episode_0024

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I opened my eyes in bed to the sound of birds chirping outside and sunlight streaming through the curtains.

The day has dawned again.

It would be okay if the sun didn’t rise for a day or so.

I really want that.

Although I felt awkward about starting a new day again, I got up with a furrowed brow.

The world has always flowed on like a stream, without stopping, regardless of my will.

Today, too, I must head to the academy without fail.

The Academy has one less person to welcome me.

I sat on the edge of the bed with a sleepy, dazed face, mumbling to myself.

“Lunchbox… I guess I won’t need it anymore.”

In many ways, doing things for others has become a hassle now.

I no longer want to waste my time trying to win over other people’s favor.

And indeed, everyone’s business was over, so there was no reason to continue this useless behavior any longer.

As for Lucica, there will be no more mixing of words at the Academy.

Everything that happened on the way home yesterday was real.

I couldn’t quite imagine how much she would hate me now, but one thing was certain.

Until Lucica herself spoke to me first, we were just strangers.

Maybe I could have been the first to actively apologize and approach her, and try to restore our relationship with the friendship I still have… but I didn’t really want to do that.

I was starting to feel mentally tired, and I didn’t really have any more energy to pour out.

In Seldianne’s case, the relationship that connected me and her was a mealtime where we gave and took as if it were a competition.

From the beginning, it was a relationship that had continued because we didn’t want to bend each other’s pride, so the last thing I had to do was put my pride aside first.

This was just my area of freedom, without any permission required.

Since we weren’t meeting with particularly friendly feelings towards each other, it wouldn’t be a problem if we unilaterally cut off all ties.

Perhaps he himself would be happy, since he had won the battle of pride and could stop having to entertain the commoners. That was the expectation.

More than anything, I was sick and tired of hearing discrimination every time I met someone.

In the case of Senior Perjena, I don’t think you need to worry about her since she likes to be alone and I haven’t seen her often.

Since you asked me to only show my face sometimes, I guess it’s okay if I don’t have a packed lunch or something.

And Heidi is… um…

“Well, I’ll take care of it.”

Let’s leave her out of the discussion since she won’t deny anything I do.

To conclude, it was like this.

I can now do whatever I want freely at the Academy.

Tirisia, Lucica, Heidi, Celdianne, and Senior Perjena,

I didn’t care what anyone thought. My time was completely mine.

It felt awkward yet refreshing.

I’m stuck in the mud, but it feels like the chains that were binding me have been thrown off.

“Then… shall we go?”

I forced myself to wake up from my sinking mind and got up.

*

“I fought with Lucica.”

As I headed to the academy with Tirisia, I brought up the subject casually.

“Huh? Why?”

Startled, jade-colored eyes turned to me.

“I guess it’s just hard to accept that we broke up.”

“Ah… ”

At those words, Tirissia nodded as if she understood his feelings.

“Yeah… Lucica could definitely do that.”

I told her, who was gloomy, the truth that I had to make clear.

“She’s really mad at me, so don’t go and try to mediate and just leave her alone to think about it. Okay?”

“But… shouldn’t I explain it again so Lucica can understand?”

Tyrisia is fidgeting with her fingers, looking anxious.

But I shook my head firmly.

“She won’t understand. Because what she wants is for us not to break up.”

“Ah… ”

“That’s impossible. You’ll eventually have to reveal that you’re seeing another man sooner or later.”

“That’s… ”

When I brought up the subject of her dark past, she lowered her head and lowered her voice.

Yes. Now that she has announced her breakup with me, Tirissia can reveal the existence of Kelg Durakal to everyone.

They still needed a little more space, but neither she nor he could continue their relationship in the shadows forever.

Especially Kelg, the man, would definitely want to show off his achievements to the world.

So, of course, it was impossible for Tirisia to free Lucica’s heart, but I asked her to hear her own definitive answer.

“Or, can you honestly tell Lucica that you’re breaking up because she cheated on you?”

“… … ”

silence.

Tirisia waited silently for my next words without raising her head.

I didn’t mean to criticize her, but honestly, from Tirisia’s perspective, she would have nothing to say even if she had ten mouths.

The appearance of just hesitating, unable to deny or confirm.

“Look at that.”

I shrugged my shoulders and sighed, not wanting to see that sight for too long.

“Now, Lucica’s feelings are something we can’t do anything about, and fortunately, it’s not you who’s being hated, but me, so just stay still. If you interfere, you never know. Things might get even worse.”

Even if I conveyed to Tirisia the sincerity that Lucica had poured out yesterday, it would be of no help in the current situation.

At best, it would only add a little more stone to Tirissia’s conscience.

“… That’s right.”

Tirisia finally nodded, realizing that it was not a situation she could handle.

“I’ll try to cheer him up later. So leave it to me for now, and focus on your work from now on. Got it?”

“… Yeah, I got it.”

After reaching that agreement, we quietly walked back to the academy.

It was the beginning of the first day of our official breakup.

*

As expected, when I arrived at the academy, I felt many eyes on me.

In the hallways, in the classroom, and in the bathroom.

There was murmuring in the crowd all around.

“Did you hear? That guy… broke up with Miss Brewery.”

“After chasing after me like that, I guess you finally gave up… ”

“Well, what’s going to happen is going to happen. How can a commoner fight with Brewery… ”

News of the Academy’s most famous celebrity’s failure had already spread among most of the students.

The source is probably… the Seldianne gang.

Even if it was Seldianne herself, there was no way the aides on either side would not go around talking about this good news.

The miserable ending of a commoner who dared to covet the daughter of a noble family without even knowing it.

Well, I guess it was spread like this.

I don’t care how my image was distorted, but in the current situation, the malice was actually helpful.

Thanks to that, the whole school found out overnight that Tirisia had become a solo artist.

If Kelg Durakal appears later, students who hear the rumor late will not get the order wrong and end up talking nonsense.

In front of everyone, naturally.

The commoner Erto quietly steps back and Kelg Durakal takes his place.

Even if this process unfolds somewhat hastily, no one will question it as long as the order is right.

Because no one would think that Tirissia was cheating.

It would be natural for everyone’s eyes to be on the commoner Erto.

And next to Tirisia is the chairman’s only son, a man of equal standing to Brood.

This is enough for now.

Although Lucica’s anger was a bit unexpected, the board was set without any major problems.

Now all that’s left is to… spend some time for myself and quietly watch over Tirisia.

And watching Kelg Durakal.

My last remaining role was to watch until the end, no matter what ending the two of them had.

*

Ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-

The bell rings to signal the end of morning classes.

It’s lunch time.

Since I decided not to pack a lunch from today, I headed to the restaurant to eat alone.

The moment I turned the corner of the hallway, mingling with the crowd heading to their respective dining places,

“Uh.”

“Ah.”

I came face to face with a girl with cherry-colored twintails.

“… ”

I did as she told me and looked at her face quietly without saying a word.

“… … ”

Lucica paused for a moment, looking like she wanted to say something to me,

“Tsk.”

He clicked his tongue and passed me by.

Well, it would be too greedy to expect a change of heart overnight.

Anyway, judging from the expression on his face just now, it seems like he doesn’t have anything to say, so let’s just leave him alone until he opens his mouth first.

I sighed and started walking along the road I was on,

Kkuk-

Suddenly someone grabbed my shoulder from behind.

“Huh?”

When I looked back, there was a huge shadow that was about a head taller than me, and I didn’t know when it had come.

“Hello, Heidiera.”

I looked up at her bangs and said hello.

“Bar, nice to meet you, Lord Leto.”

“You still walk around like a ghost without making a sound.”

“shi, are you going to eat?”

“Yeah. But today I’m just going to eat at a restaurant.”

As he said this with a shrug, a color suddenly appeared on Heidiera’s gloomy face.

It was an eerie smile, like a ghost tearing its mouth apart.

“Is that so…? Oh, that’s perfect timing! Please spend time with me today.”

“Huh? What’s going on?”

“I don’t have any special business to attend to, but… ”

As she said that, Heidiera held out a lunch box wrapped in an exotic cloth.

“Today, I prepared something for Lord Leto.”

“Huh?”

I’ve never heard that Heidi likes cooking.

What’s going on?

Although I felt doubtful, I nodded for the time being.