Chapter 72: The Passion (2)

“Sis~~ Are you feeling any better? Are you alright now?

You didn’t come here forcing yourself while still feeling dizzy, did you?

Could you let me check your forehead for a second? I just want to check if you still have a fever. “

‘No, I’m fine!’ / Calm Emotion!!

“Please, don’t overexert yourself, Master… If you keep being stubborn, you could suddenly collapse.

 If you’re worried about class, we can explain everything to the teacher. Let me help you back to your room to rest—”

“I’m really fine!” / Calm Emotion!! Calm Emotion!! Calm Emotion!!!!!

“Hey! What’s everyone doing here? Are you all bonding with the Hero over here? If that’s the case, let me join~ hehe.”

“It’s not… like that…” / Calm Emotion!!! Calm Emooootiooon!!!

“Hey, don’t cling to her like that! Back off! My sister is mine, got it?

And newbies who’ve only known her for less than a month should step aside! Right, sis??? Hmph ♡”

Calm Emmooootiooon!!!!!!

…………………………..

………………

……….

….

And so, after a whirlwind passed…

-“Um, excuse me… Are you okay? Are you still with us?”

“…….”

Sion slumped against the back of the chair with a blank look on her face.

There are actions that go unnoticed until you start to consciously realize them.

Things like breathing or blinking, actions that are so ingrained in daily life that you overlook how often they happen.

It’s only when reaching an irreversible point that you finally notice their existence.

For Sion, the advances from the other girls felt like just that.

Since her reincarnation, she had grown accustomed to being clung to, brushing off the girls’ behavior as something normal.

Not only Isabella but even Sylvia, who was her family in her previous life, would often embrace her and call her cute.

To Sion, it felt as innocent as a niece’s affectionate antics, with no hint of desire involved.

But only now did she realize the truth.

The physical affection shared between girls, which doesn’t exist between men, suddenly struck her with surprising force and impact.

“So exhausting…”

Sion sighed, noticeably paler.

She had transformed into a man to avoid emotional turmoil, yet it somehow seemed even more exhausting than being a woman.

The thing is, Sion had more female admirers than male.

The sheer frequency of advances was on an entirely different scale.

Take Isabella, for instance, who would cling to her as if glued.

Seeing her, Exia cautiously suggested,

-“Wouldn’t it be better to go back to being a woman? It seems like the situation has only worsened.”

“No, that’s not it.”

Sion shook her head firmly.

Sure, the ordeal may have doubled, but her mental stress had decreased.

After all, being attracted to women felt less humiliating.

She could always manage her feelings using a calming spell.

The problem wasn’t the attraction itself but the shame of feeling it.

‘Although, considering everything, I may have overdone it…’

She couldn’t quite remember how many times she’d used the spell, but it was likely somewhere in the three-to-four-digit range.

Even with Sion’s vast magical energy, using magic this frequently would inevitably lead to limits.

Her mana reserves were now so low that she barely had any left.

She hadn’t realized how deeply suppressed her desires had been.

“Whew, but…!”

Sion staggered as she got up, grinning.

“That’s the last mandatory class. I managed to substitute all the optional ones with assignments, so I win this round…!

With no further plans for the day, she could return to her room, lock the door, and put up a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign.

Then she’d lie in bed and recover her mana until the morning. Perfect!”

-“…….”

…Though Exia thought to herself, wouldn’t this just mean repeating the same struggle tomorrow?

But she chose not to voice it. Sion’s eyes were alight with determination.

If only she’d heeded the warnings to cut back sooner, she could have avoided all this pain.

But did the length of that “thing” really matter so much?

Ah, men.

-“…Sigh, whatever. She’ll figure it out.”

Exia mentally shook her head.

There’s an old saying that a man is just a boy, no matter his age—a truth Exia now fully understood…

Meanwhile, as Sion reveled in her victory, at the back of the classroom…

“…….”

Therese, who had slipped over from the neighboring class, was quietly observing Sion from behind the door.

As always, her soulmate was right by her side.

“Hey, Marianne.”

“Yes, sis?”

“About the Hero… doesn’t she seem even more alluring than before?”

Therese narrowed her eyes.

Of course, it wasn’t as if Sion hadn’t been pretty before.

She’d been so beautiful that few could compare.

But her beauty had been like that of a finely honed blade, eliciting admiration rather than approachability—like a flower blossoming atop a steep cliff, impossible to reach.

Today, however, Sion looked different.

Instead of her usual elegance and dignity, there was a fragile air about her.

Her cheeks bore a faint blush, and she kept glancing around, tugging down her short skirt with a timid gesture.

Gone was the divine figure on a pedestal, replaced by a shy girl who could be found anywhere.

To be honest, my heart was racing wildly.

To put it more bluntly, I was aroused.

“Wow… Even if it were someone else, the hero acting like that is basically casting a widespread charm spell. Who did this? Who turned that respectable hero into this?”

I’d recently heard from Marianne that the hero’s behavior had been strange.

Out of nowhere, she started asking for recommendations for TS novels, which she previously had no interest in, and burst into uncontrollable laughter while reading stories featuring young girls.

So, I decided to check on her, and unsurprisingly, the atmosphere around her was noticeably different from usual.

Paradoxically, after transforming into a man, Sion’s mannerisms seemed even more feminine.

I wonder if she realizes that her shy, glancing expressions make the boys in her class much more hesitant around her…

“Once, the honorable ancestor Nelia said…”

Watching Sion, Therese closed her eyes with a solemn expression, muttering quietly.

“When a big change is apparent in a young girl, it usually only means one thing.”

“What is it?”

“That’s when… a person whom she loves enters her heart!”

Flash!

Therese suddenly opened her eyes wide and exclaimed.

“She’s in love!!”

“?!”

Marianne, who was listening nearby, gasped in surprise.

So, could it be that the hero has found someone she likes?

Has spring finally come for that rigid, strict hero?

“Wh-who is it? Who’s the person?”

“I don’t know that, obviously.”

Therese shrugged her shoulders.

It was only moments ago that she noticed the change, so there was no way she could already know whom the hero liked. She wasn’t a mind reader, after all.

“So, now it’s time to find out. Hero~~!!!”

“?!?! Wait, Sister?!”

Therese charged forward without a second thought, and Marianne chased after her in a panic.

Hearing her name called loudly, Sion, who had been walking down the corridor with a tired expression (which only made her look like she was lovesick in Therese’s eyes), turned to look at them.

“Therese and Marianne? Is something the matter?”

“Hehehe, no, nothing much…”

Therese smiled brightly and approached Sion.

“I’ll get straight to the point. Who is it?”

“Huh?”

Naturally, Sion was clueless about what this question meant.

Who? What was she talking about?

“What are you talking about? If the subject and predicate aren’t clear, it’s hard to understand.”

“Oh, come on, don’t play innocent~”

Therese was now right next to her, poking Sion in the side and speaking in a teasing voice.

“Come on, tell me honestly. You’ve found someone you like recently, haven’t you? This sister can tell everything, you know?

Just tell me who it is. I promise I won’t spill it to anyone.”

“What?!”

Sion glared at Therese with an exasperated expression.

Someone she likes?

What kind of nonsense was this girl suddenly spouting?

“Where on earth did you come up with that crazy idea? Sorry, but there’s no such thing.”

“There it is again, pretending not to know~

Then why are you radiating such a girly vibe these days? Can you explain that?”

“?????”

They were on completely different wavelengths, so their conversation wasn’t going anywhere.

Girly vibe, my foot.

She was already struggling just to calm the monster raging inside her, so what was Therese even talking about?

She was exhausted enough as it was.

After staring at her in disbelief for a moment, Sion turned away sharply.

“I don’t have time to humor you. If anyone should be providing explanations, it’s you,

Therese, since you approached me first. Next time, at least bring some reasonable evidence before interrogating me.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m busy.”

“Ah…?!”

Therese let out a surprised sound as she watched Sion try to walk away without looking back.

Then, suddenly, she shrieked and lunged at Sion, grabbing her by the leg and clinging desperately.

“Where do you think you’re going?! You’re not going anywhere!!”

“What?! What are you doing?! Let go of me!”

“No way!! Explain yourself before you leave!!! Explain yourseeeeeeeelf!!!”

Therese clung to one of Sion’s legs, screeching as she did so.

The hem of her school uniform skirt, holding a precious secret, dangerously fluttered above her head.