"Hmm?"
Did she sense someone staring at her? Lily Pierce blinked a few times. Scanning the room, her gaze collided with Julian Vance's, who was watching her with fierce intensity. Even after she caught him looking, Julian didn't break eye contact. Confused, Lily tilted her head.
"...?"
An invisible question mark practically materialized above Lily's head as she tried to figure out why he was staring. But a moment later, she lifted her hand and waved at him as though they had been friends for years.
"Oh~ Julian, you're in this class too? Hey!"
"...Hello, Lily."
The pair exchanged a friendly greeting. In contrast to my nonexistent relationship with him, Lily was actually somewhat acquainted with Julian.
"Say, Lily."
Without warning, Julian stood up.
Screeech.
The loud scrape of his chair sliding back cut through the noise. The crowd of students swarming him hurriedly parted to create a path. Everyone watched in confusion as Julian suddenly left his desk and casually strolled over to where Lily and I were standing.
Oh, what's going on here?
Was he really that eager to confirm our split? He practically rushed over.
"I didn't intend to listen in, but is it true that the two of you called it quits?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah."
Twirling a strand of her hair, Lily shot me a quick glance before giving a nonchalant reply. At her confirmation, a mysterious glint sparked in Julian's normally frosty eyes.
"You two were famously known as childhood sweethearts back in the day, so the news caught me off guard."
During our middle school years, we were pretty notorious for being a mismatched pair. A lot of kids couldn't understand why a stunning girl like Lily would ever date a guy like me. The boys who harbored secret crushes on her were especially prone to circulating weird rumors, claiming we were only together because of our shared history.
"We made a decent couple."
Julian threw a brief, calculating look my way. Did he genuinely believe we were a good fit? Highly unlikely. After all, the guy was nursing a massive crush on Lily.
"Me and Oliver?" Flashing a teasing grin, Lily stood up a little straighter, looked right at me, and giggled. "Yeah right. I'm completely out of his league."
Honestly, she wasn't wrong. We definitely didn't match. Still, seeing her act so smug made me want to knock her down a peg.
"Your ego is always off the charts."
"Excuse me?" Lily shot me a lethal glare. "You clearly have no clue how many guys have asked me out, do you?"
"Oh, I'm sure. It must be so tough being adored by everyone."
"Wow... I really hate the way you talk."
While Lily and I continued to playfully argue, Julian smoothly cut in, his expression calm but observant.
"For two people who just broke up, you seem to get along remarkably well."
Ah, I probably shouldn't act so chummy with her in front of him.
Let's be real, it's definitely a little weird for recent exes to be acting this comfortable with each other.
"We didn't have a messy fallout. We've literally known each other since preschool," I chimed in quickly.
"Childhood friends, I see..." Julian muttered, mulling over the phrase as if he were jealous of our long history.
However, Julian had a childhood friend of his own. Their bond wasn't as tight as mine and Lily's, but it was still significant. She was a beautiful aristocrat who came fully equipped with a family-arranged "fiancée" trope.
"What is her deal?"
"I can't even believe it."
Right on cue, a chorus of hushed whispers drifted over.
"Why is she acting so cozy with Julian?"
"Look at her trying to flirt. Hah. How pathetic."
The catty remarks came from a clique of girls gathered near the rear window. They were openly trash-talking Lily, barely bothering to lower their voices.
"Isn't that right, Serena?"
"...."
Standing at the center of the group, a girl finally spoke.
"Serena?"
"Did you say her name was Lily Pierce?"
She was the undisputed queen bee of the flock. Even at a passing glance, her beauty was undeniable. The elegance and refinement radiating from her very posture made her look like an aristocratic lady ripped straight out of a historical drama.
Wow, she managed to build her own entourage on day one?
"It really looks like this is the first time Julian has ever taken an interest in a girl."
Her flowing blonde hair cascaded down to her shoulder blades. She possessed the flawless, porcelain skin typical of her European heritage, paired with an undeniably glamorous silhouette.
"I suppose she is somewhat pretty," the blonde remarked.
"Compared to you, Serena? Not even close. Right, everyone?"
Her lackeys eagerly nodded in absolute agreement. It might sound mean, but they honestly acted more like her hired maids than actual classmates. It was genuinely funny to watch.
That's Serena Sterling.
Serena Sterling. An elite cadet who secured a spot in the top seven of the entrance exams. She was one of the primary antagonists in Heroic Hearts Academy. She was the heiress to the Sovereign Clan—one of the top ten leading hero families in the nation. As the granddaughter of the legendary Spear Master, Alexander Sterling, she was a highly ambitious cadet who also happened to be Julian's childhood friend.
Serena Sterling is absolutely no joke.
Raised as high society royalty, her arrogance was practically boundless. She completely ignored anything that didn't spark her interest, but became dangerously obsessive over the things that did. She was incredibly territorial and utterly despised anyone who dared to touch what she considered hers.
...In short, to describe Serena Sterling in a single phrase: she was the textbook "villainess" staple of otome games.
However, calling her pure evil would be a stretch. She didn't go out of her way to bully people just for kicks. As long as no one actively stepped on her toes, she was essentially harmless.
Right. Provided nobody pokes the bear, that is.
She's already zeroed in on Lily.
I knew this was coming, but was it entirely because of Julian? Serena and Julian weren't just childhood friends; they were also technically engaged. Granted, the engagement was a casual political arrangement made by their parents, so neither of them actually took it to heart.
Even so, a title is a title. Despite lacking any real romantic attachment to him, Serena's massive ego wouldn't tolerate the idea of her designated fiancé publicly showing interest in another girl.
The friendlier Lily gets with Julian, the more toxic her dynamic with Serena will become.
It was purely a matter of pride. Serena simply wouldn't stand for a guy who never gave her the time of day suddenly fawning over some average commoner. Not with her sky-high superiority complex.
If left alone, she'll evolve into a completely hostile enemy NPC.
It was a classic narrative trope. The wealthy heir's haughty fiancée descends into villainy, relentlessly attacking the female lead out of pure, unadulterated jealousy.
But Heroic Hearts Academy was an RPG renowned for its massive player freedom. That meant there was a specific route where Serena Sterling could be transformed into a loyal ally rather than an antagonist.
Whenever I played the game, I frequently prioritized building high affinity with both Serena and Julian, recruiting them into my main party. Obviously, it was a brutal process. For a first-time player, it was essentially impossible.
But who was I? A hardcore veteran of Heroic Hearts Academy. I had successfully cleared the game dozens of times. I had literally written the 100% completion wiki guide and posted it on the forums myself.
We need to hoard as much combat power as possible to survive the future waves of villains and monsters.
And that included Serena. As a powerhouse villainess from a prominent clan, she was an absolute must-have unit. Her raw combat stats were top-tier, and the political backing of the Sovereign Clan was invaluable.
If I can just stop 'that specific incident' from pushing Serena off the deep end, things will go smoothly.
There was a major plot checkpoint where the slightly arrogant rich girl officially crosses the line into a dark villainess. If I could intercept that event and slowly grind up her affection points, I could definitely steer her into being an ally.
Let's try to pull off the same strategy I used in the game. Real life was definitely going to be trickier than a screen, but it was worth the risk.
"Excuse me? What did you just say about me?" Visibly ticked off by the mean-spirited whispers, Lily furrowed her brows and snapped back at Serena's entourage. "Do I look like the type of girl who needs to throw herself at guys? Wow, you girls are hilarious."
"...."
Julian also directed a sharp, chilling glare at the clique. The gossiping girls flinched violently under his heavy stare, quickly dropping their eyes to the floor. Naturally, they felt comfortable bullying Lily, but Julian was way out of their league to mess with.
"If you've got a problem with me, stop whispering like cowards and say it to my face," Lily challenged. Having spent her whole life dealing with jealous girls threatened by her stunning looks, she wasn't remotely fazed by their petty insults. "Got it?"
"My apologies."
Ah, the queen bee is finally making her move.
"My friends just have a very vested interest in Julian."
Serena parted the sea of her followers with a confident, arrogant stride, coming to a halt directly in front of Lily.
"I will apologize for their rudeness," Serena said, stepping uncomfortably close to Lily with a sly, knowing smile. She said she was sorry, but her tone held absolutely zero remorse. Was it just the natural arrogance of a highborn noble, or that condescending smirk? Regardless, Lily clearly felt the immediate hostility radiating from her.
"You must be Lily Pierce. I am Serena Sterling."
"...Serena Sterling?"
"Oh, does my name ring a bell?"
"You're pretty well-known. The third daughter of the Sovereign Clan."
"Don't let my title intimidate you too much. Overthinking it will only stress you out," Serena laughed softly.
"...."
Lily stared blankly at the chuckling blonde before letting out a tired sigh and giving a stiff nod. It seemed Lily didn't want to start a screaming match with someone who was technically smiling at her.
"Hello to you too, Julian."
"Hey."
Serena smoothly pivoted to address Julian. He looked visibly uncomfortable with Serena barging into the conversation. It made sense; she was, on paper, his future wife.
"It really looks like she fancies you, Julian, given how much she's hovering," Serena teased smoothly.
"Wait, what?" Lily blinked her wide eyes in sheer bewilderment. Living up to the classic dense otome protagonist trope, Lily was completely oblivious to the romantic tension in the room.
"Back off, Serena," Julian warned, his brow furrowing.
"Oh my. Was I being a bit too forward?" Serena replied with an airy laugh, elegantly sweeping her hair behind her shoulder.
A heavy, suffocating tension immediately settled over the group.
I observed the exchange with immense interest. It probably sounded crazy, but I found the whole dynamic utterly thrilling. The female lead, the main love interest, and the primary villainess were all clashing in the same room. As an absolute diehard fan of Heroic Hearts Academy, my inner gamer was squealing.
"Why is the mood in here so grim on the very first day? What are you kids doing standing around?"
The fragile standoff was suddenly shattered by a woman's authoritative voice.
"Alright, wrap it up. Homeroom is starting, so grab a chair. I'm not in the mood to assign spots, so just sit wherever."
At the instructor's arrival, the cadets hastily scattered to find their desks.
"Well then, I should get back to my seat. Oh, and..."
Serena finally shifted her gaze to me, acknowledging my existence for the very first time.
"Oliver Brooks, correct? Lily's former boyfriend."
"That's me."
"Hehe. 'Former boyfriend.' How amusing. Anyway, I'll see you around."
Flashing one last smirk, she gracefully glided back to her clique.
"Seriously, what is her problem?" Lily scoffed, rolling her eyes.
Just as I thought. Trying to mend the relationship between the main heroine and the core villainess was going to be a monumental headache.