Vol 2. Chapter 55: They Got Along After All

She was the kind of person who seemed born for the spotlight and the stage—no matter where she went, she was the protagonist who commanded everyone's gaze. Compared to someone as ordinary as Vinny, they were simply people from two different worlds.

If it weren’t for Aesphyra being such a cheat character, this girl would’ve been the one to take the crown this year. Ranked first in her grade, without question—rightfully so.

But she didn’t get jealous. That was the composure of a true strong one.

Any ordinary guy, when a peerless beauty of such noble status went out of her way to share a table and speak to him, would inevitably get ideas—start imagining things. Vinny was no exception.

But his fantasies lasted less than a second before he immediately understood what Isatia’s actions meant.

All you had to do was put yourself in her shoes for a moment to figure it out.

A noble-born princess who had been pampered and revered since birth—status, talent, beauty, position, wealth, she lacked for nothing. Would she really go out of her way to give someone special treatment?

Was there anyone who deserved that from her?

She chose to sit beside him for two simple reasons. First, the library seats were full. And second...

Well, the second was a little harder to put into words.

Vinny could already feel the jealous stares piercing into his back. As a man, he was extremely sensitive to that kind of resentment from other males. Or perhaps... he was just used to it by now.

This imperial princess was a pragmatist. Someone so confident to her very core wouldn't waste time minding the opinions of others. That would just be pointless. A waste of her time and attention.

Take this moment, for example. Other people might avoid sitting with someone like Vinny—someone infamous and scandal-tainted—worried it might damage their own reputation. But not her. She found that kind of thinking excessive and performative.

In her view, strength was everything. False power bent to its surroundings. Real power changed the surroundings.

Just like Isatia.

She didn’t care who she was seen with. It wouldn’t affect her reputation because her actions were what everyone was watching. She was someone the crowd followed—not someone swayed by it.

It wasn’t the environment that changed her. She changed the environment.

So, even though Vinny carried the distasteful label of her “fiancé” and had a reputation in the gutter, she wouldn’t avoid him.

She wouldn’t actively seek him out, but she also wouldn’t deliberately avoid contact.

And besides, sitting next to someone as repellent as him—someone everyone avoided—had its own advantage.

It helped her avoid unnecessary flirtation and tagalongs.

So the moment she sat down, Vinny immediately felt the stares—that special attention charged with heavy meaning.

Once he figured it out, his expression shifted instantly.

This imperial princess wasn’t just popular in the Tyrell Empire—she was revered at Carillian Academy as well. Her popularity was such that she singlehandedly led fashion and etiquette trends across the noble classes of many human nations. Whether it was high nobles from the Empire or from other kingdoms, they all copied her wardrobe and mannerisms, taking pride in wearing the same styles as the Empire’s most dazzling jewel.

So imagine how many people were chasing after her. Her suitors could probably form a line from the Empire all the way to the Kingdom. There probably wasn’t a single noble youth in the Empire who wasn’t infatuated with her.

Right... even coming to the library, she brought along a full entourage of “bodyguards” and “flower protectors,” huh?

And now she was sitting next to him. Sure, that wasn’t her fault—the library seats were open to everyone—but didn’t that just mean he was getting dragged into something he didn’t ask for?

That wasn’t fair. He was the one getting the short end of the stick.

Being used as a human shield might’ve been unintentional, but that didn’t mean he could just let it go without compensation, right?

Other people might see it differently. To them, sitting with the noble and elegant Princess Isatia, reading quietly at the same table—what an honor! What a stroke of luck! Why didn’t she choose someone else as her shield—why you, of all people? Didn’t that prove she had feelings for you?

Round it up, and weren’t they practically on a date??

Winning! Absolutely winning!

Because of that, all the male students who had pretended to just “coincidentally” come to the library to study for finals were now staring daggers at Vinny’s back. Seeing him sitting next to Isatia, they looked at him like he was their mortal enemy, the man who had stolen their bride. Their eyes were bloodshot. Their jaws clenched so hard they were grinding their teeth to powder.

There’s no justice in this world. Weren’t the ones closest to the water supposed to get the moonlight first? Why wasn’t it them making progress with her? Why him—this useless pretty boy who had nothing going for him besides looks??

Vinny could more or less guess what these guys were thinking. As a guy himself, he was keenly aware of the malicious implications and silent hostility in those looks.

So what? You scared? Come sit with me, then! It’s a table, right? Chairs are for sitting. It’s not like she’s going to forbid you from sitting.

Vinny really didn’t understand what they were hesitating for. If you want to pursue someone, don’t be so damn subtle and then blame others for beating you to it.

But never mind that. This was just another necessary stage in dealing with heroines. He was already used to it. Not the point.

The point was—he was losing out here. If she was using him as a shield, even unintentionally, shouldn’t he be compensated somehow?

Isatia sat down and quietly began reading. She didn’t acknowledge him, didn’t speak to him, acted as if he didn’t exist.

Vinny didn’t try to strike up conversation either.

But...

He stared at his open workbook, brow furrowed, deeply troubled. If it had been any other guy, just being near Isatia would’ve made it impossible to concentrate.

Same for Vinny—he couldn’t focus either. But not because of nerves—he was just frustrated. And, honestly, he didn’t know how to do the problems.

He glanced around. The library was packed—no empty seats left. This table was the only one with room.

Stuck in this awkward situation, he had no choice but to stare at the questions and scratch his head in despair.

“You need to shift your approach for this type of problem. The question is fixed—but people are adaptable. So is the mind.”

A cool, serene voice like a mountain spring cut through the silence.

“...Huh?” Vinny lifted his eyes in surprise and stared at the black-haired girl beside him who was still staring intently at her book. If he hadn’t clearly heard her voice just now, he would’ve thought he was imagining things.

Isatia... had actually spoken to him?

“Um, excuse me, Isatia—were you talking to me just now?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. But I think only you heard it,” the black-haired girl replied without a flicker of emotion.

Uhh...

That sounded like a joke. A “who else would I be talking to?” kind of jab.

“Shift my approach? Then may I ask—how exactly should I shift it? What kind of thinking should I be applying?” Vinny didn’t mind. Judging from her tone, it seemed like she was offering him a bit of guidance, so he humbly asked.

Hopefully she wasn’t just saying it offhand.

“Don’t force the formula. Try flipping the logic.” Her eyes never left her book, but it was as if she had read his problem multiple times.

...No way, right?

Was she just giving random advice?

Still, since she’d said it, Vinny decided to try it.

And to his surprise, it really was just like she said. Once he flipped his logic, it was like he had discovered a new world. The dry, convoluted question suddenly made sense.

Vinny was shocked.

When did she look at the question? Why hadn’t he noticed?

Was it because she only glanced over casually? So subtly he didn’t catch it?

That was terrifying. One glance at the question, and she had already figured out the method and answer? Other people couldn’t even finish reading the problem that fast.

Goddess above... were these heroines really human? Were they even the same species as him??

Amazing.

Vinny looked at Isatia, his eyes full of shifting emotions.

What shocked him most was that this cold beauty was actually willing to help him with his questions.

Logically, once she’d found a quiet spot and a human shield, she should’ve just focused on her own business and ignored the nervous guy beside her.

Especially given his identity—the one she ought to avoid.

“In the secret realm, you warned me. Also, it’s quiet around you.” As if reading his mind, Isatia spoke again, her voice flat and calm.

Vinny froze, needing a moment to understand what she meant.

Isatia was saying she didn’t want to owe him anything. Back in the secret realm, he’d given her a heads-up—that counted as helping her. And as for “quiet around you,” she was admitting she’d used his infamous “reputation barrier” as a kind of shield to block all the annoying suitors buzzing around.

Damn. He’d thought she hadn’t meant to use him as a shield—but she really had?

These heroines... aside from Shikondell and Mirexia, most of them had some darkness to them. Especially a certain pint-sized bread roll—name and shame, she was downright evil.

But what really caught Vinny’s attention was the fact that Isatia had said this kind of thing out loud. If she’d just phrased it more tactfully...

“I don’t shy away from such things. I say what I mean. If that offends, I ask for your understanding,” she added coolly.

Vinny touched his own face. Was what he was thinking really that obvious?

“Besides, you possess a quality most others lack,” Isatia said calmly.

Vinny tilted his head.

If someone else had said that, it might’ve meant something special. But Vinny knew—coming from Isatia, it meant nothing like that.

“Let me guess. That ‘quality’ is... silence, right?” he replied.

In other words, he was self-aware. He didn’t go out of his way to bother her. He didn’t think her attention meant special treatment. He didn’t try to push his luck and make small talk.

“Smart,” she replied without hesitation. It sounded like praise—but her tone was so flat it was hard to tell.

“Then, Isatia, do you think that quality is valuable?” Vinny suddenly got an idea.

No way was he going to get used as a shield for {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} free.

“In most cases and for most people, I’d say yes,” she answered.

“So it is valuable. And Isatia, you’re not one to hide your likes and dislikes. Neither am I. I believe everything has a price. Since this quality of mine is so valuable, and since it’s so quiet around me—shouldn’t you be giving me something in return for enjoying that peace?” Vinny teased.

“......”

For the first time, Isatia lifted her eyes from her book and looked at him directly.

‘Virtue +20.’

‘Current Virtue: 6,324.’

Yep. Even Her Imperial Highness couldn’t resist giving him a little boost. Things were looking up.

“What do you want?” she asked, her violet eyes—so similar to Aesphyra’s but filled with a different kind of intensity—gazing at him without a ripple.

“Eh, I don’t want anything big. We’re classmates, after all—learned folk. It’d be crude to talk in terms of money. So how about this? When I get totally stuck on a question, you just give me a few pointers to get my brain going. Sound good?” Vinny suggested.

“That’s all?” Isatia raised an eyebrow.

“Yup, that’s it. It’s basically tutoring. You get to enjoy this peaceful space, and I get a little guidance. Win-win, right?”

“Fine.” Her answer was crisp. Her eyes returned to the page.

“Great. Thanks for your patronage. Here’s to a fruitful collaboration,” Vinny said cheerfully.

Well then—if she wanted to use him as a shield, let her. As long as he got something out of it, he didn’t mind.

Unlike Shikondell, who could do problems but couldn’t explain them, Isatia’s explanations were crystal clear. She could even walk Vinny through the test maker’s logic.

Perfect. He’d finally found the qualified tutor he’d been racking his brain for.

Not only did he have an expert guiding him through his studies, but he also got occasional Virtue Points out of it. What was not to love?

The only reason he was even willing to deal with Isatia at all was because she wasn’t like what he’d imagined.

She wasn’t the type to go into a rage and kill him for daring to approach, just because of that awkward “ex-fiancé” title.

In that regard, Vinny had adjusted quickly. He’d gone from “I’ll never get near these damn walking disasters” to “Hey, Virtue Points are actually kinda sweet.”

By now, he’d gotten a decent read on this imperial princess’s temperament.

Isatia did fiercely reject having her life and marriage dictated by others. But let’s be clear—this was a woman born a royal of the Lanteville family. The arrogance to look down on the world was carved into her bones.

Too many people in this world thought they had a place at the table... when in fact, they were nothing but side dishes.

But Isatia—without question—was the one seated at the table, gazing down at the spread.

Forget some useless, disgraced heir to a fallen saintly house. She didn’t believe anyone had the right to control her life or choices. That’s why she felt no need to avoid the engagement that everyone else had already forgotten.

Let alone the fact that the Imperial family clearly wanted to sweep that whole “bad investment” under the rug anyway.

Those with real power never feared someone taking control of their life—because no one ever could.