Ch. 394 - A Reversed Story (10)

Flame couldn’t quite recall every detail about Baek Yu-Seol’s interactions with Eisel.

Just as there were certain private matters between Flame and Baek Yu-Seol, there were also things that had remained private between Baek Yu-Seol and Eisel.  

Some of those details, however, were things Eisel knew quite well… like their ‘Gourmet Club.’  

“Ma Yu-Seong, can I talk to you for a second?”  

“Huh? What is it?”  

Ma Yu-Seong was a striking figure with jet-black hair, a towering stature, and proportions so perfect they made him seem far older than a high schooler. He was, quite simply, stunning.

In this timeline, Flame had little to no connection with him.

“You’re not part of any club yet, are you?”

By this point in the summer break, it was rare for students not to be affiliated with a club, as they played a key role in earning academic credits.

“I’m not... But—”  

A faint, slanted smile curved Ma Yu-Seong’s lips—a subtle yet unmistakable sign of caution.

‘... This feels off.’

In the original timeline, Ma Yu-Seong’s smiles had always been warm and genuine when directed at Flame. But now, it was clear this one was forced.

‘So, this is how he acts toward strangers...’

Despite sensing the subtle distance, Flame forced herself to smile back.  

“I’m recruiting members for a club, but we’re a bit short on people.”

“... Hmm. Not really my thing. Haha.”

As expected, Ma Yu-Seong declined without hesitation.

But Flame had an ace up her sleeve.  

‘If this world mirrors the original even a little...’

Gulping nervously, she casually mentioned:  

“That’s too bad. We just need one more person... Well, I guess I’ll have to ask Eisel then.”  

Flinch.  

Ma Yu-Seong’s tall frame stiffened, his reaction immediate and almost comically startled, like a Siberian Husky caught off guard.

“Hold on. Are you saying there are only two members so far?”

“Huh? Yeah. Didn’t you say you weren’t interested?”  

“No, I just want to hear more about what kind of club it is...”  

“It’s a Gourmet Club.”  

“A Gourmet Club?”  

“Eisel’s really into food. Why? Are you interested now?”  

Ma Yu-Seong hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.  

“... Alright. I’m in.”  

‘Yes!’  

Flame cheered internally.  

Convincing him had been much easier than she had expected.  

‘As I thought, Ma Yu-Seong has a crush on Eisel.’  

With a bright smile, Flame added.

“Alright then, just give me a few days. I’ll bring the club registration form soon. Don’t join any other club in the meantime, okay?”  

Before he could respond, she dashed off down the hallway. Convincing Ma Yu-Seong had taken longer than planned, and now she was teetering on the brink of being late for her next class.

Clatter!  

Bursting into the classroom, Flame found herself under the sharp scrutiny of her peers.

The professor’s eyes locked onto her, brimming with disapproval, but after a tense moment, they returned to the blackboard without a word.

It seemed her good grades had earned her a free pass this time.  

‘Phew. Good thing I did well on the last exam.’  

Scanning the room, Flame quickly spotted Eisel and took the seat next to her.  

After sharing this arrangement for more than half a year, Eisel no longer seemed bothered by her presence.

But that didn’t mean they had grown closer.

There was still a massive wall between them. But just being able to sit near her like this felt like a small victory.  

‘Convincing Ma Yu-Seong was one thing, but getting Eisel to join the club is the real challenge.’  

And therein lay her biggest dilemma.

In the original timeline, Baek Yu-Seol had effortlessly brought Eisel into the Gourmet Club before anyone else could lay claim to her.

But this time, things were different.  

Following the course of the original storyline, Eisel was destined to join the club led by Jeremy, the crown prince of the Skalven Empire.

At first, that might have seemed like a good thing. 

With the crown prince supporting her, Eisel’s future should have seemed promising.

However, as time passed, Jeremy’s obsession with Eisel grew worse, pushing her deeper into mental exhaustion.  

If Ma Yu-Seong and Hae Won-Ryang hadn’t stepped in to support her later, the story might have taken a much darker turn, with Eisel making an unthinkable decision.

‘Then again, no sane romance-fantasy author would end a story like that.’  

Flame glanced sideways.  

Eisel sat hunched over her desk, scribbling feverishly in her notebook, her heavy dark circles a stark reminder of her overwhelming stress.

Her labored breaths betrayed her exhaustion, yet her fierce determination to excel burned bright.

Watching her struggle, Flame reaffirmed her resolve.  

‘... I couldn’t save Hong Bi-Yeon, but I’ll save Eisel no matter what it takes.’  

Ding-dong!  

As the bell signaled the end of class, the professor left the room without hesitation.  

Eisel, as usual, ignored Flame and started to leave, but this time, Flame quickly grabbed her arm.  

“... What do you want this time?”  

Though they had clashed a few times before, and Flame had occasionally helped her, Eisel didn’t outright tell her to go away.  

“Want to join my club?”  

Eisel frowned and looked at Flame before letting out a sigh.  

“Sorry... But I already have a club.”  

“Oh, really? But just because you have a goalkeeper doesn’t mean you can’t score, right? If you were to leave that club, would you join mine instead?”

“That’s...”  

She hesitated briefly but then shook her head.  

No matter how much she thought about it, there didn’t seem to be a way to escape Jeremy’s grasp.  

“It’s impossible. I can’t leave that club.”  

“So, what you’re saying is... if you could leave, you’d consider joining mine? Is that it?”

Eisel’s expression wavered. She looked conflicted, caught between doubt and a faint glimmer of hope. Finally, she gave a small nod.

“...If I could leave, then yeah. Honestly, I’d join any club at this point.”

With that, she turned and walked out of the lecture hall, most likely heading toward Jeremy’s domain.

‘Alright! This might actually work!’ 

She had her answer.  

Now, the only thing left was simple… storm into Jeremy’s club and cause chaos.  

“I’d better bring some tools.”  

***

Skalven Club.  

The very name reeked of pretension. Skalven Club was nothing more than a gathering place for social climbers, offering no meaningful activities or goals.

Officially, Verazen, a second-year student, held the position of club president. But since the day Jeremy, the crown prince, arrived as a first-year, he had taken over completely.

The clubroom was lavishly adorned, its excessive grandeur feeling more like a palace than part of an academic institution.

And at the very heart of it all sat Jeremy, lounging on a throne-like chair that radiated his sense of superiority.

‘... Unbelievable.’  

Verazen, standing nearby, bowed her head respectfully. Even here, in the prestigious Stella Academy, Jeremy’s royal blood set him apart. He had turned the Skalven Club into his personal court, a miniature kingdom within the school.

The club was filled not only with nobles from the Skalven Empire but also aristocrats from other nations, all enchanted by Jeremy’s charm and now devoted to him.  

And then—  

Sitting beside the crown prince was a girl with blue hair… Eisel Morph.  

Her presence baffled everyone. Once branded a traitor under the Morph family name, Eisel had somehow ascended to a position of unassailable power.

She was now the crown prince’s lover.  

Who would dare criticize her?  

Apart from Hong Bi-Yeon, her former rival, no one dared to cross her.  

To some, it might have even seemed like Eisel had finally gained the upper hand in life.  

But...  

“Eisel, why do you look so gloomy today?”  

The root of her misery lay in Jeremy’s suffocating obsession.

His fixation was all-encompassing, leaving no part of her life untouched.

Not only did he monitor her every action, but he even enlisted other students to report on her sleeping schedule, ensuring she was never truly free.

There was no way she wasn’t uncomfortable.

Yet, despite all of this, Jeremy truly believed he loved Eisel… so much so that he couldn’t bear the thought of letting anyone else have her.  

‘... I want to die.’  

When Jeremy reached out to stroke her hair, Eisel instinctively lowered her head, her body betraying her inner turmoil.

‘Why... Why did I end up like this?’  

At first, she had been tempted by his sweet words.  

She thought that if she could hide under the shadow of Skalven’s crown prince and use his power to grow stronger, she might one day be able to take revenge on the Adolevit royal family.  

But it had been a foolish decision.  

Jeremy Skalven had nothing to do with her revenge.  

Love? No, this was closer to obsession.  

To him, she was nothing more than a precious doll.  

He didn’t care about what she thought or how she felt.  

He only wanted her to sit prettily, smile prettily, and play the role of his living doll.  

‘How long will I have to live like this?’  

By now, it was too late to escape his grasp.  

The moment the crown prince of an empire set his sights on her, she had sealed her fate. Even if she graduated, even if years passed, Jeremy would never let her go.

No matter where she ran, he would find her.  

“Eisel, I prepared your favorite dishes for tonight. A special, luxurious course. You’ll eat with me, won’t you?”  

She nodded.  

There was no strength left in her to refuse.  

‘Favorite food...’  

The only thing Jeremy ever truly considered for her was her taste in food.  

But even then, she had never once truly enjoyed a meal with him.

Every dinner was suffocating. The food might as well have been tasteless ash in her mouth. Sometimes, she wondered if the days she spent starving had been better than this gilded cage.

‘Am I just being ungrateful?’  

“So anyway...”

What was he going to say this time?  

Just as Jeremy’s sweet voice was about to drop another line, a loud crash suddenly echoed from the direction of the clubroom door.  

Bang!!!  

“Ahh!”  

Several students screamed and fell over in shock.  

“... What the?”  

Clearly irritated at having his moment interrupted, Jeremy scowled as his followers hurried toward the entrance to investigate.  

Sensing her chance, Eisel quickly rose to her feet, slipping free from Jeremy’s suffocating grasp. She turned toward the source of the commotion, curiosity sparking in her tired eyes.

‘... Huh? Who is that?’  

Standing in the doorway was none other than Flame, but she was dressed in the most ridiculous outfit Eisel had ever seen.

She wore a snapback tilted at an obnoxious angle, oversized sunglasses obscuring half her face, and a black baseball bat slung casually over her shoulder.

Her pose screamed defiance, as if she’d stepped straight out of some low-budget action flick.

“Who—who are you? Do you even know where you are? How dare—”  

“Aha!” 

“Looks like you finally realized your mistake!”  

“Wait, I think I’ve heard that line in a historical drama before!”  

“...What nonsense is this?!”  

Jeremy’s followers erupted into confusion, their indignation boiling over, yet none dared approach her.

It was obvious why. Five male students were already knocked out on the floor in front of her.  

She had burst through the door and, in the blink of an eye, taken them all down.  

‘...What in the world is she wearing?’

To Eisel, Flame resembled a low-grade thug from a third-rate movie, but to the nobles in the room, her appearance was downright alien.

Flame surveyed the room with a theatrical sigh.

“Hmm. I heard there were about fifty members, but I only see around ten here?”  

“What’s your point?”  

“Not even worth the effort to knock them all down.”  

“... What exactly are you trying to accomplish with all this?”  

“Me? Club-raid.”  

Flame grinned confidently and spouted nonsense without hesitation.  

“I go around taking down the strongest clubs and claiming the most beautiful women. That’s my only goal.”  

“W-what kind of nonsense is that?!”  

“Die!”  

Clang!  

Annoyed by the outburst, Flame swung her baseball bat with full force, instantly knocking out the student who had spoken.  

The other followers panicked and quickly pulled out their wands, pointing them at her.  

But...  

"You idiots. Don’t you know that mana control is automatically enforced on the academy?"

Stella Academy had enchantments in place to neutralize magic during personal disputes between students.  

Given how many of these young mages possessed dangerous, weapon-level magical abilities, such safety measures were standard at prestigious magic schools to prevent tragedies caused by emotional outbursts.  

In other words, despite being genius mages, the students in front of her were currently helpless without their magic.  

“Meanwhile, I don’t rely on magic. I learned kickboxing as a kid, so I’m very good at swinging this baseball bat.”  

“H-how does kickboxing even relate to a baseball ba—”  

Smack!  

“Even unconscious, this guy keeps interrupting me...”  

After finishing off another student, Flame casually motioned to the rest of the group with her hand.  

“Come on, all of you. Bring it.”  

“Y-you... Do you think the professors are going to let you get away with this?!”  

“Nope.”  

She knew they wouldn’t.  

Flame knew full well this rampage would have consequences. Tearing apart the Skalven Club wasn’t going to slide under the radar. Suspension? Likely. Expulsion? Almost certain.

But what did it matter anymore?

'I’ve been thinking too cautiously this whole time.'  

She had spent so much energy avoiding mistakes, staying within boundaries, and trying to follow rules she wouldn’t have dared break in her original world.

But that was stupid.  

This world wasn’t just the past timeline… it was a different dimension entirely.  

She was going to return to her original world anyway. So why did she need to tiptoe around here?  

'That’s Baek Yu-Seol’s secret.’  

He had always lived with an air of indifference, as if he didn’t care what happened tomorrow. That attitude let him defy professors, pull off the wildest stunts, and mock authority with ease.

His secret?  

'He lived like he didn’t care if he died tomorrow... and that’s what let him make the boldest decisions.’  

Flame tightened her grip on the bat and pointed it directly at Jeremy.

The crown prince’s confident frown wavered for a moment, and he instinctively took a small step back.

Because here, in the face of a crazy woman with a baseball bat, all the status and wealth in the world didn’t mean a thing. Laws and rules? They didn’t apply when someone had nothing to lose.

“Hey, you. You’re the boss here, right?”  

“... Yeah.”  

“Wanna fight me? If I win... I get the girl sitting next to you.”  

“And if I win?”  

She shrugged.  

“Nothing. If you win, you win.”  

“Hah. Are you serious?”  

“Take it or leave it.”  

Flame casually tapped the bat against her palm.  

“Even if you forgive me, my Jonathan won’t.”  

Jeremy’s expression twisted into anger.  

The ridiculous bet aside, rejecting her challenge would only make him look weak… and leave him at the mercy of her wild bat swings.  

“Hmph. Seems you’re scared of my Brian.”  

“… Didn’t you just call it Jonathan?”  

“You wanna nitpick, too?”  

“Fine. My bad.” 

As ridiculous as the exchange was, Jeremy realized he couldn’t back down. Rejecting her challenge would make him look weak, and worse, it would leave him at the mercy of her unpredictable bat swings.

“... Fine. Let’s have a duel.”  

“Wow, didn’t expect you to agree so easily.”  

Smack!  

“Ugh!”  

Another of Jeremy’s followers crumpled to the ground as Flame swung her bat and strode confidently toward him. She reached into her pocket and slapped a piece of paper onto his chest.

“Sign this.”  

“This is...!”  

It was a Magical Pledge… an enchanted contract that stripped the loser of all mana if they broke the agreement.  

“The conditions are exactly what I said earlier. If I win, you give me Eisel. That’s it.”  

“What? You don’t want to do it? Then get ready for another—”  

“Fine! I’ll do it.”  

Jeremy snatched the paper and, with a twisted expression, signed his name. He figured he would annihilate her in the duel later anyway. But the fact that he had been forced into this absurdity gnawed at his pride.

“Awesome. The duel’s scheduled for tonight. Your schedule’s clear, right?”  

“... Yeah.”  

He had originally planned to spend a romantic evening with Eisel, but under these circumstances, he had no choice.  

Anyway, Flame was practically guaranteed to be expelled after this.  

He would humiliate her completely in the duel and make sure he’d never have to see her face again.  

“Alright, I’m heading out. See you later. And you better show up—or you know what’ll happen.”  

With a cheerful tone and a swing of her bat, Flame sent a few more of Jeremy’s followers to the ground before strutting out of the clubroom.

Jeremy stood frozen, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, his face red with rage. But he didn’t resort to childish tantrums or punching walls.

He was a crown prince, after all.  

Instead, he cooled his head, suppressing his rage and carefully plotting his revenge.  

… And as he did, Eisel silently observed him from behind.  

‘Huh...?’  

For some reason, she felt an odd sense of familiarity.  

The reckless chaos… the way Flame had ignored the consequences of the Magical Pledge and caused an uproar without hesitation.  

It reminded her of someone.  

Someone with a strong personality… a person whose actions felt all too familiar.  

Too familiar...  

And yet—  

She couldn’t remember who it was.  

‘Who... Could it be...?’  

Eisel’s thoughts swirled in confusion.

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