A Strange Woman...

"Ahh... expelled from class again," Matthew muttered, raising his arms above his head with a lazy yet satisfying stretch.

Sigh...

"Come to think about it... Stacy... seemed pretty normal. She wasn't even scared of me or anything... did she forget I tried to kill her just yesterday?"

"Haah... whatever, I'll keep her alive for now," he furrowed his eyebrows.

With nothing else to do, he walked down the hall, hands in his pockets, until he found himself at the academy's garden.

"Woaah..."

The sight stopped him in his tracks, for a moment, all he could do was stare.

He never came here before, and the garden was much more beautiful than he had even expected it to be.

The garden was quite wide, with paths winding between rows of lush, blooming flowers in every color he could imagine.

Roses, bright and red, climbed the stone archways, weaving together with purple wisteria that cascaded like a waterfall.

Small golden flowers dotted the green hedges, and jasmine vines crept up the sides of marble statues, filling the air with a soft, sweet fragrance.

In the middle of it all, there was a small pond, smooth as glass, with lily pads floating on the surface and delicate lotus blossoms swaying gently.

The water was so clear he could see the tiny fish darting around under the surface.

And the sunlight streaming through the leaves cast a soft, dappled glow over everything, making it all feel surreal.

"Just the perfect place to skip the next few classes, no?" a small smile slipped into Matthew's face.

He walked further into the garden, feeling the wind hit his face, giving him a gentle and relaxing breeze.

Stepping into the soft green grass, he let himself fall into it, crossing his arms behind his head and then looking at the sky.

"So peaceful..." he mumbled, relaxing in the soft grass, watching the clouds drift by.

But then, he heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching.

'Mhm...? Without moving too much, he glanced to his right.

An unfamiliar woman was walking toward him.

Her long golden hair caught the sunlight, shimmering like threads of sunlight itself, falling in soft waves around her shoulders, her eyes were a beautiful shade of gold that seemed to shine as bright as the sunlight.

She had a delicate face with high cheekbones, a soft smile playing on her lips, and a beauty that seemed otherworldly.

Her figure was alluring, with a slender waist and curves that added to her graceful appearance, even compared to Stacy, she wouldn't lose at all.

It could be even said... that she was even more beautiful than Stacy, which was unusually strange.

As she noticed him lying there, her eyes seemed to have brightened up,

"Oh my... I didn't wake you up, did I?" she asked with a small, charming smile, having a gentle yet playful tone.

"You didn't. I just got here myself, actually. Was about to take a nap." Matthew shook his head, looking up at her with a smirk.

"I see..." she replied, her smile widening as she crouched down beside him, meeting his gaze directly.

"Then... would you mind if I joined you?"

"Suit yourself." He shrugged, closing his eyes again.

A soft laugh escaped her lips upon hearing him.

"I will," she said, settling down beside him, close enough that he could feel her warmth.

Just as he was about to drift off, a small sound echoed in his mind.

[Ding!]

His eyes snapped open, and he blinked at the blue notification hovering in front of him.

[New Villainess Encountered!]

Upon seeing the notification, Matthew closed his eyes once again, trying to feel the gentle breeze of the wind.

'A villainess...? That's... not so surprising...'

She was, without a doubt, incredibly beautiful—almost unnaturally so. The kind of beauty that could only belong to a villainess in a reverse harem novel.

'However... it's strange, it's the first time the system warned me about someone's character role. Is she special in some kind of way?' he pondered.

He opened one eye just a crack, glancing at her from the corner of his vision. The woman was now lying beside him, her golden hair fanning out on the grass like a halo.

Her eyes were closed, but there was a peaceful, almost playful expression on her face as if she were waiting for him to say something.

"Are you always this quiet?" she asked, with a soft but teasing voice.

Matthew didn't respond right away, savoring the peaceful silence.

"I don't really have anything to say." He finally sighed, turning his head to meet her gaze.

"Hmm," she smiled, her lips curving into a knowing grin.

"I suppose I'll have to find a way to make you talk then."

"Hah... good luck with that," he raised an eyebrow, uninterested.

She laughed, a light, musical sound, before propping herself up on one elbow. Her long, delicate eyelashes fluttered as she looked at him with those mesmerizing golden eyes.

Slowly, she parted her lips, speaking again with an almost playful tone.

"What's your name?"

"Matthew."

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"What type of girls do you like?"

"Ah..."

The sudden question made him pause, and for a second, he wasn't sure how to respond.

He wasn't used to women like her asking him personal things out of the blue.

But then he saw her smile again, that beautiful, teasing smile that seemed to light up her whole face.

"Did I surprise you?" she smiled beautifully, closing her eyes and reopening them in a slow motion, giving them a charming tone.

"Mhm... actually, it's quite an interesting question," Matthew said, tilting his head slightly, and then he met her gaze head-on.

He looked her over carefully, his eyes tracing the sharp features of her face, the curve of her lips, the way her golden hair framed her.

Then, after a while, he answered.

"Maybe... someone with your appearance."

Her lips instantly curved into a delighted smile after hearing him.

"Really?" She batted her eyelashes at him again, like she was enjoying the attention.

"Then, what about personality?"

Matthew paused for a second.

"I just need her... not to be annoying." He said it casually, but his eyes briefly flickered down, then back up to meet hers.

The hint was there.

He wasn't even trying to hide it.

"Mhm... so, I'm annoying, am I?" Her eyes narrowed, but the smile stayed, though it had a sharper edge now.

Matthew simply gave a small, almost lazy smile, not answering immediately. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of a direct response.

"This feels nice..." she murmured softly, which caught Matthew's attention.

Sigh...

He turned his head slightly, his eyes flicking over to her, studying her face for a moment before he shifted into a more comfortable position on the grass.

"Haah…" He stretched his legs out and leaned back, hands resting behind his head.

She was right.

The day was peaceful, the breeze cool, the sky clear.

It was hard to deny that it was a good place to be, even if her presence was a bit... annoying.

However...

He wasn't in the mood to deal with her right now.

"Not in the mood to talk anymore?" she spoke in a teasing tone as if she had read his thoughts. He could feel her eyes on him, but he didn't bother to look.

"Nope," Matthew replied flatly, closing his eyes again as the sunlight warmed his face.

She didn't back off, though. He could feel her shifting beside him, the soft rustle of grass as she moved closer.

After a moment, she spoke again, but this time her voice was quieter...

"You're... different... Most people would be falling all over themselves just to get a reaction out of me. But you… you just don't care."

"..............."

A long silence filled the air as Matthew didn't even bother to reply.

But, feeling his gaze on his face, was really bothering him.

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm really not in the mood to play a game with some random girl." he sighed.

"Ah...?"

Her breath hitched for just a moment before she let out a soft laugh.

"Random girl?" she repeated as her smile widened quite a bit. "I see. You have no idea who I am, do you?"

"Should I?" Matthew opened one eye, staring at her with a deadpan expression.

The woman froze for a moment, her eyes going wide before she burst out laughing.

It was the kind of laugh that made her whole body shake, and even tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.

"P...pffff...! Hahahahg...!" she gasped for breath between giggles, wiping her eyes.

The sound was so genuine, so carefree, that Matthew couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Haah... You know? I really like you,"

"Is that so?"

"Mhm! I'll surely make sure to see you again..." her smile widened, and she tilted her head, her golden hair shimmering in the sunlight.

Then, without another word, she stood up gracefully, brushing off the grass from her clothes.

"Have a good nap~" she let out a small giggle as she walked away.

Matthew blinked, watching her leave, the sound of her steps fading away.

"What a strange woman..."