The Villain Bought the Heroine

Chapter 27

One year from now.

The enemies of the heroes, the Altepf (Artife), attack the Academia.

An unprecedented tragedy strikes the Academia.

The red monsters Alicia spoke of.

They are officially called Altepf. Their power is immeasurable, and even now, their numbers are being counted in real-time.

The protagonist and his group, now second-year students, are unable to grasp the situation as the Academia is attacked by a wave of red.

The robust defense system that protected the Academia is destroyed, and many students are slaughtered. Especially, about half of the freshmen who enrolled at that time die.

A considerable number of second-year students also meet their end. They were better off than the freshmen, but it couldn’t be said that they were safe.

Most of those who died were those who had lagged behind before.

Emily and Fin are among that group.

Emily, who was the heroine, had her death scene vividly described, while Fin, who was just a supporting character, was only mentioned later as having died.

You might have been curious about the character Emily.

She mourns the protagonist, Liam, but she doesn’t possess exceptional talent like Alicia, nor does she hold a high status or have a gentle personality.

That she was the heroine. Who would like her? Who would see her in a positive light?

So, is that why.

She dies.

To be precise, she becomes helpful in her death.

Her death makes Liam roar with anger like never before and awakens him.

He blames his own immaturity, reflects on the time he wasted.

She was the stepping stone that helped the protagonist grow.

A brutal turning point.

The awakening of Liam and the tragedy of Academia mark a significant shift in the story’s atmosphere.

That’s when it hit me.

I will never reveal the background of this novel I’ve possessed. Just because someone is the lead doesn’t guarantee survival. Let alone the supporting cast, mentioning them is just a waste of breath.

Didn’t I say this before?

I don’t overdo it.

Overdoing it means going beyond the target excessively.

I usually allocate 2 hours for sleep.

I seize every opportunity to control my magic and focus on nurturing myself.

I do the groundwork and wait for the right timing.

If it’s lacking, it’s lacking, never excessive.

That’s what lies ahead for me to face.

“Not knowing all this and dismissing it as nonsense, Emily, will probably… die in a year.”

To die.

Well, that’s not too bad either. If it helps in any way.

The lad swallowed hard, his eyes filled with tension, wondering what would happen.

“Hmm?”

Walking down the corridor to attend the mandatory humanities class, I spotted a female student frowning at me.

She almost instinctively straightened her frown, trying to ignore me.

She’s making it awkward again.

“Since we’re going to the same class anyway, wouldn’t it be better to go together? Considering the attention around us.”

“….”

“Didn’t we show an unmatched chemistry at the welcoming party? I took that as a sign of your genuine interest in me, you know?”

“Ridiculous.”

Her fiancée responds boldly.

Each word she utters is sharp.

“That was ‘inevitable,’ wasn’t it? If not for our families, I wouldn’t have come looking for you, nor would I have forced a smile and danced with you.”

“For what it’s worth, your expression was quite alright.”

“Maybe my social skills have improved.”

Erica replied flatly, crossing her arms.

I shrugged.

The memories of Bargan linger in me, vividly recalling how she used to be in the past. The image in my memory is somewhat different from now. She’s evolving.

“Your height seems the same though.”

“Stop teasing, Shugenhardt.”

“Whatever happened, our relationship remains unchanged. In formal settings, we must behave like a perfect pair of lovebirds, don’t you think?”

It’s me, a famous figure in the Troya Empire, and her. The fact that we’re engaged is known wherever there are nobles.

That’s why you can’t completely shake it off.

“…Whose fault is it that things turned out like this, naturally.”

Erica muttered to herself.

Ignoring that, I entered the classroom, and although Erica hesitated, she eventually followed me.

Class began, and with a creak, the door swung open, revealing a confident figure with a familiar face.

“Hello! Nice to meet you all. I am Paula, your instructor for Advanced Magical Potions Theory 1 this semester!”

I knew it was her, but seeing her like this felt strange once again.

Was she teaching with the same energy as she did at the mansion? It seemed like something was still amiss.

It appeared she had smoothly completed the reinstatement process without any major issues. Although a bit of trouble would have been welcome.

“Oh, what a pleasant surprise to see familiar faces here!”

Paula waved towards me. There was no need to force a response.

She then turned to the person sitting next to me, seeming to understand something from their presence.

Although Erica and I were sitting slightly apart, it was clear to anyone that we were intentionally seated close, like acquaintances.

Since Paula was aware of the relationship between Erica and me, she must have grasped the current situation.

“I’m delighted to have the top-performing couple in my class. The handsome man and the beautiful lady make a perfect pair. hahahahaha.”

Understanding my foot.

She was being ridiculous again.

“……”

Erica’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

She tried not to show any emotion, but she looked quite displeased.

“Isn’t it lovely how the golden couple sticks together? Envious, aren’t you.”

She’s going too far.

I locked eyes with Paula.

It seemed like it was necessary to shut her up.

Just as I was about to say something, Erica beat me to it.

She didn’t raise her hand for permission to speak. She just spoke up.

“Professor Paula, please refrain from treating students like zoo animals. We’re here to learn, not to be ridiculed.”

A slightly sharp yet firmly authoritative tone.

“We came here for the class, not to be made fun of.”

Erica maintained a cold gaze, seemingly fine with the other party’s mood worsening.

Despite being in an initial encounter with Paula, and despite the difference in roles between a professor and a student, Erica seemed ready to stand her ground without backing down, maintaining her dignity.

Yes, she was that kind of character.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Erica. I didn’t mean that… I was happy to see a familiar face. If it was unpleasant, I apologize.”

Paula quickly backed down in response to Erica’s coldness. Not because she was afraid of Erica, but because she realized her words had touched a nerve.

“I also apologize for my disrespectful behavior, Professor. I hope such incidents won’t happen again in the future.”

At first glance, it might seem like Erica was bowing her head in apology to Paula, but upon closer inspection, it was quite the opposite.

Her apology seemed empty, and the weight of her statement was in “I hope such incidents won’t happen again in the future.”

In the end, she was giving Paula a warning. Not to utter such words again.

A student warning a professor.

“Ahem, ahem. Well then. Shall we start the orientation?”

Paula tried to change the atmosphere and proceed with the class.

Well, it wasn’t Alicia, but why poke the bear.

Let’s look at Erica’s long eyelashes fluttering as her pupils move back and forth between her notes and the blackboard.

Erica focused on Paula’s class as if nothing had happened.

Words are words, and class is class.

She’s a woman who makes sure to take care of what needs to be taken care of properly.

“…Turn your eyes away, Schugenhartz. It’s uncomfortable.”

She said, sensing my gaze. Not even giving a glance to the fiancé and revealing her emotions as they are.

Indeed, she is Barugan’s fiancée and the villainess.

Not just an average villainess.

***

After class ended without incident.

Or maybe not without incident. Since something like that happened from the start.

Erica hurriedly rose from her seat, as if she wanted to get away from me as soon as possible.

When someone openly dislikes you, human psychology makes you want to talk more for no reason. Is she deliberately acting like this?

“Just leaving?”

She looked puzzled at my words.

Well, she did stop in her tracks.

“I have something to say, how about having lunch together?”

“…?”

Erica blinked as if rubbing her ears. As if there was a problem with her ears.

Then she asked.

“Did I hear you wrong?”

Judging by your reaction, I heard it right. I assure you.

“Is having a meal with a fiancé such a strange thing?”

“If it’s a joke, just stop there. It’s not funny.”

“It’s not a joke. I mean it.”

I replied seriously.

Erica, feeling puzzled, turned her head back.

Our eyes met.

Erica’s expression changed. Her eyes widened.

“Schugenhartz… so you finally laid your hands on medicine. You’re out of your mind.”

She looked at me with disgust and repulsion.

That expression… like when someone makes a face when a cockroach appears at home. Isn’t it a bit too rude, even if she’s displeased?

“Think what you want. So, what will you do? Will you join me?”

Without any hesitation, she replied.

“Absolutely not. Is that clear?”

“Too bad. Then let’s aim for the next opportunity.”

Since I was rejected, I decided to withdraw cleanly.

I didn’t expect to succeed in one go. Thinking about my relationship with her, roughly… I might have to ask about ten times.

“Just a moment, Schugenhartz.”

As I showed signs of leaving, Erica reached out and stopped me.

The face was filled with perplexity and wariness.

“Do you have something to say about the family’s business? Is it a serious matter?”

“The family’s business?”

“Otherwise, you wouldn’t say such a thing to me.”

“Is it perceived that way… Well, I suppose so.”

The head nods.

“It’s not that. It’s purely personal.”

“Personal matters unrelated to the family…?”

“Yes, so clear your schedule for lunch on the next day we have class.”

“What… Ah, I see. It’s because of the upcoming class. Trying to extract information about the class from our conversation.”

“We’ll be the ones winning the competition in our class. You won’t be transferring to the class where you are.” She added a side note.

The upcoming class is indeed an important episode. But not so much for the current situation.

“You seem to be overthinking it.”

“Well, because of your presence…!”

“I just want to have a meal with you.”

“Lies… It’s a lie.”

“If you want, you can choose the time and place.”

…!

Erica widened her eyes even more. As if to say, it couldn’t be this absurd.

But the response she heard was,

“I still don’t want to.”