Vinny ignored the stares from the crowd as he swaggered up to the high platform.
Naturally, he picked a spot as far from Aesphyra as possible—way off in the corner, keeping his distance.
As for the gazes fixed on him? He didn’t care. They were overwhelming, sure, but he went with the flow.
What’s your problem? You stare at me, I’ll stare right back.
To minimize the attention, Vinny kept quiet in his little corner, doing his best to fade into the background.
But some people, no matter how hard they try, always stand out. Some because they’re dazzling. Some because they’re just too unusual.
Vinny didn’t belong to either category.
People weren’t gawking out of awe—they were here to judge.
The ones who’d seen Vinny before looked at him like they couldn’t believe he still had the nerve to show up, ridiculing him for having no self-awareness.
The ones who hadn’t seen him had at least heard of him—and they were eager to get a look at the royal capital’s infamous designated villain and clown.
Aesphyra, on the other hand, drew a completely different kind of attention.
Many were quietly marveling at how such a breathtaking girl could be so unfamiliar. Surely someone like her would be all over the noble scene?
Some remembered a silver-haired girl attending Princess Mirecia at the royal banquet just days ago, and figured she must be a noble too—a friend of Her Highness.
Still, not everyone had seen Aesphyra before.
Plenty of commoner students and lesser nobles hadn’t. So they assumed this fairy-like beauty might be a commoner herself. Someone they could actually talk to. Maybe even—if fate was generous—fall in love with.
And so, one after another, they approached her, eagerly introducing themselves.
Minor nobles proudly dropped their family names. Commoner students made sure to point out their humble backgrounds—subtly (not-so-subtly) suggesting that if Aesphyra didn’t already have a companion, they’d be more than happy to volunteer.
Vinny watched all this with dry amusement.
Guys, give it a rest. You don’t have the specs for this. Wrong build, wrong gender. Go home and wash up.
As expected, Aesphyra turned them all down with polite grace.
She smiled, bowed slightly, and said she’d be happy to get to know them after they entered the academy.
The message was clear: not now.
Those who got the hint laughed awkwardly and backed off.
But still, not everyone got the same treatment.
Most of the people who came up were boys. But a few girls came over too—looking for companionship or maybe just conversation.
To them, Aesphyra’s smile grew brighter, her tone more sincere.
To the boys, her politeness was...well, polite. Distant. Formulaic.
Not that it mattered much. Who knew who would even make it into the academy?
Her words were just placeholder promises. Vague maybe-we’ll-meet-agains. Polite nothings.
But with the girls... Vinny picked up on something different.
Aesphyra’s courtesy wasn’t just for show. There was a glimmer of actual interest—and the prettier the girl, the brighter that interest seemed to shine.
Yup. The protagonist’s passive trait had kicked in again. Virtue was, as always, guilty.
More than a few girls blushed under her smile, nodding like °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° dazed ducklings.
Because beauty—true, effortless beauty—draws people in, no matter their gender.
Men, women... it didn’t matter. Aesphyra was beautiful enough to capture anyone’s attention.
Vinny sighed, shaking his head.
Good looks. The one currency that works everywhere.
Suddenly—BOOM.
A series of deep, thunderous roars echoed through the air.
From the city gates, a majestic convoy of gold and silver carriages rolled in.
Vinny turned to look.
The creatures pulling the carriages weren’t ordinary horses.
They weren’t horses at all.
They were unicorns—pure white, like snow lotuses in full bloom, radiating pride and an air of untouchable grace.
Vinny’s eyes widened just a little.
In both of his lives, this was his first time seeing unicorns in person. Mythical spirit beasts that only existed in fairytales.
Said to possess incredible magical power—and even the ability to cast spells.
According to legend, unicorns are so proud they’ll only allow pure maidens to ride them.
Anyone else who tries? One solid kick and you’re eating dirt.
But this world—this yuri game world—tweaked the lore just a little more:
Only flawless, beautiful girls can earn a unicorn’s favor. Not just pure—aesthetic perfection was required.
Honestly, kind of on-brand for a yuri game. Even the unicorns were a little gay.
And this setting? Absolutely tailored for the protagonist.
In the original game, Aesphyra was famous for being the "Walking Unicorn Magnet."
Unicorns loved her. By the end of the story, even the unicorn queen fell for her.
It was just another trait of the “Queen of Myriad Charms.”
So seeing unicorns voluntarily pull a carriage to the academy? Not surprising.
The ordinary candidates nearby were completely stunned.
But as a mature, self-aware NPC, Vinny already knew what was coming.
He adjusted his pack and quietly inched further into the corner.
Not because he was trying to hide.
It was just—when the protagonist takes the stage, you step aside.
Let the heroine shine.
The unicorns landed gracefully in front of the platform, their hooves touching the stone with regal elegance.
One tossed its head, shaking out its mane in a very... dramatic way.
Honestly, it moved more like a noble lady than a beast.
Everyone held their breath.
No one here had ever seen a unicorn before.
Most of them never would again.
All eyes were on the majestic creature.
But Vinny knew the truth.
No matter how divine this unicorn seemed, next to Aesphyra? It might as well be invisible.
She was the real star of the show.
And just as he thought that—things went sideways.
The unicorn that had looked so graceful suddenly started thrashing wildly.
Its noble elegance vanished.
It twisted, kicked, and tried to break free from the reins.
The whole carriage began to shake.
The candidates jumped back in alarm.
A few brave ones stepped forward to try and calm the beast.
Too late.
BAM! The unicorn lashed out with a hind leg and launched a guy clean off the platform.
The poor bastard didn’t even get a chance to scream before he blacked out midair.
Vinny watched him fly, eyes tracking the direction.
Poor dude. Seems like this world’s still got it out for him.
...Just like it did back when he was the villain.
But Vinny had expected something like this.
He casually sidestepped—and the airborne body flew past him harmlessly.
Unscathed. Still calm.
Chaos breaking out around him.
How dare they?
Vinny found himself both amused and impressed.
Unicorns were notoriously prideful. No way they'd let anyone but a flawless beauty lay a hand on them.
He clearly remembered one game event—Winnie (his in-game counterpart), trying to tame a unicorn in public, hoping to steal the spotlight.
And the result?
Unicorn hooves slammed down on his head. Face-first into mud. Humiliation complete.
All for daring to pretend he had protagonist-level fate.
Vinny glanced at the chaos.
Should he try it?
...Nah. Bad idea.
The candidate who got kicked? Disqualified on the spot.
And now, no one dared move.
No one—
Except for one.
That beautiful figure with silver hair.