Saturday mornings at the Royal Celestia Academy always have two contrasting sides.
For most of the nobility, today is a mandatory day to return to their families using private teleportation circles. The dormitories become quiet, the hallways that are usually echoing with footsteps now silent. However, for those of us who come from distant regions—including me—the weekend is a time to breathe.
Or, in my case, a time to earn extra money.
Although my tuition is covered by the academy due to my achievements in the survival exam, I still need funds to live. Fortunately, my reputation as "the survivor from Valerius" opens up unique part-time job opportunities. Those crazy research professors often ask me to be their guinea pig. From testing systems on new simulation world maps, to being a human punching bag to measure the effectiveness of mixed element spells, to simply catering to a professor's ego who wants to duel with magic.
The pay is decent, enough to buy books or magic equipment without having to beg others.
"Hah, at least today I'm free," I muttered as I stretched my stiff shoulders.
Without Aiden, who had returned to his family home, and Lyra, who was busy with church activities, my weekend felt a little lonely. There was no chatter from Aiden about heroism, no crisp laughter from Lyra.
To chase away that emptiness, I decided to go to Main Island—the entertainment district located in the heart of the academy.
Unlike the quiet dormitory area, Main Island was a pulse that never slept. The brick paths were neatly arranged, flanked by rows of mana-leaf trees whose leaves were falling. Magic shops, clothing boutiques, and cafes filled with the aroma of coffee beans filled the air.
My goal for the day was simple: find a bookstore at the end of the street to kill some time.
However, fate seemed to have other plans.
After about twenty minutes of walking along the crowded sidewalk, my steps stopped in front of a cafe. Not because of the aroma of sweet cakes wafting out, but because of the figure sitting alone at a table near the window.
Behind the transparent glass, Seraphina Vox Winters was sitting with her chin propped up.
My eyes widened slightly.
To be honest, I had been wondering why, on a holiday like this, some noble ladies still wore Victorian-style dresses. Surely, on a holiday like this, they could use the opportunity to breathe freely from the torture of corsets that squeezed their waists.
But Seraphina today... she was different.
She wasn't wearing a noble dress. She was wearing something that made me feel nostalgic for my previous world. A style that was much more modern, casual, yet still exuded an aura of luxury.
Her silver hair fell straight, framing her beautiful face. Her slender neck was adorned with an elegant black lace choker.
But what caught my attention the most was her casual outfit.
She wore a pure white off-shoulder top with loose sleeves that fell below her shoulders, revealing her shoulders. She wore a black A-line skirt with pantyhose that matched the color of her skirt.
It was a refreshing sight.
Just as I was admiring her appearance, Seraphina turned her head.
Our eyes met through the window.
She jumped in surprise. The small fork she was using to cut the strawberry shortcake in front of her slipped from her hand, clattering softly on the plate. Her face flushed red in a matter of seconds.
I smiled awkwardly and waved.
Hesitantly, she looked left and right, making sure no one else was watching, then gave me a stiff hand signal: Come in.
The cafe doorbell rang as I stepped inside. Cool air and the aroma of vanilla immediately welcomed me. I walked over to her table.
"Good afternoon, Lady Seraphina," I said, pulling out the chair in front of her. "Don't you usually come with your servants?"
"And I don't usually see you wandering around like a vagrant without your two loyal followers," she replied sharply, even though the redness on her cheeks had not yet faded. She hurriedly smoothed her hair. "Nia has something to do. And I... I just wanted some fresh air."
"Alone?"
"Better alone than surrounded by aristocratic flies who only want to lick my father's name," she snorted, then sipped her tea to cover her nervousness.
My eyes fell on the plate in front of her. She had only taken one bite of the cake.
"By the way, you really like looking at my cleavage, don't you?" Seraphina teased, kicking my leg. "Are you so fascinated by this part, you pervert?"
I could only endure the pain from the kick. What else could I do? She did have a beautiful upper body. So, she always looked good in clothes with an open top like that. After all, she was a beautiful Villainess who could make anyone mesmerized.
Seraphina looked down at her clothes. "Oh, yes. This is a prototype from the magical textiles department. They say it's 'futuristic' style. At first I thought it was too strange because of the straps around the shoulders. Unexpectedly, this outfit is actually comfortable. I don't have to worry about my strapless dress slipping down like it does when I wear a party dress."
I was silent as I listened to Seraphina's explanation.
"So what do you think?" asked Seraphina with a curious look on her face.
"You look beautiful," I said spontaneously.
Seraphina, who had been explaining confidently, immediately choked on her tea. "Ahem! Y-you... could you please not attack me like that all of a sudden?!"
I chuckled softly.
She put down her cup a little too hard, then looked at me.
"Leon," she called.
"Yes?"
"Since you've seen me in such a relaxed state, and you also seem to have no purpose in life today..."
She stood up from her chair, picked up her small bag, then pointed at my face with her slender index finger.
"I order you to accompany me. Today is still long, and I don't want to spend it bored."
She smiled crookedly.
"Accompany me to play until night, Leon Gray. And don't you dare refuse."
***
The rest of the day passed like a montage in a cliché romance movie that I often avoided when I lived in my world before.
The girl, the Villainess, pulled me into her vortex of energy.
We went in and out of boutiques where she forced me to evaluate dresses that cost as much as my annual living expenses.
"I think that one suits you, Lady."
"Really?" asked Seraphina hesitantly, "Hey, Leon. Do you really like seeing my collarbone?"
"Haven't you been choosing off-shoulder outfits all this time, Lady Seraphina?"
We visited the opera house.
"Eh, I didn't think Leon would like watching this. Isn't it just a boring event?"
"Well, you could say I like spending time watching the opera."
We sampled the street food she ate in an overly elegant manner.
"How about this, Leon?" Seraphina asked, pointing to the grilled satay.
"Lady, haven't you already sampled a lot of food? Aren't you afraid that later—"
"Ew, don't talk about weight in front of a girl."
Then we arrived at the beach at the end of the island as the sun began to set in the west.
I sat on the white sand, breathing heavily from exhaustion. Meanwhile, Seraphina stood behind me, facing the orange-colored horizon.
She smiled slightly, her silver hair blowing in the sea breeze.
"Thank you for playing with me today, Leon," she said without turning around.
"You're welcome," I replied briefly.
However, deep down in my heart, I had to admit... that today was indeed fun.
I stared at her fragile back. That strange feeling returned. God said this world was real. But my brain still had trouble fully accepting that fact. To me, Seraphina still felt like a character I had written.
But the problem was, I hadn't even had time to write her background for the game. She was simply designed to be "evil" and have a "tragic" life.
Was the suffering she experienced my fault?
A cold guilt crept over me. I felt like a parent who had abandoned their child, and now came pretending to be a hero.
"Hey, what are you daydreaming about?"
Seraphina's voice broke my guilt.
The girl did something unexpected. Casually, she lifted her skirt a little, then took off her shoes. Not stopping there, she pulled down the black pantyhose that covered her legs, revealing her pale white skin and slender toes. She casually placed the pantyhose on top of her shoes.
It was very unbecoming of a noblewoman. I was sure that anyone else who saw this scene would have said something.
She stepped into the water, then turned to me with a mischievous smile. Her hand scooped up some seawater.
The salty water splashed onto my face.
"What the—"
"You have an ugly face, Leon!" Seraphina teased me.
"Are you challenging me to a duel, Lady?"
Without warning, she ran towards me and pushed my shoulder with dark magic. Unprepared, I fell flat on the sand. She laughed even harder, pointing at me covered in sand.
"I didn't expect Leon to be such a fool!"
My embarrassment turned into competitive instinct. "Fine, you asked for it."
I quickly took off my shoes, channeled wind mana into my palms, and lifted grains of sea water into the air.
Dozens of water balls shot towards her.
Seraphina didn't stand still. Her eyes glowed red. Black mist rose from her shadow, forming dark hands that caught my water ball and threw it back at me.
"Weak attack!" she sneered.
We ran along the shore like children. There was no deadly magic and no social status. Only water, sand, and laughter.
Until, without us realizing it, the sun had completely set. The sky turned dark, studded with diamonds. Millions of stars twinkled above the Royal Celestia Academy.
We were panting. Our clothes were soaking wet.
"It's cold..." Seraphina muttered, hugging herself.
"That's what happens when you play in the water at night, silly."
I gathered dry twigs from around the beach, piled them up, then snapped my fingers. An orange magical fire lit up warmly, illuminating both our faces.
We sat side by side facing the fire. A comfortable silence enveloped us, accompanied only by the sound of the waves crashing and the crackling of the firewood.
Seraphina looked up.
"When I first arrived at the academy, I was always amazed by this view," she whispered softly. "Here, the stars are so bright."
"Wasn't it like that where you came from?"
She shook her head, hugging her knees tightly. "In the Winters Region, the sky is always covered in snowstorms all year round. There are no stars. Only endless cold. My grandmother said it was an ancestral curse."
I fell silent. My hands clenched on the sand.
I knew about it. I knew the solution. I wrote the Winters family background. The solution was in my head.
But I couldn't say it.
If I suddenly knew how to break the curse, I would definitely be suspected. I could be considered an enemy spy, or worse, a threat.
I'm sorry, Seraphina. It's not time yet.
"Hey, Leon," she called again, her voice sounding fragile amid the sound of the waves. She rested her cheek on her knee.
"Do you think... I can shine like those stars?"
The question pierced me. As someone who knew that Seraphina was the Villainess. I felt confused about how to answer.
"I don't know. I'm not good at commenting on other people's lives."
Seraphina's face dimmed slightly.
"But," I continued, staring at the bonfire. "The brightest stars are usually born from the deepest darkness. So I think, Lady, you will shine brighter than anyone else in time."
Seraphina's eyes widened. Her mouth opened slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but held back. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, blending with the color of her beautiful eyes.
She buried her face back into her knees, hiding her expression.
"You liar..." she muttered indistinctly.
Silence again.
Suddenly, Seraphina reached into her pocket. She took out several handheld sparklers.
"Want to play?" she laughed, this time with a slightly shy smile. "I... I stole them from the warehouse."
We lit the sparklers using the bonfire.
Colorful sparks burst in our hands. Red, green, yellow. The light glowed on Seraphina's face, making her look very beautiful—not as a noble lady, but as an ordinary girl who was happy.
She laughed softly at the sparks, spinning slowly on the sand.
I stared at her, transfixed. Time seemed to slow down.
Without realizing it, the sparklers in my hands were burning down. The sparks were getting smaller.
"Leon..."
Seraphina stopped spinning. She stood in front of me. Her sparklers were also starting to burn out. She looked at me, the distance between us only a step. The atmosphere of the beach, the stars, and the remaining light from the sparklers created an almost perfect atmosphere.
Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something important. Something that might change our contractual relationship.
However...
The sparklers in my hand went out completely. Thin smoke billowed, carrying away the last light between us. The darkness of the night returned, leaving an awkwardness hanging in the air.
The moment was broken.
Seraphina gasped, as if just awakening from a spell. She took a step back, her face flushing red in the darkness.
"Ah... it's already night!" she exclaimed in panic, her voice slightly shrill. She hurriedly picked up her shoes awkwardly. "Nia must be looking for me! I... I have to go back!"
She turned and walked quickly away from the beach without looking back.
"Thanks for today, Leon! Bye!"
Her voice was swallowed by the night wind.
I was still standing there.
"Damn..."
I sighed deeply, staring at her back as she walked away until she disappeared behind the trees.
*****
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