The Great Hall of St. Celestia Academy was chaotic this morning.
The clinking of forks hitting porcelain plates and the chatter of hundreds of students filled the vast room. The aroma of toast, grilled sausages, and black coffee wafted through the air, making my stomach growl.
I walked in through the large double doors.
'Chill, Renji. You've got the Aether Ring now,' I told myself, spinning the silver ring on my index finger.
This thing gave me a sense of security. At least if someone threw a knife at me, I wouldn't die instantly.
The moment I stepped inside, the vibe in the hall shifted.
Chatter ceased. Some first-year students bowed their heads in fear. Upperclassmen whispered while glancing at me with cynical looks. My reputation as the "Mad Princess" had apparently spread far and wide after the incident in the arena yesterday.
I tried to ignore them. Olivia's body walked straight and tall toward the high-ranking nobles' table at the front.
Kevin was already seated there. Next to him sat Jessica.
Kevin glared at me with sharp eyes. He hadn't touched his food. His face looked exhausted; he probably couldn't sleep thinking about his defeat yesterday.
Meanwhile, Jessica was casually spreading strawberry jam on her toast. She didn't even turn her head when I arrived.
'Okay, don't look for trouble. Sit, eat, then go to class,' I planned internally.
I pulled out the chair across from them.
"Olivia," Kevin called out. His voice was heavy and serious.
I was just about to reach for the teapot. My hand froze in mid-air.
"What?" I replied curtly. My body's filter made my tone sound cold and indifferent.
Kevin stood up. His chair screeched loudly against the stone floor, making the entire hall turn toward us. He looked at me with pure hatred.
"I've had enough," he said loudly. "Your behavior in the arena yesterday... that was not the behavior of a noble. That was the behavior of a criminal."
The hall went dead silent. No one dared to chew their food. Everyone was waiting for the drama to explode.
'Oh no. Don't start this now, Kevin. I'm hungry,' I complained internally.
"What do you want, Kevin?" I asked, still trying to reach for the teapot.
Kevin slammed the table hard.
BAM!
"Let's annul our engagement!" he shouted. "I, Kevin von Clyne, declare that I can no longer accept a cruel woman like you as my future wife! I'm filing the official paperwork to the Kingdom today!"
Silence.
Everyone held their breath. An annulment between high-ranking nobles was a massive scandal.
But inside, I was cheering.
'FINALLY! YES! YES! GOOD JOB, KEVIN! YOU GENIUS!'
If the engagement is off, I don't have to get involved in royal family politics. I can run away to a remote village and live a quiet life there! My life's burden has been cut in half!
I had to accept it. I had to say "Very well" politely.
I opened my mouth, intending to say... "I understand your decision and I share the same sentiment."
But Olivia's lips curled into a cynical smirk.
"You're being incredibly loud for this early in the morning," I said casually. I poured tea into my cup without looking at his face. "You think I care about that fiancée title? To me, you're just dead weight lowering my market value."
Kevin's face turned crimson. Veins bulged in his neck.
"YOU...!" Kevin pointed at my face with a trembling finger. "You truly have no heart! Look at Jessica! She's terrified because of what you did yesterday, yet she's still willing to sit at the same table as you! While you... you don't even feel guilty towards her!"
Kevin turned to Jessica beside him, seeking support.
"Right, Jessica? You also agree that this woman is dangerous?"
All eyes were now on Jessica.
In the original novel, this was the moment where Jessica would cry in Kevin's arms and say, "I'm scared of Lady Olivia, please protect me, Kevin. Blah blah blah." That would be the final nail in the coffin for my reputation.
I looked at Jessica warily. My hands under the table clutched my dress, bracing for the mental attack.
Jessica stopped chewing her toast.
She placed the bread slowly onto her plate. Then she picked up a glass filled with thick orange pumpkin juice in front of her.
Jessica turned toward Kevin. Her face was flat. Expressionless.
"Kevin," Jessica called softly.
"Yes, Jessica? Just say it," Kevin smiled hopefully, ready to be a hero for a Heroine.
SPLASH!
Jessica threw the full glass of pumpkin juice right into Kevin's face.
The thick orange liquid dripped from Kevin's blonde hair, soaking his handsome face, and seeping into his expensive white uniform.
"..."
This time the silence was truly terrifying. My jaw nearly hit the floor seeing the sight. My eyes bulged out.
'WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!'
Kevin stood frozen. Pumpkin juice dripped from his nose. He was too shocked to speak.
Jessica placed the empty glass back on the table with a thud.
Thud!
"You're so noisy," Jessica said coldly. She picked up a napkin and wiped her slightly wet hands. "I am eating right now. Your voice is making me lose my appetite."
"J-Jessica...?" Kevin stammered, still in disbelief. "Why...?"
Jessica stood up. She adjusted her glasses, then looked at Kevin with a gaze that gave me goosebumps... the look of someone viewing a pest.
"Don't drag my name into your personal affairs," Jessica said sharply. "And one more thing... that juice looks sticky. Go take a shower, you stink."
After saying that, Jessica turned around. She walked out of the hall with calm steps, leaving a soaked Kevin and hundreds of dumbfounded students behind.
Before exiting the double doors, Jessica paused for a second. She turned slightly toward me.
Just for a fleeting moment.
But I saw the corner of her lips lift slightly. Very faint.
Then she left.
I sat glued to my chair. The teacup in my hand tilted, almost spilling.
Kevin was still standing there, looking pathetic with pumpkin juice dripping everywhere. His pride was shattered. Rejected by his fiancée, then splashed by the girl he liked in public.
For some reason, pity welled up in my heart.
'Wow... Jessica... she is absolutely brutal. That is another thing I didn't describe in Jessica's characteristics.'
I put down my teacup. My appetite was gone too.
"Servant!" I called out. My voice broke the silence of the hall.
A servant ran over.
"Bring a towel for Lord Kevin," I ordered flatly. "He looks pathetic."
I stood up, flicked my dress, and walked out following Jessica's trail.
As I passed Kevin, I could hear him muttering softly, his voice sounding like he was about to cry.
"Why... why is everything turning out like this?"
I didn't answer his mumbles. I kept walking.
In my heart, I was asking the same thing.
'Yeah, Kevin. Why IS everything turning out like this? Why is the Heroine bullying the Hero for the Villainess? What kind of story am I actually living in?'
One thing was for sure. My plan for a quiet life had failed miserably. Now, I wasn't just a "Wicked Fiancée." Jessica and I now looked like... A team? Or maybe two crazy people who just humiliated the School Prince?
Whatever it is, Arc 1 has ended in a chaos far worse than I expected.