Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: You're Leonardo's Friend
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You're Leonardo's friend, aren't you?
Of course, the favor I asked Nicholas wasn't "Sleep with my fiancée for me."
That would sound like dialogue straight out of a romance fantasy novel title—
But I'm not the male lead of a romance fantasy. I'm just an extra.
Besides, two guys doing that would feel less like poignant romance and more like plotting some serious conspiracy.
What I meant was literally just "meet her."
To avoid any misunderstandings, I gave a brief additional explanation.
"I mean be her conversation partner."
"Conversation partner? Is that related to the worry you asked about earlier?"
"Yeah."
Nicholas instantly grasped the context of the story from my explanation.
He stroked his smooth chin and muttered to himself.
"Well, there must be a good reason for the Little Iron-Blooded to come all the way to the academy. And his fiancée too..."
No, I came to the academy because of the imperial family.
Laura came because she followed me.
I debated correcting his misconception but decided against it.
It wasn't that important anyway.
Nicholas, still stroking his chin, seemed to have organized his thoughts and asked.
"Your fiancée... Lady Clarins, right? Is the intention to help her build connections in the magic world? I'm just a wandering mage, so I might not be much help in that regard."
"That's not the intention."
"Or maybe psychological counseling? Like feeling distant from your fiancée."
"I don't feel distant."
"Then perhaps she has questions about magic? I know she's in the magic department—"
"She doesn't come to me for that kind of advice."
"...?"
With my repeated denials, Nicholas made a face that said, "What exactly do you want from me then?"
Feeling a bit sorry for Laura, I said.
"Laura... doesn't have any friends."
"...!"
"I introduced her to Kiara, but otherwise, I never see her talking to anyone else."
"I... see?"
Nicholas wore a strange expression, as if he'd heard an answer he hadn't even remotely expected.
Honestly, even I'd react the same way if someone said "meet my fiancée" and it turned out to mean "because my fiancée has no friends."
In that instant, I'd turned Laura into "the fiancée officially certified by her fiancé as friendless." I wiped away invisible tears inside.
'Sorry, Laura.'
But it's true, isn't it?
If you'd made friends on your own and charmed some guys, I wouldn't have to do this.
I'm just stating facts to help Laura.
Composing myself, I wrapped up.
"So that's why I want you to be her conversation partner. That's it."
"I see..."
Nicholas gave me a look that said, "Ah~ I totally get it (I don't get it at all)!"
He seemed reluctant about my request and raised an objection.
"But for something like that, wouldn't it be better to ask someone else?"
"Why?"
"I've obtained a semi-noble status, but I'm still a wandering mage."
"You're a mage. Status won't be an issue."
"True, but if someone like me meets alone with a noble lady, won't rumors spread?"
"Why?"
"Why? Well, because I'm—"
"You're my friend. What's the problem with that?"
Nicholas froze with a surprised look on his face.
It was as if he were saying, "You and I are friends? Since when?"
But I kept a straight face.
'Someone like me and Nicholas? That's friend material.'
We've played chess together! We've made bets! We've done all that!
That totally qualifies as friends!
Friends aren't some big deal!
This absolutely isn't because I don't have friends!
My thick-skinned act worked, and Nicholas nodded with an odd expression.
"...If you put it that way, sure. I'll be Lady Clarins's conversation partner."
"Good."
Normally, I'd end the conversation there—
But I added.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
"But separately from that, you've already touched a piece. If you move it, it's my win by default."
"Thanks for the advice."
Tch, with that sound, Nicholas touched a knight on the chessboard.
And so, I took the first step toward solving the problem at hand.
The first step of "introducing a guy to the romance fantasy heroine fiancée who isn't attracting any guys."
I hope this works...
Maybe I should line up some other people just in case?
Nicholas still couldn't quite wrap his head around what was happening to him.
He could understand infiltrating the academy on the Tower Lord's orders and approaching the Little Iron-Blooded.
But why had the Little Iron-Blooded noticed his infiltration?
That's where things got complicated.
But that was just the beginning.
The events unfolded in even more incomprehensible directions.
'Why is he pretending not to know?'
The Little Iron-Blooded had let his infiltration slide.
If he'd simply ignored it from the start, fine—but he'd shown suspicion first, then let it go anyway.
This clearly had some ulterior motive—
But Nicholas couldn't figure out what it was.
Personal mercy?
Or some other intention?
To find out, he'd continued his relationship with the Little Iron-Blooded—
And somehow ended up as his playmate.
The Little Iron-Blooded didn't really meet anyone else.
The others were just his fiancée, Laura Clarins, and Kiara Mondial, known as his childhood friend.
From the info he'd gathered, the childhood friend aside, he didn't seem that close to his fiancée.
It had only been a short time since their engagement ceremony, and it showed.
Watching this, Nicholas pondered.
'What's going on? Is he actually lonely?'
Does he not have friends, so he's just trying to get close?
Nicholas let out a hollow laugh and shook off the thought.
It was his own idea, but it was too ridiculous.
The guy was Leonardo Dominica.
The third son of the Dominica family, a person of interest known as the Little Iron-Blooded.
No way he'd act like this just because he lacked friends.
His cold rationality rejected the idea, but no other reasons came to mind.
And so the days of observing him passed—
Until the Little Iron-Blooded finally revealed some intention.
"Want to meet my fiancée?"
A request to be a conversation partner for his fiancée, Laura Clarins.
At first, it was so out of left field that he was shocked, but the explanation that followed was reasonable enough.
'Right, the Little Iron-Blooded wouldn't just idle around the academy for nothing.'
This was clearly an attempt to use his fiancée to approach other families in the academy.
Everyone gathered here was nobility.
Mostly those without succession rights, forced to fend for themselves, but they still had some family info.
'Even trivial info could be a clue to bigger secrets if leveraged by the Dominica family's intelligence resources.'
Directly approaching them himself would raise too much suspicion, so use his fiancée instead.
And start with him to hide the true intent.
Since he's a wandering mage with no family ties.
Convinced his guess was spot on, Nicholas subtly cast a spell.
[Light of Truth], a spell to discern lies.
It was usually quite flashy, but hiding it was no trouble for Nicholas.
He was a genius mage who became the Tower Lord's disciple at a young age.
This would expose the Little Iron-Blooded's scheme!
Thinking that, he smirked inwardly.
But the Light of Truth glowed white.
White, indicating truth.
Nicholas's mind grew even more confused.
'He really just wants me to be a conversation partner because his fiancée has no friends?'
.........Why?
Why is that the truth?
Even the part where he called him a friend held no lies.
He'd never lied to Nicholas even once.
He'd just spouted words impossible to believe as his true intent.
Nicholas felt a strange flutter in his heart.
'Friend?'
It was the first time he'd heard it.
Not the word itself, but someone calling him that.
He'd always holed up in his room, immersed only in magic training.
And here, playing chess and chatting with him was far more enjoyable than tedious magic practice.
To the point where learning he saw him as a friend brought joy.
But Nicholas reined in his emotions.
'Can't be sure yet.'
The Little Iron-Blooded was from the Dominica family, infamous for plots and schemes.
Rumored to have inherited that bloodline despite not being the eldest.
He could have countermeasures against magic, no surprise there.
'But his fiancée might be different.'
As his fiancée, she might have some anti-magic protection too,
But if it's her instead of the Little Iron-Blooded, she might let something slip.
With that in mind, he met Laura Clarins—
And witnessed the violence of her beauty.
Her hair gleamed like it was woven from gold, her skin like white jade.
Her eyes cast indifferent glances, her fingers tracing sculpture-like curves.
For the first time, he beheld something more beautiful than magic, and his heart pounded wildly.
The magic of first love had struck him.
A spell with terrifying power that no one could resist.
Nicholas stood frozen, staring only at her lips.
He wanted to hear her speak.
If his name flowed from those lips, he'd be the happiest person alive.
If she just did that, he'd live for love and nothing else.
And she parted those beautiful lips, saying to him—
"You're Leonardo's friend, aren't you."
That's what she said.
Leonardo's friend, not Nicholas's.
At those words, Nicholas's dazed mind snapped back.
'Friend.'
Yes, friend.
Leonardo had called him that.
Recalling that brought a harsh truth crashing down.
The woman before him was his friend's fiancée.
Suddenly, Leonardo's gruff voice echoed in Nicholas's memory.
'Thanks.'
What he'd said when agreeing to the request.
Remembering that, Nicholas gritted his teeth.
And forcing a natural smile, he greeted her.
"Yes, Laura. I'm Nicholas."
And so, the magic of first love scripted in the story was shattered.