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Chapter 21 - The Vain Man (2)

"Good day, Lady Vanity."

I greet her with a sly smile.

I hide the trembling Regia behind me and face the villainess with blue hair standing before us.

With a relaxed smile, I continue.

"It\'s an honor to see you again."

"Hmph."

Her lips twist into a sneer.

Emilia scoffs openly.

"To think you\'re protecting such a subpar coward... I suppose birds of a feather flock together?"

"I\'m flattered by your words."

"Which part?"

"If I\'m someone who suits Miss Regia, then it\'s an honor like no other."

"Don\'t you mean a disgrace?"

"Everyone has their own perspective."

"Hmph."

Emilia taps her lips, clearly unimpressed.

Her characteristic smug smile is on full display.

The tension between us lingers.

Her blue eyes are filled with venomous malice.

"To be in the same class as a man like you... it feels like my own status is being lowered."

"I\'m equally pleased to have you as a classmate, Lady Vanity."

"Disgusting."

She clicks her tongue shortly, her response dripping with contempt.

"I hope you don\'t actually believe that you\'re deserving of the top spot."

"I\'m not sure what you mean."

"At the very least, I have to acknowledge your shameless attitude."

"Hm?"

"If Her Highness hadn\'t suddenly forfeited... there\'s no way you\'d be in this position."

So, she can’t accept the results of the class placement exam.

This is the reaction I expected.

While the faculty had been observing everything inside the barrier through magical devices, the students hadn’t.

To their eyes, it must’ve looked like Charlotte was holding back.

That’s why I’m still being called the "phoney top student."

I hadn’t shown them a convincing enough performance.

In an academy filled with prideful geniuses, this reaction was only natural.

"This isn’t a position someone like you deserves."

"I\'m quite disappointed... I considered you a worthy rival, Lady Vanity."

"Oh, how unpleasant."

Emilia was no different.

She didn’t recognize me—no, she couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge me.

"If you want to consider me a rival... shouldn\'t you at least have the skills to back it up?"

Her blue eyes glint with a venomous light.

At first glance, it seemed like she was angry over an unfair result, but I knew the true nature of her feelings.

What she felt was none other than...

\'Inferiority complex.\'

An inferiority complex stemming from a need for recognition.

She’s the type to excessively care about how others see her.

People like that often lose themselves to jealousy, which then manifests in negative behavior.

Emilia was exactly that type of person.

"Because of a hindrance like you... I can\'t believe I was pushed down to third place."

A person filled with vanity.

Vanity, after all, is a desire for recognition, and when deprived of attention, it turns into deep pain.

In short, it’s a sickness carried in the heart.

"Lady Vanity."

There’s a certain way to deal with people like her.

"You hold a perfectly admirable position."

And that’s to offer sincere encouragement.

Looking at her arrogant attitude, I did feel like hitting her with an illusion spell, but when you think about it, she’s just a person in pain.

I didn’t want to be too harsh.

"Heh."

I smile sweetly.

Satisfy her need for recognition.

In the original story, she became twisted because she couldn’t control her thirst for attention, but maybe this time it could be different.

If I could fill her void.

"Isn’t this situation utterly ridiculous?"

= I don’t understand.

"Pardon?"

"It’s just... you’re in third place, aren’t you? I don’t think you’re in a position to be criticizing the top student."

= You\'re in third place, after all. You don’t need to envy the top spot; you have a high rank yourself.

"What did you say...?!"

Emilia’s reaction is sharp.

It seems my praise embarrassed her. But I had no intention of stopping.

This is the so-called "killing with kindness."

I’ll raise her so high with compliments that she’ll be buried under the weight of her own shame.

"It’s okay. Even being in third place is a commendable achievement, don’t you think? Though I’m the one in the top spot."

= It’s okay. Being in third place is excellent.

"Third place... Haha, that’s truly a position worthy of being a role model for the students."

= You’re truly someone who should be a role model for the students.

"And yet, you call me a phoney top student? It’s almost amusing."

= To see right through me as a fake top student… It’s so impressive it makes me laugh.

"I had high expectations, being the daughter of the Vanity Duke... but seeing you, I can now gauge the level of the Vanity family."

= Seeing such an outstanding young lady makes me appreciate the prestige of the Vanity family all over again.

Before I knew it, her face had turned bright red.

Her slender shoulders trembled intermittently.

Had I embarrassed her too much?

It might have been humiliating because the other students were listening too.

"Hic."

For some reason, Regia, who had been standing behind me, started to hiccup.

She looked at me with a pale face.

Did something go wrong?

"How dare... How dare a lowly snake like you insult me, the daughter of Vanity...!"

"I only stated the truth."

"Don’t make me laugh! Did you think I’d just let such an insult slide?!"

"An insult? That was the highest praise I could offer, Lady Vanity."

"Don’t make me laugh!!"

The trembling villainess glares at me with wide eyes.

It seems my shower of extravagant compliments has finally gotten to her.

She’s so pleased that even her lips are twitching.

She must be so amused that she can’t help but smile.

As I watch her with a pleased expression, her voice returns, filled with excitement.

"Let’s see how long that arrogant attitude of yours lasts!"

"Oh, I’m flattered that you’ll be keeping an eye on me. Your eagerness is quite overwhelming."

"Hmph."

As I smile awkwardly, her gaze turns cold.

"You should watch yourself. Before I completely crush you."

"How scary."

"Or you’ll die."

Death, huh.

Well, I have a certain knack for killing too...

"I’ll be looking forward to it."

"I certainly hope so. So that everyone can see how pitiful you truly are."

With those cold words, Emilia turns her back to me.

She leaves, leading her followers away.

‘Did I embarrass her too much? She’s pretty prickly.’

I watch the buns of her hair bob away.

As I tilt my head in thought, I feel the gazes of many others.

"Hm?"

"......"

Every single student is staring with wide eyes.

They all look shocked, holding their breath. Even Regia has a similar reaction.

"Why is everyone looking at me like that...?"

Did I do something wrong?

***

"Why is everyone looking at me like that...?"

The boy asks calmly, as if the tense atmosphere just moments before had been a lie.

His characteristic shamelessness is on full display.

"......"

Regia stares blankly at the boy.

As she watches his sly smile, the tension gripping her heart begins to ease.

She exhales the breath she’d been holding.

The cold sweat that had formed on her forehead drips to the ground.

—You make quite the fitting pair.

—One is the phoney top student... and the other is an outsider who doesn’t know her place.

When Lady Vanity had suddenly spoken to her, Regia had felt her body freeze.

Her mind went completely blank.

All that remained was the violent trembling in her fingertips.

It was a kind of ingrained fear.

—You need to know your place.

—This is a place for those who are deserving... it’s not somewhere a mere commoner should covet.

It had only been a few days ago.

The memory of her helpless defeat in the class placement exam made her shoulders hunch involuntarily.

—Leave, outsider.

Her cold blue eyes.

The way she calmly whispered those words crushed her spirit. The entire scene was painfully vivid.

Perhaps that’s why.

Regia couldn’t help but be terrified.

Facing those contemptuous eyes, she found it harder and harder to breathe. Her heart pounded as if it would explode.

Just as she was on the verge of suffocating from the pressure, the one who saved her was...

—Shh.

None other than the boy with the narrow eyes.

Once again, he hid the panic-stricken Regia behind him and faced Lady Vanity alone.

—Good day to you, Lady Vanity.

The Snakes family, with its long history and tradition.

There was no doubt they were one of the most prominent families in the Empire, but even they were mere dust before a Duke’s household.

That’s the limit defined by one’s birth.

Normally, it would be impossible to even meet their gaze.

But Judas willingly stepped forward.

He accepted the malicious provocation of Lady Vanity and even engaged in a tense battle of wills with her.

—You should watch yourself. Before I completely crush you.

—How scary.

—Or you’ll die.

—I’ll be looking forward to it.

It was by no means a beneficial action.

After all, the one he was facing was the eldest daughter of one of the Empire’s most prestigious families. It was clear that standing out in her eyes wouldn’t end well.

Yet the boy continued to protect Regia.

‘Why?’

The question inevitably repeated itself in her mind.

This wasn’t the first time.

It was a constant question that surfaced every time she was with the boy.

‘Why are you doing this for me?’

Since their first meeting.

His kindness had been so overwhelming it was hard to understand.

He always looked out for Regia.

Especially a few days ago, when it rained, he even came looking for her with an umbrella.

The words he said back then were still clear in her mind.

—What do you think, Miss Regia?

—Would you allow me to get closer?

He was an incomprehensible person.

She wanted to ask.

What was he doing this for?

Why was he being so kind to someone as weak and insignificant as her?

"Miss Regia?"

"Ah, yes… my lord."

Lost in her complicated thoughts, she snapped out of it by the boy lightly tapping her shoulder.

He smiles brightly and says,

"It seems we’ve been delayed a bit... Shall we head back now?"

"Y-Yes...!"

Regia finally comes to her senses and nods.

She turns back toward the carriage stop.

As she takes her first step, she feels something gently pat her on the head.

"Huh... My lord?"

It was Judas.

He was smiling mischievously, as usual.

"There’s no need to be scared."

"Pardon...?"

"Of Lady Vanity, I mean. It seemed like you were worried about her."

"Oh."

Did it really show that much?

Regia hurriedly tried to compose her expression. She felt her face heat up.

Then, she heard his voice again.

"If anything happens, I’ll protect you. So don’t worry too much."

"......"

"Because we’re friends."

Pat, pat.

His touch was unusually warm and gentle.

Her head followed his hand, a strange ticklish feeling lingering in her chest.

Maybe it was because of the word "friend."

"...Thank you."

Regia shyly averted her gaze.

‘He really is impossible to understand.’

She mumbled to herself quietly.

As she organized her tangled thoughts, she continued toward the carriage stop.

***

Meanwhile, in an alley near the dormitory building.

A girl was venting her anger on an innocent wall.

Slam!

Her fist slammed into the hard surface.

A dull thud followed by a stinging pain.

But even that wasn’t enough to calm her down, so the blue-haired girl kept striking the wall.

Thud, thud!

"How dare...! That phoney top student!"

Her eyes burned with a venomous light.

Her knuckles were already split and bleeding, but she clenched her teeth.

"A lowly snake! Daring to insult the noble blood of Vanity...!"

The image of that despicable narrow-eyed boy flashed in her mind.

She gnashed her teeth, grinding down the taunts that still ring in her ears. Her pupils glistened with hatred.

—Third place... Haha, that’s truly a position worthy of being a role model for the students.

—Seeing such an outstanding young lady makes me appreciate the prestige of the Vanity family all over again.

Grit.

Her teeth grind together.

Judas Snakes. The boy she called a fake top student.

The insulting words from the one she had looked down on pierced sharper than any blade.

She recalled his face.

—I’ll be looking forward to it.

The boy who smiled ominously.

She wanted nothing more than to tear that smug face apart.

"Let’s see how long you can keep that arrogance... Just you wait."

Her voice was filled with malice.

She had no intention of letting this slide. She was determined to set things right.

She would drag him down to the ground, no matter what.

"A duel... I wonder if that useless boy will even dare accept it."

Muttering with a wicked sneer, the girl walked away.