The Harvest Mouse Exits the Fairytale Together with Cinderella-Chapter 100

Cesare Martino Silveria.

The sole bloodline of the Silveria royal family and the designated heir to the throne, he was a refined and handsome young man who enjoyed considerable popularity within the academy.

Cesare was not someone who easily made enemies.

His reputation was favorable.

Because maintaining it was the most important value in his life.

He had an uncanny ability to identify people who could be of use to him, regardless of their status.

“I heard the Viscountess’s health has worsened recently. I don’t know if it will help, but allow me to send a small token of sincerity to your parents.”

And he never hesitated to invest in them, binding them to him through loyalty.

At the same time, he had an equally uncanny ability to recognize those he could afford to trample on.

It had nothing to do with strength or talent.

If one looked carefully, there were always some.

Those who had everything yet lacked the intelligence to use it wisely.

For example, Edmund Valkyrisen.

From the moment he entered the academy, he attracted everyone’s attention—bearing the name of "Valkyrisen," a symbol of peace, along with his striking appearance, extraordinary talent, and upright character.

But Cesare was quick to notice that, beneath his seemingly flawless exterior, Edmund was deeply unstable.

And so, he didn’t hesitate to exploit that.

“The murderer who killed his own parents is walking around freely without paying for his crimes?”

He had whispered those words where no one else could hear.

“Look at your eyes. Are you thinking of killing me too and staging it as an accident, ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) just like you did with them?”

Whenever Edmund’s fists began to loosen, he would provoke him with another jab.

Fights between students were tolerated to a certain extent at the academy.

After all, even if most of them were of noble blood, they were still hot-blooded teenagers forced to coexist in one place.

So he took the beatings—enough to make anyone witnessing the scene feel the severity of it, as if he was on the brink of death.

Edmund, who had only recently lost his parents, acted just as the prince had intended.

“My god, how could something like this happen? Stop this at once!”

“Is... is he even alive?”

“Someone, call a physician!”

If he was going to be blamed for everything, he should have at least fought to clear his name.

Even if there was no evidence, he could have protested, pleaded his case.

But Edmund simply sealed his lips and walked away from the academy of his own accord.

Because, no matter what Cesare had whispered to him, in the end, it was his own hands that had resorted to violence.

Those who were lenient with others but overly strict with themselves—

Those were the ones Cesare knew he could trample without consequence.

And thanks to that, the world still remembered Cesare as the victim, and Edmund as the violent delinquent who had been expelled.

'That’s what it means to be stupid. What’s the point of intelligence if you don’t know how to use it?'

No matter how talented he was, it was meaningless if he couldn’t wield it properly.

Even if Edmund had swept up all the academic awards during his time at the academy, in the end, the world would remember Cesare as the top student of his year and Edmund as a problematic dropout.

Cesare only revealed his true nature in front of such people—

Those he could exploit endlessly without it ever tainting his reputation.

That was how he secured his title as the top student of his year.

After successfully driving Edmund out, Cesare never lost that position again.

Because he couldn’t afford to.

'If I don’t have this, there’s nothing left to prove my worth.'

Once, Cesare had an older brother—eight years his senior.

Crown Prince Astore.

He was exceptionally handsome, learned quickly, and excelled in martial arts.

But most importantly, he was generous and never hesitated to help those beneath him.

Everyone said he had the qualities of a wise and benevolent ruler.

“The son of that dead woman is nothing you need to concern yourself with. The throne was yours from the moment you were born.”

The queen always held Cesare in her arms and whispered those words.

And just as she had said, Astore died.

Cesare was nine years old. Astore was seventeen.

‘I wish my brother would disappear.’

The child who had always harbored that thought finally had his lifelong wish granted.

‘Ah, finally.’

The brother who had constantly reminded him of his own inferiority, the one he could never surpass no matter what he did, was gone.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

That day, the child learned a lesson.

If something stands in your way, simply remove it.

Power belongs to those who live without unnecessary burdens.

Clinging to hopeless causes and struggling fruitlessly was foolish.

If something could be taken without effort, wasn’t that the smartest and most efficient way?

If he had obtained something by any means necessary, then that was proof of his own ability.

From that day on, Cesare became the sole heir of Silveria.

The throne was his.

But the king never granted him the title of crown prince.

Perhaps, compared to his exceptional eldest son—who had always delivered nothing less than perfection—Cesare simply didn’t measure up.

“Those eyes... they look just like your mother’s.”

Or perhaps the reason was even more absurd—simply that he was not the child of the king’s deceased first wife.

“Prove your worth in some way.”

“Worth...”

“The peace treaty remains intact, so I cannot send you to the battlefield to earn merits. Prove yourself in some other way.”

If he had to prove something, he had no choice but to produce results in whatever way possible.

He set his sights on the Imperial Academy of Terranolia, where all the young powerhouses of the continent gathered to study.

There, he secured the allegiance of Silverian nobles and garnered their support.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

He never lost his position as the top student.

Or rather, he hadn’t—until...

‘Seraphina Bluewood.’

That woman appeared.

Despite her late enrollment, and the fact that she was a year younger than her peers, she was promoted ahead due to her extraordinary genius and immense potential.

A noblewoman from Silveria.

Cesare immediately recognized her type from the moment she transferred in.

Just like Edmund.

‘She’s pretending not to be, but...’

Even as she feigned composure, acting aloof and detached, Cesare could see it.

Seraphina Bluewood, who had captivated everyone’s attention, was the perfect prey for manipulation.

‘She hates being in the spotlight.’

Whenever attention focused on her, she grew uncomfortable and quickly redirected it elsewhere before slipping away.

Even when praised for her achievements, instead of ensuring that everyone remembered them, she shied away.

‘She’s strict with herself.’

Whenever a problem arose, she first reflected on her own faults, reciting them meticulously before cautiously pointing out any flaws in others.

With the right approach, he could make everything she had his own.

She wasn’t someone to be used and discarded like Edmund.

He wanted her.

If he could seize control of her heart, she would willingly give him everything.

So, he approached her.

“Excuse me, Your Highness. No matter what you say, I have absolutely no interest, so could you please stop?”

But she coldly dismissed him without a second thought.

‘It’s not working?’

His plan had been to get close, then subtly instill the idea that she wouldn’t be safe unless she stayed by his side.

But he couldn’t even approach her in the first place.

‘Hmph...’

Cesare decided to wait and observe, working from the shadows.

Regardless, now that he had set his sights on her, Seraphina Bluewood would eventually become his.

Even if, one day, he grew bored of her, he would be the one to cast her aside. She wouldn’t have a choice.

So, he even found it amusing when she defeated him in a duel and reveled in her victory.

But then...

‘Top student?’

Cesare stared at the ranking board posted at the entrance, unable to believe what he was seeing.

No matter how many times he checked, the name at the very top was not his own.

‘How?’

This was impossible.

Physically impossible.

Because...

As he stood frozen in place, the Crown Prince of the Terranolia Empire approached, whistling mockingly.

“Wow, Cesare. This is the first time you’ve lost the top spot despite getting a perfect score. Not since Edmund, huh? Looks like Lady Bluewood got some bonus points.”

“...”

“A score beyond perfection, huh? Now there’s nothing you can do about it, ha-ha!”

“Haha... So it seems.”

Cesare forced a laugh, unable to reveal his true nature in front of the crown prince.

His smile was impeccable—an exact replica of his late brother Astore’s.

“She’s a once-in-a-generation genius. The Empire tried to recruit her, but she refused.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Apparently, she’s been hounded so relentlessly that she scowls whenever she sees a royal or nobleman. Can you imagine how much she must have suffered?”

“...”

“If she was going to reject them so harshly, why didn’t they just take the hint and stop embarrassing themselves?”

“...”

The crown prince chuckled at Cesare’s expense before sauntering off, satisfied.

Cesare clenched his fists, seething inside.

‘She’s going to be mine anyway.’

So there was no need to go easy on her.

‘I should teach her some discipline in advance.’

Cesare immediately sent men to the Bluewood estate.

The Bluewood Countess welcomed his envoy with open arms.

“His Highness has instructed that the previously agreed-upon terms of our deal must be upheld.”

“But of course. I’ve been waiting for this moment.”

For the past five years—continuously.

The countess smiled, her red lips curving into a satisfied smirk.