I’m a Second Male Lead in a Romance Fantasy, but I Don’t Like the Female Lead

“Let go of me!”

Cordelia tried her hardest to shake off my hand. But the thin arm of a noble lady couldn’t do much against my somewhat trained body. After struggling a few times, she turned sharply towards me.

“Who are you to interfere in this matter?”
“Lady Deneb, this is in front of His Highness the Crown Prince. Maintain your dignity.”

I tightened my grip on her wrist. I moderated my strength appropriately so as not to leave marks.

“Eek! Alright, so let go of me!”

Cordelia tried a few more times, but naturally, all her attempts were in vain. Eventually, she snorted as if her anger hadn’t subsided and lowered her raised arm. I also released my grip.

How should I handle this situation? It’s troublesome because my body moved first at the sound of Hestia’s scream, without thinking about the consequences. There was probably also a bodily reaction hoping Lily wouldn’t get hurt. What male lead would just watch the female lead get slapped?

Wilhelm… I don’t know what he’s thinking. Why did he just stand there?

“Lady Cordelia, please calm down first.”

Hestia, who had been watching from behind, took a step forward.

“Hestia? Why are you here…”
“Hestia is also an enrollee, of course. Is there any reason she shouldn’t attend?”

Cordelia’s eyes widened like saucers at my answer.

“Then you’re that ill-mannered mute?”

Harsh words spilled from Cordelia’s mouth. Ill-mannered mute? While it’s a fitting description for Mikhail, it’s not something to say to someone you’re meeting for the first time. Shouldn’t this woman’s mouth be sewn shut for her own and her family’s sake?

“What did you say?”
“Aaack! Cordelia! Quiet! Please be quiet!”

Hestia, startled, covered Cordelia’s mouth. I see. So she thought of me as an ill-mannered mute. Honestly, the “ill-mannered mute” they’re referring to isn’t even the current me, so I don’t really care. But when given such an opportunity, it’s human nature to want to get even somehow.

“Hestia, I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Yes…”

Honestly, I don’t think Hestia has anything to be sorry about, but she seems to think otherwise. Judging by the reactions of those around, it seems true that Mikhail was particularly cold to her.

“So, what’s going on here, Cordelia?”
“Wilhelm…!”
“There are many eyes watching. And I don’t think we’re intimate enough to address each other by name, do you?”

Wilhelm, who had been standing next to Lily with his hands behind his back, stepped forward. He glanced at me with a displeased look. What was this guy doing before deciding to step in now?

“Ugh. Your Highness the Crown Prince…”

Cordelia corrected her form of address. She gritted her teeth. She must have a lot of built-up resentment towards Wilhelm.

Her gaze towards him was cold. It doesn’t show even a hint of lingering attachment or love-hate that one might expect when looking at an ex-lover who cheated. It’s a look that says she genuinely wants to kill him. Were they originally on bad terms?

“Cordelia. I asked what this disgraceful behavior is in front of me.”
“But that woman first to me…”

Cordelia’s voice became meek in response to Wilhelm’s question. She seems to have finally cooled down a bit and realized the scene she’s made in front of so many people.

“Drop the excuses!”

Wilhelm let out a lion’s roar, cutting off Cordelia’s words. Goodness! Why is he suddenly shouting?

“Did you think you’d be unscathed after severely insulting another enrollee at the eve party and attempting to use violence?!”

Cordelia bowed her head, unable to retort to Wilhelm’s reprimand. It’s actually a wise choice since anything she might say now would only backfire.

From his position, his ex-lover, with whom he didn’t part on good terms, has picked a fight with the woman he’s currently interested in. He must be furious.

But come to think of it, is it right for him to be angry when he turned his eyes to another woman and unilaterally dumped her? Plus, he didn’t even do anything. He’s just the embodiment of hypocrisy.

“Lady Cordelia…”

Hestia looked at Cordelia with pity. They seem to be acquainted. Seeing that she’s making a request she’s never made to me before, they might be quite close. Considering neither Hestia nor Cordelia have ordinary personalities, such a friendship would be even more precious.

“I will absolutely block your enrollment. A student as violent and impulsive as you would greatly harm the academic atmosphere if admitted to the Academy.”
“Your Highness!”

Despair washed over Cordelia’s face at Wilhelm’s words. The Academy is a place every noble graduates from, so being unable to even enroll would be a heavy shackle binding her in her life.

But wait, can a Crown Prince, not even the Emperor, cancel the enrollment of a ducal daughter in the Imperial Academy? By what authority?

The eyes of the crowd surrounding Cordelia all turn towards her. Honestly, her enrollment isn’t my concern. I was actually feeling a bit of satisfaction seeing the downfall of a woman who tried to use violence against Lily.

“Your Highness the Crown Prince. Don’t you think it’s enough now?”

So I stepped in. I restrained the Crown Prince who was yelling at Cordelia.

I dislike how someone who sent me to this world, or this world itself, arbitrarily stirs my emotions. I acted contrary to where my heart was inclined.

Moreover, Hestia is on the verge of tears after hearing about Cordelia’s enrollment cancellation. I may not like Cordelia much, but I dislike seeing Hestia sad even more. I didn’t want to let it pass as someone else’s problem when it’s something I could prevent. And if not now, when else would I earn points with her?

“Mikhail. This is completely unrelated to you. I’m saying it’s not your place to interfere.”
“Your Highness. While her words and actions were harsh, she didn’t actually use violence.”
“Mikhail!”
“Cancellation of enrollment is an excessive measure.”

Wilhelm looked at me with eyes full of anger. Considering he glared at me earlier, it seems I’ve completely ruined whatever he was aiming for.

“I will not tolerate further disrespect. Step back.”

Wilhelm said, gritting his teeth. Cordelia was also gritting her teeth earlier; do they both want to wear dentures together when they get older?

My gaze and Wilhelm’s clash in mid-air. Neither side averts their eyes.

Let him do as he pleases. Surely this incident won’t affect me. At most, I’ll be scolded a bit by the Duke and Duchess. While everyone is accommodating the Crown Prince considering his authority, in principle, all Academy enrollees are equal. I don’t know how he plans to cancel Cordelia’s enrollment, but he can’t cut me off too when I haven’t done anything particularly wrong.

If, by any chance, my enrollment is canceled, I’ll just not attend. I decline to attend an Academy that would cut off two new students due to personal grudges. I’d feel very sorry for Hestia, but I plan to visit her diligently on weekends and apologize until she forgives me.

“Are you truly not going to step back?”
“Your Highness. I’m fine. You don’t need to cancel Lady Cordelia’s enrollment.”

Lily grabbed Wilhelm’s wrist as he was about to approach me, unable to contain his anger. He turned to look at Lily. They exchanged several glances.

“Hmm. Since the victim speaks thus, I’ll let this matter drop. But behave so that such incidents don’t recur. My mood is ruined. Let’s go.”

After finishing his eye exchange with Lily, as if they had telepathy, Wilhelm spat out a line like a final boss and left the auditorium. Lily followed him hurriedly.

What kind of protagonist says such a line? Is this the romance fantasy aesthetic? I vaguely knew about the popularity of tyrant characters, but this is just a middle-school-syndrome kid.

As Wilhelm and Lily disappeared, the gathered crowd began to disperse one by one. The fight was over. They will probably gather in small groups to gossip about what just happened.

Only those central to the commotion were left standing there. Me, Hestia, and Cordelia.

After standing in a daze for a moment, Cordelia seemed to come to her senses and shouted:

“Aargh! Those bastards, really!”

Actually, she doesn’t seem to have come to her senses at all. That she’d start by cursing Lily and Wilhelm in this situation. She’s more and more surprising the more I see her.

How on earth is she friends with Hestia? I’ve heard that people are attracted to their opposites, but does it apply even to such extreme cases?

“Um, thank you. For helping. I’m Cordelia von Deneb.”

After hurling several curses into the air, Cordelia greeted me, seemingly having vented all her anger. She’s a woman with completely chaotic priorities.

“Pleased to meet you. Your first impression was quite remarkable. I’m the ill-mannered mute.”

I teased her with the words she had directed at me earlier. She seems to be flustered, aware of her embarrassment.

“That was—!”
“I’m joking. I’m Mikhail von Sirius.”
“I’m sorry. That was a slip of the tongue earlier, please forget it.”

At least she knows how to apologize. She may be hot-tempered and have anger management issues, but she doesn’t seem to be completely lacking in manners.

“Lady Cordelia!”
“Hestia!”

As soon as my greeting with Cordelia ended, Hestia rushed to her.

“Lady Cordelia! How could you act so roughly? I’ve always told you. Lady Cordelia is too hasty, so think once more before taking any action…”

“Hestia. I’m reflecting on it, so stop nagging. Aren’t you happy to see me after so long?”

Cordelia gently stroked Hestia’s hair. Despite Hestia’s height not being particularly short, Cordelia was tall enough that Hestia could naturally fit into her embrace. About 170cm perhaps? They look like close sisters.

Cordelia’s hair was very red, aptly reflecting her fiery personality. It appears even redder in contrast to Hestia’s snow-white silver hair.

“So, could you explain what happened, Lady Deneb?”

I asked Cordelia for an explanation of the situation. It wasn’t a Pokémon battle; they couldn’t have started fighting just by making eye contact, so I wanted to know the whole story.

“Just Cordelia is fine. If you’re going to enroll in the Academy, aren’t we the same age?”
“No. I think Lady Deneb would be more comfortable.”

Although I stepped in due to the rebellion against my manipulated emotions and because of Hestia’s tears, I don’t particularly want to become friends with Cordelia.

This woman has an excessively fiery temper. Being near her would undoubtedly lead to tiresome situations. It’s more comfortable to keep a distance, treating her just as a friend of a friend.

So I decided to put up a wall.

“Hmm. Well, if that’s what you prefer, you can call me that. Then can I speak casually to you?”
“No.”
“Tsk. You’re picky.”

You were thinking of speaking casually to me in this situation? She’s more of an airhead than I thought. I need to make the wall even sturdier.

Of course, as the Crown Prince’s ex-fiancée, she’s pretty, but that doesn’t work on me with Hestia around. I have no intention of being swayed by a woman who doesn’t even have protagonist correction like Lily.

Cordelia clicked her tongue slightly and then began to explain the situation.

“It was when I was drinking alone.”
“Lady Cordelia! I told you to cut down on drinking!”
“Alright, I got it. How come you nag more than my mother?”

As soon as the topic of alcohol came up from Cordelia’s mouth, Hestia poured out a barrage of nagging. This is the first time I’ve seen her like this. She shows yet another side in front of her friend.

“Anyway, I was drinking alone when Lady Adamas approached me. Then she whispered in my ear, asking how it felt to have my fiancé stolen by a baroness’s daughter, sitting there sipping alcohol alone…”

“Wait. Lady Adamas did?”

I’m dumbfounded by Cordelia’s shocking statement. Lily threw the first punch?

Then all those bright, cheerful, and protagonist-like behaviors she showed in front of us were all lies?

“Yes. That fox-like girl said that to me. Stupid Wilhelm doesn’t know anything and is just dancing around her.”

While a more severe case of treason than mine flew out of Cordelia’s mouth, Hestia seems too shocked to point it out.

Certainly, if what she’s saying is true, it’s enough to make someone go berserk. She’s a complete fox. I heard that active and initiative-taking female protagonists are popular these days, but is that what they call active and initiative-taking behavior? Secretly provoking and then pretending to be the victim. Are such protagonists really popular? The world is truly going down the drain.

“That’s terrible. I didn’t think she was that kind of person, I misjudged her.”

Hestia is already burning with anger towards Lily.

I asked the two, who were chatting amicably, something I had been curious about.

“But why did Lady Adamas forgive Lady Deneb?”

Ever since I heard from Cordelia that Lily had thrown the first punch in this incident, it kept bothering me. If she had thrown the first punch, why would she want to increase the number of people who know about it?

“Isn’t it for image management?”
“No, Hestia. If it was for image management, she would have prevented us from being with Lady Deneb.”

If it was for her kind image, there’s no need to go through such a complicated process. To trash Cordelia’s image, she shouldn’t leave us beside her either. Since we now know all the circumstances, we would actively go around explaining.

For Lily, the best outcome would be for Cordelia to have her enrollment canceled and not be entangled with her any further.

There’s no reason to leave her. This situation seems as if she wants us to know about her.

“Maybe she just wasn’t thinking at all?”

Cordelia gave her introduction. Not thinking at all? Just a moment ago, she was cursing her as a fox-like girl, but now she seems to have forgotten.

She then began to chat happily with Hestia.

But I spent the rest of the time thinking about various things. I’m not in the mood to focus on having fun.

Lily, who seems different on the inside than on the outside. She left Cordelia behind as if she wanted us to know about her.

And my body’s intense reaction towards her.

Thus, the eve party ended, giving me only more questions. Since coming to this world, the questions just keep piling up. I wish someone would give me a hint.