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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: TushChen
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Three days later.
Yuria was knocking on the door of the principal’s office.
An uncomfortable feeling was clearly visible on Yuria’s face without any attempt to hide it.
“Come in.”
Upon hearing the languid voice from inside, Yuria opened the door and entered the principal’s office.
A spacious and clean interior.
There were no particular decorations except for the medals and plaques bestowed by the Emperor, creating a desolate atmosphere.
There, a man was seen watering a bonsai tree.
The blond man, who now looked about twenty-five years old, smiled at Yuria’s visit.
He was in the middle of carefully watering the small bonsai tree.
“It’s a rare occasion for you to come on time when I call you. Yuria.”
“…I didn’t come because I wanted to.”
Yuria spoke sharply and stood in front of the principal.
The principal, Duke Bradley Bruno.
This man was Yuria’s uncle and the only surviving direct descendant of the former emperor when Yuria’s father, the current emperor, ascended to the throne.
Although the man appeared very young on the outside, he was actually well over 40 years old.
Chosen by a high-ranking constellation that governed time, he was maintaining his youth through a blessing.
“But are you really going to keep that?”
Yuria looked at the bonsai tree the man was watering with disgust.
It was obvious where he had gotten that twisted and skeletal tree from without even looking.
“The mana has been completely purified. Just think of it as raising a tree with a slightly unique appearance. My room looks so desolate, so I thought about adding one more plant.”
Yuria looked around.
Even if he placed that skeletal plant, it didn’t seem like this desolate room would suddenly look full of life.
“Then shall we slowly get to the point?”
“Yes.”
The atmosphere of the room didn’t matter anyway.
Yuria nodded and, following Bradley’s invitation, sat down.
“It seems a new troublemaker has entered our academy. Do you know?”
“…”
Yuria let out a small sigh.
Because it was obvious who he was referring to.
“Leonhart Deinhart. That’s the name you want to talk about, right?”
“That’s right. That kid is doing amazing things these days. Rumors are swirling.”
The principal said that while opening a file folder and looking through it.
“Synchronization rate of 88%… This is also a tremendous figure. There’s also a record of him completely breaking the stone during the second evaluation. And the accident that occurred during the third evaluation….”
The principal closed the file folder and handed it to Yuria.
“Even I would faint.”
Yuria opened the file folder in her hand with a pounding heart.
It contained a report written by Roman, the professor in charge of the first-year Magic Department.
While the reports on the first and second evaluations were surprising enough….
Third evaluation.
She had heard the report and knew about it, but she didn’t know it was to this extent.
Let’s put aside the fact that Leonhart, a mage, seriously injured her half-brother Baltan, who knew how to use aura.
That guy was arrogant in the first place, so he needed to be beaten up a bit.
Her uncle seemed to think the same way.
However,
‘…This is a bit.’
Yuria found a report on the Raven King’s contaminated zone
The total number of students trapped in the Labyrinth of Illusion was five.
And among them… surprisingly, the survivors were five.
In other words, everyone survived.
“One boy’s performance was particularly noteworthy there.”
The boy Bradley mentioned was, of course, Leonhart.
“He says it wasn’t him who cleared the Raven King’s contaminated zone. Other professors also say it was the work of the two saintesses. But I think it’s strange no matter what.”
“Why?”
Yuria asked back, slightly tense.
“If the power of the saintesses had been used, there would have been traces of strong holy power left behind. But do you know what was at that site?”
“Just tell me quickly.”
“There were no traces at all. As if some unknown power had swept through and passed that place.”
“…There’s no way such power exists, right?”
Yuria said that, but she was still nervous.
Leonhart had that kind of power.
The image of that boy moving surprisingly fast in the incident involving the ‘Room for Good Children’ and the girl named Livia.
And Leonhart wanted to hide his strength.
Recalling Leonhart from that day, Yuria quietly suppressed her heart that started racing uncontrollably again.
The image of the boy gently kissing the forehead of the aqua-haired girl who was lying face down crying.
‘This is too much.’
Yuria couldn’t believe Leonhart’s actions.
He confessed to her and immediately flirted with another girl.
Moreover, recently, even her close aide seemed to like Leonhart more.
‘And in that sense too!’
A man with a charm that captivates both men and women.
Recently, that was the impression Yuria had of Leonhart.
She hated him.
She hated him so much that she was jealous of herself.
“Do you really not know anything, Yuria? You were close to that kid.”
Yuria barely came to her senses at her uncle’s question.
No matter how much she disliked Leonhart, she disliked him, not hated him.
If Leonhart didn’t want to be found out, Yuria intended to protect him.
“That was when we were young. Now, I’ve only encountered him a few times.”
“Ah… is that so? Well then.”
Bradley stroked his lower jaw as if troubled.
Then, as if struck by a bright idea, he pointed his index finger to the sky.
‘I’m anxious!’
Yuria remembered well that whenever Bradley did that, he would make a bombshell remark.
“Then let’s do this.”
And sure enough.
“Have him join the student council under your supervision. And if you find any clue, contact me.”
“What?”
Yuria looked at her uncle with wide eyes.
What is he proposing?
“No!”
Yuria shouted loudly as if she was about to jump up from her seat.
Bradley couldn’t help but be surprised.
Wasn’t Yuria someone who was so interested in power and authority?
“Huh? Why? If you accept the young lord of the Deinhart family into the student council, the student council’s position will become even more solidified.”
“That… won’t work.”
Her face was gradually turning red.
He had confessed and been turned down, and now they had to face each other in the student council every day?
What if their fingers touched by chance?
They might be left alone together, and then they might start confessing their feelings to each other.
‘No!’
Just before her poker face collapsed.
‘Get a grip!’
Yuria barely came to her senses.
“That kid… has too much presence. His abilities are good too. If we carelessly accept him into my student council, it might disrupt the atmosphere.”
“Hmm, that’s strange. I thought you would rather have him join the student council and preemptively suppress him, considering how you are.”
Bradley’s judgment was accurate.
If it had been any other kid, not Leonhart, that would have been the case.
But Bradley was talking about none other than Leonhart.
Bradley didn’t hide his troubled expression.
“Then, let’s make one deal here. If you accept this request, I will become your political sponsor.”
“…What?”
At that, Yuria’s eyes widened.
If the current principal of the academy became her political sponsor, Yuria’s political position would increase dramatically at once.
For Yuria, it was a proposal that could be considered extraordinary.
“Why would you…?”
“I’m convinced. That boy has something.”
Bradley grinned.
His extraordinary mind seemed to have already reached the answer.
“I just need you to catch the last tail, Yuria.”
It was a difficult offer to refuse.
Yuria began to weigh what was better between the rush of her heart she would experience when facing Leonhart in the student council room and the political gains.
The result was…
‘I’ll manage somehow?’
An ambiguous answer uncharacteristic of Yuria flowed through her mind.
It was because the thread of reason had become blurred as it involved Leonhart, and Bradley’s offer was too tempting.
“I’ll do it. I’ll give it a try.”
Yuria nodded solemnly.
Bradley smiled and lightly tapped Yuria’s shoulder.
“I’m counting on you.”
With that, after exchanging simple recent news and small talk, Yuria left the principal’s office.
Of course, Yuria had no intention of simply handing over Leonhart’s tail.
‘Let’s discuss with Leonhart later and only pass on something very small.’
Then we would need to talk alone in a quiet place, right?
‘Alone… in a quiet place…?’
Yuria covered her face with both hands to hide her reddening face.
“What if we kiss?”
Yuria muttered very softly.
Originally, it would have been so soft that no one could hear.
However, Yuria was actually not very lucky.
A student whose hearing had become incredibly sharp due to a drug side effect happened to pass by Yuria and heard those words.
Not long after, a rumor spread throughout the academy that Yuria had a man she passionately loved.
Who that man was and what his identity was became one of the academy’s hottest topics.
Of course, Yuria, who didn’t know that someone had overheard, focused on the thought that suddenly came to her mind at the mention of being alone.
On the day the Raven King’s contaminated zone appeared, Yuria had hurriedly run all the way to the path leading to the forest, startled by the sudden anomaly.
It was then that Yuria’s eyes met Nias, who was running towards the forest.
“Please help me! Your Highness!”
Yuria couldn’t refuse the earnest gaze of the girl who spoke like that.
Yuria clearly remembered the part where she dropped Nias right in front of the barrier, avoiding the professors who were removing the barrier created by mana.
“I can’t go further than this. The mana….”
But then, something startling happened.
Before Yuria could even finish her words, Nias had leaped into the barrier made of mana.
“Thank you!”
The moment the surprised Yuria tried to stop her, Nias was already passing through that disastrous mana.
‘I thought she would have died….’
Nias was alive.
Although she wasn’t recorded as one of the five survivors because she had secretly escaped again, Yuria definitely witnessed that scene.
‘Leonhart… and Nias. What on earth is the identity of that child?’
Yuria recalled a few years ago.
The black-haired girl who desperately dragged the bloodied Leonhart, who had fought Cluac at such a young age, with an equally battered body.
Yuria still remembered the dark fear she felt at that moment.
‘Suspicious.’
Perhaps the one she should be investigating now was not Leonhart but Nias.
Yuria began to have such suspicions.
And those two were now where?
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Nias and I were petting a puppy.
For three days, I was busy receiving various investigations and giving answers, so I didn’t have time to go see the puppy.
Today, I finally had a chance, so I came to see the puppy Nias had mentioned.
“Spin!”
When Nias gave a cheerful command, the yellow puppy resembling a Shiba Inu spun around in place.
Its tail was wagging so excitedly that it was almost invisible.
“Young Master! Isn’t it super cute? Hic!”
Nias covered her mouth slightly with both hands and coughed.
After that, Nias smiled brightly, and a small blush appeared on her marshmallow-like soft cheeks.
Yeah, that’s right. It’s cute.
“It is.”
“Your reaction is weak….”
“It’s really cute.”
“It seems like you’re not looking at the puppy.”
Nias looked up at me, tilting her head as if puzzled.
I gently stroked Nias’ fine black hair with a good texture.
Nias closed her eyes slightly as if the touch felt good.
The sight of Nias, who must have closed her eyelids without any thought, looked so defenseless and cute.
I admired Nias’ relaxed face for a long time.
But suddenly, I recalled Nias’ lonely expression I had seen on the morning of the day the First Incident occurred.
Even though those black eyes that always looked up at me were gazing at me as if telling me not to go, I left that day as if nothing had happened.
If I had known that the Raven King would threaten Nias, it would have been different.
Anyway, Nias cried, got hurt, and ran to me.
At that moment, I also felt a lump in my heart.
I wanted to make sure no one would bother Nias.
The moment I recalled that, I realized what my obsession was directed towards.
I didn’t want anyone to take Nias away from me.
That’s probably why I dealt with the Raven King, who carelessly mentioned Nias, more cruelly than ever.
Somehow, at this moment, this defenselessness seemed precarious.
And I really wanted to have Nias like this.
I wanted to make her completely mine and never let her go.
I didn’t want Nias’ silent smiling expression to leave me.
My hand moved as if to prove that this girl was mine.
To prevent Nias from running away, I firmly supported the back of her neck by thrusting my hand into her fine black hair, messing it up.
The moment Nias slightly opened her eyes, trembling her long eyelashes, I kissed her.
Our lips gently overlapped.
A sweet breath flowed in, and I swallowed it in one gulp.
Nias, as if surprised, tightly gripped my clothes with her hand.
The light and soft kiss that only touched our lips continued, and when Nias’ trembling gradually subsided, I slightly parted my lips.
It was because I wanted to see Nias’ flushed face.
As expected, Nias’ heated face was tinted with a cherry blossom color.
The only thing that differed from my expectation was that there were tears in her eyes.
I kissed Nias’ eyes and wiped away her tears, ignoring her ticklishness.
“Pig.”
“Yes. Hic! Oh, the pollen.”
“Cute.”
“What? Not the puppy… but me?”
“Yeah.”
At my firm words, Nias hesitated and lowered her head deeply.
“I don’t know what to say.”
I laughed softly, finding those words amusing.
Well, you’re talking as if you knew well before.
“You don’t need to know. Because I know what you don’t know.”
Even if Nias didn’t know, I felt like I knew everything Nias wanted to say.
However, Nias seemed to have cleverly understood that I was treating her like a fool, and she made a sulky face.
“I don’t need to know what you don’t know either, Young Master.”
“What?”
I was startled.
Was there something I didn’t know about Nias?
Nias pondered for a moment and smiled brightly.
“You’ll know if you eat the lunchbox.”
Impossible.
“I’ll eat it… someday.”
Perhaps, someday, I would definitely put Nias’ lunchbox in my mouth.
Someday…
However, I, who was promising for later, accidentally ate the cookies Nias had left beside me while reading a book late into the night that day.
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