I Start with a Bad Hand!

But as life often has it, there are always unforeseen variables.

‘I need the professor’s signature to withdraw? Isn’t this just a way to discourage withdrawals?’ Yet, dealing with the professor briefly seemed a lesser evil compared to enduring a semester-long course with the second prince. Clutching the withdrawal form, I trudged towards the professor’s office.

“Come in,” a voice granted permission just as I was about to open the door.

“…Dietrich Degoph?”

From there, I sensed something was off.

‘I’ve only attended one class. Why does the professor know my name?’

Something was amiss. Was it because there were so few students in the class? Slightly flustered, I hid the withdrawal form behind me as I greeted him.

“Uh, hello. I… Professor, I, uh, actually came because…”

“The runner-up among the new students.”

“Uh, yes. That’s correct.”

The professor, with patches of gray in his hair and the typical presbyopia of his age, slightly lowered his glasses and looked at me keenly, as I was pondering how to broach the topic of withdrawal.

“It’s unusual for a class not meant for freshmen to have such a seeker. Appropriate for a runner-up, I suppose.”

“Ah, yes. Actually, about that…”

“Had we been short by just one more student, this course would have been cancelled. It’s thanks to our spirited newcomer that it wasn’t.”

Uh…

“I was worried I might have to leave the academy at the end of this year without being able to give my last lectures properly. It seems students nowadays are not keen on studying.”

The impending doom of course cancellation was entirely unbeknownst to him, as he wore a forlorn expression.

“So, the class isn’t too challenging, is it? What brings you here?”

I could not bring myself to tell a professor, who was nearly retired and preparing his last course at the academy, that I came to withdraw.

“I came to ask about the recommended books for the course. They weren’t listed in the syllabus. I should have asked right after the first class. Ha, ha…”

At that, a fleeting look of satisfaction crossed the professor’s face. As he wrote down a few reference books, I crumpled the withdrawal form and tucked it back into my pocket. The professor, with a kind expression, even added explanations about the books.

“If you ever face difficult times, don’t hesitate to come to me.”

“……Yes!”

Damn!

From this incident, my daily life began to drift in an unwanted direction.

Early in the morning, someone was knocking on the door of my dormitory, which nobody usually visits.

‘Did the Baron and Baroness Degoph send a letter?’

With a hopeful thought, I ran to the door and opened it to find an unexpected person standing there. It was Irene.

“What brings you here…”

No, before that, how did you know about this place?

Slightly flustered and somewhat disappointed, I asked, and Irene answered with a smug look, “The student council manages the dormitory list.”

Honestly, I didn’t really want to invite someone I was awkward with into the dormitory even out of courtesy.

However, spring had not fully arrived at the academy yet, and the corridor was still chilly. In the end, I had no choice but to let Irene into my dormitory.

I inserted the handle of the kettle into the fireplace and started heating the water. Irene and I faced each other awkwardly while waiting for the water to boil.

Irene, who was gazing emotionlessly at the kettle in the fireplace, looked like the Second Prince again. I wondered if the Second Prince had used magic to turn into a woman and appear before me. Unlike the Second Prince, who usually had a mocking or sneering expression, Irene always maintained her emotionless demeanor.

“I would like to encourage you to reconsider participating in the student council work.”

It was a bombshell statement, and unlike Irene, I couldn’t maintain my poker face. Fortunately, steam began to rise from the kettle, and I stiffly got up to remove the kettle.

“At that time, I thought I had clearly communicated your wishes to the senior.”

While carefully handing Irene the tea, I started talking. Irene took a sip of the tea and said,

“I didn’t insist either. I don’t like to impose tasks on someone who is unwilling.”

But why then… As I conveyed my confusion intensely with my eyes, Irene kept silent for a moment before speaking.

“But hearing your response changed my mind.”

It seemed all I had done was refuse, and it didn’t make sense that my refusal had changed her mind. Guessing what was on my mind from my expression, Irene explained that she liked the honest assessment I had given myself.

“Accounting isn’t just about reviewing the budget. After all, it involves scrutinizing the flow of all funds within the academy, so a discerning talent is more necessary than anything.”

Irene added, “Lately, every time I look at the ledgers, I get this oddly annoying feeling. It seems like I’m sensing embezzlement.”

Truly, Irene was not only similar in appearance but also resembled the Second Prince in her beast-like instinctual intuition. The uncanny resemblance between the two sent shivers down my spine, and seeing me still hesitant, Irene continued with a serious tone.

“I swear on the name of the House of Horatius. You won’t be ostracized in the student council due to your status or any other reason. I’ll make sure of that. If you still find it uncomfortable to clash with other officers, come work at my dormitory. I have enough space set up for that.”

Irene was systematically eliminating any excuses I could make for refusal. I hurried to find one last reason to decline, but Irene preempted even that.

“Don’t say again that you lack the qualifications. Talent is certainly important, but becoming salutatorian isn’t possible without diligence.”

“And the same goes for the student council work you will be handling,” she said, bringing the teacup back to her lips.

I knew it already. The original Irene described in the source material was just like that. Cold, principle-centered, and somewhat old-fashioned. This personality was also related to her family, the Ducal House of Horatius.

Among the citizens of the Thomple Empire, there were magicians born intermittently with exceptional magical powers. These powers were not hereditary. While the type of magic could follow that of the parents, the quantity of magical power was purely random. However, time magic was an exception. It was the only type of magic where both the magic lineage and the quantity of power were inherited by the next generation.

Of course, despite the grand name “time magic,” these magicians could not perform the grand task of altering time itself. Only the most exceptional time magicians were capable of such feats. However, anyone from the House of Horatius could at least possess the ability to pry open the gaps of passed time and peer through them.

The House of Horatius had traditionally held the position of historians due to this ability, hence the cold, principle-centered, and somewhat old-fashioned nature. The words that described Irene had originated from such a background.

Therefore, it seemed that Irene’s principle-valuing nature was also applicable to me, that is, to Dietrich, not as a child of an insignificant minor baronial family but as a diligent student.

Feeling a heartwarming sensation from the rare expectation placed upon me was comforting. Being expected was a good thing. The pressure that came with it anchored me in this world where I had been adrift.

The feeling that my existence was needed, that I was expected to perform the role I was anticipated to fill, was an emotion I had not felt since being reincarnated into this novel.

With steady eyes gazing at me, I eventually took the hand that Irene extended to me, fully aware that this marked the beginning of a challenging path.

At that moment, I felt as though I was living life as it comes. I always had plans, but when faced with unexpected variables, I found myself accepting life as it flowed, regardless of my initial intentions.

And then, I faced the last variable in my daily routine.

“May I sit here?”

Someone spoke to me as I gazed out the window, lost in thought.

Thus, I had my proper encounter with Roxanne, the original protagonist of the novel.

Having been suddenly dragged into this world and living someone else’s life, I was not adept at everything. However, there was one thing I could proudly claim:

‘I really did my best to not interfere with the original plot.’

I moved only to secluded places to avoid overlapping paths with Roxanne and Prince Elius. I chose absurdly specific courses like ‘Understanding the Thomple Region Through the Historical Conflicts of Modern Cabaluna Continent’ solely to avoid them.

Even in physical education classes, I was no exception. I determined my courses by strictly avoiding any that the original protagonist might attend, completely disregarding my personal interests.

Choosing physical education classes was not difficult since the original text clearly described Roxanne selecting horseback riding, which set her apart. Descriptions of her, tied hair flowing as she rode a white horse, portrayed her with a decisiveness that seemed absent in her usual frail appearance.

In fact, wherever Roxanne was, she received such accolades. She was likened to a fairy in the greenhouse, an elf in the woods, and a nymph by the water during her musical performance classes. Consequently, students who shared classes with Roxanne seemed to experience 120% satisfaction visually and audibly.

I alone felt a pang of sadness upon realizing that Roxanne would be attending the one music class I had always wanted to join, forcing me to choose another.