Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Irene's Happiness (Delusion) Circuit
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Among them, Crown Prince Rian Sisly—who already knew Elric—approached and spoke to him.
"Elric, good to see you. I heard you tied with the professor in magic class and ended up in a private lesson. But how is it that you're arriving with Lady Fabian? Your major classes are different, aren't they?"
He said it with a smile, but his eyes were cold. They carried the weight of someone wondering just when Elric and Chloe had gotten so close.
And Elric's response?
...How should I know? She came looking for me.
This much, at least, felt truly unfair. What had he even done? She'd just shown up, they'd chatted a bit, and they'd walked back to class together. That was it.
But Rian, Kasis—who'd shared the class with him—and even Sirius, who hadn't exchanged a word with Elric yet—all had words for him. The moment class ended, they'd bolted off in search of Chloe, eyes wide and determined.
All three had majors different from Chloe's spirit studies class. But going straight to her classroom would be too obvious. So they'd raced back to their own homeroom the second their classes let out, waiting for her to appear.
Yet the woman they'd been pining for had shown up arm-in-arm with another man.
And not just any man.
...Damn it.
Of all people, a skilled genius from a fine family who also happened to be handsome.
...Is that her type? Cold guys with zero social skills?
They hadn't even done anything together yet, but the three men's minds were already racing in circles. Naturally, in all the wrong directions.
"Ah, Your Highness! Hello! I had something I wanted to ask Young Lord Raishion, so I took the liberty of asking where he'd gone. Luckily, he graciously agreed to chat with me, and we had such a pleasant conversation."
At that moment, Chloe stepped forward with a bright smile, lightly gesturing toward Elric. Just her smile alone seemed to light up the room. What an amazing woman.
Even more amazing was how well it worked. The three men's sharp glares at Elric softened in an instant, melting away. Well, who could stay mad when the girl they liked flashed a smile like that?
"Is that so? What did you talk about?"
"Young Lord Raishion seems to have deep knowledge of magic, so I asked his thoughts on linking it with my field of spirits and their interactions—something I'd been pondering alone. It was truly enriching and informative."
"Ho, that's an intriguing theory. If you don't mind, I'd love to hear your thoughts as well, Lady Fabian."
"Ah, shall we, then?"
Chloe had diffused the tension in a flash and now followed Crown Prince Rian Sisly's escort back to her seat. Elric stared at her in a daze.
...She's not an idiot, huh?
She was lively and innocent, sure, but no fool—and her social awareness was top-notch. She'd clearly noticed their hostility toward him and deliberately stepped in to smooth things over.
Her social intelligence is off the charts. Do modern rofan heroines come with skills like this?
She didn't seem to realize they liked her, but she knew exactly how her bright energy could reset a sour mood.
I called a girl like this an idiot?
Elric, what kind of guy are you? Well, he never paid much attention to people, so he wouldn't value social graces or emotional smarts.
Anyway.
I owe her one.
He wasn't sure if she'd meant to cover for him or just hated the heavy atmosphere, but he'd benefited either way.
...Not the heroine for nothing.
Of course. With that radiance drawing people in, plus her sharp instincts and great personality, she was perfect for the role.
Elric nodded and headed to his assigned seat.
After the academy's third period ended, lunchtime arrived.
Elric left the classroom alone, heading for the cafeteria.
Or at least, he tried to.
"Young Lord!"
If not for Chloe's cheerful voice calling out to him.
"...Lady Fabian?"
"Let's eat together! My friend Anna has some questions for you too."
"W-Wait, Chloe! I mean, that's... um...!"
The brown-haired girl beside Chloe frantically shook her head, waving her hands. Only then did Elric recall the girl from the original story who was always by Chloe's side.
Right. Anna Crea. The one who taught the amazingly pure, worldly-naive Chloe everything she knew.
Her major was probably magic. Yeah, now that he thought about it, he'd seen her in last period's major class.
But.
"...My apologies, Lady Fabian. You should look for someone else."
One look at the three pairs of eyes sharpening again—like their brief calm had never happened—told him that wasn't happening.
Don't drag me into your love triangle drama.
No, why was she sticking to him like this in the first place? He wasn't even a capture target villain or a male lead. This wasn't how it went in the original.
"Ah... do you have prior plans?"
Chloe's face fell visibly at Elric's refusal. But he had no choice. Truth be told, he just didn't want to get involved.
"I do have prior plans. Excuse me."
Elric gave a slight nod and quickly slipped out of the classroom. He ignored Chloe's disappointed voice and Anna's sigh from behind.
If I just hang around, one of those three—or two, or all of them—will come invite her to lunch. So why pick me?
Elric couldn't make sense of it. Especially since he hadn't been particularly nice to her.
As he stepped out into the hall, he came face-to-face with Irene Sisly, who stood demurely by the door of Class 1-1 like she was waiting for someone.
"Oh."
Elric blinked at her emotionless face. But only for a moment—he turned and bowed politely.
"Greetings, Princess. We meet again."
"So we do, Young Lord."
Her voice was as curt as ever. But Elric had few other options.
If I say I have plans and eat alone, Chloe might actually get hurt.
Then those three guys would glare at him again. Even without that, he didn't want to wound such a bright girl. He already owed her.
And 'Elric' wasn't the type to approach someone he barely knew first, so the only person he could realistically ask to lunch was...
"Since we've crossed paths again, would you care to join me for lunch?"
Irene Sisly, the princess of his own empire.
...Though they'd technically only met once before by her account, asking her was still better than strangers.
"...Lunch?"
Irene blinked as if she'd heard something unexpected. Elric, still straight-faced, replied.
"Yes. Ah, of course, if you have prior plans, feel free to decline..."
"N-No, I don't have any plans."
Irene cut him off, answering a bit too hastily. Elric blinked this time, but her face remained an ironclad mask of neutrality.
"I see. Excellent. Shall we go, then? Allow me to escort you."
Elric bowed slightly and naturally offered his arm. Irene nodded and followed.
Smoother than expected?
Maybe Irene didn't have friends because of her personality. Elric mused lightly as they headed to the cafeteria.
"Since we've crossed paths again, would you care to join me for lunch?"
Elric had emerged from class, locked eyes with her, greeted her, and immediately invited her to lunch.
Kyaaaaah-!
Irene screamed internally in delight.
Oh, oh my, what do I do? Lunch together. Elric's asking me to have lunch with him-!
See? She wasn't the only one who saw him as special. Look at this—he'd come straight to her after first period asking to eat together!
That morning, after their encounter, she'd spent the entire class agonizing over her words.
What do I do? He must think less of me now...
Pretending not to know him had been too much, even if it was their first real meeting. Maybe that's why he'd brushed her off? Her cool mask had grown even stonier.
So after class, she'd hurried out to wait for him by the door. To apologize if she saw his face.
But it had all been for nothing. He'd spotted her and casually suggested lunch without a hint of awkwardness.
When he said it, she'd been so thrilled she nearly jumped for joy—imperial image be damned.
"N-No, I don't have any plans."
His 'feel free to decline' had her blurting out the words. She knew it was just polite, but she didn't want to hear it.
"I see. Excellent. Shall we go, then? Allow me to escort you."
Excellent. That word lodged straight in her heart.
What do I do? He likes me-!
Elric hadn't meant it that way at all, but Irene—who was already deep in one-sided love—heard what she wanted to hear.
Elric has feelings for me too. Perfect. We can marry right after academy graduation. We're both first-years, so the timing's ideal! I'll be 20, he'll be 21—our ages match perfectly!
It was just a casual lunch invite, but Irene's mind was already running at full throttle on delusions.