The World Is Mine For The Taking

"You don't have to worry about that," I said, keeping my voice steady and calm. "And Nia didn't look like she was bothered either. If anything, she might see this as Princess Myrcella's way of saying, 'No hard feelings, no matter who wins.' Sure, it's possible the Princess is trying to provoke her, but I seriously doubt it."

"Well, that's a relief, I guess. I'm glad for that."

Johanne's lips curled into one of those infuriatingly perfect smiles, the kind that seemed to glimmer in the light and was so goddamn charming it had me blushing. Yeah, blushing. It was insane how good-looking Johanne was, even when I knew—knew—she was a woman under all that. My mind wandered for a second, picturing her as her true self. Would those chiseled features soften? Would her smile still be this disarming? Most likely, yeah.

"Now I get why those two princesses fell for you, Leon," she said, her voice warm. "You're a good guy."

"I don't really feel like one, though," I replied, my tone dropping.

It wasn't just a passing thought; it was a fact. People loved to paint the world in black and white, but reality was messy, full of grays. Hell, most of the time, I felt like I was barely scratching the surface of being decent.

"Not to change the subject, but…" Johanne's voice softened. "I'm getting married in spring."

That didn't exactly shock me. In this world, people married young—sometimes as early as 18. Once you awakened your unique skill, you were considered an adult, so tying the knot at 19 wasn't unusual at all.

"Oh, it's that fiancée of yours, Triss, right?" I asked casually.

"Yeah," she said, her voice tinged with something I couldn't quite place.

Even though Johanne was biologically a woman, she had no idea. I hadn't told her either. Maybe she'd started to suspect, or maybe not. It wasn't like I had concrete proof, but knowing her father—the Sword Saint—it wouldn't surprise me if he'd messed with Johanne's gender from birth. A son, after all, was what he likely wanted.

"Are you okay with that?" I asked, my gaze narrowing. "If I remember right, you said your engagement was more about politics than love."

Her smile dimmed, just a fraction. "Well, Triss is beautiful," she admitted, her voice soft but steady. "I think I could come to love her, even if I don't have feelings for her now. Honestly, I don't think Triss has feelings for me either. If anything, she'd probably prefer I marry her brother."

I blinked. "She thinks you should marry her brother?"

Did she… know? Was Triss aware of Johanne's real gender?

"Yeah," Johanne said with a chuckle, shaking her head. "It's hilarious, actually. Every time she tries to push us together, she gets this ridiculous nosebleed."

Nope. Triss definitely didn't know the truth. But holy shit, she was clearly a fujoshi through and through. It was bizarre to think fujoshis existed here, too. Where the hell did she even pick that up? There weren't any BL mangas or novels in this world. No doujins, no nothing. And yet, here she was, bleeding from the nose at the thought of two guys together. Unreal.

Well, this world sure had a knack for dropping lessons on me every day, whether I wanted them or not.

"Anyway," Johanne began, her voice carrying that measured calm she always had, "Triss is a good woman. Smart, lovely… honestly, I'd really like her as a friend at the very least. But, well... having her as my wife... I think I'd be fine with that too. I don't see any reason to oppose it, and she doesn't seem like she'd oppose it either."

"Maybe you two are secretly in love with each other and just don't realize it yet?" I teased, letting a smirk slip onto my face.

"Maybe," she admitted with a slight shrug, her tone almost dismissive. "But right now, I don't think that's it. I mean, I don't feel anything romantic for her. It's just… I want her to be my friend, you know?"

I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Given Johanne's biology, it made sense that she might not easily fall for another woman, even if her body was male now. I'd assumed that being in a man's body would change things, make it easier for her to develop feelings for women, but it seemed I'd underestimated how much her inner identity as a woman still defined her. That probably explained why, despite growing up side by side with Princess Myrcella, she hadn't developed feelings for her either.

"Here we are," Johanne announced, snapping me out of my thoughts as we reached the gymnasium.

"It's packed," I muttered, scanning the sheer mass of bodies crammed into the space.

"It's an election," she said, matter-of-factly. "And a heated one at that, with two strong contenders for the presidency. Of course, it's packed."

"Can we even get inside?" Find more to read at empire

"We'll just have to push our way through."

What followed was nothing short of torture. Navigating through a suffocating wall of bodies was like trying to swim against a raging tide. Sweat clung to the air, thick and sour, as if the entire gym was a breeding ground for BO. By the time we made it inside, I was about ready to bolt, my patience hanging on by a thread.

"God, it smells like someone's been marinating in their own filth for days," I grumbled, nose wrinkling in disgust.

Johanne chuckled, the sound low and almost teasing. "It's not great, but we're here now."

The gym buzzed with restless energy, voices overlapping in a chaotic hum. There were still about 10 or 15 minutes before the election would start, and the crowd was already fidgeting, their impatience palpable.

"Can we just start voting already?" someone groaned nearby, the frustration dripping from their tone.

"Not yet," another voice replied with a huff. "We have to wait for the current student council to make their entrance, and then the candidates have to give their speeches again."

"Ugh, seriously? I'm so sick of hearing those speeches. They've been repeating the same crap for weeks now."

"I just wanna know who's gonna win…"

The atmosphere was thick with tension, the kind that made the air feel heavier with every passing second.

"It's getting intense in here, huh?" Johanne said, glancing at me with a raised brow.

"Yeah," I replied.

You'd have to be blind not to feel it. Today wasn't just about picking a new student council president—it was about shaping the academy's future, and everyone here knew it.

"Wait," someone behind me spoke up, their voice laced with genuine curiosity. "We're just voting for the president today, right? How do they choose the representatives?"

"You don't know how that works?" another voice snapped back, exasperated. "The president gets to pick the representatives and council members. Everyone knows that."

"Oh… So, do you think Princess Titania will pick, you know, that guy?"

'That guy.' There wasn't much doubt about who they were referring to.

"Well, it's possible," came the response, a little too smug for my liking. "I mean, he is her boyfriend. If I were president, I'd definitely pick my girlfriend."

"Isn't that… kind of bad, though? I mean, that guy's weak, right? No abilities, no nothing. What's the point of having him on the council?"

"Right? I wish I'd hooked up with someone running for president. Then I could've secured an easy spot on the council too."

"Well, that just proves it's better to vote for Princess Myrcella. She wouldn't be biased, right? I bet she'd pick someone like Johanne. I mean, come on—Johanne's the son of the Sword Saint."

Thankfully, I had zero interest in being on the council. It honestly sounded like a massive pain in the ass, and I didn't want any part of it.

Out of nowhere, Johanne turned her attention toward the guy who'd been running his mouth. Before I could process what was happening, she grabbed him by the collar and yanked him close.

"What did you just say?"

"H-Huh?" The guy looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"You heard me. What did you say about Leon? Repeat it. Right here, right to my face." Her glare could've burned holes through steel, and even though I knew Johanne, it still sent a chill down my spine.

She didn't just look terrifying—she was terrifying. Even if Johanne was a woman inside, her current body was that of a tall, broad-shouldered man. It gave her an edge, and right now, she was using it to her full advantage, lifting the guy off the ground like he weighed nothing.

"I-I'm sorry…! I didn't know you two were here!" he stammered, his voice cracking. "I was just… just saying my opinion, that's all! Honest!"

To be fair, the guy was just saying his opinion. Sure, it wasn't flattering, but it wasn't like he'd threatened me or anything. Still, something in Johanne had snapped, and she wasn't letting it slide.

I stepped in, trying to defuse the situation. "It's fine, Johanne. Really, it's not that big of a deal," I said, keeping my tone calm. "Like he said, it's just his opinion."

"But it's still wrong," she hissed, her grip tightening on the guy's collar. "I won't stand by while someone badmouths a friend of mine behind their back."

Friend? Hearing her call me that made my cheeks heat up a little, though I quickly shook it off.

"Even so," I said, keeping my voice steady, "I think it's better to let it go. It's not worth the trouble."

Johanne glanced around, finally noticing that we'd attracted a crowd. Dozens of eyes were locked on us, whispering among themselves. Slowly, she lowered the guy back to the ground. He stumbled as his feet touched down, coughing and gasping for air.

"If you say so…" Johanne muttered, her tone reluctant.

I still didn't fully understand why she'd reacted so strongly, but I couldn't deny that it was kind of touching. She'd stood up for me without hesitation, even going so far as to lift a guy off the ground just to shut him up.

"Thank you," I said, meeting her eyes. "For sticking up for me."

Her face flushed instantly. It was such a strange sight—a masculine face tinged with a soft, feminine blush. Somehow, it was both odd and endearing at the same time.

"N-No worries," she stammered, her voice faltering slightly.