Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Arbel Kingdom Academy (2)
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Even without Elena, time at the academy marched on relentlessly, and before I knew it, a full year had passed.
Next year, Elena would enroll too, so at least I wouldn't have to spend more than half the year apart from her.
Of course, our living spaces within the academy would be different. As royalty, I'd be using the royals-only dormitory called the "VIP quarters," while Elena, my fiancée, would share a room with the other noble ladies.
No matter that she's my fiancée, we aren't married yet, so I couldn't have her stay in the VIP quarters. On the flip side, if we did marry, I could bring her there... but.
'She'd probably frown and get all serious the moment I even brought it up.'
She still firmly believed I'd fall for some "commoner girl" whose face I didn't even know.
She was prepared to annul our engagement anytime, spouting all sorts of weird nonsense like that.
I'd once tried probing her feelings, wondering if maybe she did like me but was just blindly optimistic about the "original story's" future... but the results weren't great.
"Elena, just hypothetically, what if that 'commoner girl' never shows up?"
"Huh?"
"Really, just in case—what would you do if no woman ever caught my eye?"
"How should I know? Just marry some girl who says she likes you or whatever."
"...What if, in that case, you were the one marrying me, Elena? N-no, I wouldn't force you to act like a proper wife or anything. We'd just stay comfortable, like now..."
"What, did you get shot in the head or something? Why would I marry a dickhead like you? I'd rather live alone."
"......That bad, huh."
I had no idea what "shot in the head" meant, but her tone made it crystal clear she found the idea utterly repulsive, so I didn't bother asking.
"Ah, it's not that I hate you specifically, Cedric—it's just marrying any guy that grosses me out, so don't get all disappointed. You'd freak the hell out too if your family suddenly told you to marry a dude. I know you hate whiny noble girls, but don't use me as an escape hatch."
"...Yeah, got it."
In the end, the conversation just reinforced what I'd already realized: the most important thing was sparking some romantic feelings in Elena toward me.
And academy life would probably be a key opportunity for that.
Since marrying her and bringing her to the VIP quarters was off the table, I only had one option left.
The same method Orpheus and Lady Grabel were already using.
-Knock, knock.
"Come in."
After dinner, the moment I opened the door to Elena's room, there she was, just like always—sitting at her desk, nose buried in a magic tome.
Compared to seven years ago, her body had definitely matured. She hadn't grown much taller, but her curves had taken on a more womanly shape.
Even so, her scholarly fervor was unchanged from her childhood days. Seven years ago or now, it was the same.
"Oh, it's you again, Cedric?"
"What's with the 'oh, it's you' for your fiancé, Elena?"
"We're breaking up in four years anyway—what fiancé?"
...Patience.
Elena was like a feral cat. If I let my guard down and opened my heart first, she might bolt.
I shoved aside the retorts bubbling in my mind and cut straight to the point.
"How's the entrance exam prep going, Elena?"
"Eh, good enough. I already know what'll be on it, so no sweat. Duke Rozier's daughter? No way I'd flunk the rank evaluation."
"And you're my fiancée too."
"Oh yeah, that too. Come to think of it, that probably weighs even more."
She muttered it casually, like it was no big deal: "The Rozier family treats me like adopted baggage anyway."
Normally, she'd be furious that her adoptive parents favored her stepbrother over her, but her response was utterly emotionless.
...In some ways, it reminded me of how others used to see me—devoid of interest.
'Either way, this world is all predictable to Elena.'
Her biological father doting on her stepbrother, the bad blood between Lady Grabel and Orpheus— even the second son of Count Esbaren who never showed his face in society—all fell within her predictions, so she felt numb to it.
Sword duels and magic classes were novel experiences from her old world, which was why she threw herself into them with such enthusiasm.
In the end, the way to move Elena was to pique her interest.
...And if that advanced our relationship in the process, all the better.
"Elena."
"Yeah?"
"What if, when you enroll next year—and if you're okay with it—we shared the 'Engagement Dormitory'?"
"............Huh?"
A slightly delayed reaction than usual.
This was Elena's tell when something deviated from her "predictions." I'd observed her long enough to know it for sure.
"Engagement Dormitory?"
"Yeah, Elena."
"Why the hell would we ditch perfectly good VIP quarters for some random Engagement Dormitory? You on drugs?"
"Drugs? Nah, haven't touched any. And suggesting the Engagement Dormitory isn't that weird, is it? Orpheus and Lady Grabel are already sharing one."
"That's 'cause Orpheus and Lisia actually like each other. He was never into the throne race anyway."
"Point is, it's nothing special. And wouldn't you feel more at ease with me than bunking with other girls?"
"Huh?"
"Didn't you say you were a guy in your past life? If we're sharing anyway, wouldn't a guy like me be a tad better? Girls' dorms don't even have private baths."
"......Oh."
Only after my explanation did it seem to click, and she nodded quietly.
Times like this, her claim of being "a guy in a past life" really worked in my favor.
"Yeah, that makes sense. Being the lone dude among naked girls in the bathhouse would feel weird as hell."
"...Well, you look every bit the noble lady on the outside, so just keep your mouth shut and no one'll suspect."
"True, but... yeah, hearing you out, it does sound better. My brain's still guy-mode, so sneaking peeks at other girls' naked bodies would feel like betraying their fiancés or something."
Elena had always been like this. When she first came to the palace, she'd been super embarrassed having maids help her bathe.
She looked the part of a noble lady, so she could've acted shamelessly, but in this regard, she was surprisingly childlike.
Every little trait like that was part of Elena's charm.
"So, what do you say to sharing with me? Sharing with some other guy would be a problem, but you're my fiancée—no issue there."
"Pfft, as if. I might feel guilty peeking at other girls, but it's not like I wanna see your naked ass."
"Sharing doesn't mean we'd see everything. Just be careful, and we won't have any awkward slips."
"......"
"I-I'm not dying to see you naked or anything, Elena. I just want you to be a little more comfortable."
...No, honestly, I do wanna see.
But if I said that outright, she'd look at me like I was some creep, so I beat around the bush.
"The idea itself ain't bad."
"...R-right?"
"If you're my roommate, at least I won't have to keep up pretenses in the dorm. I was gonna room with Amelie, but yeah, you're definitely better."
"Good thinking."
"What do we need for the Engagement Dormitory application? Or does being royal mean we just say the word?"
"I'll handle the paperwork. You just agree, Elena."
"Cool. Done."
My own fiancée pitting me against Lady Saintro of the baron family as a roommate rival? Jeez.
Whatever. I'd succeeded in sparking her interest, so that was what mattered.
A week before the Entrance Exchange Party.
Elena arrived at the academy a bit earlier than planned and muttered indifferently the moment she stepped into the dormitory.
"This the Engagement Dormitory? Bigger than I thought."
"Isn't it a bit cramped compared to palace life?"
"That's the palace being wastefully huge. Giving one guy a 50-pyeong room? Total space hog."
"Pyeong...?"
"...Roughly enough for fifty guys to sprawl out."
She still tossed out words I couldn't quite grasp now and then, which threw me off a bit.
But at least she didn't seem dissatisfied with the space. I'd pulled strings for the largest Engagement Dormitory room available.
"We're sharing a room, but we have separate private areas, so no worries..."
"Ugh, thought I'd suffocate in that carriage."
-Rustle.
"W-wait a sec...!! S-stop, Elena!!"
"Huh? ......Oh."
She started stripping off her dress like it was nothing, then dropped the fabric back down upon seeing my panic.
I decided to pretend I hadn't glimpsed her undergarments. She probably wouldn't care even if I admitted it.
"Sorry, habit."
"Even in front of your fiancé, aren't you a bit too careless?!"
"Fiancé, my ass. Oh, changing room?"
"...That's the wardrobe. To avoid accidents, change in there, Elena."
"Sure, whatever. Don't wanna feel some sleazy stare from a guy anyway."
"I-I've never looked at you like that, Elena!"
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I'm changing first? This thing's been choking me."
"Do what you want, Elena. Grab some clothes."
"Ah, thanks~."
-Click!
"......Hoo."
I'd started this dorm life hoping to spend more time with Elena, but I'd overlooked her total lack of guard.
If I let my tension slip even a little, I might mess up. She probably wouldn't be careful, so I'd have to be...
-Creak.
"Hey, Cedric. Unzip me? Can't pull this off from the top."
"...S-sure."
-Ziiiip.
"Why turn your head like you're trying not to look? Hilarious."
-Creak.
"......Gasp, huff."
...Yeah, I'd definitely have to stay on guard.