“Luna!!!”
“Ugh...”
Luna sat in front of Ena as if she had committed a crime.
Having witnessed the behavior between Rie and Rudy, Ena approached Luna.
Luna, who had been working diligently in the lab, was deeply shocked by the story.
The two decided to step outside to discuss further, settling on a bench in the academy garden.
After saying everything, Ena decided not to say anything more.
She figured the person who must be feeling the most frustrated right now would be Luna.
“What on earth happened?”
Ena was at a loss.
The person who had gone to the north with him was Luna.
If anything, it was his and Luna's relationship that should have improved.
“I don’t really know either…”
Luna said with a dejected face.
Were Rie and Rudy dating already?
Luna's mind swirled with confusion.
When Luna last visited the student council office, there was no hint of any such atmosphere between them.
To comfort Luna, Ena spoke up,
“For starters... they don’t seem to be dating.”
“But…”
“Sure, it’s not the greatest situation.”
“So, it's really like that, isn't it...?”
Luna sighed deeply, looking down.
“But remember, crises can turn into opportunities.”
“Huh?”
Luna looked up in surprise.
“Do you know what made it difficult to approach Rudy?”
“To approach Rudy?”
Luna tilted her head, thinking.
“Because he’s the son of a Duke?”
It was a realistic point.
Rudy belonged to the empire’s Ducal family, making him nearly inaccessible.
Luna had naturally gotten closer to him and developed feelings, but for most others, he was a distant figure.
But that wasn’t the only thing bothering Luna.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})She was the daughter of an ordinary noble.
Even if she inherited her family’s title, breaking through those social boundaries wasn’t easy.
“Well, that's one factor. But honestly, that's not the main issue.”
“Huh?”
“If Rudy falls for you, would titles or statuses matter? Love knows no such barriers!”
“But... isn’t that only in romance novels?”
“No! Those novels are all based on reality!”
Ena declared firmly.
It wasn’t incorrect.
The empire had a more relaxed view on status than one might assume.
While there were distinctions between ranks, love and relationships tended to be free from those constraints.
High-ranking nobles, even emperors, often took commoner spouses.
Love was typically the foundation for marriages, with strategic marriages being a rarity.
“So... am I lacking compared to Rie?”
Rie.
She was the princess, the vice-president of the student council, and she shone brilliantly in every aspect.
With that, Ena reached out and gently cupped Luna's cheek.
"Why so down?"
Ena grinned, playfully pinching Luna's cheek.
"You're this adorable and pretty, aren't you? Plus, you're academically better than Rie. And in both the lab and the student council, everyone acknowledges your abilities."
"Really?"
"Of course."
Ena then took a seat beside Luna, their arms brushing against each other.
"And, compared to Rie, you have... this."
Ena sat down next to Luna and playfully poked at Luna's rather prominent chest.
"Ena!"
Blushing profusely, Luna quickly covered her chest.
Watching Luna's flustered reaction, Ena let out a mischievous laugh.
"I wonder how much our Luna has grown?"
"You're such a pervert..."
Ena chuckled, relaxing her expression.
"The point is, you're not lacking in any way!"
"I... I guess."
Luna responded and fell into deep thought.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Still, nothing else seemed to come to mind.
"So, why is it hard to approach him?"
At this, Ena chuckled and pointed at Luna.
"It's because he doesn't see a girl as a girl. Just as a friend."
"Huh?"
"Luna."
Ena looked straight into Luna's eyes, questioning.
"Have you ever seen Rudy act shy?"
After pondering for a moment, Luna couldn't recall any specific instance.
Noticing Luna's reaction, Ena continued,
"Or, has he ever stared at a girl passing by, maybe at her legs or chest?"
"Rudy would never do that!"
Luna's defensive outburst brought a smile to Ena's face.
Usually, Luna would just laugh it off, but her reaction now clearly showed how much she cared about Rudy.
"But most guys typically look at those places, you know."
Hearing this, Luna furrowed her brows, giving Ena a concerned look.
"Well, I don't think he does."
"See?"
"Wait, is Rudy... like a girl? Now that I think about it, he does have some pretty features..."
"What are you even saying..."
Their conversation was going well, but Luna's unexpected comment made Ena sigh.
"Anyway, the important thing is that Rudy needs to recognize the dynamics between men and women!"
"Dynamics between men and women!"
Luna repeated Ena's statement as if having an epiphany.
"So, what should you do?"
Pumped up by Ena's words, Luna clenched her fist and declared,
"Make him see me as a woman!"
Hearing this, a proud smile appeared on Ena's face.
"All the advice I've given over the years has finally paid off!"
Ena pointed towards the student council room window.
"Go on, Luna!"
"Yeah! But..."
"Hm?"
Luna gave an awkward smile.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})"I've got a ton of work piled up right now... I should probably finish that first..."
"Oh..."
Confronted by this realistic concern, Ena just nodded.
"Right, work is important, after all..."
"Senior, are you dating my sister?"
"Ack... Cough, cough..."
I coughed, caught off guard by the sudden question.
"Why... would you think that?"
"Well, Ena asked me about it yesterday."
I blushed, recalling the scene where I shared cake with Rie the day before.
"Wait, is it true?"
Seeing my reaction, Yuni's expression turned cold.
A fierce look crossed her face.
"No! There was a misunderstanding. I've spoken with Ena about it."
I did talk about it.
More of a clarification than a conversation, really...
Regardless, the incident was water under the bridge.
"Did you get the sticks from Ena?"
I meant the rod used for the staff.
Instead of answering, Yuni fixed me with an icy stare.
"Don't change the subject."
I was taken aback by this unfamiliar side of her.
"…Yes,"
I replied, my voice lacking any confidence or authority.
Why was she acting this way now?
I hadn't seen this kind of intensity from her, not even during the student council elections.
"You didn’t mess with my sister, did you?"
"Mess with...?"
Yuni let out a chuckle, but it was devoid of warmth.
"Many men have tried to woo my sister."
"I... I see."
"Do you know what happened to those men?"
"I'm not sure..."
With a mischievous glint in her eye, Yuni said,
"I'll leave that to your imagination!"
"..."
"But since you say it's a misunderstanding~"
Yuni's demeanor shifted back to her usual cheerful self.
"You're not like them, right? I want to be on good terms with you, Senior."
"Yeah, sure."
Her sudden change left me reeling, but I managed a response.
What was going on with her?
Yet, something became clear.
The fate of the men who showed interest in Rie...
"You really care about your sister, huh?"
"Of course. She's family, isn't she?"
"Huh?"
I was taken aback by her unexpected response.
"Then why did you interfere in the student council elections? Rie was aiming for the vice-president's position."
"When did I ever interfere?"
Yuni tilted her head in confusion.
"You wanted to win. But we..."
I stopped, recalling a memory.
When I had confronted Yuni before, she had said:
-I would have still resigned. Being the student council president is tough. And I hate anything that’s hard.
Realization dawned on me.
She was never interested in the presidency.
Her sole objective had been to date me.
"Realized my innocence now?"
Yuni leaned back, grinning at me.
Come to think of it, it was odd.
Why did she want to date me?
I never got to hear that story.
"So why did you want to..."
"I'm not telling."
Yuni interrupted before I could finish.
“Everyone has secrets they wish to hide, don’t they? But!”
“But?”
“If you agree to go out with me now? I might be willing to share~. So, will you date me?”
I sighed at Yuni's words.
"Just some friendly advice from a senior: stop saying things like that."
"We both know it's just a joke, right? I know you're not interested in dating. And you know I don't have feelings for you."
She said it so casually, no hint of deception.
I let out another sigh.
But seeing Yuni this straightforward, I no longer felt threatened by her.
Granted, Yuni sides with the aristocrats and aims for the throne, so competition is inevitable someday.
However, I doubted it would escalate to life-or-death levels.
"Speaking of which, did you get those sticks from Ena?"
“Yes, I did. You're planning to merge it with the mana stone, right?”
"No, I lack the skill for that... I have someone else in mind to do it."
"Oh? Who might that be?"
Shortly after.
"What is this now?”
An older man, still groggy from sleep, squinted at us.
"How does a respectable professor end up sleeping in such a place?”
Robert, placing aside the book that had been carelessly covering his face, settled into his seat.
“What’s with you? Haven’t seen your face in a while.”
“I may have been busy, but I haven’t neglected my studies in dark magic. Anyway, I need a favor.”
“Huh, always coming to me when you need something. Am I just a tool to you? And who’s she?”
“Wow... Is this person really a professor?”
Yuni was genuinely astonished.
Truth be told, I felt similarly when I first met Professor Robert.
But to hear Yuni voice it out loud was quite something.
Robert frowned deeply.
“I break out in hives whenever I'm near someone like her.”
"You've conversed with Rie a few times, haven't you?”
"She's sharp. This one, not so much."
"Wow, watch your words. How uncouth~."
“What did you say?”
“Pro, Professor! My apologies!”
I hurriedly intervened between Robert and Yuni.
Did I make a mistake introducing them?
In many ways, they were polar opposites yet oddly similar.
Yuni, despite her noble demeanor and adherence to etiquette, was oblivious and often blurted out whatever came to mind.
Robert, on the other hand, had long abandoned any semblance of etiquette and lived life in a rather unrefined manner.
They're opposites, yet there's a weird similarity.
"Anyway, we three have to work together for a while, so try to get along.”
“If Rudy says so."
"I'd rather not, especially with this brat."
I leaned in and whispered to Professor Robert.
“She's currently working as an assistant to Professor Gracie. And I hold authority over that."
No further explanation was needed.
It was simply the dynamics between a professor and an assistant.
That was all he needed to know.
Robert smirked and gave me a thumbs up.
"Sounds good."
"Since it's assistance between our labs, I'll discuss the details about compensation and any other aspects separately."
"Just take care of it however you want. It's a hassle for me. Let Borval know. He'll handle it."
Come to think of it, I haven't seen Borval recently.
I used to frequently see him training on the sports field, but I haven't seen him since he became a full-fledged teaching assistant in his third year.
Probably busy with teaching assistant duties.
I should catch up with him soon.
"Understood."
I nodded.
Professor Robert then stood up from his seat.
"Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
It was about dinner time.
"Let's go to that place, along with this youngster."
My eyes widened in surprise.
"That sounds great. I've been so busy lately and haven't been able to go."
"…Where are you talking about?"
I smiled at Yuni.
"A restaurant with the taste of heaven."
"Oh…"
Yuni grinned contentedly.
"Do you think they can satisfy my palate? I fancy myself a bit of a foodie."
"Absolutely."
I replied with confidence.
And so…
We headed to the fermented bean paste stew restaurant.
