Episode 4
Tap, tap.
With closed eyes, I grasped the marble with my toes and tossed it into the air. The falling marble was caught on the sole of my foot, and I kicked it back up.
Thunk!
The marble fell accurately, adhering precisely to my forehead. An amazing stunt.
It was worth wrestling with marbles every day. Even though the distance had increased a bit, I could still detect the marble.
Concentrating my mind, if I pinpointed a location where the marble might be, it responded to the mana within my body.
Now, the presence of mana within me felt more sensitively apparent.
Although I couldn’t release it externally yet, realizing that it existed within me was an improvement.
As a final exercise, I bounced the marble off my forehead to the back of my neck.
Admiring my own achievement, I was interrupted when Koro Mang entered the room.
I had already had lunch, and considering the time, it wasn’t dinner yet. What’s going on? I stood still for a moment, bewildered.
Koro Mang, with her eyes blinking innocently, looked at me and said, “A guest has arrived.”
“Oh, really? I’ll go check.”
Koro Mang considerately closed the door quietly as I left. Thanking her, I put the marble necklace into my pocket.
A guest. It could only be the person coming to find Raphael. The time has come. Trying to steady my nervous heart, I stepped outside the mansion. Seeing the person waiting in front of the door, I was sure.
Ah, it’s her.
As soon as I saw the female lead, the protagonist of the 5,500-character story, I recognized her.
The protagonist of “Cinderella Rhapsody,” Bisot Puremoon.
There was no way there could be two people with such a face in the world. Even though it was all about appearance, she actively advertised herself as the protagonist of the novel.
From her ‘coal-black’ hair to the ‘ruby’-like eyes, ‘densely packed’ facial features, and ‘milky-white’ skin, it was exactly as described in the novel.
Gazing at such beauty that could make you swoon just by looking at it, I stuck my tongue out.
The owner of such an appearance, who would feel overwhelmed just by putting it in her mouth, slightly raised her chin and looked at me. Meeting her eyes directly, my breath caught for a moment.
“Must you go to such lengths? Even if you have the power of the family behind you, it means nothing within the academy. Even if you follow me, you will never achieve what you desire.”
I remained silent at her words. It was perplexing, and my mind felt fuzzy about what to say in response. This was the beginning of the story, right after the prologue.
Raphael had been boasting about going to the academy, and the protagonist, Bisot, came to deliver a blow. Trying to convince Raphael not to spout nonsense, she argued that even if he followed her, he would never achieve his desired goal.
Perplexed, my head throbbed, wondering what to reply. This was the prologue of the original work. Raphael had been claiming that he would go to the academy, and when Bisot came to dissuade him, he stubbornly resisted.
He stubbornly insisted that he was going to study, not to follow her. Nonsensical talk. Raphael, who had been only playing around, suddenly talked about studying. It was quite amusing.
However, now I was the one who really needed to go study. Going to the academy was the right choice.
“Oh, really? Is that so?”
I foolishly responded, not believing anything she said.
With a dumbfounded expression, I looked at her, seemingly accepting whatever she said. Bisot blinked unexpectedly, as if satisfied that I didn’t argue against her words.
She seemed concerned about what nonsense Raphael might spout while coming here. Given Raphael’s previous actions, it was a reasonable concern.
Bisot expressed satisfaction that the conversation ended without any major issues, bowed her head in gratitude, and walked towards the crimson-haired maid waiting for her. The maid sighed briefly as if relieved that it was over.
On the other hand, the knight who stuck close to her and grumbled his dissatisfaction through his eyes, as if saying, ‘I’m not happy about this.’ Laser-like gazes shot out from his squinted eyes, poking me.
As expected.
I considered turning back, but the knight switched places with Bisot as if passing a baton to the next player in a relay. He came towards me, towering with his tall stature and rugged appearance.
A tall and incredibly handsome man.
Commonly, excessive praises about the male lead’s appearance were dismissed as mere exaggeration.
My sister was good at throwing around compliments. The result was right in front of me. He, with an unrealistically handsome face.
Bisot’s bodyguard.
Genius knight, Jeflin.
One of the potential candidates to kill me.
Even if I wanted to go back, the knight replaced Bisot and came towards me with confident strides.
His tall stature and rugged appearance were impressive, but it was his eyes that left a lasting impression. They were the exact color of my sister’s favorite product line, insisting on using milk-infused products.
Did he find it amusing that my sister varied her tastes everywhere?
Jeflin approached, and as I faced him, his eyes were so striking.
My sister lived on coffee, insisting on products with milk. His eyes were exactly the same color.
My sister diversified her tastes everywhere, and I couldn’t help but smirk at the thought. Did Jeflin find it ridiculous?
Keeping his lips tightly sealed, he chewed them for a moment before speaking.
“At the academy, things will be different from what you’ve experienced so far. If you approach Bisot again, be prepared. Remember, things are different at the academy.”
이 문장은 소설이나 판타지 이야기의 일부분인 것 같습니다. 아래는 문장의 영어 번역입니다:
—
This was that scene.
No matter how many times I argued with my older sister, I reluctantly included the scene for the coolness of Jeffrin. Later, in the academy, Raphael is humiliated by Jeffrin in a sword duel.
It wasn’t just a defeat; he was utterly humiliated.
Afterward, with a sword at Raphael’s throat, Jeffrin sneers, “I told you it would be different back then.”
As a reader who despises Raphael, this scene feels like pouring soda on his face. The current situation was a foreshadowing for that moment.
In the original work, Raphael confronted Jeffrin defiantly, rejecting commoners, saying, “Where do peasants belong!” Could it be because of that confrontation that Jeffrin later treated him so harshly?
If I handle the situation well now, maybe the kid will cut me some slack, even if he hits me, he might not hit too hard.
“Yeah, got it. I’ll be careful and observe the situation.”
“Will you… hit Mr. Bisshott once more? Huh? Oh… Yes, understood.”
Jeffrin clicked his tongue.
He seemed somewhat disappointed. It felt like he wanted me to get angry at his words. It’s not going to work like that. I forced a smile and said,
“Yeah. Are you going too? Goodbye.”
I shook hands with Jeffrin, seeing him off. Even as he followed Bishott out of the mansion, he glanced at me as if he didn’t like me. His gaze was sharp.
—
In the following part, the narrator discusses the importance of names in romance fantasy novels and reflects on the significance of a character’s name appearing in certain contexts, like Jeffrin being the only skilled individual in the swordsmanship department at the academy.
Raphael was a noble of the Marquisate and qualified for special admission to the academy. In the original work, he had indeed bypassed the bothersome exams through special admission, a privilege that had no reason not to be utilized. The process of entering the academy had no impact on how individuals were treated within the academy.
However, people’s perceptions were different. There was a bias against those admitted through special admission, assuming they lacked skill. While such gazes didn’t bother others, it became a problem, especially with figures like Gumsung and Katarina.
Katarina, having manifested mana in the entrance exam, used it as the primary screening method and then had the remaining candidates engage in combat. In the original work, Jeffrin emerged as the winner.
Katarina, due to years of finding no one worthy, initially refused to take on an apprentice. However, witnessing Jeffrin’s talent, she changed her mind.
Jeffrin was a genius in swordsmanship, but compared to other male protagonists, he lacked in background and influence. As a result, Jeffrin frequently experienced power-up events.
Instruction from Gumsung and Katarina was one of these events. Learning swordsmanship from Katarina, Jeffrin quickly grew into a sword master at a young age.
“I have to take this.”
In a harsh world where life and death were decided by intense combat, strength was not just essential but the absolute necessity. I had to become stronger, and the most plausible and fastest way was to receive instruction from Katarina.
If I could defeat only Jeffrin in the entrance exam, I could secure that opportunity.
“It seems possible.”
Jeffrin was strong. Despite some shortcomings in physical abilities, his talent in swordsmanship was considered the best in the world. With efforts from a young age, his swordsmanship was on the verge of perfection. While he might lose in a regular fight, in a duel, there was a way.
My sister knew well how to make Jeffrin, and I was the next person who knew it well. If I used that knowledge wisely, success was imminent.
“Ah! There we go!”
Usually, when searching for mana stones, I was fully focused on that task. This time, however, I absentmindedly tapped the mana stone while lost in thought, and a blue light emitted from my hand. The mana stone reacted to it, sticking firmly to my hand.
I had successfully manifested mana.
Pulling out the blue mana from my hand, I engraved the sensation into my memory. The hand that emitted mana seemed to have blood rushing to it. While the rest of my body became numb, the hand that emitted mana was incredibly sensitive.
I flicked each finger in succession, experiencing a strange sensation I had never felt before. As my fingers moved, the mana responded, taking the form of a glove over my hand.
I continued to emit more mana, increasing the size of the mana mass. I molded the mana into a spherical shape the size of a fist and played with it like a toy.
“Now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.”
The date for the academy’s entrance exam was just a few days away. Roughly about 10 days left. While the second test, the duel, was a concern, I felt confident about the first test regarding mana manifestation. Though the use of mana might be common for everyone since childhood, due to Raphael’s laziness, I had sweated to achieve it.
“A sigh of relief? What are you talking about?”
At that moment, Coromang entered my room.
Checking the clock, it was time for dinner. She looked at my hand, then widened her eyes, pointing at me with her index finger.
“Oh! Oh! You manifested mana? Really?”
Coromang’s pupils bounced in all directions.
Since there was no need to hide it, I planned to tell everyone sooner or later. I calmly stated the fact.
“I can use mana now.”
Even for nobles, manifesting mana was necessary to handle various magical tools.
It might not be something extraordinary, but Coromang seemed to perceive it differently. The fact that I manipulated mana became known to everyone in the mansion not even a day later.
