Undercurrents Rise

I decided to follow Sophina.

Lately, my lady has been unusually busy.

The moment class ends, she vanishes without a trace.

Sometimes even Margaret and Elizabeth can’t find her.

When I ask, they only give vague, evasive answers.

It’s obvious they’re hiding something from me—and that stings a little.

Even when I try to tail them discreetly, someone always stops me…

Like Lord Claude.

Or Lord Claude.

Or, once again, Lord Claude.

Still, I’ll set that small heartbreak aside for now.

The real problem lies with Sophina.

I have a bold suspicion—but I’m not sure yet.

I need to observe her for a while before making any conclusions.

Conveniently enough, my purpose here at the academy is to prevent my lady from becoming the so-called “villainess” and reaching a bad ending.

And since that ending is always tied to the heroine, keeping an eye on Sophina serves both goals at once.

So, as planned, I quietly trailed behind Sophina, shadowing her every move.

At first, nothing seemed unusual.

She was friendly, constantly smiling, harmonious with her classmates, and always eager to help others.

Occasionally, she even had those typical chance encounters with the story’s male leads.

It appeared that, apart from Lord Claude and Prince Edwin, her favorability with every other male lead was steadily rising.

Everything about her—her actions, gestures, expressions—fit perfectly within the image of “Sophina,” the heroine.

Nothing out of place at all.

And yet… that very perfection was what made her seem wrong.

As someone who played the game before, I could tell.
Her every move, every reaction, felt like a flawless, one-to-one recreation of the game’s “ideal route.”

In theory, the male leads’ routes should conflict with one another.
For example—
To trigger the “younger, timid boy next door” route of Charles Klein, you had to visit the courtyard during the third day’s lunch break to trigger the chance meeting event.
But doing so would make you miss the encounter with the battle maniac Sharon Howard in the training hall, a key flag for her storyline.

Yet Sophina managed to strike a perfect balance between all of them.
She flawlessly alternated between every male lead—
Everyone except Lord Claude and Prince Edwin.

It was understandable, though.
Her strange behavior earlier had likely made Lord Claude suspicious, so she couldn’t approach him easily.
And Prince Edwin… his story arc must have shifted drastically.
She went to the right places, but never actually met him in person.

That only confirmed my suspicion even more.

Still, I needed further proof.
What should I do next—

Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down my spine.
That sensation… could it be?

Surveillance could wait.
This needed to be dealt with immediately.

(Katarina’s Perspective)

After school, Margaret, Elizabeth, and I were holed up in a place that looked like a laboratory.

According to Margaret, the principal had personally assigned her this lab—completely private, a perfect location to carry out our “secret plan.”

“Ugh…”

I slumped over the table, utterly devoid of energy.
This was supposed to be a special project—making chocolate for my master, with Margaret supervising me.

And yet, my motivation was gone.

Of course, my master wasn’t pleased.
Her fish-like dead eyes glared at me as she asked,
“What’s wrong with you?”

“I can’t help it! I’ve been avoiding Ailena lately so I wouldn’t spoil the surprise… And since our dorms are separate, I can’t sneak into Ailena’s bed at night anymore. My daily Ailena dosage has dropped to zero—I’m completely unmotivated.”

“‘Ailena dosage’? What even are you? Are you still carbon-based?”

“I don’t really get what that means, but if you were separated from your sister for a week, wouldn’t you lose motivation too?”

I grumbled, half irritated.

Margaret rubbed her chin, actually considering it.
“Well, when you put it that way… I suppose I’d feel the same. Though, unlike you, I wouldn’t need to sneak around.”

Saying that, she hugged Elizabeth, who quietly accepted her embrace.

“Ah~ Recharged.”

I didn’t fully understand what she meant by “recharged,” but I could guess.
This woman… she was doing that just to spite me, wasn’t she?!

Having no other outlet, I pulled out one of my stuffed toys for comfort.

“What is that furry thing that looks like a cursed doll?”

“How rude! This is my masterpiece No. 3, aptly named Aililina, made from genuine, lovingly collected strands of Ailena’s hair! I’ve spent years perfecting the series—five models in total!”

“…You’re seriously unhinged.”

My master’s disgusted expression hurt more than expected.
I thought she’d understand me!

Knock, knock.

Just then, a knock came at the lab door.

“Come in.”

“Yaho~ We’re here to play~”

Olivia entered, flanked by my brother and Prince Edwin.

At first, we planned to keep our project secret.
But I could never hide anything from my brother, so in the end, all three of them found out.

Fortunately, they’d agreed to help—and to keep it confidential.

“How’s the progress?”

“Utterly stuck. Your sister has zero talent for sweets. Every step is technically correct, yet the result is always… monstrous.”

“…Monstrous? In what way?”

“Here.”

Margaret pointed at the abomination sitting on the table—something black, vaguely shaped like a dinosaur.

The three men froze instantly, faces darkening.

“Well… it’s, ah, certainly… unique.”

Perhaps, my talents truly lay elsewhere.
I sighed deeply and pressed my cheek against the table.

…I wonder what Ailena’s doing right now.

Within the Royal Academy grounds, there was also a sanctum devoted to the Goddess.
It allowed students to pray—or confess.

At this moment, a young woman sat within that confessional, trying to rid herself of her sins.
But time passed, and not a word left her mouth.

“This is a place for confession,” came the nun’s gentle, patient voice.
“Whatever stain you carry, you may speak it here. The Goddess will forgive all.”

“I…”

Moved by that kindness, the girl finally opened her lips.

“I… am the daughter of an ordinary viscount, but I’ve fallen in love with someone I should never love.”

“I see.”

“At first, we were just friends… but before I realized it, my heart already belonged to her alone. She feels so close, yet impossibly far away. She’s someone I could never reach, not in this lifetime.”

“I see.”

“When I think of the future… I don’t know what to do. What should I do?”

She sought salvation from the voice behind the confessional wall—unaware that the nun’s closed eyes had flickered open.
In that instant, a pair of eerie crimson eyes—marked with the character for “abnormal”—flashed in the dark.

“I believe love is noble and sacred,” the nun whispered softly.
“No matter who it’s for. When you love, you love. Such feelings are uncontrollable—and precious. Surely, even the Goddess herself would bless such pure devotion.”

“As for what to do… perhaps all you need is resolve. With it, the path forward will open.”
A faint smile curled her lips.

“So, when you’ve made up your mind, you’re always welcome back here… to confess again.”

“May the Goddess bless you.”