“Are you… out of your mind?”
I could practically see flames blazing in Cynthia’s eyes.
Seriously, if you’re going to dye your hair, at least wear colored contacts too. You’re practically advertising to the world that you’re royalty.
First, I needed to clear up the misunderstanding.
“I’m sorry. It’s just that I’m naturally spineless in front of people with power and ruthless toward anyone who’s weaker than me.”
As I whispered my explanation into her ear, Cynthia looked at me like she’d just bitten into a bug.
The disgust on her face was unmistakable.
“No, you… Do you seriously think that makes any sense? Even if someone really were like that, how could they be that self-aware?”
“It’s true. You heard me talking to Professor Georg earlier, didn’t you?”
“Wasn’t that just because you’re close to him?”
“I treat everyone like that.”
“How do you have any relationships at all if that’s how you live your life?”
“What’s wrong with me? Anyway, I was just trying to act as naturally as possible.”
“…….”
Then what was she going to do about it? It was already common knowledge that this was the kind of person I was.
Depending on the weather or my mood that day, I could be even worse.
She must have overheard my conversation with Professor Georg from inside the workshop, so she couldn’t exactly argue with me.
“Fine. I get it.”
See? In the end, she accepted it.
How could someone on the run afford to reject my explanation? I savored my brief moment of victory.
Smack!
Cynthia drove her fist straight into the center of my face.
“Ghk!”
Caught completely off guard, I went sprawling across the floor.
Wait, what? She hit me? I thought she said she understood.
More importantly, what the hell, Meph? Why didn’t you stop that?
“If you do something that deserves a punch, then you deserve to get punched.”
If you’re going to be that righteous, you should quit being a demon, you bastard!
“So you got slapped in Jongno and decided to glare at the Han River. That’s so like you.”
“Stop digging around in my head already. Just how far did you read? Why are you bringing up Jongno and the Han River when you’ve never even been there?”
“You grew up in the countryside too.”
“At least I lived in South Korea!”
Granted, I’d never actually been to the Han River… or Jongno, for that matter.
Still, that wasn’t the point. The important thing was that a runaway princess had the nerve to punch me.
“I was just acting according to my personality.”
“…….”
“I’ve never been the type to bow to authority.”
Huh.
So that was another way to explain it.
If she put it like that, there wasn’t much I could say.
It was basically the same excuse I’d used.
“Haah… Well, I guess you’ve both gotten a good look at each other’s personalities.”
Professor Georg walked over with a sigh, looking as though he’d expected this outcome all along.
In other words, he’d known I was going to get punched.
What a rotten adult.
“So you’ve introduced yourselves? Good. That’s enough. Off you go, Johan.”
“What, now that you’ve got a new slave, you’re discriminating against the old one?”
“You were never my slave.”
Professor Georg pointed at me with half-closed eyes.
Well, he wasn’t wrong. I’d never really been worked like a slave. I’d always managed to weasel my way out of it.
“Then does that mean I’m a slave?”
“Yeah.”
Cynthia asked in disbelief, but Professor Georg didn’t even bother making excuses.
I guess once the fish is already on the hook, there’s no need to sugarcoat things.
Then again, now that she’d signed her university application paperwork, she was stuck until graduation.
My condolences in advance.
“I’m not leaving.”
“Got something else to do?”
That aside, I had no intention of heading back just yet.
I’d come to check on my university application, sure, but I wasn’t heartless enough to leave after doing only that.
“I just want to watch. Let’s see what the new recruit can do.”
“You little punk. You’re just an Academy student, and you think you’re in a position to judge a university student?”
Was that really how it worked?
I guess it kind of was…
Hold on. I’d actually gone through the Academy’s formal alchemy program, while she just wandered in from the outside….and she’s the senior?
What a harsh world.
“Whatever you do, don’t start fighting. If you do, I’m calling Jabir.”
“Come to think of it, where is Senior Jabir? He’s usually around, but I haven’t seen him today.”
“The psychiatric ward.”
“I think that’s all I need to know.”
“Wise choice.”
You should never stare too deeply into the abyss. If you do, the abyss will stare back into you.
All I could do was hope Senior Jabir made a full recovery.
“Anyway, get back to what you’re supposed to be doing. I’ve got work to do myself.”
With that, Professor Georg shuffled off toward a corner of the workshop.
I’d never once seen that man full of energy. Looking at him dragging himself around like a corpse,
I could almost believe he really had been perfectly suited for Under Chain…
Well, whatever.
“So, what is it? You stayed because you wanted something from me, didn’t you?”
“More or less. I wasn’t expecting to run into you here, but it worked out nicely.”
“Hmm?”
The moment Professor Georg disappeared from sight, Cynthia’s haughty demeanor resurfaced.
Faced with all the dignity befitting an imperial member, I could feel myself instinctively shrinking back.
“…You’re exactly the way you described yourself.”
“I pride myself on being honest.”
That’s just the kind of person I am.
Put me in front of someone with power, and I become completely spineless.
There’s nothing I can do about it.
It’s simply in my nature.
“Ahem! Anyway, now that we’re here, would you mind if I asked you a few questions?”
“Go ahead. You’re an insolent little brat, but for Lobelia’s sake, I’ll be generous.”
“You should really go see Her Majesty Lobelia in person sometime.”
“Hahaha… No.”
Cynthia laughed, then instantly wiped the smile from her face.
She was definitely the kind of person who knew exactly what she liked and what she didn’t.
All right, let’s leave it at that. If we kept exchanging pleasantries, I had a feeling I’d end up taking another punch.
“What about Prince Theseus?”
“No idea. That bastard probably went off to find his own path in life. I bet he’s out traveling somewhere with his girlfriend, all lovey-dovey.”
“Wait, he had a girlfriend? With that personality?”
“Haha. Says the guy who’s got three fiancées.”
“…….”
Seriously? You’re going to use that against me?
“I didn’t mean it like that. I know Prince Theseus is popular. I just figured someone with his personality wouldn’t bother getting into a relationship.”
“Maybe he had a change of heart.”
“So… what’s his girlfriend like?”
“No idea. I heard she’s a girl he rescued back in Creta… Though she wasn’t exactly what you’d call stunning.”
“Oh.”
It was probably the girl I’d seen back when we got tangled up with Loki.
That had been the debut of that Misfits group.
Not that I missed those days.
I should’ve cut ties with that criminal organization much sooner.
People might start questioning my character.
“Did she dye her hair too, like you did, Princess?”
“Yeah. She went blonde.”
“Oh dear. Her Majesty Lobelia must be heartbroken.”
“That’s what it means to be an emperor.”
Cynthia dismissed it as though it were someone else’s problem.
I couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for Lobelia.
Of course, I had no intention of telling Lobelia where Cynthia was.
The busier Lobelia stayed, the less time she’d have to meddle in my affairs.
Sorry, but Lobelia needed to stay busy.
My life was much easier that way.
“So, is that everything?”
“As far as questions go, yeah.”
From here on, though, I was about to ask for a very personal favor.
***
I ended up wasting about four hours in the alchemy workshop.
Since it had been a while, I pitched in with a few things and spent some time watching Cynthia work at metallurgy.
Before I knew it, the hours had flown by.
By then, it was already getting late.
As I headed back toward the dormitory…
I spotted someone sitting leisurely on the rooftop of a building, gazing up at the stars.
“Alice, you look like you’ve got plenty of free time.”
“And you, Johan, seem to have been running around quite busily. What exactly has been keeping you so occupied?”
“I have no idea. I guess I’m just the type who ends up getting dragged into one thing after another.”
“Considering your personality, I’d say that trait has been the only thing keeping you alive.”
Her words still had that familiar sting to them.
Did she actually enjoy criticizing me?
“So, what have you been doing?”
“Just… stargazing?”
“Why are you making that sound like a question?”
I climbed up to the rooftop where Alice was. The old me would’ve had to struggle my way up, but now a single jump was enough to reach it.
“Were you waiting for me, by any chance?”
“You’re full of yourself.”
“So that’s a no?”
“No.”
“I was waiting for you, though.”
“……”
Alice looked at me with half-closed eyes.
“And why were you waiting for me?”
“What do you think?”
“Since when did you become so shameless? It’s unpleasant.”
“Oh… okay.”
She looked genuinely disgusted, and my expression stiffened.
Come on, wasn’t that reaction a little harsh?
“I wanted to give you a present.”
“…A present? For what reason?”
“Does a gift need a reason?”
“As far as I know, you’re not the type to give someone a gift without one.”
“Well, that’s true. Anyway, hold out your hand.”
“…If you’re planning to put something like a caterpillar in my hand—”
“That was ages ago.”
That was the kind of prank kids pulled.
And back then, it hadn’t even been me who pulled it. Alice had. That’s right….I was the victim that time too.
“Hmm…”
Alice looked at me with obvious suspicion as she hesitantly held out her hand.
Why did she have so little faith in me? We weren’t supposed to have that kind of relationship.
“Here.”
I grabbed Alice’s hesitant hand and placed the gift in her palm.
“This is…”
The moment she saw what it was, her eyes went wide, and she stared at me in disbelief.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“No. I’m perfectly sane.”
“A ring, of all things…? What were you thinking, giving me something like this? What if the others find out? Even if you don’t mean anything by it, this is exactly the kind of gift that invites misunderstanding.”
“It wouldn’t be a misunderstanding.”
“Then this is…”
“I mean it.”
“……”
Alice looked down at the ring in her hand, then back at my face, over and over.
After a moment, she took a step farther away from me and muttered,
“You’ve definitely gone insane. Do you have a death wish?”
“My girls aren’t that unreasonable.”
And besides, I’d gotten permission.
Well, not exactly official permission…
But Yuna and Ariel had both reluctantly agreed.
“You already have three fiancées, and now you’re making advances on me too?”
“Yeah, I’m a terrible person.”
“I wasn’t going to put it quite like that… but if you’re aware of it, then fine.”
Alice shifted awkwardly. Even though she kept rejecting the idea at every turn, she still hadn’t given the ring back. Maybe she wasn’t entirely against it.
“I’m really not the same Alice.”
“How are you different?”
“…I just happen to have her memories and resemble her.”
“Those are the ways you’re the same.”
“The Alice who shared those memories with you is already gone.”
“I know.”
“…If you keep directing these feelings toward me, you’ll only end up hurting yourself.”
“That’s my problem.”
“You…”
“Enough.”
For someone who never missed a chance to criticize me, she had surprisingly low self-esteem.
“Forget the excuses. Just tell me how you feel. There isn’t such a thing as a perfect relationship in this world.”
“……”
“If you don’t like me, just give it back.”
Alice stared at the ring once more.
To be honest, I was nervous.
This was probably the biggest confession of my life.
I’d always been on the receiving end of other people’s confessions, or more like demands than anything else. This was the first time I’d ever made a decision like this and acted on it myself.
I guess this was how everyone else felt.
“…If not, then just keep it for now and take your time thinking about it.”
“You’ve already started backing down.”
“I’m a coward.”
If she handed it back, I’d probably be devastated.
At least if she kept it, there’d still be a chance.
That was the faint hope I was clinging to.
“Hmm.”
After a moment of stunned silence, Alice lowered her gaze to the ring again with an unreadable expression.
Then, without a word, she placed it on top of my hand.
“……”
It was crushing.
No, honestly, I was the one being greedy. I already had three fiancées.
Still… this was the first time I’d ever allowed myself to be selfish.
I felt like I could cry.
“What are you doing? If you’re giving me a ring, you’re supposed to put it on my finger.”
“…Huh?”
“What a strange life I lead. To think I’d end up having my life saved by a man like you.”
Alice looked at me with a perfectly shameless expression and curled her finger at me.
“My life was supposed to have ended long ago. You can have whatever time I have left. If it’s you, I don’t mind giving it to you.”
“You really know how to make things confusing!”
“Were you just yelling at me?”
Alice quietly started to pull her hand away.
I hurriedly grabbed it.
Seriously? Was she blackmailing me with this?
“Take it.”
Before Alice could pull away again, I slipped the ring onto her finger.
Only then did I finally let out a sigh of relief.
“It’s a beautiful ring.”
“I tracked down a famous blacksmith and had it specially commissioned.”
“Please don’t lie. Didn’t you just happen to run into Princess Cynthia and ask her to throw something together for you?”
“Wait… you saw that?”
“Yes, I did. I also saw you standing alone in that deserted alley, practicing your proposal. It’s a little annoying that you didn’t use a single one of the lines you worked so hard on, but since I heard them beforehand, I’ll forgive you.”
“……”
Wow… seriously.
Considering her personality, my future looked awfully bleak.
How on earth had I managed to walk into this hell of my own free will?
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