Chapter 80

Iris couldn’t help but feel curious about what Estelle and Theo had talked about when she saw them returning in high spirits.

“You must have had a good talk, Estelle. Your expression looks much brighter.”

“Of course! Aren’t you curious about what we talked about?”

“Hmm. Are you asking because you actually intend to tell me?”

Iris figured Estelle must have had something in mind when she said that.

“If you tell me what you talked about with Sir Theo, I’ll tell you too!”

Her guess had been completely correct.

It seemed Estelle was really curious about their conversation.

Naturally, Theo must not have told her anything about it.

“Wouldn’t that make having separate conversations meaningless?”

If that was the case, they might as well have talked together. Iris subtly teased Estelle. In response, Estelle pouted.

“Well, sometimes it’s easier to share things after finishing a conversation in a comfortable setting, don’t you think?”

She wasn’t exactly wrong.

If all three of them had been together earlier, Iris wouldn’t have been able to confess as easily.

Now that everything had already wrapped up in a warm atmosphere, relaying it later through words would certainly be easier than discussing it as a group.

Somehow, Iris found herself convinced.

“Well… I suppose that makes sense.”

“Haha, you two keep talking. I’ll head back to the classroom first.”

No matter how he looked at it, Theo couldn’t exactly say he felt comfortable listening to the two of them talk after they had both confessed to him. So, in a strange turn of events, he was the one to step away this time.

“Ah! Sir Theo just left…!”

“Well, that’s because you insisted we should talk alone, Estelle.”

“But I’m curious!”

“…Well, to be honest, I’m curious too.”

Realizing they were both equally curious, Estelle’s eyes sparkled as she eagerly spoke first.

“If it’s hard for you to say, I’ll go first! How about that? Will you tell me then?”

“Hmm… Alright, let’s do that.”

Iris seemed to find the suggestion reasonable and gave a small nod.

With that, Estelle shared the conversation she had just had with Theo.

“He said if both of us confessed, he should accept us both… What on earth does that even mean?”

“But Iris, wouldn’t you also prefer that over him choosing only one of us? I know I definitely would.”

It sounded completely ridiculous, yet somehow, Iris found herself getting drawn into Estelle’s argument.

“…Well, if I had to choose between the two, I suppose accepting both would be the better option.”

“Right? That’s exactly why I brought it up! Besides, if it’s you, Iris, I wouldn’t mind dating together.”

Estelle casually stated that while she wouldn’t be okay with just anyone, she didn’t mind if it was Iris. That, more than anything, caught Iris off guard.

“…Didn’t you dislike me?”

“What? If I hated you, I wouldn’t have let you stay near Sir Theo in the first place. I mean, it’s not like I liked you from the start or anything, but now? I actually like you quite a bit.”

If Theo had heard Estelle’s confession, he might have been so overjoyed that he teared up and cheered.

“Of course, my absolute favorite is Sir Theo!”

“Same here. Well, if it’s you, Estelle, I suppose I’d be fine with it. I do like you quite a bit.”

In one way or another, it was true that Estelle had never truly disliked Iris from the start.

Without Theo, the two of them might never have grown this close, as they were complete opposites. And yet, there was always a strange pull between them.

“Then let’s keep planting this idea in Sir Theo’s mind nonstop.”

“What…? What do you mean by that…?”

“That way, instead of agonizing over choosing just one of us, Sir Theo will be ready to date us both the moment he’s prepared.”

Seeing Estelle casually suggest such a thing with a smile, Iris couldn’t help but think that she really was a bit of a creepy woman.

“Alright. I’ll join you.”

Even so, she agreed because, when the time came for Theo to make a choice, she genuinely hoped he would pick both of them rather than just one.

“Then let’s hurry and catch up with Sir Theo!”

“Yes, or else someone might steal the seat next to him. Plus, class is about to start soon.”

With unusually light steps and bright expressions, Estelle and Iris made their way to the academy.

***

“Starting tomorrow, exams will begin.”

Boom!

It was the kind of moment that could have used a dramatic sound effect. Just as everyone was enjoying themselves after class, the shocking announcement hit them like a bolt from the blue.

Well, to be fair, it had been announced ages ago.

“…Ah, now that you mention it, I completely forgot about the exams.”

“…Same here.”

Seeing that Estelle and Iris didn’t look too pleased, it seemed their exam preparations hadn’t been going well.

Well, to be fair, they had been too preoccupied with other matters for a while.

“But still, I’m sure the two of you will do just fine. You’ve both had early education since childhood, haven’t you?”

“Well, I did receive education as the crown princess… but it’s definitely quite different from the academy’s curriculum.”

“I’ve only been in Ermunt for a few months…”

Noticing the heavy atmosphere settling around them, I hesitated before speaking.

“Hmm… then how about we all study together in the library from today? Studying as a group might be more effective.”

“Ah! Studying all night with Sir Theo in the library?! I love it!”

…Wait, I never said anything about staying up all night.

“Ah, I’d love that too…! There are so many things I wanted to ask you, Sir Theo…!”

Hmm… but the exams were starting tomorrow.

I had planned to study moderately and head back early, thinking it would be best to get a good night’s sleep before the tests.

It seemed I had spoken too carelessly.

In the end, we all moved to the library, found seats, and decided to study within the exam range until dinner.

“Hmm…”

Even though it was a theory-based exam, the material wasn’t all that difficult.

It occurred to me that the test might actually be easier than expected.

The topics the professor had specifically pointed out as important didn’t seem too bad either.

Perhaps it was because it was only the first semester of the first year.

Thinking that the exam wouldn’t be as challenging as I had feared, I glanced up at Iris and Estelle.

“Huaaah…”

“Ugh…”

…Apparently, I was the only one who thought so.

Seeing the two of them hunched over their books, completely absorbed in studying, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

They were both so cute.

…No, no. That wasn’t right. I needed to get a grip.

It was probably because they kept confessing their feelings so openly. It was making me think strange things too, but I really shouldn’t.

“I’m going to step out for a moment to get some water.”

After quietly whispering to the two of them, I quickly slipped out of the library.

“Ugh, I’m exhausted.”

It wasn’t even that late, especially since I had originally planned to get a good night’s sleep tonight, but for some reason, I felt stiff and drained.

Maybe it was because, around this time, I was usually holed up in the training grounds, slaughtering those scarecrows.

As I debated whether or not to drop by the training grounds for a bit—

“Sir Theo! There you are!”

Estelle came running up to me and stopped right by my side.

“Oh, did you come out to get some water too, Estelle?”

“Nope! I came out to see you, Sir Theo!”

Good grief, this girl…

She was practically flirting as naturally as breathing at this point.

“Hmm, but isn’t the exam tomorrow? Are you sure that’s a good idea? I think the professor said anyone who does poorly will have to do extra studying.”

“Ugh, I’d hate that.”

“Then I guess you’ll be stuck in remedial lessons while I go have fun with Iris.”

“Ahh! That’s even worse!”

“Then you should hurry back and study.”

“Hmph… Fine…”

Watching Estelle sulk as she trudged back to her seat, I stretched my arms out with a big yawn.

Yeah, I should probably stop by the training grounds and loosen up a bit.

Just lying down to study would definitely put me to sleep, so I loosened up a bit before using teleportation magic to head to the training grounds.

“Magic really is convenient.”

I considered cultivating mana a bit more, but for now, swordsmanship took priority.

Besides, when it came to warming up, nothing beat sword training.

Seeing the training grounds filled with untouched scarecrows after just a few days away, I started pulling them out one by one and setting them up.

“Man, practical training is so much more fun than theory.”

Swish—shhk!

As I slashed through several scarecrows with my sword, the stiffness in my body gradually faded and I felt more awake.

Of course, if I kept swinging like this for too long, I’d probably wear myself out and get even sleepier… but hey, I was having fun, so what could I do?

“Hmm, I’ve gone through one row… Should I take down just one more before heading back?”

Maybe I was just used to my old routine. Cutting down all the scarecrows here before moving on to the ones at Uncle Duncan’s place.

Even after clearing a whole row, I still didn’t feel like I had fully shaken off the stiffness.

Or maybe… I just didn’t want to go back and study theory.