“That’s right. It was nice of Norman to be the first to help Mary when she nearly fainted.”
 
Folia’s innocent question struck Mary, causing the eyes behind her glasses to distort.
 
“Wa, it’s not like I wanted to say that I didn’t need that… “
 
“Not like you wanted to?”
 
Mary’s eyes swam as she responded to Arisa’s question.
 
“That, um, the princess carry part, I don’t think I needed to say that!”
 
Mary blurted out in desperation, her ears turning crimson.
 
“You shouldn’t be embarrassed about it. It’s cute.”
 
“I’m not embarrassed!!”
 
Raze’s head, still half-covered by her ear, wobbled back and forth.
 
“…Combat practice…”
 
In the corner of her eye, Carne, seated next to Raze, placed her hand on her mouth, lost in thought.
 
As they parted ways with their cheerful seniors, class time approached.
 
Raze took a seat in the spacious classroom, with large desks arranged in a tiered fashion, observing her classmates.
 
The atmosphere overall was good, as usual. When she first enrolled, there was a thick barrier even among students from prestigious families, even in Group A, where the noble sons and daughters clustered. But now, even that was fading away. Groups of friends who got along well had formed, and there was a harmonious atmosphere.
 
It was important for students to deepen their friendships regardless of their status.
 
As soon as Carne took her seat, Raze approached her, noticing the presence of two young ladies who appeared as supporting characters for the villainess in otome games.
 
Of course, while Carne, who had been reincarnated as a villainess with a different personality, was aware of their existence, she would never use them as pawns.
 
(There was a bit of a scuffle with the daughter of the Viscount of Hanger, but she apologized to Folia afterward. She’s so cute.)
 
Olivia Ein Hanger, who harbored feelings for One of the capture targets in the otome game, Luca Fen Strainage, the son of the Minister of Finance.
 
Raze had marked her after witnessing the incident with Folia, but Olivia hadn’t committed any wrongdoing since then.
 
Olivia must have been anxious about not knowing who was watching her, fearing she would be reported to the teachers at any moment. She seemed to have had several sleepless nights after Prince Ruben’s birthday party, and she looked unwell during that time.
 
Watching from the shadows as she returned the fountain pen she had failed to collect, along with an apology, Raze felt more excitement than she did during a mission.
 
With eyes like those comforting a child, Raze watched Olivia as she went to greet Carne.
 
Meanwhile, the desks in the classroom filled up.
 
The crown prince, Ruben, the class VIP, made his appearance.
 
Naturally, no one paid special attention to his appearance anymore—it would seem.
 
(No, some do…)
 
Raze reconsidered her thoughts.
 
As Ruben made his way to his seat, he smiled at the person whose gaze naturally met his.
 
“Good morning.”
 
He greeted his fiancée, who was sitting a little away from him.
 
Carne, apparently caught off guard by their eye contact, elegantly nodded in response before the other students. If they hadn’t looked at each other, their eyes wouldn’t have met.
 
Raze couldn’t help but smile at the delicate exchange that took place at the perfect distance for their voices to just reach each other.
 
It seemed Ruben was in high spirits from the morning again today. It was good to see him looking well. Today, too, the peace of the kingdom was maintained.
 
Raze could tell from Ruben’s smile as he had a bouquet of flowers on his back that Carne was feeling both shy and happy.
 
Raze didn’t know what happened after she lent Carne his umbrella yesterday. She didn’t follow them to the end since she saw Claude-Orr-Rezaiah, Ruben’s attendant, keeping watch over them.
 
However, given it was a shared umbrella… and if that was an event from an otome game… then he could imagine more or less what took place.
 
After putting his bag at his seat, Ruben went up the stairs holding something in his hand toward Carne’s seat.
 
“Thank you for the handkerchief. I’m returning it before I forget.”
 
Carne received the neatly packaged item with both hands.
 
(I see. I understand now.)
 
Raze was confident at that moment.
 
Carne had lent Ruben a handkerchief, her gift. It was clear that some part of Ruben was wet, and Carne must have given him the handkerchief.
 
Raze bet everything on this speculation. Shee could see only victory. She couldn’t ask Claude for confirmation.
 
No, that would be rude to say to use magic to dry it.
 
They were in the world of an otome game, where handkerchiefs and umbrellas existed.
 
Since not everyone could use convenient magic, the value of a culture where people could use magic equally, rather than magic with inherent biases determined at birth, was unique to this world.
 
(…Using magic is tiring, too.)

YOU ARE READING STOLEN TRANSLATION. READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM

 
Unconsciously, Raze touched the black magic stone earring.
 
Since infiltrating the academy, the amount and quality of magic usage had definitely decreased.
 
(This is the first time I’ve been away from the military for so long since I was put in charge of the 537th Battalion.)
 
In terms of the current mission, it’s not a problem, but staying away from the field for too long dulls the sense of combat. She didn’t know how her subordinates were doing or if they’d become different people by the time she returned.
 
Then, she noticed a student approaching from the front and released her hand from the cold pierce.
 
Her thoughts switched as the figure of her superior, whom she was indebted to at work, overlapped.
 
“Good morning. Scholarship student.”
 
“Good morning.”
 
Today, as always, Addis Lag Zarus was showcasing his beautiful appearance with black hair tinged with a hint of blue, not commonly seen in the empire.
 
He was one of the sons of Cyan Empire’s Prime Minister Wellrein Lag Zarus, who was Raze’s immediate superior.
 
In contrast to Ruben, whom she had observed earlier, Addis greeted her provocatively. Since he always initiated conversations like this, Raze greeted him back. Despite being the son of her superior, it was rare for Raze to initiate greetings.
 
Regardless of the tone, his willingness to greet her showed his good upbringing.
 
“You were late yesterday, weren’t you?”
 
Addis immediately sat down and placed his bag on the desk to his right, asking Raze as he took out the materials for the first class.
 
“Huh…?”
 
Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Raze tilted her head.
 
“I happened to see you walking.”
 
“Ah, I see.”
 
The dormitory was shaped like the letter “C,” so the interior rooms had a view of the path to the entrance.
 
Although she felt several gazes, one of them seemed to be his. Raze, who was considering where the gazes were coming from, had a penchant for espionage.
 
“I returned before curfew.”
 
Interpreting it as a reprimand for curfew, Addis stopped and turned to her.
 
“It’s rare for a female student to return right before curfew.”
 
He had a point, so Raze remained silent.
 
The young ladies took longer with their beauty routine and avoided going outside in the dark. Even if they visited the library, they only needed to borrow books, so there was no need for Raze to stay until closing time.
 
“Where were you? The shopping district?”
 
“No. I was at the library.”
 
“I see. As expected of a scholarship student.”
 
Although his words sounded sarcastic, his gray eyes revealed no malice.
 
“Because the midterm exams are coming…”
 
Perhaps Addis was making an effort in his own way to engage with a scholarship student.
 
(When I think about it, it makes sense that he has a wide network.)
 
Since entering the academy, he had entertained many young ladies, so she had thought he might incur the displeasure of other young men. However, he was adept at navigating social circles.
 
He got along well not only with the young ladies but also with the young men, serving as a bridge between them.
 
(I think it was the right decision to enroll in the academy. But why did he want to join the knights?)
 
According to Principal Harrens, Addis was persuaded by his father to enroll in Saint riole, but his original intention was to join the knights without attending school. Aspiring to become a knight was the elite path for nobles. Knights who served as the country’s backbone were closely linked with the central authorities of the empire and the lords. It was said that life after joining the knights was secure. It was a profession that everyone admired.
 
Once, at Harrens’ behest, she sparred with Addis during class. He displayed enough skill to keep up even after joining the knights.
 
However, when weighing the opportunity to study at Saint riole against joining the knights, the former seemed rarer. Raze, a girl who wouldn’t have been expected to enroll in this school, thought that studying at the academy would provide more significant experiential benefits.
 
(It’s a waste to decline such a valuable opportunity…)
 
Although she often handled dirty work unlike glamorous knights, her rank was considerably high.
 
As a surviving Dragon Soldier, she had risen to the rank of lieutenant. It was surprising that she had made it this far, and compared to joining the workforce, the school life was much more valuable to her.
 
So, she didn’t mind choosing books and studying in a well-stocked library.
 
Raze still didn’t know much about Addis’s academic abilities.
 
She was supposed to gather information about the protection target beforehand, but Harrens, the principal, dismissed the need, saying that she would attend as a student. The only information she managed to obtain was the list of new students.
 
Since he came from a wealthy family, he probably received a high-level education at home. However, whether studying at the academy would be useful in the knights wasn’t certain.
 
(I’ll wait and see how he does in the next midterm exams.)
 
As the chime signaling the start of class rang, their gazes parted there.

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