I Killed The Main Characters

Chapter 146: What A Year This Will Be [1]

The academy gardens stretched out in pristine, well-kept rows.

Vibrant with shades of green and dotted with flowers of every color.

The white benches and tables set along the garden paths added an elegant contrast to the natural hues.

Maya sat alone at one of the tables.

A book in hand, and a half-empty water bottle beside her.

She'd already started mentally mapping out her study schedule.

Breaking down her time to cover her courses for the second-year opener exams.

As she read, a sudden shadow loomed over her.

She looked up.

Blinking at the sunlight around the silhouette before she could make out the figure.

Blonde hair, crimson eyes, and an unmistakable aura of regal confidence.

Leopold, the third prince of the empire, flanked by two knight guards.

"Is this seat taken?"

He asked.

His voice smooth and unhurried, as if they were old friends meeting by chance.

Maya shook her head, maintaining her composure.

"It's not taken, Your Highness."

He took the seat across from her.

Folding his hands over the table as his gaze settled on her with casual curiosity.

Maya straightened her posture.

Wondering why of all places, and all people, the prince had decided to sit across from her.

Prince Leopold started with small talk.

Commenting on the tranquility of the academy garden and how refreshing it was to enjoy the morning air.

Maya nodded politely, giving him short replies.

Though she really wanted to get back to her book.

She could sense he wasn't here just for the sake of idle chat.

"I've been observing how students handle their studies and schedules here."

He continued, with a faint smile.

"It's remarkable, really, the dedication.

It seems the students in Ravenwood are truly a cut above the rest."

"Ravenwood's standards are quite high, Your Highness."

Maya replied, attempting to remain neutral.

"Yes."

Leopold said, his gaze not leaving her face.

"And that includes you, Maya.

I've heard a lot about your academic performance—and your... unique connections within the academy."

Maya stiffened slightly, but didn't show it.

She nodded politely.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

There was a pause, a quiet moment of tension.

Then, his tone shifted, playful yet with a hint of something sharper underneath.

"Tell me, how is your relationship with Noah Ashbourne going?"

The question hung in the air, a deliberate and loaded one.

Maya's heart skipped, though she kept her face carefully controlled.

Not many people, even among the academy's prestigious students, knew about her engagement to Noah.

But of course, Leopold, a prince from the empire's royal family, would be privy to such details.

The engagement was no mere romance.

It was a carefully calculated alliance between powerful families.

"It's... fine."

Maya replied, her voice calm but curt, wishing the conversation would end there.

"Fine?"

Leopold leaned forward, a hint of amusement sparking in his eyes.

"Well, I suppose that's how it might be.

But I always found it curious.

Such arrangements, I mean.

A binding of two people's lives for the sake of politics and power.

It makes one wonder if either of them truly wants it."

Maya narrowed her eyes slightly, sensing the underlying jabs in his words.

She didn't appreciate the probing, the sly insinuations.

"The engagement is a matter between our families."

She said carefully.

"I don't see it as anyone else's concern."

Leopold laughed softly, a sound that held no warmth.

"So defensive.

Apologies, Maya.

I just find it curious.

To be betrothed to someone like Noah Ashbourne.

Well, he's not known for his warmth or gentle nature, is he?"

Maya's patience was wearing thin, and Leopold's taunting smirk only made it worse.

She took a breath, choosing her words.

"Your Highness, I'm not interested in a relationship, not now or in the foreseeable future.

Even if things were to end between Noah and me, I have no intention of involving myself with other nobles."

The prince's smirk faded slightly, his red eyes sharpening as he listened.

"So you'd rather not be tied to anyone of noble birth

That's quite a bold statement for a young woman in your position."

Maya met his gaze evenly, feeling a swell of irritation at his arrogance.

"Titles and rank don't matter to me.

They're only burdens as far as I'm concerned

My life, my choices—I'd prefer to keep them my own."

A faint gleam of something darker flickered in Leopold's eyes.

A sign that he wasn't used to being spoken to so bluntly.

But he smiled, a half-smile that was neither friendly nor entirely hostile.

"A strong stance."

He remarked, his tone dry

"But life within the empire's upper ranks isn't so easy to brush off, Maya.

And sometimes, attachments—well, they have a way of becoming inevitable."

She felt her fists clench beneath the table, hidden from view

His words sounded polite, but she knew when someone was pushing for control, angling for power

She'd had enough of it in her life, and she wasn't about to let a prince.

No matter how powerful—dictate her choices.

Maya stood, her voice level but pointed.

"Thank you for the conversation, Your Highness.

If you'll excuse me, I have things to attend to."

He blinked, caught off guard, before that smirk returned.

"Of course, Maya.

Do enjoy your day."

As she turned to walk away, she muttered under her breath.

'Noah may be arrogant and detestable, but he and the prince are cut from the same cloth.

At least with Noah, you know exactly what you're dealing with."

She shivered slightly, the memory of the prince's pointed gaze following her as she moved away from the table.

From behind her, Leopold watched her leave, an amused smile curling his lips.

He rested his chin on his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"My, my..."

He murmured to himself.

"This year is going to be quite entertaining, isn't it?

And to think, my darling sister will be arriving at Ravenwood soon, too.

It looks like fate has some very interesting plans in store."

He smiled again, his expression unreadable, as he looked off into the distance.

***

The solitude of my dorm room wrapped around me like a comfortable cloak.

Giving me space to finally process the events of the day.

It had been a productive half-day, but for once, it wasn't only due to my studies.

I leaned back, smirking as I thought about the business opportunity I'd just secured.

A rare case of early investment in a store that was destined to boom in the future.

This shop, buried in the academy's town center, specialized in rare ingredients, artifacts, and resources.

Exactly the kind of place that students and even faculty would frequent when they needed items for advanced projects or exams.

But it had been mismanaged.

Its shelves perpetually half-empty, the owner too stubborn to innovate or market properly.

With a business acumen like mine, I could see the potential instantly.

Given the inevitable increase in demand for the academy's resources.

All this place needed was a little push and capital infusion to transform it into a high-revenue enterprise.

The opportunity lay not in merely "investing" in the shop but in claiming a significant share.

Which could become an essential source of income, and more crucially, influence.

Influence that could be leveraged when needed.

Business is about assessing risk, and the risk was clear.

If the shop failed, I'd be in even worse financial straits.

The little money I had, supplemented by lies I'd fed to the shop owner, was practically all my capital

I'd spun stories of having access to additional financial backers, wealthy family members, and eager connections.

All capable of providing more funding when necessary.

In truth, if the store tanked, I'd be hard-pressed to recover.

But that's why I'd be monitoring every last detail of its operations and growth.

Whether the owner liked it or not.

Our earlier conversation had been an amusing exercise in control.

The shop owner, a man with the personality of an unyielding mule, wouldn't admit his store was floundering even if it caught fire.

He'd scoffed, saying.

"Why would someone like you want to invest in a shop like mine?"

I'd smiled, leaning in just enough to let my confidence seep through.

"Why would someone like me?"

I repeated, making it sound as if he were asking the wrong question

"You're sitting on a goldmine, and you don't even know it.

The difference between us is that I do.

Either take my offer and let me transform this place, or keep selling those second-rate items and watch as the academy passes you by."

It took a few more rounds of pushback, but the subtle undertone of superiority—of me knowing something he couldn't grasp—did its job.

He reluctantly agreed to my terms, though not without several grumbles and suspicious glances.

Good.

Suspicion was better than outright refusal, and now he had a glimmer of hope mixed with uncertainty.

All the while, I kept my expression carefully blank, hiding how much I'd banked on this working out.

That was a weight off my list.

Income, or the promise of it, was in the works.

It would take time before the profits flowed in, but once they did, they would serve as my lifeline

Still, waiting wasn't ideal

If I could find a faster way to make money, I'd take it.

For now, though, I shifted my focus to more pressing matters.

The upcoming opener exams.

I needed to be at the top

Nothing less would suffice

The system's quest was as binding as a blood oath, and falling short wasn't an option.

Every step, every detail mattered, right down to the build-up for the first episode and its looming boss encounter.

I could already picture her in my mind—flaming red hair, a defiant glare, and an army of undead at her command.

On top of that, I'd be dealing with another character soon.

Someone almost as stubborn as me, though in a more aggravating way.

These next few months, perhaps even a year, promised to be exhausting.

But as with anything, all that mattered was staying ahead.

And right now, that meant focusing every ounce of effort on winning.