Chapter 39

“Haaaaaang!”

Rusika Rafisle was a big crybaby and a coward since childhood.

So weak and timid she struggled to even talk to others.

This kind of personality faced uncompromising hardships when a minor noble family moved from the outskirts to the capital.

At the academy’s primary section, she encountered other noble daughters, or nasty commoners.

Those kids, still young in their thinking, tended to distinguish differences based on social class, and where you’re from.

Kids born in the backwoods were seen as inferior to those from the capital by birthright alone.

Rusika had to constantly endure the pure malice of children after moving to the capital.

“Hey~! It’s a country bumpkin~! Her hair’s a weird color~!”

“S-stop it…!”

After classes, the more dominant kids gathered in groups, treating weaker ones like playthings during their main activities.

“What kind of noble are you? You’re grungier than a common city kid.”

“I-is too a noble… I have a family name!”

Playful boys circled around Rusika Rafisle.

They poked her with their fingers, getting a primal joy from bullying her.

“How do we know that’s not a lie?”

“I-I’m not lying…!”

Rusika often felt like a snailing curled up on her desk, hoping they would lose interest and leave her alone.

“But what do you even eat in the countryside? Do you eat frogs? Hehehe.”

“You don’t eat cockroaches too, do you? Eww, gross!”

“Haha! Is that why you smell like poop?”

But the group that tortured her never left until they reached their goal.

“Huh, haaaang!”

This was the cry Rusika Rafisle always let out.

“Wow! She’s crying! Hahaha!”

“She’s crying again~! Crybaby Rusika~!”

“Yodelayheehoo~!”

“Stop it…! Don’t…! Aaaahh!”

As soon as she started crying, even kids who were ignoring her turned to mock and glare at her.

“Aaaahh, haaaaang!”

And that day too, Rusika became a target of ridicule while crying just as the other kids desired.

It was a pretty normal day.

Except for one thing.

“Hey you nasty jerks!”

With a bang, a boy stomped in, tossing his bag to the floor.

He had an ordinary face and average black hair.

In his small body that hadn’t grown much, he looked like a commoner, written all over him.

But this utterly unremarkable boy started confronting the group that was bullying Rusika.

“Huh? Who are you?”

“Um… I think you’re a commoner.”

As the noble boys looked down at him, he boldly stepped forward and shouted.

“My name is Erto! Don’t you know the names of your classmates?!”

“So what? It’s just a commoner.”

“If you’re noble, is it okay to bully girls?! Stop it right now!”

“Who do you think you are? Do you want a beating?”

“I think I might want one, what about it?!”

Crash!

The boy lunged in dramatically, but…

“Gah…!”

With his weakness and outnumbered, he got the stuffing beaten out of him and sprawled out on the floor.

“What? This kid is super weak?”

“Thought he was something because he charged in alone.”

“You mess with us again and I won’t hold back.”

The boys kicked dirt on the boy who was now covered in dust and left the classroom, losing all interest in the situation.

Rusika Rafisle was naturally forgotten by them too.

“…”

She walked over to the boy who was struggling to get up off the floor.

“Ow ow ow…dammit, if I were just a bit stronger.”

“Are you… alright?”

Her tears had somehow disappeared.

Rusika was filled with curiosity about the boy.

The boy staggered to his feet, dusting himself off while looking at her.

One corner of his eye was bruised and his lips were split, but he managed to smile at her as if nothing was wrong.

“This is nothing! You’ve had a hard time, right?”

“Ah…yeah…”

He thumped his chest, speaking confidently.

“I’ll protect you from now on! Don’t worry!”

“B-but…you’re weak…”

“Not really… But anyway! I’m going to get really strong from now on!”

“…Are you maybe an idiot?”

“Hey?! What’s that tone for to someone who saved you? Ugh?! Ow ow…”

Startled, the boy bumped his elbow against the locker behind him and yelped in pain.

Staring intently at this boy, Rusika had one thought cross her mind.

Prince.

He was a prince.

Not good-looking, not strong, he didn’t even ride a white horse.

Even if he got beaten up by villains and rolled on the floor, he didn’t have a single trait of a prince.

But he was just like in the storybooks she read as a child, the amazing person who came to rescue the captured princess.

Ah,

This person is definitely my prince.

Thus, Rusika Rafisle’s young first love began.

“Erto…that’s right?”

“Yeah, and you’re Rusika Rafisle, right?”

“Can I…be your friend?”

“Of course! That’s why I saved you!”

“Uh…heh! Th-thank you!”

The two became friends, and Erto kept his promise to always protect Rusika.

He got beaten up by the bullies while too weak to do much else, but he never cried and bravely defied the group that was bullying Rusika.

Perhaps, Rusika thought, he might be even weaker than her.

But whether weak or strong, having the courage to face a stronger and larger group was something impossible for Rusika.

That’s why she relied on Erto and also had a crush on him.

What could be the reason he was protecting her like this?

Why would he, a lowly noble with no power who was new to the city, protect someone like her?

‘Could it be…huh!’

When she daydreamed like that, her heart felt like it was getting tickles.

Could it be, that Erto also liked her?

There would be no reason for him to protect her if that wasn’t the case.

Perhaps they were both in love with each other…

From day by day, that fluttering heart of hers grew inside Rusika’s chest.

But it wouldn’t take long for that dream to shatter.

“What are you guys doing?”

Once again, just as it always was, after the academy’s primary classes had ended, the usual group of bullies surrounded Erto and Rusika.

A soft yet powerful girl’s voice came from the door.

All of them, including the bullies and Erto, turned to look at the girl who had appeared.

There stood a silver-haired beauty like something out of a fairy tale.

“Oh, Tirisia. What are you doing here…?”

For some reason, Erto recognized her and smiled warmly.

“Erto. Did these guys bully you?”

The girl named Tirisia looked kindly at her friend.

“No, it’s not me, but they were about to beat her up…”

“I see.”

Her warm gaze immediately turned icy as she looked around at the bullies.

“Is that true?”

The bullies ignored her and even grinned smugly, trying to intimidate her.

“Who are you?”

“Just because there’s an extra girl here, you think we’ll be scared?”

“We’re having fun so just buzz off.”

They had never noticed the girl before, who had not been around in the primary section until yesterday, so they knew nothing of her.

But,

[Can you please disappear from my sight right now?]

As the girl uttered those words, her kind smile froze the air around them.

The chill radiating from her gave the boys goosebumps.

Some of them, who belonged to the noble family with a name, recalled the name of a noble family well known for its powerful spells.

“B-Bruerd…?”

“What? Is she the Bruerd?”

“We can’t win against her! Let’s get out of here!”

The boys fled the classroom in a panic, not bothering to look back.

Tirisia didn’t even glance at them as she approached Erto and gently caressed his swollen cheek.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine! But Tirisia, didn’t you say you were only tutoring until secondary school?”

At his question, Tirisia laughed innocently and took his hand.

“I wanted to follow Erto! I insisted to my parents that I’m joining the primary section starting today.”

“Oh, really? That’s awesome!”

“By the way, you’ve already made a new friend, huh?”

When her stunning aquamarine eyes turned towards Rusika, she instinctively shrank back.

“Ah, I-I’m…”

“This is Rusika! Rusika Rafisle. She’s a noble from somewhere far away!”

“I see.”

Tirisia released Erto’s hand and took Rusika’s hands, a bright smile gracing her lips.

“Nice to meet you, Rusika! I’m Tirisia Bruerd. I’m Erto’s friend.”

“Ah, yes… I’m Rusika Rafisle… Nice to meet you.”

As the two shook hands, in the moment that Tirisia’s face filled Rusika’s blush pink eyes…

Rusika realized something.

That Erto had already had a princess beside him.

Unlike herself, who fancied herself a princess without any notable skills,

she was a ‘real’ princess, as if she stepped out of a storybook.

She mentioned that she had been friends with Erto since before he even met her.

Bruerd was one of the renowned noble families, so she was supposed to skip the primary section and enter the secondary section directly, but she persuaded her parents to join Erto.

From that point, Rusika could feel that she was different from her.

In background, skills, appearance, and even personality.

There was nothing about her that could surpass Tirisia.

At least if it was time or anything, having met Erto before her would have been a good excuse.

But even that, Tirisia had more memories with Erto than Rusika.

No, more than anything else.

She felt the way Erto looked at Tirisia was completely different than when he looked at her.

His eyes, when looking at her, overflowed with warmth and love, far more than when he looked at anyone else, including Rusika Rafisle.

Just by that, it was ample evidence to realize the truth.

The two were already in love with each other.

There would be no opportunity left for Rusika, who had come in late.

“Ah…”

She thought she had dreamed a sweet dream.

After all, she was not a princess from a fairy tale.

Just a supporting character who would only shine brighter with the prince and princess.

Rusika felt envy for everything about Tirisia.

All the many strengths she had. Things she didn’t possess by birth.

Among them, the most painful was the fact that she was falling behind even in things she could do compared to Tirisia.

“Erto, I’m so happy!”

With a bright smile, Tirisia threw her arms around him.

She had a candidness, expressing her heart without hiding anything.

Just a heartfelt smile and loving words.

Even such an act where no one could interrupt, for cowardly Rusika, was extremely difficult.

She couldn’t even tell him she liked him, so how could she possibly defeat a fairy tale princess?

That’s why she had no choice but to accept it.

She was a supporting character, and Tirisia was the one who suited Erto.

And because of that, she started acting, hiding her true feelings.

Claiming she never liked Erto in the first place.

She would gladly accept the role of supporting character for their happiness.

So she put on a mask, deceiving her true self, and began carving out her own path.

Someday they would pair up, and there would come a time for Rusika to step back further.

If that time comes, she can’t expect her safety from those two.

She had to grow stronger.

So she could stand alone enough that she wouldn’t be a trivial obstacle for their happiness.

Rusika Rafisle would settle for a position where she could quietly wish for their happiness from afar.

Thus, with firm resolve, Rusika sealed her feelings for Erto.

For days, weeks, months, and even years,

She merely watched as the person she loved gazed at another girl.

But the heart of a person doesn’t simply move according to will.

At some point, the feelings of being a loser began to swirl in her chest.

Why was she made unable to have what she desired?

Why did Tirisia possess everything from birth?

While resenting that difference, she even shifted her anger towards the innocent Erto.

Tirisia was a great person, while commoner Erto was just a worthless fool.

By belittling him multiple times and elevating Tirisia, she rationalized her inevitable defeat.

It was only natural for her to lose to someone as great as Tirisia.

It was a stroke of luck for Erto to love someone like her.

Every time she vented her anger at Erto, rather than feeling better, her heart just grew more ragged. But she couldn’t endure without doing that.

So when he told her that he broke up with Tirisia, she was outwardly angry but secretly pleased.

Two people she had thought were destined for each other had split apart.

This was the opportunity presented by heaven.

The fake princess, who had been tossed aside by the real princess, could take her place this time, couldn’t she?

The plain, nothing-special Erto must fit better with her.

Like her, she was also just an ordinary princess with nothing special.

With that cowardly joy, Rusika felt excitement for the newly opened future.

But the nature hardened over many years didn’t easily change.

She remained a coward, unable to be honest until the end.

She poured out bitter words toward Erto, who had let Tirisia go, and after learning the truth, she blamed Tirisia for playing with Erto’s heart.

And at the same time, she resented the Rusika Rafisle who had wasted time without being honest from the beginning.

In hindsight, she had merely ended up blaming everyone, including herself.

She had accomplished nothing and was just throwing a tantrum like a child.

Suddenly, a different possibility for the future swirled in her mind.

If she had confessed her true feelings from the start.

If she hadn’t admitted defeat to Tirisia.

If she had shown courage like Erto did against the bullies.

Would something have changed if that were the case?

Such hollow regrets lingered, but by now, it was meaningless.

However,

If there was something still possible to do even now, when everything was broken.

If a chance was given, even if late.

There was one thing she absolutely wanted to achieve.

To give a heartfelt message to Erto, who must have been hurt more than anyone else—

*

As she opened her eyes, there was a strange ceiling above her.

“Ow ow ow…!”

As Rusika Rafisle regained consciousness, she groaned at the intense pain coursing through her body.

Every single part of her hurt.

The nerves and muscles overly strained due to the mana circuit breaking down screamed from the backlash.

She wanted to thrash around, but there was no strength to do so.

Struggling to turn her head wrapped in bandages, she realized she was in the hospital.

On the hospital bed of the academy’s affiliated hospital.

The clock on the wall pointed to 4 o’clock.

Looking out the dark window, it seemed like it was not day but rather the early morning at 4 a.m.

And…

“Ah.”

Rusika spotted a boy slumped over beside her bed.

A black-haired boy resting his face in his arms.

Her prince, who had been by her side for a decade.

Without realizing it, Rusika called his name and fondly stroked his head.

“Erto…”

“Mmm…”

His eyes opened wide, and then they grew large as his head shot up.

“Rusika!”

As soon as he confirmed his friend had regained consciousness, color returned to his face.

“Are you okay?”

Rusika smiled faintly, sharing her honest feelings with him.

“It really hurts…”

“The doctor said you have to lay still for three days. Don’t get up.”

“But…what about Tirisia?”

At her question, Erto sighed deeply and looked down at the ground.

“Tirisia went back home. She’s going to be locked up for a while.”

“I see…”

“Rusika, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Erto explained to Rusika what he knew about Tirisia’s true feelings.

“What Tirisia said at the discipline committee wasn’t true. I think Durakal prompted her to say that.”

“Why do you think that?”

Rusika asked, gazing at the ceiling.

“Because… after that incident with the mirror, she came to apologize at our house. She said she no longer deserved to be your girlfriend or even a normal friend… She was truly sorry. If that’s true, then it wouldn’t make sense for Tirisia to mastermind the whole thing.”

“I-I see.”

Rusika felt a piece of her heart settling slightly.

It proved she had betrayed Erto as well, but at least her time spent with her hadn’t been a lie.

“I wanted to tell you that. I’ll be leaving now, so rest well.”

As Erto stood up with weary eyes and turned to leave…

“Erto.”

Rusika moved her aching arm to grab his hand.

“Yeah.”

As he turned back, Rusika looked at his face with a mournful gaze and asked.

“Why… aren’t you angry?”

“What do you mean?”

“I… said some harsh things to you…”

Her trembling hand revealed her voice starting to shake too.

“I blamed you… and treated you badly…”

The boy gazed at her with a calm expression.

“You said things you shouldn’t have… you hurt me…”

She looked at him with pleading eyes, wanting to pay for her sins.

“Oh that? It’s no big deal. Don’t worry about it.”

He shrugged, shaking his head.

“You didn’t understand the situation. I understand your feelings.”

But Rusika shook her head with all her might, refusing his forgiveness.

“No… no! This isn’t just this once… I’ve always been this way. I’ve treated you cruelly all along…”

“Rusika.”

But the smile he showed her was just like that time when he had gotten all dusty after being bullied.

“It’s okay.”

Erto patted her head as if nothing were wrong, just like how he had always rescued her.

“Don’t worry. I’m your friend. Even now.”

“E-Erto…”

In those pink eyes, relief and regret surged forth.

“Ugh… Huh!”

With all her strength, Rusika raised her body and tightly embraced the boy in front of her.

“Erto… Erto…!”

“Yeah, Rusika.”

The sobs grew louder as the long-suppressed feelings poured from the girl.

“I’m sorry…! I’m really sorry…!”

“It’s okay.”

Rusika buried her face in his chest and let out the torrent of emotions that she couldn’t hold back.

“I… like Erto! From a long time ago… from the first time we met…! I’ve always liked you…!”

The boy quietly held her as her long-overdue confession was received.

“I like you, Erto…I really like you…! And I’m sorry…!”

Even if it’s late,

Even if it couldn’t be reversed,

This feeling had to be conveyed now.

“Erto… Erto… Erto…!”

“Yeah, I’m right here.”

“Erto, huff, huh, Erto…! Huh, hyaaaaaah!”

Thus, the girl called out the boy’s name repeatedly, and burst into tears endlessly.

Just like that crying crybaby who had simply loved the boy in her childhood.

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