The Main Heroine Falls for the Extra

The latter part of Chapter 1 of the original story, ‘Child of Yggdrasil.’

One day after the protagonist Allen Ludwig became friends with Liliana Edwin, a girl who is hardworking but always has a shadow on her face.

He sees Liliana crying.

The cause is Kyo Wentos, Liliana’s fiancé and the legitimate son of a count family.

Learning that Liliana has been regularly abused by her fiancé, Allen confronts Kyo Wentos.

Unable to forgive Kyo’s malicious actions, Allen challenges him to a duel.

Kyo uses his wealth and power to employ cowardly tricks,

but Allen manages to overcome all of them and succeeds in winning.

After that, everything Kyo has done is revealed, and he is expelled from his family and falls into ruin.

Liliana is liberated and gets her happy ending.

Yes, well, so…

This structure actually matches the original to some extent.

The differences from the original story are the current location and the fact that I didn’t torment Liliana.

And perhaps the fact that Riel is present.

“I knew you weren’t a decent guy, Kyo Wentos.”

“……”

“Making a fragile woman cry, can you even call yourself a man of the kingdom?”

Hmm…

Since coming here, receiving education as a noble, and facing Allen, I’ve come to realize…

Isn’t this guy too reckless?

Even though they say status doesn’t matter within the academy, that’s limited to the academy only.

After graduating from the academy, such notions don’t exist.

As a protagonist who dislikes arrogant nobles, Allen frequently clashes with various nobles both in the original story and here.

Right now, these are just personal conflicts within the academy, but what will he do after graduating from the academy?

Since the original story ends with the academy graduation ceremony, I can’t know for sure, but this guy is probably mass-producing political enemies.

Won’t he suffer quite a bit after graduation?

“A-Allen! No… that’s not it… it’s not like that…!”

“Lili, stay quiet. It’s okay now.”

Liliana, also flustered by Allen’s appearance, tries to stop him, but Allen doesn’t seem to hear her.

Perhaps because of our previous incident, I seem to be already confirmed as a bad guy in Allen’s mind.

“Riel, get away from that guy right now!”

“……”

Riel, who had been hiding behind me with a hardened expression since Allen’s appearance, didn’t move a muscle at Allen’s words.

Allen’s expression crumpled.

“Riel!”

“Stop making a racket, Allen Ludwig.”

I gestured Riel to stay back and confronted Allen.

“I told you before, don’t shout at women.”

Allen glared at me with a sharp gaze.

“Shut your mouth, tell me what you did to Lili!”

“This is a matter between Lady Edwin and myself, it’s not something for you to interfere with.”

“Lili is my friend!”

“Even as a friend, there are places to interfere and places not to, unlike your relationship with Riel.”

When Riel’s name came up, Allen’s face became even fiercer.

“Don’t casually call Riel by her name!”

“I don’t understand why you’re making a fuss when she gave me permission to use her name.”

“What…!”

Allen’s gaze shifted towards Riel, but Riel still wouldn’t look at Allen, only staring at the ground.

I could feel her body trembling.

“Riel, is this true?”

“……”

“Riel!”

“I believe this is the third time I’ve told you not to shout.”

Allen gritted his teeth.

“Lady Edwin.”

“…!”

Liliana flinched in surprise when I called her name.

“I think it would be better if you explained what happened yourself.”

“That… that is…”

Liliana hesitated at my words.

Well, that’s understandable—it’s like asking her to reveal her own shortcomings to the person she likes.

“Or I could explain from my side.”

“Ah, no! I’ll explain!”

So Liliana explained everything one by one to Allen.

That she and I had been engaged for over ten years.

That Liliana had fallen out of love with me and unilaterally broke off our engagement.

That because it was Liliana’s unilateral termination without any consultation or agreement, Baron Edwin’s family had to pay a large amount of compensation.

And that Liliana had come to ask for my forgiveness in order to continue attending the academy.

She had honestly confessed everything, except for hiding the fact that she had fallen in love with Allen.

After listening to this, Allen opened his mouth.

“This doesn’t make sense!?”

“What doesn’t?”

Allen said this despite there being nothing strange about the process.

“Why does Lili’s family have to unilaterally pay compensation?”

“Did you not listen properly to Lady Edwin? It’s because she unilaterally broke off the engagement.”

“But wasn’t it you, Kyo Wentos, who provided the cause?”

Huh?

What is this guy talking about?

“I’m saying it’s a problem that Lili no longer found you attractive.”

“You’re being ridiculous, that’s just a personal feeling. Do you think something like that would affect compensation-related issues?”

“Is it even reasonable that Lili can’t attend the academy just for such a reason in the first place?”

…No.

It was Baron Edwin who told Liliana to quit the academy in the first place.

“Did you make Lili cry for such a reason?! Unable to forgive even that much, no wonder Lili’s feelings for you faded, being so selfish!”

…It wasn’t my fault that Liliana burst into tears, and…

I was planning to forgive Liliana so she could continue attending the academy anyway.

Allen, who came at a strange timing, was making a grand misunderstanding and talking nonsense.

Riel’s expression behind me became even colder, and even Liliana was staring at Allen with a blank expression and her mouth wide open.

“This compensation determination is definitely wrong!”

“Nothing will change no matter what you say, Allen Ludwig.”

“Then…”

At that moment, Allen threw something at me.

It was a student badge with the academy crest, proving his status as an academy student.

Throwing this at someone means challenging them to a duel.

“I challenge you to a duel, Kyo Wentos.”

This is definitely developing as in the original story.

The only difference is that in the original story, Allen discovers Liliana crying, investigates the situation, becomes angry, and challenges Kyo Wentos to a duel.

But the Allen in front of me now probably already had high hostility towards me, so he challenged me to a duel right here, right now.

“If I win, invalidate the compensation that Lili’s family has to pay!”

“…You’re talking crazy nonsense, Allen Ludwig. Do you think that a mere duel between students can invalidate compensation determined by the solemn kingdom law?”

The compensation was set according to kingdom law, after a state official, an administrator, investigated all the circumstances and made a judgment.

It’s not something that can be changed by a mere duel between students.

“Would it be correct to say that you are now challenging the royal authority that established the kingdom laws?”

“…Then… if I win, apologize to Liliana and let her continue attending the academy!”

…I wasn’t in a position to apologize in the first place, and I wasn’t planning to care whether Liliana attended the academy or not.

“…Fine, I’ll accept.”

I also threw my student badge at Allen.

Since it’s not a losing business

“But if I win, stop hanging around me.”

“Fine.”

If I win the duel, I could prevent Allen from approaching me and Riel, at least when we’re together.

Allen looked at Riel for a moment, sighed, and turned his back.

“Lili, let’s go.”

“A-Allen, wait a moment! That’s not it!”

Liliana, who had been blankly standing there due to the sudden development, finally came to her senses and chased after Allen.

When those two disappeared from sight, I felt my strength drain and I let out a sigh.

Riel, who had been trembling behind me, came closer and held my hand tightly.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Honestly, I was more worried about you… but I swallowed those words.

I picked up the student badges that had fallen to the ground.

Mine, which I had thrown at Allen, and Allen’s, which he had forgotten to retrieve in his excitement.

A duel is officially established by submitting both student badges to a professor, but that idiot seems to have forgotten even that.

“Will you be okay? That bastard Allen’s skills are real.”

“It’s okay, Riel. I’m fine.”

Yes, Allen is certainly strong.

Even the Kyo Wentos in the original story, despite all kinds of interference tactics, was ultimately defeated.

“I haven’t just been playing around, so I’ll be fine.”

That’s right.

I, Kyo Wentos, am different from the original.

Even if the development is similar to the original, I will produce a different result.

The next day.

After arranging to have lunch with Kyo, Riel went to the bathroom briefly.

After finishing her business, as Riel was about to go to the rooftop where Kyo was waiting, someone blocked her way.

“Lady Ignis, do you have a moment?”

“……”

She knew immediately who it was.

The girl with long brown hair tied back was a classmate.

And she was a girl who always acted together with that Allen Ludwig.

She was definitely a commoner named Aria Owen.

Since she had never conversed with her before, Riel looked at her with a strange expression.

“I have something I want to talk about, please come with me for a moment.”

They weren’t acquainted, and she was close with that Allen.

Not worth dealing with. Having made this judgment, Riel was about to refuse.

Another presence approached from behind Riel.

When she turned around, there were two more girls.

She could tell they were also followers who often hung around Allen.

“We don’t intend to do anything harmful, we just want to talk.”

“……”

Riel wanted to blow them away with magic right there.

But using magic to attack someone without permission within the academy is prohibited.

Riel inwardly clicked her tongue and nodded.

After following Aria for a while.

Seeing the person standing in the place Aria had guided her to, Riel’s expression froze coldly.

At the same time, her breath caught, and cold sweat broke out. Along with this came the sensation of her throat being tightly blocked.

The sensation she had forgotten while being with Kyo for a long time returned.

Allen Ludwig, the man Riel truly hates and despises.

“Riel, I’ve been waiting for you.”

“……”

“I’m sorry for bringing you here like this, but I knew you were avoiding me.”

If you’re sorry, please just leave me alone. She wanted to shout that, but no voice came out of Riel’s throat.

In the end, Riel didn’t even look at Allen and turned her head away.

“…Is it because of that guy Kyo that you’re avoiding me?”

“……”

Riel was at a loss for words.

No, she always loses her words in front of Allen, but this time she was speechless for a different reason.

“I don’t know what he did to you, but please rest assured.”

“……”

“I will definitely protect you. I’ll prove it with this duel.”

“……”

It was ridiculous.

Who is protecting whom?

There was no more value in dealing with him.

Riel tried to force her immobile body to move and leave the place.

“I sent a letter to my father reporting that some ruffian is threatening Riel.”

“…!!”

Riel, who was about to leave, whipped her head around.

She looked at Allen’s face.

He was smiling.

It was probably a smile meant to reassure Riel, but to Riel, it looked only like a demon’s smile.

“It will probably reach the Duke’s ears soon too, no matter what that guy does, he can’t do anything to you.”

“…Ah…ah…”

No! No!

Riel wanted to shout like that, but the words wouldn’t burst out of her throat.

Please come out, why won’t my voice come out at times like this?

Thinking this, Riel desperately tried to squeeze out her strength, but the sensation of her throat being blocked didn’t disappear at all.

“Don’t worry Riel, everything will be fine.”

“…Ah…ah…”

Again

Again trying to take away from me…

Again trying to take away from my side…

Again trying to take away someone precious to Riel…

A demon was smiling right in front of her.