Chapter 53

“Chairman, Chairman!”

A cute-looking twin-tailed female student burst into the student council president’s office with a commotion.

It was Amy, a third-year student council executive.

As always, she hurriedly approached the student council president with a baguette in hand.

“Did, did you hear?”

“What are you talking about?”

Regina Ernbert asked without any change in her expression.

“Its Max guy… rather, Max Celtrine got second place in the second-year archery assessment!”

“Is that so?”

Regina’s expression remained unchanged.

True to her nickname, the ‘Ice Cold Chairman’, she was unflappable.

“Uh… Why such a reaction? Does this make any sense?”

Amy shook her head in disbelief.

She hadn’t noticed.

The slight, strange twist at the corner of Regina’s mouth the moment she heard about Max.

Of course, even if she had seen it, discerning Regina’s emotional state would not have been easy.

“Wasn’t he faster counting from behind in the first year?”

“Yes, he definitely was. But does it make sense for him to improve this much in just one year?”

“It’s not impossible. A year is a long time.”

“But, still…”

“It’s better to acknowledge what needs to be acknowledged. Or do you think there’s some variable other than skill involved?”

Amy looked disheartened.

Indeed, her words were not wrong.

Archery is an assessment where cheating is not possible, and one must rely solely on their own skills.

In other words, he achieved second place in the year purely on his own merit.

“But to improve so much in a year? That person?”

Amy still seemed unable to accept it.

She knew what kind of person Max was from her experiences so far.

A character with the worst personality, someone who had built walls between himself and effort.

It was utterly incomprehensible to her that such a person could achieve such results in just one year.

“That person.”

“Ah… I’m sorry if I was rude…”

Amy’s eyes rolled in embarrassment.

Even if the relationship was almost ruined by negligence, a fiancé is still a fiancé.

It may have been rude to speak so casually to the chairman.

She knew this yet kept slipping up in her speech.

It was telling of how little regard she had for him, usually.

In fact, until recently, he had been just such a person.

“No, it’s your freedom to call him whatever you want.”

Regina seemed indifferent to such matters.

Her words continued.

“However, it might be good to change your perspective. Once could be a coincidence, but twice?”

Amy still wore a reluctant expression.

But that was an emotional response.

Logically, she had to accept that there was some merit in Regina’s point.

Indeed, this hooligan troublemaker had changed.

Or, maybe he had been hiding his true colors all along, which was an unpleasant thought.

“Huh?”

However.

It seemed the esteemed student council president had a different thought.

Because she had seen it.

For a brief moment, a glint of interest had appeared on Regina’s face.

It was such a subtle sign that most people would never notice, but Amy was different.

Having followed her senior for a long time, she managed to catch it.

‘The chairman feels interest in that person… What’s happening!’

Amy was inwardly screaming.

Of course, it would be only a slight interest.

But even that was unacceptable to her.

“Amy.”

Regina called out to Amy.

“Yes? Ah, yes… Chairman.”

Amy, lost in her thoughts, replied flusteredly, her face turning slightly red with embarrassment.

“May I ask you for a favor?”

“Ah, of course. Please tell me.”

Amy responded readily.

Her attitude was fitting for the president’s closest aide who followed her around like a shadow.

“Thank you.”

Regina gave a faint smile and then tore a piece of letter paper.

She quickly wrote something with a pen and then opened a drawer to take out a paper that looked like a banknote.

‘A dining voucher?’

Amy’s eyes widened.

She recognized it as a dining voucher for an upscale restaurant in the central plaza.

Given that Lepheria Academy was full of nobles, such vouchers were often sponsored to the student council for promotional and courtesy purposes.

Such vouchers typically came into the student council’s possession to be scattered as events or festivals occurred or to be given as a reward for exemplary academy life each semester.

To use a dining voucher privately as the student council president?

She had never seen such a thing before.

After all, that wasn’t like her.

But what on earth was this about?

‘Ugh, for who…?’

It was clear this was a letter.

And sending a dining voucher with it meant an invitation to dinner.

Amy was dying to know who the student council president would go to such lengths for.

That is.

Regardless of Amy’s reaction, Regina took out an envelope, put the letter and dining voucher inside, and sealed it with wax.

“This.”

“Yes… Yes!”

Regina handed the envelope to Amy as if it were nothing.

“Could you deliver this to Max Celtrine?”

“Wha-what?!”

Amy’s exclamation echoed high in the student council president’s office.

—————————————————

The archery assessment where he placed second in his year.

Since then, the glances from the second-year students at me had changed quite a bit.

Of course, it wasn’t exactly a friendly look.

The majority were still filled with hostility.

If I had to describe it, it’d be ‘Why is the troublemaker suddenly getting good grades and acting up?’ kind of look.

Opinions were divided.

Some thought I had cunningly hidden my skills until now, others thought I’d been warned I’d be disowned if I failed during the vacation and had made a desperate effort, or perhaps I’d used some dishonest means to improve my grades.

Whatever it was, most of them now acknowledged one fact.

I wasn’t just a problem child with no skills; I was a troublemaker with talent, ready to rise at any moment.

The intensified wary glances were not just a feeling.

However.

It was different for my classmates in the common class.

They were used to being disregarded by royal and noble peers.

So, they seemed quite pleased that I had punched above my weight against them.

So, the way they looked at me did not seem hostile.

Not friendly either, considering what they had suffered at the hands of Max guy.

Although there were, of course, friendly people.

Like this person.

“Team leader, are you busy today?”

There’s only one person who calls me the leader.

Allen Benesse.

He started talking to me with friendly eyes.

It makes sense he’d look at me that way since I’m pretty much the only one who deals with him, given he’s such an outcast that he has no real friends.

Of course, I feel nothing when a guy like him looks at me that way.

“Always busy, why?”

I said dismissively, as if it was a bother.

“Um, well, it’s because I’m thankful and… I wanted to buy you a meal…”

Allen scratched his head.

He’s really not a bad guy.

More like a good guy, actually.

The problem is

he’s a bit frustrating.

“No, what have I done to keep hearing thanks? It’s nothing, so stop thanking me.”

I clicked my tongue.

He was grateful that I made the next contestants mentally stressed, not typical of them.

Because of that reflexive benefit, Allen ended up being 10th in our grade.

He was thankful for that.

But that was literally a reflexive benefit.

It wasn’t something I did with the intention of helping, so I shouldn’t be thanked for it.

Even after I made my intentions clear, Allen is still making a fuss about wanting to repay me with thanks.

Is it because he’s from the Benesse family, who never forgets a favor?

Of course, this wasn’t a favor or anything.

“No, this is definitely something to be thankful for.”

“Enough. I’m done.”

I got up from my seat.

Why would I need to possess someone to eat alone with this guy?

With so many heroines around, that’s just not right.

“Le, leader.”

I pretended not to hear and headed towards the back door of the classroom.

Just as I was about to return to my dorm room,

“Ugh.”

There was a girl in front of me, groaning in a way I couldn’t understand.

I recognized immediately that it was Amy.

She must be ‘blessing of the baguette,’ as she’s holding one in her left hand.

“Is there something you need, senior?”

She looks young and cute, but she’s a senior in her third year.

So I spoke to her with due politeness.

But then,

The reaction I got wasn’t great.

“Grr.”

Amy frowned and ground her teeth.

Were we this bad with each other?

Well, if it’s Max, then it’s understandable.

After all, he’s the messed-up fiancé of the student council president she admires.

“Is something wrong? You look… unhappy.”

“Tch, just take this.”

Amy handed me a black envelope.

“What is this?”

I asked, incredulous.

It was something I, as the protagonist, had never experienced before.

Well, given that the situation itself was completely different, perhaps it was to be expected.

Amy had no reason to dislike the protagonist, even from a position of non-involvement.

On the other hand, her face showed that she hated Max the worst.

“Hmph.”

Amy turned and left with a cold snort, without replying.

What the heck is this?

An event?

With an incredulous expression, I tore open the envelope.

Inside was

A letter and a meal voucher.

I tilted my head and unfolded the letter

—————————————-

I’ve heard your answer.

Honestly, it was more than I expected.

I decided to respond to that effort.

Come out if you’d like.

—————————————–

“Huh.”

The short letter had no sender’s name written on it,

But seeing it, I had a strange expression.

The handwriting.

I definitely recognized the handwriting.

It was Regina Erenbert, the student council president’s handwriting.

Even if it wasn’t for the handwriting, I would have known who sent it just by the person who delivered the letter and its contents.

“An answer.”

The last meeting where Regina said to prove my worth,

That was the last test to see if I had the right to maintain our precarious engagement.

Essentially, an ultimatum.

And the perfect results from the two evaluations after that were the answers to that ultimatum.

Luckily, it seems my answer was beyond her expectations.

Plus, she’s even willing to respond, so it looks like I passed the first hurdle.

‘This should eliminate the risk of breaking up right away.’

I finally smiled slightly, looking at the meal voucher.

It had the date and time of the meeting written on it.

This is obviously…

“Le, leader… Is something wrong?”

Allen then spoke from behind me with a worried expression.

He seems to have seen everything.

Since Amy, a well-known figure in the student council, came to find me, and my expression was not good throughout the conversation, he must have been worried.

“What’s wrong? Someone wants to have a meal tomorrow.”

I laughed lightly.

“Oh? Really? But you’re always busy, leader.”

Yes, busy.

But how could I not go out when my fiancée calls?

“I’ll go out when I need to.”

“Huh…?”

Why am I…? Allen looked shocked, like a puppy that had been abandoned.

I let out a chuckle.

“Dude.”

“Uh, yes?”

“It’s a love thing.”

“Ah… I see.”

Allen’s expression relaxed as he seemed to understand.

But now,

He looked at me with intense envy.

The idea of having a meal with a woman seemed to be the epitome of envy.

Well, I get it since he doesn’t really have any friends.

Hm?

I felt a moistness in my eyes.

Moisture was apparent in Allen’s eyes as well.

“What are you doing?”

Suddenly, Riviera showed up.

I’m so used to her ghost-like appearances that I wasn’t even surprised anymore.

“Good timing.”

“Hm?”

“Talk to Allen. He could use the company.”

In the end, Allen’s tears started to flow.

Those hot tears of the man seemed to even perplex Riviera, who is tough as nails.

She disappeared as if running away.

“I’m off.”

I disappeared quickly as well.

…………An extra must grow strong. Allen,