After Olivia’s hushed reminder, Gawain’s eyes instantly lit up with a bright gleam. He lifted his head in disbelief, gazing at the blue-haired girl crouched before him, radiating an icy aura.

The gentle words still echoed in the Hero’s ears—a stark contrast to the girl’s solemn expression now. For a fleeting moment, Gawain wondered if he’d hallucinated it all, desperate as he was for someone to believe him.

But… no. That whisper was real. It had happened.

Because…

Sensing Gawain’s lingering hesitation, the girl slowly rose to her feet, a trace of gravity flashing in her eyes.

Arms crossed, she glared coldly at Gawain—yet in a spot no one would notice, her translucent white-stockinged foot began rubbing against his calf.

*Rustle… rustle.*

The sensation seeped through his clothes, sending tingles across his skin. But that blatant hint also revealed the urgency beneath her icy facade.

*Right. Not a hallucination. Not a fantasy. This blue-haired senior… who didn’t even know me before… truly believes in me?*

*So…*

*Her earlier barrage of scolding wasn’t her true intent? Just an act… to save me?*

Of course. Even if she believed him now, openly taking his side would be reckless. Yet every word Olivia had spoken was a hidden signal: *Fight back. Defend yourself. Speak up—and I’ll help you.*

Gawain took a deep breath, mind racing. *A trap? No… If they wanted to frame me, why give me a chance to argue?*

*Then… why is she helping me? She’s… so kind…*

The Foolish Hero’s numb, despairing heart stirred anew as he stared at this ice-cold angel before him. His fists tightened. His fighting spirit reignited.

*Well… being trusted… feels good.*

*For Olivia, a stranger. For myself. Stand up. Play this act through with her!!*

…

*Ugh! This blockhead Gawain!* Olivia fumed inwardly. *How many hints have I dropped? Even whispered it plainly! Is he made of wood?!*

While he was busy getting healed, she was burning with impatience. The blue-haired loli stomped her white-stockinged foot squarely onto Gawain’s leg—not as a reminder, purely out of frustration. *Damn it, meow~!*

If not for the risk of an awkward scene, she’d have aimed straight for his groin to knock some sense into this wooden dummy.

Luckily, her tiny movement escaped Caius’s notice. Seeing Olivia’s earlier scolding, he’d naturally assumed her whisper was some vicious insult. Delighted, he waited eagerly for the drama’s climax. When silence stretched, he couldn’t resist fanning the flames:

“Bravo, senior! Perfectly said~! Scum like Gawain deserve every word!”

Caius’s voice jolted Olivia back to reality. She hastily withdrew her foot, cleared her throat twice, and turned to Gawain on the ground with a resigned sigh.

“You…”

“No need to say more, senior!” Gawain chuckled lightly. He pushed himself up—disheveled but radiating a resolve worlds apart from moments ago. *I won’t waste her effort.*

He turned sharply to Natasha, voice firm and righteous:

“My apologies, Miss Natasha. I stayed silent earlier due to other matters. But I must clarify this now: I did *not* steal your underwear!”

“Oh~?”

Olivia’s lips curled into a knowing smile. She arched a brow, suppressing her relief as she maintained her poker face and sneered:

“If you didn’t steal it, why was it in your bag?”

“I don’t know! But senior—during Natasha’s swimming class, I wasn’t even in the classroom! By the time they pulled her underwear from my bag, I hadn’t touched it once. How could I have stolen and hidden it?”

Gawain’s mind raced. He had no definitive proof of innocence—but why should the accused *prove* their innocence?

He just needed to muddy the waters. Complicate the narrative. Break Caius’s one-sided control. Stalemate was better than surrender.

*Yes. Exactly!*

Olivia gave a satisfied nod. *So the Hero isn’t a complete fool after all. He’s finally fighting back.*

The blue-haired senior feigned skepticism, raising her voice:

“Oh~? So you’re claiming someone *else* stole it, planted it in your bag, and framed you?”

“Exactly!”

Gawain nodded firmly. Natasha covered her mouth, rushing to Olivia’s side with nervous urgency:

“What’s happening, An-chan? Could Gawain-kun really be framed?”

Olivia nearly facepalmed inwardly. *Miss Natasha… so gullible. Believing every word… Though this time you’re right, one-sided claims aren’t enough for proof.*

Still, Natasha’s doubt shifted the atmosphere. Whispers rippled through the crowd—many questioning their hasty judgment, eyes now locking onto Caius’s group. *After all, they were the loudest accusers.*

Predictably, Caius couldn’t stay seated after Gawain’s defense. His face darkened as he stormed forward, grabbing Olivia’s sleeve and shouting:

“Senior Olivia! Don’t listen to his lies!”

“Hmph~?”

Olivia’s cold smirk sent a chill down Caius’s spine. She tilted her head, a flicker of disgust hidden in her eyes. Her voice turned razor-sharp, each word deliberate:

“Junior Caius… you seem *awfully* invested in this case. Don’t you?”