Chapter 46

Tick-tock―

The darkest hour has fallen.

A large grandfather clock, placed against the wall of a space that hardly seemed like it could be for just one person, was ticking away in a monotonous rhythm.

Depending on whether it was morning or afternoon, the clock had decorative sun and moon motifs above, showcasing a level of craftsmanship that screamed luxury.

The time displayed was 3 a.m., marked by the hour and minute hands beneath the moon. In other words, dawn had arrived.

For someone who had to be up for outdoor activities during the day, this was prime sleeping time.

At that hour,

inside that big, dark room, a girl was huddled alone on the floor beside her bed.

“Why… why…?”

With her face buried in her arms on the bed, the girl was mumbling something over and over.

Seldienne Elconja.

Normally, she never showed a disheveled appearance at the Academy, but now, her golden hair was a complete mess as she thumped her forehead repeatedly against the bed.

“You idiot… you shouldn’t have done that… idiot…”

Even in the early hours, she hadn’t slept a wink and was incessantly berating someone.

The target of her wrath? Her former self.

It was Seldienne Elconja, from the time she met the common boy named Erto up until just yesterday.

When they first met, she had been craving new excitement in her otherwise dull and uneventful life.

A life where she could have whatever she wanted, born onto a golden carpet.

But every relationship she crossed paths with in such a life was tainted by pretense and vanity.

The commoners never viewed her as an equal; they merely feared and avoided her.

Most nobles were no different.

Some among them didn’t fear her, but that was just a facade to maintain appearances.

Even those who treated her like a friend or showed her kindness were ultimately only interested in the Elconja name, not Seldienne herself.

Being on friendly terms with the powerful Elconja family was an unbeatable advantage for any noble.

Having been surrounded by such deceitful relationships since childhood, Seldienne had instinctively developed an awareness of how others viewed her.

In all her life, only that boy had treated her as a girl, like a person.

He asked nothing of her.

He simply expressed a desire to get along as friends.

His gaze looked at Seldienne, the same age girl, without seeing her status or power, devoid of fear or gluttony for scraps.

This stirred up huge curiosity within her,

and Seldienne Elconja… no, the adolescent girl Seldienne began to test him.

From that first meeting onward,

for days, weeks, and months, she continually tormented the boy to see how long his attitude would last.

If he viewed her as an equal, she cried out that he was wrong.

She emphasized again and again how great and noble she was, constantly reminding him that he should not dare to overlook the name Elconja.

The only reason for her foolish behavior was simple.

It was because he, Erto,

wanted to see her as Seldienne, not as the Elconja.

Even if the whole world, including herself, declared otherwise, he wanted her to remain as his equal friend.

He wished with unwavering conviction to stay by her side.

Thus, paradoxically, Seldienne decided to confront Erto.

“Ah… ahhhh―!”

Leaning over her bed, Seldienne scrubbed at her hair with both hands and let out a groan filled with pain.

Why, why, why, why, why,

‘Why did you act so foolishly?’

Her mind was plagued by the burden of regret all night long.

She should have stopped before it was too late.

There had been countless opportunities to mend the relationship before it became irretrievable.

She had been given ample time to come to her senses.

For example, perhaps before she genuinely fell in love with him―

*

After getting to know the commoner Erto,

as months of torment continued, one thought solidified in Seldienne’s mind.

He was truly the kind of person she had always yearned for.

It didn’t take long for this thought to turn into conviction.

Because no matter what she said or did, Erto remained steadfast, standing at the same distance.

Like a deep-rooted tree that had withstood the test of time, he was a source of unwavering strength, braving the storms that raged around him—this was the feeling she had for Erto.

And soon, she realized that this feeling was what one would call ‘like.’

I, Seldienne Elconja, the girl Seldienne,

liked a boy named Erto―

Once she became aware of this feeling, the faint sensation exploded into something immense.

Her heart raced.

Excitement and joy coursed through her, giving her the sweetest tingles from head to toe.

The joy of being seen wholly as a person was beyond imagination.

She was sure of one thing.

Even if he had no exceptional qualities, he was indeed the prince she had long sought.

But the first feeling of love she had ever felt,

burned to ashes the moment it began.

Because, standing next to her prince, there was already a princess.

Tirisia Bruerd.

When her fond feelings for Erto bloomed, he had already developed into a romantic relationship with the girl he had known since childhood.

The first love she had just found after so many years was already in another girl’s hands.

What bloomed in Seldienne’s heart upon realizing this was a flame of fiery jealousy and a thick, dark despair.

Why, why, was I never even granted a chance?

The person whom she believed was prepared for her more than anyone else was, in fact, better suited to someone else.

Without even a chance to fight back, she was in a situation where everything had been taken from her from the start.

This, this is too much.

Such disappointment and emptiness filled her mind,

and the backlash began to show in how she treated Erto.

Somewhere along the line, Seldienne started saying such things to Erto.

How dare a commoner think they could have a deep relationship with a noble?

Was this insatiable greed for something impossible? Didn’t he realize that the only thing waiting at the end of that desire was certain destruction?

She vehemently denied their relationship louder than anyone else.

Hoping that he would listen to her words and break up with his girlfriend.

Seldienne was well aware that reminding him of the class divide would affect her too.

But she had no other way.

Erto and Tirisia Bruerd had no issues outside of their social standing.

When she watched them share a meal together, they appeared happier than anyone else in the world.

Even the lady of Bruerd was superior to her in many ways.

Skills, personality, social standing—all formidable qualities, Seldienne felt like she was already far behind.

Thus, in order to overturn a lost game, she had no choice but to resort to desperation.

Even if that same logic could be applied to herself.

Nobles and commoners can never be together—that had to be asserted.

At least an opportunity would arise if their relationship were to collapse.

Though claiming to like him as a noble contradicted her previous arguments, she was okay with that.

That was a problem for later.

Once Erto was free from Bruerd, she thought she could confess her feelings and make him hers.

Since childhood, she had a strong will and perseverance.

No matter how long it took, if Bruerd ever released her hold, she could apologize for her previous rudeness and declare her love.

In fact, she had truly liked him for a long time.

She wanted to walk into the future with him by her side.

With those heartfelt confessions hidden away in her chest, Seldienne continued her self-destructive acting.

And as time flowed enough to change the year―

finally, Seldienne found herself at the starting line she desired.

Erto’s breakup with Bruerd.

When she heard that news, she was so elated she felt like she might just lose her mind.

Finally, finally, finally,

there was a chance for her too.

She could confess this fiery heart to Erto.

Though filled with enthusiastic joy as she planned her next moves,

“Huh, wait a minute?”

Reality was unfolding quite differently than she had anticipated.