Night Monarch's Cannon Fodder Bride-Chapter 25: Male Lead Meets The Heroine
Severine waited in the car, listening to the voices of Alina and the group of students outside.
"You know a real princess?"
"Not only do I know her, but I also live with her."
The smugness in Alina’s voice was far too obvious.
Severine shook her head, partially amused by their strange title. She was no princess. If fate favored anyone, that princess would be Alina.
So full of life and light that sometimes it hurt to look at her.
The ride back was far noisier than Severine would have preferred.
"What will you do with Liam?"
"How much will you pay him?"
"Are you really going to give him a job?"
"Trust me, he’s half crazy. If you lose your money, don’t come crying to me—I warned you."
The questions piled on one after another, accompanied only by Severine’s occasional hmms—if those sounds could even be considered answers.
Alina finally huffed. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
"Hah... wow. You’re really giving NPC behavior right now."
"...?" Severine glanced sideways, her brows knitting together ever so slightly.
"Don’t tell me... You don’t know what that means."
When Severine shook her head, the yellow eyes blinked in disbelief. "No, Your Highness, don’t you know the internet slang?"
The idea that someone their age didn’t use the internet felt absurd to her.
"Why don’t you go online?" she asked curiously. Come to think of it, she had never seen Severine using any of the popular social media platforms.
"Do you play online games?"
"No."
There was a hint of disdain in Severine’s gaze as if silently saying, ’Do I look as free as you?’
That only spurned Alina more. She leaned forward, staring at the beautiful face that never ceased to amaze her.
"So what do you do in your free time? Let us poor people know what kind of life the rich kids live. What did you do in your childhood? Didn’t sneak into the internet cafe?"
She kept insisting, harassing the silent lady until Severine couldn’t bear it anymore.
Under Alina’s overexcited gaze, she revealed bits and pieces of her life.
The more Alina listened, the wider her eyes grew. By the end, they were round like perfect egg yolks.
The life of a rich kid was nothing like what she had imagined.
From an early age, Severine had been buried under endless academic courses. Music, combat training, horseback riding, painting—her schedule had been packed before she even understood what rest meant.
As she grew older, she was forced to learn things foreign to Alina—how to run a company, how to negotiate contracts, how to read people across a table.
Terminologies. Etiquette. Prestige.
There was also a persistent demand to learn different languages and the need to stay at the top. If she failed at any of these, it would bring shame to her family.
The stain on reputation wouldn’t be a minor matter that could be forgotten under the guise of being a child.
One mistake was enough to label her as unfit for her future role.
Alina’s eyes were now filled with immense pity. "You guys are really working hard. Poor you," she patted the thin shoulder.
The silence in the car barely settled for a few seconds before Alina spoke again.
"Then, does that mean you have never read comics before? What about movies?"
Severine gave her a blank look as if she were looking at a stupid person.
Alina coughed, trying to ignore the flush of embarrassment. "I mean..."
Thinking for a while, she suddenly leaned near Severine’s ear. Her voice lowered to a hushed whisper.
"Have you ever seen that kind of movie?"
"What kind?"
"That."
It took Severine a while to understand what this sly cat meant.
"I’m twenty," she replied calmly. "Not two."
Though the truth was, her knowledge in that area was very limited.
While others were dazzled by the temptations of youth, she had been handling minor projects under her father’s supervision.
Where would she even find time for cheap entertainment?
"Cheap entertainment," Alina’s lips twitched. "... I have to say that name is indeed suitable."
"Come on," she raised her phone, showing a gameplay of a popular game. "I’ll teach you how to play."
The constant chatter made Severine’s temples throb. She suddenly missed the silence before Alina had returned from the championship.
"No thanks."
Before Alina could continue persuading her, the car came to a stop near the academy gate. Severine stepped out immediately.
"Hey! Wait for me!"
Alina rushed to catch up, only to halt in her steps.
What kind of bad luck was it to run into a lunatic again?
The way Severine had stiffened in place told her she was thinking the same thing.
While Alina contemplated between dragging Severine away or faking a cough to alert the person, green eyes had pinned them sharply.
Moonlight traced Emmett’s bare chest.
Thankfully, only two buttons were undone this time, sparing Alina from another navel trauma.
Beside him was a young girl dressed in a green blouse. Her brown eyes were filled with a watery sheen, and her cheeks were flushed.
"Why do we have to see this shit again?" Alina’s words weren’t too low, easily penetrating the air and reaching the girl.
Like a startled rabbit, she hastily hid behind Emmett and then glared at Severine.
"...???"
Severine didn’t recognize her, but that hostility was unmistakable—and irritating.
However, this brown-eyed girl wasn’t the real issue here.
She stepped to the side, subtly shielding Alina with her body.
A male lead and a heroine gathering in one place was never a good sign, especially when Emmett was looking at her as if he had found a savior.
"Oh, Severine." Emmett waved his hand with a harmless smile. The golden frame shone brightly, just like those deep green eyes hidden behind the glass.
The moment those words echoed, two pairs of eyes glared at her.
The girl appeared annoyed at the disturbance, while Alina was glaring because...
Why didn’t I know this sea king knew Severine?
