Chapter 4: Chapter 4 - Awakening (4)
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However, I did not take that path.
Here, in this world, to be acknowledged as a member of the nobility, several criteria had to be met. Especially for those of the rank of Count and above, a crucial requirement for succession to the title was possessing the academy's diploma.
So, I chose to accept the punishment gracefully from the disciplinary committee to avoid expulsion. In this world where the class system thrived, a noble status was a sturdy pillar, more dependable than anything else. It's not something one can simply discard.
And that's probably why Iris, driven by curiosity, came looking for me. My actions at the disciplinary committee were quite the opposite of the behavior I usually exhibited.
In the original story, Iris, tired of my irresponsible behavior, was the one who first declared our engagement annulled. But this time, perhaps she wanted to give me another chance, with a glimmer of hope. Despite her seemingly cold exterior, she had an extraordinarily warm and caring personality.
I had been unsure of what to do about our relationship, but her family's decision to break off the engagement seemed to have made the decision for us.
In the original story's disciplinary committee episode, besides Patricia Austin, there was another heroine indirectly involved. It was my fiancée, Iris Robinette.
She was a key character in the story of 〘I Became a Munchkin Knight of the Academy〙, the heart of the story. In the original, she served as a strong anchor for the main character's party. If she hadn't been there, there would have been no unifying thread to bind the individual members of the party together. Without her, it would have been impossible for the main character's party to adequately resolve the countless incidents that unfolded in the story.
However, unlike the original, I did not get expelled, and if my engagement to Iris was upheld, the relationship dynamics between the main characters, Eugene and Iris, would be very different from the original. If that happened, the very future of this world, as I know it, could shift into unforeseen directions.
Of course, all these musings seemed rather pointless now. But I couldn't help but wonder what had come over me. Why had I said such cruel things to Iris? She must be feeling devastated....
What's even stranger is that I, too, didn't particularly enjoy speaking those harsh words. In truth, my current state felt more like a possession than a reincarnation. The memories from a few hours ago, the sudden awakening of my past life's memories, dominated the flow of my thoughts. Subconsciously, my actions and thought processes leaned more toward the life I had known in my past life – reading novels and playing games.
Moreover, I wasn't the kind of person who got angry easily, and I had never deliberately insulted anyone before. So, the intense emotions I felt earlier were even more perplexing, and maybe the memories from this life and my previous life were mixing ever so slightly.
Regardless, considering my tangled relationship with the main character from the original story, and my not-so-praiseworthy character, it's hard to put this down to mere coincidence.
Upon reflecting on my memories, I can't help but think that I had strong feelings for Iris; a common-sense perspective would confirm that as well.
How could one not like a noble young lady who comes from a prestigious family, coupled with beauty and a gentle personality?
But this uneducated bastard... he didn't know how to express his love properly, and whenever he met Iris, he'd brag about his family's wealth, or proudly tell her stories of how he'd bullied commoners — thinking it was my way of impressing her.
But little did he notice, every time he spoke like that, Iris's smile grew colder.
✦•••✦•••✦
"Sigh…"
Inside the Class B dormitory, I had the servants pack my belongings and found myself lost in thought for a moment.
"Why did I have to be reincarnated as this guy…?"
If it had to be this way, wouldn't it have been better to be born as someone whose name wasn't even mentioned in the original story? Or perhaps, they could have allowed the memories from my past life to resurface a few years earlier, or even a few months, I could have managed.
Although I can't remember everything vividly, I have a decent grasp of the original storyline and the locations of hidden items. Even if I were born as a peasant instead of an aristocrat, my knowledge would have allowed me to overcome everything.
However, that would only be true if I could remember my past life before any events took place.
'Still, I managed to avoid the worst-case scenario... right?'
I had indeed managed to avoid it.
If my memories had returned even just an hour, or even 30 minutes, later, I would have caused trouble, injured some students, and been expelled from the academy.
I wouldn't be able to inherit the noble title if I was expelled from the academy. Returning to the estate wouldn't grant me much influence either, and I would have had the foundation of my life wiped out in a series of unfortunate events that would converge in the coming years.
Although it may seem peaceful now, this world, if you look at it closely, was quite a grim world. The Devil, devil worshipers, demons, monsters, and the like threaten my peaceful life. While the main characters will likely handle major events, I can't just leave everything to them.
I need to find a way to live my life as I see fit, and in that sense, these 60 days of suspension could be an opportunity.
If I could return to the family estate during this time and lay some groundwork, I might be able to use my knowledge to navigate through the grim events of the future as smoothly as possible.
Yes, this isn't so bad. Changing my mindset has made me feel more at ease.
A while later, the servants informed me that they had finished packing, and I asked them to call for a carriage.
It was time to leave the academy temporarily and return to the estate.
✦•••✦•••✦
"Forgive me, Iris."
One late night, Count Robinette visited Iris's room. He kneeled down, looked her in the eyes, and after a long silence, he uttered these words in a hushed tone.
Iris, with drowsy eyes, blinked and simply stared back, not immediately grasping why her father was apologizing.
It was much later that she understood the reason.
The outcome of a meeting, which began in the early afternoon and didn't end until after midnight, was to accept the offer of engagement of Iris Robinette — the second daughter of the Robinette and beloved of everyone in the house—to Reed's heir, in exchange for House Reed's support.
Iris had just turned fifteen that year.
✦•••✦•••✦
"It will be alright, Ari," Lady Robinette spoke to the well-dressed Iris.
{T/N:- I believe 'Ari' is a nickname her mother calls her by.}
"I, too, entered into marriage with your father for political reasons, but look at us. It's been over 20 years since our marriage, and we're still getting along wonderfully," she continued, her words comforting Iris.
The Robinette couple's bond was so renowned in the vicinity that hardly anyone was unaware of it.
And Iris believed that maybe, just maybe, she, too, could find someone who she could cherish and be cherished by, even if it wasn't the romantic kind of relationship she'd read about in the books. Just like her own parents.
"Ari. You have a big role to play," the Countess' expression held a touch of apology.
"While the Reeds don't have the tradition and history that we do, they are a family that is rising very quickly in the South. The current head of the family is very capable, and if this growth continues, House Reed might become a family of significant influence across the entire empire in just a generation or two."
Taking a sigh, she continued, "So, Ari, if you can, try to get along with your fiancé. It's okay if you don't have a relationship like me and your father. Love is a peculiar thing. Once you spend a lot of time together, you can start to feel things that you didn't before. So even if you don't like him at first, give it some time. You might find that your relationship deepens over time….."
When the Countess finished speaking, she stood behind Iris and gently placed a hand on each shoulder, offering a tender, soothing caress.
It was a delicate touch, laden with an air of apology.
"I'm sorry, Ari. I wanted you to meet the person you love and get married, but I'm sending you away for the sake of our family..."
"Mother..."
"If, in the future, we manage to restore our family's standing, and even then you still don't like your fiance... I promise you that I will bring you back, no matter what the cost..."
"......"
"I truly am sorry... my daughter."
✦•••✦•••✦
"Ugh... Sob... Sniff..."
On the deserted lakeside of the academy, Iris was crying.
"How could he... how could he say such things to me... kh..."
The insults that Edwin had hurled at her earlier were still ringing in Iris's head. It was a powerful shock. She swore she had never been subjected to such humiliation in her entire life.
Among the people of her family and estate, not a single soul disliked her. From the butler to the gatekeepers, from the coachman who drove the carriage to the farm workers, anyone who saw her would greet her with a warm smile, and treat her with warmth and kindness. This had been the case even after she arrived at the academy.
The only person in the world who treated her so harshly and made her feel so miserable was Edwin Reed, the scoundrel.
"Sob... Sniff... Huaaa..."
The sorrowful sobs grew louder and louder.
Where did things go wrong?
Before meeting Edwin, she had a vague image of a handsome and dignified young gentleman in her mind, but he turned out to be the complete opposite. He was unruly and selfish, lacked manners, had an unkempt appearance, and was plagued by excess weight.
There was no trace of refinement to be found, and every word that came out of his mouth was either a boast about his family's wealth or contempt for those beneath him.
It was for these reasons that she was initially deeply disappointed, but Iris soon changed her mindset.
Losing weight and acquiring culture could be achieved with time and effort. Besides, he, like herself, was still young, and there were as many days left in her life as there were stars in the sky to learn something.
She'd heard that Edwin had just lost his mother, Countess Reed, so it's not unreasonable that his personality could be so erratic. How much of a shock must it have been for him at a young age?
With the support of someone by his side, he would surely be able to overcome his struggles and return to his true self.
Iris concluded, and decided to be patient. She recalled the words her mother had told her before the engagement ceremony: "Even feelings that weren't there can develop between people. If he has someone supporting him, he'll quickly recover and return to his original self."
✦•••✦•••✦
Years passed like that, but Edwin had not changed.
No matter how much Iris tried to reason with him, he ignored her or reacted with indifference, and his weight only continued to grow.
There was a famous anecdote that, once, a maid at the Reed household woke up in the middle of the night to drink water, and fainted after seeing Edwin's silhouette, calling him a monster.
The maid was dismissed from the household the next day for insulting her master, even though she had been begging for Edwin all day.
Iris grew weary of his unchanging behavior.
Enrolling in the academy and mingling with her peers rejuvenated her somewhat, but the days when she had to meet Edwin as his fiancé were more exhausting than anything else.
At the academy, Edwin began to run wild, associating with people of his own level, as if unleashed from a bridle, and eventually, his misbehavior caught up with him, resulting in a 60-day suspension and a class demotion.
Iris had gone to the academy to find him, hoping that he might have repented of his past misdeeds, since he had answered the disciplinary committee in a submissive manner. However, her faint hope was shattered into pieces.
All that remained for her now was her trampled self-esteem, doubts about her past life, and concerns for her future.
"Sob... Huhuhu..."
The normally confident and dignified Young Lady was nowhere to be found. In her place was a young girl expressing sorrow with her entire being.
Even though it was her family who had demanded the annulment, Iris had intended to do everything she could to prevent it.
Even though she did not particularly like Edwin, she felt it was her duty to fulfill this engagement.
However, Edwin had treated her concern as if it were worthless. "You bastard... you're really a bastard... how could you do this to me... sob..."
Iris's sorrow grew even greater in the face of the unfair reality that had befallen her.
✦•••✦•••✦
As Iris continued to cry, the sound of footsteps crunching on grass reached her ears.
For a brief moment, wondered what would happen if someone saw in this pitiable state, but she quickly changed her mind. After all, life couldn't get any worse for her at this point, so it wouldn't matter if someone saw her crying. She decided to focus more on relieving her own sadness.
Zarak Zarak.
The sound of the footsteps alternated between moving closer and then farther away. Perhaps the person was hesitating whether to approach her. Eventually, the footsteps seemed to gather determination and moved closer and closer behind her.
"Umm... are you okay?"
A clear, cheerful voice that also carried a warm touch reached Iris.
When she could no longer feign ignorance, Iris had raised her head to confirm the speaker's presence.
Reflected in Iris's damp eyes was a handsome, tall boy with blond hair that glistened in the sunlight and vibrant blue eyes.
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