“No, what I just said was…”
Was it because of the unexpected reaction?
Hale wore a flustered expression, seeming to ponder how she should respond.
A few seconds later, she let out a deep sigh before continuing.
“That wasn’t said with Her Imperial Highness, Vigdis unni, or Senior Risi in mind. I just meant that since there are plenty of people prettier than me in the Academy, there’s no point in entering the contest because I obviously wouldn’t win an award. If I can’t win the prize money, I’d just be wasting the dress alteration costs.”
“Hm? Even if you don’t win an award, the dress would still be yours, so I wouldn’t call that wasted money.”
“No, no. If I’m not entering the contest, then I’d be spending money I didn’t need to spend, so it’s a waste.”
Fjodra raised an objection with doubt, but Hale firmly denied it.
Then she added the following explanation.
“I was only going to enter because even the third-place prize would cover the alteration costs, and if I placed first or second, I’d even make a profit. But if I can’t even recover the initial cost, that’s a clear loss, isn’t it?”
“Is the House Bitnir in such a poor state that you must consider such things before deciding to enter a contest…? You received compensation from the duel the other day, did you not?”
“We’re fine for now. But there’s no guarantee a demonic realm won’t appear in our fief, right? Plants that grow in demonic realms can be sold for money, but if a useless one full of nothing but rocks like the one that appeared at the Academy recently springs up, we’ll be hit with massive restoration costs. And if our people are injured or killed, we’ll have to pay consolation money as well…”
“Ah! I understand now. You need to secure as much emergency reserve funds as possible, so you can’t recklessly waste money.”
Fjodra finally showed a look of understanding.
And I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pity.
‘Author Senna would never leave the region where the original protagonist lives alone…
Once Reysir returns to the Bitnir fief this summer vacation, he’s bound to get caught up in a demon realm creation phenomenon there.
And there’s a high chance Hale or Dyuf will end up losing their lives.
Which means I need to find a way, even if it’s under the guise of training, to keep Reysir and the Bitnir father and daughter here at the Academy.’
That was when I was deep in thought.
“Helly. Are you anxious because you’re worried another bastard like Drembi might latch onto you again?”
The original protagonist opened his mouth cautiously with a rather serious expression.
“No, I’m not worried about that at all. Everyone clearly saw how that bastard got publicly humiliated when he came at me. Who in their right mind would try me like Drembi did?”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Didn’t you hear the conversation I just had with Her Imperial Highness?”
“I did. You’re worried about wasting the alteration costs, right? Then just enter wearing a dress that hasn’t been altered.”
“That is technically possible, but… ah, where do I even begin to explain…?”
Hale stopped mid-cut on her steak, staring blankly into space with a helpless look.
She began with, ‘Other contestants will be wearing dresses and accessories that reflect the latest trends.’
Then she concluded with, ‘If I’m the only one wearing an outdated, frumpy dress, I won’t just fail to win an award — I’ll be a laughingstock.’
If someone heard all that and still said trends didn’t matter, that would be beyond inconsiderate — it would be irresponsible.
Fortunately, Reysir muttered, ‘Ah, I see, that is a problem…’ and nodded his head.
But—
“Then get it altered and enter.”
—he added, bringing the conversation full circle and frustrating Hale to no end.
“Are you kidding me right now?! You heard everything about why I’m trying to save money! And you still say something like that?!”
“It’s because I don’t understand.”
“What exactly don’t you understand?!”
“Helly, the fact that you think you wouldn’t win an award even if you entered the beauty contest.”
“………?”
The moment Hale, unable to contain her anger, raised her voice—
The male-oriented novel’s protagonist voiced his doubt with a serious demeanor, and her anger was replaced by bewilderment.
“Wh-What is that supposed to mean?!”
“In all my time at the Academy, I’ve never seen a single woman prettier than you. If you can’t win an award, then who on earth could?”
“Wh-Wh-What are you saying…! Her Imperial Highness is here, and Vigdis unni is too…!”
“Their beauty is remarkable as well. But in my eyes, you look prettier.”
“You… how can you say something like that without even flinching….”
I felt a strange sense of deja vu.
It was a familiar atmosphere.
*’Have I been in a similar situation before…?’
The realization came quickly.
When Professor Radvicin’s two research students talked to each other.
To be more specific, it was similar to when Senior Elska would flirt with Senior Blida.
However, Senior Elska was putting in his best effort to seduce Senior Blida.
Whereas the original protagonist, Reysir, was simply stating his honest impression with zero romantic intent.
The atmosphere was similar, but when you dug deeper, there was a clear difference.
Just as you’d expect from the protagonist of a male-oriented novel overflowing with heroine candidates.
He effortlessly spouted smooth lines without even realizing it.
That’s why it wasn’t anything new to me, but others didn’t seem to take it that way.
On the faces of those rapidly darting their eyes between Reysir and Hale—
I could read emotions like admiration, surprise, and intrigue.
Yet the original protagonist paid no mind to the onlookers’ reactions.
He kept his gaze fixed on his childhood friend’s face, who was flustered with embarrassment, and voiced his question.
“Why are you reacting like that? You already knew you were beautiful. Isn’t that why you wanted to enter the beauty contest in the first place? Even if you can’t dress as lavishly as everyone else, you were confident you’d win an award as long as you looked the part.”
“…Hearing that makes me embarrassed for a different reason than before. Can we just drop this now?”
The shyness on Hale’s face transformed into mortification in an instant.
So she really did think she could win the contest with just a decent dress alteration, just as Reysir had said.
Well, it made sense — Hale was quite a beauty, true to her status as a heroine candidate in the original work.
“Why did your confidence suddenly disappear?”
It seemed today, the other novel’s protagonist had set his relentlessness on Hale.
I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her.
But I was also curious about why she had lost her confidence, so I chewed my steak and listened to their conversation.
“…..Because the situation has changed.”
“What changed and how?”
Reysir was being extremely persistent, and there was no way his childhood friend Hale didn’t know that.
If she kept making excuses to avoid answering, the conversation would never end.
Sensing this, Hale raised the white flag and confessed her honest thoughts.
“When I decided to enter the contest, I was still pretending to be all demure. But now, not only have I dropped the act, I’ve openly shown how hot-tempered I am — to the point of earning a nickname like ‘Fire Fist’…. Who could possibly find me attractive?”
“Is that something someone said to you?”
“I just….. thought that might be the case on my own.”
“So someone did say it to you.”
“……”
Hale publicly humiliated Drembi on Thursday evening of last week, and since a demonic realm appeared that Saturday, the Academy was immediately closed.
That was barely two days.
What on earth did she hear in that short span of time for her self-esteem to plummet so rapidly?
People laughing snidely as she passed by, making sure she could hear, was the bare minimum.
There were probably also those who used the nickname ‘Fire Fist’ not as praise for her spirited behavior, but as a derogatory term meaning she was unfit to be a noble lady.
As the one who suggested she publicly defend herself, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.
*’I should apologize, right? But butting into the conversation right now to say sorry feels weird too…?’
As I was cautiously reading the mood for those reasons—
Reysir said something befitting the original protagonist.
“Then that’s all the more reason you should enter the contest.”
“What nonsense are you—!”
“The ones talking nonsense aren’t me — they’re the people who said those awful things to you. I think your original, spirited and cheerful self is far more beautiful and charming than the demure, pretending version of you. And I’m certain I’m not the only one who thinks that way.”
“Again…! Saying such embarrassing things so casually…!”
“Embarrassing? I’m just stating objective facts.”
“……”
Whether his childhood friend’s face was burning red or not—
The original protagonist continued without pause.
“Don’t take what those who love tearing others down say at face value. They ignore the obvious truth and spout whatever suits them just to feel superior — they’re a contemptible lot.”
“……”
“Let’s definitely enter the contest. Win with your natural charm and prove them wrong. So they can never spout their nonsense again.”
“There’s no guarantee I’ll win just because I enter…….”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You can definitely win. I guarantee it.”
His attitude was unusually firm.
With unwavering eyes fixed squarely on Hale’s face, I could strongly feel Reysir’s determination to never back down no matter what.
In the end, Hale let out a long sigh and declared her surrender.
“The tailor shop I was going to use for the alteration is probably fully booked by now…. I’ll have to look for another place.”
“Good choice.”
“…If I don’t win, you’re taking responsibility.”
“Don’t worry. That will never happen.”
I thought so too.
The original protagonist pushed a heroine candidate into entering a beauty contest — there was no way she wouldn’t win.
*’Once Hale wins the contest, the public opinion mocking her will completely disappear, right?’
Good.
As I was sighing with relief in secret—
The other novel’s protagonist suddenly spoke to me out of nowhere.
“Oh! Karbaldr, did you know? Valhalla Academy’s beauty contest doesn’t just have men’s and women’s divisions — it also has cross-dressing divisions.”
At an Academy representing the Empire, run by the Imperial Family, where most students were nobles, at its festival—
The very existence of a men’s cross-dressing contest and a women’s cross-dressing contest was absurd enough.
And I had no idea why they were grouped together under the name ‘beauty contest’ alongside the contest that picked the most handsome man and most beautiful woman.
Regardless, I was aware that such things existed.
But….
“Why are you pointing at me specifically and asking a question that isn’t even a question?”
“Karbaldr. You could definitely win the cross-dressing contest. I guarantee it.”
“……”
“There’s no chance you won’t win, but if such a thing were to happen, I’ll take responsibility, so don’t worry.”
“………”
I was so dumbfounded that words failed me.
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