Chapter 20

── The time before the reversal.

Meruk was, of course, still the same person.

A reincarnated individual with knowledge from her previous life as a player of otome games. That was Meruk Schrengen.

"Everyone was just like in the game..."

Meruk wanted to 'conquer' Leonhardt, but she had already interacted with most of the conquest targets as they did in the game. These were their 'appearance events' that occurred regardless of which route you took. The characters in the game didn't all appear at once; they appeared in sequence as the story progressed.

Meruk planned to complete only the events that were predetermined in the story to avoid affecting the Leonhardt route.

By interacting with them, she could observe their behavior and, if they had any troubles, she believed it was her responsibility to solve them.

After all, that's what otome games are about. At least, that's how it is in 'A Night That Clears When the Flowers Bloom.' The heroine provides a solution to the troubles of the conquest targets and saves them, leading to their union. It would be cruel to abandon them, even if she didn't need to date them just because she saved their hearts.

Meruk's knowledge contained information about the six conquest targets, including Leonhardt. From the conversations she had with them, they were exactly as she remembered.

Leonhardt was the refreshing prince.

Carlos was the cool and icy noble.

Fried was the strong but clumsy and simple knight.

Dennis was the smart one who kept his distance from others but trusted the heroine.

Neil was the gruff but kind tsundere teacher.

"…Yeah, everyone is just like in the game."

That was Meruk's impression after meeting all the conquest targets before the reversal. However, she hadn't yet met the young mage Shulk, and she hadn't met Angelina as planned.

Just meeting them wouldn't make them fall in love with her. No, if their affection level didn't reach a certain value, the game would end in a 'normal ending.' To prevent that, she needed to meet Leonhardt multiple times.

"Angelina doesn't seem to have changed much either."

She had opportunities to interact with Carlos, Angelina's brother, through the student council. Meruk had obtained information about Angelina through Carlos.

"Angelina will appear in the second year."

Of course, Angelina was currently attending the school. However, in the game, she only appeared in front of Meruk after the second year.

"Since the heroes' personalities and attitudes are the same, Angelina is probably the same too."

'Villainess' Angelina was a malicious woman. Her relationship with Leonhardt was cold, and she looked down on him. She was proud of being a duchess's daughter and had her lackeys, the 'adopted' noble ladies, serve her. She treated students from lower noble families and commoners poorly.

However, she hid this behavior. She knew her attitude was clumsy when dealing with powerful figures outside the school. Nevertheless, she was aware that her family's influence was strong enough that even the king and queen couldn't challenge her. As long as she maintained a good public image, she could do whatever she wanted in private. She believed that she could get away with it, being a malicious woman. That was Angelina in the game.

Meruk had no intention of giving up on Leonhardt. Since she had met the real him, she couldn't stop. …But what awaited her was intense bullying. The persecution of Meruk Schrengen by the students, led by Angelina, would begin.

"Ha… I'm so gloomy."

The bullying of the heroine would start in the second year when Angelina appeared. Even now, there were students who had issues with her as a commoner special student. These students would be encouraged by Angelina's actions to join in the persecution…

Meruk suspected that Angelina was a reincarnated individual. If she were a 'kind reincarnated individual,' the bullying might not happen, Meruk thought.

"But, everything has been just like in the game so far."

That meant there was still a possibility that her and Leonhardt's fates would be intertwined. Thinking about this, Meruk was motivated to keep trying.

The bullying in the game didn't involve life-threatening situations or anything as extreme as rape. The heroes would prevent such dangerous scenarios from happening. 'A Night That Clears When the Flowers Bloom' was a healthy, all-ages game.

The basic premise was to work hard, solve the heroes' troubles, and have the heroine be recognized by everyone, leading to a happy ending. If she failed, it would only result in a normal ending.

"Yeah, so I'll keep trying."

She could check on Angelina's status with Carlos at a reasonable frequency. As a family member, he would notice if her behavior changed significantly. She needed to focus on increasing Leonhardt's affection and continue her magic training.

Meruk, who came from a world without magic in her previous life, found using magic enjoyable and not a burden.

And until the 'Holy Flower's magic' bloomed, until the night cleared, Meruk would continue to work hard.