The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 12

The Final Villainess.

Third Princess Iris Hyserion.

There’s a lot to say about her.

She is the final boss and the mastermind in the ‘Blazing Butterfly’ arc, Act 6.

A supreme villain.

She is destined to become the vessel for such a villain.

Maybe that’s why.

The aura surrounding Iris feels strangely decadent.

Despite being the second in line to the throne among the candidates to lead the nation, the energy she gives off is distinctly gloomy and dark.

Yet, separate from that, she possesses a power so captivating that it’s hard to take your eyes off her.

First of all, she has a natural beauty.

Black hair, excessively pale skin.

And eyes filled with ruby-like magical power.

Anyone who faces her sighs at her beauty and wishes for her gaze.

It’s no wonder she competes with Nikita for the top spot in the Empire’s beauty rankings.

If Nikita’s looks are cold and honest, Iris’s are decadent and alluring.

Every time her cherry-red lips part, people’s hearts waver, and they listen intently.

And whatever she whispers makes you want to grant her every request.

This is undoubtedly the seductive power that the supreme villain possesses.

Yet Iris’s uniquely decadent atmosphere also plays a significant role.

And now, that very person stands before me.

She’s not here for a trivial reason like a ‘get-well visit.’

After all, since I entered Zeryon Academy, I’ve never once had a conversation with her.

Then why did she come?

‘The one I’ve possessed, Airei, is at least blood-related to her.’

Though it’s on my mother’s side, not my father’s.

Technically, we’re cousins.

Iris would be thinking of Hanon’s existence like that.

‘Her maternal grandfather, Duke Robliaju.’

He’s the one who sent her with some hidden purpose.

‘It seems she still suffers from insomnia.’

I notice the shadows beneath Iris’s eyes.

Because of her grandfather’s ambition, Iris has no choice but to strive for the Emperor’s seat.

Living under that pressure, Iris has always suffered from insomnia.

In that sense, it’s not much different from Isabel’s insomnia.

But Iris’s insomnia has something fundamentally different.

‘The supreme villain is involved in Iris’s insomnia.’

Her nightmares are tainted by the whispers of the supreme villain.

One day, to fully corrupt her into his possession.

The supreme villain continually tightens his grip on Iris through her nightmares.

‘The more nightmares she has, the weaker she becomes.’

In fact, by this point, her insomnia should have shown some improvement.

The flame of Lucas’s determination drives her nightmares away.

Thanks to him, she could have overcome her insomnia and slept peacefully.

This also became the reason why Iris began seeking Lucas more and more.

Various incidents related to this occur, and they work together to resolve them.

That’s the relationship between Lucas and Iris.

But Lucas no longer exists in this world.

Naturally, Iris’s insomnia remains unresolved and continues.

And this is a task I must solve.

The day she fully succumbs to her nightmares will be the day the supreme villain returns.

“I greet the Third Princess, Iris Hyserion.”

However, solving her insomnia isn’t something that can be done recklessly.

What matters is the process, building a relationship of trust as people first.

When I knelt and showed my respect to the royal, Iris quietly looked down at me.

Then, she casually waved her hand.

“This is Zeryon Academy. There’s no need for such formalities between students, even if it’s just the two of us.”

That’s true.

I was simply following Hanon’s stance and acting as he would.

Iris leaned her head against the wall, and her black hair naturally fell over her pale skin.

Even upon seeing her again, her beauty was undeniably steeped in decadence and allure.

“I have something to ask you.”

Her delicate voice, flowing from her cherry-colored lips, had a captivating power.

My ears instinctively perked up at her voice.

“Did the Duke of Robliaju send you?”

I had anticipated that she would ask something like this since she approached me.

‘If I get involved with the Duke of Robliaju now…’

It’s a straight path to a bad ending for me instead of Lucas.

The Duke of Robliaju is an ambitious man who even seeks to use the supreme villain’s power to place Iris on the throne.

If someone he hadn’t sent approaches Iris, he would assume it’s a plot from the First Prince’s side and probably have me executed.

‘No, to be fair, that’s not entirely wrong.’

As I mentioned earlier, Hanon is a hidden character who appears only when certain conditions are met.

The specific condition for Hanon’s transfer is when Lucas achieves a certain level of fame at the academy.

‘Hanon transfers when all fame-related events are perfectly achieved.’

Thus, little is known about Hanon.

But there is one thing that’s certain.

‘Hanon is sent by the First Prince to recruit talented people from Lucas’s side to his own.’

The struggle for the throne between the First Prince and the Third Princess.

To win it, the First Prince is naturally gathering strength.

But the world’s most talented individuals have flocked to the Third Princess’s side since her enrolment.

Because of the Duke of Robliaju’s schemes, the First Prince cannot interfere with Zeryon Academy.

He avoids stirring up direct conflict with the Duke and refrains from meddling in the academy, but once Lucas’s fame reaches the ears of the royal family, the First Prince sends someone to transfer, fearing that all the talent will shift to the Third Princess.

That person is Airei, secretly transferred by the First Prince’s faction.

‘If the conditions aren’t met, Hanon doesn’t transfer at all.’

If the conditions aren’t satisfied, the First Prince sees no reason to concern himself with Zeryon Academy.

To avoid clashing directly with the Duke of Robliaju, he chooses not to send anyone.

But the fact that Hanon has transferred means the First Prince deemed the situation serious enough to confront the Duke head-on.

‘And I transferred under Hanon’s identity.’

Zeryon Academy has ears.

Even the First Prince’s side would be baffled by Hanon transferring without their permission.

But it takes roughly six months to grasp the exact situation.

‘Right now, the First Prince is extremely busy.’

Having already turned his attention away from the academy, he has no time to focus on it.

And during that time, I plan to firmly establish myself.

Before enrolling in Zeryon Academy, I didn’t just sit around.

I carefully devised a plan.

The tightrope-walking strategy between the First Prince and the Duke of Robliaju.

But there’s just one person who can immediately cut this tightrope.

‘Iris, who can relay information to the Duke of Robliaju at any time.’

The Iris standing before me is precisely that variable.

Even without meeting the Duke in person, she can convey her thoughts to him.

And the same goes for the Duke of Robliaju.

So, if she asks the Duke about me, whether it’s the Duke or the First Prince, they’ll both send someone to sever my tightrope.

‘The only fortunate thing is…’

Iris won’t contact the Duke first.

She’s never been fond of being involved in the battle for the throne because of the Duke’s schemes.

During the game, she subtly expressed her distaste for the Duke of Robliaju several times.

Because of that, she won’t go out of her way to ask about me.

‘The problem is, that’s all just an assumption.’

This is no longer a game but reality.

A world that follows a bad ending where the protagonist is dead and no one knows how things will unfold.

A world full of variables.

Who knows how Iris’s feelings might have changed?

“That depends entirely on how the Third Princess views it.”

Therefore, I must assume two possibilities.

A world where Robliaju sent Hanon.

A world where the First Prince sent Hanon.

I must consider both approaches and steer things in the right direction to prepare for any variables ahead.

After hearing my response, Iris stared at me intently.

Her gaze is unnerving.

It feels like being looked at by a long-haired cat with an incomprehensible, unreadable expression.

“I see. Well then.”

Iris didn’t ask any more questions.

It seems she decided to think it over and reach her own conclusion.

It’s not good for my heart, having a conversation with someone who could become the final boss.

It’s only natural.

“By the way, you’d best refrain from making any disparaging remarks about Lucas Fernando.”

Iris had quite a few interactions with Lucas.

The flame of his determination was the only lullaby for Iris, who couldn’t sleep due to her nightmares.

“There are still many who remember him fondly.”

He only attended Zeryon Academy for a year.

But in that one year, the influence Lucas had was by no means small.

Truly the protagonist, he established deep roots all over.

‘And I have to take over that role.’

My eyes drift back to Iris.

What must I do for Iris in order to replace Lucas?

“Are you still unable to sleep these days?”

Yes, I must resolve her insomnia, the thing that torments her the most.

“There’s a honey called ‘Honeer’ from the southern claylands. If you brew it before bed, it might help a little.”

It’s honey that induces a sleep-like state while offering restorative effects.

Though it won’t solve the root cause of her insomnia, it should help her sleep a bit.

Iris’s gaze landed on me.

In her ruby-like red eyes, I caught a brief glimmer of something.

“…I’ll keep that in mind.”

Maybe she thought it was fair since I gave her advice, so she gave me some in return.

Iris asked no further questions and left, leaving the door open behind her.

Watching her black hair flutter as she left, I exhaled.

“There’s still a long way to go.”

Isabel Luna’s suicide.

Nikita Cynthia’s elder dragon.

Iris Hyserion’s insomnia.

All of these are major problems that lead directly to a bad ending.

I have to find a way to solve them all.

I quickly opened the door and stepped out.

I can’t stay lying around any longer.

I need to start personal training for the upcoming mock battle.

I have to increase my stats, even if just a little, through repetition and mastery.

And on top of my steel skin, there’s more I need to prepare.

In order to ensure my future, I must achieve a high ranking in the mock battle.

I’ll prepare everything I can.

‘I won’t have much left of myself at this rate.’

Shaking off the lingering fatigue, I walked down the hallway.

The sun is setting, but I can’t rest just yet. I must replace the sun.