[No title provided]
A few days later, the classroom felt just as it always had when I returned.
...Well, yeah. No one came up to me, that's all. Even though we'd all been caught up in that incident together, my classmates flocked only to the duke's daughter, fussing over her well-being and showering her with flattery. For a moment, I couldn't help but question my social skills.
I'd figured at least one or two might check on me, but this level of utter indifference? Sure, part of it was my own fault for not being proactive about making friends in my second go at school life, but it still stung a bit—the harsh reality that a baron's second son just wasn't worth their attention.
"Now that Mars is back, I don't have to sit alone in class anymore. This is great!"
Apparently, while I was gone, a few students had tried to sit next to Polo, but he'd turned them down, saying it was my assigned seat. The guy who always talked about wanting to make friends at the academy was being stubborn about this? It made my insides burn.
At least the ones who approached were girls, so I didn't have to worry about the heroines' wrath or criticism...
"Good morning! Everyone sleep well? Ah, some familiar faces I haven't seen in a while."
The bell signaling the start of first period rang, and Professor Idrus, our homeroom teacher, strolled in. He scanned the room with a sly grin, then spotted me and the duke's daughter. His welcoming smile seemed more like he was teasing us for skipping several days of class than genuine worry, but the warmth in his eyes showed he truly cared about his students.
After greetings and a few announcements, he added as if he'd just remembered something important.
"Oh, right— the Flower Festival is coming up soon. It runs over the weekend, so if you've got a sweetheart, it'd make for some nice memories."
Flower Festival. An event from the original game, held in the commercial district around the academy during spring. It was basically merchants decking out the streets with pretty flowers and hawking flower-themed goods—a blatant sales tactic. But in the game, it was a key episode where you could go on a date with one of the three heroines, setting the route for the main one. A single date here could skyrocket affection levels, so choices mattered. There was a low-chance pickpocket event, but nothing major.
'Yeah... this festival might work.'
I decided to call it even on the life debt by setting up a one-on-one date with Polo at the festival. Of course, if the other two heroines found out, they'd try to kill me, so I'd have to keep it under wraps.
Using the professor's lecture as white noise, I started plotting the duke's daughter and Polo's date plan.
Late evening. Celine Euse's personal communication stone buzzed while she was working on homework at her desk.
"Who could it be at this hour?"
Glancing at it, she saw it was Mars Noctus. She'd always been the one to message him first; he'd never initiated. Wondering if something urgent had come up, she checked his message.
It was a solid plan, and Celine's ears perked up. Polo might be a bit flustered by the sudden setup, but being alone with him appealed more, so she set aside her conscience for once.
Thrilled at her long-held wish finally coming true, Celine finished texting Mars.
"Milady? Something good happen?"
Her maid Betty walked in right then. Seeing her lady beaming, Betty got excited too and asked what was up. With nothing to hide, Celine casually explained, and Betty grinned wide, congratulating her on the date.
"Oh my, you're at that age already... Right, then we'll need to bring a few family knights as escorts that day."
"Whyy~ I wanna spend cozy time with Polo."
"Even so, no can do. The family head ordered escorts for any outings."
"Dad did?"
According to Betty, the duke—still on edge from the incident—had instructed his daughter to always take guards outside. It might be overkill, but his instincts from the investigation picked up on something off, and he worried it could splash back on her.
"Don't stress too much. They won't be obvious. It's for your safety—no need to feel burdened."
"Fiiine... If Dad says so... But not too many!"
"Got it~"
"Oh, right! Don't tell Dad! Say I'm just going to see the festival!"
"Okay, okay~"
A doting dad like the duke wouldn't send escorts if he heard she was dating some pretty-boy gigolo lookalike. He'd probably send assassins instead—at best.
"I'll notify the ducal residence then~"
"Yeah. Thanks."
After sending Betty off, Celine happily pondered outfits and accessories.
Zzt!
"...!!"
Suddenly, she felt a piercing gaze—like someone watching her. She whipped around in shock.
But of course, the room was empty except for her.
"...Just my imagination?"
Ever since the kidnapping to that nameless place during the incident, she'd occasionally felt a sticky stare at the academy. Magic searches for the stalker turned up nothing, so she chalked it up to trauma and tried to ignore it.
But as she turned away, she missed the tiny bear plush— a birthday gift from the family knight—staring holes into her.