Turned the head? What a bitch.
Amanda's thoughts boiled anew, pulling her away from Randel's embarrassing proximity. Roxana's venomous yet elegant jab hung in the air, and everyone waited to see how the Guardian would parry it.
And ? What can I do?* she thought with a pang of despair. *In ani and manga, girls usually reincarnate into so villainess's body and magically pump their intellect to genius level! They can parry any barb, engage in intellectual battles, and put all these smiling hyenas in their place with sharp tongues and incredible erudition!
She ntally pictured an alternate version of this scene: she stands up, her eyes flash, and she delivers an elaborate, devastatingly witty tirade that makes Roxana go pale while all the nobles applaud in delight.
But ? I'm Yamada Light. A law student who could shine with knowledge of statutes, but not with refined courtly dialogue. I don't have plot armor. No suddenly maxed-out "Courtly Rhetoric" skill. If I say sothing now, I'll look stupid. I'll stamr, stumble, and everyone will realize I'm a fake. But they don't know that. They see the mask and the armor. They believe in the legend.
A principle she'd learned in her previous life while preparing for courtroom debates ca back to her: If you're not confident in your argunt—better to stay silent. Let the opponent talk. Their own words will bury them.
And she chose silence.
Amanda slowly turned her head toward Roxana. Her red eyes, visible through the slits of the mask, showed neither anger nor irritation. They were calm, deep, and sowhat detached, like the waters of an ancient lake. She didn't smile back. Didn't frown. She simply looked. Looked as if Roxana's words weren't a jab, but just... sound. Interesting, but nothing more.
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She held the pause long enough for the tension in the hall to reach its peak. Then her gaze slowly, with unruffled calm, slid from Roxana to Randel, and back to her plate. She gracefully picked up the smallest fork—the one that, by happy chance, was ant for the oysters served to her—and broke off a tiny piece of the bun, bringing it to her lips.
Her silence was deafening. It wasn't the silence of embarrassnt or weakness. It was the silence of utmost superiority. The silence of soone so far above that they simply didn't deign to respond to such remarks. Why would a goddess argue with a mortal? Her very existence was the answer.
Roxana, who had expected a witty retort or at least so flustered muttering, frowned slightly. Her perfect calculation had misfired. She couldn't attack silence. It was an impenetrable shield.
Randel, observing this microscopic duel, couldn't suppress a faint, approving smile at the corners of his lips. He understood. She wasn't playing Roxana's ga. She was changing the rules entirely.
"My sister has a tendency toward... lively discussions," he said quietly to Amanda, his tone making it clear he was on her side. "But so things are so beautiful in themselves that they require no extra words."
Amanda slowly turned her head toward him and... nodded. Just once. Short and clear. It wasn't a response to Roxana—it was a response to him. An acknowledgnt of his words. And in the context of her total silence, this simple gesture was more eloquent than any speech.
She resud her al, pretending to be absorbed in the taste of the bun. Inside, though, everything was jubilant.
Yes! It worked! Silence is golden! They're filling in the blanks themselves! They see incredible wisdom in my silence, not the panic of a nerdy student!
She risked a quick glance at Roxana. The woman had already recovered; a light, interested smile played on her face again, but her eyes held a new, respectful attention. The Guardian was more complex than she'd assud. Not just a force or an object of her brother's adoration, but a personality with her own, highly effective tactic.
Alright, Amanda thought with relief, setting down her fork. Survived the first round of banter with the "villainess." And didn't even embarrass myself. The main thing is to keep up the act. Stay silent as a fish on ice and look mysterious. Looks like that's my main skill in this new world.
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