The hallway before morning homeroom always thrummed with the chatter of noble daughters. The rustle of dress hems sweeping stone floors, the distant toll of chapel bells, the morning air drifting from the rose gardens—the mornings at the Royal Academy Lycée de Roselia were always somehow like a painting, perfectly composed. Perfectly composed, that is. "[excited]Vanessa-sama———!!" An impact struck her arm. A tight grip. Both hands. Full force. Kisaragi Hina froze in the middle of the hallway. Clinging to her left arm was a girl with chestnut hair swaying softly—Kanon. Her bright brown eyes sparkled, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. Today, as always, her face radiated pure energy. (…Why is this kid always so energetic?) "[excited]I'm so happy we can go to school together again today! Vanessa-sama is as beautiful as ever!" Her voice was loud. It echoed down the hallway. Three passing noble daughters stopped in their tracks. Their gazes bounced between Hina and Kanon. Whispers drifted over. "[whispers]The De Croire daughter is… close with the heroine?" "[whispers]Her atmosphere's changed lately, hasn't it?" (Ugh—so noisy, so noisy, so noisy!! I can hear every word!!) While maintaining Vanessa's perfectly expressionless face, Hina was screaming internally. A week had passed since the new semester began. Hina's "Operation: Avoid All Capture Targets" had spectacularly collapsed. The root cause was this grinning girl beside her. Kanon had walked around the entire academy proclaiming "Vanessa-sama is my benefactor!" and somehow, all the affection events that were supposed to go to the heroine were hitting Hina instead. (According to the game's scenario, Kanon was supposed to be the one everyone liked… so why is everyone liking me!?) "[gentle]…Kanon. Release my arm. People are watching." "[excited]Yes! My apologies, Vanessa-sama!" Kanon let go immediately and gave a small bow. She showed no sign of anger—if anything, she was smiling happily. Why did this girl keep clinging to Hina no matter how cold she was to her? The noble daughters' gazes were still fixed on them. Hina quietly looked away and started walking. 　　　＊ Lunch break. The Grand Library Bibliothèque—a four-story building housing the royal academy's eighty thousand volumes—was quiet even in the middle of the day. Polished wooden floors, high ceilings, soft light streaming through windows. The faint scent of old books hung in the air. Hina liked coming here. It was one of the few places Kanon didn't follow her. (I need to organize the game's progress. At this rate, I won't know where the scenario is heading.) The book she wanted was in the magical theory section. It was a foundational text on prism control—it should give her hints on how to handle the vast magical power sleeping in Vanessa's body. The problem was that the book was on the highest shelf. (…Too high.) Hina dragged over a stepladder. She lifted her dress hem slightly and carefully climbed up one step, then another. Her hand reached the book's spine. Just a little more— Her foot slipped. She'd stepped on her own dress hem. Her center of gravity tilted forward. The stepladder tilted. This is bad, I'm falling— An arm extended from behind her. It caught her body firmly, securely. A moment of silence. (…Huh?) She turned slowly, and deep sapphire eyes were right there. Silver hair, perfectly straight posture, a small glimmering earring on his right ear. Alphonse Lucien. (This!! This event!! The scene where Alphonse catches the heroine falling from the stepladder in the library, the affection level 2 unlock event!! That's supposed to be Kanon's scene!! Why am I doing it!!) Seven layers of alarms blared in her mind. "I-I'm sorry!" Hina spoke as she pulled away from Alphonse. Her face was hot. Why was it hot? Calm down, self. "[serious]This was an accident! An accident! The stepladder was old, my foot just slipped!" Alphonse watched her quietly. His expression barely moved, as always. After a brief pause, he spoke. "[gentle]Accidents don't matter." His voice was low and calm. "[gentle]If you're about to fall again, fall in front of me." Her heartbeat pounded. Something deep in her chest resonated loudly once. (Why would you say that so casually!! That's a line you're supposed to say to Kanon in the game!! Why are you saying it to me!! And why is my chest—) While her internal commentary was piling up, Alphonse took the book from the shelf and handed it to Hina. It was the magical theory text she'd been looking for. With just that, he turned and left without another word. Hina stared at his retreating back, frozen in place. Her cheeks still hadn't cooled. (…This is bad. This feels really bad. This is definitely bad.) 　　　＊ The afternoon magical practice class was held in the practice building, separate from the main campus. The classroom floor was stone, with a high ceiling. It was designed to minimize damage if magic went haywire. Magical absorption panels lined the walls, and the windows were thick glass reinforced with iron bars. Hina stood in the middle of that classroom. The instructor—a middle-aged woman in a white coat who taught magical practice, Professor Chevalier—stood at the front. "[serious]Now, let's confirm basic incantations. Starting with wind attribute, each of you will manifest a prism." Prism. The magical power within one's body in this world. It was activated by combining incantations with hand seals. Only about fifteen percent of the population could handle it, but Vanessa, bearing the blood of the De Croire ducal family, apparently had a considerable amount dormant within her. The problem was that Hina had no idea how to control it. (How much force should I use… to suppress it while releasing it? The game barely had scenes of Vanessa using magic…) Her classmates took turns casting incantations around her. Small winds rose, leaves rustled—gentle magic. It was Hina's turn. She spoke the incantation while forming the hand seal. She tried to draw out the prism. Searching for the right amount— SPLASH!!! Water exploded outward. She'd intended wind attribute, but water attribute prism burst out explosively. A water column shot toward the ceiling like a fountain, then spread in all directions. The instructor screamed. Classmates shouted. Desks got soaked. Windows shook. One second later, the entire classroom was flooded. Silence fell. Every drenched instructor and classmate stared at Hina. "I-I'm so sorry…!" Just as Hina, her face pale, was about to apologize, the back door of the classroom slowly opened. A young man in a knight's uniform appeared. He was slightly taller than Hina, with broad shoulders. Short, neatly trimmed black hair, straight brows, sincere eyes. A silver badge engraved with the knight's insignia gleamed on his chest. "[surprised]Impressive." His voice alone echoed through the silence. Everyone turned around. "[serious]There are not many people in this academy with such a quantity of prism." The young man—Claude—surveyed the flooded classroom with a serious expression, speaking with genuine admiration. (It's not impressive at all!! I flooded the classroom!! Why am I being praised!!) Hina's inner voice screamed silently while her classmates' eyes bounced back and forth between Claude and her. Professor Chevalier managed to say, "Class is… dismissed." 　　　＊ In the hallway, Claude was waiting. Hina was slightly surprised. He'd actually waited for her outside. "[serious]Forgive my sudden rudeness, Miss De Croire." His bow was crisp and fluid. A knight's courtesy, without wasted motion. "[serious]Would you allow me to serve as your escort?" It was direct. "[serious]Someone with magical power of that magnitude should not be without proper protection—it would be a loss to the kingdom." He said it with a straight face. He meant it. He genuinely believed what he was saying. (Claude is supposed to be Kanon's escort character in the game! The scene where Claude protects Kanon from danger, that's the starting point of the devotion route! Why is he coming to me!!) Game knowledge raced through her mind, but no response came. As Hina froze, Claude continued as if to clarify. "[gentle]You need not agree if you're unwilling. But—if you find yourself in danger, please call for me." With just that, Claude bowed once more and left. Left alone in the hallway, Hina couldn't move for a while. (…All three of Kanon's route characters are raising their affection toward me. What does this mean?) 　　　＊ Night. At the top floor of the girls' dormitory Pavillon Lys—the building known as the Lily House—was Vanessa's private room. A canopied bed, a spacious window, and from the balcony, the distant spires of the royal palace were visible. When the servants were gone, this was one of the few places Hina could relax. Hina sat at her desk, her quill moving across paper. She wrote in bullet points on white parchment. —Kanon's events → all coming to me —Alphonse's catching scene → already taken —Claude's escort offer → already taken As she listed them, Hina held her head. (The game's scenario is already deviating beyond recovery…) The quill stopped. Alphonse's voice echoed in her mind. —If you're about to fall again, fall in front of me. A quiet, low voice, spoken as if it were the most natural thing. That fluttering sensation in her chest returned, seeping back in like before. (Could this possibly be…) She set down the pen. Covered her face with both hands. (A villainess falling in love with a capture target—that's complete scenario collapse!! What am I doing!! To a game character!! To someone whose entire setting I know!!) She pulled a pillow over her face and thrashed. Emotionally thrashed. A deep breath. (…Calm down. Calm yourself, Kisaragi Hina. This isn't the time for romance. Preventing Vanessa's destruction ending is the priority. From tomorrow on, I'll act to lower affection. That's all I need to think about.) She told herself that. At that moment. A white envelope slid under the door. Hina went still. She slowly rose from her chair and picked up the envelope. The same white envelope as before, no sender's name. She opened it. Inside was a single sheet of paper. The same careful handwriting. But this time there were two lines. —On the night of the ball, everything will be decided. —You still know nothing. Hina held the envelope, unmoving for a long time. The ball. The masquerade held on the night of the Star Light Festival in the game's final chapter, perhaps. All the capture routes reached their conclusion there. Vanessa's exile happened that night too. (Everything will be decided… what does that mean? That the ending will be the same as the game? Or…) She looked out the window. Blancheur spread out in the night. The palace spires' lights glowed in the distance. From somewhere, the scent of roses drifted on the wind. Her grip on the letter tightened slightly. (Who sent this? What's their purpose? What is it that I still don't know?) She understood nothing. The affection was rising from three directions simultaneously. Her plan to lower it starting tomorrow wavered with this single letter. The cold gazes the surrounding noble daughters had cast in the hallway this morning flickered through her mind. Those eyes were slightly different from before. The quiet night deepened.