275 – About Her Love-7-

Another blissful day at the academy.

“Do you really have to do this?”

Hiding behind a pillar, I looked down at Shuen’s violet crown and said. As important as preliminary research is, it doesn’t seem necessary to go this far.

“Even if Miss Shuen is a lifelong single who has never held a man’s hand, this seems a bit much.”

“Shh, be quiet, commoner.”

“Sigh…”

“What I need as a lifelong single is preliminary research…! The girl is now conducting research to capture a man’s heart.”

“People call that stalking.”

-Twitch…!

Startled, Shuen flinched and mumbled,

“It’s observation!”

“It doesn’t seem like mere observation, no matter how I look at it.”

“Don’t overthink it! If I’m right, then it’s right!”

Shuen, who had a one-on-one date with Mikhail ahead, was preparing her heart to confess to him.

What time would be good to confess.

She was stalking Mikhail to figure out elements that didn’t need thinking over, like what expression he’d have when she confessed, and whether he’d accept it.

-I’m a lifelong solo, right…!

-That’s what I thought.

-Ugh… Then, please help this girl!

-I have to watch the convenience store.

-But…! Didn’t you say you were looking for a part-timer?

-Hanna said she would watch it for a while.

-Hanna is so popular, I can’t see her! If I, who have worse grades and a miserable life than Hanna, step up to bat next, wouldn’t it be good for the commoners too?

-You want to monopolize the waste, I see.

-Gasp!

-It’s too obvious, Miss Shuen.

-Anyway, please help!

Just a few days ago, Shuen, who had refused the help of a commoner, was now asking for help, saying that nobles are known to speak out of both sides of their mouth.

-Hmm…

And I ended up accepting Shuen’s attractive proposal. After all, I needed a substitute too, and Shuen, somewhat familiar with the convenience store, didn’t seem like a bad idea.

So, I got Malik’s permission and was stalking Mikhail with Shuen. And here I am, spending meaningless time in this place.

“But, Miss Shuen.”

“What is it?”

“What’s going to change by us doing this?”

“Huh?”

“Mikhail’s routine of going to class and the training ground, watching that won’t change anything, will it?”

“Eek?”

Shuen, hit right on the mark, awkwardly lifted her head to look at me.

“Is that so?”

“What does ‘is that so’ mean?”

“I don’t really know either.”

“Quite innovative.”

Shuen scratched his head and soon refocused his attention on Mikhail. The current time was 6 PM. Perhaps because summer was approaching, the elongated day made the sky bright.

And there was Mikhail, abusing the straw mannequin in the training ground again today.

-Haaah!!!!

-Damn it…! Damn it…!

-I must show a different side…!

‘He has improved a lot.’

Was it the encounter with the Apostle that spurred Mikhail on? His swordplay was short and succinct, slicing horizontally.

And he had changed his sword as well.

It seemed that meeting the Apostle hadn’t only brought negative influences.

As Mikhail swung his sword, Shuen thought of about ten things that needed improvement. Then, from below, Shuen’s exclamation could be heard.

“Wow…”

“Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Huh?”

Busy scribbling something in his notebook, Shuen looked up at me.

“What’s so impressive?”

“Mikhail. Isn’t his concentration remarkable?”

“Hmm?! Ah, indeed!”

“Just a moment, Mr. Shuen. What have you been writing all this time? Wasn’t it about Mikhail?”

With a bright smile, Shuen showed me his notebook.

-Tonight’s dinner menu.

1. Bento box

2. Meat

3. Canned food

I was foolish to have expected more.

Had we been blankly watching Mikhail wield his sword for an hour? Only after Mikhail, who had finished training early, left for the dormitory did we awkwardly look at each other.

“So, did you find anything worthwhile?”

-Nod.

“What is it?”

Shuen nodded his head as he spoke.

“I can’t understand a thing.”

“…”

I sincerely wanted to flick her on the forehead.

With a deep sigh, I locked Shuen’s neck under my arm. A headlock in the language of my past life. Unable to hit this frustrating woman, I gave her the best punishment I could.

“Ugh, ugh, ugh! What is this commoner doing! How dare you strangle a noble’s neck!”

“I’ll buy you food, so be quiet.”

“Commoner!”

Shuen wriggled out of the headlock and glared at me. Whether she was trying to scold me for applying the headlock without permission, she spoke loudly and indignantly.

“I like meat!”

“Huh…”

“Hehe!”

“Say that again.”

“How insolent! aaack! I’m sorry!”

Shuen was dragged to the restaurant while still in a headlock.

***

A famous steakhouse in the capital.

-Gulp.

“Wait… commoner.”

“Yes.”

“You must like me after all. To bring me to such an expensive restaurant!”

“Choose from the menu and keep quiet.”

“Gulp…! Even if you leave me with the bill, I have no money to pay.”

I chuckled and said to Shuen.

“Miss Shuen, there’s something I’ve been curious about.”

“Yes. Ask me anything!”

“Are you really a noble?”

“…?”

“…Nod.”

“Of course! I am the proud eldest daughter of the Tetra family! Tetra Shuen…!”

“Then why… No, never mind. It’s nothing.”

Attempting to speak but holding back, Shuen shot me a prickly look and yelled.

“What is it! Why start speaking and stop!”

“It’s nothing. I just thought you seemed like a well-mannered noble.”

“Ohoho! Thank you for the compliment, commoner.”

“…I really envy your positive thinking.”

“Ohoho… But, commoner.”

Shuen glanced around swiftly and whispered to me in a hushed tone.

“What should I choose?! It’s my first time here, and I don’t know anything. I can’t even understand what’s written on the menu!”

Shuen pointed at the food item listed at the very bottom of the menu.

“Should I order the cheapest ‘Fairy’s Tears’?”

“Um, Shuen.”

“Yes?”

“That’s wine.”

“Yes…!?”

“That section is for drinks.”

Shuen brought her face close to the menu, incredulous, and alternated her gaze between the menu and me.

“You… you really are…!”

“I’ll pay, so please, just pick anything and close your mouth.”

“Eek…! You’re richer than I thought, commoner!”

“Sigh…”

Shaking my head at Shuen’s life, which was more impoverished than I imagined, I chose the most expensive items from the menu and told the staff.

“Wait! I can’t let a commoner’s wallet be plundered!”

“Shh! Please, let’s keep it down, Shuen!”

“Thrum…”

Shuen pouted her lips, sneaked a glance at me, and bowed her head.

“Alright! Then I’ll contribute, even if just a little.”

-Clang.

“…”

I looked at Shuen, who was trembling as she offered three gold coins, and smiled bitterly.

“Oh dear…”

“Don’t ignore the girl’s wallet!”

“So, Shuen will be the one paying…”

“You can ignore it as much as you want!

Shuen was adept at changing her stance.

With a moment of leisure, I gazed at Shuen and quietly began to ask her the reason she was summoned here.

After all, it seemed inappropriate to discuss such matters while eating lunchboxes at the academy.

“So, Shuen, have you made up your mind?”

“The menu?”

“No, isn’t there something more important than that?”

“Hmmm… There’s nothing more important than this!”

“A confession.”

“Ah!”

Shuen responded, stuffing the pre-meal bread from the table into her bag.

“That’s right! This time, I will definitely make Mikhail my man!”

Where should I start?

I watched Shuen refill her bag with bread and cautioned her.

“First of all, you can’t steal bread in front of Mikhail.”

“Isn’t that obvious!”

“Why do you do that to me, then?”

“Why indeed?!”

Shuen scratched her head with a sheepish smile.

“I don’t know! Teehee!”

What should I do?

I could clearly foresee Shuen’s future and began to speak words of no regret about her choice, with a bitter smile. After all, the outcome of her confession was already decided.

Even if it wasn’t in a novel.

Knowing that it was an ethically impossible situation, I took a deep breath and said to Shuen,

“I’ll tell you as much as I can. I’ll be around on the day, but there are basic things that you have to do.”

“Oh… Pity.”

“Who do you think I am?”

“A temptress!”

“…?”

“Nod, nod.”

Shuen looked at me with eyes full of expectation and nodded her head. Receiving the most absurd expectation of my life, I let out a hollow laugh and reluctantly nodded back.

“Right. Since I’m the famous ‘color devil,’ you must listen carefully to what I say.”

“Yes!”

“First…”

.

.

.

“Understood!”

Shuen nodded vigorously in response to my words.

To ensure Shuen was listening properly, I looked into her bright, sparkling eyes and asked,

“The confession?”

“In a place where we’re alone!”

“And the clothes I told you to wear?”

“As plain as possible!”

“I told you to wear something simple, not a dress. Mikhail dislikes anything that stands out. If you don’t have such clothes, even a uniform will do.”

“…Understood.”

“The remaining food?”

“Shouldn’t be packed away!”

I nodded at Shuen’s correct responses and let out a sigh of relief.

“Excellent. Just do it exactly like this.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll write it down in a notebook for you, so make sure to memorize it.”

-Nod, nod.

And so came the morning of the awaited confession.

Shuen stood quietly in front of the wardrobe, a serious expression on her face.

“Still, too plain might not be good enough.”

Shuen tossed the plain clothes Ricardo had picked out onto the bed and began to layer on one piece after another from the wardrobe.

Starting with a large pearl necklace.

Adorned in a dress full of frills.

She donned what Ricardo had told her not to wear and smiled contentedly.

“Perfect…!”

Shuen was unaware.

At this moment, that this choice would lead to the most embarrassing end of her life.

She was unaware.