Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Ideal Type
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“Hmm…! Today is another perfect day!”
Karnel struck a pose with her hands on her hips in front of the school gate on the way to class, proclaiming it proudly as if everything was going exactly according to plan.
The sight of her silver hair shimmering in the bright morning sunlight was like a painting in itself…
The problem was Violet’s expression beside her.
“…Yeah. It’s been a perfect day with no results since standing here from 5 a.m., Karnel.”
Dark shadows hung heavily under Violet’s eyes.
But…
“Ehe~! See, even Violet thinks so! I’ll give it 71 points today!”
Violet rubbed the shadows under her eyes and shook her head.
This young lady of the ducal family had no idea it wasn’t praise…
She had an innate talent for interpreting every sound in a way that favored her.
‘…What sin did I commit in a past life?’
Violet grumbled inwardly while stifling a yawn.
Even then, Karnel brushed off her skirt, flashed a bright smile, and drew numbers in the air with her finger.
“Karnel gets 98 points today! The only shame is that the students didn’t witness my radiant presence!”
“…Who’s around at 5 a.m.?”
“Then should I come at 4 tomorrow!?”
“Ah, no! I don’t think that’s necessary!”
“Hmm… Okay.”
Violet’s scream nearly echoed through the gate, but she barely swallowed it back.
…This situation was painful enough already, but the thought of being dragged out at 4 a.m. sent chills down her spine.
“Haa…”
“Ehe…!”
Violet turned her head and glared at Karnel.
Karnel stood ramrod straight with hands on her hips, gazing at the sky beyond the gate.
She looked like she truly believed her target would one day spot her and rush over crying, “Oh my, that’s the student council president!?”
Of course, the fact that her “target” was “tardy students” meant it would never happen.
“How exactly… are you planning to catch tardy students this early in the morning…?”
Violet couldn’t comprehend it at all.
Catching “tardy students” this “early.”
The concept didn’t even make sense…
…And yet, Violet was still standing at the gate every morning with Karnel.
She couldn’t even figure out for herself why she was stuck doing this foolish thing.
“…How long are we waiting?”
“Someday, someone will notice my devoted waiting and come running over, moved to tears, shouting ‘President!’”
“…No, I think the target you’re waiting for already climbed over the back wall and left.”
“Whaaat?!”
Karnel whipped around, eyes wide.
“……!”
Of course, nothing was there.
Instead, just a single leaf fluttered emptily in the wind, along with a stray cat hair.
“That’s zero points…!”
Karnel dropped to her knees and wailed.
…It was a cruelly blue morning sky.
“We’re chasing it down…!”
In the end… Karnel wiped away tears that weren’t even there, jumped to her feet, and pointed at the single cat hair on the ground.
Then she took off running at full speed.
“Hey, where are you going?!”
Violet had to hurry after her again.
“Hm…?”
As she ran, panting, Violet’s eyes caught a sheet of paper.
Cradle Main Building, first floor.
A single photo pinned to the most visible bulletin board.
“What’s this?”
It was blurry, but the features were distinct.
Silver hair fluttering, golden eyes sparkling.
“Karnel?”
For a moment, Violet tilted her head.
If Karnel cut her hair into a bob, would it look like this…?
The thought crossed her mind.
“Violet! What are you looking at?”
“Huh?”
Karnel approached belatedly, her voice full of irritation.
But soon her gaze fixed on the photo too.
“…….”
Her movements froze.
The hand reaching toward Violet stopped in midair.
“…Wh-why is this here…….”
All that came from Karnel’s mouth was a broken-doll repetition of “Uh…?”
“…He’s handsome.”
“…….”
Violet, meanwhile, casually scanned the photo and gave her honest opinion.
“Was there someone like this at Cradle?”
And then…
“N-Nooo…!!”
“……??”
Karnel suddenly shouted “No!” at the top of her lungs.
Violet’s head tilted with question marks floating above it.
“Why—”
“No…!”
“So—”
“No!”
“Okay….”
The conversation was blocked before Violet could even ask.
In the end, she was left unfairly speechless, staring back and forth between the photo and Karnel in a daze.
And…
Click! Click!
Karnel pulled a camera-like magic tool from her pocket and began photographing the picture.
Not just one or two shots, but from multiple angles.
Obsessively.
“…What are you doing?”
Violet asked with a sullen face, but…
“What…!”
Karnel flushed red, snapping defensively as if caught doing something she shouldn’t.
…Like someone busted with a secret she couldn’t let slip.
***
【Mask Daddy! Did you see the photo on the bulletin board!? It’s totally Rev’s ideal type…!!】
“…….”
I see.
So Rev’s ideal type is me.
……Another new fact I’ve learned.
It didn’t feel bad so much as bewildering.
I’d never even considered being someone’s ideal type.
The fact that it was Rev of all people… made it even more complicated.
【Who is that prince…!】
Lamenta rubbed her face against Rev’s cheek, squealing “Kyaa~.”
Rev kept his usual blank expression and said nothing, so I ended up hanging my head.
“…….”
Why couldn’t I say the mysterious guy in the photo was actually me?
There were the usual reasons.
First, I couldn’t voluntarily remove the mask covering my face, so there was no way to prove it was me.
Second, it was embarrassing.
Honestly, that was the biggest issue.
‘Haa….’
I wasn’t the type to draw attention or end up on a bulletin board.
I always sat in the corner, avoiding notice as much as possible…
But somehow, the whole school’s attention was on me now.
‘Why.’
I’d just gone looking for a runaway cat…
Now I’d become the ideal type for multiple people.
【There! Over there!】
Tap tap.
Lamenta poked my mask’s cheek, her voice excited.
【What’s your ideal type, Daddy?】
Lamenta asked me point-blank about my ideal type.
…A question out of nowhere.
“….”
I tilted my head and thought for a moment.
Well… I didn’t have any special criteria.
So I gave the most safe, ordinary answer.
[Someone who only has eyes for me]
【Oh…! That’s totally Rev!】
“…….”
…I really shouldn’t have said anything.
I hung my head and thunked my chin on the desk.
‘…When’s this cat coming back.’
Neru.
She should have returned to her daily routine, but she still wasn’t coming to school.
The clock was well past 9, and Veronica would enter the classroom any moment.
And…
Creak…
As if on cue, the classroom door slid open with heavy footsteps.
…The wicked witch Veronica entered S Class.
And at that exact moment.
Bang!
“Nyaack…!”
The back door flew open, and Neru stumbled in, gasping for breath.
…Her breathing noticeably ragged, the picture of a classic tardy student.
“…….”
Veronica’s gaze stabbed at Neru like lightning.
No words, but her eyes alone screamed, “Do you know how many times this is?”
But soon, even that glare softened a beat late.
Veronica closed her eyes, shook her head, and silently headed to the podium.
As if it were all too familiar.
“Nyaack…”
And so…
Neru’s tardiness was accepted as part of daily life once more.
***
Tot tot tot.
Two presences(?) sticking close behind me.
Rev hopped along like a bunny, while Neru yawned hugely beside him, following with sleepy eyes.
“So who is this really?”
“Dunno.”
“I’m so curious.”
“I asked, and even the third-year seniors said no one matches.”
“Yeah?”
…First floor, by the bulletin board.
The blurry photo pinned there.
Speculation about my face was still running wild.
I wondered when the rumors would die down… but honestly, no signs of it.
‘Tch….’
I shook off the thoughts, turned, and headed to the clubroom—my hideout.
To kill the boredom of silent walking, I asked Neru a question this time.
[What’s your ideal type, Neru?]
“…Ideal type?”
Neru’s steps slowed at the sudden question.
She tilted her head, her gaze flicking to my mask.
[?]
“…Ah, it’s nothing… nya.”
Neru trailed off and bowed her head.
But her ears perked up uncontrollably, and her tail swished side to side.
As if desperately hiding feelings she didn’t want caught.
“?”
I tilted my head and kept walking.
…Something felt off.
Clunk.
Opening the clubroom door, Delphine was already there as usual.
She pretended otherwise, but it was obvious she frequented the place.
[Hello, Professor.]
“…Good to see you, Adel.”
I got curious again.
So I tossed the same question at Delphine.
[Do you have an ideal type, Professor?]
“Ideal type… you say?”
[Yes.]
【Oh! I’m curious too!】
Lamenta chimed in excitedly from the side.
The question that started from Lamenta to me had gone to Neru, and now Delphine…
Of course she’d be thrilled.
“Ideal type… None in particular.”
【Ah.】
Lamenta’s tone dropped flat.
Her disappointment was clear from her voice alone.
But Delphine paused, then added calmly.
“If anything… magic, I suppose.”
【……Ah.】
Lamenta’s voice sank even lower.
Not the answer she’d hoped for.
I watched her, then muttered inwardly.
‘This one’s the same type as Erwin.’
People who live for magic and die for it.
…There were surprisingly many crazies like that in this world.
[Professor.]
“Yes, Adel?”
[You have dark circles.]
“…A lot of late nights lately.”
That made sense.
Even as the youngest professor, she’d have plenty of overtime…
Plus the Bellamy disaster on top.
Her overtime must have exploded.
“More importantly… Adel.”
[Yes, Professor?]
“Big trouble.”
[Yes, I know.]
I knew big trouble had hit Cradle.
Not just me—Neru knew too, and even Rev, who cared about nothing, knew.
It was inevitable.
The being called a “disaster” had descended directly into this world.
Not just Cradle’s problem—the whole world was shaken.
‘Right.’
I nodded.
But…
“The club is on the verge of disbandment.”
[Yes?]
……Huh.
This was real big trouble.