Translator: Nox

55 - How to Escape from the Reverse Harem Cliché

Chapter 55

After a long standoff, Valerian was the first to run his palms over his face as if wiping away sweat, then turned his body halfway, presenting his back to me.

He could have forced it. With Valerian's position and power, he could have forced a matching rate test on me, but it seemed he had decided not to.

“Understood.”

Valerian, who finally nodded briefly, took back the paper in my hand.

“We have just received confirmation from the Imperial Academy that Lady Laila Passianne has been recognized. From this moment on, Her Ladyship belongs to the Imperial Academy for Guides and will receive protection from the Academy and the Imperial Family. She is also exempt from any external coercion. The Academy will be responsible for all related matters.”

“Then the matching rate….”

“We will consider the matching rate as if it never happened. I was mistaken.”

“…….”

“I will not demand Guiding from Her Ladyship based on matching rate in the future.”

Valerian, his expression somehow chilling, said only what he needed to say before striding over and opening the door to his tent.

“Please come out. You will need to meet with the people from House Olivite.”

“……Ah, yes.”

I accepted his cold, distant demeanor. We should have maintained this kind of relationship from the start; we had been too close until now.

Leaving Valerian’s tent, I followed him to where the people from House Olivite were seated. They alternated glances between me and Valerian, their expressions filled with questions. Then, upon opening the envelope brought by the adjutant standing behind Valerian and checking its contents, their faces hardened.

“Lady Pasianne is a student of the Imperial Academy, under its protection.”

“What is this….”

“Direct negotiation is impossible without the Academy’s permission.”

Seeing the cracks appear in their expressions, I placed the necklace and pendant I held in my hand onto the table.

“Please return my attendants.”

“…….”

“I wish to conclude this by having it appear that my attendants, bewildered after losing their master, received help from House Olivite.”

Perhaps sensing my intention to avoid escalating the situation further, the men busied themselves exchanging glances.

Normally, they would have tried to blackmail me by leveraging my status as an unregistered Guide, but since I had already completed my Guide registration, all their efforts would be in vain.

Moreover, the Fascianne Count’s family is behind me. Even if they are behind House Olivite, our family has the financial resources to maintain itself, with High-Class Esper Adrian and myself as a Guide, even without those others.

House Olivite, which has regained its prominence with Evan’s Manifestation as a High-Class Esper, has no benefit in making an enemy of our family.

“Understood, Young Lady. We will follow your words.”

The stern old men stood up, clicking their tongues. Then, as if having no other choice, they conferred amongst themselves for a while before leaving without any further hesitation.

Only then did the relief that everything was over wash over me, draining my strength. I let my posture, which I had maintained rigidly, collapse as I slumped back, and I could hear Valerian and his adjutant conversing behind me.

“Regarding the enrollment procedures, discuss it with Lord Pasianne and then immediately prepare a Teleport Esper.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Also, contact the Fascianne Family separately.”

“Understood.”

I was really going to the Imperial Academy. I had prepared myself for this, but now that it was upon me, the feeling was strange.

The only thing I could be relieved about was that I wasn't cross-dressing to impersonate Aiden like in the original work.

It was fortunate to have broken that cliché. Even if I couldn't avoid entering the Academy.

“Lady Pasianne.”

“Yes?”

Valerian, after dismissing his adjutant, handed me the documents he had given to the House Olivite members earlier.

“Please review and sign.”

“Understood.”

The Fascianne Family had filed a leave of absence at the National Academy to search for me, who had disappeared. Therefore, the documents contained several papers similar to transfer procedures rather than initial enrollment.

As I carefully reviewed them, writing my signature one by one, my gaze stopped at one point.

〔……In case of emergency, may be deployed to the battlefield, and regarding the repatriation of the body in case of death…….〕

A Guide of my low rank would not likely face direct danger, but seeing such a document with explicit special clauses made me swallow dryly.

“Guides will be protected by Espers who will lay down their lives, so you need not worry.”

As if sensing my concern, Valerian added a remark and sat down opposite me.

It wasn't exactly that which made me hesitate… I nodded, having no suitable reply, and Valerian brought up another topic.

“However, the Imperial Academy is different from the National Academy you attended. There, everyone is a student under equal conditions, but at the Imperial Academy, a clear hierarchy exists based on rank, much like in this unit.”

“I am aware.”

“It means that even if they are commoners, if their rank is higher than yours, you may find yourself in a situation where you must obey them.”

I don't particularly like hierarchies, but I lived for nn years in a Confucian country. I endured years under Manager Kim, whose moods roller-coastered dozens of times a day, so what's a mere hierarchy?

It posed no particular problem for me, as I intended to live as a low-ranking Guide anyway.

“You will be transferring your enrollment to the Academy immediately today. We will contact your family separately, so you need not worry.”

“Yes. Thank you, Young Master.”

“Go safely.”

I hadn't known Valerian for long, but this was the first time I had seen him so businesslike and stiff.

It was similar to the first impression Laila had of him in the original work, as described beyond the written word.

That first impression, where he had no interest in Laila, and seemed to think it was a waste of effort to even pay attention to her, as if her existence was less than that of a trivial insect.

“Are you not leaving?”

With a clear dismissal, I merely bowed my head slightly and left his tent.

It was what I had wanted, but being treated as less than a trivial insect made me feel a pang in my chest.

Still, I was the one who pushed him away first, so… I decided to think of it positively. If Valerian and I grow further apart like this, it's a good thing for me, isn't it? Who could be more dangerous to me than the actual male protagonist?

Thinking that, I felt a sense of relief. With a relatively lighter heart, I walked away from his tent with brisk steps.