Chapter 4

"talking" (Mc to system) [System]

[The Original Route Ending of Ifia]:

Once upon a time, Ifia had a happy and blissful family. However, her carefree life came to an end when her father succumbed to a gambling addiction. Subsequently, the household was plagued by endless arguments and physical fights between her parents, and valuable possessions gradually disappeared.

In the end, even the house couldn't be saved.

Moreover, seeing Ifia getting more and more beautiful, her father, consumed by the urge to gamble, wanted to use her as a bargaining chip.

If he gambled once more, he could win!

All those lost things could be recovered, along with more money. The three of them would surely lead a prosperous life.

Feeling confident that he could win, the father persuaded Ifia for a long time.

Just endure for a while, and everything would be fine.

However, Ifia was no longer a child. She understood her father's intentions – he wanted to sell her to those dreadful merchants, treating her like a slave with no rights.

She didn't want to become like that!

Watching Ifia's tear-stained eyes, her father, instead of feeling the usual compassion, became extremely troubled. He felt that his once obedient daughter had changed.

Why can't you be a bit more sensible!

It's been said that with the final move, he could win.

On the night when her father completely lost patience, Ifia still didn't compromise. However, before she could run out of the house to hide, her mother had already taken a sledgehammer and smashed it towards her father's head, smashing it to pieces.

Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere, and Ifia was frightened, but she didn't move.

With tearful eyes, she looked at her mother, who smiled nervously. Ifia pleaded with her mother to escape together, but her mother shook her head, gently stroked Ifia's head, and whispered to her, "Ifia, run quickly, don't let them catch you."

Ifia was unwilling, but her mother took out the last coins in the house and stuffed them into her pocket, then forcefully closed the door.

That night, Ifia's home was consumed by flames, and her parents' bodies turned into charred remains.

She became homeless.

After spending all the money on her, Ifia disguised herself and moved into the slums. She went through a period of depression, but there was a flame burning in her heart. She wanted to break free from the mire and live a normal life.

So, she applied for the special enrollment at Pulis Academy, and soon got the results.

She succeeded!

However, although Pulis Academy waived the tuition for commoner students, other expenses couldn't be avoided. The miscellaneous costs added up to one gold coin.

And this was just for the first semester.

However, Ifia couldn't find a single copper coin on her entire body.

The hardships and despair of life left her soulless, feeling that her life had come to an end.

She thought she would helplessly die in the slums.

However, on one night, when a thin, dark man entered her room and pulled out a silver coin, she silently accepted what might happen.

After earning enough money, Ifia successfully entered Pulis Academy as she had wished. She forgot about those humiliations, wanting to study hard, graduate, secure a well-paying job, and start life anew.

However, a beautiful woman without a background is always at a disadvantage, no matter where she is.

Most students at Pulis Academy are nobles, followed by foreign exchange students, with very few commoners, forming a complete hierarchy of disdain. Commoner students are at the bottom and are the most severely bullied and oppressed group.

Ifia, with no means of self-defense, is played with by the young nobles and tragically meets her end, concluding her pitiful and wandering life.

…

(System, is Ifia just a background character in the book?)

[No, she's a supporting character, an important contrast to the main female lead.]

After a while, Ifia finally snapped out of the tragic ending of her original self. She took a deep breath, feeling the need to extract more information from the system's mouth.

Definitely need to avoid the tragic ending of the original self from happening to me.

(Contrast group? What is that?)

[In the book, the main female lead and Ifia are both commoner special enrollment students at Pulis Academy. They have the same age and gender, both with black hair and black eyes. They are also in the same class and dormitory, so they are placed together for comparison. The more tragic Ifia's life is, the more it highlights the main female lead's luck.]

(...)

Alright!

Worse than a background character.

It seems she and the main female lead cannot coexist peacefully.

If someone has to be unlucky, it definitely can't be Ifia!

(Forgot to ask, System, you won't force me to follow the original plot, right? If so, I'll find a rope to hang myself now, and you can quickly find the next host! ￣へ￣ )

Being frightened by the original ending, Ifia quickly raised a question.

She didn't want to be touched by nasty men!

If something like that really happened, she would kick them in the vital parts and choose to end it all together.

[Host, when you're lying down and slacking off, the system doesn't force you to complete tasks… You don't need to worry about the original plotline, just save the world, and everything else is optional.]

(I've said it, I can't save it. Just give up!)

Ignoring what the system said about saving the world and getting the desired answer, Ifia breathed a sigh of relief.

If she were forced to follow the plot, she might as well continue lying down and slacking off.

However, looking back at the original plot, Ifia was shocked to discover… If she hadn't met Amelia and received two gold coins, she would have encountered the thin dark man breaking into her room tonight.

Damn it!

Stupid system, why didn't you mention such an important thing!

Like squeezing toothpaste, it won't be said unless you ask.

Knowing she doesn't have to follow the plot, a weight lifted off Ifia's heart. She lay back on the bed, reached out to grab the soft blanket, rolled over, and when she lifted her leg to press it underneath her, she suddenly had a new question.

(System, why is Amelia, who is so gentle and considerate, the villainess?)

To prevent losing the pearls, Ifia intentionally bought a small cloth bag and hung it around her neck. Now, feeling the round contours of the pearls through the fabric, she couldn't believe that someone as good as Amelia could be the villainess.

Could the system be mistaken?

Amelia is beautiful and gentle, with very captivating purple eyes.

No matter how you look at it, she doesn't seem like a bad person!

[The system refuses to answer. Please explore on your own, Host.]

Familiar formula, familiar taste.

Ifia rolled her eyes in silence, knowing that the system couldn't be relied upon. She better plan for herself as soon as possible!

Entering Pulis Academy was already a sure thing.

So, besides becoming friends with Amelia, she also had to guard against the misdeeds of the nobles.

Ifia raised her hand and pinched her arm muscles, soft like dough. Her trashy combat strength was only good for bullying children… Well, she had to rely on tools.

In this way, after two mysterious days of tinkering, Ifia carried her luggage to report to the academy.

Pulis Academy, as the first choice for aristocratic children, had top-notch faculty, landscaping, and architecture. Even the dormitories were luxurious single rooms.

However, commoner special enrollment students couldn't enjoy this benefit and had to share a room.

Although Pulis Academy was backed by the church and advocated equality for everyone, some details suggested that it wasn't truly an equal rights organization.

Ifia had experienced the hardships of poverty in the slums, and the memories of luxurious living as the heiress of a wealthy family had become blurred. At this moment, she had no complaints. Instead, she was extremely satisfied.

As long as her dwelling could provide shelter from wind and rain, she was content.

Ah, now she was so easily pleased~

"Hello, I'm Ifia. Please take care of me in the future."

She politely knocked on the door. After waiting for it to open, Ifia introduced herself.

Just as she finished speaking, the system reminder sounded.

[Main female lead, Irene has appeared!]