The classroom I returned to after several days was no different than usual.
…Well, what else could it be? It just meant no one came to see me.
Even though we had clearly been caught in the same incident, all the classmates flocked solely to the noble lady, asking how she was and shamelessly flattering her. For a moment, I felt disappointed about my relationships at the academy.
I had thought at least one or two people might show some concern for me, but the complete indifference was disheartening.
Of course, the fact that it was my second time experiencing school life and I hadn’t been too proactive in making friends played a part….but still, the reality that no one cared about the second son of a baron made me feel a bit bitter.
“It’s so nice now that Mars is back and I don’t have to attend class alone!”
From what I heard, while I was gone, there were a few students who tried to sit next to Pollo during class, but he turned them down, saying it was my designated seat.
He was the one who’d said he wanted to make friends at the academy, and yet he acted so stubborn in situations like this. It really made my insides twist.
At least the ones who approached him had been girls, so maybe I should be relieved that I didn’t have to face the wrath and criticism of the heroines…
“Good morning, everyone! Did you all sleep well? Ah, I see some familiar faces I haven’t seen in a while.”
With the ringing of the bell signaling the start of the first period, Professor Idrus, who was in charge of our class, walked in.
The professor entered with his usual mischievous smile and, after scanning the room, spotted me and the noble lady. He then smiled warmly and greeted us.
Judging by his tone, it felt more like he was teasing us for having missed several days of class rather than genuinely worrying. But the look in his eyes, which carried a sense of relief, made it clear that he truly cared about his students.
After greeting us, the professor shared a few announcements, and then, as if suddenly remembering something important, he brought up one more thing.
“Come to think of it, the Flower Festival is right around the corner, isn’t it? It’ll be held over the weekend, so those of you with lovers might find it a great chance to make some memories.”
The Flower Festival.
It was an event featured in the original game. A spring festival held in the commercial district surrounding the academy.
Though it was called a festival, in reality it was just an excuse for merchants to decorate the streets with pretty flowers and push flower-themed goods in a marketing ploy. But in the original story, it was also a key episode where the protagonist could go on a date with one of the three main heroines.
This event marked the point where the main heroine route would start branching, and since it allowed you to significantly raise a heroine’s affection level with just one date, it required a careful decision.
There was a small chance of a pickpocketing event occurring, but it wasn’t anything serious.
Yeah. If it’s this festival…
I decided to settle the life debt I had unwillingly incurred by using this festival to set up a one-on-one date between Pollo and the noble lady.
Of course, if the other two heroines found out about it, they’d probably try to kill me. So I’d have to keep it a well-guarded secret.
I started planning a date between the noble lady and Pollo while using the professor’s lecture as white noise.
***
Late at night.
While working on her assignments at her desk, Selene’s personal communication stone began to ring.
“Who could it be at this hour?”
Looking at the stone, she saw the caller was Mars Noctus.
She had always been the one to contact him first, and never before had he reached out to her, so Selene assumed something urgent must have come up and quickly checked the message he’d sent.
[Mars: Would you happen to be available to talk right now?]
[Me: What’s going on?]
[Mars: It’s nothing serious. I just had an idea about how I could repay the debt I owe you.]
A debt, he said. Come to think of it, she remembered what she had told Mars a few days ago when she went to see him.
It had been a bit of a stretch, admittedly, but for him to come up with an idea in such a short time…
He was annoying and sly but perhaps he was surprisingly competent.
[Me: Already? How did you come up with something so fast?]
[Mars: It’s a coincidence, really, but I heard there’s going to be a festival held at a nearby shopping district.]
[Me: Ah, yeah, I heard about that too. Wasn’t it called the Flower Festival or something?]
A textbook example of commercial marketing.
In reality, this region wasn’t known for any special flowers, nor did it sell particularly rare ones.
If there was anything unique, it was that around this time of year, one of the city’s bridges would be completely covered in all kinds of flowers.
There was also a rumor that couples who crossed the bridge together would end up falling in love.
Of course, no one seriously believed that. Most people just crossed it for the mood or in the hopes of getting closer to someone they had feelings for.
In a city that had developed thanks to the Academy, who would believe in legends like that in the first place?
But the fresh new Academy students who had just been admitted were now adults. They were just at the age when they began to take an interest in the opposite sex. And with the arrival of spring, flowers were beginning to bloom everywhere.
Taking advantage of this, the city planned to hold a romantic event to attract more visitors.
They decorated a high-traffic area with all kinds of flowers, added just the right sculptures and flowerbeds, and offered flower-themed goods and events to set the mood.
It was the kind of setup that naturally drew couples and singles hoping to meet someone, which was why the festival hadn’t been discontinued even after all this time.
[Mars: Yeah. I only heard about it today, but it occurred to me that the festival could be the perfect excuse to set up a date.]
[Me: The atmosphere would definitely be nice, but… can you actually arrange for Pollo to be alone with me?]
[Mars: That part should be fine. I’ll bring Pollo to the festival, then stage a chance encounter with the young lady. After that, I’ll pretend something urgent came up and leave. From there, the two of you can enjoy the date on your own.]
[Me: Ooh…]
That was definitely a good idea.
Although the unexpected situation might leave Pollo a little flustered, the idea of being alone with him was far more appealing to Selene. Just this once, she decided to set her conscience aside.
[Me: But what about after that…? I’ve never really been on a date before…]
[Mars: No need to worry about that part either. I won’t actually leave for real. After slipping into a disguise, I’ll follow the two of you from a distance and give you advice as needed. By the way, do you happen to have a compact magical communication tool?]
[Me: Hmm? I don’t have one right now, but if I need it, I can get one.]
[Mars: Then I’ll count on you for that. If you wear the tool on your ear and cover it with your hair, there’s no way it’ll be noticed, and you’ll be able to follow my instructions for a successful date.]
[Me: Ooh. I’m seeing you in a new light.]
Selene was quite pleased with Mars’ enticing plan.
The thought of going on a date alone with Pollo was exciting enough, but the fact that Mars was even taking care of the strategy made it an incredible opportunity for someone like her, who was completely clueless when it came to romance.
After finishing her exchange with Mars, Selene was overjoyed that her long-held wish was finally coming true.
“Young Lady? Did something good happen?”
It was her maid, Betty, who happened to come in at just that moment.
Seeing the young lady of her house wearing such a bright smile, Betty couldn’t help but get excited herself and asked what was going on.
Since she had nothing to hide, Selene naturally explained everything that had just happened, and Betty gave her a big, beaming smile as she congratulated her on her upcoming date.
“Oh my, I guess the young lady really is at that age now… Oh! In that case, we should arrange for a few knights from the family to accompany you as guards on the day.”
“What? But I want to spend some quiet time alone with Pollo…”
“Even so, that won’t do. The head of the household gave strict orders that you must be accompanied by guards whenever you go out.”
“Dad did?”
According to Betty, the duke who had become sensitive due to the recent incident had ordered the maid to always have Selene accompanied by guards whenever she needed to go outside.
It might have been an overreaction, but based on his instincts as someone who had participated in the investigation, the duke sensed something suspicious. He was worried that the danger might somehow reach his daughter as well.
“Don’t worry too much. The guards won’t follow you around obviously. It’s just for your safety, so you don’t need to feel too burdened by it.”
“Heeeng… If Dad said so… Just don’t bring too many!”
“Yes, yes, I got it~”
“Oh, right! Don’t tell Dad! Just say I’m going out to see the festival or something!”
“Alright, alright~”
There was no way a doting father like the duke would allow guards to accompany his daughter if he found out she was going on a date with some guy who looked like a playboy.
It would be a miracle if he didn’t send an assassin to take the guy out.
“Then I’ll go ahead and contact the mansion~”
“Okay. Thanks.”
After sending Betty off, Selene happily agonized over what clothes and accessories to wear.
Zzt—!
“……!!”
At that moment, she was startled by the sudden sensation that someone was watching her and quickly turned around.
But of course, she was the only one in the room.
“…Was it just my imagination?”
Ever since she had been abducted to an unknown place due to the accident, she occasionally felt a sticky, lingering gaze fixed on her from within the academy.
However, even when she tried to track the stalker using magic, nothing ever turned up, so she chose to dismiss it as a form of trauma and tried her best to ignore it.
But while she had her head turned, Selene failed to notice the small baby bear plushie that was gifted to her by a knight of the household for her birthday gazing intently at her.
Leave a Reply