Chapter 57
“Cadet Martin! This is my theory, but I’m sure of it! Teacher Hectia must have gotten a lot of coal for Christmas as a kid! For not being considerate of others!”
“Would Santa Claus really account for that?”
“Our Santa Claus can do anything!”
Her steadfast belief made me chuckle. Her laughter infected me, and before I knew it, I was laughing more freely than ever.
“….”
“….”
As the laughter subsided, I instinctively knew it was my turn.
“…The truth is… Gilbert’s group hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“….”
“I just… dislike them one-sidedly.”
Some people pathologically hate sharing their secrets. Misanthropes. Cynics who view the world darkly. I’m one of those people.
Even if someone listens kindly now, they might stab me in the back later. This story—could it become a weakness someday?
I always think like that.
But sometimes, very rarely, I want to let go of the burdens I can barely carry with both hands and lean on someone.
“You probably know, Teacher, about the things I supposedly did early in the semester.”
“Student teacher.”
But I can’t open my heart to anyone. It’s impossible. Not Martin’s heart—Kim An-hyun’s heart.
The wrongs Martin committed early in the semester… they’re not the root issue. They’re Martin’s problems, not Kim An-hyun’s.
Kim An-hyun’s problem lies elsewhere. My pathetic writing talent never answered me, even as my family and friends abandoned me. My only success, The Fallen Crown Prince of the Cosmos Empire, was Recola’s work, not mine.
The fact that they’re Recola’s creations—that alone fills me with hatred and resentment.
Explaining that would mean saying this is a novel, and you were just an extra meant to die before reaching Dr. Keren’s lab. I didn’t have the confidence for that.
“I admit my wrongs. I deserved to be called Trash Martin. But I think I’ve settled things to some extent. I was thoroughly crushed by the Four Great Ducal Families too.”
What was I doing right now?
“Even recently, Gilbert’s group offered a handshake, wanting to get along. Five times, I think.”
How vile, Martin. How despicable, Kim An-hyun. Hiding your ugliest truths while pretending to open up in earnest.
“Each time, I refused. Even when they said to forget the past and start anew, I just don’t want to get involved with them.”
To share such an embarrassing story.
It’s just childish whining. I did wrong and was punished, but I hate and resent both myself for my wrongs and you for punishing me—a petulant child’s tantrum. This is Martin’s heart, not Kim An-hyun’s.
Yet Kim An-hyun screams inside that this isn’t it, that my real anger and resentment lie elsewhere.
Truly pathetic.
“That’s the kind of person I am.”
At that moment, spring embraced me. Or perhaps I fell into spring. The warm scent of spring seeped through my nose. What was this? I nearly choked up.
“It’s okay.”
Hailey hugged me tightly, patting my back. Each touch sent vibrations that stirred my heart.
“It must’ve been so hard, Martin.”
“….”
“I’m sorry for not understanding.”
“….”
“You’ve done well, holding it together so maturely.”
“….”
Dangerous.
“No one’s blaming you.”
“….”
“Ignore those who judge you without knowing your story.”
“….”
“So what if you made some mistakes? Was anyone born perfect?”
“….”
“It’s okay. Slowly, slowly. Look at yourself, love yourself, guide yourself. Someday, you’ll move toward what you believe is right.”
Dangerous. Dangerous. Dangerous.
My chest felt like it would burst. Tears threatened to spill. I couldn’t stop them.
“Ugh…!”
Then, an uncomfortable sound came from behind the bench.
“Student Teacher? Martin?”
“Oh! Welcome, Cadet Luri!”
Hailey let go of me and turned to greet Luri.
Meanwhile, I began collecting my overflowing emotions.
“No matter how much you’re Student Teacher Hailey, you can’t have our Martin.”
“Oh my, are you two dating?”
“We’re going to!”
“Well… dating means both people have to be on the same page.”
“We’re going to!”
Hailey looked at the squawking Luri with amusement.
Thanks to that… I could stab my heart. Stab, stab, stab with a knife to calm my emotions.
“Wah! Martin! Student Teacher Hailey’s bullying me!”
“She’s not wrong.”
“Squawk!”
Checking my cadet handbook, it was almost time. Just then, the protagonist party came rushing in from afar.
Hailey waved enthusiastically.
“Wow, great to see everyone!”
Gilbert rubbed the back of his neck, apologizing.
“Sorry, we’re late.”
“No, you’re right on time!”
Hailey was clearly thrilled, her energy soaring.
In contrast, the protagonist party looked slightly tired. They seemed to have prepared in a rush.
“You guys aren’t staying up late just because it’s break, right?”
“Yes.”
“Understood.”
Mary flinched guiltily.
Come to think of it, at this point in the story, the protagonist party was diving into intense training, weren’t they? The reason might differ from the original.
In the original, Bianca’s death in the Helaine incident and Nerjin’s subsequent suicide were a huge shock to them.
They didn’t show it outwardly. It wasn’t a pleasant topic. Instead, they threw themselves into training even more, especially during the break.
Now that I thought about it, it was odd. Nerjin and Bianca were both alive and well. Why were they training?
As I quietly observed the protagonist party, they glanced at me one by one, as if steeling themselves.
‘What’s that about?’
“Alright! Let’s kick off our fun summer break with a food tour!”
Hailey stood, stretching her arms high.
“All together, hurray!”
“….”
“….”
“….”
“….”
No one followed. Of course not. How old were we? What were our statuses? No way we’d do it. It’d be so embarrassing we’d die.
“Cadet Martin!”
“Y-Yes?”
Hailey suddenly leaned in close.
“Hurray!”
After what just happened, how could I refuse?
Trembling, I raised my hands. Gritting my teeth, I muttered, barely squeezing out the words.
“…H-Hurray…”
Having done it, Luri and the protagonist party covered their mouths in shock.
Yeah… I know… no words. It’s humiliating.
“Come on, all together! Hurray!”
“Hurray…”
“Hurray.”
“Hurray!”
We circled the park and left. Under the blazing sun, with vibrant flowers in the background, Hailey spun around. Her skirt flared, and her straw hat—everything was beautiful.
…She prepared this much. Staying grumpy wouldn’t be polite, would it?
Hailey led us to a restaurant she’d scouted.
“Let’s eat before tea!”
The Imperium Empire was where all the continent’s goods and cultures converged. A holy land where every eatery dreamed of opening a chain.
“It’s hot, so let’s have something fresh!”
Hailey’s pick was a newly opened fresh food restaurant.
“Yes, sounds good.”
“Let’s go there.”
Except for Hailey, it was unfamiliar territory for us. Elisha, Bord, and Mary, ducal heirs, often ate at home. Gilbert and Lina weren’t exactly flush with cash either.
Luri came from a high noble family, and I preferred Lilac’s home-cooked meals over dining out.
Excited, we entered the bustling restaurant, clearly popular.
“Wow, this is commoner food.”
“It’s so different from academy meals.”
“But it looks delicious!”
The restaurant had fresh vegetables, meats for salads, salmon, nuts, and more, even making sandwiches on the spot with chosen ingredients.
Elisha took a bite, eyes widening, and admitted aloud, “Commoner food is this good?”
As Hailey said, it was a fresh meal. Afterward, we went to a famous chain, ‘Angels of Tea Time,’ and ordered tea.
“I’ll have Earl Grey.”
“Darjeeling.”
“Apple tea, please.”
The fun part of this tea café was that for a high price, you could buy tea and take as many desserts as you wanted.
We enjoyed a fairly peaceful atmosphere.
The protagonist party stuck to themselves, Luri clung to me, and Hailey alternated between both. It felt slightly off, but spending time together without conflict was a huge step forward.
A scene I’d never imagined.
Having unintentionally worked with the protagonist party through various incidents, this situation didn’t feel entirely foreign.
They might even be viewing me favorably by now.
But who could’ve known?
That today would be the day I’d cross swords with the protagonist.
***
“Hey, how dare you!”
A loud shout cut through the tea café.
A young noble in ornate clothing, hands behind his back and head held high, was glaring at a café worker.
The commotion, piercing the café’s serene music, drew our attention to the scene.
“Do you know who I am? I’m Marquis Vistavern!”
“Y-Yes, Marquis. Of course, we know. But this is a shared space, so please keep it down…”
“An insignificant worker dares tell me to be quiet?!”
The man in the café uniform bowed subserviently. Marquis Vistavern, as if seizing the chance, kept ranting.
“I’m telling you! Hey!”
A typical troublemaker, not even in a bar but a tea café—a noble causing a scene. It really hit home that I was living in a fantasy world.
More importantly, this wasn’t just any troublemaker.
Wild Instinct (Lv 3) is certain it’s a lie.
Know-It-All (Lv 3) accesses the target’s directory.
The youngest of the three sons of Marquis Vistavern. A thug with a violent personality who abuses his power.
A spoiled brat wielding his father’s status and authority. At this level, he was practically as bad as Martin, wasn’t he?
‘And Vistavern, no less.’
This marquisate was featured in the original story. As villains, they were roughly the sixth arc’s antagonists. They used some cunning, but the strengthened protagonist party easily defeated them… while also serving to awaken the party.
‘Here, let’s see the protagonist party’s reaction.’
Sure enough, the protagonist party was staring at the self-proclaimed Marquis Vistavern with icy expressions.
Unaware of the gazes from the empire’s top powers, the troublemaker kept blabbering.
“Get the manager!”
“Y-Yes?”
“Are you deaf?! Get the manager! You’ll pay for insulting a marquis!”
“Insult? No, sir! It’s just that the menu you ordered is out of season…”
“Shut up, peasant! How dare you open your mouth!”
Gilbert started to stand. Bord stopped him.
“We’ll handle it. This is the duty of high nobility.”
With an unusually serious face, Bord stood, followed by Elisha’s chilling aura and Mary, overcoming her timidity with resolve.
They slowly approached the so-called Marquis Vistavern.