Is This Really the Same Person?

Ice-cold, biting river water poured violently into her nose and mouth. Her lungs felt as if squeezed tight by an invisible hand as oxygen rapidly drained away.

Lilith Kahn, Second Princess of the kingdom, felt only the sickening wrap of the slick tentacle around her ankle and the despair of being dragged down into the bottomless dark in her final moments of consciousness.

Then, a powerful force suddenly seized her wrist.

The moment she broke through the surface, fresh air rushed into her burning lungs. Lilith coughed violently, spewing water from her mouth and nose.

She collapsed onto the rough rock, soaked through, her uniform clinging tightly to her skin as she shivered from the cold.

Saved.

The realization almost brought her to tears.

However, a princess's pride forced her to swallow the vulnerability of surviving a near-death experience. Propping herself up, she spoke in a voice that still trembled:

“Cough, cough... Th—thanks...”

The words of gratitude choked in her throat.

When she raised her wet face and focused her eyes on the person who had saved her, her red pupils shrank abruptly.

That overly familiar face.

“...Greg?!” She gagged, her eyes widening in disbelief. “How is it you?!”

His blonde hair had darkened from being soaked, a few strands clinging to his forehead as drops of water slid down his sharp jawline.

And he was none other than Greg Sass—the man who had once been engaged to her elder sister.

Fortunately, her royal father had quickly realized he lacked any magical talent and canceled the engagement in time.

Events had now proven her father's decision correct—Greg Sass was indeed a flash-in-the-pan incompetent.

Not only had he tampered with the freshman entrance exam, but he had also spouted arrogant nonsense at a new student before hiding in the dungeon, not even daring to attend class.

Such disgraceful behavior had even led his family to publicly announce his banishment... Utterly pathetic.

Though he possessed a handsome face that anyone would praise, for some reason, Lilith simply couldn't bring herself to care for his looks, feeling a subtle aversion instead.

“You know me?”

Greg was somewhat surprised, as he had no memory of this female student he had just saved. Furthermore, judging by the armband on her sleeve, she was still a first-year freshman, making it even less likely for them to have had any prior interaction.

Only then did Lilith realize she was currently in disguise, meaning Greg didn't seem to recognize her.

She quickly adjusted her expression, trying her best to make her voice sound like an ordinary freshman:

“Um, because Senior Greg is quite famous among the freshmen, of course I know you.”

“Famous? Heh, infamous is more like it.”

After a self-deprecating laugh, he let go of her hand, paid her no further mind, and turned to walk deeper into the cave, his retreating back decisive and straightforward.

Huh?

Lilith froze, remaining half-seated as she stared blankly at the figure gradually melting into the darkness.

He... just walked away like that?

Saving a person, making sure she was fine, and then turning to leave without a single extra word?

This didn't match any scenario she had envisioned.

In her mind, Greg Sass was supposed to be the kind of person who would take advantage of the situation to make all sorts of demands.

Demanding a reward, or at least putting on an air of “I saved you, so you owe me a favor.”

In noble circles, such behavior was all too common; expecting a return for a favor was an instinct practically etched into their bones.

Yet he hadn't.

Even when she mentioned him being “famous,” he hadn't hesitated to mock himself as “infamous.”

Was this really the arrogant, self-important fool from the rumors?

Lilith pushed herself up off the damp rock, her uniform skirt still dripping water.

She watched Greg's back as he was about to vanish around the corner of the passage, a sudden surge of emotion welling up in her chest—not just gratitude, but also a piece of pride belonging to a princess.

As the Second Princess of the Kingdom of Kahn, Lilith Kahn would never allow anyone to save her and then walk away as if nothing had happened.

It was a matter of principle, regardless of who the other party was.

Lilith bit her lip and quickly chased after him.

Her soaked boots pattered against the uneven ground, sounding exceptionally distinct in the quiet cave.

“Hey, wait a minute!”

She caught up to him and blocked his path.

Greg stopped in his tracks, looking down at her.

He was nearly a full head taller than her, forcing Lilith to tilt her head up at this angle.

“Greg, who do you think you just saved? I am the grand—”

She slammed the brakes on her words, almost blowing her own cover.

Greg blinked in confusion. “The grand?”

“...The grand daughter of a wealthy merchant, Lily Carlo!” She forced herself to improvise.

“A merchant's daughter, huh.”

That title made Greg think of the Fourth Heroine in his year—though the only difference was that she was the daughter of the wealthiest merchant from the kingdom's largest chamber of commerce, someone truly born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

“So?” He resumed his stride, stepping around her to keep walking.

Lilith froze for two seconds before realizing he was responding to her previous statement.

She jogged to catch up: “So I need to repay you! You saved me, and Lily Carlo never owes anyone a favor!”

Greg stopped once more, his expression turning subtle. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly as if he had heard something unbelievable.

“Wait...” he said, his voice laced with clear bewilderment. “Are you saying... you want to repay me?”

“Of course!”

Greg paused, his tone growing even stranger. “Are you really not planning to use this to extort me, or frame me for doing something to you while taking advantage of the situation?”

“Obviously! Would anyone really be that awful to their own savior?” Lilith said, feeling somewhat helpless.

Greg: “Is there really no one like that?”

“...”

Lilith suddenly choked on her words. She recalled some of the rumors she had heard before, where people who were saved turned around and bit the hand that fed them.

In the end, she could only speak slowly: “At least I won't.”

“You're surprisingly a good girl, aren't you!” Greg's impression of her soared instantly.

“...”

For a moment, Lilith felt a complex mix of emotions. She was the one who was saved and wanted to repay the favor, so why was she being praised by him instead?

Just then, Lilith's stomach let out a traitorous growl. After all, to dodge those three maids, she had entered the dungeon without even eating dinner.

Seeing this, Greg naturally extended an invitation: “I was just about to make some food. Want to join?”

Although she was merely a mob character he had no memory of, her goodwill had earned Greg's favor, so he didn't mind bringing her along to his camp.

“You know how to cook?!” Now Lilith was even more astonished.

Nobles usually never set foot in kitchens.

Cooking was a servant's job, a skill for lower-class people.

A duke's son like Greg should theoretically not even know how to hold a kitchen knife.

“How else do you think I survived here for so many days?” Greg turned to lead the way, his pace relaxed.

Right then, several low-tier magical beasts burst out from the shadows, their sharp teeth gleaming coldly.

“Watch out—!”

Lilith's warning wasn't even fully out of her mouth.

Greg didn't even turn his head. He casually raised a hand, sparks flickering at his fingertips.

Three Fireballs shot out at a speed close to zero-frame startup, striking the monsters' heads with pinpoint accuracy.

Before the creatures could even howl, they collapsed to the ground, charred crisp.

Greg walked over, picked up one of the ingredients roasted just right, and nodded in satisfaction:

“The skin is roasted crisp, saving me the prep work. It'll definitely smell better when I cook it later.”

“...”

Lilith stood frozen in place, watching the blonde youth casually hold a monster corpse while calmly discussing cooking. She then recalled the image of the stupid, domineering young master from the rumors.

...This vibe doesn't match at all, hey!!

Is this really the same person?!