“…I don’t know why you would suddenly say that name.”

Pamela’s eyes were vibrating with a magnitude reaching almost 9.0. I was unable to hold back my laughter at that sight.

“I told you, you’re really bad at acting.”

From Pamela’s point of view, it must be maddening. Because I, whom she met for the first time today, was seeing right through her.

But for me, who was teasing her, it was only cute.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Pamela turned her head with an indifferent expression. Still smiling, I shrugged while looking at her.

“If you don’t know, can’t be helped.”

Pamela had thrown away all her usual acting and was only wary of me.

Well, of course, since I was casually bringing up a story that no one knows… that only she knows.

There’s nothing more foolish than being wary of the person I’m trying to help, but at least for her, doing this was right.

I needed to imprint on her that I was ‘someone who could help her.’

“Anyway, don’t touch Sylvia. Even if you do, nothing good will come out of it.”

Of course, I know very well that Pamela won’t listen to me even if I say this, but it’s better to say it beforehand.

If she keeps bothering Sylvia and gets caught by Cain, it will become irreversible.

And in the first place, her story wouldn’t be resolved by messing with the female lead.

“…What are you saying.”

Pamela shook her head sullenly at my kind warning. I roughly nodded my head and waved my hand, leaving the place.

Anyway, Pamela’s matter had to be resolved gradually, so there was no need to rush.

Today, I was only leaving a warning disguised as advice.

“I’ll believe you understood.”

***

“See you tomorrow! Pamela!”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow!”

Pamela, who exchanged greetings with the noble daughters she usually hung out with, smiling brightly and harmlessly as usual, opened the door to her room and entered.

Creak…

Thud!

The moment she closed the door and entered, the smile on her face instantly disappeared.

It was distorted with irritation.

Pamela unbuttoned the top two buttons of her stuffy dress shirt and sat on her bed with a deep sigh.

“…”

Her plan was perfect.

During the past month or so, while searching for tools to help her… reverse her position, she investigated a few people who perfectly fit that criteria.

At the same time, she imprinted a very good image of herself on those around her as usual. She even grasped the personalities of the people she had chosen.

There were only a few people she decided on after considering both profit and loss.

One of them was Felix von Astria, whom she met today.

The Astria family was quite a powerful family, but he was only the second son… but as it became certain that the First Princess would ascend to the position of Imperial Princess, Pamela changed her mind.

The Astria family, as a meritorious family, would surely receive a very large reward from the Princess… no, from Ashillya, who had now become the Crown Princess.

At the same time, his personality, which does not seem very interested in women, seemed to fit Pamela’s condition.

So today, she approached him, but…

“Haa.”

It only gave her a headache.

Pamela had thought he was obsessed with training and knew little about the ways of the world, but it turned out all of that was an act.

He was a very cunning and sly man.

Starting from verbally playing with her, he had already noticed her plan somehow.

‘He probably knew in advance that I would approach him too.’

Recalling his black eyes that saw through her inner thoughts, Pamela swallowed the rising goosebumps and bit her lower lip hard.

The question of how was actually meaningless. Her plan was something only she knew.

‘He must have learned mind-reading or something.’

Recalling Felix, she clicked her tongue and flopped down on the bed.

Her brown twin-tailed hair, which she carefully styled every morning, scattered messily on the bed. She covered her eyes with her small, white hand and blankly fell into thought.

Felix.

He didn’t seem like a man obsessed with women, but seeing him even warn her for the sake of Sylvia, a commoner, made her retract her thoughts again.

But his warning to her wasn’t cold or sharp. It was to the point where it seemed he was just calmly warning her for her own sake.

“Ha…!”
Thinking like that, Pamela unwittingly let out a hollow laugh at the thought that came to her mind.

For her sake? Nonsense.

Why would a person she met for the first time today have to act for her sake? Unless he was after her body, there was no way that would happen even if he died and was reborn.

“He probably just wants to make fun of me.”

In fact, he seemed quite pleased when he teased her.

Pamela, who recalled Felix’s appearance for no reason, only frowned and pounded on the innocent bed.

After venting her anger on the bed like that, she exhaled a stifling breath and stared blankly at the ceiling. His words just wouldn’t leave her mind.

They say if you think of someone even when they’re not by your side, it means you love them…

“Am I that bad at acting?”

That definitely wasn’t it.

If anything, it was hatred.

***

As I was training in the training ground like any other day, I slowly lowered the sword I had raised and exhaled deeply at the presence I felt.

Actually, I had been feeling a person’s presence for a while, but I already noticed who it was, so I ignored it. However, now I felt another presence.

Moreover, it seemed those two had encountered each other.

“…T-That’s not it.”

“Then why are you here?”

A voice trailed off, and a calm, firm voice could be heard from outside the training ground.

Sighing deeply at those voices, I calmly walked towards where they were coming from.

Roughly wiping the flowing sweat with the back of my hand and letting out the heat that had risen in my body, I looked at the two people having a conversation outside the training ground.

“That… that’s…”

“Please explain properly.”

Oh, she got caught by the disciplinary committee.

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Pamela being interrogated by a male senior disciplinary committee member.

Because it was clear to see that it wasn’t an act but a genuinely cowed appearance. Well, of course, that senior’s physique was enormous.

It was likely someone under Ashillya.

I was going to watch Pamela’s flustered appearance for a bit because it was amusing. Still, I thought she might really get dragged to the disciplinary committee at this rate.

Of course, she would be dragged in front of Ashillya, not the disciplinary committee.

“Ah, Pamela. What are you doing there instead of coming in?”

I casually raised my hand and greeted Pamela as if I knew nothing.

At the same time, she and the nameless senior from the disciplinary committee looked at me.

“Uh… do you know her?”

“…Yes, senior. But may I know what this is about?”

When I politely greeted the senior from the disciplinary committee, he pushed up his glasses as if embarrassed and said,

“It seemed like she was peeping at a junior, so I was interrogating her.”

“…Was that so?”

“No, it wasn’t…!!”

When I looked at Pamela as if puzzled, she shouted furiously as if she noticed my intention.

Seeing her face slightly flushed, she might have really been flustered. Smirking, I calmly continued,

“I wondered what you were doing when you didn’t come even after the promised time…”

“I said it wasn’t like that.”

The senior from the disciplinary committee, alternately looking at Pamela and me as we were having a casual conversation, finally grasped the situation and let out a deep sigh.

“I apologize for the late introduction. I’m Nicholas, a second-year student in the disciplinary committee.”

“Nice to meet you, senior. I’m Felix von Astria.”

“I’m Pamela Jean Degrosis…”

“I’ve come to deliver a message from that person.”

As if confirming that he was Ashillya’s messenger, he pushed up his glasses again and spoke.

While doing so, he glanced at Pamela and showed a wary attitude. I nonchalantly nodded as if it was nothing.

“Please go ahead and speak.”

“I understand. This Friday, 11 o’clock. She said a carriage would be prepared at the academy’s main gate. She also said formal attire will be prepared on our side, so you can come comfortably.”

“I understand. Thank you.”

That’s a relief.

I was worrying about what to do with formal attire, but fortunately, Ashillya resolved everything.

When I nodded at the senior’s words, he quietly bowed his head and turned his body. I also bowed my head to him and turned to look at Pamela.

Seeing her blankly looking at me, not understanding the conversation, I smiled playfully.

“So, why were you peeping at me again?”

Hearing my words, Pamela’s face turned bright red.

“…I said it wasn’t like that!!”

As if. You followed me around all day today.

I pretended not to know, and you thought I really didn’t? I burst into laughter, looked at her, who was shouting, and shrugged.

“You’re really not good at lying?”

Pamela’s reactions were the best in this world…!