Bang… Bang…!!
Beneath a clear autumn sky, colorful smoke shot skyward as our makeshift “fireworks” exploded with loud booms. This was a collaborative effort by me, Cecil Glo Alphasta, my fiancée Bertia, and Nert, a reclusive research enthusiast.
“Everyone, come together! The Halm Academy Cultural Festival is finally happening!” Bertia, my enthusiastic fiancée, exclaimed from the makeshift stage, surrounded by a group of students. Beside her stood my brother, Shaun.
“As President of the Halm Academy Middle School Student Council, I, Shaun Turquoise Alphasta, declare the opening of the first Halm Academy Middle School Cultural Festival!” Shaun announced, his voice filled with nervous excitement.
“… It’s only been about two months since Miss Eirin’s incident, but it feels so peaceful,” I murmured, unable to stop myself from smiling as I watched Bertia beam with joy.
Her smile appeared calm on the surface.
Yet, deep within Bertia’s heart, a small knot of unresolved issues remained. Nevertheless, life continued to move forward unchanged.
“Since I’ve been invited, I might as well enjoy the cultural festival,” I said with a grin, glancing at Zeno beside me. He was not only my attendant but also a contracted spirit.
“So, you’re excited to enjoy it too because Miss Bertia is, huh?” Zeno teased.
With a smile still in place, I quietly stepped on his foot. Then, after a long time, we walked onto the grounds of the Middle School.
✦ ✦ ✦
Bertia Ibil Noches, Marquise Noches—fifteen years old and about to turn sixteen. At the tender age of only eight years old, she was engaged to me, the Crown Prince of Alphasta.
From our very first meeting, she proclaimed herself to be the “villainess of an otome game.” Since then, she has vowed to become “a top-tier villainess,” entertaining me with her intriguing actions and words. Initially, I was skeptical about these “future scenarios” she mentioned. However, as I indulged her stories—simply because they were enjoyable—I started to wonder if there might be some truth to her claims.
… Well, what matters most to me is whether or not it’s interesting. Honestly, even if it turns out to be different, I don’t really mind.
I casually observed the bustling middle school students around the academy. The “Cultural Festival” was Bertia’s idea, created “to make lots of memories.” She had been energetically preparing for several months, and today, it was finally taking place.
Immediately following the opening declaration, the student council members organizing the festival appeared to be occupied, leaving Bertia with little time to spend with me. Hesitantly, I opted to meander around aimlessly, when Joanna, Shaun’s fiancée, came up to me.
“Oh, Prince Cecil. I figured you’d be here too.”
Like me, she is a second-year high school student, likely visiting middle school to watch her fiancé Shaun, the student council president, in action.
“We both appear to have some time to kill until our partners are available,” she said with a wry smile, possibly because I looked undeniably bored.
Joanna, the daughter of the Celtswarren Duchess, is also Bertia’s friend. She admires Bertia, supports her from the shadows, and occasionally offers guidance—a truly helpful woman. Additionally, she leads the informal “Bertia Fan Club,” organizing its activities.
“Is it okay if I join you for a bit?” Joanna inquired with a soft smile, stepping closer and quickly surveying the area. Afterward, lowering her voice but keeping her smile intact, she said, “Since we both have some free time, could I provide you with an additional report regarding the incident with Viscountess Eirin Silbertz?”
“Oh, of course, that works. It’s best to address the difficult topics first so we can both enjoy our meeting at ease,” I replied with a smile. If someone couldn’t hear us, it would appear that we were simply engaged in a friendly conversation.
We started walking slowly through the academy.
In the past, Viscountess Eirin had posed as Baroness Heronia Inderon and harassed Bertia. At the same time, the real Baroness Heronia was another girl who often argued with Bertia.
Bertia stated that Baroness Heronia serves as the leading heroine of the “otome game.” The Baroness appears to have recognized her role, behaving as though she is following a script from the “otome game,” and is attempting to embody the tragic heroine while portraying Bertia, the “villainess,” as the antagonist.
Bertia took on the role of a villainess, anticipating a dramatic end to our engagement initiated by me. However, her inherent honesty and kindness caused her to falter in this role nearly every time.
Naturally, neither I nor anyone in our circle has been persuaded by the falsehoods disseminated by Baroness Heronia, and we certainly reject any actions that depict Bertia as the antagonist.
The only real complication is that Baroness Heronia has entered into a contract with a light spirit. She might not even be aware of it herself. Nevertheless, this light spirit has been assisting her by acting in her favor.
I have Zeno, a high-level spirit with the blood of the Spirit King, while Bertia has Kuro.
Kuro, an elite dark spirit specializing in defense, often appears as a black fox or a youthful maid. Alongside Bertia, she crafted earrings that grant dark attribute defensive powers. When worn, these magical earrings protect her from the effects of the light spirit.
Both Bertia and I, along with my future aides and Bertia’s friends, wear the earrings for protection. In our everyday school lives, Baroness Heronia Inderon consistently attempts to portray Bertia as a villain in public. Her animosity toward Bertia has become widely recognized, and recently, someone even tried to exploit that to launch an attack on her.
The true culprit, Viscountess Eirin Silbertz, wore a pink-blond wig to match the Baroness’s hair color and, after tormenting Bertia, eventually pushed her down the stairs.
“Miss Eirin’s actions were rather sinister, prompting the judiciary to intervene. Consequently, she was expelled from the academy. Disowned by her viscount family, she is currently in jail awaiting further investigation into her other crimes,” Joanna explained.
I listened closely to Joanna’s report and nodded. “Well, that seems about right. Simple pranks are one thing, but pushing someone down the stairs is clearly going too far.”
Viscountess Eirin developed a crush on a boy who, after becoming flustered talking to Bertia, stirred her jealousy and anger, prompting her to push Bertia down the stairs.
Saying, “Sorry, I just couldn’t stand that he was a fan of yours,” was hardly an excuse that could resolve everything. If it hadn’t been for Kuro, Bertia could have been seriously injured, or worse, she might have died.
“Is it going to take much longer to investigate her other crimes?” I asked Joanna.
“The more we investigate, the more dirt we uncover,” she replied.
“Hmm. It looks like she accomplished quite a bit while I was gone.”
In the spring and summer of my second year in high school, I took a study trip to a nearby country. During this period, it appears that Viscountess Eirin engaged in multiple acts of harassment toward Bertia.
As a precaution, I had assigned someone to keep an eye on Bertia while I was away.
The report from the “errand runner” I assigned was also submitted as evidence. Normally, there wouldn’t be much to investigate. However, the discovery of additional crimes suggests that the harassment was more extensive than my capable overseer could fully comprehend.
Joanna said in an exasperated tone, “It seems she spent most of her breaks engaging in harassment. The major offenses are already known, but there appear to be a multitude of smaller, unnoticed harassments. Due to the sheer number, while it’s clear they occurred, verifying each fact is taking time.”
“I understand. Well, as long as she’s in jail, she can’t harm Bertia. For now, it’s enough that she’s out of our sight,” I replied. Viscountess Eirin will certainly face punishment. Now, it’s just a matter of compiling her lesser crimes to determine how much more to add to her sentence.