SPO 4

A sharp scream echoed through the mansion.

As he rushed at me with wild eyes, Lucas instinctively stepped back. Seizing the momentum, I slammed my head straight into his chest.

“Ghk!”

A burst of labored breath spilled over my head.

Taking advantage of the moment, I shoved the staggering Lucas to the floor and bit down hard on the arm that had been shaking me so annoyingly.

“Aaah! Mom!! Mom!!”

“Oh my! What is going on?! Archel!! Let go right now!”

Lucas’s fist struck my face, and my nose began to bleed. I couldn’t tell whether the salty taste in my mouth was his blood or mine.

Panicking, the Baroness grabbed my hair and yanked it mercilessly to pull me away.

But like a mad dog, I refused to release Lucas’s arm.

“Ah! I’m going to die!! Mom!!”

‘Yeah, die, you bastard.’

If we were all going to die when the world ended anyway, wiping out the Nodovan family first wouldn’t be so bad.

My scalp felt like it was about to be torn off, but as memories of all the humiliation and contempt I had endured surfaced, my vision turned red again.

They accused me of being a thief.

This wasn’t the first time. Every act of violence and wrongdoing Lucas committed was blamed on me.

The Baron and Baroness never bothered to learn the truth, and I remained the unwanted burden of the Nodovan household.

‘And now they’re pinning even the Baron’s mistake on me?’

Being treated like a servant wasn’t enough—they treated me like a criminal.

Anger boiled over, and I clenched my jaw.

Then, suddenly, a shock like my skull being split open slammed into my head.

In an instant, I collapsed to the floor like a paper doll.

“Cough! Cough!”

I was dizzy.

Lying face-down, I turned my head and saw the Baron with his sleeves rolled up, breathing heavily.

The Baroness stared at Lucas’s mangled arm, trembling.

“A—a doctor! Call a doctor…!”

“Waaah, Mom, it hurts so much!”

Urged by her, the Baron reluctantly picked Lucas up and ran into the hallway.

In the end, I was left alone in the chaos.

‘My head is ringing…’

My head throbbed, and my face hurt where Lucas had hit me.

As I lay still, I suddenly felt water soaking into my sleeves.

The bathtub was overflowing.

I barely managed to get up and shut off the hose. When I pulled the stopper, the drain gulped down the water with a gurgling sound.

Left behind were soggy clumps of paper, so soaked that their original shapes were unrecognizable.

The ruined books, drenched beyond repair, felt like a reflection of my own situation.

“…What is this?”

When I realized I was inside an otome game, when I learned that I was Archel from Yudea Academy, I had been overjoyed.

That joy had outweighed even the fear of dying when the world ended.

‘I can escape from here.’

‘In the future, I won’t be stuck in this suffocating baron’s house. I’ll be at the academy.’

That hope had sustained me.

Even when I was told I had to become a scholarship student to attend Yudea—a ridiculous condition—I didn’t give up.

But seeing how uncooperative the baron’s family was, doubt crept in.

‘Is it really possible?’

How many more years can I endure this place? Was it all a lie? Maybe my past life was just a dream.

But only for a moment.

I raised my hand and roughly wiped away my tears.

Whether it was possible or not didn’t matter.

‘I’m leaving this house no matter what.’

The stinging pain in my face told me I had no choice.

I had faced mountains in life that seemed impossible to overcome.

Each time, I had gasped for breath, yet somehow reached the end.

So I could do it again.

I went straight to my desk and opened the drawer.

I filled the letter paper with dense handwriting.

Letter

To Lady Rena Dicliffe,

Hello, Rena. You must have been disappointed that I haven’t written in so long.

I’ve been studying hard to enter Yudea, so my letters were delayed. I hope you’ll forgive me with your generous heart.

Something big happened today. I got caught studying in secret and was scolded terribly.

Why, you ask? As you said before, our Nodovan baronial family has no money. And of course, there’s even less money for the troublesome second daughter instead of the beloved eldest son.

You might be laughing at me, saying it’s only natural. A mere baron’s daughter trying to attend Yudea Academy.

But I believe in it. That I’ll spend happy school days with you at Yudea. When they say we’re bound by fate, it’s not a lie.

If my surroundings try to stop me, I’ll tear everything apart and carve out my own destiny.

This letter is my vow never to give up. It also means you should be fully prepared to enjoy academy life with me.

I heard your health isn’t good. I hope you recover soon.

From your best friend,
Archel

After hearing face-to-face that I couldn’t go to Yudea, I met Rena about three times.

Unfortunately, before we could build a meaningful relationship, her health worsened, and I was told not to visit her anymore.

‘How did the game’s Archel keep being friends with her?’

Pondering this, I began writing letters to Rena.

Once a week, without fail, for two years.

The contents weren’t special.

I wrote about what I was doing and what had happened.

Gradually, the letters stopped being just a way to maintain our relationship and became my desperate escape from reality.

I poured out stories no one else cared about.

‘You’ll still be my friend.’

In a game where choices changed outcomes, nothing was fixed.

But the setting that Rena and Archel became friends never changed, so I wasn’t worried.

I didn’t care much how she’d react.

‘She’s never replied to me even once.’

After writing another letter and renewing my resolve, I spread the wet books on the floor to dry and lay down on my bed.

Lucas would make a fuss when he came back, but I didn’t want to think about that now.

I was tired.

Cold dawn air seeped into my nose.

The air of Santalea, the imperial capital, felt far heavier than Medina’s.

Trying not to look unsophisticated, I stared straight ahead as I walked, but my gait still probably gave me away as a country girl.

“Please take me to Yudea Academy.”

At the word “Yudea,” the coachman scanned me from head to toe before opening the door.

Embarrassed, I hurried inside.

Soon, the carriage began moving, and the capital’s scenery passed by outside the window.

The buildings and facilities were on a completely different level from my hometown, leaving me open-mouthed.

“I’m really in the capital.”

Archel Nodovan. Sixteen years in the small town of Medina under the Genda Marquisate—this was my first trip to the capital.

The beautiful landscaping dazzled me.

Not only that.

The medieval European-style buildings I’d only seen in photos in my previous life stood in rows.

As we approached Yudea, the buildings faded and gave way to a lush forest path, which was just as beautiful.

Stepping onto the neatly paved stone road, I looked around.

“So this is…”

I swallowed hard, my eyes widening.

“Yudea Academy.”

At the end of an endless avenue cutting through green fields stood a massive clock tower reaching for the sky.

With clocks on all four sides, visible from anywhere on campus, it was even more magnificent than I’d imagined.

“I’m really here.”

Behind a spraying fountain, I gazed at a statue of an eagle spreading its wings.

Seeing Yudea’s vibrant symbol stirred indescribable emotions in me.

But then I realized something important.

“…It’s huge!”

Yudea was far too big to walk around.

Panicking, I turned to grab the carriage—but it was already gone.

I was in trouble.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

I was the only person standing alone on the wide road.

Everyone else rode carriages bearing family crests.

“Will I make it in time?”

Anxious, I started walking.

And walking.

And walking.

Even the fountain seemed far away.

Then—

“Excuse me.”

A black carriage stopped smoothly in front of me.

I halted and turned toward its owner.

My lips parted, but no words came out.

Silver hair that shimmered mysteriously.

Bewitching purple eyes.

People in this world were generally good-looking, but this man was on another level.

He was the most beautiful person I’d seen since Rena.

‘And silver hair with purple eyes…’

There was only one person at Yudea like that.

The next Master of the Mage Tower—Izhael.

Seeing my lack of response, Izhael shrugged.

“If you’d like, would you like a ride?”

I snapped back to my senses.

This wasn’t the time to stroll calmly to the exam hall.

But I hesitated.

‘Meeting a male lead candidate is usually good… but Izhael is different.’

Still, I had no choice.

I thanked him and climbed into his carriage.

After a brief silence, Izhael spoke kindly.

“Did you walk all the way here?”

“I took a carriage from the station to the gate, but I didn’t realize you needed one inside too…”

It was an excuse no noble would ever make.

They were practically one with their carriages.

Seeing me frown awkwardly, Izhael smiled gently.

“You came from far away, then. I’ve never seen you before.”

He pulled back the curtain, letting sunlight pour in.

“I’m from the Genda Marquisate.”

“May I ask your name?”

Tell Izhael my name?

I wanted to refuse, but remembering whose carriage I was in, I answered meekly.

“Archel Nodovan.”

“Archel Nodovan?”

A strange glint flashed in his purple eyes.

But maybe it was just my imagination.

It vanished quickly, replaced by a smile.

“It’s a cute surname, just like you.”

He tilted his head and smiled with his eyes.

Maybe I’d overreacted.

‘There are countless nobles in the empire. No way he’d know a minor baron’s family.’

I kept glancing at him out of curiosity.

But inwardly, I kept my distance.

All the male leads were flawed, but Izhael was different.

‘Bad ending or normal ending—anything but Izhael.’

If I entered Izhael’s route and got the confinement ending, Rena would become a test subject.

Blood drawn, strange magic injected—she’d suffer terribly.

[Even your cells belong to me.]

‘No. I must never end up with him.’

I lowered my gaze humbly.

Staring at his shoes, I stayed silent.

He didn’t speak either.

We arrived at the bustling main building in quiet silence.

“Th-thank you for the ride.”

“You’re welcome.”

At his gentle voice, I rubbed my cheeks and fled from the carriage.

I thought I heard laughter behind me.