*Note: I'm back (again)! Sorry for not upload chapters these days but I already explain the reasons before so I won't bore you explaining this again.
Only one thing more... enjoy the chapter, that's all.
Have a good day :)
...
While Haruna was lost in the labyrinth of her own thoughts, contemplating the heavy weight of the decision she had to make this weekend, a solitary and somber figure was eating just a few tables away. It was Ren.
Having been flatly rejected by Lala, thoroughly humiliated by Akira in front of the school, and feeling utterly abandoned by his own sister—or at least, that was the twisted prism through which he viewed his current reality—Ren's hatred for Akira had reached an unprecedented, toxic level. He glared at Akira's group with a volatile mixture of envy, jealousy, and burning rage. He envied the way so many beautiful girls were constantly hovering around Akira, hanging onto his every word; he was jealous that most of them were officially recognized as his fiancées; and above all, he was incensed that Lala was among them.
Why does Akira get a harem of such stunning girls while I can't even conquer a single one? Ren simply couldn't wrap his mind around it.
However, the reality of the situation was far different from Ren's self-pitying delusions. It wasn't that Ren lacked the charm or the looks to win over a woman; in fact, he had spent years rejecting every single girl who had ever confessed her feelings to him. Whether they were high-born nobles or commoners, Ren had dismissed them all with a coldness that bordered on cruelty. Among those he had discarded was his true childhood friend—a girl who, unlike Lala, had stayed by his side through every hardship for years. Ren was alone not because of bad luck, but because his obsessive, blinding love for Lala had made him deaf to the hearts of those who actually cared for him.
…
Meanwhile, in a far-flung corner of the galaxy.
Our focus shifts to a solar system located in close proximity to Ren's home planet. This is the world of Biestirol. It is a formidable planet, composed of approximately 70% landmass and 30% water, with a total volume 1.5 times that of Earth. Positioned as the third planet in its system, it sits perfectly within the "habitable zone," allowing life to flourish in diverse and vibrant ways.
The dominant inhabitants of this world are a humanoid race known as the Biestryls. Physically, they are strikingly similar to humans, but with distinct animalistic features: they possess ears and tails reminiscent of terrestrial dogs or cats, though their biology is far more complex and alien than such a simple comparison suggests.
But why does our gaze fall upon this specific world now? Why, after so much time, are we suddenly looking at Biestryls?
The answer is simple: this is the home of Ren's childhood friend—the very girl he had rejected more than a hundred times over the past few years.
Inside a sprawling, opulent mansion located in the most densely populated metropolis on the planet, a girl of celestial beauty sat at a high-tech desk. Her appearance was nothing short of breathtaking; she had pale blue hair that seemed to shimmer like moonlight, eyes of the same crystalline hue, and a figure that rivaled even Princess Lala's in its grace and maturity.
This girl, dressed in silk pajamas that matched the color of her hair, was staring intently at a massive computer screen. Her dog-like ears twitched rhythmically upward and downward as she focused, and her long tail, which draped over the back of her chair, swayed from side to side with a slow, hypnotic motion.
"So... Earth, is it? It seems you finally decided to go..." the girl murmured to herself.
The girl, known as Beria, was currently examining a large photograph of Ren on her monitor, her mind racing with possibilities. Just a day ago, one of her informants had alerted her that Ren had fled their home system, presumably to chase after Princess Lala once he learned of her engagement.
Beria was a patient girl—heaven knows she had been more patient with Ren than anyone else in the galaxy. She had stood by him for years, even going so far as to ask her own father to arrange a marriage proposal between their families, but it had all been in vain. Ren's father, much like her own, was a noble of the old school: upright, peaceful, and honest—a rare breed in a galaxy increasingly choked by corruption. Because of this integrity, Ren's father had always respected his son's wishes and had never forced the engagement upon him.
"You've rejected me so many times, and yet, you don't even care," Beria said, her voice trembling slightly.
A flash of uncontrollable fury surged through her body, but before she could vent her frustration, there was a sharp knock at the door.
"Miss, I have news!" a voice called out from the hallway. It was the crisp, disciplined voice of a maid.
"Come in and explain the details!" Beria commanded.
The maid entered and approached her mistress with a slight bow. "Miss, I have received new information regarding Master Ren," the servant said.
Upon hearing this, Beria immediately turned away from the computer, shutting down the monitor. She moved to her bed and sat down, her interest piqued.
"Tell me what you found," Beria said. She crossed her legs with a natural, sophisticated grace, an unconscious gesture of sensuality that most men would have found intoxicating.
"According to our informants on Earth, Master Ren has indeed landed on the planet and has already sought out Princess Lala. Our agents are hesitant to intervene further for fear that His Majesty King Gid might sense their presence, but they can confirm that things are not going well for Master Ren," the maid explained.
Beria arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "I suspected he would head for Earth, but... on what basis do they say he isn't doing well?"
"He was seen late last night returning to his residence with a vacant stare, looking utterly defeated and muttering things our informants couldn't quite overhear," the maid replied.
The servant expected to see a flash of worry or concern on her mistress's face, but she was mistaken. Instead, a wide, radiant smile spread across Beria's lips.
"Valea, we are going to Earth. Just you and me. Prepare everything; we leave in a couple of days," Beria announced.
Valea, the maid, blinked in surprise. "Miss... aren't you worried about Master Ren?"
"Worried about him? I confessed my love to him and was rejected over a hundred times, but who would have thought that destiny would play the same trick on him? Now he is the one suffering from unrequited love. I have to see that. I need to see the expression of despair on his face when he fails to get what he wants," Beria said, her smile sharpening.
Valea was stunned. Wasn't her mistress supposed to be head-over-heels for Ren? Why did it now seem as though she hated him, relishing in his misery?
"Miss... I thought you were in love with him? Why do you want to see him suffer?" Valea asked.
If any other servant had dared to ask such a personal question, Beria would have dismissed them on the spot for overstepping their boundaries. But Valea was different. She wasn't just a maid; she was Beria's best friend, her childhood companion who had served her for over a decade. Valea was the only one who had been there to comfort Beria after every single one of those hundred rejections.
"Valea... how would you feel if you were rejected that many times?" Beria asked quietly.
"To be honest, I don't think I could have confessed even half that many times. I would have given up long before you did," Valea admitted. The sheer tenacity of her mistress was legendary; most people would have stopped after three or four attempts, yet Beria had refused to accept 'no' for an answer for years.
"I admit I was stubborn... and perhaps a bit too insistent," Beria began with a bitter, self-deprecating smile. "But I couldn't help it. I loved him, Valea. With all my heart. I was by his side during his worst moments and his best. I helped him train, I encouraged him never to give up... and yet, what did I get in return? Nothing. Not a word of gratitude, not even a simple look."
As she spoke, her tone shifted from sadness to a low, simmering rage. Her ears flattened slightly against her head as she sighed.
"He always preferred Princess Lala. And it's not that it bothers me—I wouldn't have minded if he had truly loved someone else—but to ignore me completely? That's what hurt. Years passed where I gave him everything I had, and he simply used me, taking it for granted that I would always be there no matter how many times he cast me aside."
Beria lowered her gaze, her voice finally beginning to steady. "But in this past year... I've had time to think. To look back and realize that it's not worth chasing someone who never valued me. Someone whose eyes were always fixed on Princess Lala, while I... while I never even existed to him."
Valea listened in silence, her heart aching for her friend. "At least his sister, Run, treated you better," Valea offered, trying to find a silver lining.
"Yes... Run always treated me well. It's a shame she was so obsessed with Ren, otherwise, I would have had another very good friend besides you, Valea," Beria said with a soft smile.
"Thank you... and I will always be your friend and servant, no matter what happens," Valea replied earnestly.
Beria smiled and stood up from the bed, her resolve hardening. "But who would have thought that karma actually exists? Now he is the one suffering from heartbreak. Obviously, I have to go to Earth and see it for myself. I'm not a vengeful person; I don't even have the heart to be cruel or to order someone else to be mean—I'm just not built that way. But enjoying a suffering that I didn't cause... it will be quite comforting to watch."
Beria's naturally kind personality prevented her from being truly malicious, but that didn't mean she couldn't take pleasure in a cosmic justice she hadn't directly or indirectly orchestrated.
"Very well, then I will go and prepare everything," Valea nodded. If this was what her best friend needed to find closure, she would support her to the end.
"Call in all the favors that are owed to us. Get us passage to Earth and forge some false identities. If necessary, ask for favors from the people you know," Beria instructed. She was referring to the honest nobles who owed her father their livelihoods.
"I assume your father must not find out about this? Am I wrong?" Valea asked.
"Of course not. Mother and Father would never allow me to travel to Earth for such a reason, so everything must be done in secret and with the utmost care," Beria confirmed.
"Understood, but it will still take a few days to arrange," Valea noted. Procuring safe passage to a restricted world like Earth and creating flawless identities was no small feat; it would require calling in many favors and perhaps even making some difficult requests. It was a complicated process that couldn't be rushed.
"I know, that's why I'm giving you time. But if you need more, that's fine—just remember to do it as quickly as possible," Beria said.
Valea nodded, bid her mistress farewell, and immediately set to work. Once she was gone, Beria collapsed back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, a smile of pure satisfaction on her face.
"You rejected me a hundred times and used me for years? Now it's my turn to contemplate your suffering," she whispered.
With her expectations high and a sense of impending justice, Beria closed her eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep.