The Cold Rose's Demand
Returning to the present.
It was the day I was waiting for the new term to start, three years after entering the academy.
I, an extra who hadn't even been mentioned in the original game, had somehow ended up in a relationship with her—one of the main heroines and the very first target of the game's route.
Even if it all started with a single night's mistake.
Ever since my memories of my past life returned, I had resolved to lead a peaceful life, steering clear of any major incidents. Yet, the moment I returned to the academy from my hometown, I went and made a blunder like this. It was truly a disaster.
Of course, dating her now wasn't going to cause any massive shifts in the game's scenario. As I mentioned before, the protagonist had already prevented all the dangerous events related to the destruction of the world.
Still, that didn't stop me from feeling incredibly uneasy. Having played the original game, it felt as though I, a mere extra, had stolen a girl destined to be the protagonist's heroine.
...Does this count as NTR?
Well, what was the point of regretting it now? The deed was done, and there was no turning back. Since things had turned out this way, the only thing left to do was take responsibility and make her even happier than she would have been in the original story.
At the very least, I was glad that Lilit didn't hate it; in fact, she seemed absolutely thrilled.
And it wasn't as if I disliked Lilit either. Her massive background, which was the polar opposite of mine, was a bit burdensome, but she was so wonderful that the reality of the situation still hadn't fully sunk in.
We had grown close after a chance encounter when we first entered the academy. And as I've mentioned before, Lilit herself was a charming, flawless woman. If anything, the real issue was that she was far too good for me.
While I needed to think carefully about the future, I decided to just enjoy the present moment—both for my sake and, above all, for hers.
Today, from the moment I woke up, through lunch outside, and all the way to dinner, I had spent the entire day by her side.
"What are you thinking about so deeply?"
She asked, looking up at me as she clung to my side before we went to sleep.
Her clear, bright golden eyes sparkled as they focused on me, and I could feel the soft sensation of her chest pressing against my arm.
"It's nothing. I was just wondering how I ended up with such a beautiful girlfriend."
"Haha, what is that? Honestly, what am I going to do with a boyfriend like you~?"
She snuggled deeper into my chest, wrapping her arms around me even tighter.
"Sigh... I love that I get to be with you like this all the way until evening. It's so nice."
Ever since that night we spent together after drinking—a night I still couldn't remember—I had been staying at her mansion.
At first, it was because of a terrible hangover from the strong liquor we drank the night before, but eventually, she simply refused to let me leave.
And so, somehow, I had already spent three days living under the same roof as her.
Thanks to that, we had grown much closer as a couple, and I was able to learn more about her.
In the original game, she had always maintained a pure and delicate demeanor, even when interacting with the protagonist. But lately, her behavior was... to put it bluntly, like a beast that had just awakened to its carnal desires.
The entire time we were together, she would touch my body or cling to me.
On top of that, she would constantly ask for deep, tongue-tangling kisses whenever she got the chance, and if the mood caught fire, we would head straight to the bedroom.
Naturally, we ended up sleeping together every single night without exception.
Well... it wasn't as if I found her exhausting or disliked it.
Even though I was in the Magic Department, I had trained my body relentlessly. I had plenty of confidence in my stamina, so I fully intended to face her relentless onslaught of affection head-on.
"Wait...! I really have to go back now!"
"Aw, whyyy~? We're dating, so what's the big deal? Come on, just stay here tonight too, okay?" Lilit pleaded, tugging at my arm as I tried to leave the mansion.
"That's why I've already stayed with you for three days..."
"Why don't you just move out of the dormitory and live here with me? Our mansion is much more comfortable than the dorms anyway, and we only have one year left of academy life, right?"
"What are you even talking about...? What if an accident happens!"
"An accident... I wouldn't mind that at all," she replied, narrowing her eyes with a sly, mischievous smile.
"Hahaha, stop teasing. Anyway, I'm leaving. I have some things I need to take care of at the dorm. And don't worry, we can meet up as much as you want from now on."
I brushed off her reaction as a playful joke and turned around.
"Hmph... You better not cheat on me with another girl while I'm not around, okay?"
"Hahaha, me? Don't worry."
Nodding at her shout, I was finally able to leave her mansion after three days.
As I walked back to the academy's male dormitory, I spotted an unexpected figure standing in front of the building.
Hair as white as freshly fallen snow, the exact opposite of mine.
Tanned, sun-kissed skin that radiated a distinct, healthy beauty.
Sharp red eyes that seemed to pierce right through you.
A uniform bearing the crest of the Serion family.
The person standing in front of the male dormitory was none other than the 'Cold Rose' of the Knight Academy and the future Sword Saint, Seraphina Serion.
A wave of confusion washed over me.
No matter how I look at it, she has absolutely no reason to be at the male dormitory...
Just as that thought crossed my mind—
Her face, which usually resembled a frozen sculpture fitting of her moniker 'Cold Rose', seemed to thaw slightly the moment she saw me, blooming into a faint yet bright smile.
"I have finally found you, Lord Rofel. I have been waiting for you for a long time."
Huh? Me?
"Uh... Seraphina? You came to see me?"
Well, it wasn't as if we were complete strangers.
Even before I regained my memories of my past life, we had crossed paths briefly during the sparring exam at the end of our first year.
To put it simply, she had been deeply troubled mentally over her spar with Marc Visus. Back then, my meddlesome nature got the better of me, and unable to ignore her distress, I had offered her some help in my own way.
Using that incident as a starting point, we had built a friendship, but it had never developed into anything more special.
"Indeed. I came to your dormitory upon hearing the news of your return from your hometown, but you were already gone. Thus, I have been waiting here for your return ever since."
"What? I'm sorry, I had some things to take care of... How long have you been waiting? Surely you haven't been here since this morning?"
"It has not been that long. Merely a day or so."
"...No, wait, what? So you've been outside this entire time since yesterday? Just to wait for me?"
Looking closely now, beneath her striking beauty, her face looked somewhat hollow and exhausted. Her claim of waiting since yesterday was clearly no lie.
"Would it not be troublesome if I moved and we ended up missing each other? At any rate, I am glad you are safe. I was beginning to worry that you had been kidnapped."
"...Let's talk inside. You look way too tired right now."
Normally, this wouldn't be allowed, but I guided her inside my dormitory.
Fortunately, not many students had returned to the academy yet, so the building was mostly empty. Thanks to that, I was able to bring her to my room without causing any commotion.
I had her take a seat and brewed some warm tea.
"I appreciate your hospitality. As expected... your tea is as sweet as ever."
Taking a sip, her expression softened for a brief moment.
It was a rather expensive tea that I had carefully selected and purchased myself, so it was only natural. Even when we first met, she had praised this tea.
"Thanks. I was worried your tastes might have changed, but I'm glad to see you still like it."
"...Come to think of it, I drank this same tea when I first visited your room. I was quite immature back then. And I had an even poorer eye for judging people."
"Well, everyone has those phases, don't they? Anyway, could you tell me now? Why did you come looking for me?"
"My apologies. I allowed myself to get sidetracked. The reason I sought you out is none other than regarding your marriage talks."
"My marriage talks...?"
Her expression turned cold once more as she continued.
"Yes. In fact, before coming to the academy, I sent a letter to your family to inquire. Your father replied that while you are not currently seeing anyone, you are scheduled to enter marriage talks with the daughters of certain noble families after graduation."
Come to think of it, before I left for the academy, my father did mention that letters had arrived from ducal families. He said they were asking about my relationship status...
So, one of those letters was from the Serion family—sent by Seraphina Serion herself?
Since my father had replied personally, he would have stated the facts without any exaggeration.
Just as she said, I was originally scheduled to enter marriage talks with the daughters of other noble families after graduation to secure our family's stability. This was a fact my father had notified me of even before I entered the academy.
"Which brings me to my point. I would like you to call off all of those scheduled marriage talks."
Seraphina Serion spoke, her expression colder and more resolute than ever before.