Chapter 137: Sweet day (2)

“It’s a Sweet Day gift, unnie! Please enjoy it!”

Isabella said with a bright smile as she handed over a carefully wrapped package.

Inside was a comprehensive gift set filled with all kinds of sweet pastries, including heart-shaped cookies, macarons, and cream puffs.

Of course, Sion tilted her head in confusion, unable to understand the situation.

“What is this? Why are you giving me sweets all of a sudden in the morning?”

“Huh? Unnie, you don’t know what day it is today?”

“? What day is it? Did I have something scheduled today?”

“Uh……”

Isabella raised a hand to her mouth, looking troubled.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t actually explained it to Sion before.

Normally, girls their age would already know about events like Sweet Day without anyone having to tell them.

Since Isabella herself had learned about it on her own, she had assumed Sion would naturally know as well.

She had forgotten that her diligent and reserved unnie wouldn’t be interested in such things.

Of course, that innocent side of hers was the cutest thing about her.

“To put it simply, it’s a day where close friends or couples exchange homemade sweets. I should have told you in advance, but I just assumed you’d know and forgot to mention it… Sorry.”

“Oh, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.

So that’s why the whole school seemed so excited this morning.”

Only then did Sion realize the reason behind the odd atmosphere she had sensed earlier.

On her way to school, something had felt off—everyone, regardless of gender or age, seemed to be floating rather than walking, as if they weren’t properly grounded.

Now that she understood, it all made sense.

“That said, I feel bad… I had no idea it was today, so I didn’t prepare anything…”

“Oh no, no, it’s okay! You didn’t know, so there’s nothing you could do.

As long as you enjoy what I gave you, I’m 100% satisfied.”

“Is that so? Still, I feel bad just receiving without giving anything in return.

On May 14th next year, I’ll make sure to prepare double to make up for this year.”

“Okay! I’ll look forward to it!”

Isabella beamed.

At that moment, Sion still didn’t think much of Sweet Day.

Sure, she had missed the chance to reciprocate because she hadn’t known about the occasion, but it wasn’t a huge mistake.

She could just make some sweets tomorrow if necessary.

She didn’t even need to buy ingredients—one simple creation spell would conjure up as many gourmet cookies as she wanted.

That’s why, even when she later received (suspiciously high-quality) cookies from Lancia and picked up a special cupcake from the Grand Mage through Sally, she simply thought of it as a lucky day filled with free treats.

Her perspective changed, however, when she ran into the twins after school.

“Ugh… This is bad… How am I ever going to eat all of this…”

When Sion visited the next class to find them, Therese had her head in her hands, staring at an overwhelming pile of sweets stacked on her desk.

Even at a glance, it was at least five times more than what Sion had received.

“I was already worried about gaining a little weight around my waist lately, and now this calorie bomb drops on me…

But if I don’t eat them, some of these will spoil quickly if left out at room temperature… Ugh…”

She looked genuinely troubled.

Tilting her head, Sion asked,

“Couldn’t you ask others to help you finish them? If you’re really struggling, I could lend a hand as well.”

“No… That just feels wrong. These were all given to me personally.

If I don’t eat them myself, it’s like ignoring the sincerity of the people who gave them to me.

If it were me, I’d definitely feel hurt if I found out someone didn’t eat what I gave them.”

“What? You mean… all of that was personally gifted to you?”

Sion’s eyes widened in shock.

So it wasn’t like Lancia, who had simply made too many and ended up handing out the leftovers?

That massive pile of sweets was made up of individual gifts from different people?

“Don’t mind what my sister is saying, Hero.”

Marianne, who had been watching from the side, suddenly interjected.

“She’s just subtly bragging, you know. Like, ‘I got so many sweets that I don’t even know what to do with them. That’s how crazy popular I am!’

Seriously, what an obnoxious way to show off. Don’t you think so?”

“Wha— No, I’m not!”

Therese shouted, her face turning red.

But her slightly trembling voice betrayed her, showing that Marianne had struck a nerve.

Marianne smirked and shrugged.

“You’re so funny, sis. Do you really think the amount of sweets you got is enough to impress the Hero?

This is like a caterpillar trying to act wrinkled in front of a silkworm. Right, Hero?”

“…..”

No… it’s not like I got that many, though…?

Sion found it difficult to tell if they were ganging up on her while pretending not to or if they genuinely had no idea what they were saying.

Judging by Marianne’s tone and expression, it was probably the former…

Clearing her throat, Sion decided to change the subject.

“Well, regardless of how many I received… If you don’t want to waste them, the best option would be to store them in a magical freezer and eat them little by little. The taste might suffer a bit, though.”

“Hmm, I guess that’s the only way…”

Therese nodded reluctantly, then gathered the mountain of sweets into her arms and stood up.

“Alright, I’ll head back first. If I don’t start cutting down now, I might end up overeating all at once.”

“Alright, take care.”

With that, Therese walked off in small, quick steps.

Sion watched her leave, and only after she disappeared past the door did she finally speak up.

“She’s really something. I didn’t realize Therese was so popular among her peers.”

“My sister? Of course she is. She has every trait that makes guys fall head over heels.”

“Really?”

Isn’t it the opposite?

She’s cute, sure, but not exactly exceptional in looks, and her body is just what you’d expect for a girl her age.

If anything, Marianne fits the traditional beauty standards much better.

Noticing Sion’s doubtful gaze, Marianne shrugged.

“Think about it. My sister is a super social butterfly—she’s friendly with everyone in school and approaches people without any prejudice.

Plus, she’s a bit of a tomboy, which makes it easy for her to talk to guys.

She always participates in sparring matches and sports events.

She’s easygoing, straightforward, and always has a bright smile on her face.

A lively, athletic girl who shares jokes, laughs at their banter, and isn’t afraid to break a sweat alongside them.

Isn’t that the perfect formula for charming adolescent boys?”

“…That makes sense.”

Now that she thought about it, it was quite logical.

People, regardless of gender, are naturally drawn to those who understand them and get along well with them.

And if that person happens to be physically attractive as well, it’s even easier for young boys to fall for them.

“On the other hand, with girls, it’s fifty-fifty. Some don’t like her and think she’s just flirting with guys all the time, but others admire her for being a dependable, leader-like figure.

But even if only half of the girls like her, combined with all the guys, that’s already three-quarters of the school.

That’s enough to be a real force to be reckoned with.

Honestly, if she ran for student council president, she’d probably win instantly.”

“I see…”

It was an unexpected side of Therese.

She always seemed like a carefree airhead, but it turned out she had strong social advantages.

Or maybe… it was precisely because she was such an airhead that people found her so effortlessly charming.

“Haaa…”

Suddenly, Marianne let out a long sigh and slumped over her desk.

“Honestly, I don’t care about anything else, but I really envy how popular my sister is. She even got a ton of cookies from the boys this time.

I wish I could meet a dashing guy like you, Hero, and have a sweet, romantic relationship…”

“Huh? From the boys?”

Sion (ignoring the latter half of her sentence) immediately caught the odd part of her statement.

From what Isabella had explained earlier, gifts exchanged between the same gender were meant as a token of friendship—an expression of “Let’s stay good friends.”

But when given between opposite genders, it was an implicit confession of romantic interest.

That was why even someone as obviously smitten with Sion as Prince Martin hadn’t given her anything—because he was already formally engaged.

And yet, Therese had received a bunch of cookies from male students?

“How is that possible? I thought exchanging gifts between boys and girls was basically a confession.”

“Normally, yes. But like I said, my sister is seen as ‘everyone’s best friend.’

So she received them under the pretext of ‘friendship loyalty.’

Of course, we all know what’s really going on. They might not say it outright, but deep down, every one of those boys has a little crush on her.”

Marianne smirked knowingly. Then she suddenly turned her head toward Sion and said,

“Though, compared to you, that’s nothing.

So, Hero, how many sweets did you get from the boys?

Since you’re everyone’s idol, I bet you got tons, not just from first-years but from upperclassmen too, right?”

“Uh…”

Not even one.

But Sion didn’t want to crush Marianne’s expectations.

She was looking at her with such excited, sparkling eyes, truly believing she must have received an enormous amount.

It also stung her pride a little to outright admit she had gotten zero.

So Sion cleared her throat and vaguely replied,

“Well, just… a reasonable amount?

Not that it matters since I have no interest in that kind of thing for the time being.”

“Oh, right. That makes sense.

You have to save the world, after all…”

Marianne sighed with genuine disappointment, as if thinking, What a waste of that perfect face.

Avoiding her gaze, Sion swiftly changed the subject.

“Anyway, how many did you receive, Marianne?”

“Huh? M-me?”

Caught off guard, Marianne flinched, then hesitated.

She lowered her head, fidgeting with her fingers before mumbling,

“Well… Unlike my sister, I’m just an awkward introvert with zero social skills…

So I didn’t get that many… I don’t have many friends besides you guys…”

“How many, exactly?”

“Uhm… I-I got four from girls…”

So far, that wasn’t much different from Sion. She had received a total of five.

However—

“A-and… two from boys…”

Sion’s expression grew serious.