I know well that it’s an unreasonable nitpick.
She has the dignity of a noble, so there’s no way she would bring a counterfeit without any foundation.
Considering her personality, it was certain to be genuine even without tasting it.
However, Eveline is the antagonist.
A ticking time bomb who shouldn’t get close to Kalian, causing massive problems and hindrances later on.
I had to get rid of her in advance.
Unfair?
Angry?
Then that’s even better.
I hoped she would be angry with me, thereby also diminishing her affection for Kalian.
Eveline’s lips twitched.
“What are you doing? This was something I was going to give to Kalian. You shouldn’t have carelessly taken it.”
“I was just checking if it was poisoned. Are you saying you wouldn’t care even if Kalian were poisoned?”
She uttered nonsensical words.
Even to me, it sounded forced. How infuriating must it be for her?
“What I mean is that’s not it. There are many other ways to verify if it’s poisoned or a counterfeit.”
“That’s true, but… after tasting it, it is a counterfeit. There’s no need to go all the way to confirm it like this.”
“Nonsense. What kind of item is it? I even had it appraised by an expert myself before bringing it.”
“Seems that expert deceived you, Eveline.”
Most people would have lost their temper, cursed, or even slapped her.
But she calmly refuted my nonsense with superhuman patience.
If I weren’t Kalian’s friend or if there were no onlookers, I might have been dragged away or something.
“In the first place, how can you guarantee that your judgment is the truth? Can you really pride yourself on being better than those who have been handling herbs for decades?”
“Are you disrespecting me?”
“I’m not disrespecting you. I’m just demanding a reasonable explanation for your actions.”
“Haha, this is really… being treated like such a fool. I’m quite displeased.”
“No, that’s not my intention…”
She comes from the Duke Rose family, one of the empire’s finest.
From a young age, she showcased her talents and received everyone’s recognition.
She only engaged in high-level conversations about territories, politics, and magical studies, so she was taken aback by this forced nonsense she was experiencing for the first time in her life.
“So you’re right, I did disrespect you.”
“No, I didn’t disrespect you.”
“That’s… oh dear, Kalian. Hold on, hold on.”
I drew Kalian, who was sitting quietly.
He maintained his usual expression, but I grabbed his shoulder for no reason, like calming someone who was angry.
“Your friend is being treated like a fool right in front of you, which might make today very depressing… but still, hold on.”
“Huh?”
“This is a problem between Eveline and me, it doesn’t concern you. Even if she were a friend you’ve been inseparably close with since childhood.”
“Uh… yeah, I’ll hold on for now.”
Since he knew I was ‘involved,’ he just matched my words appropriately.
Though I couldn’t lie due to my personality, it was awkward beyond measure, but even that was effective.
Eveline, who had been watching his expression for a moment, bit her lip and raised her white flag.
“I’m sorry.”
“Huh? What are you suddenly talking about?”
When I asked nonchalantly, she continued in a weak voice.
“I sincerely apologize for being rude to you. I didn’t know you had such a keen eye for herbs.”
“Ah, yes.”
“And I also apologize for bringing a counterfeit due to my negligence. However, since it was prepared with a lot of money, please understand that my intentions were genuine.”
“If you’re saying it to that extent, I can’t refuse your apology…”
She’s relentless.
Even though it’s clear I was in the wrong, someone in love ends up overcoming unreasonable things.
She left, saying she would bring a proper gift as a sign of apology.
Kalian asked,
“Isn’t that a bit extreme? I understand your intentions, but it would be a huge hurt to her.”
“Extreme? Are you in a position to worry about someone else? How a person in love twists themselves, and after seeing it so clearly, you’re still talking like that?”
Me.
“That’s true, but….”
This guy still doesn’t know anything. That real crazy women, whom I’ve never experienced before, are gradually approaching me. No, I’m already surrounded by them.
A lot happened during the first day. We toured the academy, attended pre-scheduled classes, and grabbed meals at the cafeteria.
If there was anything else, it was that I blocked women who tried to approach Kalian under the guise of coincidence as if they were impregnable walls.
For example, using judo techniques to fling a female student who ran up pretending not to know anything from a corner of the hallway.
“Oh my~”
“Kalian, be careful!”
“Kyaa!!”
I either kicked away a deliberately dropped handkerchief hoping someone would pick it up or,
“Where did my handkerchief go?”
“Why is this trash rolling around?”
“Oll?”
When someone boldly proposed a date, I sent them away by saying I already had plans.
“If it’s not too much trouble, would you like to visit our territory sometime?”
“I’m really sorry, Kalian, but I’m busy these days. Ah, that day is the day I planned to hunt at my house.”
I see….
Sometimes, Kalian directly rejected these women’s advances, but for those that seemed difficult for him to handle, I stepped in myself.
Women who were rejected by me felt disappointed but couldn’t argue,
“Why are you meddling when it’s not your business?”
Why?
Because I’m good-looking, capable, kind, and even have a nice voice… I’m Kalian’s friend.
Women sensitive to human relationships would have figured it out at a glance.
If they dislike me, there would be no meetings with Kalian.
Whatever I do, building a friendly relationship with a smile is advantageous.
But that’s only half the answer.
Because I will completely drive away not only the “antagonist heroines” but also extras, except for the
“good-hearted heroines” who can help Kalian.
Kalian’s attention is a limited resource.
It’s hard to pour it into someone who is both capable and morally right.
“I have a lot to do from now on.”
Being recognized at the academy? Good grades? Career advancement? None of that matters.
Building healthy human relationships for Kalian.
My academy life revolves solely around this.
Especially to block twisted women and antagonist heroines,
I’ll do whatever it takes.
Fortunately, there were no major events on the first day.
Most key characters were just observing the situation, and those already scheming were just minor players.
Except for one person.
“Was his name Wade?”
In a secluded park within the academy.
After classes ended and many returned to their dorms or homes, the place became quiet.
Eveline appeared.
In fact, I answered her call.
She sent a note through someone saying,
“Let’s meet alone,” and since it was something I desired, I gladly accepted.
“Thank you for coming. Where is Kalian right now?”
“I went to buy ice cream. The line at the shop is quite long, so it will take some time to get here.”
“You really seem close to him.”
“Why did you call me?”
I know well what her purpose is and the methods she prefers to resolve matters.
Eveline didn’t hesitate to answer my question.
“What do you want? If I give you something, can you connect me with him?”
“Suddenly, what are you talking about?”
“After observing you all day, I realized something. Maybe Kalian doesn’t know others, but he completely trusts what you say.”
“That’s not necessarily the case, though.”
“Therefore, if you want to win Kalian’s heart, you need to win mine first. So, tell me, what do you want? Money? Or a position? I can provide whatever you desire.”
“Eveline… I don’t want things like that.”
I shook my head with a disappointed expression.
“I’m Kalian’s friend, so why are you arbitrarily thinking of him? If there’s a good connection right in front of you, I’ll connect you even if you tell him not to.”
“A good connection, you say… Then, what do you consider a good connection?”
“If you ask suddenly like that, it’s difficult.”
“Tell me. What should I do to get closer to Kalian?”
She pressed my words and took a step closer. A sweet yet dangerous floral scent tickled my nose.
“That’s… your heart. In other words, your character or personality.”
“Character? Are you saying my character is lacking? Fine… If you tell me which parts are insufficient, I’ll do my best to fix them.”
“Everything.”
“What?”
She frowned at my answer, but I didn’t stop.
“You’re arrogant, have a noble attitude, and are cold, trying to resolve everything with interests. Besides that, every part of you doesn’t match with Kalian. To be honest, you didn’t even have a chance from the beginning.”
“How dare you blabber without knowing anything about me?”
“I have ears to listen, too. Please understand that I’m not making baseless claims.”
If you look at her as a person, there’s no problem.
Yes, she is obsessed with arrogance and nobility, but that’s because she’s a capable individual.
In fact, the people of the Duke Rose territory all like her.
However, I know how far she’ll fall by obsessing over Kalian and how much of a burden she’ll become to him.
An antagonist heroine doesn’t necessarily have to have an evil personality.
“Our conversation is over, so I’ll be leaving now. From tomorrow onward, I hope you refrain from approaching Kalian as much as possible. Well then… Ugh?!”
But just as she was about to deliver the final blow, my body was suddenly slammed to the ground.
It wasn’t Eveline’s doing.
She was standing still, looking down at me.
It was probably something her guard did.
A voice filled with spite came from above my back.
“You really can’t stop talking once you start.”
“What are you?!”
“You don’t need to know. Just answer Eveline’s orders.”
I struggled, but he refused to move. He only glanced at his master.
At this point, I thought she would tell him to stop, but her reaction was indifferent, as if this was the natural outcome.
“So, have your thoughts changed a bit now?”
“Ugh… chuckles, hahaha.”
“What’s so funny?”
“Admitting that your character is lacking. My eyes are indeed accurate! Ugh!”
The guard inflicted pain on me as a warning, but I spoke regardless.
Eveline didn’t back down either.
“I’ve never tolerated someone’s rudeness this much. I’ll ask you again, and this time you must give a satisfactory answer.”
“Laughs No matter how many times you ask, my answer remains the same. In fact, it’s become more certain.”
“You’re stubborn. Even if you’re dying without anyone noticing, you won’t change your answer?”
“It seems you’re mistaken. I’m just being polite. I’m not someone who would easily die for you.”
As I shouted confidently while lying on the ground, she looked half bewildered and half curious.
“What are you talking about? Are you hiding your skills or something?”
“I’m also a student of Arcana. I’m not a fake who entered under the guise of a noble family like you. I entered based on genuine skills.”
“So what does that mean?”
“If you set your mind to it, it means that noble titles like yours are nothing but empty words. The reason I’m holding back is because of Eveline’s family.”
“Hmph… You know nothing. I…”
Upon hearing my words, Eveline scoffed, thought for a moment, and then nodded.
“Alright, I understand what you’re thinking. Then, how about this?”
“What now? Don’t bother me and just back off.”
“I challenge you to a duel. Just the two of us, one-on-one, to fight fairly. If you lose, acknowledge me and introduce me to Kalian.”
“What benefit would I have from that?”
I responded skeptically to her proposal, trying my best to hold back a laugh.
This was exactly the situation I had anticipated.