This Instructor Really Teaches Well (8)
Outstanding. Capable. Overflowing with talent. Few sentences suited Lyla Everblaze Barhart better. She possessed exceptional beauty, magic blessed by the heavens, and charisma that drew people in like a magnet. Whether in academics or martial prowess, she lacked nothing, and many openly praised her as perfect. Lyla herself worked tirelessly to maintain that flawless image. The chains binding her were numerous, and those eager to exploit the slightest opening were even more plentiful.
That was why, even while trailing after Chrome, Lyla could not suppress her growing discomfort. What was she even doing? What was so terrible about a junior going on a date? Chrome was a young man in his prime, so it was only natural for him to show interest in the opposite sex. It was hardly a grave sin. If anything, the real problem was her current behavior—sneaking around and tailing them from behind.
She had stormed out in a fit of anger, but now it seemed wiser to turn back. Or so she told herself.
“Wow, it’s like honey is literally dripping from her eyes. Those are the eyes of a lady completely head over heels in love.”
Normally she would have brushed off such cheap provocations, but for some reason every word pulled her gaze forward. Why was she so curious about the casual conversation the pair shared as they strolled along the street? And why did the way the pink-haired girl casually leaned against Chrome irritate her so much? Wait… wait just a second.
“…Isn’t that a little too close, no matter how you look at it?”
Lyla did her best to maintain a composed facade. But the silver-haired one was far too cunning to miss the faint tremor in her voice, and the brown-haired one’s senses were simply too sharp.
“Hmm. They’ve only touched at the collar or hands so far, but at that distance she could probably tell exactly what perfume the other is wearing.”
“Ah, big brother’s gaze just flicked below her neck. So even he’s only human after all.”
“Oh my, oh dear. The area may be secluded, but surely not right here?”
Fiore delivered her play-by-play commentary with obvious delight, clearly enjoying Lyla’s reactions. With every remark, Lyla’s steps quickened. Finally reaching the limit of her patience, she canceled her concealment spell entirely and burst forward.
“Goodness, and just like that the tailing is over. Lady Lyla certainly has an impatient personality.”
Ligret stared at Fiore in disbelief. The girl spoke with a tone of feigned regret, yet her expression was one of pure satisfaction. Was this something the person who had poured oil on the flames and then detonated an attribute stone had any right to say?
More importantly—
“Everything you described as some grand act of seduction is no different from what you usually do, is it?”
To Ligret it was all the same thing. If anything, Fiore’s usual behavior was worse. Yet the person being called out didn’t look guilty at all. She simply blinked in apparent surprise.
“What are you talking about, Miss Ligret? There’s no way what siblings do could be the same as what the opposite sex does.”
“……”
These Midas people really had multiple layers of emotional walls built into their faces. At this point they probably wouldn’t flinch even if hit by a direct heavy bombardment.
But more importantly, wait a second.
“You. The reason you still call him big brother, isn’t it because—”
“Ah, something interesting is developing over there!”
Like a snake slipping through the underbrush, Fiore smoothly vanished from the spot. Ligret shook her head, thinking she finally understood why Chrome was so resistant to honey traps, completely unaware that Fiore held a similar opinion about her.
“P-Panel family’s Cuella greets Her Highness the Imperial Princess!”
The moment Lyla revealed herself, Cuella quickly bowed her head. The mixture of panic and confusion was a natural reaction for the persona known as Cuella Panel, but it also reflected the Spider’s true feelings.
A puppet? Something to pass along to the person behind her? Simple probing? Or did she already know something?
No matter how advanced the calculator, feeding it more data than it could process was bound to cause errors. She had anticipated some form of approach from the princess once she got close to Chrome, but with her mind already overloaded, adding the princess factor made it difficult even for the Spider to maintain cold judgment.
“…Hello, Miss Panel. Since you appear to already know who I am, I suppose there’s no need for self-introductions.”
The princess was equally flustered. She had rushed out without thinking after seeing the two of them standing so close, but what was she supposed to do now? Saying “What a coincidence running into you here” lacked any persuasive power—even she could tell that. Should she tell the truth instead? I was following you because I was bothered by the two of you, hidden behind a spell, and I watched your entire conversation. Like that? Impossible. Absolutely impossible. She would rather grab a sword and fight Ligret than say those words. Whether her body would even remain intact against that human weapon without magic was questionable, but at least her honor would be preserved.
Instead of the two women who remained silent for their respective reasons, Chrome spoke.
“Greetings, Lady Lyla. We need to treat Cuella’s injury, so could you spare us a moment?”
“Ah, yes. That’s perfectly fine.”
“Thank you.”
Chrome casually produced a potion from his pocket and poured it over Cuella’s ankle. The injury that had swollen so badly it hurt just to look at began rapidly returning to normal.
“Thank you, senior. This seems like quite a high-grade item…”
“No need to worry about it. This is all an investment. I get good grades when you’re all healthy.”
Chrome answered with a sly smile and turned his gaze back to Lyla.
“Were you out for a walk? Then we should be grateful for this lovely weather today. Honestly, you usually bury yourself in books, so watching from the side made even me worry.”
“You’re exaggerating, Chrome.”
“No, it’s true. Our half-brother only ever does office work and his stamina keeps declining. When I suggested exercise he refused so stubbornly that I once tearfully released a dog into his room. Thanks to that he sweated buckets. He was so moved he couldn’t even speak…”
“…Isn’t he just too exhausted to speak?”
“Huh? Is that it? They say good things should be shared, so I was thinking of introducing it to the juniors’ training this time. A regular dog probably wouldn’t work, so I’d strengthen it a bit. What do you think, Cuella?”
“I—”
Why are you throwing the bomb at me? Though internally panicked, Cuella’s answer was already decided.
“If it’s senior’s idea, I believe it’s trustworthy!”
“Kuk, look at this, Lady Lyla. My classmates repay kindness with enmity, but the juniors understand trust and gratitude! As an educator, I’m this competent!”
Chrome had smoothly seized control of the atmosphere and was wielding it with practiced ease. Both Lyla and Cuella, who had been radiating awkwardness, gradually relaxed their shoulders. Both still felt a faint sense of unease, but the situation was hardly appropriate for pointing it out.
Just as the conversation seemed about to flow peacefully—
“So this is where you were.”
A bold voice cut in between the three. A handsome young man wearing a faint smile approached, followed by three or four students trailing behind him like attendants.
“I visited the mansion but couldn’t find you, so I was wandering about. This too must be guidance from our ancestor Morian.”
Facing the youth who spoke so familiarly, Lyla’s expression—which had grown somewhat loose in both good and bad ways—hardened once more.
“I doubt the ancient queen would bother helping with every little bit of pathfinding. Since it’s a rare holiday, shouldn’t you spend your time more productively, Prince Kian?”
Her reply dripped with coldness, but Kian Danach simply laughed it off.
“That’s quite all right. For me, time spent for Your Highness the Princess is the most beneficial thing there is.”
Kian’s gaze was fixed solely on Lyla, as if no one else around him existed.
“Since we’ve met like this, it must be fate. If it’s not too much trouble, would you join me for dinner? We could discuss the lessons. These other friends also say they have much they wish to learn from Your Highness.”
“We beg you, Your Highness the Princess!”
“If you could grant us even a moment of instruction, it would be the honor of a lifetime!”
Hesitation flickered in Lyla’s eyes. Had it been only Kian, she could have brushed him off lightly. But with the other students bowing their heads in unison, a cold refusal became difficult.
“I…”
“Ah, my apologies. Lady Lyla already has a prior engagement with us, so that won’t be possible.”
Of course, whether it was possible or not was none of some merchant’s concern. Kian’s followers all shot uncomfortable glares at Chrome, who had casually inserted himself into the conversation between princess and prince.
“Excuse me, we were speaking to Her Highness the Princess. To interrupt so arbitrarily—”
“Weren’t you the ones who interrupted first? And honestly, isn’t it rather shameless to rush someone on their day off demanding to be taught? What, is being a junior some kind of official title now?”
“Wh-what? This rude—!”
“Whoa, look how fast their expressions changed. Where did the people who were just tearfully begging ‘Please teach us, Your Highness~’ with those innocent eyes go? With acting that clumsy, how do you expect to fool anyone? Don’t you agree, Cuella?”
“Yes? Ah, yes!”
At the blatant ridicule the students’ faces twisted violently. Just as they were about to retort, Kian stepped forward.
“My apologies. In the joy of encountering someone who is like a light in the darkness to us, I inadvertently overlooked the trivial matters around me. I am Kian Danach, Prince of the Morian Kingdom.”
On the surface the words were polite, but a closer look revealed they were full of thorns. Not only had he referred to Chrome as a “trivial matter,” he had also revealed his own status in an attempt to suppress him.
Chrome answered with perfect nonchalance.
“Chrome Midas. Additionally, a Baron of the Barhart Empire. It’s a title with little practical use inside the academy anyway.”
What are you going to do about it, prince? The openly mocking tone caused the students’ faces to flush crimson. No matter the difference between empire and vassal kingdom, the gap between royalty and nobility was even greater. Aside from Lyla, who was imperial royalty, no student in the academy could clearly claim to stand above Kian.
“Ah, I see. Midas. I’ve heard the name often. They say you’ve handled many miscellaneous tasks beneath Her Highness. It is truly a blessing that someone was there to assist Her Highness during my absence from the academy.”
“Hahaha, there’s no need for thanks. After all, I didn’t do it at your request.”
“It is the business of one who has promised the future. How could I not feel gratitude?”
“My, these days it seems one can make promises even without the other party’s consent. In my household we call that a ‘wishful thought,’ but I suppose customs differ by region.”
“……”
The followers listening nearby had gone from red to nearly blue in the face. Even Prince Kian, who had maintained a calm front, seemed to be experiencing such direct verbal abuse for the first time; his expression had gone rigid.
Realizing this himself, he quickly restored the smile to his lips.
“Midas, I have heard of your fame, but it seems your courage exceeds even your reputation. Are you not afraid of what the future may hold?”
“—Kian Danach!”
At the overt threat, Imperial Princess Lyla, whose patience had finally run out, shouted. The gentle atmosphere from before had vanished without a trace. Her blazing eyes pierced Kian and his followers, leaving the students opening and closing their mouths like goldfish, unable to utter a word.
Only Kian Danach shrugged his shoulders casually.
“What is it, Your Highness the Princess?”
“I will not permit any further rudeness.”
“Your Highness, however—”
“Furthermore, as of today I am relieving you of your duties as instructor. There is nothing left for me to teach you, Kian, nor any of the others. Do not come looking for me again under that pretext.”
“You will regret this.”
In front of Kian’s feet, a deep furrow appeared as if a guillotine blade had been driven into the earth. The line drawn between Kian and Lyla was so profound it was impossible to guess what kind of spell had created it.
“—You as well. Do not create things you will regret.”
Lyla turned her back coldly and walked away. Chrome and Cuella followed. Kian stared down at the line on the ground for a long time without speaking. One of the students watching his mood carefully finally spoke.
“What will you do, Your Highness?”
“There is nothing else to do. The empire desires this marriage as well. As long as the will of Morian and Barhart remains united, the princess’s own wishes are a trivial matter. Still, it would have been nicer for everyone to see us both smiling. She’s not cooperating. Not cooperating at all.”
Since the empire’s crown prince, the fourth prince, and the Morian royal family all desired this union, no amount of struggling on the princess’s part would change anything. The only concern was whether she might ultimately win the succession struggle, but that possibility was extremely slim. The moment she fell behind in the competition, she would have no options left.
“Her Highness the Princess will soon come to understand reality.”
“There is no need to worry, Your Highness.”
At Kian’s casual tone, his followers poured out relieved flattery. He quietly composed his expression. It had been an unpleasant experience, but in the end he would be the victor.
Or… he could simply hasten that result a little.
I will repay this humiliation twofold.
Recalling the faces of Chrome and Lyla, Kian secretly ground his teeth. To him, Lyla was the crown he needed to become Morian’s true king. He had not the slightest intention of letting her slip from his grasp.