Chapter 1.3

Rampage Control Association.  

To put it simply, it’s an organization that manages the rampages of ability users.  

It’s a place highly favored by all academy graduates.  

In other words, it’s like a big corporation or something.  

But upon hearing that term, she frowned.  

The Rampage Control Association immediately reminded her of one person.  

It had already been three years since she last saw him……  

‘Erden.’  

Having known him since childhood, he could be considered a childhood friend…… though they had spent more time as enemies.  

Erden was a commoner who had consistently taken first place, overshadowing her, the beloved youngest daughter of the Ronenfeld Marquisate and a water ability user admired by everyone.  

Moreover, Erden was a commoner.  

That she, a noble, had been defeated by a commoner? In the past, she couldn’t accept this fact and would pick fights with him whenever they met.  

“If it weren’t for you, I could’ve been first place……”  

“Then you’re saying as long as I’m here, you’ll never be first place?”  

……or things like that.  

“Don’t get too full of yourself just because you won this time, Erden!”  

Or refusing to acknowledge her loss at the ability competition.  

“Why are you blaming me?”  

“Who else would dare do this to my face but you, Cielie Ronenfeld?”  

Or doodling on Erden’s face while he was asleep before an important speech.  

Anyway, due to her actions, they couldn’t help but growl at each other whenever they met.  

‘Though things changed after I turned sixteen.’  

A bitter smile formed on her lips.  

Over time, her ability level had visibly declined, and at sixteen, she was deemed to have the abilities of an ordinary human.  

After that, she began to drift aimlessly.  

She stopped studying altogether and no longer picked fights with Erden.  

It was around that time that she developed an unrequited love for her brother’s friend, the original male lead.  

Blindly liking someone helped her forget her harsh reality.  

‘So I’ve been passionately in love for three years now, haven’t I?’  

Anyway, until then, her relationship with Erden was such that it wouldn’t be strange to call them enemies who growled at each other whenever they met.  

Of course, most of the time, it was her inferiority complex that made her pick fights, while Erden found it bothersome.  

‘It was quite famous.’  

Their constant fighting had earned them the reputation of being like cats and dogs at the academy.  

Their relationship was so notorious that there wasn’t a single student who didn’t know about them.  

However, there was one thing the students didn’t know.  

“I like you.” 

“Do you even know who you’re saying that to? You’ve completely lost your mind because of the cold medicine.”

“……I do know.”

“……After trying every dirty trick in the book, now you’re resorting to a confession?”

The fact that she had confessed and been rejected before…  

She hated it to the core. But Erden’s appearance was exactly her type, driving her to madness. Once, during a severe cold, she had been under the influence of medicine and let her true feelings slip.  

‘Even now, I kick my blanket in embarrassment when I think about it……’  

To be honest, if she hadn’t been so full of inferiority, she thought she might have joined Erden’s fan club at the academy.  

‘That’s how much his face was my type.’  

Erden’s face had been her ideal type from the start, but as time went on, it grew even more into the kind of face she liked.  

His features became sharper, his body more toned through training.  

Eventually, she couldn’t hold back anymore.  

If she had to make excuses, it was because she had completely lost her reason at that time.  

And so, she confessed.  

“Damn it. Cielie, please stay still.”  

It was probably because of Erden’s gentle care as he looked after her while she burned with fever.  

Of course, after the confession, she avoided showing herself in front of Erden for a while.  

By the time the semester ended and the rankings came out, things had returned to normal.  

The confession was treated as if it never happened, and they went back to growling at each other.  

‘It’s all in the past now.’  

Three years ago, when Erden graduated at seventeen, their interactions changed.  

As she reminisced about the past, she suddenly recalled the words of the kids who used to tease them.  

“They fight like that, but in novels, people who fight like that end up kissing.”  

What nonsense.  

‘Even though I shuddered at those words, they somehow came true……’  

Whoosh.  

Her cheeks flushed red.  

That day, they had fought fiercely. It just so happened to be the day they were assigned to clean the training room together, which was the root of the problem.  

“Of all people, I have to be stuck with you. So annoying.”  

“The feeling’s mutual.”  

She had unilaterally picked a fight, while Erden occasionally responded but mostly ignored her.  

Frustrated beyond reason, she blocked his path and hurled insults.  

“Just wait and see. I’ll catch up to you soon enough. Your days of being smug won’t last long.”  

But then, she tripped over her own feet and fell onto the mat. As a result, she ended up on top of Erden.  

That was her first kiss.  

“Are you going to get off now?”  

“…….”  

“You’re being unpleasant.”  

It was the worst first kiss ever.  

“Cielie!”  

Her mother’s hand lightly touched her shoulder before pulling away.  

She finally snapped out of her daze and turned her gaze toward her mother.  

“Are you feeling unwell? Your face is red.”  

“…….”  

“If you’re struggling, you can rest.”  

“Ah…… No! I’m perfectly fine!”  

She stammered as she waved her hands excessively.  

‘Technically, it’s not a lie.’  

Despite being caught in an accident, her physical condition was remarkably good.  

In fact, she felt even more energetic than she had before the carriage accident. She clenched and unclenched her fists, looking down at her palms.  

Ever since waking up from the accident, she had been sensing a strange energy surging in her palms.  

Her mother gently patted her shoulder as she clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly.  

“Well then, Cielie. Since the guest will be visiting soon, make sure you’re prepared.”  

With those words, her mother and Ruby left the room.  

Ruby soon returned with two or three maids.  

Afterward, she wore a beige dress, styled her long hair, and applied light makeup.  

‘I’m already exhausted.’  

Her eyes gradually lost their light.  

Noticing her lifeless expression, Ruby gave her a sympathetic smile and tried to comfort her.  

“You must be tired. I’ll bring you something to drink. Please take a break.”  

“……Ruby, before you go, could you open the window? It’s suffocating in here.”  

She stopped Ruby before she left and asked her to open the window.  

Once Ruby stepped aside, an unsettling feeling she had been suppressing began to creep up on her.  

“Could it be…… No, it can’t be.”  

Yes, it couldn’t be.  

“How many people work at the Association? There’s no way……”  

Of all the people working in such a large organization, what were the odds that the person visiting the mansion would be Erden?  

Besides, Erden hadn’t been working there for long.  

‘I heard he was promoted quickly, but still…… Surely not.’  

As she tried to reassure herself, a strong wind blew through the open window.  

At that moment, the papers on her desk fluttered noisily.  

Most of them were blank sheets, but one had the original story written on it, which she had jotted down that morning.  

If she had written it in the language from her past life, it wouldn’t have been a big deal……  

‘But I haven’t used that language in ages, so I wrote it in the Empire’s language!’  

Panicking, she rushed out to the balcony.  

Fortunately, the paper had gotten caught in the orange tree right in front of her room.  

“It’ll be fine if I hurry. They said they’d arrive in an hour. At least it’s a tree I’ve climbed often.”  

She muttered to herself, trying to suppress her anxiety.  

There were countless things weighing on her mind, but retrieving the paper was the priority.  

She immediately struggled out of her dress.  

“Sorry, Ruby……”  

Ruby’s face seemed to flash before her eyes, prompting her to shut them tightly.  

Soon, clothes were scattered across the floor, and she was dressed in a worn training outfit.  

After finishing her preparations, she took a deep breath and cautiously opened the door.  

Thankfully, no one was around. 

If her parents saw her like this, they would surely be horrified. She had to act stealthily.  

‘Especially since I can’t let anyone find the paper.’  

Holding her breath, she descended to the first floor and headed for the garden.  

The large orange tree was easy to spot among the many trees in the expansive garden.  

“It’s been a while……”  

She used to climb this tree often as a child.  

Of course, after falling from it once, she had been officially banned from climbing trees……  

‘Though I still snuck up occasionally.’  

However, it had been quite some time since then.  

“Ah, now’s not the time for nostalgia.”  

Realizing her mistake, she hurriedly began climbing the tree.  

Thankfully, her body seemed to remember, as climbing wasn’t too difficult. Retrieving the paper was even easier.  

‘Thank goodness.’  

She caught her breath and scanned the paper with her eyes.  

It was the one she had been looking for.  

Relieved, she let out a deep sigh and relaxed, allowing herself to take in the view below.  

A cool breeze blew.  

As the wind cooled her sweat-soaked forehead, she settled into a spot and closed her eyes to cool off.  

How long had she been sitting there? She slowly opened her eyes and muttered.  

“……Was it always this low?”  

Since she had grown a hand’s length taller since the last time, it was natural for the height to feel lower.  

She smiled faintly and looked down below.  

It was peaceful.  

So peaceful that she didn’t want to disrupt it ever again.  

She renewed her resolve.  

Despite telling herself there was no time for reminiscing, she found herself lost in old memories.  

Then, she heard voices below.  

“I know I’m early, but I hope it’s not an inconvenience that I arrived before the agreed time.”  

One voice belonged to a young man who sounded somewhat familiar. 

“Not at all. Please come in.”  

The other voice belonged to her father.  

‘This is bad.’  

The Association’s representative had arrived earlier than expected. Hastily, she tried to descend the tree.  

But then……  

Snap―  

The branch she was sitting on made an ominous noise.  

‘Huh, what?!’  

Was I really about to meet my end right after renewing my resolve?!