Chapter 6
“……”
Would you normally call this a… twist?
No, not exactly. A twist is when something flips your expectations upside down.
Then what should I call this?
“Sh… shock?”
I don’t know which word really fits here, but anyway, what matters right now is—
—I trust you understood me well. Then you may go now.
That was her, waving goodbye to me until the very end.
“Wow, goosebumps. Goosebumps all over!”
Wrapping my arms around myself, I muttered under my breath and quickly picked up my pace.
What? ‘Shut up and stay quiet in your corner’?
If that’s how it is, then why suddenly appear to help me earlier?
Ah, is this just some kind of image management thing?
Like, in front of others, she wants to show she’s a generous princess who can even forgive her enemies?
Or… is she just a sociopath with a split personality?
I don’t know which one’s correct, but—
“Man, nothing here is ever simple.”
That was my honest impression of the situation.
Seriously, not a single thing in this novel’s world is normal.
Grrrgle!
“Phew, whatever. Time to eat first.”
Fed up with all the nonsense stressing me out, I quickened my steps.
Soon after—
“This must be it?”
I stopped in front of a shabby-looking building.
The worn-down exterior screamed ‘I am a commoners’ cafeteria!’ without needing to say a word.
“Yeah, this is more like it.”
Nodding at the sight of the rundown building—so different from the luxurious dorms—I noticed something odd.
“Huh. There’s no line here?”
Unlike the nobles’ cafeteria, there was no pillar at the entrance scanning student IDs either.
“Wow, talk about different treatment.”
Grumbling, I pulled the door open.
Creak.
“…So, in tomorrow’s class—”
“Ugh, today’s side dishes kinda suck—”
“What are you doing after lunch?”
The place was bustling with chatter. Students sat in groups, chatting loudly while eating.
Each one carried a tray and lined up for food.
“This is literally just school lunch service.”
I had imagined a buffet-style setup, but nope—this was straight-up rationing.
“So I just line up here?”
I was about to join the end of the line when—
“Huh? Ka-Kamon Bade?”
A voice rang out, and instantly, dozens—no, hundreds—of eyes shot straight at me.
“……”
Well, I’m used to this by now.
Ignoring the stares, I calmly picked up a silver tray and walked toward the serving counter.
That’s when—
“M-Move!”
“Hey! Don’t push me!”
“Just get out of the way already!”
Thud! Clatter! Bam!
Some shoved, some stumbled, others avoided my gaze in terror—a whole ruckus broke out.
Step.
Flinch.
Come on. I literally just walked.
Thud.
Flinch!
Okay… but you know what? This is actually better.
At least no one’s picking fights. Plus, I’ll get my food faster.
Step, step.
Flinch! Flinch!
Ignoring the endless flinching at my every move, I collected my food and looked for a seat.
“But there’s… nowhere to sit?”
Each long table was hogged by one or two people, making the entire cafeteria look full.
Finding my own table wasn’t an option.
“Well, I’ll just pick any spot.”
Muttering, I headed toward a table where three students were sitting.
Step, step.
Flinch, flinch.
Their eyes followed me like I was some kind of zoo animal.
Ah… so this is what caged animals must feel like.
No wonder they’re always angry or stressed. Experiencing it firsthand, I finally get it.
Clack. Scrape.
I set down my tray and pulled out a chair.
Screech. Jump!
The students instantly stood up.
“L-Let’s go.”
“Uh, I’m full.”
Yeah, sure. Just get lost.
Good—now I get the whole table to myself.
Nice and comfortable!
“Bon appétit.”
Smiling at the thought of finally eating properly, I hummed a little tune as I scooped up some soup.
Clack!
Just then, a tray landed on the seat across from me.
And—
“So, you’re eating here?”
“Hm?”
I looked up at the unfamiliar voice.
A handsome boy with black hair and striking emerald-green eyes sat down across from me.
Wait… hold on.
Why does he look so familiar?
“Eating alone?”
He smiled faintly, and suddenly, it clicked.
Oh, right. That’s it.
I remembered—because his face was on the cover of the novel.
Yes.
He was the chosen hero of this world.
The one who saved Princess Francia from Kamon Bade.
“Kael Perion.”
The real protagonist of the story.
Stay calm, Kang Hyun-soo.
No need to cause trouble here.
Normally, I’d panic, throw a fit, maybe whine about why the protagonist suddenly appeared in front of me.
But this time was different.
If I keep calm, I can finish this delicious meal in peace.
Grrrgle.
I hadn’t even taken more than a couple bites yet. No way did I want drama now.
“……”
But already, the cafeteria atmosphere was buzzing.
Every student stared at us, their eyes filled with excitement, curiosity, and fear.
This won’t be easy, but I have to brush it off somehow.
Whatever he says, I’ll just smile and let it slide.
I’ve dealt with worse—jerk bosses, nightmare clients.
This is nothing.
All I need to do is smile, greet him politely, and stay chill.
“Gree—”
Wait!
Should I really just greet him like an old friend?
No way. That wouldn’t make sense between us.
“…Unfamiliar face, huh.”
I hurriedly changed my words, but that just made it sound worse.
Damn it, that sounded like I was picking a fight!
“Haha, yeah. Kamon, you were never happy to see me, were you?”
Kael just chuckled like nothing was wrong. Relief washed over me.
Thank god.
“But Kamon, why are you eating here?”
“What?”
“I mean, why are you eating here?”
“……”
Well… because I was kicked out of my family and demoted to commoner, obviously.
But saying that out loud would sound like I was picking a fight.
“Kamon, can’t you hear me?”
Oh, I hear you. Loud and clear.
Which is exactly why this is driving me nuts.
“Kamon?”
Screw it.
“…I’m not a noble anymore.”
“Hm?”
“My family kicked me out.”
Tense, I quickly added—
“Of course, I don’t blame you, Kael. I—”
“Ah! So that’s why you’re here? I thought something else had happened. Well then, enjoy your meal, Kamon.”
“…Huh?”
“What’s wrong? You got something to say?”
“…No. Nothing.”
He gave me an oddly apologetic smile, folding his hands politely.
“Ah, I feel bad for sitting down first then leaving. Sorry. I promised to eat with some friends today. Let’s eat together next time, Kamon.”
And with that, Kael stood up, waved casually, and left with a smile still on his face.
I was left staring blankly.
Wait, seriously? He just wanted to know why I was eating here?
Not to pick a fight?
“Seriously, what the hell was that?”
The tension drained from my body, leaving me muttering to myself.
The so-called protagonist Kael, and the main heroine Princess Francia—
Neither of them acted in any way that made sense.
Were they like this in the original story too?
In my memory, the characters always acted logically, responding to events as they came.
None of them had unpredictable personalities like this.
Grrrgle.
“Forget it. Just eat first.”
I could think about it later.
Knock, knock.
“…Yes, what is it?”
“I came to ask you something.”
I had returned to the maid manager—the one who had “helpfully” pointed me to the nobles’ cafeteria earlier.
“…Kamon, you sure are curious about a lot of things.”
She smiled faintly. I nodded.
Of course I’m curious.
The students’ reactions earlier had been way too extreme.
And she was the only one I could ask.
“All right, what do you want to know this time?”
“This might sound strange, but… I want to know about the things I did in the past.”
“…Hm?”
“I mean, tell me about my old misdeeds—incidents, trouble I caused, that sort of thing.”
“……”
She stared at me for a long moment.
Then—
“Your past?”
“Yes. The records of my bad behavior, anything you know.”
“….”
Her expression hardened.
The smile faded, and she slowly opened a desk drawer.
Clatter.
…A pipe?
She pulled out an antique smoking pipe—something only older men usually used.
“Mind if I smoke?”
“Uh, no. Go ahead.”
Click.
The pipe flared to life. She took a deep drag.
Ssshhh. Haa…
A cloud of smoke blew straight into my face.
Sniff, sniff!
Man, it’s been a while since I smelled tobacco. Almost makes me want a puff too…
“You’re asking about your own misdeeds? Why?”
“I’ll explain later. For now, I’d like to hear about them.”
“Interesting. I never thought Kamon would ask about that. But… maybe it’s quicker if you see for yourself.”
“…Excuse me?”
Thud!
She stood, walked over to a steel cabinet, and yanked it open.
Clang. Drop!
She tossed a stack of files onto the desk.
“Go on. Take a look.”
I quickly reached out and opened them.
[We denounce Kamon Bade, a filthy, outdated classist.]
The headline alone made me nod.
“Classist.”
That was basically Kamon’s default setting. His most famous trait.
Other letters included complaints about brawls, skipping class, trashing dorms, even blowing them up.
At best, he was a troublemaker. At worst, an arrogant thug.
Yeah, fits the bill for a third-rate side villain.
The kind of background detail that never made it into the novel but filled out the world here.
After skimming through—
“So, is this all?”
At my question, the maid smirked around her pipe.
“Why? Done already?”
“Yeah, more or less…”
But something felt off.
This is way too tame.
From the students’ reactions, I’d expected far worse.
If this was really all Kamon had done—
Were those kids just spineless snowflakes or what?
Then—
“Hmm, wait a moment.”
Click, click.
The maid moved again.
Thunk!
“Take a look at this one.”
“…What’s this?”
Lighter than the others, but stamped with a red skull emblem.
The aura alone felt ominous.
Carefully, I opened it.
Rustle, flip, flip-flip!
My pace quickened as I read through.
Slam!
By the end, I froze.
“Well? Need me to explain more?”
“……”
I could only stare at the papers spread before me.
[Consent form for illegal duel with 3rd-year Bern Cassien.]
Opponent left permanently disabled. Expelled.
[Agreement involving student beatings and coercion.]
At least eight innocent victims.
[Report of kidnapping attempt against commoner teaching assistant.]
No physical injury, but psychological trauma forced resignation.
And that was just a few of the highlights.
Plenty more filled the files.
“Do you need anything else?”
“…No. That’s enough. Thank you.”
I shook my head, voice heavy.
Then I quietly stepped outside, walking slowly.
To somewhere deserted. Somewhere dark.
And when I finally stopped—
“Ha… haha.”
A laugh slipped out.
“Kamon Bade, you psycho bastard.”
At first, I was cursing the original owner of this body.
Then I remembered the incident that got him expelled—the attempted assassination of the princess.
“What? A ‘third-rate extra villain’? Ha! What utter bullshit.”
Author, you lunatic.
How the hell is this supposed to be a mere side villain?
This is top-tier criminal mastermind villain level!
And now the problem is…
“…I’m the one who’s stuck inside his body. Ha… hahahahaha.”
