Chapter 30: Shifting Perspectives

Sayoreinne Meirel.

Euru found her face captivating, though she suspected most people would agree. She had noticed others stealing glances at Sayoreinne. It wasn’t just her beauty, but her graceful movements, the air of effortless elegance that surrounded her, that drew the eye.

Euru had fallen for Sayoreinne at first sight, wanting nothing more than to be close to her. While she had suspected she was attracted to women, she had never met anyone who truly made her heart race, who sparked that desire for a deeper connection. She had even questioned her own feelings, wondering if it was all just a misunderstanding. But those doubts and questions had vanished the moment she saw Sayoreinne.

She hadn’t expected much from the academy. She was there simply to avoid a political marriage, hoping for a quiet life on the front lines. But now, she had found someone who made her heart flutter, someone she wanted to know intimately. The academy suddenly held a new appeal.

That hope had been quickly shattered.

The girl Euru had been so drawn to, Sayoreinne, despite her beauty and aristocratic grace, was… vulgar. It wasn’t her words themselves, but the underlying meaning, the subtle barbs, that felt crude and distasteful to Euru. And she was always on edge, her tone sharp and aggressive, regardless of the situation or the person she was speaking to.

Witnessing and experiencing Sayoreinne’s behavior firsthand, Euru’s initial admiration, attraction, and hope gradually faded, replaced by a growing dislike. She learned about Sayoreinne’s bullying of Nell, a commoner girl. The sight of Sayoreinne’s beautiful eyes, her delicate nose, her full lips, her perfect face, no longer made Euru’s heart race.

Finally, Euru gave up, her initial attraction replaced by a deep-seated aversion. Academy life lost its appeal. Astes worried about his sister, who seemed to have lost her enthusiasm for the academy. All Euru could offer was a tired, “I’m just a little exhausted.”

When the break arrived, Euru and Astes returned to the royal palace.

Seeing her family after so long had lifted her spirits. She spent the break with her family, attending banquets, fulfilling a few royal duties, and indulging in some much-needed relaxation. The month flew by. She still had a few days left, but she had to return to the academy early for some unfinished business.

The thought of returning to that stifling environment filled her with dread and annoyance. Yet, if she didn’t return, she would be forced into a loveless marriage, bound to a man she despised.

With a heavy heart, she boarded the train, sinking into her seat and closing her eyes.

‘I’ll be there when I wake up.’

On her way to her dorm room, she encountered Sayoreinne Meirel, the object of both her admiration and resentment.

Sayoreinne was accompanied by a maid Euru hadn’t seen before. She would have normally ignored Sayoreinne, but she was already in a foul mood, and the sight of the girl she disliked so much only worsened her temper. She snapped at Sayoreinne.

Euru expected Sayoreinne to retaliate, but to her surprise, Sayoreinne simply let it go. Her reaction was so unlike her usual behavior that Euru wondered if she had mistaken her for someone else.

Once in her room, Euru replayed the encounter in her mind.

Something was different. There couldn’t be two people with that face, so it had to be Sayoreinne. The excitement she had felt at seeing Sayoreinne faded, replaced by a cool detachment.

First, Sayoreinne’s expression was different. She usually wore an irritating, artificial smile, but today, her face had been impassive. Was it just Euru’s imagination, or was that neutral expression preferable to the fake smile?

Second, her tone had changed. The saccharine, condescending tone, laced with subtle barbs, had been replaced by a more direct, though slightly stiff, manner of speaking.

‘Did she change during the break? In just a month?’ Euru shook her head. People didn’t change that easily. It had to be her imagination, or Sayoreinne was putting on an act.

She would find out soon enough. The start of the new semester was only a few days away.

Euru spent the next few days observing Sayoreinne. She noticed a distinct change in her behavior. Sayoreinne hadn’t antagonized anyone, and her usual irritability and aggression were absent. She had been quiet, almost reserved.

‘…Did she really change? In just a month?’ ‘Did something significant happen at the marquisate that could have caused such a drastic shift in her personality? Or is she still acting?’

She ended up sparring with Sayoreinne during Practical Magic class. Seeing it as an opportunity to talk, she engaged wholeheartedly. The next thing she knew, she was waking up in the infirmary, utterly defeated.

She knew Sayoreinne was a skilled mage, but… even with her Reinforcement magic, a secret she had shared with no one but Astes, Sayoreinne had effortlessly overpowered her.

Sayoreinne was sitting by her bedside. After a calm conversation, Euru felt that Sayoreinne’s change was genuine, not an act. Perhaps she simply wanted to believe it, but… she decided to trust Sayoreinne. She wanted to trust her. She wanted to be close to her.

The thought alone brought a smile to her face. Seeing Sayoreinne made her heart race again.

She subtly reached for Sayoreinne’s hand, finding it surprisingly warm.

It was no longer a delusion. The way people looked at her had definitely changed. During the second semester, she had managed to avoid trouble, keeping a low profile, but the other students had regarded her with suspicion, their eyes asking, ‘What is she plotting?’ It was unfair, but considering her past actions, she couldn’t complain.

The shift had occurred during the third semester. She was now frequently seen with Nell, the girl she had bullied, and with Euru, with whom her relationship had improved during the second semester, but had still been somewhat strained. Now, people seemed to be wondering, with a mixture of uncertainty and curiosity, ‘Did she really change?’

All she had done was try to befriend the heroines, the girls she liked, but somehow, it had inadvertently improved her reputation.

‘I haven’t even done anything…’ She didn’t particularly care about her reputation or what others thought of her, but if her recent change in behavior piqued the interest of someone like Leia, from Class B, whom she hadn’t managed to befriend yet, it could only be beneficial.

Even Emelly, who had clearly disliked her at the beginning of the second semester, seemed to be softening towards her. Perhaps her continued inaction, the lack of any conflict between them, had allowed Emelly’s negative feelings to dissipate over time. They weren’t exactly friendly. They still avoided eye contact whenever they crossed paths. But the absence of open hostility was a significant improvement.

‘I wonder if we’ll naturally become friends over time…’

Probably not. If she simply relied on time and did nothing, her relationship with Emelly would likely remain distant.

As for Sowol… she assumed their relationship would improve naturally once she became closer to Emelly. They seemed almost inseparable. ‘In game terms, has Emelly entered Sowol’s route?’ She wasn’t sure. She had decided to treat this as reality, not a game, so using the term “route” seemed inappropriate. And for all she knew, Emelly could be developing a relationship with Leia from Class B, or even one of the male heroines.

‘…I should just sleep.’ Her racing thoughts were keeping her awake. She was probably nervous about tomorrow, her first encounter with a magical beast. There was a small, deliberately neglected gate in the mountains near the academy, where only low-level magical beasts appeared. It seemed like the perfect setup for some kind of incident, but in the game, it had been a safe, uneventful training exercise. She supposed she was just feeling the pressure of finally engaging with the main storyline.

As she drifted off to sleep,

“Wake up, Miss! It’s morning!”

“Mmm…”

Ahrin’s loud voice startled Sayoreinne awake. She had gone to bed late, and despite sleeping, she still felt exhausted, her mind foggy and unfocused. She sat up in bed, then closed her eyes again. Today was the day they would be visiting the gate.

‘I shouldn’t be this nervous…’

Whoosh

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t be late today, Miss?”

Ahrin pulled back the curtains, and bright sunlight streamed into the room, assaulting Sayoreinne’s eyes. She groaned, forcing her eyes open. Ahrin, dressed impeccably in her maid uniform, stood by the window, smiling. She gave a playful curtsy, her skirt swirling around her.

“Good morning, Miss! Did you sleep well?”

Ahrin’s innocent, cheerful demeanor instantly eased Sayoreinne’s anxiety.

“Yes… Did you sleep well, Ahrin?” Sayoreinne smiled back.