If one wanted to dance with someone, the proper way was to go to them directly and ask for a dance. If one didn't have the courage to make the first move, all they could do was wait for the other person to come to them and pray earnestly.
And yet, Tryggdrik insisted that I should just sit still and summon my fiancée by saying, "I want to dance, so come here."
'What kind of an engagement is that? It's just a master-servant relationship.'
It is the freedom of the person who receives the proposal to accept or refuse a dance invitation. Everyone knew that, so the attitude of those asking for a dance was very polite.
Among peers who were politely exchanging dance invitations in such a manner, to be told that you must go to your fiancé whenever he calls and dance unconditionally? Isn't it a perfect situation to feel humiliated?
Naturally, nothing good can come from crushing your fiancée's pride like that. Just because it's a world in a fantasy novel doesn't mean the relationships of engagement or marriage are any different from reality. Here too, not respecting the person who will become your future spouse and making them a laughingstock is like spitting in your own face.
'Though I have no intention of marrying this body's fiancée.'
In conclusion, Tryggdrik's remark was nothing more and nothing less than an attempt to mess with me. It was truly absurd.
So, I re-crossed my legs, which I had uncrossed to get up, and even crossed my arms as I leaned back against the backrest and asked Tryggdrik,
"Do you think I should do that?"
"Of course! If it weren't for Lord Karbaldr, could that woman even attend the Academy? Let alone take swordsmanship lectures."
A moment ago it was 'your fiancée', but now the title had been demoted to 'that woman'.
This wasn't surprising at all. Since Tryggdrik was subtly looking down on my possessed body, it was only natural that he would also look down on this body's fiancée.
"Before you even call for her, she should have come over first and bowed her head, saying, 'Thank you for making it possible for me to attend the Academy this semester too~.' But to not even show her face—how dare she? What an ungrateful attitude!"
As I listened quietly, Tryggdrik raised his voice excitedly, as if he himself had been insulted. I must say, it was quite a spectacle.
Hold on a moment.
I surmise many of you are now wondering what on earth Tryggdrik is babbling about. Therefore, I will provide some background explanation on the fiancée character.
First of all, her name is 'Vigdís Sjalfráði'.[N1]
Even with the first princess being the likely successor to the empire's throne, she had a father who would say, "A woman should quietly stay at home, do embroidery, and care only for the household."
Not only was he old-fashioned and sexist, but he also couldn't read the flow of power. To have such a man as a father, it's truly a pity.
'Vigdís had been interested in swordsmanship since she was young, but Count Sjalfráði was very displeased with that. He tried ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ to prevent her from even attending the academy, saying it would give her strange ideas.'
Karvaldr, upon learning of this, decided to get engaged to Vigdís. Because Count Sjalfráði would not refuse an engagement proposal from a Ducal Family. And if he were to say he wanted to attend the academy with his fiancée, Count Sjalfráði would readily allow her enrollment.
'It wasn't that he loved Vigdís, but that he expected her to see him as her savior and offer him blind and sincere affection.'
Thus, Vigdís enrolled in Valhalla Academy at the late age of 19 and was very grateful to Karvaldr.
Until that fiancé revealed his true nature and asserted the logic that, "Since I saved you, everything you have is mine."
Only then would Vigdís have realized that Karvaldr hadn't asked for her hand in marriage because he had fallen for her, nor was he helping her out of pity.
'I wonder how the original author planned to launder and use a character like this?'
This crazy character didn't hide his obsession and possessiveness at all. He openly controlled his fiancée's relationships so that she couldn't get close to anyone, and Vigdís was completely isolated at the Academy.
On top of that, Karvaldr was also showing his violent side by bullying Reisir. It was natural for Vigdís to feel a physiological revulsion and fear, and to run away from the possessed body.
"I know because I've been keeping an eye on the entrance, but oh my...! That woman slipped in just before the attendance deadline and quickly went upstairs."
Tryggdrik let out a disbelieving laugh as he tattled on Vigdís's actions.
I was also dumbfounded by Tryggdrik's behavior.
"By now, she's probably hiding on one of the balconies. Shall I go and find her?"
As he said that, Tryggdrik couldn't sit still in his seat and fidgeted. He seemed to be looking forward to the fun game of hide-and-seek that was about to begin. He must be excited at the thought of using Karvaldr's name to subdue and drag Vigdís, the daughter of a count's family.
"You're very interested in my fiancée."
"Wha-what?! That's not it at all!! I just wanted to lessen Lord Karvaldr's burden, so please don't misunderstand!"
"If so, then so that I don't misunderstand, never again interfere in the relationship between me and 'Disil' or add your own words without permission."
For the record, 'Disil' is Vigdís's nickname.[N2]
I was aware that my remark sounded possessive, but Tryggdrik's attitude was so annoying that I couldn't let it go without saying this. If I let it slide, I felt he would cause trouble someday under the pretext of doing it for me.
"Oh, right. And from now on, don't mess with 'Reisir Daudabiner' either."
"Pardon? I understand about your fiancée... but why that bastard?"
"I'm going to stop bullying people now."
Tryggdrik wasn't the only one surprised when I declared that I would stop bullying Reisir. Every student who heard me widened their eyes in surprise.
But—
"No, but why?!"
Only Tryggdrik protested, arguing as though his favorite toy had been taken away.
If he shows sadism even toward this possessed body's fiancée, imagine how much worse he would be toward Reisir.
'After I leave the party, isn't Tryggdrik going to bully Reisir and then frame it as if Karvaldr instigated it?'
That worry suddenly occurred to me, so I spoke out as a warning.
Seeing Tryggdrik's startled reaction, it seems speaking up was the right choice, even if it means I'll be the subject of gossip later.
"Do I have to explain my decision in detail and make you understand?"
"It's not that... but did Your Grace the Duke give you an earful during the vacation?"
Although he's using a cautious tone and pretending to read my mood, this was clearly a provocation. It was a taunt implying, 'Don't tell me you're not doing it because you're scared of your father's nagging. Is that why you even got insomnia? Oh my, how obedient!'
As if to say that if I wanted to deny it, I should prove it by bullying Reisir.
'Aha! Now I understand how the original author intended to justify Karvaldr's unethical behavior.'
The answer was right in front of me.
The hidden setting was that this character had been continuously instigating Karvaldr.
The moment I realized that, a short chuckle burst from my mouth.
"Ha...!"
Tryggdrik is not the type to be satisfied with just mutual deception and manipulation. He's even less the type to follow orders quietly. He's a character who genuinely enjoys trampling on others' personalities.
But since there's a limit to what he can get away with using just his family's prestige, he's the one who constantly stimulated Karvaldr's low self-esteem to make him commit evil deeds.
This is Tryggdrik's true character setting.
The original author probably intended to reveal this at the right time and unfold the story so that all the blame lay with Tryggdrik.
So don't hate Karvaldr too much. Although he did wrong, he was simply being used by a much worse guy.
'Still, the fact remains that the person who gave the protagonist the hardest time was Karvaldr, and the decision to get engaged to Vigdís was made entirely by the possessed body on his own...'
By my standards, Karvaldr remains an unforgivable bastard. But by someone else's standards, this might allow for some mitigation, assuming he's genuinely remorseful. And with Tryggdrik as a point of comparison, it would also make Karvaldr look relatively okay.
"What's with you all of a sudden...?"
As I let out a sudden chuckle and started nodding to myself, Tryggdrik questioned my actions.
Just a moment ago, he was a truly disgusting character. But now even his gaunt, twig-like appearance felt dependable.
'So I just have to pin all the blame on him and take the stance that I was just being used, is that it?'
The Original Protagonist was too nice, so his heart had softened quite a bit just because I apologized and we had similar tastes in novels. But since my life is on the line, it's better to be as safe as possible.
When the opportunity arises, I should subtly inform Reisir that the real bad guy was Tryggdrik. I'll think about how to do that later...
"Mind your own business. Anyway, I've made myself clear. I said to stop bullying Reisir Daudabiner."
"Really..."
"Yes, really. So don't argue with me anymore."
I wonder if the protagonist is watching this situation from somewhere in the large party venue. Or at the very least, it would be nice if he heard about it later.
With that thought, I repeatedly warned Tryggdrik not to bully Reisir.
Then I got up from my seat and said the words I had been meaning to say since the end of the last chapter.
"Then I'll be taking my leave. I'm tired, so I need to go back early and rest."
I gained something unexpected from the Semester Start Party, which I had thought would be a waste of time. I discovered a hidden character setting that wasn't revealed in the original, and it's information that will help me survive.
A great gain.
'Come to think of it, I need to cut ties with Vigdís too, but if I just declare a breaking of engagement, will she resent me? Because if she breaks off the engagement with Karvaldr, she won't be able to attend the Academy anymore?'
Speaking of Vigdís, I should mention that she played a big part in the original Karvaldr's death. She was the one who told the protagonist about the trap Karvaldr had set to catch him and helped him use it against him. It was also Vigdís who submitted a false report to Hárðr to cover up the inside story.
'What happened after that? I think she gave off the vibe that she had a crush on Reisir, and then she died protecting Reisir from a boss mob's attack during a Demon Realm conquest, right?'
In short, Vigdís is a character deeply involved in the death of the original Karvaldr. So if possible, I want to avoid earning her resentment.
