.

However, the count, rarely for him, struck his desk with force.

Tap, tap―

‘I can’t understand his intentions.’

The reported actions seemed no different from what was expected, yet they were subtly different. While he couldn’t fully grasp the situations, Damian’s intentions had always been predictable before. They had been driven by petty jealousy, acts of foolishness.

But now, Damian’s motives were unclear.
Despite this, he displayed a relatively more mature and noble demeanor compared to before.

The count listed the facts of the report, stripping them of any emotion.

“He took the dormitory allocation test, which he didn’t have to. During a duel with a commoner student, he didn’t retaliate even after getting injured. He rejected the invitation of the Marquis Dens’s son, saying he wanted to graduate on his own merits and become the head of the family. He made a bet with the second princess, staking his voluntary withdrawal from Aethis Magic School…”

Regardless of the truth, these actions were all unpredictable and lacked clear cause and effect.

“And above all… he used ancient magic?”

The count rubbed his forehead.

If it weren’t for his mana deficiency, the boy would’ve easily been considered a genius with just a little more effort.

But solving his mana deficiency could take decades, maybe even centuries.

In the presence of mana, often called a divine gift or blessing, he wished Damian could live a peaceful life, even if it meant living far away, instead of suffering.
That’s why he had treated him harshly.

That’s why he hadn’t shown him any attention.
Because he believed it was the best course of action.

After Damian transferred schools, the count thought it wouldn’t be long before he was expelled.

‘I thought it was for the best.’

Even if he got expelled, he had no intention of cutting off his support for him.

He had simply hoped that Damian would live a peaceful life somewhere beyond the influence of mana.

‘But the situation has changed.’

The political climate was unstable.
There was no place across the continent untouched by danger.

It was an expected development.
A choice between the worst and the lesser evil.
It was better to be caught up in the lesser evil than the worst-case scenario.

However, something unexpected had happened.
‘Damian has changed.’

Tap, tap―

The count’s hand, which had been tapping the desk, stopped.

He lifted his head and looked at the butler standing before him.

“What do you think, Butler?”

“A tiger’s cub is still a tiger.”

The butler answered without hesitation.

It was a wise response.
Only a butler who had served the count for so long could give such an answer, and the count nodded in agreement. He hadn’t expected a definitive answer anyway.

The butler gave a seasoned, dignified smile.

There was only one possibility left.

‘He hid his true self on purpose.’

All the drunken disturbances, the reckless behavior without regard for his opponents, even the fact that he had talent in magic—all of it had been the groundwork to set up this current situation.
As if he had deliberately orchestrated these circumstances.

Though the count didn’t know exactly what Damian’s plan was, it was clear that he had started drawing a picture. And once that picture was being drawn, it could not be allowed to be ruined.

“Roman.”

“Yes.”

“Postpone the schedule. We’ll head to the Magic Tower soon.”

As a father, it was time to check how far the research on mana deficiency had progressed.