The cherry blossom color next to me

The wind in the rose garden, carrying a hint of coolness, brushed away the cold sweat from my brow, but it could not disperse the gloom clinging to my heart.

My recent, rather unpleasant confrontation with Beatrix Eisen had made one thing perfectly clear.

In this world, I was not simply playing a game where I could reload a previous save.

Every move I made was being observed and interpreted by countless eyes, inevitably triggering unforeseen chain reactions.

The excuse of ‘being too much trouble’ had temporarily placated that righteous knight.

But what about next time?

What other excuse could I possibly find to explain the incongruous soul of an ordinary librarian trapped within the body of this villainous young lady?

An unprecedented weariness settled over me.

After casting a lingering glance at the vibrant rose bushes, I turned and continued my walk toward my next destination: the classroom.

According to the academy’s regulations, new students had to confirm their class assignments on the notice board in front of the main building.

Blending into the crowd, I stood on tiptoe and quickly spotted that glaring name at the very top of the list.

[First Year, Class S: Lilliana von Eckhart]

‘…I knew it.’

My heart sank to its lowest depths.

Class S, short for “Special Class,” was the designated place where the Royal Solfège Academy of Magic gathered the kingdom’s most elite talents.

Students admitted here had to be exceptional, excelling in magical aptitude, family background, and overall ability.

In other words, this was the stronghold of all the main characters.

Prince Alexis, Knight Kaiden, the manipulative son of the Prime Minister, and…

…the heroine, Ella Smith, a light magic user admitted as a special student.

They were all in Class S.

My ‘potted plant plan,’ my dream of a background character’s life, was, at this moment, utterly shattered by the hammer of reality.

It was with heavy, almost condemned steps that I entered the Class S classroom, feeling as though I were marching to the gallows.

The classroom’s interior was far more opulent than any regular class, boasting floor-to-ceiling windows that bathed the space in light, and desks and chairs crafted from superior enchanted wood.

About seventy to eighty percent of the students were already seated, either conversing in low tones or quietly reviewing. Yet, the moment I stepped into the classroom, all sounds abruptly ceased.

Here it was again.

That pervasive feeling of being under a spotlight.

I remained expressionless, ignoring the gazes—a mixture of awe and curiosity—directed at me. My eyes quickly swept the classroom, seeking my sanctuary…

…the back row, by the window, far from the epicenter of all converging gazes.

That legendary protagonist’s seat was, at this moment, my sole salvation.

Fortunately, the seat was still empty.

Keeping my gaze straight ahead, I walked directly toward that seat.

The crisp click of my heels on the floor became the sole soundtrack in the otherwise silent classroom.

Just as I was about to reach my destination and pull out the chair, my peripheral vision caught sight of the person in the adjacent seat.

A cascade of vibrant pink hair, as radiant as cherry blossoms.

My movements froze for half a second.

The heroine, Ella Smith, was sitting right beside my perceived sanctuary.

She seemed to sense my arrival, her body stiffening slightly as she instinctively clutched the textbook in her arms, much like a startled rabbit.

‘…Calm down, this is just a coincidence.’

The classroom was vast; seats were assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

As long as I ignored her, she surely wouldn’t dare to initiate a conversation with me.

I took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to turn and flee, then expressionlessly pulled out the chair and quietly sat down.

I retrieved my textbook from my bag and opened it, letting my gaze fall upon the pages. Not a single word registered.

The slender figure beside me exuded a faint, clean scent of soap, creating an invisible magnetic field that made me utterly uncomfortable.

Time, in the suffocating silence, ticked by minute by minute.

Just as I believed I could remain undisturbed until the teacher arrived, a faint rustle of fabric came from beside me.

Then, a voice, tinged with timidity yet perfectly clear, sounded in my ear.

“Um… Miss Eckhart?”

My fingers instinctively tightened their grip on the corner of the book page.

‘Ignore her. Pretend I didn’t hear. I’m reading. I’m busy…’

“This morning… at the school gate, thank you very much.”

Ella’s voice continued, carrying a persistence that suggested she wouldn’t give up until she achieved her goal.

“If it weren’t for you, I would have made a huge fool of myself. Really, thank you so much!”

Her voice was brimming with genuine gratitude, devoid of even a hint of falsehood.

I could no longer feign deafness.

Slowly, I turned my head to look at her.

Sunlight streamed through the clean window, casting a warm, golden fringe on her pink hair.

Her emerald green eyes, clear as a forest after a fresh rain, were fixed on me, unblinking. They held a mix of nervousness and pure curiosity…

No fear, no disgust—only curiosity.

It seemed she genuinely wanted to understand why I had helped her.

Looking into such eyes, not a single one of Lilliana’s usual harsh, sarcastic remarks could be uttered.

Ultimately, I merely squeezed a few dry syllables from my throat.

“…It was nothing.”

After speaking, I immediately turned my head back, redirecting my gaze to the book, adopting a posture that clearly stated, “The conversation is over.”

My heart pounded rapidly, and my palms began to sweat.

This was my first time having such a close conversation with the heroine of this world.

The feeling was akin to defusing a bomb that could detonate at any moment.

Ella, beside me, seemed taken aback by my cold demeanor, falling silent for a moment.

I could feel her gaze still lingering on the side of my face.

After a long while, she finally murmured in a voice almost to herself, “…You… you’re really different from what the rumors say.”

Just then, the class bell rang, and a stern-looking history of magic teacher, wearing a monocle, entered the classroom.

“Alright, students, please quiet down. We will now begin our first lesson, ‘Ancient Magical Lineages and Rune Analysis.'”

The teacher’s voice drowned out Ella’s murmur, temporarily rescuing me from the dilemma of how to respond.

I sat upright, my gaze seemingly fixed on the complex runes appearing on the blackboard, yet my thoughts had long since drifted far away.

Ancient magic?

Rune analysis?

These were skills merely glossed over in the game, easily mastered by clicking a ‘learn’ button.

But now, they were tangible challenges laid out before me.

My meager modern knowledge was utterly worthless here.

Lilliana’s memories, however, consisted primarily of magical combat instincts, not systematic theoretical knowledge.

If I couldn’t keep up with Class S’s curriculum, my facade as a genius would quickly crumble, inviting even more suspicion and trouble.

I needed to learn.

I needed more knowledge to disguise myself, to understand this world, and…

…to find a true method of survival.

One place in particular became strikingly clear in my mind:

The academy’s Grand Library.

Perhaps that was my true, and only, sanctuary in this perilous academy.