In other words, didn’t that mean he was the best—even outside of his official position?
As expected, he was a snarky man.
You might think I’m interpreting things too cynically, but I couldn’t help it. I knew the crown prince too well.
“From now on, I hope that you will treat me as an ordinary classmate and that we’ll learn many things together. Thank you.”
As soon as the prince’s speech ended, thunderous cheers echoed throughout the auditorium.
After a few more formalities, the entrance ceremony finally came to a close.
“I will now announce this year’s special students. Please come forward.”
Several students stepped up at the male professor’s call.
Among them was her—the original heroine.
Bright scarlet hair and warm auburn eyes.
It was the first time I’d seen her again since that day at the market with Reina.
“…This is Sophia Eris. I look forward to getting along with everyone.”
Sophia. That was her name.
I hadn’t remembered it until now, but the moment I heard it, the memories came rushing back.
Her magic attributes were water and light.
In particular, she was renowned for her exceptional talent in healing magic, which earned her admission into Arcana.
She was proof—a living testament—that she was a saint.
Her personality was easygoing and cheerful.
Despite Reina’s cold demeanor and biting remarks—Reina, who was called the Ice Princess in the original story—Sophia never lost her smile.
One of my goals was to foster a positive relationship between Sophia and Reina from the very beginning.
Their first meeting at the market hadn’t gone well—Sophia had made a mistake, and Reina had been furious.
But it had been over three years ago, and the encounter was brief.
Couldn’t I hope for a miracle—that they had both forgotten it?
I prayed earnestly.
“This concludes the entrance ceremony. Classes will begin tomorrow, so please rest well today.”
The crowd began to disperse from the auditorium.
I was one of the last to leave, still searching for Reina.
“…She’s not here.”
I looked around, but couldn’t find her anywhere.
Attendance at the entrance ceremony wasn’t mandatory, so she might have stayed in her dorm room.
Even in the original story, there was no mention of Sophia seeing Reina at the entrance ceremony—or any detail from Reina’s perspective in the side stories.
But the Reina I knew—the naive Ice Princess—would have participated.
“Yes… it’s been a long time.”
The Reina I remembered was from three years ago.
Perhaps time had softened her.
Or maybe it was something else entirely.
With a sigh, I left the auditorium and returned to the dormitory.
“Should I grab a light snack?”
The ceremony had started at 8:00 and ended by 9:30.
Lunch at Arcana didn’t start until 12:30.
It was only ten o’clock—still two and a half hours to go.
Lying around in the dorm was boring. I hadn’t brought any snacks with me.
In the end, I decided to use the pocket money my mother had given me.
“Thank you.”
“Eat well!”
I wandered across Arcana’s vast grounds and eventually found a café. There, I bought an egg and bacon toast along with a cappuccino.
“…The weather is nice.”
I looked up to see a brilliant blue sky dotted with pure white clouds. It felt like a waste to stay cooped up in the dormitory on a day like this.
Come to think of it, there was a spot where Sophia and the prince often met in the original story—A place where they would have lunch and talk together.
“Shall I eat there?”
It was a distinctive place, easy to recognize.
Since I’d be living here from now on, I should get to know the area better.
For some reason, I felt a growing excitement.
A massive tree stood in the middle of a large garden, flanked by two smaller ones.
Beneath it, a woman had laid out a mat and was reading.
Her platinum hair cascaded down to her waist.
Her eyes were sharp, and her presence felt icy.
The serene silver-blue dress she wore matched her perfectly.
She looked like a painting—so graceful, so untouched—that it almost felt wrong to disturb the moment.
She were sitting there.
She was right in front of me for the first time in three years.
Since that day, I had sent letter after letter—but none were answered.
She never came to the balls or banquets I attended.
It felt like we lived in completely separate worlds.
And yet now, here she was, before me.
It felt like a miracle.
Slowly—so as not to shatter the moment—I opened my mouth.
“Rai… it’s me.”
She raised her head at the sound of my voice.
“…Young Master Ike?”
Her purple eyes—so mysterious, so dreamlike—met mine.
But something was off.
There was no life in them.
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