The Villain Bought the Female Lead - Ch. 27
One year from now.
The main enemy of the heroes, Artife, would raid Academia.
An unprecedented tragedy befell Academia.
The red monsters Alicia spoke of.
Their official name was Artife. Their numbers were unimaginable, and they were increasing in real time.
The second-year protagonist and their group were overwhelmed by the red wave crashing over Academia.
The defense system that had firmly protected Academia was destroyed, and countless students were massacred. Especially the freshmen who enrolled that year—about half of them die.
Many second-year students also met their end. While they fared better than the freshmen, it was still far from being okay.
Most of those who died were already lagging behind.
Emily and Finn were among them.
Emily, a heroine, had her death scene vividly described, while Finn, a minor character, was simply noted to have died later.
You might have found the character Emily puzzling.
She loved the protagonist, Liam, but unlike Alicia, she had no outstanding talents, no high status, and her personality wasn’t particularly gentle.
How could such a character be a heroine? Who would like her? Who would see her in a positive light?
Maybe that was why.
She died.
To be precise, she only became useful after her death.
Liam, enraged like never before, awakened upon her death.
He blamed his immaturity and reflected on his complacent past.
She was a steppingstone for the protagonist’s growth.
A grim development indeed.
Liam’s awakening and the tragedy of Academia marked a significant shift in the story’s tone.
Thus, I realized.
The background of this novel I had been reincarnated into was far from bright. Being a main character didn’t guarantee survival. Let alone being a supporting character.
As I mentioned before, I didn’t overdo things.
Overdoing meant going excessively beyond one’s goal.
I set my usual sleep time to two hours.
Whenever I had the chance, I focused on controlling my magic and nurturing myself.
I laid the groundwork and waited for the right time.
Better to be insufficient than excessive.
The future developments I must face were like that.
Emily, who dismissed it as nonsense without knowing these circumstances, might…
Died a year from now.
Well, that might be fine too. If it helped in some way.
Finn gulped nervously with wide eyes, wondering what would happen.
“Hm?”
As I walked down the hallway to attend a required class, I saw a female student frowning at me.
She almost reflexively straightened her expression and tried to ignore me.
That was disappointing.
“It would be better to attend the same class together, don’t you think? Considering the attention from others.”
“……”
“Didn’t we show great teamwork on the welcome stage? I thought you had fully opened your heart to me then.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
My fiancée responded boldly, each word brimming with thorns.
“That was something I did <because I had no choice>. If not for our families, I wouldn’t have sought you out, nor would I have forced a smile while dancing with you.”
“For something done under duress, you had a pretty good expression.”
“That just means my social skills have improved.”
Erica replied blandly, crossing her arms.
I shrugged.
I vividly remember how she was in the past due to Vargan’s memories. She was quite different from her past self. She was improving.
“Seems like your height stayed the same though.”
“Shut up, Schugenhartz.”
“No matter what, our relationship doesn’t change. In public, we must act like a perfect pair.”
As famous figures of the Troa Empire, our engagement was known everywhere among the nobility.
Therefore, you couldn’t completely reject it either.
“… whose fault do you think it is that we’re like this?”
Erica muttered to herself.
I ignored it and entered the lecture hall, and although Erika was reluctant, she eventually followed.
***
As the class started, the door burst open and someone familiar walked in confidently.
“Hello! Nice to meet you all. I’m Paula, and I’ll be teaching Advanced Theory of Magical Formulas 1 for first years!”
I knew this was coming, but seeing it still felt strange.
She was teaching with the same high energy she had at the mansion. She really had a screw missing somewhere.
It seemed she returned to her position without much trouble. A little bit of trouble would have been nice, though.
“Oh my, I see some familiar faces!”
Paula waved at me. No need to respond.
She then noticed the person sitting next to me and seemed to realize something.
Erica and I were sitting a bit apart, but it was obvious we were together.
Paula, knowing our relationship, must have understood the situation.
“I’m glad the top scorers are attending together. A handsome couple makes a nice picture. Hohoho.”
Like hell she understood.
Here she went again.
“……”
Erica’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
She tried not to show it due to the attention but was clearly displeased.
“How lovely to see such a close couple. I’m jealous.”
That was over the line.
I stared directly at Paula.
It seemed that it was necessary to shut her up.
Just as I was about to say something, Erica spoke up before me.
She didn’t raise her hand to get permission to speak. She just went straight for it.
“Professor Paula, please stop treating the students like zoo animals.”
Her tone was slightly youthful but incredibly authoritative.
“We are here to attend a class, not to be mocked.”
Erica’s eyes were devoid of emotion. Maybe she didn’t mind making the other person uncomfortable.
Despite this being her first-time meeting Paula and the clear difference in status between a professor and a student, she stood her ground without backing down, maintaining her dignity.
Right, this was Erica’s character.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Erica. I didn’t mean it that way… I was just happy to see a student I know. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable.”
Paula quickly backed down at Erica’s cold response. It wasn’t because she was afraid of Erica, but because she realized that her comment had offended her.
“I also apologize for my rudeness, Professor. However, I hope this doesn’t happen again.”
At first glance, it might seem like Erica was also apologizing to Paula, but upon closer interpretation, it was entirely different.
The part where she apologized was empty of any real meaning. The weight of her words was on the phrase “I hope this doesn’t happen again”.
In the end, she warned Paula not to say something like that ever again.
A student talking to a professor like this.
“Ahem, ahem. Well, shall we start the orientation?”
Paula tried to move on and start the class to change the atmosphere.
Really, she should have known better than to provoke someone like her, not even Alicia.
Looking to my side, Erica’s long eyelashes fluttered as her eyes moved between her notes and the blackboard.
Erica focused on Paula’s lesson as if nothing had happened.
She said what she needed to say but made sure to get the lesson.
She was a woman who made sure to get what she needed.
“… it’s unpleasant, so stop staring, Schugenhartz.”
Feeling my gaze, she spoke without even looking at her fiancé, expressing her emotions plainly.
As expected from the fiancée of Vargan and a true villainess.
She was incredibly insolent.
***
After the class ended safely.
Well, not really safely, considering what happened at the start.
Erica quickly got up, seemingly eager to get away from me.
When someone was that openly hostile, it made one want to talk to them more. Was she doing this on purpose?
“Are you just going to leave?”
At my words, she gave me a puzzled look.
Well, she did stop, at least.
“How about having lunch together? I have something to say.”
“…?”
Erica blinked, touching her ear as if she had heard something strange.
Then she asked.
“Did I hear you wrong?”
Seeing her reaction, I could tell she heard right. I assured her.
“Is it that strange to have a meal with your fiancé?”
“If that’s a joke, it’s not funny. At all.”
“Joke? I’m serious.”
When I answered seriously, Erica turned her head back straight, feeling something was off.
We exchanged glances.
Erica’s expression changed; her eyes widened.
“Schugenhartz… have you started taking drugs? Are you out of your mind?”
Erica looked at me with disgust and abhorrence.
That expression… it was like seeing a cockroach at home. Wasn’t that a bit too rude?
“Think what you want. So, what will it be? Will you join me?”
Without any hesitation, she replied.
“Absolutely not. How is that even a question?”
“That’s unfortunate. Then I’ll try next time.”
Since I was rejected, I stepped back gracefully.
I didn’t expect to succeed on the first try. Considering our relationship, I’d have to ask at least ten times.
“Wait. Schugenhartz.”
As I was about to leave, Erica stopped me.
She had a face full of confusion and wariness.
“Is this about family matters? Is it serious?”
“Family matters?”
“If it’s not, you wouldn’t say something like this to me.”
“Is that how it comes across…? Well, I suppose.”
I nodded.
“It’s not about that. It’s for a personal reason.”
“A personal reason unrelated to the family…?”
“Yes, so keep your lunch free for our next class.”
“What… oh, I get it now. It’s about the upcoming class competition, right? You’re trying to get information about our class through me.”
‘Our class 4 will definitely win. No way will we lose to your class,’ she added.
The class competition was an important episode, but it didn’t really fit the current situation.
“You’re overthinking it.”
“Well, it’s because you’re acting like this…!”
“I’m just trying to have a meal with you.”
“Liar… it’s a lie.”
“If you want, you can choose the time and place.”
“…!”
Erica’s eyes widened even more. She looked utterly baffled, as if it were the most ridiculous thing.
However, her response was.
“Still no.”