But I Like That Cold Side of You.

When I was in the military, there was one person I could call my mentor.

Kariel Aries.

Although our meeting itself was coincidental, the relationship that followed couldn’t be dismissed as mere chance.

‘Are you Celia’s daughter?’

Well, he mentioned that damn mother’s name as soon as he saw me.

Of course, not only that woman but also all those who had affection for her were considered hostile to me.

Even the head of the Grand Duke’s family, whose scale and dignity are said to be comparable to a king of a country, is no exception.

‘If you’re Celia’s daughter, you must also be Sion’s daughter. I owe Sion a debt of gratitude for my life. I’m truly glad to see his daughter in a place like this.’

But although the first impression was a bit off, he seemed to be a good person the more I saw him.

Of course, being the most favored noble by His Majesty the great Emperor must mean he’s that amazing.

In fact, just looking at how he speaks, don’t you feel he’s an incredible person?

Surely, if there could be two suns under the sky, His Majesty would have appointed him as the second emperor, and must be sighing every night looking up at the moon.

‘Yes, Miss Seine… Before we get into the story, let me ask you one thing. Have you ever learned medicine following Sion?’

‘Well, I didn’t follow my dad, but I studied abroad in a medical powerhouse country for about 4 years.’

‘Your major?’

‘General surgery. My minor is pharmacology.’

‘Is it because of family discord that you, who should inherit the Bertayu family, are assigned to the assault unit?’

‘……’

‘…No, I won’t ask more about that. It’s ridiculous for me to care about other families when I’m already overwhelmed with taking care of my own family.’

It’s fortunate he was considerate about this part.

He must have guessed that there’s no light reason for a duke’s daughter to be rolling around on the battlefield.

Above all, it would be troublesome for the Empire if such a thing became widely known.

‘So this proposal can be said to be a result of some of my selfishness. Beyond not caring about the circumstances of the Bertayu family, I’m even considering hiding your existence from him.’

‘If I accept your proposal… you mean?’

Since I started from the bottom in the Imperial army anyway, I don’t particularly mind working under someone.

Of course, the evaluation would differ depending on what kind of work is ordered, but at that time, I felt relief even before getting to the main point.

That’s because the reason Grand Duke Kariel took notice of me was that he paid more attention to my father than that damn mother.

‘Seine Velvet. Could you, as a member of the army to be established representing this Grand Duke’s family, save the lives of people who would bleed innocently?’

He hopes to save as many people as possible until the war ends.

That was a story I wanted to welcome more than anything as someone with the identity of a doctor.

---

Anyway, for such reasons.

Kariel Aries, the Grand Duke of the Empire and the former director of Maris, was a figure who could be called my “mentor” to some extent.

He provided various conveniences even during the war, and afterwards introduced me to this teaching position at the academy when I was worrying about my career path.

“Director, may I come in?”

And now the place I’ve entered is the director’s office of the academy founded by the Aries family.

It was a place used by the woman who is Kariel’s granddaughter and the current director of the academy.

“Yes, come in.”

Yes, she’s a person I have deep connections with in many ways.

For the two years before becoming a teacher after the war, I was indebted to the Aries family in various ways, and personally formed relationships with its members.

But apart from that, there were quite a few aspects that were uncomfortable on a personal level.

“It’s been a while, Director Mariel.”

After greeting with a serious attitude, I immediately scanned the appearance of the person sitting at the desk in the office.

A woman with long hair in the characteristic crimson color of the Aries family.

From her sophisticated attire to her sharp eyes, she gave off a strong impression of authority.

Mariel Aries.

She was the person who became the director of this academy, succeeding my mentor, just before I was hired as a teacher.

“My, it’s been a while since I saw you, but your attitude is so stiff~”

At the same time, she’s also the one who provided me with the opportunity to enter this academy.

“I don’t think there’s anything particularly strange… Is there a problem?”

“A problem? Of course there is.”

Saying that, Mariel Aries smoothly rose from her seat.

The sound of her footsteps echoed repeatedly on the floor of the office, and finally stopped when she came in front of me.

“But when you were in the family, we used to talk about various things openly, and we did many things always sticking together, didn’t we? Strolling through flower gardens, having meals together, being by each other’s side even when going to bed……”

Well, that’s because at that time I was given the mission by my mentor to protect his granddaughter.

Of course, even when I was acting as a bodyguard, I didn’t find her this uncomfortable.

Until she took the position of director, she was a quiet and modest… young lady who gave off the feeling of what you’d call a graceful woman.

“But after coming to the academy, we don’t have much time to meet each other, and now that we meet after so long, even your complexion has changed a lot……”

“…Director.”

“Stay still.”

Smoothly, the director grasped my chin.

I could only calmly accept that action.

In the past, this young lady was someone I had to protect, and even now, she’s my superior, far above me.

“Oh my, your face has worn out a lot. Are you sleeping well these days?”

“…I’m always suffering from lack of sleep. Coincidentally, the health teacher often has night duty.”

“Oh dear, that’s not good. You should sleep well… Since it’s come to this, do you want to sleep in my bed for a while?”

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t have to decline~ If I say so, everyone will allow it.”

Of course, in some sense, the director is the highest existence in this academy.

Although it can be said that the principal holds the most real power within the school, that’s only on the surface.

One of the areas the director is in charge of is the ‘funds’ operated in the academy, and the amount that goes into making up this academy is enough to feed several large countries.

Anyone would consider it a blessing to receive the favor of such an influential figure, but……

“There’s nothing to be shy about, Seine. You just need to lie down on the bed and stay still… I can take care of everything for you.”

Yes, this is the problem.

That this woman has been constantly hitting on me since before I entered this academy.

“…Director, you’re too close.”

“My, our Seine… Are you perhaps feeling shy?”

“It’s not that… Director, don’t you have a fiancé?”

“Ahahah~ That’s just for show in public. The other side has already touched countless women besides me, you know?”

Of course, even when she was in the family, she used to express various worries saying her fiancé was a womanizer.

I felt sorry for her and comforted her, helped her a lot and made her gain confidence, but it seems that showing such half-hearted sympathy was a mistake.

It’s good that she gained confidence, but who would have thought she’d awaken as a lesbian.

“So Seine, you don’t have to worry. I’m telling you, if you just stay still, I’ll take care of everything, okay?”

Mariel Aries pushed me towards the wall like that.

What was uttered from her mouth was, as when I last saw her, a seductive whisper that stimulated the greed of the one facing her.

“Because Seine was by my side even when I was in the most difficult times. So I can do anything you want. Not only physical pleasure, but I can also let you handle this academy and even the Aries Grand Duke’s family as you wish~”

Haha, to be able to reign as the real power of a Grand Duke’s family that receives treatment as an independent country in the Empire, along with an academy invested in by the entire continent.

It’s something anyone would be tempted by, but coincidentally, my answer to that was already decided.

In the first place, I have someone I like.

Even if it can’t be realized, I entered this academy to keep maintaining that feeling.

“Stop joking around and tell me the reason you called me here.”

I smoothly withdrew from her embrace, removing the hand pressing against the side of my head.

It’s a situation where someone who knows her position would be shocked if they saw it.

“My, our Seine is always so cold~”

But she didn’t seem to find my attitude unpleasant at all, rather shrugging her shoulders as if it was no big deal.

It’s natural. As she too has responsibilities in the position she sits in, her courtship towards me could be said to be close to playfulness borrowed from old affection.

A ‘if it works, great, if not, oh well’ kind of thing.

As I only considered entering this academy as just a workplace, I had no intention of relying on her favor and sucking up.

For now, I only regard it as a relationship between a workplace boss and an employee who had some connection in the past.

“But I like that cold side of you.”

…Of course, the problem is that’s just my thinking.

-Click.

As I felt such worry, someone entered the room.

When I turned my gaze, I saw a man in a butler’s uniform entering the director’s office pulling a cart.

He was a teacher in charge of home economics at this academy and also served as the director’s secretary.

“Director. I’ve brought some refreshments.”

“Thank you.”

The moment the smell of freshly baked pie filled the director’s office.

Mariel, with her back to that smell, immediately opened and closed the window connected to the terrace of the director’s office.

“If we’re going to talk business anyway, it would be better to eat while enjoying the scenery, right?”

“…I’ll just follow the director’s will.”

Of course, if it’s the director’s suggestion, participating in a tea party during work hours should be fine.

The problem would be the considerable price that comes with it.

---

It’s easy to misunderstand because it recruits students from the entire continent, but Maris is clearly a ‘private educational institution’.

A place sustained by a foundation created by an authority with enormous assets, not by a country or international federation.

This foundation receives investments not only from the Aries family itself but also from various wealthy individuals, which means that harm to the academy could risk causing economic and international problems.

In other words, the peace that exists in this academy is established by creating such a sense of crisis.

“Managing the academy in that way, persuading the necessary sponsors and managing money is my role as the director, and what has been created as a result of those efforts is this vast city spread out before us now.”

Mariel looked out from the terrace while savoring tea and refreshments.

When talking about official matters, she possessed seriousness and dignity.

If I had been a man like in my previous life, I might have been captivated. Of course, now that I think of myself as a woman, that won’t happen.

“Now then, a question for our Seine.”

As I was casually drinking coffee like that, Mariel pointed outside the terrace with her fork and asked a question.

“Who do you think are the sponsors who have contributed the most to the growth of that city?”

Various facilities located outside the huge building of the academy. The vast city that exists beyond the forests and mountains surrounding it.

The academic city built around this academy was on a different scale from ordinary city-states, to the extent that traces of it could be seen up to the gateway at the edge of the horizon.

How easy do you think it is to maintain such a place neutrally, without backing from any country or force?

“…Merchants?”

“That’s the textbook answer.”

Yes, that would normally be the correct answer.

However, although this place started from a Grand Duke’s family, it’s currently a neutral institution that doesn’t have power in any place including the Empire.

It wouldn’t be easy to maintain that system with orthodox methods.

“But merchants use most of the money they earn for reinvestment. Since they don’t usually pour all that investment into one place, the actual cost they put into our side can’t be said to be much compared to the proportion of assets they have.”

“Still, I think the amount they invest is more than that of ordinary nobles or royalty……”

“A low proportion means that the importance of the investment is lower. There’s nothing more foolish than staking everything on forces that can leave at any time if things go wrong.”

Does that mean we can’t demand much from this side as well since their perception is light?

Then even if a lot of budget is tied up, the priority would inevitably be lower.

Mariel spoke while scooping up a spoonful of cake in front of her.

“On the other hand, in the case of forces with a high proportion of investment, they often can’t easily uproot their roots planted here as they sometimes stake even the survival of their group. Moreover, if that force is in a state of competition, they’ll have no choice but to tie themselves to this place even more.”

Entities that boldly invest a considerable amount of the wealth operated by individuals or groups, and can also prepare for bleeding in the nerve war with forces engaged in the same field…

Of course, merchants who clearly aim for profit and loss calculations wouldn’t consider it at all, but there aren’t many forces that can invest on par with them.

As such, it’s not difficult to derive the answer by process of elimination.

“…Religious orders?”

“Yes, unlike merchants, religious orders are groups that gain power and assets through propagation itself.”

Mariel’s eyes began to shine as she looked around the city while eating cake.