Ch.3534. Rachel Ignite (1)

# 34. Rachel Ignite (1)

The Emperor left after finishing that conversation.

“What were you two talking about?”

“Nothing special.”

“It didn’t seem that way to me.”

“He said it would be difficult to earn his approval.”

Hearing this, the Empress smiled and asked.

“So what do you think about that?”

“I’m confident.”

“I like that response. Well then, see you later.”

The Empress also left, following the Emperor.

“Your confidence is truly remarkable.”

“Please believe in me.”

“They’ll probably think we’re already dating…”

“Especially His Imperial Majesty seemed to think so.”

After the Emperor and Empress left, my parents came over.

Mother was concerned about me.

“Are you alright?”

She must have noticed the Emperor’s expression and gaze earlier.

“I’m fine.”

“Well, congratulations, children. I’m proud that you’ve already achieved so much.”

My father’s words naturally brought a smile to my face.

Allin spoke with an expression that made me doubt if she was the same person who had been so uncomfortable earlier.

“This is just the beginning.”

Allin’s confident demeanor was somehow irritating.

“That’s groundless confidence.”

“The same applies to you.”

Our parents watched our bickering with pleased expressions.

Then they asked the woman standing awkwardly in front of us.

“What kind of relationship do you have with our son?”

She showed signs of embarrassment and slowly opened her mouth.

“We’re not in any relationship yet.”

This scene felt familiar somehow.

For some reason, I felt excited and asked her.

“Not yet?”

“Yes, not yet.”

My parents watched this scene with smiles before heading elsewhere with Allin.

Now only she and I remained.

“You look very beautiful today.”

“Didn’t you already say that earlier? And don’t people usually compliment the dress or hairstyle?”

“Is that so?”

“Still, it’s not cliché.”

Her bright smile eased my tension a little.

“I’ve noticed that many people are watching us.”

Even the people who had been talking with her earlier were now keeping their distance, just observing from afar.

“It will be even more so in the future, but don’t worry too much about it.”

“Are you concerned for me?”

“You could say that.”

While we were conversing, an unexpected figure approached.

A girl with sun-like red hair sat down at our table.

The bestseller of fire-attribute magic and princess of the Orion Kingdom addressed me.

“Hello?”

“Hello, nice to meet you, Princess Rachel.”

“You know me?”

“Of course.”

She was already famous, but had become even more so recently.

This was due to the fact that she had fled to the Kainis Empire because of the war and transferred to the Imperial Academy.

Rachel asked me.

“How old are you?”

“We’re the same age.”

“Really!?”

“Yes.”

For some reason, Rachel seemed pleased that we were the same age.

“Do you also attend the Imperial Academy?”

“Of course.”

Since she was my age, we would soon be in the same class.

“Then we’ll be in the same class?”

“Yes, I’m also in Class A.”

“I look forward to getting along with you.”

“Likewise.”

Rachel hesitated before speaking.

“Then I…”

“You can speak informally with me.”

Rachel asked with a surprised expression.

“How did you know?”

“Just a lucky guess.”

“Can I really speak informally?”

“If you do it first, I will too.”

Speaking informally first felt a bit awkward, or perhaps impolite.

Anyway, I declared that I wouldn’t speak informally first.

So Rachel reluctantly took the initiative.

“Alright… I will.”

Rachel was very awkward about it.

Beside us, she was watching our interaction with a displeased expression.

She spoke in a somewhat cold tone.

“You seem quite sociable.”

“That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”

Rachel looked at her and said.

“It’s been a while, Imperial Princess.”

“Indeed, it seems like it’s been almost three years.”

These two didn’t seem particularly close either, as the awkwardness was palpable.

“Princess, you seem to get prettier every time we meet.”

“I’m still lacking compared to you, Imperial Princess.”

“I’m going to get some food, I’m hungry.”

Unable to bear this awkward atmosphere, I went to get some food.

Since I wasn’t particularly hungry, I didn’t take much.

As I was leisurely filling my plate, Allin approached me.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m hungry.”

“That’s strange.”

“I’m human too, I need to eat.”

While I certainly don’t love eating, I felt slightly offended by her reaction.

Her plate was filled with desserts like cake and ice cream.

“You’ll rot your teeth at this rate.”

“So what?”

“Are you an elementary schooler?”

“I brush my teeth well.”

“Sure.”

As I was about to return to my seat, Allin stopped me.

“You’ve been too quiet lately. Is something wrong?”

“Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong. And if there is, I’ll let you know.”

Hearing this, Allin returned to her place reassured.

Back at her spot, Allin was chatting enthusiastically with her friends.

At times like this, she really was just an ordinary schoolgirl.

‘Worrying about unnecessary things…’

But it didn’t feel bad.

With this good feeling, I returned to my original seat.

“…”

“…”

‘What’s with this atmosphere?’

The two remaining were silent, looking in different directions.

She spoke to me in a rather dark voice as soon as she saw me.

“Why did you take so long?”

“Why are you two so awkward with each other?”

Rachel retorted.

“We’re not awkward at all…?”

“That’s good then.”

Anyone could see they were awkward, but I decided to let it go.

She also seemed unwilling to discuss it.

Still, I couldn’t just sit and watch this atmosphere.

“So when are you transferring, Rachel?”

Since we didn’t have much in common, we talked about school.

“In about two weeks, I think. Does the Imperial Princess attend the academy too?”

She shook her head and said.

“No, I don’t.”

“That’s a shame. By the way, how did you two become close?”

Rachel’s sudden question caught both of us off guard.

As we looked at each other.

“I introduced them.”

Rachel said to the owner of the voice, Allin.

“You’re Albert’s sister, right?”

Allin nodded and said.

“I was originally friends with the Imperial Princess, so I introduced her to my brother.”

“I see.”

She and I both sighed in relief.

Allin whispered to me.

“We need to leave soon.”

“Already?”

“Yeah, meet me at the entrance in about 10 minutes.”

After telling me this, Allin disappeared somewhere.

When I took out my phone to check the time, it was already past 9 and approaching 10 o’clock.

As I hurriedly checked the time, she asked me.

“Do you have to go?”

“Unfortunately, it seems so.”

Looking disappointed, she whispered in my ear, quiet enough that Rachel couldn’t hear.

“See you on Monday.”

I was surprised by her unexpected action.

My heart raced and my face grew hot.

“You seem to like this sort of thing.”

As she smiled mischievously, Rachel asked with a displeased expression.

“Are you two dating?”

It was a question I’d heard many times, but my answer was always the same.

However, this time felt a bit different.

“Not yet.”

“Not yet.”

I looked at her as she said the same words simultaneously, and she did the same.

We burst into laughter while Rachel sighed at the sight.

***

Rachel Ignite.

The princess of the Orion Kingdom and specialist in [Fire Magic] transferred to the Imperial Academy right after the title conferment ceremony.

Along with this news came some bad news explaining why the Knight Commanders and Heroes didn’t attend the ceremony.

‘But why is she sitting next to me?’

She could sit anywhere, but Rachel deliberately chose to sit beside me.

“Sorry, I’m quite shy around new people.”

“Someone who spoke informally to me right after meeting is shy?”

“That’s different…”

While almost everyone else was new to her, she was already acquainted with me and Chris, so this was probably the most comfortable spot for her.

But now I had one question.

“By the way, didn’t you guys come?”

During the title conferment ceremony, I never saw Chris or Raycle.

“I was there.”

“Me?”

“He didn’t come in the end.”

Chris pointed at Raycle.

But I knew Raycle didn’t want to come, so it didn’t matter much.

“Where were you?”

“When Her Majesty the Empress was giving her speech, I urgently needed the bathroom, and when I came back it was already over. And you all seemed to be having an interesting time, so I didn’t want to intrude.”

Chris seemed to be forcing her cheerfulness today.

She was smiling on the outside, but it didn’t seem genuine.

The reason wasn’t hard to guess.

I recalled the news I had heard last night.