The Soul Duo
Seated in the chair, Selena took a sip of her coffee. At the same time, she began to seriously consider how she would punish her brother once she returned to the family.
“Leni. Could you do me one favor?”
“What is it?”
“Among the veterans I’m helping, there’s someone who wants academic assistance from you. I know you’re busy, but in my eyes, the one who excels most in academics is you, Leni.”
There was a brief moment of conflict. The vacation would end and she would become incredibly busy right away. Even now, during the vacation, there were so many things to do that time was tight. How could Deonic suddenly make such a request?
But it was Deonic, after all. Her brother. And helping a veteran, no less. She could never refuse when it came to Karl.
In the end, Selena accepted her brother’s request. She figured that if she concentrated on helping during the vacation, she could manage the rest on her own.
“By the way, brother, you’re not going to tell me who it is?”
“Ah… Well, you’ll find out when you go. Leni. You’ll know when you go.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to tell me now? After all, you’ll find out anyway.”
Even though she added a reasonable reason, Deonic only answered with “You’ll find out when you go” to the end.
It was a bit strange, but Selena didn’t take it too seriously.
After all, it was her own brother. The family she loved next to her parents.
That was why she felt a surge of betrayal toward her brother.
“…”
“…”
The person requesting academic help in front of her was, in fact, Lavrenti.
The woman who had been engaged in a sharp exchange of words with Karl was the one sitting here today.
Brother…!
That was why he hadn’t told me. He was probably afraid I would refuse if he said the name. That was why he kept it a secret!
Really, when I get back to the family, I’ll see you. This time, I’ll clench my fists and hit you even harder!!
While Selena suppressed her anger toward her brother with a fierce glare, Lavrenti was equally bewildered.
“You may come to this place tomorrow. Lady Lavrenti. The woman who will be going tomorrow can help you. I can assure you of that.”
“Thank you, Master. But you’re not telling me who it is?”
“That… Ahem. You’ll find out when you go.”
“…”
“There’s no need to worry. She is truly a trustworthy person.”
It was Deonic, after all. The person who had been helping her with all their might. That was her conviction.
So she didn’t ask any further. She simply went to the promised location and waited to see who would arrive.
She never imagined that the other party would be Selena Ifreet.
“Ha…”
“Huu…”
The two women let out a small sigh almost at the same time. Then they began to ponder the reason behind it.
Is that it? Yeah. I know that Lavrenti and I have been competing with Karl. Deonic probably did this on purpose to give me the upper hand and tell me to take the lead.
To show my overwhelming superiority in academics and inform the intellectual woman that she is the one who suits Karl best!
Of course, the one thinking that way was Selena.
Could it be… Master? That he wants me to hold back in this situation and fight with all my might to seize the victory?
By pairing us up to compete fairly, he wants us to truly compete with each other!
The one thinking that way was Lavrenti, sitting on the opposite side.
If Deonic had heard the inner thoughts of these two women, he would have screamed and still had energy left.
On his part, he had prepared a way to gradually get closer to his sister by saying something like, “Leni, since we can’t just keep fighting, let’s do this to get to know each other a little bit and find common ground. Of course, I don’t deny that you’re first, but Lady Lavrenti is Karl’s comrade, right?”
For Lavrenti, he had prepared the place with the thought, “Lady Lavrenti, I’m sorry, but the one who will sit closest to Karl’s side is my sister. As her brother, I have no choice but to side with Leni. But by showing Lady Lavrenti another side of her and planting positive thoughts in her, it could have a good influence.”
Yet the two of them, completely unaware of any of that, were sitting there shouting at each other “Come on! Come on!!” If they hadn’t screamed, that would have been strange.
“Ahem.”
After organizing her thoughts, the one who spoke first was Selena, who held the advantage.
“I heard from brother. You need help. Lavrenti.”
“For now, yes.”
“For now, what? It’s strange. Brother said it was an urgent situation.”
“…”
“You know, right? The Imperial Academy is strict with nobles and commoners alike. If your grades accumulate warnings, there’s no mercy. Even if you’re a war hero, it’s the same.”
That was why Karl was grumbling while clutching his books and studying hard.
Even someone who had received two Medals of Honor had to do so, and recipients of the Silver Star Medal, who were relatively lower, had to put in that much effort.
“If it’s not urgent, I’ll withdraw. I’m pretty busy too. You might have heard, but I’ve entered graduate school for my master’s degree.”
“Graduate school…”
“Yes. It’s balanced and good. For the child, Dad is martial arts. Mom is literature.”
Why mention the child? And why didn’t they know that “Dad” and “Mom” referred to different people?
Lavrenti, who had been listening quietly to Selena’s words, nodded.
“Miss Selena’s words are correct. A balance of martial and literary arts is definitely a good thing.”
“Right?”
“Yes. So I will also work hard. For the child, as Miss Selena said.”
Lavrenti declared her strong will to be able to do it and finish it.
At that moment, Selena was overwhelmed by a strong inner conflict: Should I just not help at all?
But there was her brother’s request, and Karl’s comrade, so she couldn’t refuse.
Well, it’s good. This way, I can make Lavrenti recognize my clear superiority. Instead of competing with me, I can plant the idea that it’s better to compete with someone else.
At first, she had thought Lavrenti was a formidable opponent. She knew that the battlefield was a space she knew nothing about, even if it was only for a few days, but she was definitely sharing it with Karl.
From their first meeting, when she called her “Master” and treated her as a special person, she thought she could easily draw out Karl’s heart.
But that wasn’t the case. By focusing too much only on Lavrenti, she had failed to realize there was an even greater rival.
Eloise. That woman… That woman is dangerous!
No matter how much it was her, no matter how much it was Lavrenti, she couldn’t just barge into the men’s bath like that. Eloise had done that action without any hesitation at all.
If this was the harvest from this hot spring trip, it was a harvest. She had learned that if they kept clashing with Lavrenti, someone innocent would benefit.
“A good posture, Lavrenti. If you do that, you can focus on your studies at the academy as well.”
“…Thank you.”
“Unfortunately, I can only concentrate on helping until the vacation ends, and once the semester starts, I’ll be busy with personal matters. So let’s do our best during the vacation.”
Doing their best during the vacation meant letting Lavrenti know her perfect superiority during the vacation.
Lavrenti vaguely sensed that too, but she didn’t object or interrupt.
It’s true that I’m at a disadvantage. At least for now.
She didn’t rashly clash out of pride. If something was lacking, she accepted and acknowledged it.
Instead, she took what she gained from there and made it her own, and finally ended with the most perfect step.
That was why Lavrenti had confidence in herself. Confidence that she would not be outmatched by Selena.
“Well then, shall we hear in more detail what is lacking?”
“Understood.”
The fierce battle of wits between two women starting over one man.
Actually, it hadn’t started yet. It was more accurate to say it was about to start.
Thirty minutes later, the two women accidentally learned some news.
“What did you just say, Wilhelm?”
“Eh? Uh… I mean…”
“Say it straight. What did you just say?”
Seeing Selena, Wilhelm had been chatting happily and then spilled the news.
He had to repeat what he had said earlier while sweating profusely.
“T-today, the fifth princess of the Kingdom of Lasquer entered the Empire as a student. But there was an unfortunate accident along the way, and Karl stopped it. That’s it.”
“Then. What else happened next?”
Selena’s fierce aura, which she had never shown before. Along with Lavrenti’s sharp gaze as a former sharp shooter.
No matter how much he was the Marquis of Gramstad, Wilhelm, he couldn’t block the two women’s fierce anger.
“That… T-that, Karl hugged the fifth princess like this and saved her…”
Right after, while seeing the flames rising from Selena and Lavrenti, Wilhelm thought.
I’m going to get scolded badly for saying something unnecessary to Karl again.
Suddenly, Wilhelm earnestly wished. May his friends not make the same mistake. Especially Schlippen. Anyway, those guys should not have made the same mistake as him!
*
“Say it again. Marquis. What did you just say?”
Schlippen, smiling with a hehe, but with a sinister glint in his eyes, faced Eloise and cautiously answered with an “Exh…”
“Karl hugged the fifth princess of the Kingdom of Lasquer…”
“Hehehe. I see. Ahaha. So that’s how it is. Hahaha.”
“…”
Uh, oh. It seems like big trouble.