3. Felicia & Aurelya
In a slum on the outskirts of the city lived the children of an orphanage—those unwanted by the world. A twelve-year-old black-haired girl was scavenging through trash bins, searching for discarded scraps of food. As she dug, a red-haired girl approached and handed her a piece of dry bread.
"Aurel, this is for you," said the red-haired girl.
"Thank you, Fel," replied the black-haired girl with a smile. The two girls were named Aurelya and Felicia.
They were just orphans, living with what little they had. Shy Aurelya was often bullied by the other children.
"Ouch, that hurts..." Aurelya winced as a boy shoved her roughly.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing!" Felicia yelled, rushing in to hit the kids bullying Aurelya. Felicia always protected her. From that day on, they became inseparable.
"Hey Aurel, when I grow up, I want to become a respected Knight and start my own knight order!" said Felicia enthusiastically, raising a wooden stick to the sky like a sword.
Seeing her friend's spirit and determination, Aurelya silently promised herself to always support Felicia.
But when they turned fourteen, Aurelya was adopted by a noble family. She and Felicia were forced to part ways.
As it turned out, the noble who adopted Aurelya was secretly working with a group of dark mages—the Black Mage. The girl was nearly offered up as a sacrifice and plaything to the depraved nobles. Realizing the horrific plan, Aurelya attempted to escape, chased by the noble family's soldiers. During her desperate flight, a power awakened within her: a pair of eyes that could read a person's character and intent.
Just as she was about to be caught, Felicia suddenly appeared to save her.
"I heard from some beggars that this noble has a habit of adopting orphanage kids... and they always disappear without a trace," Felicia said angrily.
Armed with only a regular iron sword, Felicia faced the soldiers. Though gravely injured, in that critical moment, she experienced an awakening—as if fate itself protected her. She unleashed her Aura and defeated the soldiers, saving Aurelya.
"Hic..." Aurelya sobbed as she hugged Felicia tightly. "Thank you..."
From that moment on, their hatred for the nobility—especially those who tried to defile Aurelya—only grew deeper.
Fortunately, a passing royal soldier found them and provided treatment. They were even rewarded for defeating the corrupt noble family's soldiers aligned with the Black Mage.
They continued their lives as adventurers. On one of their journeys, they met an eccentric old man.
"Hey, kid. You've got talent. How about becoming my student?" the old man said to Aurelya.
"What do you mean by that? Don't tell me you're another one of those dirty nobles trying to take Aurel away?!" Felicia stood in front of Aurelya, shielding her.
"Ho ho ho..." the old man simply laughed, stroking his beard.
As it turned out, Aurelya's eyes could detect a person's intentions and read the flow of mana in their body—a rare ability that piqued the old man's interest.
They began learning magic and swordsmanship under the old man's tutelage. By the time they were 17, they had grown into beautiful and strong young women. Some nobles began to approach Aurelya, but Felicia always stood guard.
Time passed. Their mentor now lay bedridden, awaiting the end.
"You've both grown into such strong girls..." the old man said weakly.
"Grandpa..." Felicia held her mentor's hand, struggling to hold back tears.
"Master... don't leave us..." Aurelya whispered, slumping to the floor. "Hic..."
"Don't cry. My life has been fulfilling. Death is part of life—there's no need for tears," said the wise old man.
Before passing, he gave a mysterious sword to Felicia and a magic journal to Aurelya. Then he closed his eyes for the last time.
Felicia gripped the sword tightly. "I'm going to Tharsaros Academy to chase my dream."
She remembered her mentor's words: "As commoners, the only way to become recognized Knights is through the academy."
It turned out the old man was once a significant figure in the Tharsaros Kingdom. He left behind an official letter of recommendation for both of them.
"I'm coming too," said Aurelya.
It was the beginning of a new chapter. Using their savings from adventuring and the recommendation letter, they enrolled in the prestigious academy. Although they were accepted, their struggles had only just begun. The nobles looked down on them—especially Aurelya, who became the object of lust for noblemen and jealousy from noblewomen.
"The nobles in this kingdom are truly filthy," Felicia muttered, observing the surroundings.
"At least they haven't acted directly. We shouldn't cause trouble, right?" Aurelya replied softly.
"Yeah, yeah... this crybaby's actually grown up," Felicia teased, patting her friend's head.
Felicia's gentle behavior had always felt like that of an older sister to Aurelya. It had been their habit since childhood.
One day, in a fancy restaurant, a group of nobles approached them. One of them stared at Aurelya... or rather, undressed her with his eyes.
Felicia shielded Aurelya, as always.
But then, Aurelya noticed another man sitting a bit further away. The three of them looked calm, unconcerned with the commotion in the room.
They were Rey Lucien, Alex, and Pong.
Aurelya's gaze locked onto Rey Lucien. She was captivated. His silver-white hair, pale skin, and dark blue, pupil-less eyes made him seem like a being from another world. His expression was emotionless, but that charisma left an impression on her heart.
"Beautiful..." she murmured, watching Rey as he slowly exited with his companions.
The duel still took place, and of course, Felicia easily won.
The next day, the exams began. Aurelya visited the Warrior Department, hoping to see Felicia—and maybe catch a glimpse of Rey—but she only found Alex and Pong. No sign of Rey Lucien. She wanted to ask, but they didn't know each other.
Aurelya kept looking for Rey. She explored the academy during every free moment. But after a week, her search turned up nothing. Their departments were too far apart. It felt hopeless…
Little did she know... the man she was looking for was busy with matters of his own—matters completely unrelated to this otome game storyline.
—
—MC's POV—
And here I am. As a background character, I've entered the C-level Alchemy Department. After receiving basic information from the professor and class president Fiona, I returned to the luxurious inn where I was staying.
As official academy students, we're supposed to be assigned dormitories based on our department level. For someone like me in Class C, that usually means sharing a room with two to four other students.
Of course, I refused. I chose to pay for my own lodging instead.
The inn in District 3 is quite luxurious—suitable for a baron-class noble like me. I had instructed Apolo to tell Alex to remain in the academy dorms.
The room I occupy is spacious, illuminated by soft light from glowing crystals embedded in the walls. The interior follows classic Elnari design—high ceilings, large windows facing a fountain garden, carved wooden furniture with dragon and rose patterns, and a light lavender scent mingling with the warmth of a private bath.
I exhaled deeply, sinking into a stone bathtub filled with warm, mint-scented water. Gentle bubbles floated on the surface, trembling with my slightest movement.
"This is nice..." I murmured while soaking in the private bath available at the inn.
A small round drone hovered beside me—its eyes glowed a faint blue.
[ Spending money on comfort is wasteful, Creator. ]
For the past two days, I've enjoyed leisure time. Saturday and Sunday are weekends here, so research also pauses. I've been learning to stay consistent and restrain my obsessive thirst for knowledge... unlike my past life.
"Even in this fantasy world, the days and months follow real-world standards. The monkeys who created this otome setting really lacked creativity... They didn't even try naming the days or months differently," I muttered while still soaking.
[ What do you expect from monkeys? ] Apolo replied coldly.
"Nothing, really. How's the current status report?"
[ Lucien territory is stable. Alex is doing well—he's naturally suited to be a noble Knight, like a proper Sir Lancelot. ]
"That's good."
[ Also... they're starting to move. I've detected several anomalies around the academy. ]
"Oh? Sounds fun. But I don't care…"
[ No further updates to report. ] said Apolo floating nearby. [ Or do you want me to monitor the otome protagonists' activities? ]
"Not important."
[ How about Class President Fiona's body measurements? ]
That made me flinch slightly.
For some reason, Fiona's image remained vividly in my mind…
"No. Stop. Don't poison my thoughts with indecent things."
Honestly, Fiona had a friendly personality. She seemed like a true supporting character—ready to help anyone. And on top of that, her looks... beautiful.
So beautiful, she could compete with the otome protagonists.
But the problem is... I've never heard any spoilers about her.
Or maybe... she's supposed to meet a tragic fate early on and never get mentioned again?
"Hm." I sighed. "The Black Mages have started moving..."
Looks like chaos will erupt during the welcome ceremony tomorrow morning. After a week of entrance tests, the official ceremony will be held.
Of course, this is a cliché scene—where the villains suddenly appear and target high-ranking nobles.
It's the protagonist's big moment to shine, catching the eye of a prince... or another female character if the yuri harem route is active.
And BOOM! The start of a reverse harem for the otome protagonist.
This disgusting and unwatchable cliché plot... will happen tomorrow.
"Apolo, prepare popcorn for tomorrow morning's entrance ceremony."
[ Of course. Please select your preferred flavor, Creator. ]
I leaned back again, letting the warm steam wrap around my body. My fingertips tapped the side of the tub, creating an irregular rhythm like the heartbeat of an old machine.
Blup! Blup!
Bubbles from my breath rose to the surface. Soothing. But then…
My eyes snapped open. "Damn... I forgot my journal!"
I jumped out of the bath and quickly got dressed.
It's time to start writing in my journal again.