Transmigrated Into A Tragic Romance Fantasy-Chapter 15: Firsts & Firsts

Rolled into a spiral format, reminiscent of a swiss roll, the hair bun was a common style used in novels or anime.

Typically used by the supporting characters, the hairstyle emphasized elegance and maturity when only the tips were curled, or it could be used to express a girlish and mischievous look when twin hair buns were used- That was the essence of a hair bun.

Although this hairstyle seemed to be capable of exuding varying looks, it wasn’t something a main heroine would use.

The golden-haired lady, who fortunately(?) introduced herself as the one who used to always sit behind Elden, had her hair styled in twin hair buns.

...It wasn’t quite to my taste.

Regardless, I had no immediate recollection of her, even with the information provided.

After all, Elden Raphelion wouldn’t care about a seemingly random student.

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

Elden preferred women with a mature appearance and not a jovial look.

And the fact I had no recollection of her probably meant that she was someone who avoided getting entangled with a villain like Elden.

After a small moment of silence between us.

I managed to remember a golden-haired student who used to style her hair in buns and was always reading something.

Someone who didn’t seem interested in studying or interacting with others.

Someone who packed more novels in her bag than study materials.

“Ariel....?”

“Yes! You finally remembered?”

Ariel gave me a beaming smile.

A fellow classmate from the Royal Academy.

Though that was a topic I wished to avoid due to Elden’s infamous past as the Academy’s troublemaker, one of the books Ariel was holding caught my attention.

[The Reincarnation of the Demon God]

It was clearly a fantasy novel.

Contrary to my expectations, she seemed to have an interest in male-oriented novels, not just the typical romance novels women liked to read.

“I didn’t expect to meet you here, so I was a bit surprised.”

“Hmph-. I should be the one saying that, you know?”

Ariel snarked at me, probably hinting at the fact that I couldn’t recognize a classmate even after spending 3 years in the same space with them. After saying this, however, she smiled again.

“But I am glad we met again.”

A delicate pale hand reached out towards me.

After waking up in this world and after becoming the villain known as Elden Raphelion, this was the first handshake I had received.

No, now that I think about it, Ariel was the first person who had properly greeted me.

Unlike the others, who always looked at me in fear or apprehension, Ariel’s gaze conveyed her genuine goodwill.

She must’ve known.

What kind of a villain Elden Raphelion was.

Yet, the fact she so readily approached me was probably due to her indifference to the rumors or her lack of interest in anything beyond her novels coupled with the ‘unexpected’ sighting of me in this place.

The Elrond County, where Ariel lived, was a good fortnight’s journey to the Grand Duchy.

Perhaps she thought it was a pleasant thing to encounter a familiar person in these distant lands and since some time had passed since our graduation from the Academy, some of her memories regarding Elden’s infamy must have faded, enabling her to approach me without hesitation.

Anyway...

I put aside these musings as I accepted Ariel’s handshake.

“It is good to see you as well.”

“Oh, right. I heard you made it into the final stage of the Betrothal Contest. Congratulations.”

I wondered if it was polite to answer her cheerful greeting with bad news, but since it was something I was trying to hide, I gave her an indifferent response as we finished the handshake.

“I withdrew.”

“...Huh?”

“I said, I withdrew from the contest.”

“What? Why?”

Ariel’s blue eyes widened.

It seems that the bookworm found something of interest.

However, since I didn’t feel like going over such a tiring topic I brushed it off.

“It doesn’t make sense for a man who’s lived a lifetime as a vile scoundrel to become the Duchess’ husband.”

“......”

“So, I withdrew.”

“Oh... I see.”

A sigh left her lips, and Ariel’s dilated pupils contracted.

Her parted lips closed.

Her eyes darted around us.

And those closed lips trembled, as if unable to find the right words to say.

......

In her way, she was expressing her tacit consent to my words.

A notorious wastrel had no place in the esteemed Grand Ducal Family.

And that withdrawing was the correct choice.

But, it would be extremely impolite to voice such words, hence the awkward silence and the darting of her eyes.

It would be strange to offer words of support or even consolation to someone who threw the towel at a crucial moment.

Caught in such a delicate situation, Ariel couldn’t find the proper response due to her poor social skills.

“Ha, hahaha-. Well, I suppose you’re right...No, I mean. Not that I agree you’re a scoundrel in the logical sense...Or any other sense...But...When compared to the other candidates, it’s sort of....Ah...You... Mmm?”

Eventually, Ariel managed to blurt out some sympathetic and supportive words.

The fact my confession had been somewhat awkward was irrelevant.

The listener found herself thrown into an even more embarrassing situation than the one who had confessed. So as the guilty party, it would be only proper if I dealt with this situation.

Snicker-.

Ariel’s awkward response was so comical that for the first time since I transmigrated into this world, a sincere laugh escaped my lips.

After becoming the villainous character of Elden Raphelion, there have been many occasions where I would rather grimace than smile.

Still, I decided to clear out this misunderstanding, even if it meant cutting short my amusement.

“It’s fine. My withdrawal is on hold, so technically, I’m still a finalist.”

“Huh? On hold......?”

“Since there’s never been a withdrawal in the history of the Betrothal Contest, it seems my declaration has thrown the Grand Duchy into a twist.”

“Ah...I see.”

As our discussion about my withdrawal came to a close, Ariel’s eyes diverted to the seven-book tower I held.

To Ariel, something like the Betrothal Contest would be a minor matter, at best.

Whether I withdrew or not, she couldn’t care less.

For her, this seven-book tower was the perfect solution to clear the awkward mood.

So, she pointed at the tower and asked,

“Are you planning on reading all of these?”

“I’ll be just trying them out. Since they all seem interesting, I couldn’t quite decide which one to start first.”

“Hoh-. Weren’t you uninterested in novels before?”

“I believe it’s time for me to pick a new hobby.”

“Is that so?”

In a flash, Ariel’s blue eyes sparkled with a hungry light.

She licked her beautiful red lips.

That was the gaze of a predator who had just found its prey.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was the look of an excited veteran who had just discovered a newbie.

“Can I make some recommendations? It seems we have similar tastes, judging by the books you’ve picked.”

This was what I’d hoped for.

“That would be great.”

“Hehe-. Then follow me!”

Ariel made her way into the Pure Literature section with bubbly steps.

It seemed that the veteran was displeased with the seven books that the newbie had selected.

Since I needed someone to recommend books to me, Ariel’s seasoned help was a godsend.

In the Medieval Period, without the internet or online communities, it was extremely hard to find someone with similar interests.

And that scarcity made this encounter all the more delightful.

Having a veteran eager to guide a newbie is something mutually beneficial.

With such thoughts, I happily followed Ariel’s lead.

**

At the same time,

In Lumia’s laboratory, an experiment was being conducted.

Bubble, Bubble-.

Gurgle, Gurgle-.

The first evaluation with the final candidates had ended.

It was more of an initial greeting than an evaluation, but as expected, things went according to plan.

Deron, Kyle, and Blund.

Those three have received their first lesson.

They were shown what repulsion tasted like, and what it felt like to swallow such repulsion despite its growing intensity.

However...

It seemed that her lesson hadn’t been conveyed to Elden Raphelion.

However, this was only the beginning.

There was still plenty of time left, and with it, came plenty of opportunities.

Though she had been defeated twice already, a researcher like Lumia had an unshakable perseverance. So she accepted these failures as an opportunity for growth and continued with her experiments in her laboratory.

This particular experiment involved storing condensed mana into special crystals created through alchemy.

If she succeeds, this will become an extremely useful item for mages.

Therefore...

After performing a complete analysis of the four candidates, Lumia was now stirring a solution in a triangular flask while wearing a lab coat.

The experiment had been progressing smoothly, and it was nearing its end.

She should have completed this much earlier, but the arrival of the variable known as Elden Raphelion disrupted her schedule.

A capable researcher must adhere to a strict schedule, following their plans, striving for perfection.

Especially in the fields of Magic or Alchemy, which were undeveloped and still largely unknown. When dealing with these fields, even a speck of dust inside a test tube might alter the outcome of an experiment.

Furthermore, there was always the danger of the unexpected.

Everything must therefore be perfect and all experimental conditions and circumstances must be under the control of the researcher.

For this reason,

The unpredictable variable known as Elden Raphelion, bothered Lumia to no end.

A problem with no apparent solution was bound to be frustrating.

Of course, the chance of overcoming and solving this problem was a great driving factor.

“Sigh......”

As she stirred the solution inside the flask, Lumia sighed absentmindedly, casting aside her distracting thoughts.

This was a crucial moment in her delicate experiment.

With her schedule already disrupted, she wouldn’t allow any more distractions.

“My lady...Is there something wrong?”

Her maid and assistant Marien, who stood by her side with a crutch, asked cautiously.

Her lady seemed distracted today.

Usually, Lumia would always get excited at this stage of an experiment.

Instead of sighing, she should have been humming a tune.

“Marien.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

“Do you think a person’s nature can change?”

Marien mulled over such an unexpected question before replying thoughtfully.

“If there is a specific cause......Then I believe it to be possible.”

“......”

Lumia fell silent for a moment, then narrowed her eyes as she looked at the solution contained within the flask.

“I think that human nature never changes. A person’s nature is something immutable.”

Lumia poured the solution over the special crystal.

She had put her all into this experiment, considering all possibilities of failure, and aiming for perfection.

It was an experiment that wouldn’t fail.

She was assured of its success.

Crack-!

If only the sound of the crystal shattering had not occurred, that is.

Then,

Pop! Pop-pop! Pop-pop-pop!

As if fireworks were going off, the solution exploded in all directions - The same solution that Lumia was assured would work.

Fsssh! Fssst! Fwooosh! Fweeeeooosh-!

It was as if an ink bomb had gone off in her laboratory.

The solution exploded as if to announce a festival.

Even the sound of the explosion seemed unnaturally cheerful.

That explosion was an unpredictable and annoying failure. Just like a certain someone.

Fsssh... whoosh-.

Her perfect experiment had gone wrong at the last moment.

What could have been the cause?

She had everything accounted for, everything was supposed to be perfect.

After the explosions subsided, Lumia looked at the shattered crystal and laughed as if she had lost her mind.

“Heh...Haha...Hahahaha, hahahahahah!”

In the laboratory, now painted in various colors, the hollow laughter of a researcher who had failed a perfect experiment echoed for a long while.

And,

Marien, who served her Lady for a long time now, was the only witness to such hollow laughter.

It...It was horrifying......