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"..."
The hostility radiating from behind made Fang Li, who had just started walking, gradually come to a halt.
At the same time, the surrounding air seemed to grow noticeably warmer, forcing the crowd to step back even further.
Behind him, Orphelia lowered her gaze, her delicate brows knitting slightly into a sorrowful expression.
Amid the tense silence, Julis's voice rang out, filled with restrained fury.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Even without her spelling it out, Fang Li understood the reason behind Julis's reaction— why she was so shaken, why she was so angry.
Because Orphelia was silently following behind him.
Julis was suspicious.
Suspicious of his connection to Orphelia and that was enough to ignite her fury.
Fang Li, well aware of the original events, understood all too clearly. He knew why Julis had such a deep attachment to Orphelia.
As previously mentioned, Orphelia had been born in an orphanage in a certain country.
That country was the Kingdom of Lieseltania.
And Julis was its princess.
As a child, Julis had frequently sneaked out of the palace and wandered into the slums, where she met the children from the orphanage. Over time, they became friends, forging an unbreakable bond.
Julis's reason for coming to the Academy City and competing in the Festa was simple: she needed to win. The prize money was the only way she could support the orphanage, which was facing a financial crisis.
Some might find it strange that a princess would go to such lengths just to raise funds.
But in this world, Julis's situation wasn't unusual at all.
After all, the true rulers of society were the Integrated Enterprise Foundations. Nations had long been reduced to mere puppets under their control. Lieseltania was no exception— its financial stability depended entirely on the annual funding allocated by the Foundation.
Julis had no resources of her own.
If she wanted to save the orphanage, she had to do it with her own strength.
That orphanage was the very same place where Orphelia had grown up.
In other words, Julis and Orphelia had been childhood friends.
And yet, Julis had been powerless to stop what happened next.
She had watched helplessly as Orphelia was taken away by the Integrated Enterprise Foundation, subjected to horrific experiments, and ultimately transformed into the weaponized existence she had become— a girl trapped in endless sorrow, her humanity stripped away.
How could Julis ever accept that?
Now, seeing Orphelia so willingly follow Fang Li, her anger was completely justified.
To her, it must have seemed as though Fang Li was somehow aligned with the Integrated Enterprise Foundation—
Because otherwise, Orphelia wouldn't be listening to him.
This was the source of Julis's hostility.
Even so—
"If you want to treat me as an enemy, I don't really mind."
Meeting Julis's burning gaze, Fang Li turned around and spoke with absolute composure.
"But even if that's the case, are you really planning to pick a fight with me here?"
His words did nothing to ease Julis's fury.
"...Answer me." She stepped forward, her eyes locked onto him with unyielding intensity. "What exactly is your relationship with Orphelia?"
Fang Li's lips curled into a faint smirk.
"What relationship?" Fang Li smirked and said, "If I said there's no relationship, would you believe me?"
Julis's eyes flickered for a brief moment, her gaze instinctively shifting toward Orphelia.
But Orphelia paid her no mind.
She simply followed Fang Li in silence, like a lifeless puppet devoid of will.
For Julis— who still remembered the kind and gentle girl Orphelia used to be— the sight struck like a knife to the heart.
She clenched her fists but chose not to argue.
"Whatever your relationship with Orphelia may be, I'll say this clearly," she declared.
"I will take her back— no matter what."
Fang Li met her resolute words with a calm, indifferent reply.
"I'd rather she stop clinging to me. If she weren't so quiet, I would've sent her away already."
The impatience in his voice only fueled Julis's growing fury.
Her composure finally snapped.
"What do you take Orphelia for?!" she shouted, her glare burning with anger.
Fang Li merely sneered.
"What do I take her for?" His voice was disturbingly frank. "A doll, of course."
"You…!" Julis took a step forward, her flames surging—
Only to be held back.
"Julis-senpai!" Toudou Kirin quickly grabbed her arm, urging her to calm down.
"Julis…" Claudia also shook her head in warning.
"...Honestly, I kind of get where he's coming from," Saya Sasamiya muttered, expressing her own irritation.
Meanwhile, Amagiri Ayato cast a glance between Fang Li and Orphelia, his brows furrowing in thought.
The crowd had already erupted into an uproar.
Orphelia, the feared and undefeated Rank Vicious Strega— known for dominating the King Dragon Festa— had just been called a mere doll?
The words alone were enough to send shockwaves through the onlookers.
And if the crowd was shaken, Julis was absolutely livid.
"Take that back!" she demanded furiously, shaking off Kirin's grip. "Take back what you just said!"
Flames flared around her as she glared at Fang Li, but he remained completely unfazed.
"What?" His voice was cold, unbothered. "You think I'm wrong?"
He met Julis's burning gaze with an unshakable certainty.
"Stop lying to yourself, Princess. You know better than anyone— this woman has already become a doll. Her heart died long ago, didn't it?"
"…!"
Julis's breath hitched.
She wanted to argue, to deny it—
But she couldn't.
Because no one understood Orphelia better than she did.
And she knew the truth.
The girl who once smiled, who once dreamed—was gone.
"The Orphelia you knew abandoned everything," Fang Li continued, his words striking with brutal precision. "She drifts through life, following orders without resistance, without hope. Just going through the motions."
"If that's not a doll— then tell me, what is?"
He let his words hang in the air before delivering one final blow.
"You want to argue with me?" His lips curled slightly. "Then maybe you should focus on making sure your friend can still be called human first, Princess."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Orphelia didn't react.
She didn't protest.
She didn't even hesitate.
She simply followed him, expressionless— just as she had before.
A perfect reflection of the truth Fang Li had just spoken.
"Orphelia!"
Julis's voice rang out, laced with desperation.
But this time, neither Fang Li nor Orphelia stopped.
(End Of This Chapter)