Even in the morning, he maintained a perfectly upright posture without the slightest hint of disorder as he ate. That alone was enough to draw the attention of the surrounding students.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call Chester Callaway—one of the most well-known figures at Witmore Academy—the protagonist of this story, as well as Ruite’s partner in a political marriage. He was also the second son of the Callaway ducal house.
And the most important detail—
Ruite was destined to die at that very protagonist’s hands.
“…I suddenly lost my appetite.”
“Then can I have your bread?”
“No.”
Ruite slapped Dylan’s hand away without hesitation.
If you thought about why Chester killed Ruite in the original story, it wasn’t completely incomprehensible. Chester was already opposed to political marriages, and the person he was paired with later refused to accept an annulment, clung desperately for affection, and eventually endangered him with twisted, obsessive love.
Understanding it, however, was one thing.
Dying was another.
At first, Ruite had despaired, thinking his life was over simply because he had become the villain. But after thinking more carefully, he realized something—he had transmigrated into this body before Ruite married Chester.
In other words, before he turned into a villain.
If that was the case, then there had to be a reason he ended up here at this point in time.
Most likely, it meant he was supposed to avoid that gruesome ending.
That was why dreaming about graduation felt like a good dream to him.
On the day of graduation, Chester would abandon his usual cold attitude, bow his head, and politely request to annul the engagement. Unlike in the original story, Ruite intended to accept that request.
Honestly, he would have preferred to call off the engagement himself without waiting for graduation. But the Everhart family needed this marriage far more. Having failed to maintain its former standing, the family saw this union as a potential turning point.
Because of that, even knowing it would lead to his death, he couldn’t be the one to bring up annulment.
Since both families held the real authority, Chester was likely in the same position. He might dislike the arrangement, but he couldn’t openly suggest breaking it off.
Except on the day of graduation.
Something must happen to Chester by then—Ruite didn’t know what—but on that day, Chester sincerely requested the annulment, as if everything depended solely on Ruite accepting it.
That would probably be the first and last chance.
The original Ruite had missed it.
He had no intention of making the same mistake.
“Hey, Ruite.”
“What?”
“Are you close with Chester?”
“…Why do you ask?”
Instead of answering, Dylan simply acted.
He casually turned his head, and Ruite’s gaze followed. Chester had finished eating and was now looking directly at him.
With a distinctly sharp gaze.
“Dylan, doesn’t that look nothing like how you’d look at someone you’re close with?”
“Does it?”
Dylan shrugged it off and continued eating.
Chester didn’t like Ruite very much.
There were several reasons, but the biggest one was probably Ruite’s feelings toward him. In the original story, Ruite had been in love with Chester for a long time. Being the target of unwanted affection was annoying and uncomfortable, so it was only natural that Chester disliked him.
On top of that, there was the resentment of having a marriage partner chosen for him by his family. Ruite had heard that Chester had strongly opposed the arrangement when it was first discussed. He wasn’t the type to quietly accept decisions made without his input.
And then there was Ruite’s past behavior.
In the original story, he had secretly followed Chester ever since entering the academy—lingering near his classroom, waiting for him after school, and trailing behind him back to the dormitory.
He never crossed the line far enough to cause open trouble, but from Chester’s perspective, it would have been more than enough to feel like he was being stalked.
And now, he was expected to spend his life with that same person because of a family arrangement.
Anyone would hate that.
Still, if he endured until graduation, it would all be over.
Chester’s cold gaze, his attitude—everything.
“They really don’t get tired of starting a new term.”
After breakfast in the dorm cafeteria, dressed neatly in his uniform, Ruite stood staring blankly at the massive main building of Witmore Academy.
The bright weather was nice, just as he had hoped. But the thought of sitting through endless boring classes already made him feel stressed.
As he entered the building, he saw several students heading toward the training grounds, each carrying a sword. They were probably from the Department of Swordsmanship.
Witmore had four departments.
The Department of Swordsmanship, where students trained in swordplay and physical combat to become knights.
The General Studies Department, focused on academic knowledge.
The Department of Magic, which taught magical theory and practice to train capable mages.
And the Production Department, which specialized in crafting magical tools.
Unlike the other departments, the Department of Magic only accepted students born with magical ability, making it particularly exclusive.
Ruite Everhart, a third-year in the Department of Magic, dragged his reluctant body toward his classroom, wishing he could just go back to sleep in the dorm.
“Ruite.”
“Good morning.”
Harold, the professor in charge of his class, approached with a friendly smile.
That uneasy smile immediately gave Ruite a bad feeling.
“Just arriving?”
“Yes.”
“Then could you stop by Training Ground One after you go to the classroom and help prepare for class? There’s not much to do—just check if all the practice magic swords are there and get things ready.”
“…Me?”
That wasn’t a genuine question. It was closer to asking if he really had to do it.
“I was going to do it myself, but I have a meeting this morning. I already asked Chester as well. You can do it together.”
“…You asked who?”
Before he could respond properly, Harold quickly disappeared, leaving behind a casual request.
Ruite wanted to chase after him, grab him by the collar, and ask why of all people he had asked him.
But as a student, he had no right to refuse a professor.
Letting out a deep sigh, Ruite dropped off his bag and headed straight for the training grounds.
To the west of the main building lay an area filled with various training fields. The Department of Swordsmanship and the Department of Magic used them frequently.
As he entered the wide space, he sensed movement inside. The other person must have noticed him as well, because he turned his head.
“….”
“Hi.”
Ruite forced an awkward smile as he greeted Chester, who was staring at him with sharp eyes.
Chester didn’t return the greeting. He simply watched him with suspicion.
“Professor Harold asked me to help prepare.”
Ruite added quickly.
Chester set down the practice sword he had been inspecting and slowly stood up, his eyes filled with distrust.
Did he think Ruite had come here on purpose just to create an opportunity to interact?
“Did you know in advance that I’d be on duty today?”
“You were on duty? On the first day of the term? That’s rough.”
Ruite shook his head as he approached and crouched beside him.
But the moment he sat down, Chester abruptly stood up and moved elsewhere.
Unbothered, Ruite focused on counting the practice swords.
It was the easiest part of preparation.
No conversation followed.
Only occasionally did he feel Chester’s gaze on the back of his head, but he ignored it.
After finishing up and preparing to leave—
“Hey.”
Chester called out.
“Have you ever told anyone about the arrangement between our families?”
“No. Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”
“This morning in the dorm cafeteria, your friend was whispering while looking at me.”
Well, that’s because you glared at me first.
“I’d prefer if you didn’t go around talking about something our families decided on their own.”
With that, Chester turned away.
In the original story, Ruite had been so happy about the engagement that he couldn’t help but show it. He hadn’t openly told anyone, but it must have been obvious enough for Chester to notice.
If rumors about their arrangement spread through the academy, it would cause a huge stir.
And Chester, being well-known, would be at the center of it.
Having to marry someone he disliked was bad enough. Dealing with constant gossip on top of that would make it even worse.
After a brief pause, Ruite tapped Chester lightly on the shoulder.
Chester frowned at the sudden contact but turned to look at him.
“Just to be clear, Chester.”
“….”
“Don’t worry. I can keep my mouth shut. That’s a secret I’ll take to the grave.”
Ruite even raised his thumb in front of Chester’s face.
If rumors spread, it wouldn’t just be Chester who suffered.
Ruite would too.
If people started talking about a political marriage between their families, imagine the gossip when the engagement was eventually annulled.
“….”
Chester’s brow furrowed even deeper.
Not noticing, Ruite nodded to himself.
Then, without a word, Chester turned coldly and walked away.
Ruite wasn’t surprised.
After checking once more that nothing had been missed, he returned to the classroom.
At Witmore Academy, students kept the same class from second to fourth year.
Ruite and Chester had been in different classes during their first year, but by some twist of fate, they had ended up in the same class from their second year onward—and would remain so until graduation.
That part was a bit depressing.
As he entered the classroom, a familiar atmosphere greeted him.
Inside the large room, sturdy wooden desks were arranged in neat rows. Each desk seated two people and was so durable that even scratching it with a pen wouldn’t leave a mark.
Flower-shaped lamps lined the walls, casting bright light from their glowing centers.
Each department had a distinct atmosphere, and the Department of Magic felt especially mystical—almost like something out of a fairy tale.
Vines climbed the pillars, blooming with fragrant flowers.
Ruite reached out absentmindedly to touch one of the unfamiliar orange flowers, only to be sharply stopped by Rona behind him.
“Don’t touch it. It’s sensitive to contact.”
“Rona, isn’t it a contradiction to grow something that sensitive in a place this crowded?”
“Living things grow through hardship. I’m raising it in secret, so keep quiet.”
Rona, who specialized in earth magic, had a strong interest in plants.
But Ruite was fairly certain it wouldn’t last a week before Professor Harold discovered it.
“Professor Harold sent you on an errand this morning, right?”
At that moment, someone plopped down in the seat next to him and greeted him with irritating cheerfulness.