Practical Exam
Practical Exam
Greeting the 7 AM sun, which shone even brighter than usual as if to celebrate our entrance onto the main stage.
I boarded the carriage with Rihel.
"Sigh... How did I end up attending the Academy with a commoner like you?"
"That is the question. To think that a commoner like me would be blessed with the honor of attending the Academy with Lady Rihel Denius, one of the most beautiful women in the Empire... no, the entire continent. I must express my sincerity and recite my love to you even more to repay you, even if just a little."
"Ugh, you're so annoying!"
Rihel scrunched up her pretty face.
However, behind the fan covering her mouth as she huffed in genuine annoyance, the tips of her ears were flushed red, just like always.
Furthermore, her fingertips, which she had lowered, were also trembling slightly.
'Looks like she's actually enjoying this banter quite a bit....'
Anyway, this is why it doesn't work.
Whether it's Korean women or villainesses in romance fantasy novels, they're all the same—playing hard to get and being dishonest about their feelings.
I stopped teasing Rihel and turned my gaze outside the wide-open carriage window.
Outside the window, Duchess Mirea Denius stood at the mansion's entrance, watching the two of us quietly.
It hadn't even been a month, yet the moment of parting had already arrived.
Of course, it wasn't a final goodbye.
I put on the most wistful and sorrowful look I could muster, as if I were about to shed giant tears at any moment.
"A black rose that has scarred my palms with its sharp thorns—since there's a convenient warp portal installed inside the Academy, I could run over to gaze into your red, enchanting eyes late every night if I wanted to, but..."
I reached my right hand out over the carriage window frame, reciting lines mixed with the most cringeworthy words imaginable.
"To avoid bringing shame to the Duchess's name and to spread the honor of Denius far and wide, I must bury myself solely in my studies. My poor heart aches as if it's being torn apart, and I am filled with regret."
"......."
It was a cringeworthy line that wouldn't even be used in a third-rate street play's breakup scene.
However, Mirea, who had been silently watching my desperate acting, didn't frown or scold me.
She just let out a light chuckle and said.
"Pfft, honestly... even at the very last moment of leaving this mansion, that cheeky mouth of yours doesn't rest for even a second... Not bad."
She added, crossing her arms and wearing a relaxed, beautiful smile.
"Anyway, don't worry. You will be facing these eyes of mine, which you are so thirsty for, to your heart's content before long."
"... Pardon? What does that mean...?"
I tilted my head blankly, hand still outstretched, at her cryptic reply.
To my heart's content?
The Academy is a strict boarding school where outsider access is extremely limited. Is she planning to come visit me every day just to see me?
Did I already succeed in capturing her route?
Does that mean a happy ending is possible?
'No, wait. Mirea is an issue, but the real problems are Ilusia Rodpen and Rihel Denius.'
Anyway, what could it be? What on earth did she mean by such a cryptic remark?
My curiosity only continues to skyrocket.
However, Mirea lightly ignored my confusion and immediately shifted her gaze affectionately toward her daughter inside the carriage.
At the same time, the Duchess's mask that had been spread across her face melted away like snow, and the smile of an ordinary, warm mother worrying about her daughter blossomed.
"I hope you won't cause any unnecessary trouble this semester that would get your mother called in for a parent-teacher conference, my daughter. And don't be lazy with the circle connection reinforcement technique I taught you yesterday; keep practicing it. You understand?"
To think that such a realistic and down-to-earth term like 'parent-teacher conference' would come out of the mouth of the Duchess of Denius.
I barely managed to hold back a burst of laughter and focused on the rest of their conversation.
At her mother's affectionate concern, Rihel blushed slightly and twirled her hair awkwardly.
"D-don't worry! Nothing like last time will happen."
Then, Rihel suddenly thrust her head toward me with a wicked and lethal glint in her eyes.
"This time, I finally have an excellent walking human punching bag that rolled right into my side, don't I? If I get stressed, I can just beat this guy up and play with him!"
"Uh, wow...."
I could certainly tell she wasn't joking.
In her red eyes, there was a genuine determination to use me as a punching bag to maintain the peace of the Academy.
I got a bit of goosebumps at that, but I didn't lose my relaxed smile even as I shivered slightly.
Instead, I gave her a very sultry wink, squinting one eye.
"The fierce Blue-Black Flame that you scatter is nothing more than beautiful flower petals fluttering down into my arms, and I can gladly accept it as much as you like."
"... What?"
"Or shall I prove my resolve right now in front of the Duchess?"
I said that and began to carefully reach out my left hand.
And at my absurd shamelessness and wink combo, Rihel was genuinely horrified and retreated to the corner of the carriage.
"Eek...! Y-you're truly insane...!"
Her reaction was so genuinely disgusted that it slightly hurt my feelings, but I just laughed it off with satisfaction.
Whatever the case, she's reacting instead of just ignoring me, right? That's enough for now.
"Then, I shall be off, Duchess. Please take care of your health."
"Ugh... this damn commoner... Mother, I'll be going."
With my elegant greeting and Rihel's strained farewell, the door of the carriage we were riding in finally closed.
As the coachman cracked the whip at Duchess Mirea's gesture, the carriage, equipped with top-tier suspension, moved so smoothly.
It exited the front gate of the Denius Duchy mansion, offering a ride quality as if we were in the backseat of a luxury car.
"Hmm, Lady, may I ask you one thing?"
"... You've been yapping for two hours straight, and you still have things to say?... Fine, what is it then."
"It's nothing special, but why are you trying to watch my entrance exam instead of heading straight to your dormitory?"
Because I didn't like that she said she'd use me as a walking human punching bag, until we arrived here at Rodpen Academy, I had been hitting on her non-stop for nearly two and a half hours.
So I naturally thought she would leave my side as soon as we arrived...
Even though hundreds of applicants were already taking the practical exam, she just kept glaring at me as if to kill me from right beside me, showing no signs of leaving.
"Honestly, even I think I was pretty annoying with how I hit on you this time."
"... Tsk, that's none of your business. And in the first place, if you have a recommendation letter, you don't need to take the exam, so why are you insisting on taking it?"
"Ah... it's nothing much. Rumors will spread soon enough, and nobles who have lost their nerve and common sense will swarm me like bees, so shouldn't I at least create a minimal justification to save myself from annoying trouble?"
At my answer, Rihel frowned as if she were dumbfounded.
"Even if there are quite a few morons here whose heads are full of flowers or who got in through family power or bribes... there shouldn't be any idiots who would openly mess with a commoner backed by Denius, right? Unless you go around picking fights first."
"That is also true."
Yes, it was a perfectly logical point.
If this were a typical fantasy world, the Duchess's name alone would block 99% of threats.
But unfortunately, this isn't a world where logic and common sense prevail, but a romance fantasy world rampant with clichés and forced adversity.
I swallowed a bitter smile inwardly, while outwardly maintaining a calm and relaxed smile as I answered.
"That is true, but... is there any need to not do something when I can? Rather than having the label of a commoner who got in with just a recommendation letter without any skill, I want to offer the reputation of having entered confidently with overwhelming skill to you, Lady."
"Sigh... here we go again. When will that mouth of yours ever stop...."
It was when Rihel was shaking her head as if fed up with the constant flirting that popped out at every opportunity.
"Applicant number 655, please enter the training ground."
The guide's voice came from somewhere in the distance.
Applicant number 655, it was finally my turn.
I stood up from my seat and very naturally wrapped my hand around the back of Rihel's hand.
And before she could even be flustered, I lightly kissed the back of her hand.
Smooch—!
"Whatever the case, thank you for staying by my side until the end. I feel like I've finally bewitched your heart a little, and this lowly man's heart is overflowing with emotion."
"Y-you, you crazy, what are you...!"
I left Rihel behind, her face flushed as if it were about to burst, her mouth just flapping, and I quickly turned and ran to the exam hall.
I thought the faint swearing coming from behind sounded incredibly pleasant today.
"Hey, you damn commoner!!"
Left alone, Rihel stared blankly at Zenon's retreating back for a moment.
The back of her hand where his lips had touched felt like it was burning, as if scalded.
She bit her lip and rubbed the back of her hand vigorously with her other hand.
'Damn it... I really feel like I'm becoming strange too now.'
Feeling her heart pounding like crazy, Rihel fanned herself repeatedly to cool down her flushed face.
Even though she was fed up with Zenon's shamelessness, she couldn't understand herself anymore, unable to strangely take her eyes off him.
It was just then, as she was calming her slightly racing heart.
A small commotion from one side of the applicant waiting room began to grow louder.
Where she turned her head, a female student with unique two-tone hair, a harmonious mix of bright mint and pure white, was surrounded by numerous male students.
An overwhelmingly beautiful appearance that made even Rihel, a woman herself, breathless.
To her, who exuded a pure yet mysterious atmosphere, the noble young masters were pouring out all sorts of flirtations and praises, scrambling like dogs in heat.
Rihel frowned while watching the scene.
That face, I'm sure I saw it briefly last year....
'Ah, the second-year commoner who was there last year when the Crown Prince completely destroyed the eldest son of a Baron's family, her name was Sere... something, I think.'
"Sereniel! Please, just have tea time with me once!"
"There's a rumor going around that you're the Crown Prince's lover... is that true? If not, please give me a chance just once...!"
"I am the only successor of Kahelta...."
The unsightly behavior of the noble young masters, who didn't know their own place and were making noise.
"Tsk."
Watching that for a moment, Rihel clicked her tongue without realizing it and recalled the face of Zenon, who had shamelessly smiled and kissed the back of her hand just a moment ago.
"Still... that commoner Zenon is much better than those guys who are drooling and hitting on her like dogs in heat."