We kissed passionately, savoring each other’s taste, and a palpable tension began to build in the room when a knock on the door shattered the moment.
“I’ll go see who it is,” I announced.
“Sure,” Titania replied, her cheeks tinted with a blush.
I approached the door and swung it open to find Shredica standing there, her usual frown in place. Her gaze flickered to the two pairs of shoes lined up in the entryway. “Is someone else here?”
“Yeah,” I confirmed. “Titania is here.”
As soon as she heard her name, Titania eagerly revealed herself.
“Shreddy!” she exclaimed.
Shredica’s brows furrowed. “I’ve told you multiple times, don’t call me that,” she sighed, then turned to me. “You said you wanted to talk to me and that I should come here. What’s up?”
“Well, why don’t you come inside first? It’s not something we should discuss out here,” I suggested.
“Fine,” she agreed, stepping into my room. I shut the door behind her. Shredica made her way to the bed and sat down, Titania joining her. Since the bed wasn’t large enough for all of us, I remained standing. “Alright, spill it. I don’t have all day.”
“You sure are as impatient as ever,” I said. “Very well, I’ll fill you in.”
I proceeded to explain to her that I had just met Princess Myrcella and discussed the possibility of teaming up with her. I informed Shredica that Princess Myrcella had no interest in winning the King’s Game and only wished to achieve her own goal. Once she accomplished her objective, she would willingly step back from the competition, allowing Shredica to claim victory. I didn’t hold back any details, providing Shredica with Princess Myrcella’s reasoning and intentions. Throughout my explanation, Shredica remained silent, listening attentively. Occasionally, she sighed, likely due to Titania clinging to her like a parasite. Despite this, Titania’s behavior had a certain charm to it. Surprisingly, Shredica didn’t make any effort to push her away, indicating that her feelings toward Titania might be softening, despite her claims to the contrary. It was rather amusing to observe.
“It does sound like teaming up with the Princess would benefit me more,” she remarked after my explanation. “However, I don’t believe the Princess’s motives are solely about preventing her brother from winning the game. I suspect she’s planning something, plotting for the future. I have a feeling this princess is a cunning, manipulative snake.”
Titania nodded in agreement while still clinging to Shredica. “You’re spot on, Shreddy. That woman is cunning.”
I couldn’t help but agree with Shredica’s assessment of Princess Myrcella. All royals are born or molded to be cunning; it’s how they secure their thrones in this day and age. No one could maintain royalty without possessing a cunning mind. The only royal I’ve encountered who doesn’t seem to possess that trait is Titania. Unless her personality is merely a facade, and she’s adept at deceiving even me. If that’s the case, then Titania is quite the talented actor.
“But still,” I interjected, “teaming up with them would be more advantageous. How about we agree to it and consider it a short-term alliance?”
Shredica gazed at me for a moment, appearing to contemplate my suggestion, before responding, “I understand. Your proposal seems to be the more beneficial option. We’ll need plenty of allies to ensure our victory, after all. I have no intention of leaving this school.”
“Nor do I,” I affirmed.
Shredica had placed her own fate at the academy on the line, as well as mine, so losing was not an option for us. If we failed, we’d bid farewell to academy life forever, never to set foot here again. That’s why I was putting forth every ounce of effort. I couldn’t afford to fail. If Shredica hadn’t tied my future at the academy to the game, I wouldn’t have bothered putting in any effort. I wouldn’t even consider trying to win the game. But now, because of this, I was giving it my all.
“I don’t want to see you two leave the academy either,” Titania said earnestly. “So I’ll be praying that both of you emerge victorious!”
Shredica glanced at Titania, seemingly on the verge of saying something, but then she held her tongue. I couldn’t help but wonder what she had been about to say to her.
Setting that aside for now, it was time to address another matter.
“Miss Shredica,” I began.
“What?” Shredica turned her attention to me.
“Do you want Hereon on our team?” I inquired.
“I don’t particularly care for him. I just thought it would be strategic to have him on our team, increasing our chances of winning,” she explained.
Hereon’s potential addition to our team didn’t seem like a game-changer. In fact, I believed his presence might even disadvantage us. However, his unique skill set could prove invaluable. His skill, Speed Boost, was rather unusual but undeniably powerful. With his physique and strength, Hereon could potentially deliver a lethal blow with a single punch. While not a skill I’d personally desire, it was undoubtedly impressive.
“I think having him join us could be advantageous,” I suggested. “Let’s work on getting him to join our team.”
“Didn’t you mention that convincing him would be difficult?” Shredica questioned.
I grinned in response. “Well, I have a plan in mind.”
I observed Shredica carefully. They say that manipulating your crush is easier because they’d do anything to win your affection. It felt wrong to exploit their feelings like this, considering I’ve been manipulated in the past. But sometimes, it’s necessary.
“What’s your plan?” Shredica inquired.
Taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I finally spoke up. “Miss Shredica, I need you to persuade him to join our team,” I stated firmly.
***
Hereon’s POV
I was strolling back to the academy from a pub with my crew, chatting and enjoying ourselves. Suddenly, I halted in my tracks. Someone was tailing us, and they weren’t even bothering to hide their presence. Either they wanted me to notice them deliberately or they needed my attention for something important.
“Hey,” I called out. “I’m gonna hang back for a bit. You guys go ahead.”
“Hmm? What’s up, Hereon?”
“Nothing,” I replied.
“Well, alright then.”
The guys continued on without me. I watched them go for a moment before turning around to investigate the source of the presence.
As I approached, I immediately spotted her. The owner of the presence had hair so vibrant it was impossible not to take notice. Leaning against a tree with her arms folded across her chest, she wore a frown on her face. It was a girl from my class, Shredica.
I walked up to her and asked, “What do you want from me?”
She opened her eyes and met my gaze. “I’ll get straight to the point,” she declared. “I want you to team up with us.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “And why would I do that?”
“I want to increase our chances of success in this game,” she explained, determination shining in her eyes. “That’s why I want you on my side, fighting alongside me.”
I scoffed, “Do you really think I’d follow someone, let alone a skillle…” I paused, opting for a less harsh term. “Let alone a woman like you? Don’t play games with me.”
“I believe having us together would be advantageous for you,” she countered. “You can’t navigate this game alone. Sure, it’s typically a solo endeavor with only one winner, but there’s nothing prohibiting us from teaming up.”
“Then what? What happens if we’re the last ones standing? You think I’d give up my chance to win for you? Don’t kid yourself,” I asserted.
Since only one person could emerge victorious, forming a team seemed pointless.
“I think we can address that,” she proposed.
“How so?”
“It’s simple, really. We won’t have a clear winner if two of us are still standing. The King’s Game isn’t a team sport; it’s a last stand game,” she explained. “To determine a clear winner, there’s only one option if no one in the team is willing to give up their chance of winning and hand it to the other. We have to fight to see who comes out on top.”
That sounded like a solid plan. In the King’s Game, with a hundred participants, flying solo could only take you so far. The typical strategy was to lay low, then emerge when the competition dwindled. Many past winners followed this tactic and came out on top. Of course, there were other ways to increase your chances of winning, like forming alliances and collaborating until all other participants were eliminated. Then, those left in the team would battle it out to determine the ultimate victor.
Honestly, I was all for maximizing my chances of winning, and teaming up seemed like a surefire way to do just that. However, I couldn’t shake this strange feeling around that woman. For some reason, being near her stirred up emotions I couldn’t quite explain. Lately, I found myself drawn to her, my eyes constantly searching for her, even when she wasn’t around. If I got any closer to her, I feared I might start acting even weirder.
