Alice was still dwelling on yesterday's events. She was supposed to be hated for her sharp tongue, yet somehow she'd become popular instead. Her perfect plan had collapsed on the very first day. This morning too, she'd repeated deep breaths three times in front of the mirror in her dorm room, Lilienhaus. Today would be different. Today she'd do it right. Yesterday's problem wasn't that "her sharp tongue didn't land"—it was that "she'd been found amusing." Which meant starting today, she'd switch to an expressionless strategy. No eye contact with anyone. Short replies if spoken to. No emotion whatsoever. She'd become a wall. A perfect, impenetrable wall. Alice traced her finger along the red rose brooch on her uniform and left the dorm. The corridor leading to the main lecture hall, Luxhall—the red brick building of the Royal Academy Stella Magnifica where political science and etiquette classes were held—was already crowded with students. Alice kept her gaze on the floor and moved with the flow of people. It was working. No one was talking to her. Good. This was fine. The moment she turned the corner in the corridor, it happened. She thought she'd collide with someone, but the other person's feet smoothly stepped aside. When Alice looked up—she saw a familiar face. Soft silver hair. Heterochromatic eyes peeking from slightly disheveled bangs—blue on the right, red on the left. A tall frame of 185 centimeters. A young man dressed not in the academy uniform but in fine clothing bearing the royal crest, smiling gently. The exact same face she'd seen in hundreds of still images from the game. Lucas Van Eldrich. The Crown Prince himself. Students on both sides of the corridor stopped in unison and bowed deeply. The air shifted with a rustling sound. Yet Lucas's gaze never left Alice. A gentle, but unwavering gaze. Alice's mind raced through the game's knowledge at lightning speed. (This is the first stage of the destruction flag. The event where the Crown Prince makes direct contact with Alice. If the game is accurate, the downfall accelerates from here—) She wanted to run. But fleeing from royalty would be disrespectful and get her in trouble. Should she just stay silent and let it pass? But their eyes had already met. It was too late to look away now. "Are you the young lady of House Claire?" Lucas said quietly, his voice carrying through the entire corridor. "I've heard the rumors. Could we talk for a moment—first, could you tell me which classroom is yours?" Alice's facial muscles desperately fought to maintain her expressionless facade. She succeeded. A perfect blank face. "[cold]As you wish" She replied curtly. Lucas's eyes widened slightly. Then, the corners of his mouth relaxed just a little. It was an amused smile. She could have sworn she heard the students on both sides of the corridor holding their breath. — Alice's classroom before the start of classes completely froze the moment Lucas entered. Everyone stood up and bowed. Chairs scraped. Fabric rustled. Then silence fell. Only Alice remained seated. She didn't move from her chair, instead mobilizing all her game knowledge to construct a repulsion plan. (Good. This is fine. If I'm cold to him, he'll leave. If I'm remembered by the Crown Prince as a disrespectful young lady who wouldn't even bow—if he thinks I'm someone he doesn't want to approach—) "Could we talk for a moment, Miss Claire?" Lucas came to the side of Alice's desk and spoke gently. Alice stood up. She faced him directly. The gazes of everyone in the classroom pierced like needles. "[sarcastic]How leisurely of the Crown Prince to visit a classroom in person" The air instantly dropped below freezing. Disrespect toward royalty could result in punishment. In the Kingdom of Eldreich, that was how society worked. She could sense all the surrounding students turning pale. The homeroom teacher froze at the doorway. Lucas—widened his eyes. The next moment, he laughed out loud. "Ha—haha, I've never had anyone say something like that to my face before" His laughter echoed through the classroom. He looked genuinely amused. Then, confirming the empty seat next to Alice, he naturally sat down. Alice's inner voice screamed. (It's just like the game! His affection is going up! My sharp tongue is completely backfiring!) "[sarcastic]If the Crown Prince sits there, it will trouble the homeroom teacher" She pressed the attack. "The teacher can't even scold you, which makes it even worse. Are you the type who's completely oblivious to the burden you place on those around you?" The homeroom teacher at the doorway made a small "eek" sound. Lucas looked bewildered. Then he laughed again. This time with a slightly bashful expression. "I've never been spoken to like that either. Tell me more" Alice's second and third arrows were all converted into laughter. The students in the classroom remained frozen, simply witnessing the Crown Prince looking delighted by the sharp tongue of the villainess. Even after class started, the homeroom teacher was visibly flustered, and his handwriting on the board was wrong twice. Alice sat at her desk, quietly cradling her head internally. — The moment lunch break began, Alice stood up from her desk and headed to the great dining hall, Mirabelle. Her strategy was "eat quickly and leave." She'd secure the far end of the window side in the 300-seat dining hall and finish eating before anyone could approach. Three steps into the dining hall entrance, a voice called from behind. "Perfect timing. Would you join me?" Alice stopped. When she turned around, Lucas was standing there with a natural expression. All 300 seats in the great dining hall Mirabelle seemed to turn toward them at once. In reality, eating utensils stopped in various places. The Crown Prince and the young lady of House Claire dining together side by side—that image was instantly burned into everyone's eyes. (This is the worst. But I can't refuse. If I refuse poorly, that becomes a topic too...) Alice headed to the window-side seat. Lucas sat beside her. With a tray holding the daily special—stew and bread, along with tea—in front of her, Alice's mind raced. A boring strategy. She'd bring up complicated political matters from the game and make Lucas think "this is a troublesome person" so he'd leave. That was the only option. "[sarcastic]Crown Prince, how are the border negotiations with the Glenvast Duchy progressing lately? Do you happen to know?" Lucas made a bitter face at "Ah, that." Good, he looked bored—or so Alice thought in the next moment. Lucas lowered his gaze slightly and began speaking quietly. "The northern border issue is honestly the most headache-inducing" "If I intervene, I get caught up in domestic power struggles. If I stay neutral, I'm criticized for weakness. Either way, criticism comes—but no matter who I consult, I've never once gotten a genuine response" Alice tried to brush it off. But she couldn't. There was no performance in Lucas's voice. It wasn't the "performed troubles" that royalty showed others—it sounded like words he genuinely wanted someone to hear. (Why would I listen to this? This is supposed to be a boring strategy—) "[sarcastic]That's because you don't let people around you speak their minds" The words came out. Lucas looked up. His face softened just slightly. "Yeah, that's true. That's why talking with you is interesting" Alice froze, spoon in hand. The boring strategy—completely failed. Rather, he seemed pleased. Everyone in the dining hall was watching them. The tea was still steaming. The stew was getting cold. Alice quietly looked down at her tray. (Why am I making him happy with a boring strategy...) — When afternoon classes finally ended, Alice chose a time with fewer people and headed to the Rose Garden. A small garden nestled between the main building and the magic practice tower Arcana, with over fifty varieties of roses blooming. The slanting light of spring evening dyed the white and pale pink petals orange. Sweet fragrance drifted on the breeze. This was a famous "confession spot" in the game. At this hour, few students were around. Alice sat on a bench and finally let out a long breath. Finally, she was alone. "I thought you'd be here" Alice spun around sharply. Lucas stood at the garden entrance, backed by white roses, with a slightly embarrassed expression. "[sarcastic]...Does the Crown Prince have a hobby of following people?" Alice stood up, intending to leave. "Isn't that a problem for the Crown Prince?" "Just a little" Lucas's voice carried a different tone than before. Alice's feet stopped. "I have almost nowhere I can go alone like this as the Crown Prince" It wasn't an act. There was no calculation in his voice. Alice didn't turn around, but listened to Lucas speak. "Since childhood, I've always been watched by someone as royalty. Everything I say becomes politics. All I get back is flattery and sycophancy in a daily life where—" Lucas gently touched one of the rose flowers with his fingertip. A soft touch, then he withdrew. "I've never had a person who would speak honestly with me" Alice knew Lucas's loneliness from the game's setting. As knowledge. As background for an attackable character. But now, in the twilight rose garden, the words spoken before her—carried a different weight than the text in a setting document. Something small caught in her chest. This guy isn't a game character. He's a real, living person—that sensation. Alice immediately pushed that sentimentality away. Indulging in sentiment was dangerous. This was a destruction flag. "[sarcastic]So you cling to me. It's a nuisance" "Yeah" Lucas laughed. A refreshing laugh. "Because you only speak your mind" The two of them stayed in the rose garden for a while. Alice didn't say a single kind word. Lucas didn't force conversation either. The evening light slid across the roses, changing from orange to purple. Somewhere distant, the evening bell chimed. It was only much later that Alice realized she'd completely missed the timing to leave. On the way back to the dorm, Alice muttered quietly to herself. "[sad]...How stupid of me" — After finishing dinner and returning to her room in the girls' dorm Lilienhaus, Alice heard voices of young ladies drifting from down the corridor. "Did you hear? The Crown Prince was following the young lady of House Claire around the whole time" "They had lunch together too, apparently. That's what Rosa from Salon Teelight said—" The moment the name of Salon Teelight—the aristocratic young ladies' favorite salon on Blümen Street, famous for its proprietor Rosa, a former court lady, gathering information—was mentioned, Alice slipped into her room and closed the door. From the morning classroom to the lunch dining hall, today's events had apparently already made it onto that salon's information network. This speed was the frightening part of Eldreich's aristocratic society. Rumors spread instantly. Reputation within the academy becomes reputation in high society. The young lady of House Claire, a name in the Grand Council Fairvaltung, spending time with the Crown Prince—that alone was enough to be a topic of conversation. Alice slumped to the floor and counted her failures one by one. Expressionless strategy—failed. Sharp tongue repulsion—backfired. Boring strategy—he was pleased instead. Tried to leave—failed to escape. As a reincarnator with game knowledge, she'd used every tool she had to avoid destruction. Every single one had backfired. (Why... why is this happening...) At that moment. A white envelope slid smoothly under her door through the gap. Alice picked up the envelope. She confirmed the sender's name, and the envelope warped slightly in her hand. Lucas Van Eldrich. When she opened it, a short message was written in careful handwriting. "Tomorrow, I'd like you to show me the academy's rose gard