episode_0120

After lunch, Sepia and Loki were walking together across the academy grounds to attend their afternoon class.

The reason they were walking together was that they had the same afternoon class.

Although Sepia had gone to class with Loki a few times before, Loki, walking beside her today, felt particularly distracting.

‘We’re taking the same class anyway, so it’s more efficient to go together than separately. Yes, yes. That’s why we’re going together.’

If asked what made it efficient, Sepia wouldn’t have been confident enough to answer.

For reference, she had never gone with other special class students when attending the same class.

“Sepia-ssi, I am truly sorry about yesterday.”

Sepia, who was walking while stroking her spirit’s head to maintain her composure, suddenly heard an unexpected apology.

“Huh?”

Sepia, who turned her head in the direction of the voice, was flustered because Loki was bowing deeply, apologizing.

She knew he was far from normal, but she never expected him to suddenly bow so deeply in apology on the street.

That idiotic Hogu! What are you doing, suddenly like this in a crowded place!

Look, people are already starting to murmur over there.

“Isn’t that person bowing over there Loki-nim?”

“Looking at his red cloak, it seems to be him. But why ‘Loki-nim’?”

“He’s His Majesty the Emperor’s disciple, so of course you should call him -nim.”

“Is that so? Now that you mention it, it does seem that way.”

Hogu caused this scene, so why am I the one who’s embarrassed!

Sepia let out a silent scream.

‘Surely he doesn’t realize what a big topic of conversation he is right now?’

It was only yesterday that Hogu was revealed to be the Emperor’s disciple.

In other words, this is when people would be talking about him the most.

This idiotic Hogu seemed to either not know that, or didn’t care, as he just looked at me.

Of course, that’s not bad…

No, snap out of it!

This is not the time to be thinking such things.

“What’s with this sudden behavior?”

“I realized I forgot to properly apologize to Sepia-ssi.”

“No! I mean, why are you apologizing?! And stand straight! People are staring!”

Only then did the idiotic Hogu look around, scratch his head in embarrassment, and straighten up.

“Ahaha, so many people gathered already? It must be because Sepia-ssi is so beautiful, right?”

“…Ha! Oh, stop flattering me, and just answer quickly! What are you apologizing for?”

“It’s about what happened yesterday.”

“Did only one or two things happen yesterday? You need to be specific for me to know.”

Anyone seeing this might think Sepia was nitpicking, but…

Sepia truly didn’t know what Loki was apologizing for.

‘So many things happened yesterday!’

Fighting Daron and the disciplinary committee convening all happened yesterday.

But among those, there was nothing Hogu needed to apologize for.

It felt good to see Hogu flustered, but…

Receiving an apology without knowing the reason didn’t feel good.

“During the disciplinary committee yesterday, I asked Sepia-ssi to have tea with me, but then someone suddenly called me after the committee, so we couldn’t, right? It seemed Sepia-ssi was really looking forward to having tea with me, so…”

What, was it because of that?

But wait a moment.

‘Who said what?’

Sepia snorted outwardly and said,

“Ha! That’s absurd. I was disappointed because I couldn’t have tea alone with you, Hogu? Me? Ha!”

Of course! Just a tiny bit! As tiny as a spirit’s fingernail, she was a little disappointed, but it was unavoidable since His Majesty the Emperor called him.

‘But I will never say I was disappointed.’

Hogu already likes to tease me; if he knew I was disappointed, there’s no telling how he’d tease me.

“So, you didn’t look forward to it at all?”

“Th-that’s obvious. Wh-why would I look forward to having tea with you?”

Sepia, who didn’t notice the spirits next to her shaking their heads, twirled a strand of her pink hair as she spoke.

“Then there’s no need to make plans, I suppose. I was going to suggest we have tea together next time, but if Sepia-ssi didn’t look forward to it…”

“Wait a minute.”

Sepia cut Loki off.

No, you should have said that first!

And what do you mean, giving up right away?

You have no persistence, no persistence at all!

Even though I said I didn’t look forward to it, you could at least ask one more time.

Professor Alicia said Hogu was quick-witted, but she must have judged him wrongly.

“Sepia-ssi, is something wrong?”

Sepia, having no way of knowing Loki was smiling beneath his mask, quickly thought of an excuse.

“Listen carefully. It’s not that I particularly want to have tea with you, but if an arranged appointment was broken for any reason, it’s polite and common sense to host it again, alright?”

“Really? I had no idea. As expected, Sepia-ssi knows a lot, just like a noble.”

Loki asked back, feigning ignorance.

“Of course. I’ll specially have tea with you so you can maintain your manners. I’m emphasizing this again: it’s not because I want to, but because I’d feel bad if you became an impolite person.”

“Yes, yes, of course. If Sepia-ssi says so, then it must be so.”

“You don’t think I’m lying, do you?”

“Cough, no, of course not. Why would Sepia-ssi have any reason to lie to me?”

Loki pinched his thigh hard with the hand in his pocket to suppress the laughter that threatened to burst out.

Anyone would know that Sepia’s claim of not having looked forward to having tea was a lie.

He’d never seen someone so bad at lying.

“Sepia-ssi, we’ve already arrived at the class location. How is it? Doesn’t time seem to fly by when you’re with me?”

“…My head hurts because of you, so yes, it does feel like time is flying by.”

Oh?

That last one doesn’t seem like a lie, does it?

* * *

The class Sepia attended with Loki was taught by Professor Gedra.

Nothing particularly special happened during the class.

‘…No, actually something did happen.’

The water bottle in Sepia’s hand crumpled.

Professor Gedra’s class was a weapon-wielding class, where students paired up. Her partner was, of course, the idiotic, clueless Hogu.

It had been a while since she held a sword, but with Hogu’s help, she gradually got used to it.

It was a happy… no, an excellent class.

That is, until someone spoke to them while she was sparring with Hogu.

‘Since we wizards are paired together, could you perhaps teach us a little?’

Of course, she had no intention of giving up her happy… no, excellent class time, so she flatly refused.

If I hadn’t refused right away, what would Hogu have done…?

Would he have refused flatly like me?

No, if Hogu had the kind of personality to refuse flatly, I wouldn’t have called him Hogu.

Or would he have kindly taught them?

I wouldn’t like that.

They were women thoughtless enough to pair up as wizards in a class meant to learn close-quarters combat anyway.

There was no reason for Hogu to spend his time helping them.

“…So… how about… Sepia-ssi?”

Sepia was pulled out of her thoughts by Loki’s voice from beside her.

Right, I was walking back to the class with Hogu.

“I was distracted for a moment and didn’t hear you. Please say it again, just once.”

“I worked up the courage to say it, so I can’t just repeat it. Then, if you don’t have any other plans after school, I’ll assume we’re meeting.”

Huh?

Today? Hogu and I are meeting?

‘Why?’

Sepia, about to ask Loki for the reason, suddenly recalled what she had said earlier.

‘If an arranged appointment was broken for any reason, it’s polite and common sense to host it again, alright?’

No way, he just made plans right away because of what I said earlier?

Cute… no, it’s annoying!

At that annoyance, Sepia found herself grinning.

And she asked, trying her best to act nonchalant.

“…After school, exactly when will we meet?”

“Hmm, it’s best to meet as soon as possible, so how about right after school?”

But what on earth was this idiotic Hogu talking about right now?

‘He wants to have tea with me looking like *this*?’

Sepia lowered her head to check her appearance.

She had sweated a lot from swinging a sword just moments ago, and…

Her clothes were covered in dirt and dust.

‘He definitely hasn’t spent time with a girl before.’

It can’t be helped.

I’ll just have to take good care of him.

‘It’s truly troublesome.’

Sepia’s lips, thinking it was troublesome, were highly upturned.

* * *

Sepia, having set a meeting time with Loki, flew home quickly.

“I have nothing to wear!”

On Sepia’s bed, as she said that, countless clothes were piled up.

Sepia had never been very interested in clothes or dressing up until now.

However, Marquis Riveden and the Marchioness had sent her many clothes every year, saying they would suit her well, so she had many fashionable clothes currently popular in the Empire.

But to Sepia’s eyes at the moment, all of them were unsatisfactory.

Ultimately, after a grand council with her spirits, Sepia decided on an outfit and sat in front of her vanity with the heart of a warrior going into battle.

It was just that she hadn’t had a reason to do it herself until now.

She had learned how to apply makeup from her mother long ago.

But she simply couldn’t bring herself to reach for the makeup.

“This is not it. What’s so pretty about that Hogu for me to put on makeup to go out? Humph!”

Sepia abruptly rose from her chair and put the makeup back into the drawer.

And then.

She sat back down and took out the makeup she had just put into the drawer.

“This is… right! I’m just doing it once to see if my makeup skills have gotten rusty!”

* * *

Finally, after even spraying perfume, Sepia arrived barely on time for the meeting and stared blankly at an object in front of her.

“…You want me to wear this?”

“Yes!”

In Loki’s hand was the white mask he wore every day, and…

Loki’s face was covered by a black mask.

“But wouldn’t a dress be uncomfortable for training?”