Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Training (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sarah's smile was incredibly alluring.
So much so that it made anyone who saw it want to reach out without thinking.
Her smile had the power to stir people's hearts. But for most, that was as far as it went.
Sarah wasn't a real succubus, nor did she possess any enchanting powers, so people quickly came to their senses and hastily pulled their hands back.
They couldn't just touch a woman carelessly, especially since that woman was the Crown Prince's fiancée.
Sarah was like a rose covered in sharp thorns—one touch, and you'd regret it in more ways than one.
However—
Smooth—
"...Oh my."
"Senior."
Aren didn't hesitate to reach for the rose with its sharp thorns.
"I knew you were bold, Junior Aren... but I didn't expect you'd do this even knowing who my fiancé is. Hehe."
She gazed at Aren’s hand around her waist and let out a slightly excited breath.
How long had it been since a man showed her such intense affection?
'This might actually be the first time...'
Sarah recalled her relatively good times with her fiancé, the Crown Prince.
Back then, it was still their innocent childhood, so their feelings were more like those of friends than lovers.
Naturally, she never received the kind of affection a man gives a woman. And as they grew older... the Crown Prince fell head over heels for some noble lady from who-knows-where.
"Didn't you just tempt me earlier, saying the seat next to you was empty?"
"...I didn't expect you'd fall for it like this."
"That's a funny story."
Aren chuckled softly and met Sarah's eyes.
Then he said something she would surely love to hear.
Words like a refreshing rain to someone starved for affection for so long.
"What man wouldn't fall for a beautiful woman like you tempting him?"
"...There was a man who didn't fall for it."
"That's because he doesn't qualify as a man."
"...Oh my."
Sarah naturally thought of the Crown Prince, now effectively castrated, and burst into genuine laughter.
She couldn't even remember the last time she'd laughed like this.
The people around her were only there for the Clement family's interests or to butter up the Crown Prince's fiancée in hopes of gaining something.
The only pure relationship she had was with Veronica... but even Veronica had lost her cuteness as she grew older.
It was truly regrettable, but now a man had appeared right in front of her to fill that void.
"If a woman like you were by my side, I'd bring you flowers every day."
"Flowers... that sounds nice."
"Have you never received any?"
Sarah twirled a strand of her hair lightly.
"Well... yes."
'I didn't see that coming.'
He never even gave flowers to a woman like this as his fiancée?
Aren's evaluation of the Crown Prince plummeted straight down inside him.
Looking at other women? He didn't care. On Earth, it would be unthinkable, but this world saw polygamy as normal.
The problem was this.
He neglected his own woman to chase others.
And because of that, their relationship reached its end.
To Aren, who believed love for one's woman should be given generously and fairly, the Crown Prince was utterly unqualified as a man.
"Then I'll bring them for you."
"Really?"
"Yes. For a woman like you... roses would suit perfectly."
"Roses..."
She recalled the meaning of red roses in her mind.
Intense love... right?
'......'
Her heartbeat suddenly quickened, but she smiled casually as if nothing was wrong.
"...Hehe, how romantic."
She looked up at Aren's unique eyes.
Eyes with a mysterious shape found nowhere else in this world, unique to Aren.
"Are you seducing me right now, Junior?"
"Did you just realize, Senior?"
"...Hmm?"
Sarah soon pried away Aren's hand firmly wrapped around her waist and turned her back. To hide her flushing face.
'Haa...'
Originally, she had planned to seduce some guy just to spite her soon-to-be-ex-fiancé, the Crown Prince. While scouting around, Aren caught her eye.
She felt a bit sorry for Aren, but there were no real feelings involved.
But somehow, genuine sincerity kept coming back at her, and the heart that thought 'no sincerity here' began to waver little by little.
She didn't know yet that this small shake would one day cause a massive crack.
"Senior."
"...Yes, Junior."
"By the way—"
Clunk—!
At that moment, someone opened the Book Club's sub-room door, cutting Aren off.
The man who entered had light purple hair and green eyes.
'...Veronica?'
He somehow resembled Veronica.
And then.
"Is Veronica not here? I heard she joined this club."
He immediately asked for Veronica.
Sarah hid her flushed face and looked at the man.
"Oh my, Veronica isn't here right now. What a shame."
"...Hmm."
The man stared at Sarah intently. His eyes were full of suspicion.
"Lady Clement. You're not hiding Veronica, are you?"
"Of course not. She's really not here."
"Hmmm..."
The man tapped the desk with his finger.
He seemed to be pondering something.
Whisper whisper—
'Senior. Who's that guy?'
'Veronica's brother.'
...
Veronica's brother?
'...She has a brother?'
'...You didn't know?'
'No. Veronica never mentioned it.'
'Hmmm... well, she hates her family.'
Hates her family?
It was news to Aren.
'What's his name?'
'Rudolph Adel Adler. Second-year in the Magic Department, same as me.'
'A senior, then.'
'Something like that.'
As they whispered secretly, Veronica's brother, Rudolph, looked at Aren.
"You."
"?"
"Are you Veronica's friend?"
"...Casual speech?"
Rudolph furrowed his brow.
"Just answer the question. Are you Veronica's friend?"
"Well... yeah, friends?"
"Ha... friend of that worm..."
...Worm?
Hardly a word you'd use for family.
"What's your name?"
"Aren."
"Aren, huh..."
Muttering Aren's name, Rudolph suddenly scowled fiercely.
"You're the one who proposed to that worm during the entrance exam, aren't you?"
Aren nodded.
Rudolph let out some kind of exclamation.
"Hah... I never thought it was true... Now that worm is being eyed even by commoners."
"???"
Aren's head was filled with question marks.
Families could have bad relationships, sure, but this was way too bad...?
Confused, he glanced sideways, and Sarah was shaking her head too. She seemed to already know how bad things were between Rudolph and Veronica.
Soon, Rudolph looked down at Aren arrogantly.
"Commoner scum."
"?"
"Don't go near Veronica. Know your place as a commoner."
Rudolph then turned to Sarah.
"Lady Clement. If you see Veronica next time, tell her this: Stop dragging the ducal family's reputation through the mud and just quietly attend the Academy."
Without giving Sarah or Aren a chance to respond, Rudolph said his piece and left.
...
Left alone with Sarah, Aren thought.
I was going to treat him nicely since he's family... but this guy is asking for it?
Aren met Veronica again at that training ground from last time.
To fulfill their promised two sessions a week, and also to tell her about what happened in the Book Club sub-room.
But Veronica, unaware of this, was extremely wary of Aren.
"......Don't come any closer."
"Can't do that."
Aren approached right up to Veronica. The closer he got, the more she backed away, until she was cornered against the wall with nowhere to go.
Aren suddenly pulled the trapped Veronica into a hug.
"?! You...! Let go...!"
"Can't. I haven't received payment for expanding your mana circuits last time."
"Th-that...!"
Veronica struggled to escape his arms and shouted.
"You already hugged me on your own and did... that stuff, so isn't that enough...!"
"No, that's not it."
That was clearly a separate matter.
"That was basically medical treatment. Separate from payment."
"Medical treatment...? How is... that stuff medical treatment...!"
"But didn't your skills improve? It's already proven by the results."
"Eut..."
Veronica froze. Aren placed his hand on her waist and pressed even closer.
Her ample chest squished against Aren's torso.
"And I have other things to say besides that."
"...What could it be that you have to hug me like this to say it?"
Ignoring her sharp retort, he told her about the Book Club incident.
"Your brother came looking for you."
She froze.
Veronica, who had been subtly resisting to escape his arms, went stiff. Aren hugged her tighter and recounted everything that happened.
"........."
"Veronica. Do you have a bad relationship with your family?"
He figured he'd need to hear the story.