Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Though, But Also, You Can’t Hold Grudges Like This
“Listen up! Violette’s simp went and harassed her again!”
“Ugh, so disgusting.”
In the student council room, several girls in school uniforms gathered to chat.
White stockings and the skin peeking out from under their skirts showcased the charm of youth.
“Senior, you think he’s going too far too, right?”
Everyone’s gaze turned to the center of the room, where Student Council President Adelina Claude sat.
Her rose-tea colored hair that reached her waist swayed gently with her movements, and her blue-gray eyes looked up warmly.
She sat elegantly in her chair, the white uniform skirt falling gracefully.
“Miss Violette from St. Andrews Academy? I don’t know much about off-campus matters.”
Sunlight streaming through the glass window bathed her in light, casting her delicate features in a dreamlike glow.
She took a sip of black tea, her pale pink lips gently touching the cup’s rim.
“However,” she set down the teacup, a gentle smile gracing her lips, “everyone has their own circumstances, don’t they?”
“As expected of Lady Adelina, you’re gentle even toward someone like that.”
“Why don’t we just have him chase Lady Adelina instead? That’d be way better than chasing Violette.”
“What nonsense! Lady Adelina can’t be defiled by someone like that.”
The student council room filled with laughter again.
As the bell chimed, everyone said their goodbyes and left.
Adelina neatly arranged everything on her desk, locked the office door, and walked through the academic building carrying her handbag.
A familiar figure appeared in the corner—a man with a straight posture standing in front of a poster, though she couldn’t see what he was doing.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“Of course not. No matter how long I wait, I’m happy, since I’m waiting for Miss Adelina.”
Philin’s face broke into a standard toothy smile.
This smile was the result of practicing in front of a mirror no fewer than a thousand times at night.
It definitely wouldn’t come across as greasy or fake.
“What are you looking at?”
Adelina moved closer to Philin’s side, looking at the wall.
A poster of Seiva’s campus beauty rankings that someone had put up hung there.
The most famous figures from St. Andrews Academy and Lanchester Academy appeared prominently in first place.
“First place is me and… Violette?”
Actually, you’re second place. Violette currently has one more vote than you.
Of course, Philin didn’t say this out loud.
“I’m one vote behind Violette? I’m below her???”
Adelina’s voice remained gentle, but Philin felt the temperature around them suddenly drop.
She turned around gracefully, a perfect smile on her face, but Philin saw Adelina’s fingers gripping her skirt tightly, her knuckles white.
“Philin, do you think this ranking is reasonable?”
“Well… this is just students voting randomly…”
“This vote—you didn’t just vote for her, did you?”
Philin didn’t understand.
Why did this gentle, lovely beauty in front of him make his back feel cold when she spoke in such a coquettish tone?
“Of course not. I voted for Miss Adelina. Not only did I vote, but I got everyone in my family who could move to vote too.”
“Your whole family is just you now.”
“True enough.”
Adelina Claude.
Student council president, exemplary student representative, ranked first on Lanchester Academy’s “Most Wanted Girlfriend” list.
If anyone could embody gentleness and perfection to the extreme, it would definitely be Adelina.
She prepared hot tea for everyone after club activities and organized tutoring sessions for underclassmen during exam season.
Moreover, Adelina, born into a prestigious family, had been intensively trained from childhood with countless famous teachers, giving her absolute confidence in herself.
No matter what she participated in, she was always ranked first.
Clients hired Philin for all sorts of strange reasons.
But no one was more ridiculous than Adelina.
When she was six, she hadn’t retained her position as class president in kindergarten.
Her first failure in life, and her only failure to date.
Adelina still remembered that scene—a new pink-haired transfer student who was unusually popular.
When the two of them tied in votes, the last student to vote chose the pink-haired girl instead of her.
She lost.
Adelina, who had never known defeat, still couldn’t swallow this humiliation even after more than ten years. So she hired Philin to play the role of that last student who voted.
Adelina had Philin whisper in her ear constantly about how he loved her now and deeply regretted his choice back then.
This was to prove that Adelina’s only life blemish was caused by his poor judgment, not her own fault.
What a tragedy.
He’d gotten another regret script, and for such a ridiculous reason.
Philin only remembered that in kindergarten, he loved pinching female classmates’ faces. Being class president wouldn’t let him pinch more faces, so what was the point?
“It’s not that I care about rankings in such trivial matters. I just think—how could I possibly be below Violette?”
Philin looked at the girl in front of him, guessing she was probably angry.
This was his first time seeing someone whose lips actually pouted when angry.
“Do you think so too?”
“Of course not. Lady Adelina is first in my heart.”
“Then why did you choose Violette back then?”
“I’m sorry, Lady Adelina. I was blind then and didn’t notice that the best person in the world was right beside me. I really regret it now.”
Philin hung his head, biting his lip, tears glistening in his eyes, his expression somewhat panicked.
The tears were fake, but the panic was real.
Until three days ago, when Adelina had let slip while drunk that the pink-haired girl who stole her class presidency was Violette.
Why, in all of Seiva, did you two have to have a grudge?
If he’d known his clients’ social circles overlapped, Philin would never have taken the job.
He was now like a famous double agent, standing at the door with chicken soup, waiting to go in.
Fortunately, Violette’s contract had ended smoothly without any problems.
If Adelina found out, she’d definitely think he was using her money to chase Violette.
Philin’s eyelashes trembled slightly. Just imagining such consequences made him feel terrified.
Adelina saw Philin’s face overlapping with the memory of that little boy.
That annoying brat who voted for Violette in the end—that was young Philin.
Though Adelina and Philin weren’t close and had never even spoken, she would never forget that heartbreak.
She was definitely going to make Philin pay!
“Do you really regret it?”
“Of course. I regret that moment every single second.”
“Liar.”
Adelina said softly.
She realized Philin didn’t remember anything from childhood, making it seem like she was the only one who cared about this revenge.
Which was indeed the case.
Adelina turned her head, her rose-tea colored hair drawing a beautiful arc.
Damn!
Philin saw the disappointment in Adelina’s eyes. Who knew what she might make him do when she was in a bad mood.
He immediately stepped forward, dropped to one knee, and looked up at Adelina.
“Adelina, I don’t like Violette anymore. I finally understand—it’s always been you in my heart.”
Zero-frame startup, aggressive confession.
“Wh…?”
Adelina often had Philin act out such scenarios, but this was the first time he’d called out Violette’s name in front of her.
This incredibly real sense of satisfaction was somewhat addictive.
Like wearing a down jacket in summer for four hours, then suddenly seeing a shower and unlimited ice cream.
“Please give me another chance,” Philin gently kissed the back of Adelina’s hand and whispered, “Just let me stay by your side—that’s enough.”
Adelina felt her whole body shiver, the hair on her arms standing up, her heartbeat growing louder and louder, almost bursting from her chest.
Adelina gritted her teeth, trying to control her expression—at least she couldn’t lose composure in front of Philin—but didn’t notice her ears were already turning red.
She snorted coldly, pulled her hand away, and quickly walked out of campus.
Philin hurried to catch up, pulling out a poster from his jacket.
“What?”
On the poster, Adelina’s name was circled with a big circle.
Next to the circle was written “World’s Number One Beauty.”
“In my heart, you’re number one in the world.” Philin stared into Adelina’s eyes, completely serious.
“Wh…”
So that’s what Philin had been doing at the poster.
A blush crept up the girl’s cheeks. She snatched the poster away and folded it without even looking.
“Childish!”
This idiot.
If only this wasn’t a paid performance, Adelina thought.
Looking down on his childhood self and choosing someone else. Only when he grew up and realized she was far superior to anyone else did he start regretting bitterly, washing his face with tears.
Hehe!
What a power fantasy plot.
Adelina skipped twice, then patted her own face to calm down.
Such things couldn’t really happen, right? After all, how could the now-fallen noble Philin have any connection to Violette?