"Well, with the groups already formed, you may go and spend time together getting to know each other," the teacher announced in a carefree tone.
Oh… shit.
Yeah, I definitely remembered this.
Not because it was important, but because of how ridiculous it was that a teacher would decide to give "free class time" just so people could chit-chat like this was some kind of social gathering. But hey, I guess that's just how visual novels work. I gave up on trying to find logic in this world a long time ago.
Basically, this was one of those events designed to strengthen bonds with the hero of the chosen route.
In my case… since I changed my mind halfway through, I didn't have a hero.
I had a villain.
That much, yeah.
"Lady Wiebke, please stay for a moment. I need to discuss a matter with you."
"Understood."
Carlotta replied with a straight back and a minimal, elegant bow, as if everything belonged to her by right.
I was already turning to run away when—
"…Uh… do you want me to wait for you?"
I said it in the sweetest tone I could muster. This was a good chance to show that I really did care about getting along with her, that I could be… I dunno, a friend?
Carlotta looked at me for a second. Then she smiled.
"You know something, kitty?" she said in a dangerously gentle voice. "Please, I beg you, wait for me."
Those words.
Said with that smile.
I left the classroom, confused by her sudden change in attitude.
While I waited leaning against the wall, wrapping my thoughts in the tick-tock of the clockwork mechanisms planted along the hallway, the echo reminded me of the system's mission.
It was obvious Carlotta was planning something.
I'm not that dumb not to notice how suspicious it was for her to go from wanting to shoot me with her blood to smiling at me like that.
Even so… I think I can take advantage of the situation to spend time with her and try to make her stop hating me.
I'm not sure what she's planning with all this "acting friendly and passive-aggressive" thing, but I'm not going to waste the opportunity.
I was going to play her game—she's not the only one who can manipulate things to her advantage!
Let my epic saga begin, worthy of being told alongside the most beautiful Greek poems! …Or something like that.
I dunno.
***
"Hey~"
"You actually waited for me?"
"That's kinda rude. I might be a lot of things, but I never break a promise."
I puffed out my chest and raised two fingers in a peace sign. I plastered the sweetest smile I could manage onto my face.
Unfortunately, Carlotta didn't react much.
She just twitched her nose a little and started walking beside me.
… I guess I should follow her, right?
With that, I hurried my pace to walk next to her.
"So… what did the prof want?"
"He kindly asked me to be the student representative for the Specialized Practices. Each class has one. It is a great honor."
"Really? To me that sounds more like a pain in the ass…"
"Of course, for someone like you it would be," she replied with an arrogant smile. "You lack a certain… grace."
And there it was.
The Carlotta I knew.
With those sudden mood swings, I was seriously starting to wonder if she had some kind of emotional disorder.
Yeah. I was already regretting saying I'd walk with her.
"Well, I'm sure you can handle it. You're very capable," I lied with a smile so fake it almost hurt. "And… you know, if you need help, you can count on your beautiful work partner. Or… something like that."
Carlotta looked at me closely.
"Mmm. Alright, kitty. I'll take your word for it. I just so happen to need help."
"Eh? Wait, already?"
She handed me a stack of pamphlets.
"Take care of distributing this information among the Specialized Practice students. They should be in the restaurant during lunch. And if you somehow mess up this simple task… you won't like the punishment."
That cold way she looked at me while smiling slightly flushed like an angel… Yep! She's not joking, if I mess this up she'll kill me!
"At your service, ma'am!"
We started walking.
The silence between us became so thick that my anxiety started bubbling in my chest. Unlike me, Carlotta walked with flawless elegance, as if she didn't feel even the slightest bit of discomfort.
Quick, think of something to talk about, idiot.
"Sooo… uh… h-how's life been treating you?"
"Oh? Do you really want to know?"
Suddenly, she turned around and got way too close.
Her lips brushed against my ear as she spoke. The warmth of her breath ran down my back in a strangely pleasant way. Almost like someone gently tracing along the line of my spine.
"My life was normal… until a homewrecking kitty decided to flirt with MY fiancé."
I pushed her away immediately.
There it was again, that contemptuous smile.
I wish I could say it made her look ugly, but that would be a pretty blatant lie… damn it.
Seriously, attractive girls are dangerous.
Putting that aside, I'm already tired of being falsely accused of being an adulterer!
"Not this again! When the hell have you ever seen me flirt with him? As far as I know, I've always told him to get the hell away from me— I mean, to get lost."
"…You really don't remember what happened during the first weeks?"
Huh?
A cold sweat ran down my back.
What the hell did the real Kathryn do?
My completely dumbfounded face must have given away that I had no idea what this gorgeous blonde who clearly wanted to kill me was talking about.
"DO YOU THINK I'M THAT STUPID?"
W-Why the hell does she have that "I wouldn't mind shooting my blood at her right now" expression?
So scary!
I grabbed the pamphlets and covered my face.
Damn conditioned reflex from when I used to get bullied…
I still can't handle it when people suddenly yell at me.
"…Ah. My apologies, dear partner."
Carlotta changed her tone instantly. She lowered the pamphlets and showed me a soft smile… too soft.
"It's just that I find it hard to believe you don't remember spending two whole weeks glued to Lord Kaelvarion like a leech, sucking his blood."
…Oh… Now I know what she's talking about.
At the start of the game, purely for plot reasons, Kathryn kept running into the "Bandit Prince" over and over again. Dumb accidents, chance encounters, forced scenes like the classic accident where notebooks fall everywhere. Then when they meet because the protagonist didn't know where a classroom was, and finally when the prince protects Kathryn from some arrogant nobles; all the way up to the altercation with Carlotta.
And that's exactly when I took her place.
Sh*t.
"I… I'm sorry. But since then, I haven't interacted with him of my own will at all. That should count for something, right?"
"Uh-huh. Sure," she replied coldly. "Let's just do the work. And remember-"
"Yeah, yeah. If I screw up, you kill me. See you tomorrow."
Ugh, I want my mommy!
That girl seriously hates me.
Maxi, help!
***
"Achoo!"
Meanwhile, in the Specialized Practice classroom, a black-haired girl let out a small sneeze.
"…Someone's talking about me."
Maxine frowned.
God… what kind of trouble did that airhead get herself into now?
She thought about that cotton-candy-haired Nen.
And immediately reached a conclusion.
That idiot really did take her joke seriously after all… how dumb.
She definitely didn't want to know what kind of mess the kitty she had—much to her dismay—ended up adopting had gotten herself into, which meant she'd have to help her whether she wanted to or not.
What a pain…