Yesterday, Marianne's whispered words to Hina's back in the hallway were still spinning in her mind. ——That person... lately she's just pretending to be Vanessa-sama. What if she's actually someone else entirely? (It's a coincidence. Definitely a coincidence. But...) As the carriage approached the white spires of the Royal Academy Lycée de Roselia during the morning commute, Hina thrust her hand into her bag searching for her magical theory notebook. ——It's not there. She turned everything inside out. Still not there. (I definitely put it in yesterday. I did, right? I must have...) When the carriage passed through the academy gates, an unpleasant premonition began spreading through Hina's chest. 　　　＊ Fifteen minutes into the morning magical theory lecture, Hina reviewed her handout three times before finally becoming certain. Something was wrong. The description of Prisma resonance—the source of magical power dwelling within the body—contained the same errors as last year's outdated version. She remembered it because she'd read through Leon's route in the game dozens of times. This phase transformation formula had the numerator and denominator reversed. If she took the class based on this, she'd fail every question on the exam. (But if I correct it, I'll stand out. I don't want to stand out. I swore I'd become a stone...) The moment the professor said "Now let's solve some problems," a piece of paper slid smoothly across from the seat beside her. Looking at it, she saw the formula in her handout marked carefully in red, with the correct equation written beside it. No signature. But from the handwriting, it wasn't the plain-looking young lady next to her. (Who...?) When she looked up, she saw Marianne walking past the hallway window. Noticing her gaze, Marianne glanced over. She smiled. That smile was chillingly beautiful. 　　　＊ That afternoon, Hina headed to the Grand Library Bibliothèque for another matter. She passed beside the white roses in the courtyard and pushed open the heavy stone doors. Elsa the librarian stood at the entrance. A thin woman in her fifties with sharp eyes behind her glasses. "[gentle]Can I use the east corridor on the third floor as usual?" "[serious]...The situation has changed somewhat today," Elsa made a subtle expression and pointed upward. Hina climbed to the third floor and walked toward the east end, but her feet stopped. The corridor... was gone. It had become a wall. More precisely, a wall made of stacked books—from floor to ceiling—completely blocked the passage. Ancient magical theory texts, bundles of parchment, stone tablet documents that looked impossibly heavy—all stacked meticulously and densely. "[surprised]What... what is this?" A face emerged smoothly from the gaps in the stack. Short hair in two tones—lavender and white. Eyes of different colors on each side—silver on the left, gold on the right. A young man with odd eyes stared at her with a completely emotionless face. A thin magical rune earring hung from his left ear, and magical rings glowed on multiple fingers of both hands. "[cold]This is my research area. Don't pass through," (Like I would know that!! This is a public library!?) Hina wanted to shout internally, and was about to say "Sorry, I'm just passing through"—when her eyes stopped. One book at the very top of the pile. The title on its spine. *Ancient Hexagram Phase Transformation Theory—Restoration and Verification* She'd seen that book title dozens of times in Leon's route in the game. And the mathematical formula written on the topmost page of the notebook Leon had spread open—Hina could see it from a distance. (Wait, that formula...) Her mouth moved. She couldn't stop it. "[serious]Um, the phase transformation equation on page five... isn't the third term of the simultaneous equation wrong?" The space beyond the book wall went still. Complete silence. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. Slowly, his face lifted. In those odd eyes, something ignited like a flame. "[surprised]...Do you actually understand where this theory is wrong?" (I said it!! I messed up!! My mouth ran away again!!) Before Hina could say "Oh, no, I mean," the wall of books began collapsing with a rumble. Leon emerged from inside the wall carrying books, pulled out a chair from somewhere, and placed it on the floor. "[serious]Sit. Explain in detail," "B-but I have something to do—" "This is more important," He stated it as fact. Before she knew it, Hina was sitting. Leon spread out notebook after notebook, firing questions in rapid succession: "Do you understand this too?" "What about this?" "Then what's the meaning of this part?" Her game knowledge provided answers automatically. Her mouth wouldn't stop. One hour later. "[sad]...Why am I being held captive in the library?" She muttered it to the ceiling, and Leon glanced over while his pen continued moving. His expression—subtle, just slightly—looked amused. The character who barely changed expressions in the game was now, unmistakably, looking happy. (Ah. This character is real.) Hina felt a strange sensation and smiled wryly. 　　　＊ The next day at lunch. When Hina entered the great dining hall, she sat by the window with Canon. Canon was a transfer student from a baron's family, naturally friendly and easy to talk to. A comforting presence. "[gentle]Today's fish dish looks delicious!" Watching Canon arrange her tray happily, Hina felt her tension ease slightly. In that moment, the chair beside her scraped against the floor. "[serious]Continuing from yesterday. I found an alternative solution. Look at this," Leon sat down beside Hina as naturally as anything, carrying a towering stack of books and his meal tray in both hands. (What!! He came all the way to the dining hall!?) "Wait, Leon-san—" Before Hina could finish speaking, the chair on the opposite side was quietly pulled out. Silver straight hair caught the sunlight. Deep sapphire eyes glanced toward Leon for just a moment—then, without a word, Alphonse sat down across from her. (Huh?) (Wait a second.) (Leon on the left. Alphonse on the right. This is...) (This is what they call a love triangle situation, isn't it!?) Hina's face stiffened slightly. Leon spread out his research notebook and started talking: "About the seventh formula in phase transformation..." Alphonse began eating quietly while asking: "Your report yesterday—the professor said it contained an independent solution. Where did you learn that?" Both at the same time. Hina turned right to answer Alphonse, but Leon said from the left "Are you listening?" so she turned left, then Alphonse asked from the right "What comes next?" so she turned right—her head was moving like a metronome. "[laughing]You all seem so close!" Canon said it with a beaming smile from across the table. (We're not close!! I'm just being crushed by gravity!!) Hina wanted to scream internally, but kept a smile on her face. At that moment, Leon glanced toward Alphonse. Alphonse glanced toward Leon. Their gazes crossed over Hina's head. Alphonse's eyebrow—just 0.1 millimeters—twitched. (Huh. Did this person just make a slightly displeased face? Am I imagining things? Please let me be imagining things!!) Something small thudded in Hina's chest. She decided not to think about what it was. 　　　＊ Night. In her room in the girls' dormitory Pavillon Lys, Hina had spread out her game progress notes on her desk. She was rewriting the route to the destruction ending in detail, thinking through avoidance strategies. Eventually her head grew heavy—and she realized she'd collapsed onto the desk. The scenery in her dream was familiar. A white corridor. The long hallway of the Croire Duke's mansion. A small girl stood before a door. A white dress. Fluffy curled hair. Still only six or seven years old. Staring intently at the door. The door opened and a physician emerged. Shaking his head. Father Gilbert said one thing—"I see"—and left. That was all. He didn't even look back. The corridor fell silent. Young Vanessa pushed the door open alone and entered her mother's room. A white face lying on a white bed. Vanessa placed her small hand over her mother's. No sound came out. Only trembling. From down the corridor, servants' voices could be heard. "Poor thing." But no one entered the room. Hina watched as an observer. Yet her chest ached. The scene changed. An older Vanessa stood before a mirror. Looking at her own face, she practiced smiling. Collapsing it, then making it again. Collapsing, then making it again. Repeatedly practicing a perfect, mask-like smile. Then—a voice was heard. Vanessa's mouth wasn't moving. But it was definitely audible, in a small girl's voice. "All I wanted was... to be loved by someone." Hina froze in the dream. Those words pierced straight through the center of her chest. When she woke, something cold was running down her cheeks. Hina stared at the notes on her desk. Destruction ending avoidance strategies. Conquest routes. Game knowledge. It was all written there. But now it all felt distant. Vanessa wasn't a game's villainess. She was just a lonely, frightened, clumsy girl. The arrogant mask was something she'd created to protect the room no one was allowed to enter. Marianne's words—"What if she's actually someone else?"—surfaced in her mind, and Hina quietly shook her head. (Vanessa and I aren't different people. We're the same person living in the same body.) She wiped away her tears with her sleeve and put the notes away in a drawer. Outside the window, the night was quiet. 　　　＊ While Hina slept that night, someone was moving in the darkness. The next morning. When Hina stepped into the hallway, the sound of commotion reached her ears. Priscilla the dorm supervisor stood with a troubled expression in the center of a circle of young ladies. In front of them, Marianne stood smiling. Marianne—Vanessa's former follower. A young lady with a shadowy way of laughing, quick-witted. In her hands were two pieces of paper. "[cold]I felt it necessary to inform everyone at the academy," "Copies have already been posted on the first-floor bulletin board," The moment those words ended, Hina's thoughts stopped. She looked at the copies handed to her. First page—a passionate love letter to Alphonse. Signed by Vanessa De Croire. Second page—excerpts from a diary filled with insulting words toward Canon. She had no memory of them. The handwriting might be similar. But she had absolutely no recollection of writing a single character. (In the game—there was a development like this.) (But not this soon, not this direct...!!) The ground seemed to crumble beneath her feet. Hina looked up. Marianne was watching her with that perfect smile. With unreadable eyes. Morning at the academy. The moment she passed through the front gate, the gaze of everyone in the hallway changed. Cold, distant, appraising eyes. Whispered voices. Hina kept Vanessa's face expressionless. One step. Then another. She thought she heard Vanessa's voice from within her chest—that young voice practicing the mask. (I understand. Let's overcome this together.) Hina continued walking quietly down the corridor.