episode_0031

“Hey.”

“Guh—?!”

I grabbed Jim by the scruff of his neck as he made a strange noise and yanked him backward.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

“I need to talk, so step aside for a sec.”

“Don’t spout nonsense!”

Jim obediently stepped back at my words, but the one who actually responded wasn’t him—it was someone else entirely.

A girl with golden hair that practically screamed I’m nobility, her face twisted in anger.

She was my junior.

“How dare you speak to Lady Chris first—what kind of disrespect—”

“And who the hell are you?”

“Eh?!”

The blonde girl looked genuinely shocked.

“To live as a noble of the Empire and not recognize my face… I see now just how dissolute your life must have been, senpai.”

“Yeah, sure. Now that you see, move.”

I answered indifferently, making it clear I had zero interest, but she wasn’t backing down.

“No. I won’t. Someone like you doesn’t deserve to stand by Lady Chris’s side.”

“So you’re gonna try and stop me?”

“Yes, exactly. In the name of Ruby Kitokal, I will protect Lady Chris!”

“Ah.”

Hearing that name finally jogged my memory. The Kitokal Count’s family—of course, it made sense for someone like her to act as Chris’s self-appointed bodyguard.

That house had the skill and pedigree for it.

First Anna, now this junior Ruby—why were the people trying to protect Chris so damn persistent?

Still, she wasn’t enough to block my path.

“Impressive. Got it, so move. Next time we meet, I’ll greet you properly as Ruby.”

“D-don’t spout nonsense! Ugh… Even after hearing my family name, you’re still like this… I guess even rot can’t change the Graves family, huh…”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

Whether she was from the Kitokal family or some commoner off the street, I didn’t care.

“Whatever. I’ve got something to say to Chris, so move. Before things get messy.”

Behind Ruby and her followers, Chris’s expression looked deeply displeased.

She probably hated that we were wasting time like this.

“Ugh… Threatening us outright… Of course someone like you wouldn’t change. I almost believed it after hearing from Luna, but—!”

Luna?

Before I could even wonder who that was, Chris finally snapped and stepped forward.

“Everyone, please calm down. I just came here to eat, and my brother only wants to talk. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Chris stood in front of me.

“So… what is it? You’re not here to stop me from eating, are you?”

She’d been about to speak casually but seemed to remember the students behind her and hastily corrected herself.

“Of course not. Why would I stop you from eating? I was just curious. What brings our noble Lady Chris to such a humble place?”

I was genuinely curious.

If she wanted, Chris could’ve had food delivered to her dorm instead of coming here. There had to be a reason.

“I just wanted to check if my brother, who’s finally back at the academy, was behaving himself. I was planning to see if he’d cause any trouble here… but I guess I was a little too late.”

“Check on me?”

“Yes. This is a place where struggling students gather, after all.”

As she spoke, Chris smiled warmly and glanced around at the remaining students in the dining hall.

“If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like to eat here today. This dining hall, where all academy students can eat, is exactly where the student council should focus its efforts. I want to experience it firsthand and, if there are any shortcomings or areas for improvement, formally propose them to the council… Would that be alright?”

The dining hall erupted.

“Chris! Chris! Chris!”

“It’s really Lady Chris!”

“Even for people like us…”

“Lady Chris is the best!”

Her fan club cheered, praising her for her considerate actions, while the other students eagerly anticipated improvements to their meals.

But I couldn’t blame them.

The student council wielded absolute authority within Phend Academy—at least, when the headmaster wasn’t around.

“Everyone has the right to a proper meal!”

Listening to Chris, I glanced at the menu on my tray.

Honestly, even this was leagues above what commoners in this world usually ate. But no matter how poor the students here were, they were still nobles or elite members of their races.

Their idea of a “proper meal” was far more luxurious than anything a commoner like me could imagine.

In fact, most students nodded in agreement at Chris’s words, and some even had tears of gratitude in their eyes.

They probably thought she genuinely cared about them—but sadly, I could see the truth.

Her slightly reddened ears, fidgeting hands, and the way she kept glancing at me while speaking.

She just needed an excuse to eat with me.

Ahem. “Well then, I’ll begin my meal. Brother, if you have something to say, please come sit by me.”

“Nah. It’s not that important. I’m leaving. Enjoy your meal.”

“Huh?”

My appetite was already ruined, and Chris had escaped her awkward situation—so my goal in approaching her was technically accomplished.

“Ah…”

Chris seemed to realize my intention, clenching her fists in disappointment.

“I-I see. Then, go ahead first, Brother.”

“Sure.”

As I mindlessly walked past Chris, our hands brushed—

Fzzzt—

A faint ripple of mana flickered and dispersed.

“Huh?”

I quickly looked at the source—Chris’s hand.

Pale and well-kept, but once I noticed, it was easy to see through the disguise.

Blood was being held back by mana, and her torn skin was concealed beneath a layer of it.

“……”

Whatever had happened, there was no way she could eat like this.

Leaning casually against the door, I watched as her fingers trembled while choosing a menu item.

Seeing her stubbornly maintain her facade without even healing herself was frustrating.

“Lady Chris… Are you feeling unwell? You’ve been hesitating over the menu for a while now…”

“N-no, it’s just… there are so many options, I can’t decide…”

She lied smoothly, but the trembling in her hand only worsened.

“Damn it…”

I cursed under my breath and pushed off the door, walking back into the dining hall.

I’m such an idiot.

It felt disgusting, like I was doing something the original owner of this body would do. I hated self-sacrifice.

Grabbing an empty tray, I plopped down right across from Chris.

And of course, sitting faithfully beside her was one very annoying obstacle.

“What do you think you’re doing?! Sitting next to Lady Chris on purpose?!”

I waved off Ruby’s chirping.

“Whatever. Move. Let family eat in peace.”

“Hmph! If you think someone as rude and uncultured as you can make me back down so easily, you’re sorely mistaken! You only got lucky earlier because Lady Chris helped—”

“Ruby. Step back. My brother is right. Unless… would you prefer the Grave and Kitokal families to be seen as seeking more than just a transactional alliance?”

“I-I beg your pardoooon!”

Horrified at the thought of sparking a political incident, Ruby scrambled away.

“Sigh.”

After shooing Ruby off, Chris lightly waved her hand.

“Why the sound barrier?”

“So we can talk comfortably. All this Lady Chris and shall we nonsense is exhausting.”

“Then what happened to your hand? Who in this academy could’ve hurt you?”

“It’s not like that… You’ll just laugh, so I won’t tell.”

“I won’t. Promise.”

“…I got mad hearing those girls mock you, so I punched an academy pillar. That’s how this happened.”

“Pfft—HAHAHA!”

I burst out laughing.

Good one.

Chris puffed up, as if she’d known she’d be laughed at.

“I told you not to laugh! This is why I didn’t want to say anything!”

“Come on, it’s funny. I was seriously wondering who could’ve hurt you, and it turns out you punched a wall? How am I not supposed to laugh?”

“Ugh…”

Every building in the academy was protected by first-class defensive barriers, so reckless acts of violence were strictly prohibited.

Despite being the most diligent and well-mannered student, she’d thrown a full-force punch without even considering that simple rule.

If she’d been that angry, the insults must’ve been pretty bad—honestly, now I was curious.

“They—they talked about you like you were nothing! Like they knew nothing about you! When in reality, you’re the one who knows more than anyone! Even though those people deserved to die, if it weren’t for you, how many of them would’ve even survived—”

Tap—

I flicked Chris lightly on the forehead.

First time in a while, but it landed perfectly.