A Third-Rate Villain Tries Her Best Today 11

Chapter 11

“Oh my, Shina, Woo!”

Enzhe stood up with a surprised expression. Sue hurriedly followed suit.

“Good afternoon, Master Fritz, Master Acrea.”

Needless to say, Fritz and Acrea were standing behind her. Fritz smiled warmly at Enzhe.

“Enzhe, there you are.”

“Shina… Were you looking for me?”

Enzhe asked in a touched tone. Fritz shook his head with an embarrassed look.

“Not really. It’s just that you always have lunch in the glass garden.”

“Hehe… I see.”

Enzhe smiled softly. It was a genuine smile, one she never showed in front of Sue.

The moment Fritz and Acrea appeared in the dining hall, the atmosphere instantly changed. All the students who were having lunch pretended not to notice, but the fact that three children of powerful grand ducal families were gathered in one place was enough to create a buzz that would last all day.

Especially among the students from other years, some were openly staring in their direction. These three were the only ones in the academy who had such an impact just by showing up.

Enzhe, Fritz, and Acrea. The Grand Duke Trio, as they were known, were so used to this kind of reaction that they continued their conversation without paying any attention.

“Well then, why don’t you join us, Shina and Woo?”

Enzhe clasped her hands together and spoke in a rather cheerful tone, her excitement evident. When talking to Fritz, Enzhe was as lively as a child.

“That sounds good. It’ll be more enjoyable that way, Shina.”

Acrea agreed to Enzhe’s suggestion, and Fritz nodded in agreement as well.

However, they didn’t seem to realize that there were only three chairs at Enzhe’s table. Or perhaps they were pretending not to notice.

“Perfect timing. I was just getting full. May I be excused, Lady Enzhe?”

It was clear who had to leave the round table, which could only accommodate three people. Sue dutifully played her role.

“Yes, you may. Good work, Sue.”

Enzhe’s delicate voice was filled with delight.

Sue stood up, carrying her half-eaten beef steak set. It would be strange to suddenly go and eat somewhere else alone. She’d have to buy some bread on her way out.

“Please enjoy your meal.”

Sue bowed her head slightly.

“Yes, goodbye.”

Once again, only Acrea responded to her farewell. It was an emotionless, mechanical voice, but Sue found some solace in it.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Sue left the townhouse alone, without taking the carriage. She didn’t have any escorts either. The way to the academy was actually faster if she walked through a nearby park instead of taking the long detour through the streets in a carriage.

She also wanted to see the scenery of Lake Libra, which only existed in her memories, with her own eyes, so she chose to walk. The academy gate was visible just beyond the park, so she didn’t bother with escorts.

The weather was getting warmer, so she had changed into her summer uniform. It was only a slight difference, with shorter sleeves and thinner fabric.

There was hardly anyone in the park. Sue walked along the neatly paved stone path, admiring the view of the lake to her left.

“So this is Lake Libra…”

Sue murmured in admiration.

Although it was small, Lake Libra boasted breathtaking scenery. Legends said that fairies were born here every morning, sprinkling dew, and spirits came to play and hold festivals at night.

The sunlight shimmered on the rippling surface of the water, and the cherry blossom trees surrounding the lake swayed gently in the breeze, their pale pink petals dancing in the air.

Sue smiled faintly. A sense of tranquility, which she hadn’t felt in a long time, spread through her like a ripple.

“Byron?”

That’s why the unexpected encounter that followed was completely unforeseen.

Sue faltered and stopped in her tracks. Then, she heard her name being called again from somewhere in the park.

“Byron.”

It was a low, male voice. Realizing it wasn’t her imagination, Sue turned her head towards the source of the voice.

“…Noel.”

Sue uttered his name clearly.

Across the lake, Raines Noel was looking at her with the same bewildered expression.

His refreshing blue hair and sharply defined eyes, as clear as the sea, evoked a sense of invigorating coolness.

*So I wasn’t mistaken yesterday.*

Unlike the blurry image from yesterday, today she could see him clearly.

The boy reflected in Sue’s eyes was undoubtedly Raines Noel.

It was rather difficult to ignore someone when you were alone with them by a lake, making eye contact. Sue reluctantly approached Noel.

“Hello.”

Noel was sitting on the grass by the lake. When Sue greeted him casually, he made a puzzled face. It was a reaction she was getting used to.

“Hello, Byron. …What are you doing here?”

Noel asked, looking up at Sue. Sue tilted her head, her expression equally puzzled.

*What am I doing here? That’s what I want to ask you.*

“What do you mean? I’m going to the academy.”

“Really? Without any servants?”

“It’s close from here to the academy. And it’s not a dangerous route.”

Come to think of it, Noel was wearing the academy uniform, not the Knights’ uniform, just like yesterday.

And he was in the park at this hour. Could it be that the rumors she had heard yesterday were true?

“Noel, what are you doing here?”

Sue asked, looking down at Noel.

“Hmm…”

As if he understood the meaning of her question, Noel paused for a moment, his expression thoughtful. But his answer was rather simple, considering how long he had taken to think about it.

“Just… looking at the lake.”

Noel smiled faintly. It was a rather refreshing smile.

“What about the academy?”

“I don’t feel like going.”

*What about the Knights?*

She wanted to ask, but she swallowed the words.

“I see. Alright.”

They weren’t close enough for her to pry, and most importantly, Sue wasn’t particularly interested in him. Sue nodded slowly, pretending to understand.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

Leaving Noel, who was seeing her off with a friendly expression, Sue continued on her way.

That one encounter, which she had thought would be the end of it, ironically, began to spark an unexpected chemical reaction, its conclusion left hanging in the air.

“….”

The next day, Sue once again encountered Noel, sitting in the same spot, in the same posture, as yesterday.

“We meet again.”

Noel smiled brightly at the silent Byron. His voice wasn’t loud, but the quiet breeze carried it to Sue’s ears.

Sue, who had been trying to come up with something to say, cleared her head and approached Noel.

“Not coming today either?”

She was referring to the academy. Noel smiled silently at her question. It was the same carefree smile she often saw at the academy.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me and go ahead.”

He wasn’t scolding her for worrying about him. It was more like he was telling her to leave him alone.

Sue was a little surprised by his unexpectedly kind attitude towards her.

“…Alright. But the spring evaluations are coming up soon. Are you going to skip those too?”

Sue asked, averting her gaze from his blue eyes, which were fixed on her.

“Ah… Right, I forgot about the evaluations.”

Noel slapped his forehead and sighed, as if he had genuinely forgotten.

“You should really come for the evaluations. You’ll get held back.”

If a student missed more than two evaluations at Full Bloom, they wouldn’t be able to advance to the next year. Conversely, this meant that as long as you took the exams, you could advance regardless of your grades. What a kind school.

“Haha… You’re right. Thanks for reminding me, Byron.”

Noel chuckled good-naturedly and suddenly lifted his head. He stared at Sue again, and she reflexively looked away.

*This is a bit uncomfortable.*

“Well then, I should get going.”

“Yeah, see you later.”

“…Haha…”

Sue burst out laughing at Noel’s response. Noel looked at her curiously. Sue had already turned around, so all he could see was her back.

Turning her head slightly, Sue spoke to him.

“See you later… Yeah, okay. See you later. Bye.”

She knew he was a friendly guy, but she didn’t expect him to be so nice to Sue Byron.

*What a pleasant morning.*

 

* * *

 

It was exactly two days later that Noel finally showed up at the Black Eagle Class.

“It’s been a while… No, is this the first time since we were promoted?”

When he opened the door and entered the classroom, some of the students thought they were seeing things and rubbed their eyes.

“Noel!”

The first to welcome him was none other than Hanjee. Unable to contain his delight at the sight of Noel, Hanjee dashed to the door. Then, led by Hanjee, most of the students in the classroom flocked around Noel.

*He really came. Wow, look at how popular he is.*

Sue, sitting at her desk, watched the scene unfold at the classroom door, which resembled a fan meeting for a superstar.