The Crimson Eagle Club room was no longer frequented solely by Adolevit students.
Hong Bi-Yeon had started opening her heart not only to students from other nations but also to commoner students, and treated everyone without discrimination. As a result, more people began visiting the club.
"Doesn't it feel like the princess has changed recently?"
"She said not to call her 'princess' at school. If it's too awkward, she said we can call her 'miss' instead."
"Really? She feels so different compared to first year."
Last year, Hong Bi-Yeon truly embodied the image of a 'princess' in every sense.
A rose with thorns.
Touch her, and you'd get pricked… so stay away!
She gave off the impression of an enormous, impenetrable wall, always keeping her distance from others, as if she alone stood above everyone else.
However, by the second semester of her second year, the image of Hong Bi-Yeon in the eyes of her peers had completely transformed.
Her personality remained cold and sharp, but while she had been like a flower precariously blooming on a cliff last year, now she appeared approachable enough to at least take in her fragrance up close.
And how was the current Hong Bi-Yeon?
"Princess."
"Call me 'Miss' instead."
"Miss!"
"... Why do you keep calling me?"
Even when commoners spoke to her, she didn't frown or ignore them. She might show a hint of annoyance, but she still responded to them all.
"Um, excuse me…"
The commoners would approach her with trivial topics, but Hong Bi-Yeon didn't take them too seriously and brushed them off casually.
After class, she was usually busy studying imperial politics. If she truly wanted to focus, she would've gone to the library instead.
The reason she stopped by this place today was simple: to meet Eisel and Flame, who occasionally dropped by.
'... What should I do?'
Taking two invitation cards out of the drawer, Hong Bi-Yeon hesitated for a moment.
As a princess, she had the authority to invite a limited number of people to become her close aides.
But what if all the people she chose as her closest aides were commoners?
There might be nobles who begin to question Hong Bi-Yeon's dignity as a princess of the Adolevit royal family.
Hong Bi-Yeon no longer looked down on commoners, but the kingdom's nobles were not the same.
Raised in a strictly hierarchical society with a deep-rooted sense of noble superiority, they saw commoners as insignificant.
Although she felt deeply sorry for her friends, Hong Bi-Yeon knew that to solidify her influence, she needed to bring powerful nobles like Baek Yu-Seol into her circle.
The royal ball was a stepping stone toward becoming queen.
Hong Si-hwa was sure to attend as well, and there was no room for softness.
"Huh? Weren't you going to the library? Damn, I came to sneak some ice cream from your fridge."
"Well, I have no interest in ice cream, though."
"Oh, uh…?"
Lost in thought while staring blankly at the invitation cards, Hong Bi-Yeon was startled by Flame and Eisel's sudden voices and quickly shoved the cards under her desk.
Fortunately, they didn't notice.
"Ugh, I have to head out for another practicum in just 30 minutes. Why are the class schedules so packed? It's seriously annoying."
"I only have Monster Studies today… Staring at ugly faces all day makes my eyes feel like they're rotting."
"Oh my, so you do care about appearances after all, huh?"
"I don't judge people's character based on looks, but spending all day staring at the face of a Cult Goblin isn't exactly pleasant."
"Right? If monsters could look good, I'd prefer that."
It seemed they had come here for a quick break before their next class. They didn't care what Hong Bi-Yeon was doing and casually sprawled on the expensive sofa, relaxing.
'…'
A moment of hesitation.
While she had been able to make rational and logical decisions a moment ago, it became much harder now that she was looking at their faces directly.
Suddenly, Hong Bi-Yeon stood up and tossed the invitation cards onto Flame and Eisel's faces as they lounged on the sofa.
"Ugh, what's this?"
"Take them. They're invitations to the royal ball."
"The royal ball…?"
"It's not uncommon for a royal noble to invite a mage they befriended at Stella to a ball."
Eisel and Flame, holding the invitation cards, widened their eyes and stared at Hong Bi-Yeon. What she said wasn't wrong.
Stories of commoners enrolling in Stella, befriending nobles, and being invited to royal balls, thereby climbing the social ladder, were not unusual.
That was why commoners worked hard to get close to Stella's nobles. Just being connected to them could completely transform their lives.
However, for Flame and Eisel - who already had plenty of opportunities to succeed on their own - the meaning of the invitation wasn't about climbing the ladder. Instead, it felt strange that Hong Bi-Yeon, of all people, had grown close enough to them to hand over such an invitation.
It made sense. Hong Bi-Yeon, who was destined to become a queen, giving invitations to them - who held no real power - meant that she was willing to stand with them at the ball, even if it might bring her significant disadvantages.
"Hey, Hong Bi-Yeon… you…"
"If you refuse, I'll kill you."
Before Flame could finish speaking, Hong Bi-Yeon cut her off. Perhaps she was embarrassed because she didn't even look at them and quickly returned to her seat.
Eisel and Flame exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.
Their laughter only made Hong Bi-Yeon's face turn an even deeper shade of red, but they didn't stop.
It was simply… Because they felt happy. That's all. And so, they laughed.
"Oh my, it suits you well~"
***
Baek Yu-Seol stood in front of the full-length mirror, awkwardly observing the unfamiliar reflection staring back at him.
Wearing a high-end tuxedo and with his hair neatly styled with wax, he looked like a completely different person.
When wearing glasses, he exuded an intellectual aura, and without them, a sharp and piercing vibe.
It was astonishing how much he had grown in just a year.
"As expected, when the frame is impressive, you can pull off anything you wear effortlessly!"
"Would you like to try something else?"
"No... I'll buy this one."
"An excellent choice!"
A quick glance at the price tag revealed an astronomical number. How could a single tuxedo cost this much?
'Did they embed diamonds in it or something?'
Well, considering it, it likely had mana crystals even more expensive than diamonds embedded in it.
The tuxedo itself was enchanted with dozens of spells, including defensive magic, temperature regulation, and resistance to deterioration.
After purchasing the tuxedo and leaving the tailor shop, Baek Yu-Seol was suddenly hit with a wave of buyer's remorse.
It's instinctive for a man to want to present himself well to impress a woman. But still.
But…
'... I'm almost thirty.'
Even though he looked like a teenager on the outside, his mind was still that of an adult.
Feeling attracted to an eighteen-year-old high school girl, and even spending millions recklessly just to impress her… it felt ridiculous.
'Well, it's not like anyone here knows the truth anyway...'
The only person who could guess Baek Yu-Seol's actual age was likely Flame.
'How did it come to this?'
In the past, Baek Yu-Seol had always seen the girls around him not as women, but simply as kids. However, recently, something within him had started to shift.
He no longer saw them as mere children.
Maybe living as a teenager had gradually turned his mindset into that of one, too.
Jeliel felt genuinely like an older sister just a year older, and his classmates felt like peers and close friends.
'But I don't feel this way with the others at all...'
Perhaps it was because they possessed an unusually high level of maturity for teenagers.
Eisel, who endured a harsh life before enrolling in Stella. Jeliel, who had managed her father's company since childhood. And Hong Bi-Yeon, who had faced life-threatening royal succession battles from a young age…
Even Flame, if you include her previous life, was roughly the same age as Baek Yu-Seol.
It was no wonder these women possessed a maturity that far surpassed Baek Yu-Seol's, even though he was nearing his thirties.
So perhaps…
'…Could I allow myself to be a bit selfish?'
With this small question lingering in his heart, Baek Yu-Seol trudged back to Stella.
With apocalyptic events threatening the world, it felt ridiculous to be preoccupied with trivial concerns like romance.
"Ugh, might as well eat some stew."
In an area with high-end tailor shops, there weren't any cheap stew restaurants to be found.
Sighing, he headed toward Rodeo Street, a place frequented by students. On his way, a familiar figure caught his eye.
Ma Yu-Seong. He was sneaking into an alley.
'Huh?'
The way he glanced around to check if anyone was watching and crept into the alley was suspicious.
'What now… Probably meeting with the Dark Mage's agents.'
Ma Yu-Seong often communicated with the subordinates of the Dark Mage King, keeping tabs on the movements of the Dark Mages.
While he claimed it was to monitor their society, that wasn't the full truth.
If they ever planned something destructive, he would intervene to stop them himself.
In fact, Ma Yu-Seong had thwarted the Dark Mages' plans multiple times without anyone knowing.
Of course, he couldn't reveal this to the public, so no one was aware of his efforts.
'If that ever got out, it would be chaos.'
If people learned that the son of the Dark Mage King was secretly killing Dark Mages, they would label him a traitor, and the Dark Mages would go on a rampage.
Thinking it was likely nothing serious, Baek Yu-Seol decided to ignore Ma Yu-Seong and kept walking.
… Or at least, he tried to.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted from the alley.
'Ugh… Can't catch a break, can I?'
A dark mage must have infiltrated Arcanium again. While it was unlikely that Ma Yu-Seong had been defeated, Baek Yu-Seol, just in case, drew his Teripon Sword and hurriedly ran into the alley.
What he witnessed was a scene he hadn't expected at all.
"Grrk... cough!"
The opponent Ma Yu-Seong was dealing with wasn't a dark mage.
It was a Stella cadet… a first-year student, no less.
"Hey, Ma Yu-Seong... what are you doing right now?"
"...?"
Startled, Baek Yu-Seol asked. Ma Yu-Seong turned around with a terrifying expression, only to quickly relax and flash his usual bright smile.
"Oh, it's you, Yu-Seol."
That familiar smile felt unnerving, especially since his face was covered in blood.
"Forget the greetings. Did you just hit him?"
"Yeah. He insulted my father."
"Your father...?"
The only ones who could possibly know about Ma Yu-Seong's father were dark mages. But...
Among the cadets... were there any dark mages?
'... There shouldn't be.'
While the faculty had been infiltrated by numerous dark mages, most of them were wiped out last summer by Elthman Elwin.
Among the students... there were no dark mages.
Not just 'hardly any,' but absolutely none.
In the original story, no dark mage cadet had ever appeared either.
'Did something else change without me knowing...?'
For now, the commotion and the fact that Ma Yu-Seong had used violence against a junior were significant issues, so Baek Yu-Seol decided to intervene.
"Just put him down for now."
"Alright."
Ma Yu-Seong obediently put the first-year cadet down... or rather, slammed him onto the ground.
"Ugh, cough..."
"Hey. Are you alright?"
It felt absurd to ask a dark mage if they were okay, but Baek Yu-Seol instinctively said it anyway.
The fact that the opponent looked like a human one year younger in appearance seemed to affect the situation.
'Taseron?'
A name Baek Yu-Seol had never heard before.
As expected, an unfamiliar character.
Taseron, drenched in blood, slowly lifted his head and suddenly smiled.
"Hello, Senior Baek Yu-Seol. I've always admired you."
"Oh, really...?"
"Yes. You've been gifted with 'true' talent, haven't you? That's something you've cultivated yourself… truly impressive."
"Wait, what are you talking about...? Me, talented?"
"Yes. Even though Senior doesn't have magical talent, you handle Flash and swordsmanship better than anyone else. That's truly remarkable."
"Is that a compliment...?"
"Of course."
"Well, thanks, but what do you mean by being born with talent and cultivating it yourself?"
Finding the junior odd, Baek Yu-Seol asked, but Taseron turned his head toward Ma Yu-Seong.
"Being born with talent is proof of how exceptional you are. Jealousy or envy of that is nothing short of foolishness."
"..."
Ma Yu-Seong remained silent without responding.
"But... receiving talent afterward and reigning above true geniuses… that's a truly despicable act."
"Receiving talent afterward?"
Baek Yu-Seol couldn't make sense of what he was saying. Taseron struggled to his feet and brushed off the dust on his clothes.
Though it did little to clean his bloodstained uniform, he straightened up and gave a polite bow to Ma Yu-Seong before turning to Baek Yu-Seol with a grin.
"I'll be going now. Thank you so much for your help."
"Oh, uh... sure."
He left so politely it was hard to believe he had just been on the receiving end of a beating.
As Taseron left, Baek Yu-Seol was about to ask Ma Yu-Seong a question, but he seemed uninterested and was already walking toward the far end of the alley.
"...Taseron."
The name was unfamiliar, and so were his words.
'Receiving talent?'
Now that he thought about it, was there anything fully revealed about Ma Yu-Seong in the game?
No.
In both the novel and the game, Ma Yu-Seong remained a mysterious and enigmatic figure until the very end.
So.
Taseron must be one of the few who knew Ma Yu-Seong's secrets.
'Hmm...'
That means the answer is clear.
'I'll have to beat it out of him later to get the information.'
After all, Ma Yu-Seong was just a punching bag anyway. Hitting him once more wouldn't make much of a difference, right?
No matter how much he pretends to be human with a facade, he was not human… he was a dark mage.
He couldn't let herself be fooled by such expressions.
Thinking this, Baek Yu-Seol decided not to chase Ma Yu-Seong and instead headed in the direction Taseron had gone.
'I've been stressed out lately, so this might actually be a good thing.'