How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 183

The sudden, shocking question from Duke Romanoff left me speechless for a moment. But I quickly regained my composure and firmly shook my head.

“I appreciate your offer, but President Cecilia and I aren’t in that kind of relationship.”

“‘That kind of relationship’?”

“I just want to clear up any misunderstandings,” I said honestly, hoping to dispel any confusion.

Duke Romanoff took a sip of his tea, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Funny, considering how widely known it is. Word has spread beyond the academy all the way here that my daughter is quite taken with you.”

“Th-that’s…”

“I love my daughter dearly.”

He set his teacup down as he spoke, and I couldn’t help but scream internally, ‘Yeah, I can tell, you doting father!’

“It doesn’t sit well with me that rumors about her are circulating across the Empire. Especially rumors that suggest she’s chasing after a young man instead of the other way around…”

Suddenly, a palpable pressure emanated from him—a strong emotional force, though not quite murderous intent. It was something intense and protective.

I stayed silent, not reacting visibly to his words, though inwardly I was at a loss.

‘What am I supposed to do about that?’

Cecilia had decided on her own to follow me around, so what could I possibly say? It wasn’t like I’d encouraged her!

“Anyway, you have two choices in front of you now.”

“Two choices?” I repeated.

“Yes,” Duke Romanoff continued, locking his gaze on me. “One is to accept the proposal I just made.”

The proposal to marry his daughter. The sheer absurdity of how casually he presented such a significant offer made me immediately ask, “And the other?”

“If you refuse to become part of my family, there is only one option left.”

He curled his lips into a half-smile as he delivered his next words.

“To become my enemy.”

“…?!”

I frowned, struggling to comprehend the extremity of his proposal. Either I marry Cecilia, or I prepare to face death as his enemy? This man was utterly unreasonable!

‘Like father, like daughter… both of them are impossible!’

Duke Romanoff was pushing me into a corner with this absurd ultimatum. But the terrifying part was that he had the power and authority to back it up.

‘You should’ve grown stronger if you didn’t want to be pushed around,’ I heard Airsya’s teasing voice ring in my head.

‘Shut up,’ I grumbled inwardly.

[If you refuse him here, you might actually die,]

I knew that. There was no way I could face the might of the Romanoff family alone.

And perhaps, that’s why…

‘That’s why he asked about my connection to the Vade family.’

Even though I had long since been disowned, Duke Romanoff likely had his own reasons for asking. He had probably already gathered information about me, given what had happened during the *Novice Challenge* and other recent events.

[Hey, Kamon. You don’t have to refuse, you know? That girl’s not a bad catch…]

‘It’s not about that,’ I replied, dismissing the idea. The real issue was the barely concealed murderous intent in Duke Romanoff’s eyes.

‘Whether I agree to marry his daughter or become his enemy, he’ll probably still try to kill me.’

Duke Romanoff wasn’t someone who would easily let things slide. He had his own methods, and whether through political manipulation or clandestine actions, he would likely try to eliminate me sooner or later.

In that case…

“Alright. I’ve made my decision,”
“You’ve made a choice? Good. So, what will it be?”

Duke Romanoff’s eyes gleamed with curiosity, waiting for my answer. I opened my mouth, ready to respond—

*BAM!*

“Agh! My lady, please! You mustn’t—!”

The door flew open with a loud crash, and in stormed a very familiar figure.

“Dad!”

“Ce-Cecil?” I stammered, shocked by her sudden appearance.

“President?” I heard myself muttering, equally stunned.

It was none other than Cecilia Romanoff, Duke Romanoff’s daughter and the president of the academy. She was still in her silver bikini from the hot springs, her hands on her hips, and she was absolutely furious.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.

“H-ha, hahaha. Cecil, I thought you were enjoying the hot springs with your friends…” Duke Romanoff’s voice wavered, as if trying to downplay the situation.

“What did you do to Kamon?” she snapped.

“W-what do you mean? I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Duke Romanoff fumbled his words, trying to explain himself.

Cecilia’s scowl deepened, her voice rising in anger. “Liar! I heard everything!”

“What?”

“You were trying to force me and Kamon into an arranged marriage, weren’t you?!” she shouted, her voice sharp.

As she unleashed her accusations, the elderly butler standing in the corner visibly paled, his expression sinking as if he were trying to disappear. Duke Romanoff shot him a fierce glare, but before he could say anything, Cecilia cut in.

“Don’t give him that look, Dad! Uncle Sihen didn’t do anything wrong! I made him tell me!”

“…I see.”

With an awkward smile, Duke Romanoff responded. But Cecilia wasn’t finished.

“This ends now. I won’t tolerate any more of this nonsense. If you keep pushing, I’ll never see you again, Dad.”

“C-Cecil!”

“Tell me right now. Are you going to stop this, or not?”

Her ultimatum was met with silence, as Duke Romanoff pursed his lips, clearly caught off guard by his daughter’s boldness.

“…”

“Dad?!”

“A-alright, alright. Fine. I’ll stop. Just calm down, okay?”

Finally, Duke Romanoff raised the white flag, surrendering to his daughter’s demands. His expression showed clear defeat as he slumped back into his chair.

Cecilia nodded firmly, then turned toward me, her expression softening slightly.

“Kamon, get up.”

“Huh, I—”

“Get up, now!”

Cecilia’s commanding presence left me no choice but to rise from my seat, offering a small bow to Duke Romanoff before following her out of the office.

“You promised, Dad,” she said firmly as we walked out. “You can’t do anything weird to Kamon anymore.”

“…Alright, I understand,” Duke Romanoff replied, his head hung low, conceding defeat.

Once we were outside, Cecilia turned to me, her expression softening.

“Kamon, I’m sorry.”

“Huh?”

“Just… forget everything my dad said, okay? It’s all nonsense. You don’t need to take it to heart.”

Her voice, though firm, carried a note of desperation and guilt. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all.

“Hahaha.”

“K-Kamon? Why are you laughing all of a sudden?” she asked, clearly startled by my reaction.

“It’s just funny.”

“What’s funny?” she asked, still flustered.

“Your father’s love for you is so strong, it was almost overwhelming. And seeing you push back against him—it was a bit endearing.”

“Wh-what?”

She blinked, surprised by my response, as if unsure how to process my words. I smiled warmly and continued.

“I should be thanking the Duke for considering me worthy of being your partner, even though I don’t deserve it. Anyway, thank you, President, for saving me.”

“Ah… I…”

Cecilia opened her mouth as if to say something, but she hesitated, leaving her thoughts unsaid. Finally, she sighed and gave a small, bittersweet smile.

“…It was nothing, Kamon. It’s what I should’ve done.”

Sensing a shift in the mood, I quickly changed the subject.

“Did you really come all the way here alone from the hot springs? Why did you follow me?”

“Oh, well… I just had a bad feeling about it,” she admitted. “I asked Uncle Sihen why my dad had called for you, and I came as fast as I could.”

“I see.”

“But it’s all settled now, so let’s hurry back. Everyone’s waiting for us.”

“Yes, let’s go,” I agreed with a nod.

Cecilia smiled brightly, the tension easing from her face. “Alright, let’s go.”

***

After Kamon Vade left the office with Cecilia, a cold silence settled over Duke Romanoff’s study.

The air was thick with unease. The servants and attendants who regularly served the Duke could feel the tension radiating from him, and they knew better than to relax. Those who knew the Duke well were aware that such long periods of silence often preceded storms of violence.

After a lengthy pause, Duke Romanoff finally broke the silence.

“Sihen.”

“Yes, my lord. Your orders?” the old butler responded immediately, his posture rigid and attentive.

“How many individuals have requested an audience with me regarding the academy’s field trip to the hot springs?”

“Counting the young lady from the Fren Merchant Guild, there are a total of eight. Additionally, one student from the academy’s student council has also requested a meeting.”

“A student council member?”

“Yes, sir. Arian Marquis, a child of the Marquis family and the future heir to the Marquis Merchant Guild.”

“Hmm… I see.”

Duke Romanoff gave a brief nod, then spoke in a heavier tone.

“Then this is what we’ll do.”

“…”

“The orders I’m about to give fall under Crow Protocol No. 1.”

“Understood, sir!” Sihen instantly snapped to attention.

Crow Protocol No. 1. It was one of the highest-level classified operations within the Romanoff family—an order that was to be carried out at all costs, even if it meant putting one’s life on the line.

Finally, Duke Romanoff spoke again.

“Relay this message only to those in charge: From now on, the only group that will be allowed to negotiate with the Romanoff family regarding the ‘Vishran’ hot springs will be the one that successfully deals with Kamon Vade.”

The Duke’s eyes narrowed as he stared into his now-cold cup of tea.

“Only those who eliminate Kamon Vade will be granted an audience with me.”

“…Understood, my lord,” Sihen replied, bowing deeply.

Duke Romanoff had just issued an assassination order for Kamon Vade.

***

“Kill Kamon Vade?”

Diana Fren’s eyes sparkled with interest as she lazily kicked her legs, mulling over the message. Her loyal butler, Clark, stood beside her, ever dutiful.

“Yes, my lady. The proposal is that only those who succeed in eliminating him will secure future dealings with the Romanoff family,” Clark explained.

“Hah, that man really has it bad, doesn’t he?” Diana chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.

Clark maintained his serious expression as Diana mused aloud. “I get that he’s head over heels for his daughter, but trying to kill an academy student? He must be out of his mind… Though, I suppose it’s not impossible to manage.”

“Considering Duke Romanoff is one of the Empire’s five Elector Dukes, there isn’t much the Imperial Academy or anyone else can say about it unless the Vade family directly intervenes.”

“Exactly. Even if it seems suspicious, if Romanoff claims it was an accident, it’ll be ruled an accident.”

Diana nodded thoughtfully, acknowledging the Duke’s influence. Then she turned to Clark with a mischievous smile.

“So, what do you think, Clark? Should we take the offer?”

The butler paused, considering her question. His dark-circled eyes gleamed as he nodded firmly.

“Yes, my lady. I see no reason to refuse. Kamon Vade has caused us significant trouble already. Eliminating him now would be advantageous.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“My opinion is firm, my lady,” Clark reiterated, his voice resolute.

Diana smiled, clearly pleased with his response. But then, her eyes glinted with a more cunning light.

“Good, Clark. I’m glad we’re on the same page. But let’s expand our thinking a little.”

“Expand, my lady?”

Clark looked puzzled, unsure of what she meant. Diana simply shrugged, her grin widening.

“Why stop at just Kamon Vade? There’s no reason we can’t take care of both Kamon and Elliot Fren while we’re at it.”

“Ah…!” Clark’s eyes widened in realization.

“Let’s kill both of them. I’m tired of seeing either of their faces.”

TL Note: Rate us on NOVEL UPDATES