I Am The Game's Villain

"Hey, look!"

"It's him!"

"Edward Falkrona!"

"How dare he show his face here?"

"I can't believe the Heads are still letting him attend!"

Leaning casually against a tree outside the academy, I shut my eyes, sighing in quiet exasperation. Even in moments like this, peace remained impossible reach.

Couldn't they talk about something else for once? It was always the same thing, the same accusations, the same outraged whispers. At this point, it was just background noise.

Fortunately, I didn't have to endure it for long. A familiar figure caught my attention—Alicia. But she wasn't alone. Walking beside her was Roda.

Huh. They seemed closer than before. Well, I suppose it wasn't that strange. They were both first-years, after all.

"You'll see! You're going to love it," Roda said, flashing Alicia a bright smile.

"I don't know…" Alicia hesitated. "I've never been there before."

"Then all the more reason to go! I'll show you the best spots, so just leave it to me," Roda said confidently, smiling.

Alicia gave a small nod. "If we have time."

"We will," Roda assured her. "The trip is mainly for the second-years anyway. They have a written exam on it afterward."

Wait, what?

"An exam?" I spoke up, blinking.

"Hyaa!" Roda let out a startled yelp, nearly jumping out of her skin.

Alicia flinched as well, visibly surprised.

Roda immediately turned to glare at me. "Senior! You can't just sneak up behind people like that and start talking out of nowhere!"

"I wasn't sneaking," I replied. "I was just curious. There's an exam at the end of the trip? That's real?"

Roda grimaced. "Senior, are you even taking the academy seriously?"

"He isn't," Alicia answered for me without missing a beat.

I sighed. "I do take it seriously, but I don't recall hearing anything about this. Either I missed the memo, or the professors are deliberately keeping information from me… and that would be really concerning." I frowned, crossing my arms. "What kind of immaturity would it take for them to hide exam details only from me?"

"You're being too self-centered, Senior," Roda said, shaking her head. "I doubt the professors would be that petty."

"Maybe," I conceded with a shrug. "Now, can you give us a moment? I need to talk to Alicia."

"Why?" Roda asked, her eyes narrowing as she glanced between me and Alicia, suspiciously.

"Oh, I just have a lot to discuss with my favorite junior," I said casually before flicking my hand in a shooing motion. "Now, you should hurry up and go pamper Victor before he loses interest in you."

Roda's face turned a deep shade of red. "Y-You…!" She let out, mouth opening and closing as if struggling to form a proper response.

I tilted my head. "What? If he spots you hanging around with me, he might misunderstand our relationship—so you'd better get going."

She looked completely flustered, and I couldn't help but chuckle. Had no one ever thrown the truth in her face like this before?

Then a thought struck me. My eyes widened slightly. "Wait… don't tell me you actually thought no one had noticed you've been crushing on Victor this whole time?" I asked, utterly dumbfounded.

Was she really that naïve?

Roda froze, her expression somewhere between horror and embarrassment.

"Well, good luck," I said, patting her on the shoulder as if offering my condolences. "And be careful of Selene. She might actually kill you in your sleep if she gets jealous."

With that, I grabbed Alicia's arm, intending to pull her away before we drew even more unwanted attention. But just as I was about to leave, Roda suddenly called out.

"Wait!"

I stopped, raising an eyebrow. "What? Are you about to confess your love for him right now?"

I wouldn't mind helping her out, honestly. If she was serious about Victor, I could at least lend a hand for Yanis' niece.

Roda's face twisted into a look of pure disgust. "I would never confess to a guy like you!" she spat, quickly looking away.

"I wasn't talking about me…" I groaned.

She huffed before crossing her arms. "Uncle Rodolf wants to see you."

I blinked. "Rodolf? And why exactly is your uncle sending you to pass the message?"

"Because you're always disappearing after class! He asked me to say to you if I see you," She said. "Now, do whatever you want with that information!"

With that, she spun on her heel and stomped off.

Well… I guess she had a point.

Rodolf was in another class, and the only time we could meet was during lunchtime—which I usually spent in the library—or after class. But since I always made sure to be the first one out the door, we barely ever saw each other.

Now that I thought about it… I still hadn't even gotten his number.

Turning to Alicia, I asked, "Do you have Rodolf's number?"

She gave me an icy stare, her gaze flickering down to my hand, which was still grasping her arm.

I let go immediately.

"Do you have it?" I repeated.

"Why would I have Senior Rodolf's number?" She asked still upset.

"Ask Roda to send it to me," I said.

"..."

"Or better yet, why don't you ask your new handsome fiancé to send me his number?" I added with a smirk.

Alicia shot me a glare. "And then you wonder why everyone in the academy hates you, Senior—"

She stopped mid-sentence, her gaze following mine. But my attention was no longer on her.

It was on Percy Moonfang.

He moved with a quiet grace, his aloof expression only adding to his allure. Every step he took seemed to draw the eyes of every girl around him, their hushed whispers trailing in his wake. His black hair framed his sharp face, and his yellow eyes held a certain calmness.

"Percy Moonfang," I called out, raising a hand in an exaggerated wave.

Alicia's grip on my arm tightened instantly. "W-What are you doing?"

I ignored her, calling out again. "Percy Moonfang!"

This time, his eyes flicked toward us, briefly assessing the situation. His gaze lingered between me and Alicia before he finally approached. Up close, he was even taller than I had expected.

Alicia's grip on my arm was vice-like now, her nails digging so hard into my skin that I was fairly certain she'd drawn blood.

It was almost amusing—despite being in the same academy, I had never actually spoken to Percy since the start of the year. This was the closest I had ever been to him, and his presence was undeniably different from Rodolf's. Rodolf was arrogant and aggressive, but Percy... Percy was more silent and seemed unreadable.

"Do you know me?" I asked just in case.

"Amael Idea Olphean."

Huh. So he did at least.

"Congratulations on your engagement to Alicia," I said, keeping my expression neutral. "She's a little shy, but she's actually a really good girl."

Alicia's nails drove deeper into my arm.

Yep. Definitely blood now.

Percy's gaze shifted toward her, lingering for a second on the way she clung to me. Alicia, who was usually composed, looked uncharacteristically awkward as she greeted him.

"Senior…" She mumbled, barely making eye contact.

Percy didn't even blink. "Is that all?" He asked flatly, already turning to leave.

"I just find it strange," I said casually to make him pause mid-step. "Out of nowhere, Cyril suddenly decides to arrange your engagement to Alicia."

Alicia shot me a glance, her brows knitting together in confusion.

"I've never seen the two of you this close before," I continued, my smirk fading as I scanned Percy's reaction. "It almost seems like you've been planning something together."

"Senior?" Alicia called confused.

But I wasn't looking at her. My eyes stayed locked onto Percy.

For a brief moment, silence stretched between us. Then, finally, he turned his head slightly, regarding me with that same unreadable expression.

"What do you want?" He asked.

"Do you love Alicia?" I asked, completely out of nowhere.

Percy's brows furrowed slightly, his yellow eyes narrowing. That definitely wasn't the question he had been expecting.

Alicia stiffened beside me before yanking on my arm, hard. Then, as if trying to disappear, she pressed her face against my back, completely hiding from view. At this point, she was probably too embarrassed to even exist.

"The engagement is a political arrangement between the Raven and Moonfang Houses," Percy answered.

"I figured as much," I said. "But I'm more curious about the politics behind it."

Percy's gaze sharpened, the irises flickering dangerously. "You should watch your tongue and your behavior, Falkrona. Luck and odds won't always be on your side."

"Maybe," I said with a slight shrug. "But when I have nothing to lose, I think I have the right to push my luck."

Maybe it was the Prophecy. Maybe I had just stopped caring about appearances. Obsessing over the so-called 'Happy Ending' was nothing more than a slow march toward death. If that was the path laid out for me, then I'd carve my own instead. I'd act as I pleased and change things in my own way.

Percy stared at me before finally turning away.

"One last thing," I called out before he could walk off.

He paused, glancing over his shoulder. His voice was noticeably colder this time. "What do you want?"

He asked again.

I smiled.

"Rodolf's number."