I'm a Villainess but So Popular

Episode 44

Translator : Missme

Editor : Aru

Eugene did not budge an eye even when he looked at Cassius. He just stared at him with his blue eyes with its unique sharpness. Unlike Cassius, no emotion was revealed in him. Except his voice is unusually icy.

‘What’s wrong with them?’

Eugene had not often questioned Cassius’ behaviour. In the first place, they weren’t talking very well.

Cassius openly expressed his favour to me, and Eugene showed a clear dislike for me, so it was natural that the two had no contact.

“It, it’s almost time to go.”

At the awkward words, Eugene turned his head and looked at me, then moved out of the classroom.

“Cassius, I’m going out now. You must be hungry, so don’t wait for me and go ahead. I’ll be right back.”

Cassius had a subtle air of regret, but not more stubbornness.

“Yes, I see. I’ll be waiting at the cafeteria.”

“Yes, see you later!”

I waved my hand at Cassius in a hurry and left the classroom.

As expected, there was no Eugene in the hallway. He must have been offended and left first.

I grumbled to myself, walking in the empty hallway.

“Ck, he’s too sensitive for nothing. ….”

“Who’s sensitive?”

As I turned the corner, I saw a man with familiar silver hair and blue eyes. He looked down at me with his arms crossed as usual, with a look of disapproval somewhere.

“You didn’t go first?”

“I was on my way, but you just came out.”

“Uh……yeah?”

But why are you turning around and looking at me?

By the way, you seem slower than usual. When I come out, you’ve always already arrived at Professor Frain’s private room.”

“Who, who’s slow! Don’t say anything weird and just come quickly.”

Eugene’s face turned red and shouted angrily.

“It’s about time. Isn’t it you who asked me to hurry up, Spade?“

“Oh, yeah.”

He’s not good at expressing himself.

I’m sure he’d waited for me. He’s lying to me because he doesn’t want me to find out.

Since the day when the two of us stayed and had a more serious conversation than usual, it was impossible not to notice that Eugene’s attitude has become more favourable than before.

In the past, when I forgot to write a class journal, he used to be disdainful or twisted words like a screw bar, but these days he used to remind me of what I had to do with quite soft words such as ‘Spade, don’t forget your class journal.’

He had waited for me for what he’d always done on his own. There were a lot of things we did together.

As I walked along the corridor thinking about this and that, I arrived at Prof. Frain’s private room.

“Oh, you’re here. Here, both of you, please sit down.”

Professor Frain greeted us with a smile and had prepared chairs and tea for both of us.

“You’re both executives of the class, so there is always a lot of work. I feel very relieved as a homeroom teacher because you both did a great job.”

“No, That’s not a true professor.”

Professor Frain’s words were answered first by Eugene.

‘Clearly, there’s no way he can ever think that way……’

Looking at that, I think he’s definitely a big guy who is proud of himself.

“I invited you both today to perform at the school’s anniversary banquet.”

“The school anniversary banquet…… a performance?”

Performances? Did they originally entrust the performance to the students?

I glanced at Eugene, sitting upright next to me at the news that I had never heard of, but he looked calm as if he had already known.

“Yes, as some outsiders related to the academy attend the anniversary banquet, two outstanding student representatives from each school year will be selected to present magic in front of the audience. Miss Spade and Sir Ace. were chosen as the first-year representatives because you both were the top and the second.”

It’s a magical performance. The event was far from the competition format during the division test. In other words, it was similar to the actual test taken during the entrance exam, but it didn’t appeal much.

‘I don’t want to be on stage……’

“If both Spade and Ace accept it, you’ll be able to participate in the performance as a first-year representative. If you don’t want to do it, I’ll ask another student for their opinion, so you don’t have to worry too much.”

Then you’d better hand it over to someone else–

“Oh, for your information, participating in performance can be included in your career. It will help you when you take the court wizard exam later on.”

“I’ll do my best!”

As soon as I heard the words “active career” and “the court wizard test,” I changed my mind like turning my hands upside down and said with my eyes twinkling.

Professor Frain burst into laughter at the sight.

“Ah-ha-ha, Miss Spade is over-enthusiastic. Then I think you’re going to participate in the performance Sir Ace, are you okay with that?”

“Yes, I’d like to participate.”

“Yes, then both of you will participate. I’ll let you know when the details are decided. And it will be very hard to prepare for the performance and study at the same time. Of course, I trust that you two will do well, but if you have any difficulties, please come to me anytime, okay?”

At Prof. Frain’s words, Eugene nodded.

“It’s a great honour for both of our first-year representatives to come out of our class. I hope you will be confident in being selected as a representative and continue to be as you are now. That’s it for today.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Up from the chair, Eugene and I returned the teacup to its original place and left Professor Frain’s private room.

“Uh, the performance. I’m not confident.”

“If you don’t have confidence, you should make yourself.”

“Oh, you, please, can’t you give me a break? When I hear you, it’s like a textbook for an upright life, so I’m out of breath.”

“Up, upright life……? What’s that?”

“Oh, anyway–”

There was a month left before the performance.

It meant that within that month, we should find the most confident magic and prepare to show it to the public.

“What am I… water and fire again?”

“Spade.”

“Huh?”

“Have you thought of what magic to take part in?”

“Of course no, since I just heard it for the first time.”

“You’ve never heard of it?”

Eugene raised her eyebrows and looked surprised.

“It’s been an annual event for the first and second best to participate in a banquet to celebrate its anniversary.”

Eugene, who was saying that suddenly stopped talking as if he had been hit on the back of his head and shut his mouth.

“Huh? Why? It happened every year, what?”

“…no. Nothing.”

Eugene spoke with his eyes turned elsewhere.

“Rather than that, you’re thinking of doing it with magic flames anyway. Isn’t that right?”

“Well, that’s true. What are you going to do?”

At my words, Eugene put his finger around his mouth and thought about it, then replied a moment later.

“I need to think about it.”

There was a reason why Eugene couldn’t come up with a clear answer.

As mentioned, it was a magical performance in front of the public, and it was really different from the tournament. Fancy magic would be required technically or visually. Therefore, it could have been a little difficult for Eugene, whose main speciality is swift and covert attack magic.

“Well, if I ponder a little, the answer will come out. More than that, you~”

“Huh?”

“I’m practising from right this evening. Come to indoor sparrow at 8 pm.”

“What?”

No, all of a sudden?

It’s been less than 10 minutes since I heard that I’m performing.

When I looked at Eugene with a puzzled look on my face, he opened his eyes thinly and answered in his usual dull voice.

“It’s not individual performance, it’s a joint performance. I mean, you and I have to be good at it.”

“Huh? Uh… Yeah.”

“We are still in the first grade, but in the third grade, some court wizard came to scout the student representative who performed. That’s how much this is a huge opportunity.”

At the moment, his blue eyes, like sapphire, gave out a sharp glow.

“Most of the time, it is said that Trump had his eye on the main figure of the performance.”

Then Eugene came to a step forward and shouted in a steady voice.

“Now that we have this opportunity, we have to complete the performance perfectly. There would be no mistakes at all.”

Looking at Eugene like that, I gulped down without realizing it.

I think there’s something wrong.

“You and I, we’re targeting Trump. It’s only natural that we should be perfect for the performance, Spade.”

In Eugene’s eyes, looking at me and talking to me, I thought somehow the flames were rising.

Not the usual icy cold snow, but the intensely burning snow hoping for something.

Yeah. Like, like, blue flames.

“…Yes, you’re right, Eugene.”

I answered, facing two blazing blue flames.

“Let’s work hard, both of us.”

“….”

“Hey, at times like this, you have to hold my hands and say, ‘yes!'”

My hand, which had nowhere to go, remained in the air, and Eugene, glancing down at my hand with his head turned sideways with a slightly red face, eventually sighed and took my hand.

“Okay.”

“…as expected, you will never say ‘yes’.”

“Whatever you say, it’s up to me.”

Then he passed me and walked forward.

As soon as I was about to go back to the cafeteria, I heard Eugene’s voice from behind me.

“Hey! The sparrow is until 8 p.m.! If you forget, I’ll kick your ass in the battle class!”

He stopped on his way and was shouting at me loudly with his hands around his mouth.

When I saw him, I shouted back loud enough to be heard all around me.

“Just do well yourself.”

“What? Hey!”

I heard Eugene’s angry voice behind my back, then giggling and running. Listening to his distant voice, somehow I felt so good that I couldn’t stop laughing.

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