How to Survive as That Villainess - Chapter 27

Chapter 4: A Party, or Rather, a Chaotic Mess (4)

The match resumed. Thankfully, Kyle showed up just in time for it to start. He had looked quite confused earlier, but I wasn’t sure if he was feeling better now.

Anyway, the next match was the one with Dia. I didn’t know the name of her opponent, but I wished him luck. I hoped the unnamed male student would survive.

“Professor, could I have some more tea?”

“As much as you’d like.”

The Magic Theory professor effortlessly conjured up a teapot with magic and poured tea into the empty cup. 

Magic really is amazing. I wish I could use it so freely, but not only do I lack even the tiniest bit of talent, my skills haven’t improved despite all my efforts. What an unfair world. I suddenly feel envious of magic geniuses like Seria or Aren.

“Oh, it looks like it’s starting!”

Sipping on the warm tea, I focused my attention on the middle of the arena where the match was taking place. This special seating really is something else. The view is several times better than from the regular seats. So, this is why people say connections are important. In my case, I just happened to end up in this special seat by chance…

Dia casually stretched her neck before, with the sound of the start signal, launching herself at her opponent. Her beautiful sky-blue hair fluttered gracefully through the air.

Dia, with movements as elegant as a dance, quickly overwhelmed her opponent, flashing a smile that seemed almost villainous. The male student’s face turned pale with fear.

“Dia Reios, as fast as ever!” 

Watching Dia’s matches always sends shivers down my spine. Her swordsmanship is uniquely graceful and beautiful, yet it’s also ruthless and a bit brutal. I often worry that her opponents might end up in serious trouble with how intense her duels can be.

“Dia, Dia!” 

I urgently called out to Dia, who was swinging her sword at the male student, who seemed to be on the verge of collapsing. 

Afraid that the poor guy might not survive, I signaled to her with crossed hands, meaning, “Don’t hurt him, just take it easy!” Dia glanced at me when she heard my call.

She seemed to understand my gesture and made a circle with her fingers in acknowledgment. Only then could I finally let out a sigh of relief. However, I didn’t realize at the time that Dia has a tendency to interpret things her own way.

“Oh no, with Dia’s relentless attack, her opponent has passed out!”

I gasped, my eyes widening as I alternated between watching Dia leisurely make her way back to the waiting area and the male student being carried off to the infirmary. 

Wait, wasn’t she supposed to take it easy? Didn’t she understand what I meant?

I jumped up from my seat and rushed over to Dia. When I asked her why she had done that to the poor guy, she smiled brightly and said, 

“Huh? Didn’t you mean to finish him off quickly?”

…With that shocking statement, I could only stand there in stunned silence. I’m so sorry, poor student. It seems my ambiguous gesture almost sent you to your doom.

“Please, go easy on them!”

Determined to somehow rein her in, I shouted loudly, and all the male students in the waiting area nodded vigorously in agreement. It seemed they, too, wished Dia would hold back a little.

“But I was already going easy…”

Dia replied, her expression slightly dejected as she lowered her head. With her pure, innocent face, my resolve instantly wavered. No, Radel, don’t be fooled. You know there’s a terrifying nature hidden beneath that beautiful exterior. You can’t let yourself be swayed now.

“Just… please, try to hold back… a bit more…”

In the end, I caved. I’m definitely weak when it comes to beautiful people. I could hear the sighs of the male students around us, but I tried my best to ignore them.

“But more importantly, the next match is the finals, Radel! I’m going to defeat Kailon and make you the goddess!”

With that outrageous declaration, Dia ran off to her match. Oh, no. Anything but that, Dia!

Though I was confident Kyle would win, the future was unpredictable. In a daze, I returned to the special seating area where the Magic Theory professor was waiting.

“Oh, you’re back. Who are you rooting for, Radel?”

The professor pointed towards the arena where Dia and Kyle stood, his hand trembling slightly. I initially thought about cheering for Dia, since she’s my friend, but her last words kept echoing in my mind.

Ugh, if Dia wins, I’ll be forced into an embarrassing situation. Being called a goddess for a day—just the thought of it makes me want to hide. My face might explode from the sheer embarrassment.

But then again, cheering for Kyle doesn’t feel right either. In the novel, Kyle wins and chooses Seria as the goddess. The thought of Kyle and Seria being all lovey-dovey is something I really don’t want to see. Actually, watching anyone get close to Seria would be infuriating. How dare they flaunt their romance in front of a single person like me?

So, I decided to not cheer for anyone. No matter who wins, it’ll just cause trouble for me. Instead, I focused on finishing my tea. Sip, sip.

***

As expected, Kyle won the swordsmanship tournament. Dia, who lost in the finals, was visibly upset and stomped off towards the dessert shop. It seemed like she planned to eat away her stress. I envy her—no matter how much dessert she eats, she never gains weight. Sure, Dia’s workout routine is intense, but for the amount she eats, it’s surprising she doesn’t gain more.

“And the winner is Kailon Raven! Please come forward!”  

Kyle was dragged out by the announcer, who draped a red cape over him and handed him the winner’s prize. Throughout the ceremony, Kyle kept furrowing his brow, clearly annoyed, but the oblivious and boisterous announcer continued the event with enthusiasm.

“And now, let’s see what the prize is! Go ahead, open it!”  

As Kyle unwrapped the gift, the look on his face was a bit intimidating. He clearly wasn’t thrilled about this. 

“Wow, that’s beautiful,”

I couldn’t help but whisper. The prize was a stunning necklace adorned with a red gemstone, likely a ruby. It was such a tempting prize.

As I stared at the necklace in admiration, I accidentally made eye contact with Kyle. We ended up looking at each other for a while, and as the moment grew awkward, I forced a wide smile and waved. Kyle, though expressionless, waved back. Aww, how sweet!

“Radel, do you have any plans next?”  

“Of course not!”  

I answered the professor’s question confidently, but then I felt a bit sad. Looking around, I saw countless couples enjoying the events, while I was just wandering alone in this vast academy…

Suddenly feeling gloomy, I subtly wiped a tear with my sleeve. The heroine Seria was probably walking around with handsome guys like Eden or Huan by her side right now! The stark contrast between us made me let out a small, bitter laugh. The professor noticed and smiled kindly.

“Well, in that case, how about we go meet the winner of the magic tournament?”  

“Pardon?”  

The professor placed a hand on my shoulder and snapped his fingers lightly. In the blink of an eye, the scenery around me changed, leaving me bewildered. Suddenly, I heard loud cheers and the voice of a woman echoing through the area.

“The winner this time is Aren! What a truly beautiful display of magic!”  

Turning to find the source of the voice, I saw a beautiful woman with an amazing figure hosting the event. Oh my, is that lady the host of the magic tournament? Why couldn’t she have been the host of the swordsmanship tournament instead?

“Hehe, we arrived just as it ended.”  

“Seems so. But I’m glad we came.”  

Meeting such a pretty lady meant this wasn’t a wasted trip. Even though we got here by teleporting…

“And now, we’ll present the prize to today’s winner!”  

The enchanting woman with the alluring beauty mark approached Aren and handed him his prize. Unlike the swordsmanship tournament, the prize here was a uniquely designed staff. It must be an expensive magical tool. It looked similar to the staff the professor beside me had; it was probably a tool that amplified magic power.

Wow, that’s really cool. Honestly, I wasn’t jealous at all. After all, I have no magic power to amplify. Haha.  

As I was watching Aren’s award ceremony and occasionally clapping, our eyes met once again. Lately, it seemed like I was constantly making eye contact with people. But then Aren looked at me and smiled brightly.  

“Wow…”  

Aren suddenly put down the staff and snapped his fingers. At that moment, white glowing butterflies began fluttering around the area. These butterflies were even more elaborate and beautiful than the ones I’d seen before, leaving me in awe.  

But wait, why do these butterflies keep flying toward me?!  

“I don’t think I really need this.”  

“…What? What?”  

Picking up the staff, Aren handed it back to the host with an air of nonchalance.  

It was as if he was saying, “I don’t need this to be strong,” which made me smile involuntarily. As expected of Aren, he’s amazing! But I really wish these butterflies would stop flying at me. They’re pretty, but they’re too dazzling.  

Shoo, shoo!  

Aren quickly exited the magic arena and, in no time, was standing right in front of me.  

As soon as Aren approached, the butterflies flew high up into the sky and disappeared. It was a bit annoying when they were around, but now that they were gone, I kind of missed them.  

Goodbye, butterflies. I won’t forget you.