If there was one thing more annoying than entrance exams, it was the opening ceremony. I stood in the back row, leaning my back against a cold marble pillar, trying my best not to fall asleep while the principal delivered a mind-numbing speech about "the future of the kingdom."
Then, she appeared on stage as the freshman representative.
Clarisse van Rosewood.
This girl was the literal definition of a "Female Lead." Her soft pink hair, large green eyes that always seemed to be brimming with tears, and a holy aura that made everyone around her feel an instinctive urge to protect her. In the game, she was the 'Saintess' destined to be loved by all the princes.
"I truly hope that we can all study together in harmony..." her voice was soft, like the chiming of small bells.
"Ugh, my stomach hurts," I muttered under my breath.
"What did you say?" A boy in front of me turned around with a sharp glare. "Did you just insult Lady Clarisse?"
I gave him the most bored look I could muster. "I said her voice is too low. Did she skip breakfast? And look at that 'holy' aura. It's just low-level passive light element mana manipulation. What an amateur."
"You—! You're just a lowly scholarship student, how dare—"
"Quiet. You're blocking my view of the exit," I cut him off, rolling my eyes.
I knew exactly who Clarisse was. She was kind, sincere, and incredibly naive—the type of character who frequently triggers major disasters because of her clumsiness. In this world, her messes were always cleaned up by the princes, or in my case, she would likely become a massive burden for an extra like me.
Once the ceremony ended, I tried to sneak off to the cafeteria before the crowd arrived. However, bad luck seemed to be head-over-heels in love with me today.
In the corridor leading to the cafeteria, I spotted a cliché scene I desperately wanted to avoid. Clarisse was standing there trembling, surrounded by three noble girls who were followers of Elara von Heist.
"So this is the scholarship girl who dared to stand on the same stage as Lady Elara?" one of them sneered, swiping the stack of books Clarisse was carrying until they scattered across the floor.
"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..." Clarisse began to tear up.
'Damn it. Why did I have to walk this way?' I thought. I tried to turn back, but Clarisse saw me. Her teary eyes fixed on me as if I were a knight in shining armor coming to her rescue.
'Don't look at me, idiot. I'm just an extra,' I screamed internally.
But the noble girls saw me too. "Hey, you! Male scholarship student! Come here and pick up these books for us!"
I let out a long sigh and walked closer with my hands in my pockets. I stood before them, looked at the messy books on the floor, and then looked at the three girls one by one.
"Did my ears deceive me?" I asked with a sarcastic tone. "You have healthy hands and feet, yet you're asking someone else to pick up books? Has your brain shriveled from wearing too much expensive powder?"
"What?! Do you know who we are?!"
"No, and I don't care," I stepped over the books without picking them up. "And you, Miss Pinky," I looked at the still-frozen Clarisse. "Stop crying. Your tears won't tidy those books. If you want to be a 'Saintess,' at least learn how to stand up for yourself. This world isn't a playground."
Clarisse flinched. She seemed shocked that a man, instead of romantically defending her, was harshly lecturing her.
"You... you're so rude!" one of the nobles shouted, raising her hand to slap me.
I caught her wrist with a movement that was incredibly slow for my instincts, but lightning-fast for them. I applied a bit of pressure to her nerve point—not enough to break it, but enough to make her feel like she'd been hit by an electric shock.
"Aaakh!" she yanked her hand back.
"Next time, use your hands to hold books, not to hit people," I said coldly.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the corridor turned frigid. I felt a mana pressure I knew all too well. Around the corner, Elara von Heist appeared. She stood there with the grace of a predator, her clear blue eyes locking onto me instantly.
"What is this commotion?" Elara's voice was calm, yet lethal.
"Lady Elara! This scholarship student... he attacked us and insulted you!" one of her followers cried out.
Elara walked closer, passing Clarisse—who was still sitting on the floor—as if the girl were nothing more than a worthless pebble. She stopped right in front of me.
"Alex of House Baron Grey," she said my name with a razor-sharp tone. "You again. Yesterday you insulted the Prince, and today you're messing with my followers?"
I smirked, looking directly into her cold eyes. "Your followers need basic training on how to use their hands, Lady Heist. I was just giving free advice. Besides, shouldn't you be busy preparing your 'reign of terror' for this school? Why bother with such petty matters?"
"You truly don't know when to shut your mouth," Elara leaned her face in, her mana aura beginning to churn. "Do you think because you could deactivate a mana circuit during the exam, you can act however you please in front of me?"
"Oh, so you're still thinking about that? You must be very lonely if you keep thinking about a Mob like me," I replied casually, though I was starting to feel awkward internally because she was standing too close again. 'Damn, why does her nose have to be that perfect?'
Elara's face flushed slightly from anger—or perhaps from the shock of my boldness.
"Next week, during the outdoor training," Elara whispered in my ear, sending a chill down my spine. "I will personally make sure you know exactly where your place is, Alex."
She turned and left, followed by her minions who were still glaring at me with vendetta. Clarisse remained there, looking at me with an unreadable expression—a mix of fear and deep curiosity.
I ignored her and continued walking toward the cafeteria.
'Perfect,' I thought. 'Now I have a crazy Villainess, her followers, and likely the jealous princes as enemies. Goodbye, quiet life.'
I didn't know that in Elara's eyes, I was no longer just "lowly trash." I had become an anomaly she had to break... or possess entirely.