In a room filled with silence, Evan heaved a sigh as he sat.
"Why don't you want to climb higher?"
Yuni's words echoed in his mind.
She had sought him out while he was training.
But Evan, uninterested in power, had immediately declined her offer.
At his response, Yuni chuckled.
"Oh, do you think the student council offers just power? How naive,"
She teased.
"From observing you, it seems you crave strength. With the student council, you gain not just power, but also influence and resources."
Evan was skeptical.
What was she up to?
"All I need is your name,"
Yuni admitted.
"To defeat Rudy Astria, I need various tools. I don't need anything else from you."
Hearing this, Evan nodded, but considering the current situation, he began to regret it.
"I'm, I'm sorry,"
Diark apologized, lowering his head, while Yuni sighed deeply beside him.
From the start, Evan had believed that uniting nobles and commoners was a flawed idea.
Neither the emperor, the Astria family, nor even the rebels had managed it.
How could a young princess like Yuni achieve such a feat?
Especially against an opponent like Rudy Astria, who was no pushover.
Perhaps it would have been better to firmly side with either the nobles or the commoners, emphasizing one over the other.
As a princess with two top seats in the student council, they had a lot to show off.
It could only be said that Yuni hadn't thought things through.
Even if they had secured votes through deception or favoritism, maintaining continuous support would have been difficult.
A student council without the students' backing is nothing but a figurehead.
The academy depended heavily on student cooperation.
Most of the student council's tasks were carried out with their help.
And the students did so with a deep-rooted trust in their chosen candidates, believing that supporting them would enhance their academy life.
Once the student council loses that trust, its downfall was only a matter of time.
"It can't be helped now. What's done is done,"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Yuni shrugged, without any visible anger.
"I've got some studying to do. I'll be on my way."
She waved and swiftly left the room, leaving everyone around visibly confused.
Due to Diark's blunder, the academy's opinion was swaying.
Though the final outcome was yet to be determined, their side was clearly on the losing end.
Comparing Rudy's scandal-free council to Yuni's controversy-ridden one, the victor seemed clear.
Yet, Yuni's expression remained unchanged, and she showed no signs of strategizing a countermove.
It was confusing.
Evan rose from his seat, speaking up.
“Let’s disband for today. There's nothing we can do right now.”
The student council members around nodded in agreement.
The next day.
“I'm resigning as student council president.”
Yuni stated this without any noticeable change in her expression.
“What... What are you talking about...?”
Diark was so taken aback he couldn't continue.
“We lost anyway, didn't we? We can't suddenly change our strategy now.”
"Do you really think that makes sense?"
Evan, unable to contain his anger, blurted out,
“Everyone here gathered to make you the student council president.”
“You probably gathered out of desire for the student council's privileges rather than truly wanting me as president.”
Yuni's face contorted in a frown.
“Yes, maybe some were drawn to the privileges. But the main goal was to make you the president, regardless of the reasons,”
Evan’s voice was filled with frustration, but Yuni looked as if she couldn’t understand.
“So, who ruined our plan? Is it my fault?”
Stunned, Diark looked at her, not knowing how to respond.
“I don’t understand why you're all angry with me,”
“Wasn't your goal to become the student council president? Can you give up on that so easily?”
“My goal wasn't to be the student council president.”
“...What?”
The surrounding people started murmuring.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})“My goal was to get Rudy Astria on my side. If Rudy had agreed to support me, I was prepared to resign,”
Evan looked at her in disbelief,
“Then you should’ve joined Rudy’s student council. Why did you even attempt to create one?”
Yuni, still frowning, opened her mouth,
“Then I'd have to work under my sister.”
It was truly a childish reason.
“Let's stop...”
Evan gave up trying to reason with her.
Arguing would change nothing.
Motivating someone without the drive was harder than anything else.
“I’m leaving,”
Evan declared, his face red with anger, and stormed out.
Yuni watched Evan’s exit with a puzzled expression, then relaxed and smiled.
“So, I’ll resign. Any objections?”
“...She resigned?”
I looked at Kuhn in disbelief.
“Yes, that's what I heard. Professor Mcguire asked me to relay the message.”
“Well, that sounds like something she’d do.”
Rie commented nonchalantly.
I couldn’t wrap my head around it.
Does all this drama just end like that?
Seeing my confusion, Rie began to explain.
“She told you from the start. She wasn’t after the student council presidency. You were her primary target.”
“To... date me?”
“She probably wanted something out of dating you.”
Rie shrugged.
I doubted she had genuine feelings for me.
But if she didn't like me, then what had she hoped to gain from this?
I was curious.
Turning to Rie, I asked,
“Do you know where Yuni is right now?”
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})“You want to confront her directly? You might just get even more upset.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Yuni, she’s still a child. She knows nothing of the real world.”
A child...?
“Still, I want to talk. Can you tell me where she is?”
With the information Rie provided, I headed to Yuni’s location.
It turned out to be her room.
Knock, knock.
“Yuni, are you in there?”
A faint sound echoed from within, and soon the door opened, revealing Yuni in her pajamas.
“What a surprise. To what do I owe this visit at such an hour?”
“...Your attire.”
“Oh, it’s fine since it's you. What brings you here?”
What did she mean, 'since it's me'? I was taken aback, but I quickly steered the conversation back on track.
“I wanted to talk about your resignation from the student council presidency.”
“Oh, that?”
She opened the door wider.
“Shall we sit and talk?”
Without hesitation, I stepped inside.
“What would you like to drink? Coffee? Tea?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
I found it weird to see her so cheerful.
She had confidently declared her intentions, and yet she lost to both Rie and me.
Of course, since she willingly resigned, she might not feel too down about it.
But I expected at least a little bit of emotion.
Yet here she was, welcoming me with such brightness.
“In that case, just some coffee.”
Calling over a servant, she ordered,
“Two cups of coffee, please.”
While waiting, my eyes wandered around her room.
A pink-frilled bed, a teddy bear on the side, and books scattered all over her desk which indicated her dedication to her studies.
But something caught my eye.
“Is this a portrait?”
A frame about the size of my arm displayed a picture of the Emperor, Rie, and Yuni, all smiling together.
“Oh, it’s a portrait drawn using magic.”
Yuni, holding two cups of coffee, walked over.
“Weren't you on bad terms with Rie?”
"... Well, somewhat."
Yuni looked uneasy for a moment, but her expression relaxed as she replied,
"You said you had something you wanted to ask?"
“Yes, why did you resign?”
With a playful pout, Yuni teased,
"I thought you came to console me."
When I didn't respond and just looked at her, Yuni sighed,
“It was a battle I couldn't win, wasn’t it?”
"You don't know until you try. There's a difference between losing a battle and running away without trying."
“Well, that's true. But for me, it wasn’t about the battle or its outcome.”
“Did you genuinely think I'd date you?”
“If I was overwhelmingly winning, I thought you might.”
Now I understood what Rie had meant.
Yuni really was just a child.
“What would you have done if we didn't turn the tables, and I hadn't asked for your help?”
“I would have still resigned. Being the student council president is tough. And I hate anything that’s hard.”
It was a battle where she'd win, no matter the outcome.
The effort I made to defeat her felt pointless, and I started to get frustrated.
What about the people who worried and supported me?
What about those who supported her?
Were they fighting a losing battle from the start?
It wasn't even a battle.
Yuni never intended to fight in the first place.
Everyone involved in this election was just toys in Yuni's game.
“You’re insufferable.”
I felt an urge to set her straight.
“Let’s make a bet. If you win, I'll date you.”
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