Episode 24
I’m in such a good mood all day.
To think I can torment those two without lifting a finger.
Of course, I wouldn’t mind handling it myself, but…
Now is not the time.
I must focus all my attention on Dustin.
Since I haven’t ordered anything drastic, I just need to ensure everything remains discreet and hidden from Dustin.
What if Dustin or someone else finds out?
I’ll simply cut off the girl who carried out the plan and frame it as a solo act.
I promised those girls that the Dukedom would take responsibility, but I have no intention of doing so.
Why should I clean up their mess?
“Ah, where are you, my beloved…?”
I scan the area, searching for Dustin as usual, but his handsome figure is nowhere to be found today.
Perhaps he’s on another mission with the Knights.
“He could have at least said goodbye.”
I pout and continue walking when I spot that insufferable Yurius de Elliot instead of Dustin.
My face instinctively contorts in disgust. If a single wrinkle appears on this beautiful face because of her, I won’t let her off easy.
“Did I take a wrong turn? Where am I?”
I can’t ignore her now that she’s in my sights.
I need to put her in her place.
A mischievous smile spreads across my lips as I imagine bumping into her and then accusing her of assaulting a senior.
Luckily, there are plenty of students around.
I walk with a haughty air, making it seem unintentional.
As I approach Yurius de Elliot, ready to bump into her shoulder…
“Eek!”
I trip over something and nearly fall flat on my face.
“Oh, oh no! Are you alright?!”
I squeeze my eyes shut, but the anticipated pain never comes.
At this angle, I should have crashed face-first into the ground.
I cautiously open my eyes, only to find…
“…!”
Yurius de Elliot’s face is inches away from mine.
Wh-what, what’s going on?
Did she catch me?
I feel a small hand wrapped around my waist.
She’s shorter and more petite than me, but where does she get that strength?
She’s holding me steady.
“Are you okay?”
And that reliable expression…
Wh-what is this? What’s happening?!
“I-I’m, I’m fine…! Let go of me…!”
“Oh, thank goodness. That was a close call.”
She helps me regain my balance and releases her grip on my waist.
I must have stepped on my dress.
How clumsy of me.
Damn her.
She must be laughing at me.
I was so flustered, I even stuttered!
“Ahem, ahem. Thank you.”
I thank her, aware of the onlookers.
I would have been seriously injured if I had fallen, so I’m not entirely ungrateful.
But the fact that Yurius de Elliot was the one who caught me fuels my anger.
“You’re welcome. It was nothing.”
Thump.
Why do I feel a sense of reliability from her smile?
Wait, what’s this pounding in my chest?!
“I-I’ll be going now…!”
“Wait.”
“Y-yes?!”
My voice is uncharacteristically high-pitched and loud.
“How do I get to Class 1-A?”
“G-go that way…”
“Ah, thank you. You’re so kind. Goodbye.”
And that gentlemanly farewell?
Wait, shouldn’t I have given her the wrong directions?
I was trying to prank her, wasn’t I?
Ah, right.
There were too many people around, and even if I gave her wrong directions, someone else would have corrected me.
I’ll save the prank for another time.
“… Hmm, hmm… At least I didn’t fall.”
I absentmindedly touch my waist, where her hand had been, and mumble to myself.
***
Someone nearly fell right in front of me.
Thankfully, it was a girl, and she was light enough for me to catch her. If it had been a boy, he would have face-planted into the ground.
Forget about weight, I wouldn’t really want to catch a boy falling like that…
Ah, never mind.
Anyway, she was incredibly beautiful.
With so few female students, are they all this pretty?
Those cat-like, haughty eyes and that ample ches… Ahem!
“Sigh, she was totally my type.”
Her long, wavy hair looked like something out of an old comic book, but she pulled it off effortlessly.
Beauty truly is all about the face.
“Master.”
“Eek! You scared me! Where did you come from?!”
“Spacing out will make you stupid.”
I can’t afford to get any stupider… No, that’s not the point!
Who’s she calling stupid?!
“This is my laboratory.”
She changes the subject before I can retort.
“Oh, I’ve never been here before. Can I look around?”
“…Do as you please.”
Ah, she just smiled.
This girl was waiting for me to visit. Hehe.
“Getting lost wasn’t so bad after all. I even stumbled upon Celia’s laboratory.”
“Lost? Idiot.”
“Hey, the academy is huge. Anyone can get lost!”
All I ever do is go between the dormitory, classroom, and cafeteria.
No one can be expected to know their way around from the start.
Anyway, her laboratory is impressive.
It’s very similar to the one at the mansion.
“Ah, but I’m glad a kind person helped me.”
“A kind person?”
“Yeah, that person even had a kind face. And a nice body… Ah, ahem, ahem. That slipped out.”
I almost blurted it out while admiring her laboratory.
If I had said it out loud, Celia would have given me the “you’re trash” look.
“A man?”
She grabs my shoulder with a serious expression.
“What are you talking about? It was a girl.”
“…I see.”
I explained, but her expression remains unchanged.
Why is she acting like this?
Could it be… that she realized I actually like girls?
Ah, this makes me seem like a lesbian…!
But I’m a guy… Well, a girl…
Ah, no, a guy… Ugh, this identity crisis is so frustrating.
“Let’s go back.”
“Okay, okay, let’s go. You have a nice lab! It’s almost like the one back home.”
“A good research environment is important.”
That’s true.
A sudden change in environment could hinder research.
And it’s probably best to maintain similar conditions for stored samples.
I guess that’s how it works?
Honestly, I have no idea.
I don’t care about plants.
“Just one more class, and then I’m free. Ugh, theory is so boring.”
“I’m pulling an all-nighter in the lab tonight. I’ll be busy.”
“Really? Hmm, that’s a shame. Make sure you eat properly and don’t overwork yourself.”
Back at the mansion, she would often neglect food and sleep when she was absorbed in her research.
I had to spoon-feed her to get her to eat.
She’s still growing, but she’s so small because she always skips meals.
“No problem.”
She’s good with words.
“Then I guess I’ll have to commute with Lia.”
“Hair…”
“Hmm? Ah, I’ll ask Lia to do it tomorrow morning.”
“…”
She looks incredibly disappointed.
Ugh, it’s just braiding hair. What’s the big deal?
Back at the mansion, the maids used to do it for me.
There’s no reason for her to be so sad.
But if I say that, she’ll be hurt, so…
“Hmm, I’d love for you to do it, Celia, but you’ll be busy with your all-nighter, right? Could you do it for me when you get back?”
“…Of course. I’ll finish quickly and return.”
“No, don’t push yourself.”
Her expression brightens, her spirits seemingly lifted.
Well, I’m probably the only one who can decipher her subtle expressions.
We arrive at the classroom, and thankfully, class hasn’t started yet.
I walk in and slump onto my desk.
“Ugh, I wish we had self-study this class…”
“No way. Sit up straight!”
The teacher’s voice rings out with impeccable timing, forcing me to lift my head.
“Alright, let’s have another fun class!”
I’m too lazy to even take out my textbook, so I just grab my notebook and pen.
It’s mostly note-taking anyway.
“No book?”
“Hmm? I don’t know. I didn’t check.”
“Alright, everyone, open your textbooks to page 25!”
Oh, so today’s a textbook-based class.
“Too lazy. Let’s share, Celia.”
“Fine.”
I abandon my own textbook, covered in doodles, and share Celia’s instead.
Her textbook is so clean and organized!
I feel a strange gaze on me throughout the class, but whatever.
People always stare at me strangely anyway. What’s a little more strangeness going to do?
***
The girls who had been apprehended by Dustin were absent from class.
“Is something wrong…?”
“The teacher said they had personal matters to attend to.”
Before class started, they had secretly removed Yuri’s textbook from her desk.
A classic “textbook disappearance” bullying tactic!
Some classmates noticed their suspicious behavior, but they managed to brush it off.
“Sigh, I don’t know if we should be doing this.”
“It is a bit nerve-wracking.”
Less malicious than the girls from earlier, they couldn’t bring themselves to throw away Yuri’s textbook. Instead, they hid it behind their lockers.
They planned to return it if things got out of hand.
As class commenced, they nervously observed Yuri.
“Alright, everyone, open your textbooks to page 25!”
Aroa had informed them about the textbook-based lesson beforehand.
They had been told that Yuri would be flustered if they removed her textbook at the right moment, but they couldn’t fully grasp the purpose.
‘What’s the point of seeing her flustered?’
Well, it could damage her reputation within the academy if it happened repeatedly.
“Too lazy. Let’s share, Celia.”
“Fine.”
Despite their doubts, they continued to observe Yuri, ready to report back to Aroa. However, Yuri’s unexpected action flustered them.
‘She’s not even pretending to look for it…’
They had risked being caught to remove her textbook, and she wasn’t even making an effort to find it!
Their prank seemed utterly pointless.
“She’ll be angry if we report this… right?”
“…Probably.”
The thought of facing Aroa’s wrath filled them with dread.
“If only she wasn’t from the Dukedom…”
“We would have never participated in this.”
“You two! Pay attention to the lesson!”
“S-sorry…!”
Their minds were preoccupied, making it impossible to focus on the lesson. They pretended to concentrate, desperate for the class to end so they could report back to Aroa.
“L-Lady Greenton…?”
They expected her to be furious and demand an immediate report, but…
She was simply staring blankly into space.
“Uh, uh? Yes? What did you say?”
Her response was strange.
What was with that absentminded look?
“Ah, um… we came to give you a report…”
“Report… Hmm, report. Yes, go ahead. Where are the others?”
Noticing the smaller group, Aroa expressed her confusion, and the girls hesitantly replied.
“Th-they were absent from class due to personal matters…”
“I see.”
They braced themselves for her scolding, but it never came.
Today, Aroa was different, as if a screw had come loose in her head.
“What’s wrong with her…?”
“I don’t know…”
“It’s better than her being angry…”
“But this is also kind of scary.”
Their whispers were lost on Aroa.
Her mind was replaying the events from earlier that day.
The rizz is rate E for everyone