Chapter 94: Each Going Their Own Way
"You really are... persistent. I thought you’d be tired of this by now. Or do you actually believe my feelings will change, even a little?"
Camilla, with her usual icy expression, lashed out with sharp words. It was impressive how she could change her cutting remarks while maintaining the same expression every time we met. But she never changed.
In the end, my failure to seize that one opportunity had brought me here.
I thought I could make something happen. But, just as she said, it turned out to be nothing but my own delusion.
"...Haa. I’m starting to feel sorry for her. Falling for someone like you. You know what? Out of whatever... affection remains, I’ll give you one last piece of advice."
Her cold voice and the way she pressed her fingers to her temples as if I were giving her a headache still lingered vividly in my mind.
"Just take good care of what you already have, you idiot. Stop greedily reaching for more. Have you ever thought that what you’ve been given is already more than you deserve?"
Before you lose Hoyeon, stop acting like a fool. It’s a miracle she even bothers with you in the first place.
...When I think about it, she wasn’t wrong.
There was no reason for Hoyeon to be interested in me. At first, I even saw her as a threat to eliminate.
Honestly, I still didn’t fully understand why she was so attached to me. It couldn’t really be because I was her first friend...
Her behavior had already gone beyond what you’d expect from a friend.
"Do you get it? If I were her, I would’ve already beaten you senseless or locked you up. Seriously, you’ve managed to put me, of all people, on her side. Impressive."
Her final, cold remark to just get lost left me wandering the Academy alone, unable to muster a proper rebuttal.
I slowly replayed Camilla’s words in my head. Not to desire more than I deserved. That it was a miracle Hoyeon stuck with someone like me.
Every word had been filled with suppressed hostility and reproach, yet meeting with her so often had led to a sliver of affection, however small.
It seemed even that was now gone. But more importantly...
Hoyeon. Maybe she really was too good for me. Considering where she came from, there might be someone better for her.
Maybe the very thought of using her as an escape pod was foolish. After ruining everything, living comfortably on my own... Wasn’t that just too irresponsible?
But I had no loyalty to sink with this continent, either. My mind was teetering on the edge of an endless loop, like an Ouroboros, when—
"Oh, um... Dogeon? What a coincidence, meeting you here...?"
"No, not at all. And Eric...? Did you just come from a festival or a gathering? You look all dressed up."
It wasn’t that dressing up didn’t suit them, but Eric... looked a bit odd.
I was just curious about why they were all dressed up. Camilla only put on full makeup for serious events. Who did she get so dolled up for?
I remembered that she only dressed like this when meeting the protagonist. Even when meeting the Crown Prince, it wasn’t this much.
...Wait a second. Could it be?
"Y-yeah? It’s... a party. Right, Eric?"
She nudged Eric with her elbow, signaling him to play along. It seemed I was right, but the atmosphere between them said otherwise.
I’d heard they were in a fake relationship, but right now, they looked like a genuine couple.
"Y-yes. A party. Absolutely."
When they first mentioned their relationship was fake, I didn’t notice, but now I could see it clearly—something was definitely going on.
No, that couldn’t be. I didn’t want to think so, but every step, every breath, confirmed my suspicions.
"Th-then... may we go now? I, uh... I’m a bit cold! Yes, it’s cold, you see."
It was such a clumsy lie that I felt embarrassed just hearing it. There was no way someone who could endure the northern cold would shiver in this mild weather.
In the original story, she wandered around the north in light clothing. This weather would probably feel as warm as a spring breeze to her.
"...Yes. Go ahead. What a coincidence meeting here. Such a chance encounter."
But I couldn’t bring myself to stop them. Even if I wanted to, Camilla’s words echoed in my head.
"Just take good care of what you already have, you idiot."
"Goodbye, Dogeon. Um... Have a nice evening!"
They were heading to the same place, not to their respective dorms. It wasn’t hard to imagine what they were about to do.
If I let them go, the happy ending would slip right through my fingers.
...I turned my steps toward the dormitory. From the start, this was never something I could handle.
I didn’t even know if the voice that spoke to me before my reincarnation was the author. And that presence hadn’t said a word since.
If the author really existed and could twist reality with a wave of their hand, there was no way I could win just by charming a few girls.
Maybe the author had lied. Or perhaps, this world had nothing to do with the author’s will in the first place.
I wanted to believe that.
Because otherwise, I didn’t think I could handle the choices I’d have to make from now on.
I passed my room and knocked on Hoyeon’s door. Now that I thought about it, she had been to my room many times, but I couldn’t recall ever going to hers.
She had always been the one to visit me. That’s how I ended up taking care of a cat, too.
On a side note, Yeonho had become quite the little pig. His plump, round body felt nice to hold, almost like a squishy toy.
Well, I guess none of that matters now. As I waited, I heard Hoyeon’s voice from inside.
"Who is it?"
"It’s me."
"...Oh, um... Just a second!"
The once intimidating voice now sounded flustered. I could easily imagine her scurrying around, and it made me curious about what her room looked like and how she usually spent her time.
She was still cute, even if she had been a bit scary lately. Hoyeon was still Hoyeon.
Maybe if I had only focused on her from the beginning, I wouldn’t have found her so frightening.
Yeah, if I had done that, maybe I could have used our bond to ask her to delay the invasion. I should have been more modest.
I must have been blinded by the title of "protagonist." This was all I was capable of.
"...Okay, it’s ready. Come in!"
Sometimes, I wondered if she even knew what kind of powers she had. She had a habit of judging everything by her own standards.
Like now. She didn’t seem to realize I couldn’t open the door without her help.
"Hoyeon, it’s locked. You need to open it."
"Oh... Sorry!"
I wasn’t mad. I just wished she understood. Not everyone was as multi-talented as she was.
"...Sorry, did you wait long...?"
When I stepped into Hoyeon’s room, my first impression was that it looked like a room from a wealthy home.
Unlike my own room, the furniture looked expensive, with gold accents scattered throughout. Overall, it felt like a room that belonged in a royal palace of the Eastern style.
Considering that she was royalty from such a place, it wasn’t surprising.
If there was one disappointing thing, it would be the pile of clothes draped over the chair. Everything else was neatly organized, but her clothes seemed to be an exception.
So even she found tidying up clothes a hassle.
“Oh, it’s not a big deal. What were you doing?”
“I, um, I was just writing… in my diary. Ah, not that you interrupted or anything! I wasn’t getting anywhere with it anyway...”
“Really? That’s good to hear.”
It felt like I had interrupted, but if she said it was fine, then I’d take her word for it.
Still, I couldn’t help but notice her outfit.
Instead of the usual Academy uniform, she wore clothes I’d never seen before.
“By the way, Hoyeon, did Anya buy those clothes for you?”
“Huh? This...? No. My mother packed it for me... casual clothes. How is it...?”
With a question like that, who could give a negative answer? Though honestly, she didn’t need to mention where the clothes came from.
The outfit had a white base with black and gold accents that blended seamlessly. It wasn’t overly revealing, with just a sleeveless design, and looked so nice that I wondered why she hadn’t worn it until now.
There was also a black fur-lined scarf that made the outfit look comfortable for autumn wear.
The way it highlighted her figure left me unsure where to look. But that wasn’t the outfit’s fault—it was Hoyeon’s.
“…You look beautiful. Why have you been keeping such nice clothes hidden away?”
“B-Beautiful? Yeah, I guess...! My mother made it for me herself!”
She started praising her mother for a while, clearly proud, before realizing she hadn’t answered my question. Her face turned a bit sheepish.
“…Ah, sorry. I got a bit carried away... The reason I didn’t wear it before is because... it stands out.”
“But you already stand out, even without it.”
I meant it sincerely, not as a joke. Her status and appearance made it impossible for her to blend in. I’d never seen someone so mismatched with their natural disposition.
“Huh...?”
But it seemed Hoyeon took my words a little differently.
“Wh-What do you mean by that...? You think I’ll just forgive you if you say things like that...?!”
What on earth was she talking about now?