This Novel is not my Novel

"W-We ended up buying way too many snacks─?!"

"I know, right? If only there were a teenager here who could help us eat them, that would be great, wouldn't it??"

What was with this awkward, artificial dialogue?

The unstable emotions that had been shaking me just moments ago calmed down, or rather, sank into bewilderment. I was so dumbfounded that I stopped in my tracks, and that's when I heard the door close behind me.

Professor Radvisin had closed the door from inside without coming out of his private room.

'Is he telling me to talk with the research students?'

I let out a deep sigh, then looked up at the two research students.

When they had suddenly disappeared earlier, I assumed they were uncomfortable being around me. But now it seemed there had been another reason.

"Senior, I told you I didn't think this was a good idea, didn't I?"

"When did you say that?! You said you thought it was a good idea too, didn't you?"

"I agreed with the idea of apologizing with snacks."

They seemed to be trying to lower their voices, but not enough that I couldn't hear them.

This transmigrated body would be turning eighteen in just a few days. I wondered if I should tell them I was long past the age of being appeased with mere snacks, but decided against it, worried they might ask whether I was still upset.

"Um, so... your name was Karvaldr... right...?"

"You can speak comfortably."

If this were the real Karvaldr, he would have let the doctoral research student, who was clearly at least seven years older than him, use honorific speech. He would have spoken informally in return.

'But it would be too authoritarian to start speaking informally now after using formal speech before my identity was revealed, right? Letting a research student use honorific speech with me is just as bad.'

Besides, if I was going to receive Professor Radvisin's help, I would be seeing these research students often.

Not only that, they could have simply apologized with words, yet they were kind and polite enough to go out of their way to prepare a gift. As such, they would definitely, not maybe, try to help improve this body's image.

In many ways, it would benefit me to maintain a good relationship with them.

Besides that...

'They seem like decent people. I don't know their names yet, but they don't seem to be characters from the original novel either.'

None of the original characters were part of Valhalla Academy's research student program. The appearances of these research students didn't remind me of the descriptions of any important characters either.

Given the nature of this world, there was no guarantee they wouldn't die, but at the very least, their deaths weren't set in stone. And as research students, they were unlikely to throw themselves into dangerous battles.

In that case, it should be fine to become friendly with them.

"I'm sorry. I think we misunderstood you based on rumors alone. We bought some snacks as a way of apologizing. Will you accept them?"

There was no reason to refuse.

The only issue was that there was too much to accept all at once. How could I possibly carry everything the two of them were holding back to my dormitory room by myself?

So I took two pieces of bread from the doctoral research student and two bags of snacks from the master's research student.

"Thank you for even giving me a gift like this..."

"Why don't you take more?"

"If I take any more than this, I think I'll keep dropping them on the way to the dormitory. Besides, I'm planning to come here again tomorrow anyway, so I'd like to eat the rest with you seniors then."

If handled poorly, this could create the misunderstanding that 'Karvaldr is a young master from a rich family who wouldn't touch mass-produced goods like these, so he's only pretending to accept a few.'

No, that wasn't it, was it?

The original Karvaldr would have undoubtedly thrown the snacks he accepted into a trash can. Or he might have gotten angry to their faces and asked if they were seriously giving him this crap to eat.

That's why I deliberately added the words, 'I'd like to eat the rest with you seniors tomorrow.'

Saying that would prevent misunderstandings while also conveying that I wanted to stay on friendly terms with them in the future, killing two birds with one stone.

Perhaps because she liked my answer, the doctoral research student smiled brightly.

"I knew rumors couldn't be trusted! They said you were arrogant and abrasive, but you're actually pretty friendly, aren't you?"

Rumors are generally unreliable, but the ones about this transmigrated body's personality happened to be true.

It felt awkward to either deny or confirm the rumors. Agreeing with my own mouth that I was friendly felt even stranger.

So instead of answering, I was about to gloss over it with an awkward smile when...

"But aside from the personality thing, is that other rumor true? The one about you bullying another student?"

The master's research student asked, his expression turning slightly wary.

Was he asking because the fact that Karvaldr bullied someone last semester genuinely bothered him? Or was he jealous because the senior he liked was being nice to me?

I didn't know which it was, but it was a matter that would need to be addressed eventually anyway.

I was about to speak, but the doctoral research student beat me to it.

"Why are you suddenly bringing that up?!"

"We're probably going to see each other often, so wouldn't it be better to clear this up now? Besides, on the way to buy snacks, you said you were concerned about it too, Senior."

"That's true, but if there's something wrong with his conduct, the professor will surely address it. Let's not make him uncomfortable by pressuring him."

"I wasn't trying to make him uncomfortable. If Karvaldr is actually a good kid, then maybe the person he bullied was the bad one? Or maybe that person did something terrible to him? That's what I was going to ask."

"I don't think that's it..."

It didn't seem that way to me either.

I completely agreed with the doctoral research student's comment. While thinking that inwardly, I decided to respond to the master's research student's excuse-like words without revealing my true thoughts.

"I was the one who bullied him one-sidedly. He did nothing wrong; in fact, he's an upright and good person."

It was something that could be discovered with a little investigation, so lying would have been pointless. I also didn't want to shift the blame onto the victim, Reisir, by making things up.

Startled by my completely honest answer, the two research students flinched and stared at me with trembling eyes.

Both of them wore expressions that showed they didn't know how to react to my words.

"I have sincerely reflected on it and already apologized to that student. As for my fiancée, I can't break off the engagement immediately, so for now we're keeping our distance. I thought it would be better to talk after I've shown that I've changed."

"You're planning to break off the engagement?! Weren't you madly in love with her? I heard your obsession was no joke??"

The doctoral research student was the one who reacted most strongly.

Even though she acted indifferent, she too must have been very interested in the rumors surrounding this body.

"It wasn't that kind of affection. It's just that I..."

"You?"

"Um... it's nothing."

"What do you mean, it's nothing?!"

When I trailed off with an expression that practically screamed 'I'm a person with a tragic backstory' and fell silent, the doctoral research student reacted as if she were dying from frustration and curiosity.

No matter what, I couldn't possibly say, 'I think it was because I was so lonely.'

The doctoral research student was already treating me like a child. If I frankly confessed Karvaldr's original psychology, that treatment would only get worse.

"Anyway, I'll maintain the engagement only until she can establish a foundation to become independent from her family."

"Sounds like her situation is complicated too."

"Yes. We got engaged out of necessity; it's not like we had feelings for each other the way you two do."

"This kid, this kid...! What are you saying right now?! If you phrase it like that, it sounds like he and I like each other and are practically engaged! We're not like that, you know??"

I had deliberately mentioned the engagement and feelings together, making them sound separate yet connected.

In response, the doctoral research student's face turned red as she raised her voice.

It was probably true that they weren't engaged, but her claim that they didn't like each other was surely a lie.

"Our junior has a good eye~! Senior, since it's come to this, should we just go ahead and get engaged?"

"What are you talking about now?!"

'Our junior'? Just like that, after being so wary?

I guess he had simply been guarded earlier.

I quietly left the research students to their bickering, which was less an argument and more an affectionate display.

Now it seemed neither of them cared in the slightest about why Karvaldr had been obsessed with his fiancée. The master's research student's attitude toward me had also softened.

This was exactly the result I wanted.

"Anyway, it's good that you've reflected on it. You can't bully others again in the future, okay?"

The doctoral research student said, her face still flushed, putting on a mature and composed tone to admonish me.

She must have been embarrassed at the thought of having acted unseemly in front of her distant junior.

When I said I understood, satisfaction appeared on her face.

"Oh! Come to think of it, you still don't know our names, do you?"

"Actually, I've been curious for a while now."

"Then why didn't you ask sooner?"

"I was worried you'd misunderstand and think I was trying to find out your family backgrounds to harm you..."

As I said this, I lowered my gaze to the floor.

The act was deliberate, but the words themselves were not a lie. That really was why I couldn't ask.

An "Ah..." escaped both research students at the same time.

I could feel the solemn atmosphere settling over us.

When I cautiously raised my eyes again, both of their faces were colored with guilt.

I began to think that maybe I had a talent for acting.

"My name is Blida Miskunn. And this is Elska Vigreki."

The doctoral research student—no, Senior Blida—introduced both herself and her junior research student.

As expected, they were names I had never heard before.

Suppressing the urge to sigh in relief, I did my best to maintain a natural expression and tone as I replied.

"It seems you already know who I am, but allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Karvaldr of the Austri Family. Senior Blida, Senior Elska. I look forward to your kind cooperation."

"I look forward to it too~."

"Let's get along from now on."

I introduced myself politely and gave a deep bow.

In response, the two senior research students replied with pleased expressions.

A belated worry crossed my mind that my actions might have strayed too far from Karvaldr's character, but...

Looking into their eyes, which clearly showed goodwill, I didn't think my judgment had been wrong.

'Besides, no one knows how Karvaldr would act toward research students, right? He would have had no reason to interact with any of them last semester.'

Furthermore, since they were "close" research students and not just ordinary ones, this kind of attitude shouldn't arouse suspicion.

Especially once it became known that I was receiving help from their teacher, Professor Radvisin.