The audience in the corner

I practically fled in a desperate scramble.

Beneath my ribs, my heart hammered wildly, threatening to burst from my chest at any moment.

The gazes trailing me, a mixture of surprise and scrutiny, felt like tangible thorns, pricking my spine until it tingled with unease.

‘Calm down,’ I urged myself. ‘Calm down…’

‘I merely acted on instinct…’

As I repeated these assurances to myself, I hurried through the academy’s ancient, opulent corridors.

The polished marble floor, reflective as a mirror, cast back my slightly disheveled reflection.

‘Yes, I simply didn’t want to see someone fall, acting purely on instinct.’

‘That’s perfectly normal; anyone would have done the same… wouldn’t they?’

‘No, that’s not right!’

‘Lilliana would never!’

She would only watch with a cold smirk, perhaps even delivering an extra kick for good measure!

My mind descended into utter chaos.

One voice snarled, ‘You’ve been exposed!’

Another, however, offered solace: ‘It’s fine; they’ll simply assume you’re in a good mood today.’

These conflicting thoughts tore at me, leaving my head throbbing.

My sole objective now was to reach the grand auditorium for the opening ceremony as swiftly as possible, then find a secluded corner where I could vanish entirely within the throng.

Fortunately, the memories of the Duke’s daughter offered me perfect navigation.

I meticulously avoided any route that might lead to another encounter with the main characters, finally reaching my destination like a startled bird seeking its nest…

The side entrance of the grand auditorium.

Within the auditorium, a multitude of new students had already gathered, filling the air with a vibrant hum of excitement and anticipation.

Crystal chandeliers descended from the soaring dome, casting brilliant, warm light that illuminated the massive murals depicting heroic epics across the walls.

This was a sanctuary of light, the very stage where all stories were destined to begin.

As for me, I merely wished to be the most unremarkable speck of dust beneath that grand stage.

Lifting my skirt, I slipped in through the side door as silently as a shadow.

My gaze swiftly swept across the entire auditorium, precisely locking onto a perfect target…

In the back-left, the narrow space formed by a colossal load-bearing stone pillar and the adjacent wall.

The light there was dim, offering an excellent vantage point, and most importantly, it was a spot almost guaranteed to go unnoticed.

Holding my breath, I moved like a phantom along the wall, finally succeeding in embedding myself within that secluded corner.

Only when my body leaned against the cool stone pillar did I finally release a long, drawn-out sigh of relief.

‘Safe… for now.’

From my vantage point, I could survey most of the auditorium at a glance.

As I observed the youthful faces and listened to their hushed conversations, a peculiar sense of detachment welled up within me.

I felt like an audience member in a darkened cinema, silently watching the unfolding drama on a screen.

Before long, several figures, each seemingly radiating their own aura, appeared within my line of sight.

The protagonist, Ella, stood somewhat uneasily at the edge of the bustling crowd.

Her cherry-pink hair, vibrant and distinct among the sea of new students, resembled a delicate flower that had somehow strayed into this mundane world.

The brief incident earlier seemed to have caused her little distress; at present, her expression was dominated by a youthful curiosity for her new surroundings.

Next, Capture Target Number One, Alexis von Lumiere, the kingdom’s First Prince, entered, surrounded by a retinue of noble scions.

His golden hair shone brilliantly, his smile was gentle and refined, and every movement exuded an innate, commanding charisma, drawing soft gasps from the surrounding young women.

Capture Target Number Two, Kaiden Eisenhart, son of the Knight Commander, followed silently behind the Prince, sharp and imposing like a drawn sword.

With black hair and dark eyes, his expression was severe, and even amidst the boisterous atmosphere, he radiated an aura of sharp aloofness that warned others to keep their distance.

I observed as the Prince’s gaze swept through the crowd, seemingly searching for something specific.

Eventually, his eyes landed on Ella, a fleeting, almost imperceptible softness flashing within them before he strode purposefully towards her.

‘Ah, the plot has begun.’

Like a doting mother, I nodded silently to myself.

What followed was the classic scene: the Prince’s gentle intervention, helping a somewhat bewildered Ella acclimate to her new surroundings.

True to form, His Royal Highness gently engaged Ella in conversation, leaving her visibly flattered, her cheeks blooming with a rosy blush.

Kaiden, standing nearby, maintained his icy expression, yet his gaze lingered subtly on Ella, carrying a distinct hint of scrutiny.

‘Perfect.’

Everything unfolded precisely as I recalled from the game’s cutscenes.

As long as I remained here quietly, a mere ‘potted plant,’ they would follow their destined trajectories, ultimately reaching their beautiful Happy End.

And I, too, could safely graduate from this narrative.

Just as I was thinking this, feeling the heavy stone in my heart slowly settle, and my entire body relaxing…

A voice, light and airy as a feather brushing against my ear, sounded beside me without the slightest warning.

My body stiffened abruptly, my blood feeling as though it had instantly frozen in my veins.

‘In this corner, there shouldn’t be anyone else but me!’

I stiffly turned my head, and what met my gaze was a doll-like, exquisitely delicate face, startlingly close to mine.

A pair of fluffy, flaxen twin pigtails swayed playfully with the tilt of her head.

Her intricate Gothic Lolita-style black dress accentuated the translucent paleness of her skin.

Most striking were her eyes, resembling violet glass beads, now curved into playful crescents as they scrutinized me with keen interest.

Chloe.

The ace of the underground intelligence organization, the ‘Faceless Ones,’ she was a hidden character with an ambiguous allegiance, slated to appear only in the mid-game.

She always materialized in the most unexpected places, peddling intelligence capable of overturning everything.

‘Why was she here?!’

‘And when had she appeared?!’

“Pleased to meet you for the first time, Miss Lilliana von Eckhart.”

Chloe’s face held an innocent smile, her voice saccharine to the point of cloying.

“That little hero-saving-the-beauty act in the corridor just now was unexpectedly brilliant, wasn’t it?”

My pupils constricted abruptly.

‘She… saw it?’

“I merely… wished to avoid trouble.”

I lowered my voice, striving to maintain a façade of composure.

“Oh? Is that so?”

Chloe blinked, her seemingly innocent eyes sparkling with a shrewdness that belied her youthful appearance, as if capable of perceiving all hidden truths.

“I, on the other hand, find that gentle breeze far more troublesome than a malicious quarrel, wouldn’t you agree?”

She leaned in, her proximity almost intimate, and whispered in a dreamy murmur audible only to our two ears:

“After all, with a script whose beginning has been rewritten, who can say what kind of interesting ending it might ultimately lead to…”

With a soft chuckle, she retreated silently, like an elegant black cat, turning nimbly before I could even react.

In a flash, she melted into the shadows of the crowd, as if she had never been there at all.

I was left alone, standing frozen by the cold stone pillar, a fine sheen of cold sweat prickling my back.

The warm auditorium and its brilliant lights now seemed to my eyes to be veiled in a creeping shadow.

‘The script… was rewritten?’

Chloe’s words acted like a key, unlocking the deepest, most profound fear within my heart.

I had believed myself to be merely a reluctant actor.

Yet, I hadn’t realized that, unbeknownst to me, a mysterious audience member was already seated at the closest vantage point to the stage, brimming with anticipation, waiting to witness my clumsy solo performance.

‘My ‘potted plant’ plan…’

It seemed to have been declared a complete and utter failure on its very first day.