Chapter 1.1

1st Place.  

A simple yet deeply impactful epithet.  

A title that had never once been attached to Delia Acremen’s life.  

Delia was always second place, as usual.  

“How about it?”  

“…Is this a joke?”  

It was all because of the man standing before her.  

Kartan Roxen.  

The second son of the Roxen family and a man hailed as the genius of the century.  

Since entering the Academy, Delia Acremen had never once claimed the title of 1st place, even as she entered her second year.  

First place always belonged to Kartan Roxen.  

It wasn’t just about grades.  

With his striking looks and superior physique, he also monopolized the attention of all the female students at the Academy.  

And what about his family? He was the second son of the Roxen family, the most prestigious merchant family in the Empire.  

To say Kartan Roxen had everything wouldn’t be an exaggeration.  

Delia couldn’t understand why someone like him would throw out such an absurd joke.  

“Do you think it’s a joke?”  

At his calm response, Delia felt irritation bubbling up inside her.  

He wasn’t mocking me, was he?  

Was he looking down on me because I was perpetually in second place?  

Delia snapped sharply.  

“Of course this must be a joke. Then what else could it be? That you’re going to let me take 1st place?”  

It was an infuriatingly cruel prank.  

Why would he yield 1st place to me?  

What could he possibly gain from it?  

Feeling like she was wasting her time, Delia turned her back. She was desperate to leave this lecture hall as quickly as possible.  

She shouldn’t have come here in the first place, especially since Kartan had summoned her under the pretense of having something important to discuss.  

She regretted not spending this time reading even a single extra page of a book. Such thoughts naturally rose in her mind.  

But then—  

“I’m serious. I’ll make it so you can take 1st place.”  

Despite Delia’s sharp reaction, Kartan repeated the same words.  

From earlier, this was all he had been saying.  

That he would make it so Delia could take 1st place.  

His proposal wasn’t limited to the upcoming exam.  

It was an outrageous claim that he would ensure Delia could maintain 1st place until graduation.  

‘That doesn’t even make sense.’  

Delia was dumbfounded. He must be mocking her for never having taken 1st place even once.  

It wasn’t worth listening to. Why would he voluntarily take 2nd place?  

Delia and Kartan didn’t even share any significant personal connection.  

So how had he come up with such a distasteful prank?  

The memory of his attitude during the final grade announcement last year surfaced in her mind.  

Despite holding 1st place throughout their entire first year, he had acted as if it was no big deal.  

It was just as detestable now as it had been then. Nothing had changed, even as they entered their second year.  

‘How irritating.’  

Delia wanted to leave this place immediately.  

She was reaching out to open the door when—  

“There’s a condition, though.”  

Her movement froze as she caught sight of the slight gap in the door.  

A condition? 

Delia turned her head slightly.  

“…What do you mean by that?”  

“Are you curious about the condition?”  

At Kartan’s amused question, Delia clamped her mouth shut.  

He had hit the mark.  

If there was a condition, the situation could change slightly.  

After all, it wouldn’t be an offer without strings attached.  

She was curious about why he was making such a strange proposal and whether it was truly just a vile prank.  

If his intention wasn’t simply to mock her, then perhaps she could understand his reasoning.  

Even though it remained an absurd proposal, knowing the reason might alleviate some of her discomfort.  

There was no harm in hearing him out, was there? Delia gestured with her eyes for him to continue.  

“Just ten times.”  

Kartan held up both hands, spreading his fingers. Delia couldn’t guess what he meant by “ten times.”  

“Ten times?”  

To understand his intent, she would have to hear what followed.  

Delia asked again, her voice a mix of suspicion and curiosity.  

“With me.”  

“With you?”  

And then Kartan said something completely outside the realm of Delia’s expectations.  

“The condition is to have s*x with me ten times. What do you think?”  

“You’re insane.”  

Delia’s expression froze instantly as she spat out harsh words. It wasn’t even worth listening to.  

The man universally acknowledged as the most popular at the Academy, Kartan Roxen, turned out to be this insane.  

The fact that she had come all the way here to hear such nonsense made her furious and indignant.  

Was this the true face of the man worshipped by students and professors alike at the Academy?  

She felt disgusted to have been forced to learn such an unwanted truth.  

Delia didn’t bother hiding the contempt that naturally surfaced on her face.  

“There’s a limit to how far a joke can go, Kartan Roxen.”  

“I’m serious. Does it sound like a joke?”  

Even at Delia’s stern warning, Kartan maintained his characteristic nonchalant demeanor. It was incomprehensible.  

And yet, he claimed to be serious.  

Delia was at a loss.  

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear this nonsense this time. Don’t even think about pulling something like this again.”  

She didn’t want to engage with him any further. Turning her back quickly, Delia opened the door with a sharp motion.  

Clatter—  

The sound of the door opening echoed loudly, reflecting her foul mood. Delia stepped one foot outside.  

“Graduating as valedictorian.”  

But then, Kartan’s voice called out behind her once more.  

Graduating as valedictorian.  

As if his words were a spell, Delia unknowingly froze in place.  

“Don’t you want to? No, you have to, don’t you?”  

Though her feet weren’t tied, Delia found herself unable to move.  

Because Kartan’s words pierced deep into her heart.  

“How about it? Just ten times, and the valedictorian title you’ve always wanted can be yours.” 

His voice was as smooth and enticing as honey. If not for the condition involving s*x, one might have mistaken his words for something entirely different.  

Graduating as valedictorian.  

It was what Delia desired more than anything.  

It was practically her life’s goal.  

And so, Delia couldn’t immediately leave the lecture hall.  

“It’s not that difficult, is it? This much between consenting adults.”  

Kartan Roxen’s proposal was simple.  

If she agreed, he would help her graduate as valedictorian.  

He was offering her the very thing she wanted most.  

Delia’s eyes trembled.  

As much as she hated to admit it, Kartan Roxen could make it happen if he wanted to.  

She was perpetually in second place.  

If Kartan Roxen stepped down from 1st place, Delia could take that spot.  

Her pride stung.  

The fact that she had stopped in her tracks and was contemplating his offer.  

She hated it.  

She hated herself for not immediately rejecting such a ridiculous proposal.  

Even so, Delia couldn’t seem to move her feet, as if they were rooted to the ground.  

Because there was no one else in the world who could make such an offer.  

If, by some chance, he truly stepped down from 1st place—  

‘Could I… really take 1st place?’  

The position she had longed for but had never once achieved.  

An opportunity to reach that place.  

Her clenched fists trembled slightly.  

***

The Acremen family’s fourth child, Delia Acremen. 

She still vividly remembered the process of entering this family.  

At the young age of ten, Delia had lost her mother and became an orphan, eventually being sent to an orphanage.

The orphanage, though funded by the kingdom, was run by a director who was nothing short of a despicable human being, neglecting the children under his care.  

Without a mother or father, Delia barely survived for a year at the orphanage, subsisting on the bare minimum.  

Then, one day, a miracle came to Delia.  

“Delia! Delia! Come out quickly!”  

It was a day when the orphanage director, who usually didn’t even seem to know her name, urgently called for Delia early in the morning.  

Delia, who had been cleaning the bedroom, put down the rag and hurriedly followed the director as he rushed ahead.  

She wanted to ask what was going on, but the director seemed so agitated that she was too scared to ask.  

When she followed him outside, she saw a splendid carriage and a middle-aged man waiting in front of the orphanage.  

“I’ve brought her. This is Delia.”  

The orphanage director pushed Delia in front of the man, bowing and scraping. That day, Delia learned for the first time that the director could make such a servile expression.  

“So, you’re Delia.”  

The middle-aged man didn’t seem particularly interested in the director’s behavior. He simply looked at Delia standing before him.  

“Yes, that’s me.”  

Not knowing what to say, Delia simply replied affirmatively and bowed her head.  

She had no idea why this man was calling her name or why the director had brought her to him.  

But the situation made her feel a spark of hope.  

‘Could it be… is he here to take me with him?’  

Delia was quick-witted.  

She didn’t know why it had to be her, but this situation was similar to when other children had left the orphanage.  

Her heart began to pound.  

‘I really hope that’s the case.’  

Life at the orphanage was hard. It was always cold and she was constantly hungry.  

It was too much for an eleven-year-old child to endure.  

But Delia held her breath, trying not to reveal her pounding heart, fearing that if the man noticed her emotions, he might change his mind about taking her.