And then, the following day, during lunch break.
"...Finally."
In a corner of the academy courtyard, seated before a hastily arranged tea set, Katia murmured those words.
Right—the first and second days of the latter term had been hectic enough, and with Katia expending all her energy fending off the endless parade of male students asking her out, she'd never gotten the chance. But today, she finally could. That is to say—
"...Today, I can finally have lunch with L...!"
She declared this with barely contained excitement.
Honestly, she'd been so impatient that she'd barely registered a word of her pre-lunch classes.
After reuniting with him and learning they'd be attending school together, she'd indulged in all manner of fantasies. Most had gone unrealized since they'd been placed in different classes, but one of the biggest dreams remained within reach.
After waiting eagerly for what felt like an eternity, she heard footsteps approaching from across the courtyard. Glancing toward the sound, she spotted the familiar figure of a silver-haired boy.
Her face lit up instantly, and she was about to call his name and wave—
"—and that's the thing, L. You've got a strong tendency to fall back on defense right out of the gate. Some of that's just your nature, I suppose, but once your opponent knows you lack killer instinct, there's a million ways they can exploit that."
"I see... so that's why I kept getting taken out so quickly this morning."
"Exactly. If you could turn close-quarters combat from something you merely 'survive' into a genuine finishing tool, everything would change overnight. I've said it before, but your fundamentals are solid—you can absolutely do it. And honestly, it makes teaching you way more fun for me."
"I'm honored. Hearing that from someone of your skill level is really encouraging."
"Hehe~ You're always so sincere with your compliments. It's embarrassing, but I can't say I don't like it... Oh—Lady Katia! Long time no see!"
"...Huh?"
She froze involuntarily.
No, it wasn't that she was surprised he hadn't come alone. She'd already known two close friends from his Class B days would be joining them. Truthfully, she would have preferred just the two of them, but she'd also been wanting to catch up with his old friends, so she'd agreed to it.
Therefore, the fact that the girl now spotting her and running over—Niina—was there didn't surprise her in the slightest. The problem was.
"W-Wait—"
Why, after only two days since transferring in — had Niina and Ermes, two people who should have absolutely no connection whatsoever…
Gotten this freakishly close?
"—What the hell happened?!"
A scream erupted, packed with shock, anxiety, and then a cocktail of anger, jealousy, and a whole messy handful of other emotions.
Niina and Ermes tilted their heads in confusion, while Sara — the other attendee who had been trailing timidly behind them — shuddered.
In any case, at that moment—
Inside Katia, the very first thing she would interrogate him about — the topic she would bring up — at today's lunch was decided.
So that was how, come lunch today, Ermes understood the arrangement: he, his Boss Katia, and — from what he'd heard — Niina and Sara, girls Katia had gotten along with in Class B. A lunch for the three of them.
He had technically been invited too, but probably just to run errands. Thinking as much, he had eagerly shown up equipped with a teapot, napkins, and the full works, determined to conduct himself as a servant who wouldn't shame his master—
"…I see."
For some reason there were four chairs, and for some reason Katia had seated herself in the middle, separating him and Niina.
With a solemn expression, she listened carefully as Niina recounted the magical exercise from the other day, and how she had continued receiving close-combat training from Ermes ever since.
With a mix of understanding and a trace of resignation, Katia let out a sigh.
"…So that's how it happened. Well, I suppose the two of you would get along on that front. …But… behind my back… that kind of…!"
"…U-um… s-sorry?"
Niina, for her part, had initially tilted her head, unsure what could possibly warrant being interrogated so intensely—
But after hearing everything out and letting a frustrated expression cross her face, she scooted her chair just a little closer toward Ermes.
Puffing out her adorably flushed cheeks, she gave Niina a look that was slightly resentful — yet restrained, knowing she couldn't exactly blame her — that complicated, hard-to-read expression on her face. But of course, once given that much information, she understood the gist of it well enough.
"Hey, Sara. Sorry if I'm reading this wrong, but…"
"…Yes. Probably exactly what Niina-san is thinking…"
So she confirmed with Sara first, and when the response came back more or less as expected, she was certain.
"Well, it's pretty obvious, isn't it… But on the flip side, has El-kun not realized?"
"I think he can't clearly distinguish between trust and affection. …I'm not entirely sure myself, but it seems like his experiences from a young age have had an influence."
"Ah, that makes sense. He does have this otherworldly air about him. …So that's how it is, huh."
After murmuring with Sara and reaching a satisfactory understanding, she — *huh*, with a small breath.
A gentle smile spread across her face. The kind you'd give when cradling something precious, when gazing at something radiant.
That expression, so rarely seen, momentarily captivated all three of them — but in the very next instant, she had returned to her usual cheerful self.
"So then, Katia-san. Have you been able to ask everything you wanted to ask?"
"Hm? Oh, yes. Well… I suppose so."
"Then, then!"
She leaned forward toward Katia, eyes sparkling with anticipation and curiosity.
"Next, let us hear your story, Katia-san!"
"…Me?"
"That's right. About you and El-kun. You were childhood friends who ended up being separated, right? And then you reunited and things led to where they are now, so there must have been so much that happened. I'd love to hear all the details!"
With genuine interest and straightforward candor, the words came pouring out. Katia's gaze flickered away for a moment — but when it came to whether she even wanted to talk about Ermes or not, of course she desperately wanted to.
"…F-Fine, I suppose."
Though her tone made it sound reluctant, her body swayed with barely contained eagerness to share.
True to that impulse, the moment her lips parted, she launched into the whole story of what had happened between them without stopping.
"And then, El came to find me. He said, 'Just like I promised — I've become an amazing magician, and I've come back.'"
"That's amazing! So romantic! Isn't El-kun just way too cool in that!?"
From there, it turned into a stretch of time where Katya talked on and on while Niina chimed in with enthusiastic reactions.
Niina's energy level was especially over the top, and Katya couldn't help but stop the story with a bewildered expression to point it out.
"...I mean, it's kind of weird for me to say this since I'm the one talking, but you're really into this, aren't you?"
"Well, I'm a girl too, you know! I love stories like this! So then—what happened next?!"
"O-oh. After that—"
She continued the story as prompted.
She naturally glossed over the parts involving Ermes's magic, but conversely, everything else was laid bare in near-total candor.
—Meanwhile, the one on the receiving end of all this, Ermes...
"……………………"
"Huh...!"
He had his face buried in his palm, head hanging low. The cheeks peeking through the gaps between his fingers were faintly flushed.
That was it. Apparently, having your own grand exploits recounted back to you from an outside perspective was far more embarrassing than he could have imagined.
Sarah, sitting beside him and hearing the details for the first time, was listening with genuine interest, occasionally casting looks of admiration his way—which only made it worse.
"That's really impressive, Ermes."
"...I appreciate that, but... it's genuinely embarrassing, you know..."
When he replied like that, Sarah blinked in mild surprise.
"So even Ermes gets embarrassed sometimes."
"Well, yes... I do think my emotions run thinner than most people's, but..."
Hearing his response, she went from her look of surprise to wearing a faint smile that carried just a hint of warmth and kinship, and spoke.
"Yes, you are. ...Ah, we've run out of tea. Let me pour you some."
"No, please, there's no need—it's my job—"
"No. ...I really respect and appreciate you. Both Lady Catia and... you."
Seeing Ermes demur, Sarah, with unusual firmness, took the teapot into her own hands.
"That's why... please let me do at least this much. It's all I can do for you right now, as much as I possibly can."
"..."
She revealed just a hint of the reason for her devotion since their enrollment.
He was captivated by her gentle, yet serious expression as she carefully tilted the pot.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, she looked up as well, gave another soft smile to convey her gratitude, and then—
"...Sarah?"
At that moment, Catia's voice, a bit cool, rang out from the side.
Sarah looked up, startled. There, Catia was watching her with a rather ambiguous expression, though her gaze held a distinct chill.
From just beyond her, Nina spoke up, looking amused.
"Wow, Sarah-chan's showing her bad-girl side. This won't do, Lady Catia. You looked away for just a moment and already a woman is closing in on your precious retainer."
"Ah, I-I'm sorry...!"
"...Nina, I think that way of putting it is a bit much. Still, I suppose we did get carried away talking, just the two of us."
Catia, probably understanding Nina's words were meant as teasing, let them pass lightly, moistened her throat with the contents of her cup, and took a breath.
She seemed about to move on to the next topic, but then... she paused and looked around slightly.
"...There are quite a lot of eyes on us lately."
She remarked, almost offhandedly.
As if drawn in, Ermes also raised his head and took notice.
Sure enough, most of the gazes from students passing through the courtyard were concentrated squarely on their table.
And the cause of that was easy enough to guess.
"Ah... well, it's quite the dazzling scene, this gathering."
Katya, Sarah, and Niina. Three girls, each with their own charm, yet all striking enough to turn heads wherever they went. Having all three of them together in one place made for quite the picture — it was no wonder every passing student couldn't help but stare.
"It's the usual crowd, plus all the attention you're getting, El-kun. 'Who is that male student who gets to have tea with three beautiful girls!' and all that."
"Niina, that's really not something you should be saying yourself."
"Not many people know that you're Lady Katya's attendant, you see... Ah, but of course, you're lovely too, Ermes!"
"Thank you. Though whether being told I'm 'lovely' is something a man should be happy about... I'm honestly not sure."
The three of them had apparently gotten along well last term too, so they were probably used to this kind of attention.
Still, while everyone was watching from a distance, not a single student actually came over to talk to them.
That was most likely because of Katya's influence. Being the only duke's daughter in her year, combined with the rumor that she'd turned down every invitation from male students in Class A one after another — it was enough to keep everyone at a respectful distance.
In any case, as long they didn't let the stares bother them, this lunch gathering could continue just as it always had—
—and perhaps thinking that was exactly what went wrong.
"Oh my, what have we here! I thought I'd wandered into a fairy garden!"
A mysterious, almost theatrically smooth voice echoed out.
When they turned to look, a male student with blue hair and violet eyes — someone Ermes didn't recognize — was slowly approaching them.
"I see... Let me guess — this is a meal to foster exchange between Class A and Class B, yes? How wonderful. I've always thought it would be great if classes could cooperate with each other rather than constantly butting heads."
Muttering something only slightly on-target as he drew near, the young man placed a hand dramatically over his chest and declared:
"If that's the case, then I believe I should be joining you as well — I am Clyde von Helmuth, the class representative of Class A. How about it?"
"..."
At his words, Katia turned toward him eyes far colder than any she had directed at Sarah moments before.
Nina pulled a face so openly disgusted she might as well have said "ew."
Even Sarah, though slightly taken aback, subtly drew her body back.
And as for Ermes—
"...Um, who is this again?"
Though his name and position had been announced moments before, she knew absolutely nothing else about this male student — and his sudden appearance left Ermes more bewildered than even Sarah.
...Still, judging from the other three's reactions, he was probably not a very good person.
Nevertheless, keeping her guard up as one would toward an unfamiliar student, she readied her magic and waited for whatever he would say next.
Next time: The Clyde Show (One-Man Performance).
We made it onto the quarterly high-fan cover! Thank you so much...!
The next goal is the quarterly overall cover — I'd be so happy if you'd keep supporting me!