SPO 22

Chapter 22

The classroom was completely empty.

I wanted to sit in a corner, but reality won out, and I took a seat by the window not too far from the front.

Scrape.

Before long, students began filing into the room. I propped my chin on my hand and stared out the window, using the rising murmur of voices as background noise.

The landscaping outside was so beautiful it still felt unreal, no matter how many times I saw it.

Thud.

At the light sound of a bag being set down, I turned my head and met Lihart’s eyes.

My gaze drifted to the bandage stuck to his cheek. He gave a casual nod of greeting and sat down.

There are plenty of empty seats—why sit here?

“Lihart! What happened to your face?”
“Who on earth would do this to the future of the Empire…?”
“Shouldn’t this be reported immediately?”

It was the exact same scene as yesterday, and I was the one getting nervous.

He’s not going to accuse me of attempted regicide or something, right?

It was a fair and square duel.

But the moment I remembered that I’d basically used the Crown Prince’s face and body like a punching bag, my face went pale.

“Ah, this?”

Lihart’s drawn-out tone made my shoulders twitch for no reason.

But his answer was completely unexpected.

“A wound of honor.”

He grinned, the corner of his lips curling up. Everyone was momentarily mesmerized—until he firmly cut them off, making it clear he wouldn’t answer any more questions.

The usual morning chaos lingered in the classroom.

I mindlessly copied the white chalk marks from the green board when my eraser slipped from my hand.

“Ah.”

It bounced across the floor a couple of times before disappearing from view entirely.

“……”

I’ll pick it up later.

Just as I turned my attention back to my notebook, the large figure beside me bent down.

Thud.

Without a word, Lihart placed the eraser on my desk and went right back to staring at the board, his posture perfectly composed.

Since when did he start doing nice things like this…?

I glanced at his straight nose and reached for the eraser—only to notice a folded note underneath it.

My eyes narrowed.

Don’t tell me he’s asking for another duel or something weird.

Pouting slightly, I unfolded the paper.

Are you feeling okay?

“……”

Is the world ending today or something?

I blinked a few times and looked over, only to meet Lihart’s eyes again. Unlike before, his green eyes were clear and bright—almost lively.

I slowly picked up my pen and wrote a short reply.

Yeah.

For some reason, Lihart looked pleased when he read it.

The stiffness that always clung to his face was gone; for once, he actually looked like a student.

Maybe that was why.

I found myself matching his rhythm, continuing the trivial exchange of notes.

Nice weather for sword training today.
Yeah. I saw a few people out at the training grounds at dawn.
Dawn?
Yeah. I went to morning prayers.

Since I needed to emphasize that I was a devout follower of Yehisha to get close to Johan anyway, there was no reason to hide it.

Then something occurred to me, and I wrote again.

Lena’s coming tomorrow. You know, right?

I didn’t know if he’d met Lena during her recuperation, but surely he knew this much.

When I tapped his frozen pen and looked up at him, his expression was unexpected.

“…Lihart?”

I whispered softly. Only then did he respond.

“How do you know Lena?”
“She’s my friend.”
“Friend?”

Lihart’s face twisted, as if he’d heard something absurd.

Well, it’s not easy to imagine a connection between a declining baron’s family and a renowned duke’s daughter.

I scratched my cheek and muttered,

“We were playmates when we were kids.”
“That’s impossible.”

His expression didn’t soften at all. His firm denial left me more flustered than him.

Is it because the difference in status is like heaven and earth?

I frowned, displeased by my own conclusion. Only then did Lihart look uncomfortable.

He even started stammering, clearly shaken.

“L-Lena should’ve arrived yesterday.”
“What?”

We stared at each other in silence for a moment.

Did her schedule change and she came a day early?

I was startled by the discrepancy, but the thought that I’d get to see Lena a day sooner made my spirits lift instantly.

Because of that, I completely missed the look on Lihart’s face afterward.

“Lena Dicliffe.”

I traced the familiar name written beside the door with my eyes.

It was a name I’d written countless times by hand in letters over the years.

“Status window.”

Just in case, I uttered the embarrassing word, and a small window appeared before my eyes.

But unlike usual, there was an additional pink window floating there.

[Show Lena around the academy.
Reward upon success: +3 Charm!]

Only then did it feel real.

So it’s really starting.

In Deux Mea, after a short tutorial, the player immediately enrolls in the academy.

And the very first person the player—now Lena—meets is Archel Nodovan.

I licked my dry lips and knocked on the door.

“……”

Did she go to the faculty office? Maybe no one was inside yet?

I was even more nervous than during Judea’s entrance exam.

Unlike the warm air in the hallway, my hands grew colder by the second.

Just as I was about to give up and turn away, the door—one I thought would never open—finally did.

“……”
“……”

I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the figure slowly revealed through the gap.

Her beauty was so overwhelming it stole my breath.

Now I understood why every male character came flocking in a chain of hidden routes the moment Lena so much as brushed against them.

So this is what it means when they say a face tells a story.

Ruby-red eyes like jewels, framed by long lashes, captured my gaze instantly.

Her milky-white skin contrasted with jet-black hair that seemed to gather every beautiful night in existence—mysterious to the point of awe.

From her neat forehead to her high nose and slender chin, the lines flowed softly, yet her features were strikingly distinct.

The precarious balance between innocence and decadence made it hard to keep my composure.

Is it even legal for a seventeen-year-old to look like this?

Her expressionless face only heightened that enigmatic aura.

“H-hi.”

I stammered like an idiot.

I want to bite my tongue and disappear.

I’d boldly sworn an oath in front of the entire student body—so why was I like this now?

Forcing my facial muscles to relax, I opened my mouth, trying not to shake.

“I’m Archel Nodovan.”

After staring at me without expression for a while, Lena finally lifted the corners of her lips ever so slightly.

“Come in.”

She turned and walked inside.

She remembered me.

Of course she did—we’d exchanged letters for years. Still, an inexplicable surge of emotion rose from my toes.

I carefully stepped into the room and closed the door.

Her room had the same layout as mine, but since she had it to herself, it felt much more spacious.

Lena—who must have grown a lot—was at least a head taller than me now, like a proud princess.

No, she was closer to a queen.

Trying to get the conversation going, I asked a clichéd question.

“Have you been well?”

To hide my awkwardness, I fiddled with the hem of my uniform skirt.

“You already know.”

Unlike me, Lena didn’t avert her eyes or look away.

Her unexpected attitude melted my tension instantly, like ice thawing.

Seeing her expression—as if she didn’t understand why I was acting coy—made a laugh slip from my lips.

After that, time flowed like water.

Lena knew every detail of my life, so no matter what I brought up, she already knew it all.

Because of that, no matter how the topic jumped around, the conversation stayed smooth and natural.

“So I declared myself Lihart’s rival, and after that he seems kind of nicer. He even sat next to me today.”

Tap.

Lena’s eyebrow shot up.

“Next to you?”

Startled, I waved my hands in quick denial.

They’re engaged, after all. I shouldn’t interfere over something like this.

“There was no other seat.”

I tried to smooth things over with a well-meaning lie, but distrust was already written all over Lena’s face.

To change the subject, I suddenly grabbed her hand.

“…Anyway, I’m really glad you’re here. I don’t have any friends at the academy.”

I left out the part about not feeling the need to make any.

Janet briefly crossed my mind, but I brushed it aside.

As I smiled brightly, Lena lowered only her eyes, staring intently at our joined hands.

Did I go too far, seeing her again after so long?

Judging by the way the tips of her ears turned red, she looked embarrassed.

When I leaned closer to read her expression, a thunderbolt of a command fell.

“Go back now.”
“…Already?”

I looked up at Lena with the despair of a raccoon staring at cotton candy dissolving in water.

Do you know how many years it’s been since we last met? I have so many things I couldn’t say in letters!

I wanted to cling to her shoulders and whine.

But when I glanced out the window, the sun had already set, making it hard to insist.

Today’s not the only day.

Pouting, I followed Lena as she stood up.

Then I remembered something important and tossed out the bait as naturally as I could.

“Lena, I’ll show you around the academy.”

I thought she’d accept without hesitation, but that was just my wishful thinking.

“Is there really a need to tour the academy?”

She looked like she was saying she’d figure it out as she went.

It was a perfectly reasonable point, so in my haste, I tightly clasped both her hands.

“I really want to do it for you. Because it’s you.”

Lena’s shoulders jolted.

Her ears were even redder than before—she seemed flustered.

Seeing someone who looked like she could maintain a poker face no matter what turn this red was surprising.

She’s so cute.

As I watched the color creep all the way down her neck, a small voice slipped through her lips.

“Okay, so… let go… of my hand…”
“Hm? What did you say?”

Since her voice was barely audible, I leaned in closer to her mouth.

“…Let go of my hand before you talk.”

Her long fingers squirmed in my grip.

At her not-entirely-hostile glare, I quickly raised both hands in surrender.

…Maybe I can use this opportunity for something else too?

I followed behind Lena as she headed for the door.

“Lena, you know—”
“No.”

Her firm reply made me shrink back for a moment, but when I noticed her ears were still red, my confidence returned.

“Let’s join the student council together.”

That was the most important thing. Maybe even more important than raising my charm.

I looked at her back expectantly.

But unfortunately, the color quickly drained from Lena’s ears and neck, returning to a clean milky white.

Having regained her composure, she turned to face me with a resolute expression.

“I don’t want to.”