A night passed...

Nothing happened!

At six in the morning, Olivia was gently shaken awake by Gawain, still half-asleep.

After a yawn, the blue-haired loli lifted her head, blinking in confusion at Gawain beside her—dark circles heavy under his eyes.

"Huh... Where am I? Wait... Holy crap! You really didn’t sleep all night?"

The girl clicked her tongue, marveling at the male lead’s panda eyes. Another yawn escaped her. Sleepiness made Olivia irritable and sluggish, her mind foggy as she listened to Gawain clear his throat twice before whispering in her ear:

"*Cough cough*... I had to protect your reputation, senior. I kept watch the whole time. Rooney never woke up. Don’t worry..."

"Mmm~ Then why wake me? Ugh~ So sleepy... Don’t bother me. I wanna sleep more."

She nuzzled the pillow beneath her. This bed felt strangely comforting. Last night she’d...

Wait. This wasn’t her bed.

*Hss—*

Olivia jolted upright, turning to Gawain with wide eyes. "When did I fall asleep last night?"

"Right after you told me not to look... just minutes later. *Cough* Senior, we can’t delay. Rooney’s still out cold, the gates are open—let me walk you home now!"

Seeing her still drowsy, Gawain urged her on. But Olivia was stuck on his first sentence.

"M-minutes? Why...? The sheets reek of guy smell. We were crammed together in some awkward pose. I wasn’t even that tired..."

The blue-haired loli muttered to herself, utterly baffled. Gawain shot two anxious glances at Rooney before turning back.

"S-senior? We really have to go. Rooney might wake up any second—"

"Ugh, stop rushing me! F-fine... I know..." Olivia snapped back to attention, cheeks flushing. Her voice turned sharp with frustration. She raked her fingers through her hair. "You expect me to run through the streets at dawn in this nightgown? Find me something to cover up first! Ugh..."

"Oh! Right, right!"

Gawain scrambled off the bed, obediently grabbing a shirt and pants from his wardrobe—both sized for his 190cm frame. He handed them over under the girl’s skeptical stare.

"...Seriously? Nothing smaller? These are way too big!"

Olivia ignored the drifting comments, clutching the oversized shirt helplessly. Gawain shrugged, bear-like. "But... senior, I only have my own clothes..."

"Ugh, fine! Whatever. Forget the pants—one shirt covers everything anyway."

She pulled on the shirt, then slipped quietly off the bed. Patting the male lead’s head, she ordered: "Let’s go!"

Now Olivia was the impatient one. They crept out of the dorm unnoticed—most students still dead to the world at this hour. The path to the school gate stayed clear.

Just steps from the exit, the girl halted. She turned to Gawain, exhaustion etched on his face, and sighed.

"Lucky it’s a rest day. I’ll go home to sleep. You should too—don’t push yourself..."

"It’s fine, senior. This is my duty... It’s all my fault. This mess scared you, probably worried your family too. I’m sorry. I never meant to trouble you. I just... wanted to help."

Gawain’s head dipped lower with each self-reproach. His words stabbed Olivia like knives—*she* was the victim, yet his guilt hurt more. After a long pause, she snapped her head up.

"Enough! Stop it... Gawain, you idiot! Why blame only yourself? I’m at fault too—I didn’t explain my plans clearly. Natasha rushed things. Honestly? I don’t care about the trouble. You wouldn’t dare cause real trouble anyway..."

Her outburst faded into a bitter smile. She met his stunned gaze, voice turning icy.

"And... are you *too* focused on me? We barely know each other. Gawain, you should worry about yourself first. What about Caius? Those three girls... are you abandoning them?"

...

Silence stretched. Finally, Gawain gave a slow, heavy nod. He bowed deeply to Olivia.

"My apologies, senior... Truth is, I sought you out these past days because... that day in the auditorium, you were the only one who helped me. I wanted to repay your kindness. But... if you don’t want my interference, I won’t trouble you again. You’re right—I have important duties. Still... thank you, senior. Goodbye."

He turned and walked away, his figure fading down the empty street.

Olivia stood at the gate, inhaling deeply—but the breath had nowhere to go.

*So that’s it... He just wanted to thank me.*

Had her cruel words worked? Probably.

This would keep her from entangling with the protagonist’s plotline. Gawain could focus on fighting Caius. Slim as his chances were, if she kept snatching Hanchong Grass and such... maybe he could win.

The world was cruel to Gawain. Olivia wanted him to care for himself—not waste energy on a villainess side character like her. How else could he save those three heroines?

She had no answers for him.

But...

Why did her chest ache? Remembering Gawain’s defeated eyes at parting, the thought of losing all ties to that familiar male lead... left her hollow.

Was pushing him away really right?

...

*Ugh. Screw it. Get stronger first!*

Olivia clenched her resolve. *Yes. I need power!*

In this swords and sorcery world, strength was everything. As a nobody student, she feared plotlines and heartbreak.

But if she grew strong enough? She could spar with Gawain daily—or even drag Caius off to turn him into a blond pretty girl for Gawain to ride. No problem at all!

...

Now, how to get stronger?