Chapter 7: Middle Part ②

“…Iris Camellia… that’s her?”

Lillie Boden was confused.

She had been searching for Iris Camellia, who was supposed to be in the General Course, only to discover from the character screen on her smartphone that Iris was enrolled in the Medical Course, which stood alongside the Advanced Course as one of the most difficult programs.

She was stunned.

It was hard to believe that the girl infamous as “idiot Iris” was in the Medical Course, so when her first period turned into self-study, she skipped class under the excuse of going to the infirmary and came to the Medical Course classroom.

Fortunately, it was an elective class attended by students from other departments, so she sat in the back where the teacher would not notice her and searched for Iris among the crowd.

Before long, her gaze locked onto one female student.

“She’s… seriously attending class…!?”

…Yes, the very person in question was sitting in a wheelchair, attending the lecture.

Though thin and pale, her eyes burned with determination as if clinging to the lesson, writing down the lecture content in her notebook.

Her expression… was like that of a knight standing on a battlefield, filled with resolve and solemn intensity.

…Who is that?

Even more surprising was that Nelke was gazing at Iris with a look of fascination.

Hey, if you’re her attendant, shouldn’t you take her to the infirmary!? She looks seriously unwell!

…Lillie found herself staring with her mouth agape, even unintentionally sympathizing with the supposed villainess.

There was no sign of the Iris Camellia who hated studying.

Instead, there was a frail, studious girl.

If this was an act, then despite being a villainess, her acting skills rivaled those of a Hollywood actress.

“Miss Camellia, are you alright? You look particularly unwell today…”

Unable to hold back, the teacher spoke up, and Iris responded with a gentle smile.

“…Yes, I am still quite alright. Please, do not mind me and continue the lesson.”

“………”

The other students watched her with complicated expressions.

What determination…

It was obvious at a glance that she was not the Iris Camellia from the game.

“…If she’s unwell, she should just stay home.”

“…She’s probably trying to attract attention by acting weak.”

“…This is why she was removed as a Crown Princess candidate… how unsightly.”

(That’s not the issue at all!?)

The female students sitting around Lillie frowned as they looked at Iris.

To them, the sight of a sick girl clinging desperately to her studies looked like an act.

In reality, they simply disliked how Iris received attention and consideration from Nelke, the male students, and even the teachers.

Even her pale complexion likely appeared to them as just another way to draw sympathy.

But still…

(She’s annoyingly beautiful… as expected of a villainess.)

Her golden hair was neatly tied into a bun, secured with a blue ribbon, and her posture was dignified, reminiscent of a knight…

She had the kind of appearance that would likely be popular among certain girls.

In the original, she wore extravagant drill curls and heavy lipstick, but now she wore a refined cherry-colored lip.

Despite wearing little makeup, her pale, supple skin… was enviable.

(Her face is so small! Her waist is so thin!)

Lillie had perfected her appearance and etiquette in preparation for Julius’s route, yet she was now confronted with the overwhelming difference in elegance between high-ranking and lower-ranking nobility.

The Camellia family, ranked second among the six great marquis houses, possessed territory comparable to a small nation…

Comparing them to a baron family from a remote region was absurd.

Their status, their refinement… everything was different.

There was a gap that could not be bridged, yet Lillie, with her game-centered thinking, failed to understand it.

She still believed that being the heroine would somehow make everything work.

That way of thinking itself was what was truly unrealistic.

As she observed Iris with a mixture of frustration and envy, Lillie suddenly realized something.

(Could it be… the reason Granard-sensei, the twins, and Nelke’s events aren’t happening… is because of her? A villainess reincarnation… that’s it! Why didn’t I realize sooner!? That girl is definitely a reincarnator!)

That was half correct, and half incorrect.

Iris did indeed possess the memories of a gamer from her previous life.

However, Iris was still Iris.

Her previous life’s memories and knowledge were inherited, but her personality and actions were her own.

The Iris of now was a fusion of her original self and her past life’s memories.

Even if she had those memories, the one thinking and acting was Iris herself.

Her illness had nothing to do with the game.

Incidentally, even the god who reincarnated Lillie had stated that while this was the same world as the game, there could be differences in the characters.

What happens in their lives could not be controlled, even by that god.

That was beyond divine authority.

This world may resemble the game, but unlike the game, gods and spirits truly exist here.

Ignoring those gods… another god interfering freely would be impossible.

While it is possible for a god from another world to send a soul here, they do not have the authority to alter the lives or destinies of the people living in this world.

Doing so would not only invite the displeasure of the gods of this world but could also disrupt the balance of multiple worlds.

…Even gods have rules and limitations.

Unable to understand this, Lillie ground her teeth and cursed the god who had reincarnated her.

(…So she’s trying to avoid being a villainess by using her illness? That won’t do. I need her to play the villain, or it’ll be a problem for me.)

She was not actually using it that way.

It was simply the result of her circumstances.

In truth, Iris was focused on recovering her health and pursuing her future goals.

She had no interest in interacting with the capture targets beyond her family and acquaintances, and she did not even have the heroine in her sights.

More importantly… she simply did not have the luxury for such things.

(This is bad, I don’t understand any of this!)

Iris glared at the blackboard, her eyes welling with tears.

Because she often missed classes, she struggled to keep up.

All she could do was jot down whatever she could catch from the lecture.

Though she reviewed the material later with Nelke, there were limits to what she could make up for.

Her abilities, aside from her appearance and family status, were not particularly high.

The fact that she had made it into the Medical Course was entirely due to her effort.

“…I dislike physics…”

“Yes, my lady, the next page. (…I really want to pat her head.)”

“…Thank you.”

…Nelke is too kind, and it is frightening.

In the original, Nelke was the one who whipped me and sent me smiling to the execution platform.

Even now, remembering that smile makes my spine shiver.

And that lingering gaze…

I have grown used to it, but it is still unsettling.

Speaking of kindness… perhaps His Highness Julius also seemed somewhat gentle earlier…?

Is it just my imagination?

Recalling him, I shook my head.

I cannot marry His Highness, and I am well aware that I am not suitable for him.

Perhaps a faint trace of my first love still lingers…

It is a little bittersweet.

As I placed a hand over my chest to calm myself, I suddenly felt a gaze and turned around…

And met the heroine’s eyes.

…That is the heroine, isn’t it?

She is glaring at me intensely… but she is the heroine, right?

Her gaze was so sharp it rivaled that of a villainess, and I instinctively looked away.

Ugh… I have no intention of bullying her…

Is she wary of me?

“…Shall I eliminate her?”

Nelke was glaring at the heroine as if she were trash!

That is terrifying, Nelke!

And he said it with an extremely sadistic expression…

Please do not pull out a whip! We are in class!

I hurriedly shook my head, telling him to stop, and Nelke reluctantly put the whip away.

Thus, that was my first encounter with the heroine.