Episode 29: Townsperson A is Fed Up with the Class Atmosphere

Ever since Amy treated the Crown Prince after his magic ran out of control, the inevitable happened: she became the target of harassment, ranging from petty slights to outright malice.

For instance, whenever Amy entered the classroom, people would begin stage-whispering loud enough for her to hear. Regardless of the truth, they spread rumors that she was a former commoner, lacked basic manners, was the daughter of a prostitute, or even that she smelled. Others simply chose to pointedly ignore her.

I also heard rumors that things occasionally went missing in the girls' dormitory, though I didn't know the specifics of that.

Now, in the game, the ones leading this classroom harassment were presumably Anastasia’s so-called "entourage" of young noble ladies. I say "presumably" because, in the game, they vanished from the academy following the civil unrest. There was never a clear description of their fate, but the text mentioned that several noble houses were dissolved and certain students had to leave the academy, so I assumed that was the case.

Incidentally, I had personally witnessed Anastasia catching them in the act on several occasions; every time, she warned them to stop such pathetic bullying. I usually used my 【Stealth】 skill to gather information, and since the Anastasia I saw during those moments was actually quite severe in her reprimands, I believed she was genuinely trying to put an end to it.

Amy, on the other hand, was using the bullying as leverage to cozy up to the Crown Prince and the other capture targets, speaking in a sickeningly sweet, coaxing voice. I couldn't help but feel her personality was quite different from the Amy in the game. Then again, the game never depicted her outside of specific events, so perhaps this was who she really was all along.

Besides, she was a girl who had lived as a commoner only to be suddenly whisked away by House Breyes and tossed into an academy full of nobles who hated her. If the Crown Prince and the sons of powerful families were willing to protect her, perhaps it was only natural for her to depend on them and curry favor.

Because of all this, the atmosphere in the class was already at its worst.

The girls had split into the Anastasia Faction and the Crown Prince Faction.

As I mentioned before, the Anastasia Faction likely wanted to eliminate Amy. However, they didn't seem to have much momentum, partly because Anastasia herself kept them in check and partly because they were significantly outnumbered.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince Faction wasn't a monolith either, but they seemed to be using Amy as a tool to oust Anastasia. That said, they didn't actually think well of Amy; I frequently caught them badmouthing her or playing their own tricks on her.

Then there was the Crown Prince himself, whose behavior was extremely problematic. Despite having a fiancée like Anastasia, he doted exclusively on Amy and refused to even speak to Anastasia unless absolutely necessary.

His behavior encouraged those around him to plot and scheme, thinking they could finally topple Anastasia from her position. Honestly, I wished they would all just give it a rest.

Whether they were royalty or nobility, they lived lives of luxury funded by the taxes squeezed out of us commoners. The least they could do was fulfill their responsibilities.

The Crown Prince was the worst of the lot. As the future king, he was supposed to unite the country, yet he was acting like a total piece of shit. Anastasia was the daughter of House Ramslett, the family that controlled the southern granary—the region boasting the highest wheat production in the entire kingdom. He should have at least understood the political weight of their marriage!

In contrast, Amy’s family, House Breyes, was just a run-of-the-mill noble house. They weren't particularly poor or wealthy, and they lacked any significant political connections. While House Breyes stood to gain immensely if an illegitimate daughter became Queen, it would lead to inevitable chaos for the country.

Reflecting on the history of this kingdom, there were countless tales of queens with weak family backing being supplanted by the daughters of high-ranking nobles. Some were forced into divorce because their families fell from grace, and in the worst cases, some were even assassinated.

Therefore, the "correct" path in this country would have been for the Crown Prince to keep Anastasia as his legal wife while keeping Amy as his favorite—essentially, a mistress. While the country officially practiced monogamy and didn't allow concubines, the wealthy openly kept mistresses, and I had never heard anyone breathe a word of criticism about it.

But in the end, this world was that irritating otome game. It seemed that, according to the Scenario, the Royal Capital—along with me, my mother, my master, Monica, and my adventurer seniors—was racing headlong toward destruction.

Sinking into a melancholy mood, I let out a heavy sigh and made my way to the classroom.

And so, another day began where I would do nothing but sit in the corner of the room, acting as nothing more than thin air.

Oh, by the way, I’ve successfully established my position as a piece of the furniture. No one talks to me, and as a commoner, I’m not even allowed to speak to the nobles unless it's required for a lesson. I’ve settled into a role as the commoner with the fading presence—the guy who no one can ever quite place, but who at least keeps his grades up. Or at least, I’d like to think so.