Chapter 10: Love

Chapter 10:
Love

 

MARIE TREMBLED as she stared at the gray-colored Armor in the middle of the arena.

What the hell is that thing? I don’t remember a character this strong being in the game. I-I don’t know anything about this!

The gray Armor stood with one foot resting on the fallen mobile suit, but once it lifted its leg, officials dove in to rescue Jilk. His life wasn’t in danger, but he’d lost consciousness.

Kyle seemed surprised. “Are we sure about this? Those four weren’t even able to put up a fight.”

Julius squeezed Marie’s hands and turned toward his white robot. “We never dreamed he’d be so strong. Still, the best techniques in the kingdom were used to craft my Armor. Don’t worry, Marie.”

She gave him an awkward smile.

That’s what everyone else said before they went out there and got the crap kicked out of them! You’re all so worthless. It’s because you all sucked so bad in battle that I passed the game off to my brother and told him to clear it for me in the first place.

Marie’s thoughts swirled toward her previous life, a frantic bid to escape the reality playing out before her.

This is all my brother’s fault! That jerk tattled to Mom about my trip, then keeled over! After that, I lost the rest of my family. Even after I got married, they wouldn’t help me… Not when I wanted to have a wedding ceremony, not even when my husband ran out on me! This is all my brother’s fault! And that Leon guy is just like him!

Julius peeled off his jacket, revealing the spandex-type suit clinging to his body. Normal clothing got in the way when piloting, so these suits hugged every body-line.

It looks so stupid. It was hot in the game because it made their muscles stand out, but it looks so lame in person. I wish they’d at least equip a vest and some pants like that—that brother-doppelganger creep.

Julius climbed into his Armor, and the eyes on the helmet lit up. The two eyes, which the other suits lacked, made Julius’s suit resembled a robot even more.

Kyle stared at the Armor longingly. “I’m so jealous. I wish I could have one of those.”

Marie shook her head. “You’re not a knight, so you can’t. Besides, elves can’t pilot.”

“I won’t know for sure unless I try. Besides, I’m only half-elven, so I might have a chance.”

“No,” she repeated firmly. “I don’t even have Armor for you to—”

She cut off as she realized something.

Wait a minute… I thought humans and demi-humans weren’t supposed to be able to produce offspring together? How is he half-elven? Well, whatever, it’s just a game. I doubt it has any deeper meaning.

Julius glanced down at her from his Armor. “Marie, I’m off now.”

Marie struggled to find the right words. I think what the protagonist said in this situation was… “All right. I’ll be praying for your victory, Julius.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it!”

Marie often mimicked the protagonist’s lines, wearing the mask of the ideal woman in front of her five love interests.

Gah, it’s so exhausting. It isn’t easy playing an innocent, cutesy, brainless main character all the time.

Marie had done her best since being reborn in this world to steal the protagonist’s position. She laid in wait when event scenes were supposed to occur, then drove the real protagonist away. Once she was alone on the stage, she copied the protagonist’s lines and demeanor to make the boys fall for her instead; a relatively simple task, since she already knew their personalities and preferences.

As a result, she made quick work of fending off Angelica as well. Or she would have, if not for a certain anomaly.

I have to do something about that background character. Wait a minute, what happens if we really do lose this duel? In the game, I’m pretty sure it would be a Game Over.

Her life was on the line here. She desperately needed Julius to win.

It can’t end like this. I need to enjoy this world more. I want to fall in love with more men and live the high life. All I did in my previous life was suffer. I can’t lose to that stupid background character, not when I’m finally about to obtain happiness!

 

***

 

A white suit landed in the arena, sparkling in the light. Later on in the game, superior versions would be developed, but at this point, this was the strongest Armor the kingdom had to offer.

Although, you can’t really call it the strongest, I thought. Not that I was going to say that to the prince.

“I never dreamed I would actually face you. I commend you for getting this far,” Prince Julius said haughtily.

The crowd cheered him on, praying he would win. Some idiots out there had probably bet every coin they owned on his victory. Sadly, I was going to take the day. Their prayers wouldn’t reach the heavens.

It gave me great pleasure.

I understood I was a weakling. I had only participated in this duel for two reasons: one was Arroganz, and the other was because the prince and friends were still first-years. They were kids now, at the very beginning of their journey. From here on out, these five would become immensely strong, but right now, they lacked power and experience.

If I wanted to have my go at them, it had to be now.

“Hard to be proud when I just took down a bunch of small fries, you know?” I taunted, but the prince didn’t bite. He lifted his shield in his left hand and his sword in his right. On his back, two cannons with revolver-type cylinders protruded past his shoulders. It was quite the luxurious battle suit, befitting a member of the royal family.

This man was destined to be the protagonist’s partner. It felt strange standing in front of him like this, equipped for battle. It made me wonder just how sure he was that Marie was the one he should be protecting.

“Your Highness, allow me to ask you one question.”

“Go on, I’ll answer it if I can.”

“What do you think of the scholarship student—Olivia?”

The prince didn’t give me much of a reaction. In fact, he seemed confused. “Olivia’s her name? I hear she’s a hard worker. What about her?”

“All right, then.” I lifted my shovel. It was a bit surreal to still be wielding it in battle. Maybe I should change it out for a sword? But I’d fought with it this far, so maybe it was best to rely on a proven tool.

As the referee stepped forward, they leveled a meaningful look at me, almost as if they were trying to say, You know what you’re doing, right?

You trying to tell me not to hurt him? I thought.

The referee lifted their arm, then sliced a hand through the air. “Begin!”

But the prince and I stood there, motionless. He had his shield held up in front of him.

Luxion seemed dissatisfied. “He watched all our fights, and he’s still going to wait for you to make the first move? How hopeless. The power differential is clear. His Armor does look exceptional compared to the others, but that’s all it has going for it.”

“Then I guess it’s up to us to begin.”

I took a step forward, slamming my shovel into his shield. The prince deflected my attack and slashed at me with the sword in his right hand. I caught it with the handle of my shovel, and sparks flew as metal screamed.

“I’ve got more where that came from!” the prince cried. He launched consecutive attacks with his shield and sword.

I parried and backstepped. Passionate cheers rang out from the crowd, who seemed to think the prince had overpowered me.

“They really don’t want to lose the bet, do they?” I huffed.

“I imagine they’re excited at the prospect of not having to listen to your gloating anymore, as well. You’ve been so in love with lecturing your opponents every round, after all. Perhaps the audience finds you annoying ‘as hell,’ as you like to put it?” Luxion suggested.

“Not helping!” I snapped. “Whoops!”

I dodged an angry blow from the prince just in time, sliding across the ground to slip away.

The prince moved nimbly, seeming to skate across the ground as he flew toward me, his sword raised. I caught the attack with my shovel.

“I’m not going to lose. I can’t lose! Not when she’s praying for my victory!” The light from his blade shone brighter, reacting to his emotions. Blue flames shot out from behind him as he pressed his assault, making his Armor even more impressive.

“I will admit, it’s artistic,” Luxion said.

“Coming from you, that’s not a compliment,” I said dryly. “And anyway, we can’t back down.”

I blocked each blow of his sword. It was obvious that, as a pilot, he had more skills at his disposal than I did.

“Impressive, Your Highness. You’re far fiercer than your four buddies. Or maybe they held back because they were secretly hoping I’d win—couldn’t help thinking about how much easier it would be for them with you gone. One less person around and they’d each have more time to spend with Marie!”

“Enough of your nonsense! You don’t know anything about us!” The blue flames burned even stronger as he pressed on. The prince forced his armor over capacity in hopes of overcoming the enormous gap in power between us.

Goes to show how serious he is about this.

“You’re right. I don’t know anything, but I don’t think things can go on like this, either.”

I glanced over at Olivia and Angelica in the stands, watching me. Olivia clasped her hands in prayer as she cheered me on, and Angelica wore a tormented look. She probably hated seeing the two of us fight. Or perhaps she feared I might actually hurt him?

“Tell me, Your Highness,” I continued, still fighting off his attack, “what’s it like to truly love someone? I have no idea, so you’ll have to explain it to me.”

“I’m sure you don’t. Neither of you do. That’s why she had no trouble getting in my way. If she had ever experienced love before, she’d never have instigated this duel! If she truly loved me, she’d have bowed out gracefully!”

Not that I had any business saying this, but couldn’t the same be said for the prince?

“Are you talking about Miss Angelica?” I asked. “Uh, I’m pretty sure she does love you.”

“She doesn’t.”

“Huh?”

The flames on his back burned ferociously as he increased his speed. His movements were swifter than anyone else’s had been, and his blows were sharper as well.

“What she feels can’t be called love! She never tried to understand how I felt. She was no different than the other girls at the palace! She just forced me to carry out my role as a prince—but I never wanted to be born into the royal family. No one at the palace even cared about me as a person!”

Of course they didn’t. He was the crown prince—the heir to the kingdom. I could tell him as much, but Prince Julius genuinely didn’t seem to like the role he’d been born into.

“Marie was the only woman who realized how I truly felt,” he continued.

So Marie conned him into liking her just by acting differently. In the game, the prince fell for sweet, genuine, common-born Olivia. Thanks to the woman who had reincarnated into this world, however, everything had gone awry. Selfish, noble-born Marie was leading all five of those bastards around by the nose, and they embarrassed themselves every second they tripped after her.

“You act so cocky, but you’re just like them,” the prince spat. “Your words are cheap. The only reason you have such a big head is because you got your hands on a powerful Armor. You can’t even be called a knight! Is this really that fun for you? Tell me, how does it feel to abuse your power and trample over other people? How does it feel to look down at others like they’re less than you?!”

“Absolutely amazing!” I crowed.

“What?!”

I lifted my leg, intending to slam my foot into him, but he blocked me with his shield. The momentum sent him reeling backward, but he launched his shoulder cannons at me. I didn’t even bother blocking. The blasts weren’t enough to make Arroganz flinch, much less leave a scratch.

“It feels absolutely amazing!” I cackled. “After how you and your friends threw your weight around and tried to intimidate me with your authority, it’s so damn cathartic pounding you into the ground and telling you what I really think. I admit, I do find it pretty sad your friends had nothing to say in their defense. Although, they would have looked pretty pathetic going off at the mouth after they lost so terribly.

“Let me tell you one more thing while I’m at it,” I went on. “I may be as arrogant as you say, but you still can’t beat me. How does that feel, hmm? How does it feel to have someone you looked down on beat you, Your Highness?!”

“You bastaaaard!”

I could get addicted to pounding my opponents into the ground as I tell them off.

These guys had acted so condescending toward me. I felt no remorse.

“Since he can’t even beat someone like you in an argument, it’s over for him.” It was a good thing Luxion’s voice (as well as our conversations) couldn’t be heard outside the cockpit. “He’s probably shocked speechless that he’s about to lose. Also, Master, you really are a garbage human being. I’m impressed.”

The prince swung his left arm up, bashing his shield into me. Smoke poured from the hand of his suit, as if he’d pushed it past its limits. The shield itself was so badly warped that His Highness chucked it to the side. Several of its fingers bent at odd angles. He wouldn’t be able to use that hand anymore.

“Oh,” I said, almost as an afterthought, “one more thing. I don’t give a crap how you feel, you idiot! How could I even begin to understand? You never even tried to understand how Miss Angelica fe—”

“Shut uuuup!”

He swung at me and I raised my shovel, locking our weapons together. The heads of our Armors collided, but I had the advantage of weight and size.

“What’s with all the whining about being royalty? Has anyone tried to sell you to a perverted old hag? Ever had to bow your head repeatedly and beg someone to marry you? Ever had someone tell you how much they hate countryfolk or how they expect you to finance their lover, too? It’s pathetic! Why don’t you try waiting on a wife hand and foot while she turns around and loves every man but you?!”

I was sure numerous men in the audience agreed with how I felt. Some nodded their heads or wiped tears away.

Don’t worry, everyone… I’m going to deliver divine punishment to this ignorant rich boy. Just watch!

“And? So what?!” Prince Julius yelled. “At least you’re free! All you have to do is find a good partner!”

His response pissed me off so much I punched him a couple more times. With each blow, he groaned as he tried to withstand the shockwaves sent through the Armor.

“Free?! I ‘just have to find a good partner’?!” I wanted to laugh. “You think I—you think we are really free?! You rich, pampered little brat, don’t you dare mock us! You try fearing for your chastity! Try putting your life on the line on a tiny boat in the sky! You had a gorgeous fiancée willing to forgive your trysts with other women. What the hell kind of nonsense is this whole ‘I didn’t ask for this’ crap? You’re living the damn high life! Do you have a single better excuse?!”

“I’m not playing around!”

“That makes it even worse!” I snarled.

Marie was the daughter of a viscount. He could have welcomed her as a concubine or maybe even a lover.

Uh, I mean, probably, right? I don’t really know how all that stuff works, but none of his reasons excuse ignoring Angelica the way he did!

Besides, this guy was supposed to lead our kingdom in the future! His friends were supposed to inherit their fathers’ titles and be powerful lords, too. Having them all fawning over the same woman would cause nothing but problems.

I swung my shovel with all my might, knocking the sword from his hand, then I grabbed both of his arms and crushed them until they hung limp at his side.

The prince leaped back to and fired his cannons. I dodged each blast, waiting for his ammo to run out. He had a limited number of shots, so it wouldn’t take long, but…

“Hah… Enough of this! Playtime is over. The person you should be talking to is over there, you hear me?” I pointed my thumb back at the stands where Angelica and Olivia stood.

Angelica watched us with such sadness in her eyes. She leaned forward, as if waiting for the prince to say something to her. She cared about him. No, she loved him. The whole point of this duel was to pull Marie away from him, after all.

Even though he couldn’t fight anymore, the prince still said, “Not yet.”

“What?”

“It’s not over yet. If it means losing Marie, I’d rather die! I won’t accept defeat no matter what happens. If you’re going to kill me, then do it! This is a duel! I forbid anyone from ending this until one of us is dead!”

Not going to let anyone else interfere, huh?

Defiant little jerk. He whined about how he didn’t want to be a member of the royal family, but he was perfectly willing to wield his authority to order everyone around. What a ridiculous hypocrite. He’d point the finger if he saw someone else contradicting themselves like that, but he was perfectly willing to contradict himself.

He was a real pain.

“Fine, guess I’ll keep going until I break you,” I muttered.

“That chat could have gone better,” Luxion said. “Though, I did detect more emotion from you just then than I have from anything else you’ve said. I commend you for that at least.”

Of course! I was speaking from actual experience. I wasn’t just venting at the prince for the sake of it.

 

***

 

Both of the arms on Julius’s white mobile suit were broken, but he still tried to throw punches at Leon.

To Angelica, the prince’s desperation was plain. Leon far outmatched him, yet His Highness wouldn’t back down. She clutched the handrail, tears trailing down her cheeks.

“You really are serious about her, aren’t you, Your Highness? You really do love her.” At last, she relinquished the possibility that her feelings would ever reach him and wiped her tears away.

That’s right. I should back down. If this is truly what he wants, then it’s what I ought to do.

Her gaze traveled to the opposite side of the stadium. Marie stood there, pale as a sheet. Angelica glared at her.

But I still won’t accept you. Whoever he picks, it mustn’t be you at his side. You’ll only get in his way. I won’t allow it.

Even though she was prepared to give up on being with the prince herself, Angelica still intended to rip the two of them apart. It was in the prince’s best interest. She couldn’t let a woman who had a lover and maintained romantic relationships with four other men sit on the throne as queen. In such a short amount of time, that siren had managed to ensnare all five of them. Angelica had no doubt she would continue to lure in even more men after this.

If a woman like Marie became queen, the potential for war would increase dramatically. The palace couldn’t sit quietly and watch that happen.

Marie’s complexion continued to pale as Julius’s Armor fell apart in front of her eyes.

Angelica regarded her panic with a scowl. I don’t care what happens to me, as long as I drag you down with me. I won’t let you have your way with the prince.

Though her heart ached at the thought of tearing the prince away from someone he claimed to love, Angelica would do whatever was necessary to keep them apart.

“You’re wrong, Prince Julius!” Olivia suddenly shouted from beside Angelica. “Maybe you love Marie, but Miss Angelica loves you! She’s been tormented this whole time watching your duel, but she still hasn’t turned away! Please don’t say she doesn’t love you!”

Flustered, Angelica tried to cut her off, “H-hey, that’s enough.”

She reached for Olivia’s shoulders and tried to pull her back, but Olivia was all worked up.

Olivia’s voice echoed through the arena, charismatic and arresting. The whole audience, teachers and students alike, turned to look at her. “Why do you deny her feelings like that? Are you going to say it’s not love if it’s not mutual?”

“Enough, just leave it,” Angelica snapped. “Olivia, I said stop!”

“No, I have to speak,” Olivia insisted. “What Miss Angelica feels is love, Prince Julius! It’s up to you whether you want to accept her feelings or not, but please don’t deny them!”

 

***

 

Those words were so loud even Marie heard them at the other end of the stadium.

Pisses me off, Goody Two-Shoes like her. Are you a complete bonehead? You can’t call one-sided feelings love! She really makes me want to throw things.

But Olivia’s words, ringing through the arena, seemed to resonate with the crowd. Marie’s face contorted with disgust. Was Olivia rubbing it in Marie’s face that she wasn’t the real heroine of this story? After all, Olivia was the one these gorgeous, rich, and powerful men were supposed to be pining after. And despite everything Marie had done to steal her place as the protagonist, Olivia inevitably drew attention with her sheer charisma.

So what? She’s only still here because she got a strong background character to back her up. I have all the love interests. They’re obviously way more valuable than that sad excuse for comic relief. His only redeeming quality is the absurd power he got his hands on.

But then, suddenly, Olivia stared straight at Marie…a terrifying look in her eyes. It was like she could see straight through the mask Marie had so painstakingly crafted. Like Olivia was threatening to take back everything Marie had stolen.

Marie staggered back a step.

“Is that all you have to say, woman?” Julius’s voice sounded strained. His words, laced with fury, were stifled as they trickled from his beat-up Armor. “You think you can call it love when you force your feelings on someone who doesn’t return them? Angelica only saw me as a crown prince, and you think that is love? I found a woman who truly sees me for who I am, who understands me. That is true love! Angelica, did you ever try to understand me? Don’t come near me ever again!”

His words rallied Marie’s spirits.

That’s right. I’m not wrong to feel the way I do. They’re the ones in the wrong. What’s the protagonist even doing aligning herself with the villainess like that? In the game, the two of them were at each other’s throats. Hurry up and fight each other already!

“Now,” Julius said, gasping, “let’s resume our duel. I mean it. This won’t end until one of us is dead. I’m prepared to accept the outcome now, no matter what it is. What about you?”

The gray Armor just stood there, its shovel resting on its shoulder.

Julius is the crown prince. If you really are a noble, take the hint already. Do you want to kill your own kingdom’s future monarch? Hurry up and accept defeat!

“So you’re prepared now?” Leon bit back. “That mean you weren’t prepared before? Now that you’re afraid you’re going to lose you’ve finally found some goddamn resolve? You mocking me? A duel is the very definition of a death match! The only reason you five dirtbags are alive is because of the academy’s rule against killing people in the ring. Otherwise, you’d be done for. Didn’t you realize that?”

Leon laughed, a mocking sound. “Man, I should’ve taken all five of you at once. It would’ve been so much quicker. I had my guard up because you were all so confident, but you’re far weaker than I imagined. Give me a break! Now I look like some kind of big bad bully.”

What the heck is his problem? He’s just like my older brother—incessantly pointing out every little flaw and attacking the other person’s character. I hate people like him!

“Now that your Armor is falling to pieces and you’re about to lose everything, you’ve finally prepared yourself for the worst case scenario, huh?” Leon went on. “I gotta give it to you, you’re persistent—trying to use your life as a shield to claim victory. Obviously you’re hoping that’ll convince me to back down and surrender. How disappointing. Even I can’t kill a prince. Maybe I should admit defeat, then? Then good news for you. You get to win because you’re a prince. You went on and on about how you didn’t want to be born into the royal family, but you’re willing to use the full extent of the privilege it entails just to snatch victory. I commend you for that!”

Everyone in the arena had to be thinking the same thing: This guy is a total asshole.

“Go on, say it,” Leon said for all to hear. “‘Please lose for me, Leon. I don’t want to be separated from my beloved Marie, so please let me win! I’m begging you! I never thought I’d actually lose.’ Come on, beg me to surrender. Beg me to forgive you for your arrogance. Oh wait, you’re a prince. Why not order me instead?”

“I’d never do that!” Julius shouted. “This is a sacred duel. Proper etiquette dictates that we must fight each other with our full strength!”

“Hmm? So you’re telling me to be considerate and surrender without even being asked? You’re a tough one, Your Highness. I’d be violating the sanctity of the duel if I admitted defeat just to avoid killing you. But it doesn’t seem like you stand a chance of turning the tables and beating me, either. Or do you have some moving speech prepared that will convince me otherwise? Nah, I’ve listened to all five of you talk by now, and everything I’ve heard sounds like bull. If anything, I’m impressed you’re able to spew such ridiculous drivel.”

The atmosphere in the arena simmered with discomfort as Leon continued to egg on the prince. The women in the crowd, and even some of the men, screamed, “Prince Julius, finish him off!”

He really is disgusting, Marie thought. I guess scumbags like that exist no matter what world you live in.

 

***

 

I let out a small sigh sitting inside Arroganz.

“I’m impressed you managed to say all that.” Luxion seemed intent on driving home how big of a sleazeball I was. “Do you feel the human feeling of elation?”

“I know, I said too much. I just need those five to have a little more self-awareness. These guys are going to be the driving force of our kingdom in the future.”

It wouldn’t bode well for me (or the country, for that matter) if they stayed the way they were right now. I needed them to at least understand that no matter how impressive they thought they were, there was always someone better out there. They also needed to calm the hell down. How could a single woman wind all five of them around her creepy little monkey finger? Ridiculous.

“So you’re simply playing the villain?” Luxion sounded skeptical. “You seem to really be enjoying yourself.”

“Well, okay, yes. I’m having a ton of fun. Not like I’m ever going to get to do this again.”

I let the prince’s supporters shower me with insults as I stepped toward the prince. I didn’t mind. I stopped him as he tried to swing his broken fists at me.

“Prince Julius, I’m not going to withdraw.”

“Let go of me! Let goooo! You’re a lowlife, a slime without an ounce of chivalry! Even if I can’t beat you, I have no intention to surrender!”

He wriggled in my Armor’s grasp, but Arroganz easily held him in place. I sure was glad for my power advantage.

“Let’s be serious for a moment,” I said. “Do you really think you’ll be happy the way things are right now?”

“Wh-what are you trying to say?!”

He’d humiliated his (now former) fiancée and wanted to claim true love for a woman who was toying with a bunch of other men. This man was our future king? Come on! Everyone else at the academy was so drunk on the drama that they weren’t looking at reality. Maybe they were trying to avoid it.

Marie was bound to trigger issues in the future. With five men around her, how could you know the father of any child she bore? Someone would inevitably doubt the baby’s parentage, and some would leverage that doubt for political ends. What would the prince do then? Would he suddenly wake up to reality and take another woman as his partner for the express purpose of producing an heir?

There was a more immediate problem, too: while Julius might be a prince, he needed support for his authority to mean anything. Namely, he needed support from cabinet ministers and nobility—regional lords. If no one recognized his power, he’d be politically impotent. Kings struggled enough to keep balance between political factions without carelessly making it worse.

One of Prince Julius’s biggest supporters was Duke Redgrave. Angelica’s father.

And this idiot just made an enemy of him.

In the game, Julius hooked up with the protagonist, who then became a saint. But Marie was no saint—she was nothing more than some girl reincarnated from a different world, i.e., she was meant to be a background character like me. At some point, she would screw up, and royally. Frankly, she already had. I was just cleaning up her mess.

I almost want ask her if she’s my stupid little sister.

“Love?” I said to Julius. “That’s wonderful. I understand you’re passionate. So much so, you must be willing to throw away your claim to the throne to be with her.”

“Guh…!”

Prince Julius wasn’t stupid. He had to understand all this… Ah. Of course. He picked Marie despite knowing what it would mean for his future.

Wait. Isn’t that worse than if he’d just been an idiot?

My eyes narrowed. “I guess that means I was right. You really do plan to abdicate, don’t you?”

“Going to laugh and call me a fool? That’s just how valuable she is to me! I don’t need status. As long as she’s by my side, that’s enough.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s exactly why she wanted you, though. I doubt she’d even look your way if you weren’t the crown prince.”

Marie would want nothing to do with him if the prince lost everything—his status, his prestige, his fortune. Oh, she’d be fine dating him because he was good-looking, but she wouldn’t entertain the idea of marrying him anymore.

“That’s not true at all!” Prince Julius cried. “Marie will stay with me no matter what. All I need is her!”

What a terrifying woman, to make a man like him say that.

Had she really charmed him so by simply copying the main character’s lines? Marie had to have some talent of her own to pull that off. Not that I believed for a second that she truly loved the prince. If she did possess any love, she wouldn’t be toying with five men.

“Good for you. But you’re going to lose, so you’ll have to give up on dating her anyway.”

I released him and swung my shovel as hard as I could. The prince’s white suit crumpled under the blow, and his robot sank to the ground.

“Analysis complete,” Luxion reported. “I can guarantee the safety of the pilot.”

“Holding back sure is difficult. Anyway, it’s over now.”

I dropped my shovel and pressed the palm of my right hand against the prince’s suit’s chest. The armored plating around my arm began to expand, emitting a white light.

“Impact,” Luxion said, and the prince’s mobile suit fractured into dust.

Shrieks erupted from the stands, but as the dust cleared, the prince’s untouched body appeared in the rubble. I scooped up my shovel and rested it against my shoulder.

The arena fell silent.

I turned my gaze to the referee, who was calling for a doctor before they bothered announcing the winner. Of course, they prioritized Prince Julius’s safety.

Once they realized he’d merely fainted, the referee sagged in relief and shouted, “The victor is Leon Fou Bartfort! Therefore, the winner of this duel is Angelica Rapha Redgrave. In accordance with the agreed upon terms…”

They proceeded to command the losing side to adhere to the promise they’d made and called an end to the duel.

Blue notes, representing bets on the prince’s victory, began fluttering through the arena, the crowd hurling abuse at me.

“Give us back our money!”

“What a sham! You can’t even call this a duel!”

“Return it! Return our money!”

I basked in the pleasant cacophony. I lifted my shovel and floated up through the air, recording the faces of all the people in the crowd. They looked absolutely devastated, but a few among them had red notes safely tucked in their pockets—proof they’d bet on my victory.

“Careful what you gamble on!” I said, taunting the losers.

Soon they were slinging garbage at me. I cackled as I dodged out of the way, floating back down to where Olivia stood. When I disembarked from Arroganz, my Armor automatically slipped back into its storage and flew up into the sky.

“You’ll make sure to pick it up, right?” I asked Luxion.

“Obviously.”

I accepted the jacket Olivia held out for me and slipped my arms through the sleeves. “How was it, ladies? I won.”

Angelica looked conflicted. Little surprise there. It was her beloved prince I’d beaten to a pulp. It was only natural for her to feel torn.

“Yes. I suppose I should thank you,” she said, not looking grateful in the least. Her face was pallid, and she seemed concerned about the prince’s condition.

I decided it was best not to joke. Solemnly, I said, “I didn’t hurt him, I promise. He’s just unconscious.”

And anyway, if anything had happened to him, it was all Luxion’s fault. Not mine.

Olivia looked similarly conflicted. She seemed more conscious of our surroundings than anything else, sensing the danger from the other students. “Uh, um, are you sure this was really for the best? The looks they’re giving us…”

Most were glaring daggers at me. Some hurled insults, others sobbed.

“What am I supposed to do now?! That was all the money I had!”

“Please, I’m begging you, give my money back! I’m in debt now. I borrowed money so I could bet!”

“The stakes were rigged. We can’t accept this!”

Too ignorant of the world, these noble kids. I’d fed them a nice, bitter pill. Only an idiot would gamble without knowing whether the odds were in their favor or not.

Although these fools bet because they were positive I was going to lose… Well, whatever. I beat all five of those jerks, so I won. That’s all there is to it.

“Leave them be,” I said aloud. “If they lost their entire fortune, that’s on them. They can consider it my class fee for teaching them a valuable lesson: don’t gamble.”

Angelica heaved a sigh. “Easy for you to say. You knew you were going to win… That’s why you bet so much money on yourself, right? Still, you came through for me. Thank you. We can discuss your reward later. For now, I’m going to see the prince.”

She hurried off, and Olivia and I started toward the changing room.

Olivia’s voice was thick with concern as she asked, “Leon, why did you say so many harsh things to them? Wouldn’t it have been better to stay quiet?”

Evidently she thought I could have handled things better. Perhaps she was rather disillusioned with me. So then…why was she so nice to me? I couldn’t remember doing anything to warrant such treatment. Was the protagonist just that compassionate, that kindhearted? Or was I simply her only real friend at the academy?

“I wanted their hostility centered on me,” I said. “It went exactly as I planned.”

Her brows drew together, puzzled. “Really? But, um, won’t this make it harder for you to find a partner in the future? They’re all very angry with you.”

“Yeah, nothing to worry about. I’m sure I’ll be expelled anyway.”

“Huh?” she blurted, and her jaw dropped.

Man, it must be nice to be such a natural beauty. Even with that dumbfounded look on her face, she’s still cute.

 

***

 

Only Angelica and Julius were in the medical office. He had only been briefly knocked unconscious and had no other injuries, so the nurses and doctor read the air in the room and gave the two some space.

Angelica cried at the sight of him. He sat in his bed, head hung limp as he absorbed the results of the duel. She could tell he still hadn’t accepted the outcome.

“I’m really glad you’re all right,” she said.

His eyes were devoid of all emotion as he looked at her. “You can quit the charade. It was your representative in the duel that drove me into a corner.”

Angelica fell silent. Of course he blamed her for the way things turned out. “Your Highness,” she said finally, “allow me to ask you…why wasn’t I enough? I…I worked so hard up until now for your sake.”

She’d poured everything she had into becoming a woman worthy of the crown prince. She was proud of all the work she’d put in. Back home, she’d undergone strict training from dawn until dusk, knowing one day she would be queen: etiquette courses, lessons on culture, fine arts, and politics. She had devoted herself to being the perfect fiancée.

It infuriated her to see Marie get so close to the prince when she hadn’t put in any effort at all. Angelica had sacrificed so much for so long, dedicating herself to the role from the time she was a child. Then Marie appeared out of nowhere, and the prince shoved Angelica aside.

Julius chucked dryly. “For my sake? You wanted me for my position as the crown prince.”

“You’re wrong! I did it for you, Prince Julius!”

“No, you’re wrong. You never really looked at me, and I can prove it. Do you know what my favorite food is?”

“Yes, of course! It’s a soup,” she said, going on to explain the specifics of the dish, but he merely frowned.

“That’s not my favorite.”

Angelica was taken aback. “Huh?”

“My favorite food is a skewer I ate when I sneaked out of the palace. You told me such food was for commoners and didn’t suit me, so I never mentioned it to you. I figured you would dismiss me if I tried.”

He didn’t feel like he could be honest with her! Angelica wiped at her tears. “I would never! If you’d told me—”

“Marie realized without me even having to say anything. She recognized it the first time we went out together, and she invited me to a food stand.”

Angelica’s tears fell faster, dripping from her chin to the floor. So she realized things that I never had? Even though I’ve been by his side for so long?

Julius wore a guilty look, but he didn’t apologize. “I know I’ve disrespected you and your family, but I can’t love any other woman but Marie.”

Angelica sobbed. “I don’t mind. As long as you’ll let me stay beside you, Your Hi—Julius.”

He shook his head. “I can’t love you.”

So that was how he really felt. Angelica had to concede defeat and bow out. She turned her back to leave. “Your Highness, I’m sorry for how things turned out. I won’t say anything more to you. Only…I’ll be praying for your happiness from a distance.”

As she left the room, she wondered if she imagined his response: “It’s a little late for that now. I wanted you to say that to me sooner.”