Jealousy is a feeling that naturally comes with being human.
Jealousy doesn’t only arise when it comes to loved ones.
First off, parents’ love directed towards a sibling can lead to jealousy or even cause harm to that sibling.
In normal friendships, if a friend gets closer to someone else than to me, I can feel jealousy too.
At its core, jealousy fundamentally stems from possessiveness.
Iris Haishirion is the 3rd Princess.
As a princess, she lived a life where she had to seize everything for herself.
Once something is claimed, it must not be taken away.
The moment she loses what she has seized, she loses all the fame and achievements that came with it.
So, it’s only natural for Iris’s possessiveness to be strong.
Isabel Luna lost her most precious childhood friend six months ago.
It is only natural for a person to crave possession.
However, she lost the one thing she held most dearly in her heart.
Afterward, she couldn’t find anything to replace that yearning for possession.
But through a series of events, Isabel finally met someone who could fulfill that yearning.
Even if it’s compounded by love-hate, it became the subject of her lost possessiveness.
What does this imply?
Iris and Isabel are both types of people with extremely strong yearnings for possession.
Love-hate and attachment dolls.
The possessiveness they had somewhat managed was now facing a rival.
Inevitably, they revealed their struggles to keep what was theirs.
The main reason for their quarrels was fundamentally based on this possessiveness.
Because of them, my recent situation had become increasingly difficult.
That’s why I warned them to settle down.
Fortunately, their possessiveness hasn’t peaked just yet.
Having heard my warning, the two restrained themselves in my presence.
‘So I was a bit relieved.’
But then, a person appeared to rekindle their possessiveness.
The unyielding Blue Flame.
Eve.
In a party venue filled with key figures from various academies, she suddenly approached me.
I am definitely not a love interest for either Isabel or Iris.
However, the fact that these two women feel possessive towards me, a man, means I’m the ultimate target for their possessiveness.
If a female figure shows up, it’s only natural for both of their possessiveness to spike.
Especially when someone of outstanding beauty and superiority in romance appears, it only intensifies.
‘Damn.’
I hate that I can see through the human psyche.
I lost the chaos of love that confounds rational judgment.
Thanks to that, I’ve become exceptionally adept at understanding human psychology recently.
So, I instinctively realized how precarious this situation was.
‘I’d much rather be a harem protagonist in a game or novel, flirting left and right.’
I can’t ignore the glaring crisis in front of me.
My back feels extremely hot.
It seems Iris and Isabel’s glares could pierce right through me.
It hurts.
It hurts a lot.
“Hanon Irey, that name, right?”
But completely oblivious to my crisis, Eve approached me again.
My lips felt stuck.
Their gazes were too piercing.
“Yes, how did you know?”
But I couldn’t stay silent any longer.
Forcing a smile as best as I could, I tried to ignore the stares behind me.
“I asked around.”
In that moment, my shoulders jumped.
I hurriedly scanned the party venue.
Then, I could hear murmuring voices directed at me.
Asking around.
That meant she had inquired about me to everyone present at this party.
Eve, who usually didn’t engage in discussions with others, had suddenly been asking about me.
What on earth did that mean?
‘Heaven forbid I’m at this age where romantic relationships can get heated.’
The topics must have already been set among all these gentlemen regarding their own interests.
“It seems Blue Flame is interested.”
“I’m surprised. Is the Blue Flame actually into someone?”
Sure enough, I overheard a few comments.
The fact I could hear them meant, of course, that the two behind me heard them too.
“Eve, shall we step outside to talk for a bit?”
Continuing the conversation with Eve here wasn’t a good idea.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Deciding to change my location, I moved first, and Eve followed along without further protest.
I made a quick escape from their collective gaze.
A moment later, stepping out onto the terrace of the party, I felt the refreshing air wash over me.
The heaviness in my heart lifted somewhat with each breath.
The future felt daunting.
But first, I needed to address this.
“Investigating is quite troublesome. How much have you heard?”
“That you’re the cousin of the 3rd Princess and that she was recently targeted for an assassination attempt involving the Magic of the Ice Dragon.”
Well, she heard quite a bit.
It was clear that Eve had heard much from those interested in her.
“You’ve heard a lot. But I assure you, I wasn’t the one who attempted the assassination against Iris.”
It’s important she doesn’t get the wrong idea.
“I know. It was someone named Nikita Cynthia. And…”
Eve lifted her gaze to meet mine directly.
“I’ve also heard that the type of magic she used was related to the Ice Dragon.”
She must have sensed the chill emanating from me.
Eve’s blue eyes were quietly aflame.
“Are you planning to assassinate the 3rd Princess?”
Did she misunderstand me like that?
Though the origin of the misunderstanding is different, it was similar to the one Isabel had.
I chewed over our conversation and found myself naturally smiling.
“No? That could never happen.”
I wonder if Eve would believe my outright denial.
“…”
The answer was NO.
“I don’t know what your circumstances may be.”
As she said, Eve didn’t know my situation at all.
That’s why she made this misunderstanding, and that’s why she approached me directly at the party.
“But I know that what you’re trying to do is wrong.”
The assassination of a princess.
Such an act would surely bring consequences throughout the kingdom and ruin my life as well.
Eve’s clear, serious gaze bore into me.
“Stop. You can’t rectify things this way.”
The direction of the misunderstanding escalated.
Once the misunderstanding had begun, there was no way to divert it no matter what I said.
In fact, I was kind of glad it had turned out this way.
“What makes you think you can say that as if you know everything?”
I expressed my disbelief.
Asking what she could possibly know after just one day of meeting each other.
“…It might be my misunderstanding. But if it isn’t, things could turn disastrous.”
Of course, it’s a misunderstanding.
I have no intention of causing harm to Iris at all.
On the contrary, I wish for her to live peacefully without nightmares.
“Then what will you do? Are you going to get rid of me?”
That would never happen…
“Correct.”
Huh?
She lifted the hem of her dress.
Then, she pulled out a slender dagger attached to her long leg.
Clang!
The dagger extended, transforming into the shape of a sword in an instant.
That was also a type of magic tool.
Whoosh—
At the same time, blue flames erupted from her sword.
The unyielding Blue Flame.
It was a flame with the power most akin to the fire of determination.
“I’m going to burn away the Magic of the Ice Dragon completely.”
Eve’s gaze was sincere.
Instead of allowing it to be misused, she’d break it down.
I could feel that resolve radiating through her fiery eyes.
Yikes, she’s crazy!
“Wait! At least let me get ready! I’m unarmed here!”
“I have no reason to consider that.”
Damn it.
I didn’t expect her to come at me so recklessly.
The moment I gingerly moved towards the terrace door.
Whoosh!
The flames from her sword blocked my path.
The dreadful blue flames flowed along the ground.
“Give up. I’ll wipe out the Magic of the Ice Dragon cleanly.”
“I have this emotional bond with the Magic of the Ice Dragon. I feel sad to part with it like this.”
“Get over it.”
What a ruthless woman.
Not an ounce of mercy in her at all.
Eve stomped the ground.
‘It’s coming.’
Now that we’ve reached this point, there’s no escaping it.
My instincts coincided with Eve’s disappearance from view.
The moment my fast-acting eyesight barely caught her.
Swoosh!
My palm met Eve’s blade in a resounding clash that echoed.
Eve’s eyebrows twitched.
She wasn’t expecting me to reach for her with my bare hands.
It was a situation where losing an arm wouldn’t have been surprising.
“I’ll ask the Saintess to reattach it for you.”
What a violent statement.
She must have assumed my arm was already severed or destroyed.
Well, the timing was just right.
This was my chance.
I opened my palm.
And at the same time, I seized Eve’s sword tightly.
As Blue Flame scorched my hands, I felt an intense heat.
But the flame resistance I’d trained over time allowed me to withstand it.
“Uh?”
A flabbergasted voice escaped Eve’s lips.
She hadn’t expected to be able to hold onto her own sword that was engulfed in Blue Flame.
This panic was my only opportunity.
Heat radiated from my skin while steel enveloped it.
Clang!
In that moment, my fingers penetrated through the blade.
Right when Eve couldn’t comprehend the situation.
My eyes sparkled.
Sword Breaker!
Clang!
Eve’s blade shattered into pieces in an instant.
My hand swung straight towards the dazed expression on Eve’s face.
Just before my hand reached her, Eve tilted her head back and deftly wrapped her arm around mine.
Even while surprised, her counter was absolutely precise.
It was proof of the countless hours of training she’d gone through.
Whoosh!
I was shot up into the air in a flash.
However, I wouldn’t take it lying down.
Just before I hit the ground, I activated the Magic Seal on my palm.
Boom!
With a loud explosion erupting from my body, I stopped midair due to the blast’s force.
Using the arm Eve had caught as my pivot, I drove my fist downward towards her.
The Magic Seal etched onto my elbow activated.
Accordingly, my fist was imbued with speed and power.
Kaboom!
The terrace floor shattered where my fist landed.
I lost track of Eve.
I hurriedly peered through the smoke.
Then, I saw Eve retreating at a distance.
It was quite a serious blow.
The mark of a protagonist in a side story indeed.
‘The intensity of her training must be another level altogether.’
I haven’t slacked off in my training either.
But Eve was the main character of an episode, while I was merely a supplement.
Our capabilities were on an entirely different scale.
“What on earth did you do to your body?”
Eve looked at me, incredulity written all over her face.
Just as she said, I had applied various spells across my body.
It must have seemed bizarre to her as well.
“It’s all for a purpose.”
I clapped my palms together and stood up.
Before I knew it, my sleeves had burned away.
I felt bad since those were the clothes Iris had given me.
Clang!
At that moment, Eve restored the shattered blade.
A magic tool.
Limitless Blade.
It could manifest any shape of a sword and would recover even when broken.
The heat from Eve’s unyielding Blue Flame was entirely due to this characteristic.
“Though I was surprised, give up. You can’t defeat me.”
I would genuinely fight from now on.
So declared Eve.
“Right.”
As she said, I had no means of dealing with Eve, who was already a completed protagonist.
“But I’m not alone here.”
Creeeak—
At that moment, the door to the terrace swung open.
The party inside had gone quiet without me noticing.
Eve belatedly realized we had caused quite a commotion.
The moment she noticed the opened door, a woman stepped out, walking confidently.
With her jet-black hair flowing around, she scintillated with ruby-colored eyes.
Darkness rippled along as she trailed behind.
“What’s the meaning of this?”
Her keen words resonated ominously in the air.
A palpable malice swirled around her, starting to engulf her.
The Final Villainess.
Iris Haishirion.
The atmosphere immediately shifted upon her arrival.
And she wasn’t alone.
A girl in a school uniform slowly descended from the sky.
White-hot light gathered around the staff she held.
The intensity of that light was so powerful it warped the space around it, startling even Eve.
“Wow, you’re pulling some entertaining stunts here!”
Daughter of Blue Magic Tower Lord.
Sharine Sazarith.
Finally,
A woman with honey-blond hair appeared next to me, wrapping around my burnt wrist.
She didn’t gaze at Eve.
But the look on her face, as she looked down at my hand, revealed silent rage.
The brightness she usually displayed was unfathomable.
Isabel Luna.
Once the main heroine of the Fire Butterfly faction joined the scene, the situation suddenly fell into place.
No matter how skilled Eve was, she couldn’t handle this many individuals.
She bit her lip tightly and glared at me.
I shrugged casually.
If you’re unhappy, then go ahead and bring your friends.
