If you want to dance with someone, the right thing to do is to go up to them yourself and ask them to dance.
If you don’t have the courage to act first, all you can do is wait and desperately pray for the other person to come find you.
And yet, Tridric was insisting that I should just sit still and summon my fiancée over, saying, ‘I want to dance, so come here.’
‘What kind of engagement is that?’ That’s just a master-servant relationship!
Whether to accept or refuse a dance invitation is entirely up to the person being asked.
Everyone knows this, which is why those who invite others to dance are always very polite.
Among all these peers exchanging dance invitations so courteously, he’s saying that if the fiancée calls, you have to go and dance no matter what?
Isn’t that just the perfect setup for humiliation?
Obviously, there’s nothing good to be gained from trampling on your fiancée’s pride like that.
Just because this is a fantasy novel world doesn’t mean that engagements or marriages are any different from reality.
Even here, failing to respect your future spouse and making them a laughingstock is no different from spitting in your own face.
Not that I have any intention of marrying the fiancée of this possessed body!
Anyway, to sum up, Tridric’s remark was nothing more or less than a way to mess with me.
Seriously, it was ridiculous.
So, instead of getting up, I crossed my legs again, folded my arms, leaned back in my chair, and questioned Tridric.
“Do you really think I should do that?”
“Of course! If it weren’t for you, Karvald Austri, do you think that woman could have attended the Academy? Let alone take swordsmanship classes!”
Just a moment ago, he called her ‘your fiancée,’ but now she’s been demoted to ‘that woman.’
Not surprising at all.
Tridric always looked down on this possessed body, so naturally he would treat its fiancée as insignificant as well.
“She couldn’t even bother to come over first and say, ‘Thank you so much for helping me attend the Academy again this semester!’ and bow her head in gratitude. She hasn’t shown her face at all—how insolent and ungrateful can you get?!”
When I just listened in silence, Tridric got worked up as if he himself had been insulted, raising his voice.
It was honestly laughable.
Let’s pause for a moment.
I suspect many of you are wondering just what on earth Tridric is ranting about.
So, let me briefly explain the background of the fiancée character.
First of all, her name is Vigdis Shalbrady.
While the First Princess is the most likely next heir to the Empire, her father was the type to say, ‘A woman should stay quietly at home, doing embroidery and minding the household.’
Not only was he stuck in the past and sexist, he couldn’t even see the flow of power—truly a pity.
Vigdis had been interested in swordsmanship since she was young, but Count Shalbrady hated that.
He didn’t even want to send her to the Academy, claiming she had foolish ideas.
When Karvald Austri found out, he decided to get engaged to Vigdis.
Count Shalbrady wouldn’t refuse a marriage proposal from the Austri Ducal Family.
If Karvald said he wanted to attend the Academy with his fiancée, the Count would gladly allow her to enroll.
Not because he loved Vigdis.
He simply expected her to see him as her savior and offer blind, wholehearted devotion.
And so, Vigdis entered Valhalla Academy at the late age of 19, and was extremely grateful to Karvald Austri.
That is, until her fiancé revealed his true nature and began insisting, ‘I saved you, so everything you have belongs to me.’
Only then did Vigdis realize.
Karvald Austri didn’t propose to her out of love, nor did he help her out of sympathy.
‘How on earth did the original author plan to redeem and use this kind of character?’
This crazy character didn’t even try to hide his obsession and possessiveness.
He blatantly controlled his fiancée’s relationships so she couldn’t get close to anyone, and Vigdis ended up completely isolated at the Academy.
Meanwhile, Karvald Austri even bullied Reysir Daudabina, showing his violent side.
It was only natural that Vigdis, feeling disgust and fear, would try to avoid the possessed body at all costs.
“I kept an eye on the entrance, and you know what? That woman slipped in right before attendance closed and darted straight upstairs.”
Tridric let out a mocking laugh as he tattled on Vigdis’s actions.
I was just as dumbfounded—at Tridric, not Vigdis.
“She’s probably hiding somewhere on the balcony by now. Should I go find her?”
With that, Tridric started fidgeting in his seat, unable to sit still.
He looked like he couldn’t wait to start a fun game of hide-and-seek.
He was excited at the thought of dragging Count Shalbrady’s daughter over by invoking Karvald Austri’s name.
“You seem very interested in my fiancée.”
“W-what?! Absolutely not!! I just wanted to save you the trouble, Karvald Austri, so please don’t misunderstand!”
“Then to avoid any misunderstandings, don’t ever meddle in my relationship with ‘Dysil’ or speak out of turn again.”
For reference, ‘Dysil’ is Vigdis’s nickname.
I knew my words might sound possessive, but I couldn’t let Tridric’s behavior slide any longer.
If I let it go, he’d eventually cause trouble, claiming it was for my own good.
“Oh, and from now on, don’t mess with ‘Leisir Daudabina’ either.”
“Huh? I get the thing about your fiancée, but why him?”
“I’m done picking on people.”
It wasn’t just Tridric who was surprised by my declaration that I wouldn’t bully Reysir anymore.
Every student who heard my voice widened their eyes in shock.
But.
“What? Why?!”
Tridric was the only one who protested like a child whose favorite toy had been taken away.
If he could be this sadistic even to the fiancée of this possessed body, how much worse would he be to Reysir?
***
After I leave the party, what if Tridric bullies Reysir and makes it look like Karvald Austri put him up to it?
That sudden worry is why I gave the warning.
Judging by how Tridric reacted, I think it was worth risking the gossip to say it out loud.
“Do I need to explain my decision in detail so you can understand?”
“That’s not it, but… Did you get scolded by His Grace the Duke during the break or something?”
His cautious tone was clearly meant to provoke me.
‘Are you saying I’m too scared of my father’s nagging to act? That I even developed insomnia? How obedient of you!’—he was outright mocking me.
If I wanted to deny it, I’d have to go bully Reysir to prove it.
Ah! Now I get it. This must be how the original author planned to justify Karvald Austri’s unethical behavior.
The answer was right in front of me.
The setting was that this character, Tridric, kept egging Karvald Austri on.
The moment I realized that, a short laugh escaped me.
“Ha…!”
Tridric isn’t the type to be satisfied just riding on someone else’s coattails.
He’s definitely not the type to obediently follow orders, either.
He genuinely enjoys trampling on others’ dignity.
But since his own family’s power has its limits, he constantly provoked Karvald Austri’s low self-esteem, pushing him to do evil.
That’s Tridric’s true setting.
The original author probably meant to reveal this at the right moment, shifting all the blame onto Tridric.
So, don’t hate Karvald Austri too much.
He did wrong, but he was just used by someone even worse.
Still, the person who made the protagonist suffer most was Karvald Austri, and the decision to get engaged to Vigdis was made solely by this possessed body…
From my perspective, Karvald Austri is still an unforgivable bastard.
But from someone else’s point of view, if he’s truly remorseful, there might be room for leniency.
Having Tridric as a comparison makes Karvald Austri look better by contrast.
“Why are you suddenly acting like this…?”
Tridric questioned my behavior as I unexpectedly let out a laugh and nodded to myself.
Just a moment ago, I found him utterly repulsive.
Now, even his scrawny frame seemed oddly reassuring.
So all I have to do is pin all the blame on this guy and claim I was just used?
The original protagonist was so soft-hearted that he seemed appeased by a simple apology and having similar tastes in novels.
Still, since my life is on the line, I should play it as safe as possible.
When the chance comes, I’ll have to subtly let Reysir know that Tridric was the real villain.
I’ll figure out the details later….
“Don’t worry about it. Anyway, I’ve made it clear—stop harassing Leisir Daudabina.”
“Really…?”
“Really. So don’t argue any further.”
‘I wonder if the protagonist is watching this unfold somewhere in this vast party hall?’
‘Or at least hears about it later—that would be nice.’
With that thought, I warned Tridric once more not to bother Reysir.
Then I got up from my seat and finally said what I’d meant to at the end of the last chapter.
“Well, I’ll be heading out first. I’m tired, so I’ll go home and rest early.”
I ended up gaining more than I expected from this semester opening party, which I thought would just be a waste of time.
I learned hidden character settings that weren’t revealed in the original. And they might even help me survive.
A total win.
Speaking of which, I also need to cut ties with Vigdis.
But if I suddenly announce a breakup, will she resent me? Since without Karvald Austri, she can’t stay at the Academy anymore?
By the way, Vigdis played a big part in the original Karvald Austri’s death.
She was the one who told the protagonist about the trap Karvald Austri had set, allowing him to turn it against Karvald.
She also filed a false report to Hard Austri to cover up the truth.
How did it go again? She seemed to have a one-sided crush on Reysir, and during the Demon Realm Conquest, she took the hit from the Boss Mob in Reysir’s place and died, didn’t she?
In short, Vigdis is deeply connected to the original Karvald Austri’s death.
So I’d really prefer not to make her resent me if I can help it.