SRC 9

To prepare for the freshman welcome party, my sister followed Liam’s words and repeated the same routine—leaving at dawn and coming home late at night.

Meanwhile, I was busy in my own way, getting everything from head to toe prepared—dress, accessories, the full set.

And finally, the day to see the results arrived.

“Oh my, Olivia. You’re so beautiful today.”

Mother looked at me as if she were about to shed tears of emotion.

“Yes, yes. I know. I’m running late, so I’ll get going!”

I hurriedly gathered up my dress and jumped into the waiting carriage.

The academy was within walking distance from our house, but today it would be hard to walk because of the dress.

My sister had already left early, as she still had things to prepare even today.

I opened the window and looked out at the road leading to the academy.

After getting off the carriage, I held the sides of my dress tightly and walked forward one careful step at a time.

Because the heels were higher than what I usually wore, I had to be cautious with every step.

It’s not because Liam keeps teasing me by calling me “Bean” that I wore higher heels.

Absolutely not.

Thanks to the high heels, I barely managed to make it halfway, struggling.

“Siana, aren’t you too pretty today?”

“You’re perfect too, you know?”

Holding Siana’s hand, I arrived at the banquet hall, and my heart began pounding without me realizing it.

“Shall we go in?”

“Yeah! Let’s have fun!”

The moment I opened the grand doors of the banquet hall and stepped inside, I couldn’t close my gaping mouth.

The chandeliers filled the ceiling completely, and beneath them was a sea of people—too many to count.

On one side of the wall, there was enough food piled up for all the students and teachers to eat.

Overwhelmed by the crowd and the scale of it all, I felt a little intimidated.

There were so many students that I wondered if I would even be able to find the male lead candidates among them.

I began to feel anxious that my plan might run into trouble.

“Olivia, hold my hand tight. If we let our guard down, we’ll lose each other.”

“Okay. Let’s not let go.”

After making a firm promise and tightly clasping each other’s hands, we stepped into the party.

“Excuse me, sorry.”

With so many people pushing from all directions, it was even harder to make our way through while holding hands.

“Siana!”

“Olivia!”

In the end, we were pushed apart by the crowd and lost our grip on each other.

I was carried along by the flow of people and eventually pushed all the way outside the banquet hall.

“Bardedor.”

Are they calling me?

I looked around, but no one seemed to be looking at me.

“Are you ignoring me, Bardedor? I’m calling you.”

I was about to say that I wasn’t ignoring them, but instead of finding the person who called out, I spotted my sister first.

Following her gaze, my eyes naturally landed on a certain female student.

Ah, she wasn’t calling me—she was calling my sister.

“Why?”

Unlike her usual gentle demeanor, my sister looked at the girl with an indifferent expression.

Looking closely, the girl seemed to have four other female students with her.

Judging by the way she had her arms crossed, she clearly wasn’t pleased about something.

“I have something to say. Follow me to the backyard.”

After leaving those words to my sister, the five girls passed by her and exited the banquet hall first.

This situation feels awfully familiar.

After a moment of hesitation, I quietly followed toward the backyard behind the banquet hall, where they had headed.

From a distance, I saw the girl and my sister facing each other.

I slowly approached, just close enough to hear them without drawing attention.

“Did you hear the news?”

“What news?”

At my sister’s tone, sounding like she truly didn’t know anything, the girl seemed to flare up in anger.

“You must’ve heard! The news that I’ll soon become engaged to His Highness the Crown Prince!”

“I haven’t.”

I see.

At a glance, I immediately recognized who that vicious-looking girl was.

She was Rosalyn Carter, the villainess from <Academy Love♡ ~Who Is the Male Lead?>.

“Don’t lie. The entire academy is buzzing with the news that I’ll soon be engaged to the Crown Prince, and you’re saying you’re the only one who doesn’t know?”

“I only believe what Liam tells me directly. Why would I believe rumors floating around the academy?”

Not judging a friend based on rumors—that was the very model of a righteous female lead.

While I silently applauded in admiration, the girl’s face turned red.

“The marriage talks between our family and the imperial family are proceeding smoothly. No matter how much you deny it, the truth won’t change.”

My sister shrugged.

“Oh, really? I didn’t know.”

Her complete lack of interest seemed to provoke the girl again.

“Now that you know, you understand what I’m going to say, right?”

“No, I don’t.”

As my sister merely blinked her large eyes, the girl pointed a finger at her.

“Stop shamelessly hovering around the Crown Prince! Do you think I don’t know you’re clinging to him as a ‘friend’ while secretly aiming for the seat beside him? I’ll be the one standing next to His Highness now, so you should back off!”

“That’s right. It’s not a place someone from a lowly merchant family like you can even dream of.”

“You should know your place.”

The girls beside her chimed in one by one.

I was furious at the way they insulted our family and threatened my sister.

But this was the main event of a romance comic, wasn’t it?

It was only natural for the villainess to bully the heroine.

At moments like this, one of the male lead candidates was supposed to appear.

If it were Liam, that would be even better.

“Why should I? It’s just talk going back and forth. The engagement isn’t even confirmed yet, is it?”

In the meantime, my sister was further provoking the girl.

No, Sister!

What if you get hurt?!

“The engagement is soon. I’m just getting rid of pests like you in advance!”

“Well, isn’t that just what your family thinks?”

“You—!”

In the end, my sister refused to back down and brought disaster upon herself.

The girl’s hand swung through the air in a wide arc.

No, if this continues, there’ll be a red mark left on my sister’s face!

“Wait!”

Smack!

My head snapped to the side, and at the same time, my cheek burned.

“Olivia!”

I had meant to block it stylishly, but instead I took the girl’s harsh slap directly to my face.

She must have put a lot of strength into it; my head was ringing.

“Y-You—who are you?”

the girl asked, flustered.

“Olivia Bardedor. Emma’s younger sister.”

Even with my head buzzing, I held my aching cheek and spoke proudly.

I knew very well that one of the male lead candidates was supposed to appear in front of my sister like this.

From a plot standpoint, it might even be good for my sister to get slapped once.

But I’m her younger sister, aren’t I?

I couldn’t just stand by and watch her get hit.

Even if it meant interfering with the main event.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

My sister shielded me and shouted at the girl.

“I’m fine, Sister.”

I quickly stopped her and turned my gaze toward the girl.

“If you don’t want this to escalate further, you should apologize.”

“Why should I?”

“You laid your hands on someone who did nothing wrong, and you don’t feel even a shred of guilt? Besides, didn’t you say you might soon become Crown Princess? If rumors spread that someone like that hit another student, it won’t be good for your reputation.”

Rosalyn’s eyes shifted.

It seemed she had realized, at least a little, that she had made a mistake.

But a villainess is still a villainess—she crossed her arms and acted boldly instead.

“I was just trying to scare her a little. She interfered and got hit instead. Don’t act like the victim.”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

Right on cue, a male student appeared.

He naturally stepped between Rosalyn and us.

“Brother!”

My sister seemed to already know who he was.

“Senior Aiden.”

He had finally appeared.

I took a closer look at the male student standing before us.

Smooth silver hair reaching his shoulders, clear blue eyes.

With his glasses and intellectual appearance, along with the constant smile that gave off an air of leisure, he was the only older male lead in <Academy Love♡ ~Who Is the Male Lead?>.

Rosalyn Carter’s biological older brother—Aiden Carter.

“Rosalyn, I’ll give you a chance to explain this situation.”

Although Aiden’s face was smiling, his words were icy.

He didn’t sound like he was speaking to his own sister.

“Brother, you know I’ll soon be engaged to His Highness the Crown Prince. But that Bardedor over there keeps shamelessly staying by His Highness’s side. As the future Crown Princess, I was just trying to give her some advice.”

“And when she didn’t listen, you raised your hand?”

“I was only trying to scare her a little! That younger Bardedor interfered and got hit instead!”

“Rosalyn, apologize.”

“You’re telling me to apologize to her?”

“Yes. No matter the reason, you did hit her.”

Rosalyn, clearly feeling wronged, tried to say more, but upon meeting Aiden’s warning gaze, she sharply turned her head away and muttered,

“…Sorry.”

“Say it so she can hear.”

“I said I’m sorry!”

As soon as she finished apologizing, Rosalyn led her group and stormed out of the backyard.