Catfight

"Hmm?"

"What's the matter, Lord Behirith?"

"...It's nothing."

About a week had passed since I'd accepted the guest professorship. Before I knew it, morning had arrived — the day of our departure for the Academy. I was getting ready in my bedroom when a ticklish sensation made me scratch my ear.

Strange.

Was someone talking behind my back?

Nah. No way. Where would you find a man as upright and righteous as me? Anyone with a shred of common sense wouldn't dare speak ill of me. Of course they wouldn't.

I tucked the thought away and pulled a shirt over my bare torso.

"That shirt looks wonderful on you, Lord Behirith."

"Thank you."

"Just a moment. Let me button it for you."

Liliana, who had been helping me get ready, approached with a faintly flushed face. Why she was helping me dress was another question entirely — that was normally a job for the other maids. I looked down at her as she pressed close enough that her breath brushed my skin, fastening the buttons one by one, and a question crossed my mind. I already had a fairly good idea of the answer.

She was probably trying, in her own way, to draw closer to me. The truth was, after that visit to the weapons shop, Lucy and I had been intimate several more times at the mansion. Liliana's room was fairly close to my bedroom, so she would have heard us. For a girl who harbored feelings for me yet hadn't made any real progress, it might well have made her impatient.

Ah. She touched me again.

Just then, as Liliana diligently adjusted my clothes, her hand brushed my body with calculated casualness. Her slender fingertips, in the process of fastening a button, pressed lightly against my firm abs — and a hot breath slipped through her slightly parted lips.

Was it my imagination? For a moment, I could have sworn her eyes turned into hearts.

Whew. I've lost it. Looking at a girl who likes me as if she were a succubus? Come on.

I scolded myself for treating the adorable Liliana so indecently. The fact that I'd been having more of these stray thoughts lately was surely the influence of talking with that perverted Ego Sword. I closed my eyes, hoping at least to block out the visual stimulation.

Whether she knew of my inner struggle or not, Liliana left the last button undone and gently pressed the area below my abs.

A slow, firm push. ♥

"..."

The sensation of her slender fingers pressing near my pubic bone made my cock twitch. Physical contact this brazen was downright outrageous. Wouldn't it be a crime to just sit there and take it?

I'd been holding out all this time, but thinking about it, we'd known each other for quite a while now. Maybe it was time I answered her feelings.

In that warm, fluttering atmosphere, with our faces drawing close, I slowly leaned in toward Liliana's lips—

The door burst open.

"Grand Duke. Are you ready to depart?"

"Ah."

"Hm."

"Oh my."

Endless appeared, throwing the door wide without a shred of warning. She covered her mouth as if startled, but her gaze locked precisely on me and Liliana. Silence settled over the room, courtesy of a Guardian Dragon who hadn't bothered to knock.

"..."

"Ahem. Sorry to interrupt. Um, I'm perfectly fine with leaving a little later, so please — do continue enjoying yourselves?"

Endless said, looking thoroughly flustered.

Well. This was awkward. What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was I supposed to do with this atmosphere now? I wanted to tell her that she'd completely killed the mood and she'd have to take responsibility with her body, but my rational mind selected more appropriate words and sent them out of my mouth.

"You've arrived. We're nearly ready, so we'll be out shortly."

"Ah, yes. I'll see you in a bit, then."

Endless recovered her composure and withdrew. What a willful woman.

She'd caused a bit of a romantic-comedy mishap, but I let it slide. Even the original novel's readers had cited the contrast between her voluptuous, motherly figure and the airheaded streak running through her as one of her charms. Besides, I'd grown used to her after living together at the mansion.

...Still. Interrupting my time with Liliana. I'll make her take responsibility for that later — with her body.

"We should get going. Let's move."

"Yes..."

Liliana answered in a somewhat peculiar tone. Was she disappointed that the touching had been cut short?

Hmm...

I was a little disappointed about ending things like this myself. Then how about this.

After a moment's thought, I stroked her hair and spoke.

"I hear the Academy has just as many shops and such as the capital."

"Pardon?"

"So there's a place I'd like to visit while we're staying at the Academy. Would you come with me?"

"Ah."

Liliana's lips parted slightly. Had she understood what I meant? The corners of her mouth, having received my blunt invitation on a date, gradually curved into a soft smile.

"I'd love to!"

She answered with all her heart, wearing a smile bright as sunshine.

After making a date with Liliana, we set off by carriage and, after a long ride, arrived at the Academy. Perhaps because I'd been here once before, the journey didn't feel particularly unfamiliar.

We got here pretty quickly considering we left from the capital. Must be thanks to Endless's carriage.

I leaned back against the plush seat and recalled my earlier memories. Endless had, surprisingly enough, arrived at the Divelion mansion by carriage. A dragon that rode around in a carriage. At first I couldn't understand why she traveled that way, but after riding in it myself, I understood immediately.

Endless's carriage moved on its own. In other words, it was an Autonomous Magic Carriage.

It's still amazing even while I'm sitting in it. The power of magic really is something else.

I marveled at the carriage gliding along without a driver, guided solely by intricate magical formulas programmed in advance. The ride was as comfortable as Lucy's thighs, and the speed was tremendous. Thanks to that, Liliana, Endless, and I were currently cutting across the Academy's city streets.

Watching the quaint little buildings pass by outside the window, I felt a rush of joy at visiting one of the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠original novel's main settings once again.

Heh...

Ah. Well. Something like that.

Cheonryeo whined inside my head. So noisy. But what would a hunk of scrap metal even understand if I told her? I simply gazed out the window, looking forward to life at the Academy.

Cheonryeo eventually sulked and went quiet. Don't be like that. When the time came, I might tell her about my transmigration — but that time wasn't now.

I gently stroked the scabbard of the sulking blade and looked at Liliana sitting across from me.

She smiled.

When our eyes met, she gave me a crescent-eyed smile — an expression that said she couldn't possibly be any happier. I slowly lowered my gaze from her face to her hands, and saw a ring on her finger.

Good. She's wearing it well.

That ring was none other than the artifact I'd given her as a gift. After receiving word from Hilda that the artifacts were complete, I'd collected them immediately. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Of the five rings, I'd given two to Lucy and Liliana, and arranged for Vanessa to deliver the ones meant for my subordinates. The remaining one I planned to give to Eustia myself...

?

Liliana was stroking the ring as if it were something precious. Looking closely at her hand, I saw she was wearing it on the ring finger of her left hand.

...Lucy had done the same when I gave her the gift.

This had to mean what I thought it meant.

Whew. Nothing I could do about it, I supposed. At this point, I had no choice but to take responsibility and make them the happiest women in the world. It wouldn't be easy, but I'd have to give it my all.

As I made that firm resolution for the women I loved, the carriage arrived in front of the Academy's main building.

That's unusual. We've only just arrived and you've already sensed the potential of the students here?

......

Figures. Well, I'd gotten fairly used to this one's nonsense by now. Resigning myself, I stepped down from the carriage with the others.

"A heartfelt welcome to the Academy. You mentioned you'd like to stay at the Faculty Residence, so I was thinking of showing you there first. How does that sound?"

"We'll need to unpack anyway, so that would be best for now. Though — will you be guiding us personally, Headmistress?"

"Hehe, of course. For the Grand Duke, hero of the Empire, I shall personally—"

"Headmistreeeess!!!"

While I was talking with Endless after getting out of the carriage, a sharp-looking beauty in glasses shouted from the entrance of the main building. The Headmistress's secretary? She looked thoroughly furious — no doubt thanks to her willful boss. But Endless looked at her with an utterly innocent expression.

"Kayla? Did you come to greet me?"

"Greet you? Do you have any idea how much work you dumped and left behind? You're coming with me to the office right this instant!"

"Just wait a moment! I have to show the Grand Duke around!"

"Someone else has already kindly offered to give the tour, so no more excuses — get over here!"

"Ah, nooo!"

The beauty called Kayla approached me, bowed deeply at the waist, then dragged Endless off into the building. It happened so fast I was left standing there, dumbfounded. Was it really all right for the Academy Headmistress to be treated like that? Then again, thinking about it, she'd brought it on herself.

"How should I put this... The Headmistress seems a little eccentric."

"I think so too. Still, she's an entertaining woman."

I agreed with Liliana, who stood beside me watching Endless get hauled away. She then lifted the luggage we'd brought from the mansion with a Levitation spell, and we waited for whoever was supposed to show us to the Faculty Residence.

They'd said someone else would guide us, so they should be here soon. Then again, I was a Grand Duke, you know. This so-called guide of theirs was running a little late. Who on earth was coming?

While Liliana and I waited, a girl with golden hair came running toward me from the other side.

"Grand Duke!"

"Princess Eustia?"

"I'm sorry I'm late. You've been waiting, haven't you?"

Eustia parted her pink lips, and a beautiful tone spilled forth like music. So it was Eustia coming to show us around. I was quite glad to see her, but... was it really all right for an imperial princess to be giving tours?

"Hehe. Actually, after I heard you were coming as a guest professor, I volunteered to be your guide. I didn't tell you in advance because I wanted to surprise you — looks like it worked."

"I see."

I'd wondered for a moment, but Eustia's explanation made sense. If she wanted to do it, then so be it. Meanwhile, her tits seemed to have gotten bigger since we first met. Still growing, I see, Eustia.

"Um, and the person next to you is...?"

"Ah. You've already met her, Your Highness. This is Miss Liliana, a first-year at the Academy and my aide."

"Liliana Mayflower, eldest daughter of the Mayflower family, greets Your Highness the Princess."

Liliana offered Eustia a greeting with restrained, precise movements — elegant, yet somehow mechanical. Watching her, Eustia's eyes narrowed.

"Ah... so you came together. It's been a while since the class placement exam, Miss Liliana."

Her voice was somewhat cold compared to the smile on her face. Liliana stiffened at Eustia's manner, which was rather far from the gentle image beloved by the people of the Empire.

What's this? Did something unpleasant happen today?

I watched with concern as the meeting of my two beloved heroines took on a slightly strange atmosphere. Then Liliana's light-green hair swayed as she spoke.

"Yes. It has been a while. Has Your Highness been well?"

"I've been fine. Though I was a little worried that Miss Liliana might have neglected her magical studies, being absent from the Academy and staying in the capital."

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm quite all right. While living in the same mansion as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Lord Behirith, I've learned about all sorts of things besides magic."

"...Well. That's a relief."

Eustia answered in a voice even more subdued than before. She shot Liliana a pointed look, and Liliana met her gaze without backing down. A peculiar current flowed between them.

This is awkward. What even is this?

Be quiet.

I snapped at Cheonryeo, who was letting out a slimy laugh in my head. If what she said was true, though, this was a bit of a problem. Because—

Let's just get going already...

I wanted to rest after riding in that carriage, and this was what I had to deal with. But whether they knew how I felt or not, under the blazing sun, Eustia and Liliana stood in the middle of the Academy locked in a fierce staring contest.

I stood beside them, quietly shutting Cheonryeo up as she kept making dirty jokes, and waited for us to get moving.

It was summer.