Lumiere Academy 2: Clickbait Chivalry

As expected of a typical aggro article, the content wasn't anything special compared to the headline. It simply reported the factual events: that Donnesia and I had crushed the cultists trying to blow up ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the train. The problem was how realistically detailed it was—they'd captured every single word of my dialogue from back then, verbatim, like it was etched in stone. Was there a reporter in car number four or something...? Shit, is this for real?

No matter that I'm a bastard son, I'm still officially part of a grand ducal house. They can just publish blatant aggro bait like this out in the open...? Even for a pinky-pony romance fantasy world that tosses plausibility out the window, there's no way they'd openly run an article tarnishing a grand duke's reputation...? Sure, it was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a total disaster straight from my own mouth, but still.

"You can't just run aggro articles like this, right? Unless the imperial family is backing them...."

"That's exactly right."

Huh? A familiar yet sly voice chimed in from behind me. I turned around to see a platinum blonde beauty in academy uniform. The voice belonged to Isabella.

"Lady Eterna, you're still dazzlingly beautiful—enough to hurt the eyes."

"No wonder they call you the 'Flower of Eterna.'"

"Yeah, now I get why the Second Prince went all out to protect you, milady."

And so on with the reactions from the crowd around us. Her appearance was accompanied by a wave of murmurs, like the narration announcing a boss monster's entrance. No surprise there. The moment I'd opened the newspaper, all the judgmental whispers about me had cut off abruptly. Is this what it means to be a romance fantasy heroine...?

Unlike Donnesia, who'd drawn zero attention despite all the aggro I'd pulled for her, Isabella commandeered every gaze just by showing up. By now, the breakup with the prince must have been public knowledge, yet there wasn't a single bit of gossip trashing her. How perfectly had she managed her likability? Sure, the Second Prince's own fumble had helped, but still.

Wait, what did Isabella just say?

"Long time no see, milady. But just now...."

"Answer to your question: yes, the imperial family is their backer."

Isabella crossed her arms as she replied. So, basically, the imperial family was behind this aggro article? Color me shocked. I hadn't expected them to stoop to cheap clickbait.

But why would the imperial family back them?

"Why would the imperial family be their backer?"

"Huh? You really don't know?"

Isabella tilted her head like she genuinely couldn't believe my ignorance, then explained.

"The reason the imperial family claims to back the press is simple. It's due to the founding emperor's decree that the media must remain free from any one's control."

First time hearing about that setting.

"But if it's free from control, doesn't the imperial family acting as backer contradict that?"

Doesn't it just mean the imperial family does whatever the hell it wants? Like with my article.

"Pretty much. They position themselves as protectors to keep other factions from manipulating the press. But flip it around, and it means only the imperial family gets to bend it to their whims."

"So...."

"It's unavoidable. In Astoria, the highest authority is His Imperial Majesty. To publish articles criticizing even the grand dukes without restraint, you need backing on that level, right?"

Fair enough.... Sounds no different from them refusing to hear anything they don't like.

"That's why they make a point of including criticism of themselves to maintain journalistic integrity. Though, obviously, only for throwaway pawns." She flashed a cynical smile, then pointed at the ground as if telling me to look down. What the...?

I glanced down, and... uh....

These were aggro headlines about Isabella and the Second Prince littering the ground. They must have been published ages ago, but I had no idea why they were still here. The content was as mundane as my own article—just that they'd broken up for no reason, and it had miraculously reformed the playboy prince. No eyewitnesses meant no mentions of Isabella slapping the prince or me challenging him to a duel. A no-reason breakup was perfect conspiracy fodder, but he'd neatly blocked all arrows aimed at her by saying things like, "I could reform thanks to the breakup," and pleading not to spread conspiracy theories about her. Damn, I'm jealous. Why don't I get that treatment?

Still, something felt off. Even with imperial backing, could they really ignore one of the Five Dukes—Logres? There must have been backlash. Our family head had withdrawn from politics, but I couldn't see him tolerating this.

"But isn't this aggro title a bit much?"

"That's the tradition of those rags. Didn't you know?"

"What, did you grow up in some backwater?"

Donnesia shot me a look like she couldn't believe I was clueless, while Isabella seemed puzzled why I didn't know this basic info. Shit. What kind of tradition is that? How can slapping aggro on headlines be a 'tradition'?! The whole world is out to screw me over. At this point, it feels like I'm in the Truman Show. Why doesn't Ian's head have info like this? He wasn't some shut-in who never read a newspaper, right?

"Oh my, how kind-hearted Lady Logres and Lady Eterna both are."

"Right? Even the young master who declared he'd walk the path of chivalry is being so sweetly cared for."

"But they seem awfully close.... What could their relationship be? No way...."

"No way. It's just that Lady Eterna has such a broad embrace."

Maybe we'd talked too long, because the vicious gossip mill of these ladylike experts was starting to churn. And it was pissing me off. I'd taken down the terrorists myself, yet here I was, treated like some naive chivalry-obsessed young master? The article clearly stated—even if it painted me as cosplaying knighthood—that my actions had crushed the heretics and prevented greater casualties. Is it because of my looks? Damn this looks-based society.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance, and the murmuring atmosphere sank into eerie silence. Everyone's faces seemed to stiffen, but that wasn't my problem. Come on, any brave guys gonna step up? Normally, some dude trying to impress Isabella would butt in about now, but weirdly, no one did. Shame. I'd planned to reward any bold soul by folding them in half.

I scratched the back of my head and spoke up. "You should head to your seats now. Chatting more with me here won't do you any favors."

"I need to enter the Great Hall too, so are you telling me to stay out?"

Cecilia—er, Isabella—replied with a chilling smile. Right. Normally, guys would whisper about my rudeness to a lady and step up, but no such heroes appeared. Suppressing the crowd with sheer face value. This must be the legendary dragon fear. Face-based Heavenly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Demon Domination right here.

I turned to grab the door handle.

"Well, we'll head in first...."

"Doesn't matter if we go together."

What the hell is this woman saying? Would the world just sit by if a freshly broken-up lady was seen with some random guy? Who knew how many more aggro articles that'd spawn.

"I'd rather not get dragged into pointless scandals."

"That's quite the confident statement. Need a mirror?"

"With a face like this, I need all the confidence I can get."

Isabella let out a hollow laugh and stepped closer.

"Doesn't matter to me. I've lived ages without giving a damn about public opinion. If I want to do it, who cares what they think."

"It matters to me."

"What, just one more line under 'delusional chivalry young master'?"

That's more than enough, thanks. Those voyeuristic bastards up there always trigger their traits in awkward moments. I'm already at my limit with the "chivalry-mad ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠young master" bit.

"You said if you can't avoid it, enjoy it—so I'm happy to enjoy chivalry. But can't we avoid this situation?"

"......"

Isabella fell silent at my words.

"Right.... I did say that.... You remember...."

She muttered something, then continued with her signature chilling smile.

"But...."

With that icy smile, Isabella stepped closer, one foot at a time.

"Can you really avoid it?"

Teasing or not, with that inscrutable expression, she kept advancing slowly—until

"Please stop teasing him, Lady Eterna."

Donnesia blocked my front, ending it. Isabella narrowed her eyes, radiating chill, while Donnesia stared right back undaunted. Another powder-keg standoff on the verge of sparks—again!

But it fizzled out quick.

"The First Prince of Karl Kingdom...."

"Asdel from the Holy Kingdom is here too!"

"His Highness the Second Prince...."

"The Third Prince...."

The male leads' arrival scattered the aggro. And so, the heroines' staredown ended in a whimper.

The soaring ceiling held magitech chandeliers glowing like at a banquet hall. At the front, a massive podium bore the academy's emblem, crisply engraved. Seeing in real life what I'd only known from the game made my pecs swell with awe. Fitting the continent's top academy, the Great Hall had real class.

Like a country bumpkin, I craned my neck left and right, drawing a soft chuckle from Donnesia. No helping it— that's exactly what I looked like. Weird, though. In a romance fantasy, some noble should've mocked the grand duke's bastard as a hick by now. But no one dared whisper within my sight anymore. Whatever face I'd made earlier, it proved my features were plenty savage. Shit. Handy, but I'd be eating alone for a while.

The moment I sat, all lights in the hall winked out, spotlights converging on the podium. Student murmurs died instantly as someone ascended slowly. A woman with fiery red hair like flames and golden eyes.

"New students, I sincerely welcome you to Lumiere Academy."

With the academy head, Ashbel Dryg, taking the stage, the entrance ceremony began.