HYCBV 02

← Previous Next →

Chapter 2

It felt as though time itself had stopped.

Felix smiled gently as he spoke.

“Lorena, you’re a graduate too. Today is your day as well. But since you lost your family so early, I thought you wouldn’t receive flowers from anyone… and that broke my heart.”

Yet Lorena’s chest was already overflowing with flowers offered by male students who admired her.

Felix carefully pinned his carnation onto her already flower-filled collar and beamed.

“You’re beautiful, Lorena.”

“Thank you. Truly. You’re the only one who ever thinks about me, Felix.”

Smiling softly, Lorena looked as lovely as a wildflower.

Without realizing it, I shrank back.

The dress I wore—left deliberately plain so it could receive a carnation—suddenly felt unbearably shabby.

“Huh? Did he just give flowers to Lorena instead of his fiancée?”

“Whoa. Is he finally dumping her?”

“Well, with Felix’s status, noble ladies must be lining up with marriage proposals by now. Why would he want to stay tied to someone like Frisia?”

“Exactly. Honestly, Frisia’s kind of… dull. And dumb. She was the only blemish on Felix’s perfect life, don’t you think?”

Giggle, giggle.

The sneering laughter of the graduates stabbed at my ears from all sides.

And then—

Felix suddenly dropped to one knee.

Still not facing me.

But Lorena.

I blinked.

What… what was happening?

“Lorena Belmont.”

Woooooo!

What—?!

Are you kidding me?!

The graduates erupted into cheers at the sudden turn of events.

Like a prince on a white horse kneeling before a princess, Felix held something out toward Lorena.

A brilliantly shining jeweled ring.

“Will you marry me and spend your life with me?”

Cheers.

Whistles.

Thunderous applause.

All the noise sounded muffled in my ears.

“Oh my goodness… Felix!”

Lorena gasped, covering her mouth.

“What is all this? When did you prepare something like this? I never imagined it!”

Petals rained down.
A handsome man knelt on one knee.
A dazzling ring sparkled.

It was the romantic scene I had always dreamed of.

The one I believed—at least on this day—I would be the heroine of.

Instead, I barged into the scene like an ugly, cheap extra.

“W-Wait. Just a moment.”

When I grabbed Felix’s arm, he frowned as if something filthy had touched him.

“I’m your fiancée. Why—why are you proposing to Lorena? Everyone, what is going on? I don’t understand this at all.”

Begging for an explanation, I turned and grabbed Lorena’s arm.

Smack!

Felix slapped my hand away harshly.

“Fiancée?”

A cruel sneer twisted his lips.

“Right. You’ve always tried to bind me with that word. Clinging to it pathetically.”

“…What?”

“A womb-betrothal only has legal force until the parties come of age. Once I became an adult and graduated from the academy, no one gets to tell me what to do anymore.”

His words poured out smoothly.

As if he had been waiting for this moment all along.

Felix smiled coldly.

“That disgusting leash your grandfather tied around my neck? From today on, it’s useless.”

No tears came.

It felt as though my entire body had been clawed apart.

I had known Felix didn’t love me.

But I hadn’t realized he despised me.

That’s why… that’s why he waited until graduation.

If he’d done it earlier, I might have clung to him with the contract stating our womb-betrothal.

“F-Felix, wait—”

“Frisia.”

Lorena turned to me, her brows drooping.

She looked at me the way one might pity a beggar clinging desperately to passing strangers.

“There’s something I should tell you, actually…”

She leaned in and whispered.

“I’m carrying Felix’s child.”

“…What?”

She continued softly, her voice meant only for me.

“You remember the night of your coming-of-age ceremony, right? You went to bed early… That night, Felix came to see me. I wanted to push him away, but I couldn’t.”

Lorena blinked her large eyes delicately.

“That night, I realized Felix and I were destined for each other.”

“Destined…?”

“Yes. Otherwise, how could such a blessing come to us after just one night?”

She gestured to her belly with a tender, loving gaze.

A child.
Felix’s child.

My mind, already overwhelmed by shock after shock, finally broke down.

“How… how could you…”

That was all I managed to say, like a fool.

Then suddenly, Lorena’s expression crumpled, and tears poured down.

“You have everything already. Can’t you just give Felix to me? What did this child ever do wrong? Please, Frisia. You can curse me if you want—but this child… I want to protect this child no matter what. Sob…”

Clear droplets spilled from Lorena’s wide eyes.

“Oh no, Lorena’s crying!”

“What did Frisia say to make her cry like that?”

“She’s so cruel. Honestly, she should’ve stepped aside on her own from the beginning.”

“But wow, Lorena really hit the jackpot, didn’t she? A commoner getting proposed to by a noble like Felix—that’s a total life reversal.”

“Didn’t she barely get into the academy thanks to sponsorship from a noble family? Wasn’t that Frisia’s family?”

“How poetic.”

“Frisia, you really shouldn’t have been born ugly.”

Hahaha!

The noise around me never ceased.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I wanted my body to shatter and disappear.

My thick glasses fogged over, blocking my vision.

The moment tears dropped from my chin—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion tore through the academy’s east wing.

Debris flew as people screamed.

“Aaaah!”

“It’s an explosion!”

Shrapnel tore through my dress and lodged into my calf.

I cried out and collapsed.

“Ugh…!”

Amid the chaos—

Something the size of a fist flew out of the east wing.

Thud!

The unidentified object that hit the ground was filthy and mottled—but it looked strangely like a chick.

[Hel…p… pl□■ease]

The chick-like thing rolled awkwardly, emitting broken, garbled sounds.

“Aaaah!”

“It’s a monster!”

People screamed and fled in terror.

Felix did too.

“Lorena! Get over here, now!”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and ran far away.

[Some□one… ple◆□ase hel—]

“Aaaah!”

“That’s disgusting!”

Everyone scattered as the trembling chick crawled forward.

Everyone—except me, injured and unable to move.

The mottled chick looked at me, the only one left.

[I wa□nt to liv▲e… please help?■]

Its broken wing fluttered weakly.

It seemed desperate to reach me.

A talking chick?
A real monster?

I knew I should run—but its pitiful state bothered me.

And with my leg injured, I couldn’t escape anyway.

“H-How do I help you? Should I take you to a hospital?”

[No!]

The chick shook its head violently.

“Then…?”

[Please exp■□ress your consent to synchronize with me!]

“…Synchronize?”

Hesitating, I listened as it spoke rapidly.

[My existence poses no threat! I will provide the user with high-speed computation, communication assistance, logical analysis, and various forms of support! Synchronization will guarantee maximum benefit to the user!]

Computation? Synchronization?

None of it made sense.

Then the chick convulsed again.

[I swear I will never cause harm. I promi□■se. Please… save me.]

‘I’m sorry, Frisia.’

Over its trembling wings, the image of my dying parents overlapped.

The chick looked like it would collapse and die at any moment.

I couldn’t watch someone die in front of me again.

That was the only thought filling my mind.

“Alright. I’ll synchronize.”

The words left my mouth on their own.

[Thank you! Thank you!]