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Clatter—

The carriage bound for Zerion Academy began to move.

Inside, only two people were seated—me and Sharin.

Engagement.

A promise of marriage.

And now, I was about to be engaged to the woman sitting before me.

That woman was none other than Sharin Sazaris, the daughter of the Blue Tower Master and a prodigy possessing the greatest magical talent, Mirinae.

"Looking forward to it, husband."

"Are you joking in this situation?"

I looked at Sharin in disbelief, but she just smiled lazily.

She didn’t seem to care much at all.

"If we want to prevent Hannon from being executed, there's no other choice."

Just as she said, this engagement was to prevent my execution.

The potential for my dragon magic to go out of control—

Although I had demonstrated my ability to wield it, the risk still loomed over me.

If I ever entered a dragonized state, it would inevitably lead to a major catastrophe.

No one could afford to trust just one person without any safeguards in place.

Thus, they needed a safety measure.

A way to control me should something go wrong.

And the perfect candidate for that role was Sharin.

The Blue Tower Master heard from Sharin that she helped control the dragon's magic.

Using that as leverage, they designated her as my safeguard.

To further solidify this designation, they arranged our engagement.

"I saved Hannon’s life."

Sharin puffed out her chest with a proud expression.

"I appreciate it, but… are you really okay with this?"

For me, it was a matter of life and death, so I had no choice.

But for Sharin, this engagement was nothing but a disadvantage.

She was the future master of the Blue Tower, a woman with the most favorable marriage prospects.

For her, an engagement would surely complicate her future.

When I brought this up, Sharin pondered for a moment before tilting her head slightly.

"Then you’ll just have to make me happy, won’t you?"

"Should I start learning how to bake cream buns?"

"That would make me happy."

Such an easy happiness to fulfill.

"Besides, I don’t really care about engagements."

"But this is about your future marriage."

"I never planned on getting married anyway."

Sharin was a staunch advocate of staying single.

"Still, if it’s with Hannon, it might be fun."

"I’d rather not be your plaything."

"Why noooot~?"

Sharin stretched out her legs and tapped me with her toes.

Sighing, I shook my head at her playful antics.

My mind was a mess, but what could I do?

If I wanted to stay alive, I had to go along with it.

"I’ll be in your care for now."

"Got it!~"

Sharin imitated my bow but suddenly widened her eyes as if something had come to mind.

"By the way, what are you going to do about Hania?"

"Oh."

I had completely forgotten—I was already in a relationship with Hania.

* * *

After Act 4, Scene 3 Ended

After completing Act 4, Scene 3 without any issues, I safely returned to Zerion Academy.

As I trudged back to the dormitory, the dormitory's head maid, Mari Emaris, greeted me.

It seemed she had been informed of my return.

"Welcome back, Young Master Hannon. You must have had a tough time."

"Mari, thank you."

"Here, have some tofu."

I accepted the tofu she handed me.

"I wasn’t in prison, you know."

"Well, you did experience something similar to parole."

Mari could joke?

That was new.

I ate the tofu diligently—it was rich and delicious.

After following Mari’s guidance back to my room, I immediately changed into my spare uniform.

Because right now, it was still afternoon class time.

I had inevitably missed some lessons,

but with the upcoming Autumn Magic Tournament, team discussions would definitely start soon.

'More importantly…'

Considering what I had done recently,

I was curious about how the others would react.

Not to mention, I needed to talk to Hania about my engagement.

'Staying in my room would only make my thoughts more tangled.'

Act 4 had only reached Scene 3.

There were still several scenarios left to unfold.

To prepare for them, I couldn't afford to neglect my studies.

I quickly made my way toward the Martial Arts Department.

Along the way, I asked a passing assistant instructor about today's lesson,

and they informed me that training was being held in the practice arena.

It was a joint training session between the Magic and Martial Arts Departments.

Students were supposed to review their mistakes from the international individual tournament and train together.

Thus, I continued through the hallway toward the training grounds—

Until I heard it.

Click-clack—

The sharp sound of high heels echoed.

For some reason, I found the sound oddly familiar.

My gaze slowly turned toward the source.

And soon, I spotted a woman walking in my direction.

Her black hair had streaks of deep violet, shimmering under the light.

Her heavy makeup reminded me of landmines, and her outfit was adorned with excessive ribbons.

Not a student—she wasn’t wearing a uniform.

Damn it.

Of all times, why did I have to run into her now?

My face unconsciously stiffened.

I knew her very well.

She was a key figure in one of the first scenarios I encountered after possessing this body.

She recognized me immediately, her violet eyes blinking in surprise.

Then, her eyes widened in an instant.

Just as I instinctively stepped back, the nearby window rippled.

Boom!

A massive, jet-black arm suddenly burst through the corridor window.

I dropped to the floor in the nick of time, rolling away from its reach.

Failing to grab me, the arm withdrew back through the window.

A monstrous figure loomed beyond the glass, its gaze locked onto me.

At the same time, the woman lifted her wand, pointing it at me while trembling all over.

"Finally… finally, I found you."

I couldn't even begin to fathom the chaotic emotions swirling within her voice.

But one thing was clear—

"Husband!"

Her words remained absolute.

The woman I had approached and deceived to steal the Veil Bandages and various other items.

A person deeply trapped in severe emotional deprivation.

The Frenzied Mage.

Vinesha.

She was here at Zerion Academy.

‘So that part is following the original timeline.’

I already knew she would come to Zerion Academy.

It made sense—she was the one who would replace the dismissed associate professor of the Magic Department following the boycott incident.

‘Vinesha only earns the title "Frenzied Mage" after the events at the academy.’

Of course, even before that, she had committed countless insane acts—she had just never been caught.

Still, her magical prowess was outstanding enough that she had been invited as an associate professor at Zerion Academy.

"Husband, what do you mean? We’re meeting for the first time."

"Do you think you can deceive my eyes? The Veil Bandages was originally mine."

Of course, she would say that.

I never thought I could deceive her in the first place.

And I had also anticipated that if we ever met again, things would turn out like this.

But I had a plan.

Vinesha suffered from extreme emotional deprivation.

I had once satisfied that void in her heart.

I had hoped she would move on, forget about me, and find someone else to fill that void.

But judging by the crazed look in her eyes, it seemed she hadn’t found anyone.

If I satisfied that emptiness again, she would quickly calm down.

That was my original plan—before I faced new complications.

‘…Dating Hania. Being engaged to Sharin.’

Vinesha’s extreme emotional deprivation drove all of her obsessive behaviors.

A yandere—someone whose attachment turns into antisocial desires.

Vinesha was the prime example of that archetype.

‘The mentor of Grantoni.’

The one who had exacerbated Vinesha’s condition.

In the end, he was killed by her.

And now, I had become her new emotional fixation.

"Why are you here like this? Do you know how much I suffered after you disappeared?"

Vinesha’s eyes brimmed with genuine tears.

Droplets welled up and fell to the ground.

With her outwardly unassuming appearance, she looked utterly pitiful.

"Do you hate me now? I have no one but you. I can give you everything."

"Vinesha."

I called her name to stop her.

"We’ve only known each other for a week."

The time I had spent with Vinesha was just one week.

Yet, from the very first day we met, she was ready to offer me her everything.

"What does time matter?"

But Vinesha trembled and didn’t seem to care at all.

"The time I spent with you was deeper and more intense than any other moment in my life. I can’t live without you anymore."

"You’ve been living just fine until now."

"Why are you trying to change the subject?!"

Vinesha cried out, tears streaming down her face.

"Do you not love me anymore?!"

She wouldn’t listen.

Talking to a brick wall would be easier than this.

I had no choice but to play my trump card.

"…Vinesha, you remember the effects of the Veil Bandages, don’t you?"

"Yes, of course."

"And you also know the side effects of using it."

"That…"

Vinesha’s eyes slowly widened.

She stared at me with a stunned expression.

"Husband, don’t tell me…"

"That’s right. I can’t feel love anymore."

Vinesha froze in place, her face a mask of shock.

Finally, she was starting to listen.

"So, I’m sorry, but—"

"I will bring it back!"

Her violet eyes shone intensely.

The emotion in them was so fervent it was nearly terrifying.

"My love can make you feel love again. I will, absolutely, without fail!"

Vinesha took a determined step toward me, her voice brimming with unshakable conviction.

Like a fairytale heroine vowing to overcome all odds.

"…"

I was speechless.

Vinesha twisted everything into an act of love.

"…So, why are you here, anyway?"

I decided to change the subject.

Of course, I already knew the answer.

She was here to find Zerion’s Secret Tome, hidden within the academy.

At my question, Vinesha grinned brightly.

Just talking to me seemed to make her happy.

"I heard there’s someone at the academy using Zerion’s magic! I came to meet them."

"Ah, um."

That person… is standing right in front of you.

‘My performance in the tournament must have altered the original story slightly.’

What should I do?

As I briefly pondered, footsteps approached from behind.

"Ah, husbaand~."

Then, the most disastrous voice rang out.

I whipped my head around.

There stood Sharin, arriving for her magic class.

Her sleepy hand gesture clearly pointed at me.

Thud—

At that moment, Vinesha’s eyes lost focus, and her head tilted unnaturally.

"Hus…band?"

I’m screwed.