༺ Quick-witted Reversal Club (2) ༻
Louise, impeached and then re-elected by her club members, found herself in a cycle of repeated impeachments and reinstatements since then. The reasons were trivial: the weather was nice, the taste of the cookies was subpar, there were too many bread crumbs, or because the snacks turned out fine that day. Just things like that.
Thus, within just two weeks of the new term, Louise set a remarkable record of being re-elected as the leader of the pastry club seven times. And now, her seventh impeachment and eighth election was already scheduled for tomorrow. At this rate, it seemed like a daily quest.
Changing the leader meant having to rewrite the club’s member list, which was a tedious task. But I’ve let it be since it had been Louise from the 1st to the current leadership. It was just the playful antics of teenagers, so there was no real need to intervene.
“The club members’ friendship has grown stronger, which warms my heart as their advisor.”
Observing the friendship blossoming through those pranks wasn’t too bad.
It was a bit unusual, but what was wrong with that? A silly friendship among six was better than five in a love rivalry targeting one.
“It seems everyone is approaching this new term with a fresh mindset.”
Sir Villar nodded in agreement.
If the club members engaged in a love rivalry and harbored grudges, things could escalate. Imagine the chaos if princes, heirs to thrones, and saint candidates started hating each other.
That would be a complete mess, and inevitably, those below get blamed for not managing the situation properly. Unfortunately, those ‘below’ referred to Sir Villar and me.
So the current situation, where the five idiots have given up their love, was better. It at least spared us from becoming casualties in the emotional crossfire of those above us.
“I’m curious to see how they’ll surprise us next.”
“I agree. I’m already looking forward to next year.”
While the conversation was light-hearted, the underlying sentiment was not.
‘It’s still too much.’
With Louise rejecting everyone, the romance in this fantasy romance had disappeared. I even harbored a slight hope that they might leave the academy.
Their early departure would be a nice surprise, so I casually brought it up.
But Sir Villar’s response, ‘See for yourself next year,’ dismissed the possibility of an early return. I expected as much, but it was still disappointing.
‘They didn’t come for Louise, after all.’
While it was true that the power of the original story brought the club members to the academy, this place wasn’t only the setting of a story but also a world where real people lived.
Would royalty or individuals of such high status really come to the academy just to see Louise, whom they don’t know by face, name, or existence? Although I don’t know their exact reasons, each of them must have had their own reasons for coming to the academy, where they happened to meet Louise.
So, there was no reason for them to leave just because they were rejected by Louise. It was never about seeing Louise in the first place. Plus, leaving now would practically tag them with the label ‘Fled after being rejected by a girl’.
‘Do I really have to watch over them until graduation?’
Still, let’s think positively. Given the current atmosphere, there shouldn’t be any horrific events like a dreaded second part after graduation.
Let’s just endure it with our eyes closed. From now on, there won’t be any trollish behaviors to impress Louise, nor will we have to watch the frustrating sight of the five of them in a standstill, constantly checking each other.
Sir Villar seemed to share my thoughts, nodding resolutely as our eyes met. Let’s stay strong together.
***
Should I drop out?
That was the conclusion I reached after much thought. The urge to withdraw was overwhelming.
‘What in the world is happening?’
A bitter laugh escaped me. What were the odds of things turning out this way? I at least knew that an ordinary person would likely never experience this in their lifetime.
The probability of falling in love at the academy was high. The chance of having four competitors was also reasonably high, and the likelihood that all these competitors were of higher status than me wasn’t insignificant. The chance that all five of us, including me, got rejected simultaneously wasn’t impossible.
But the chances that the person I liked would have feelings for hyung were exceedingly slim, almost zero.
‘And yet, it happened.’
But that near-zero probability came true. If I knew this was going to happen, I would have bought land instead. There might have been a gold mine there, which seemed just as likely.
It was an indescribable feeling. Just because I liked someone didn’t mean they had to like me back. I was prepared for the tough competition.
I was ready to accept the disappointment and sadness if Louise rejected me. After all, she was also a precious friend. At least, that was what I thought.
But the involvement of hyung was something I never anticipated or prepared for. If anyone foresaw this, I’d question their sanity.
“How complicated…”
I muttered to myself in frustration. No one was listening anyway, so it didn’t matter if I cursed.
At first, I thought it was a surprise party. That was how shocking and disorienting the situation was. I had no idea how to act moving forward, face Louise, or deal with hyung.
It would’ve been fine if it were someone other than hyung. I’ve let go of my feelings, so I could happily congratulate Louise, no matter who she chose.
I’ll be in the bizarre situation of having my first love as a sister-in-law if Louise ended up with my brother. Moreover, it would create an awkward situation for both Louise and hyung. How would we even breathe in such an uncomfortable environment?
‘Hyung doesn’t seem to be aware of it.’
Hyung, who only recently started getting close to Lady Marghetta after drawing a line with her, probably had no idea about Louise’s feelings.
I sighed involuntarily. If he had deliberately charmed Louise, I might have been angry enough to confront him.
But I know that wasn’t the case. Hyung was unaware of Louise’s feelings and even hoped things would work out between her and me. He even helped me a lot.
So how could I blame him? Hyung tried to help me, but I failed due to my own shortcomings. That was all there was to it.
‘It’ll work out somehow.’
Dwelling on it wouldn’t provide answers, so I stopped thinking about it. Yeah, it’d work out.
After all, it wasn’t certain that Louise and hyung would end up together. I would just embarrass myself If I worried too much and nothing happened.
…But I shouldn’t forget to carry the withdrawal form with me just in case I have to rush to the main building and submit it.
‘Am I becoming like hyung?’
Both brothers entering official positions at seventeen. The Krasius family was truly a family of loyal subjects.
Haha, damn it.
I should just get some sleep.
***
It had been a long time since I’ve used my communication crystal for personal use instead of work.
“I’ve been eating the food you gave me regularly.”
— Good, make sure you keep it up.
It felt even more unfamiliar because I was calling Mother directly for the first time. Until now, I would contact the head butler or the head maid whenever there was something to discuss with the family. Bypassing them and calling Mother directly was a new experience for me.
Despite hesitating for a moment due to this strange awkwardness, I had promised Mother I would contact her more often, so I made the call. It wasn’t a big deal, but breaking even such a small promise didn’t sit right with me.
I was a bit surprised when she answered almost immediately after I called.
— The heat is subsiding, but you should still take care.
“I will keep that in mind.”
— I heard it’s easy to catch a cold if the temperature suddenly changes.
“Yes, I understand.”
Anyway, Mother kept talking non-stop, filled with concern and inquiries about my well-being.
Be careful about this, be careful about that, watch out for this, and watch out for that.
‘Where am I exactly?’
I felt confused while listening to Mother’s warnings. Was I working in hell? Why were there so many things I should be careful about?
Well, to be honest, it almost felt like hell, but this was still a little too much.
— Do you understand?
“Yes, I understand. Thank you for your concern.”
Still, I listened silently, respecting Mother’s concern. Let’s think of it differently. Maybe she was catching up on several years’ worth of calls in one go. Well, I brought this upon myself.
— How is Erich doing?
Mother continued talking and then brought up Erich. Why was she asking me about Erich?
That son of a bitch. Did he not contact Mother?
‘It wouldn’t be surprising.’
I was about to get angry at Erich’s undutifulness, but then I remembered his situation and calmed down.
Erich was probably not in the mood to talk to anyone right now. Maybe he would to the other club members who shared the same sorrows as he did, but he wouldn’t think to contact our mother.
He may seem unaffected, laughing off his rejection, but who knew what he was really feeling inside? He might be falling apart internally while maintaining a facade.
‘Should I tell her?’
I seriously considered whether I should tell her about Erich being rejected.
During the vacation, Mother hoped he would find someone suitable at the academy. It was only natural that she would be curious about her son’s romantic life.
At that time, I couldn’t bring myself to say, ‘Erich has someone he likes, but he’s the weakest among the competitors.’ But now, he had become a comrade rejected simultaneously instead of a competitor.
“Well, Mother.”
I cautiously started speaking after much deliberation.
This was Erich’s private life, after all. Mother didn’t need to know unless Erich himself spoke up.
However, if Mother, unaware of anything, asked Erich about his love life, it would be like rubbing salt in his wounds. Of course, keeping a secret came with its own responsibilities, but it seemed too cruel to let Erich’s first heartbreak be exposed by our mother.
“You see…”
Of course, I’d have to ask her not to show any signs of knowing it in front of Erich.
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