After the bustling entrance ceremony, the students were given a week of free time.

All academy activities would start after the class allocation exams, which meant there were no schedules for the next few days. This was a period for the new students, unfamiliar with the academy, to get used to their new surroundings—a thoughtful gesture by the academy.

_"Feels nostalgic."_

This period was also part of the original game.

It was when the player explored the academy, building relationships with other NPCs and unlocking the basic game settings. It was essentially the tutorial phase.

It also meant that the story of *The World Seen by the Little Prince* was finally getting into full swing.

My heart raced with excitement.

I had waited so long for this moment. The past three years since I’d been transmigrated here had been so boring.

I did all sorts of things to pass the time, but now...

_"No more of those days."_

This was the place I had dreamed of.

During the week that the academy had given us, I eagerly explored the campus.

It was so vast that we had to take carriages just to get around. Though Irene grumbled about being dragged along, I could tell she was just as fascinated.

After all, this was the most prestigious educational institution on the continent.

Not to mention, it was a prime example of imperial architecture at its finest.

A gentle spring breeze rustled through the trees lining the walkways.

Beside the path, a crystal-clear stream flowed, with a few swan chicks gliding peacefully on the water, which was so clear you could see the bottom.

It was a scene of breathtaking beauty.

_"It’s really wonderful... It feels like I’ve wasted half of my life not seeing this."_

_"Hmph. It’s nice."_

_"Irene, I’m sorry to interrupt your nonchalant comment, but your tail is wagging rather vigorously."_

_"...That’s why I said it’s nice."_

Irene turned her head, clearly trying to hide her feelings, but the wagging of her tail betrayed her excitement.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

She was prickly yet cute—a perfect blend. Definitely someone fun to tease.

We continued walking down the path, enjoying the pleasant atmosphere.

That’s when I heard a voice calling out from behind us.

_"You there!"_

Who could that be? Curious, I turned around and saw a girl with blue hair approaching.

Was she talking to me?

_"...Did you call for me, my lady?"_

_"Yes, I’m talking to you. We need to have a word."_

Her high-heeled shoes clicked confidently on the ground as she approached and stopped, folding her arms with poise.

_"You’re the eldest son of the Snaikers family, who just entered as the top student, right?"_

_"That’s correct."_

_"Hmph, that smirk is something else."_

The first greeting was far from polite.

Something about her manner felt familiar. I stared at the girl, trying to place her.

_"To think that someone like you is representing the academy."_

Her blue eyes resembled the ocean, and her long blue hair, styled in elegant waves, reached down to her waist.

She looked exactly like the archetypal "villainess" noble girl.

I recognized her immediately.

*...Emilia?*

**Emilia Vanity.**

The eldest daughter of the Vanity Ducal Family and ranked third in this year’s cohort.

In the original story, she was the classic noble antagonist who bullied the commoner protagonist, Regia, and tormented the main characters until the mid-point of the game.

Emilia sneered, her lips curling.

_"I’m really disappointed. So much for the academy’s standards."_

Here she was—the villainess making her grand entrance.

Emilia was a character full of vanity, obsessed with the attention of others.

She harbored intense feelings of inferiority toward those who outshone her.

Her character was modeled after “the vain person” from *The Little Prince*, so she fit her concept perfectly.

In the original game, she bullied Regia out of jealousy over her talent and because Regia received more love and attention.

These small insecurities often snowballed into bigger conflicts.

_"How dare a mere commoner behave so boldly? I can’t accept it."_

Her harassment wasn’t too extreme—there was no physical violence or theft, just petty pranks and insults that could be shrugged off as childish teasing.

But even that was enough to cause Regia immense stress.

_"I-I’m sorry, Lady Vanity..."_
_"I-I didn’t mean to... h-hic... I swear..."_

Being someone who already struggled with interacting with nobles, having one of the most prestigious families in the empire antagonizing her was a heavy burden for Regia.

Eventually, she even shed tears.

Anyway, that’s who was now standing in front of me.

The "villainess" character meant to disrupt the protagonist and serve as an obstacle to her growth.

_"Did you hear me?"_

_"..."_

_"I don’t know how someone like you became the top student, but don’t act so arrogant!"_

Unsurprisingly, Emilia was far from friendly toward me.

Which wasn’t surprising at all. If she was this hostile toward the harmless protagonist, how could she possibly like someone who looked as shady as I did?

I had surpassed her in the entrance exam and even made a grand speech as the new student representative.

*Looks like I’ve made an enemy.*

To be honest, I had seen this coming.

I didn’t know why I was ranked as the top student, but I could imagine how other students must have felt about it.

*Still, we’re both nobles. Maybe she’ll let it slide?*

Of course not.

As soon as she saw me, Emilia bared her fangs.

I could only nod along and swallow my frustration, trying to avoid making her mood worse.

_"Oh dear~ I’m terribly sorry."_

_"Sorry for what?"_

_"For being so exceptional that I accidentally took the top spot and left you as third! I should’ve been more considerate of your honor!"_

_"What did you say?!"_

_"I should have held back out of respect for your position, but I failed to think of that. Please, I beg your forgiveness..."_

I pretended to wipe away fake tears.

As I put on my best performance, Emilia’s face turned red with anger.

_"Are you mocking me? What’s with that attitude...!"_

_"Mocking? Perish the thought! I simply feel deep regret that you’ve been demoted to third..."_

_"Grrr!"_

Now Emilia was practically steaming like a kettle about to boil over.

I grinned from ear to ear, thoroughly enjoying myself.

I had only poked her a few times for fun, but her reactions were so amusing that I couldn’t help but continue teasing her.

_"Ah, my talent is such a burden. Even my closest friends envy it."_

_"I’ve never been jealous of you! And when did we become close friends?!"_

_"Oh no! Are you telling me the last 30 minutes we spent together were all just a fleeting dream?"_

_"We haven’t even been talking for 30 minutes!!"_

_"How perceptive of you."_

_"Were you trying to fool me?!_

_"A little?"_

This was dangerous—I was having way too much fun.

Especially because she was a duchess’ daughter, teasing her like this came with a delicious thrill of crossing the line just enough.

_"Third, third, third."_

_"...What?"_

_"It means you’re ranked third."_

_"Do you not fear the Vanity Ducal Family at all?"_

_"Of course, I’m terrified."_

I was only in it for the fun.

After all, there wasn’t much else left for me.

If things went south, I could just erase her memory with my power. Not that I was particularly fond of that method.

_"But still, third place is quite an achievement, isn’t it?"_

_"I don’t want to hear that from someone beneath my standards!"_

_"Third place is still quite an achievement. Third place is still quite an achievement."_

_"Stop repeating it!!"_

Emilia must have been completely fed up.

She had come to put me in my place, but now she was the one being played with.

How many times in her life had she been teased like this?

Actually, this might be the first time ever.

I was being careful not to cross any serious lines, but this was still just a bit of light-hearted teasing between students.

*Though she didn’t know it, Emilia’s position in the Vanity family was already tenuous.*

Her twin brother’s situation was similar—once set to inherit the family, they now found themselves in a precarious position.

But let’s not get too bogged down in details.

In short, Emilia wasn’t in a position to seriously mess with me.

Sure, she could target the son of a count, but only if she had a solid reason to do so.

_"I don’t understand why you’re so angry, my lady. I’m simply congratulating you."_

_"Stop making that pitiful face!!"_

_"You’ve truly wounded me."_

_"Arrgh! You...!"_

Emilia, her face flushed with frustration, finally snapped.

As I reveled in my victory, her blue eyes shot daggers at me.

_"Hah! Let’s see how long you can keep that cocky attitude."_

_"I’m honored to have your attention."_

_"Everyone already knows the rumors about you. They all know you’re nothing but a fraud—an unworthy top student!"_

_"Ah, so they’ve found out already."_

_"Enjoy your little moment while it lasts. Soon, everything will be revealed."_

She grinned wickedly.

_"Soon, we’ll have the class allocation exams—a battle format, right? I’ve heard your opponent will be Her Highness, the princess."_

_"But the matchups aren’t supposed to be revealed until the day of the exam."_

_"Want to know how I found out?"_

_"My, my, you’re scarier than I thought."_

_"Naturally."_

She laughed, her eyes full of condescension.

After a moment of silence, she turned and began to walk away.

Finally, it seemed she was done with me.

_"What a waste of time."_

_"That’s rather sad to hear."_

_"There’s no way someone like you can defeat Her Highness. Enjoy your position while you can—it won’t be yours for long."_

With that parting remark, she disappeared into the distance, her blue curls bouncing as she walked away.

I stared at her retreating figure for a moment, lost in thought, when Irene leaned in to catch my attention.

_"Um, excuse me..."_

She was acting unusually hesitant. What was going on with her?

_"Irene? What’s wrong?"_

_"...You’re not going to kill her, are you?"_

_"Excuse me?"_

Where had that come from?

Irene’s question was completely baffling. I raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused.

_"All of a sudden?"_

_"She insulted you just now, calling you a fraud and everything."_

_"Well, yes, but why would I kill her over that?"_

_"Because you had this...look on your face, like you were staring down at a bug or something..."_

_"That’s just my usual expression."_

_"Liar."_

Irene growled in a voice filled with suspicion.

Her forehead was slick with sweat, and her tail had stiffened in alarm.

I was taken aback, so I asked:

_"What on earth do you think I am?"_

_"A monster."_

_"Your opinion of me keeps getting worse..."_

I saved her, fed her, gave her shelter, and protected her kids.

Yet this was how she saw me. So much for gratitude.

_"...It’s just that you *could* do it."_

*You could kill her brutally and cover it up afterward.*

*The Vanity family might be powerful, but I can’t see them winning against you.*

_"That’s why you’re scary. If you ever decided to act, it would be a disaster."_

_"You’re giving me far too much credit."_

_"So you wouldn’t?"_

_"Well, that depends on your imagination."_

_"See?"_

_"Haha."_

I laughed it off, dodging the question with a smile.

_"Don’t worry. As strong as I may be, I can’t take on a ducal family by myself."_

_"I guess that makes sense..."_

_"Of course."_

- *Ding!*

[A shift in emotions has been detected.]  
(Suspicion -> Slight Relief)  
[Your power of Lies has recovered slightly.]  
[Current output: 76.4%]

The soft chime of machinery echoed in my ear.

A brief sound that marked another small deception. Between my lips, where a forked tongue flicked, there was only falsehood.

Smiling to myself, I started walking again.

_"Shall we head back? I think we’ve seen enough for today."_

_"...Sure."_

Hesitant at first, Irene quickly fell into step beside me.

If she was going to stick this close, why had she been so wary in the first place?

With a mischievous grin, I grabbed her tail.

_"Eek!"_

A cute squeak escaped her lips.

The soft, fluffy texture of her tail was delightful under my fingers.

As I played with the bundle of fur, her embarrassed protests reached my ears.

_"Wh-What... Why are you, ugh, touching my tail?!"_

_"It’s your punishment."_

_"What... what punishment?! Ah, no, not there...!"_

_"It’s so soft."_

_"At least give me a reason!!"_

You want a reason?

Looks like someone needs to learn how to respect their employer.

And with that, I continued to enjoy the tail for a while longer.

_"Ugh, ah...!"_

_"You’re making the cutest noises."_

_"Y-You’re the worst!"_

_"Haha."_

I had only intended to play with it for a moment, but Irene’s exaggerated reactions were so amusing that I kept going for longer than I planned.

It wasn’t until tears formed in her eyes that I finally let go.

_"...You’re the worst."_

It took quite a while to calm her down afterward.

---

The chaotic week came to an end, and the day of the class allocation exam finally arrived.

The week had seemed like a long stretch of time, but once I started exploring the academy, it felt far too short.

Still, I had no regrets.

I’d be here for the next three years, so there was no rush. I could take my time learning the place.

For now, I had to focus on the task ahead. Lifting my head, I looked around.

_"Please take your seat here. Review your opponent, and wait for your turn."_

Following the staff member’s instructions, I sat down.

We were at the public training grounds near the main building—a massive coliseum capable of seating thousands.

As expected, the scale was impressive.

After a brief moment of distraction, I collected myself.

Looking down at the match list I’d been given, I quickly found my name.

_[Match 7: Yuda Snaikers vs. Charlotte Litt von Staufen]_

_"Lady Vanity was right, after all."_

My opponent was Charlotte.

I wasn’t surprised. If the academy staff wanted to test me, it made sense to pit me against the strongest opponent.

The "Little Prince" would be the perfect test.

_"Hmph."_

_"A-Are you okay, Your Grace?"_

_"Ah, Regia."_

The pink-haired girl sat next to me, her green eyes filled with worry.

She pointed at the match list in my hand and asked hesitantly:

_"Your opponent is Her Highness the Princess... What are you going to do? She’s incredibly strong, right?"_

Regia glanced at me, clearly concerned.

Her sweet worry was almost too much to handle—it made me want to smile like a lovestruck fool.

_"I’m flattered by your concern."_

_"Will you really be alright?"_

_"Why wouldn’t I be?"_

_"I-I mean, not to overstep, but... they say Her Highness is extremely powerful."_

_"Hmm."_

Now that I thought about it, Regia had seen me take the entrance exam.

She must have remembered how I had performed back then, which probably explained her concern about me keeping my top rank.

Given that I’d somehow landed the top spot, she had every right to be worried.

But how could someone be this kind-hearted?

I flashed a smile to put her at ease.

_"Don’t worry... This time will be different."_

This wasn’t like the entrance exam.

Now that I was already ranked first and had garnered attention, pretending to be weak could only backfire.

I’d reveal just enough of my strength—not too little, not too much.

Enough to hold my place in the academy’s rankings.

_"You can look forward to it."_

I whispered meaningfully.