Bonus chapter thanks to '@GwhoisJ' for subscription to 'Sorrow' tier on Ko-fi."......"
I stared at the bulletin board, speechless.
What did I just see?
I rubbed my eyes several times and opened them again, wondering if I had seen it wrong.
[Second Year School Trip Group Arrangement: Group 4]
1. Raiden Lishite
2. Margaret Phyler
3. Golden Boy
4. Violet
Unfortunately.
It was real.
"Ha..."
I rubbed the space between my brows with a deep sigh.
Is this for real?
How can they pair me with my ex-fiancé?
Even if it's random, this is too much.
Shouldn't the professors change it manually if such a dangerous group comes out?
As I was feeling dizzy with those thoughts, Lucy and Ariel, who were checking the group list next to me, also looked flustered.
"Uh, uh... Why is the group formation like this...?"
"There are almost a thousand second-year students, how could such a combination be born..."
Ariel and Lucy each echoed my sentiment.
"Is it, is it impossible to change groups?"
"Uh... Probably. I asked if I could be in the same group as Raiden, but they flatly refused."
"If even Your Highness was rejected, then it's just not possible..."
After exchanging a few words like that, the two of them...
Their faces darkened as they patted me on the back.
"Brother, will you be okay...?"
"That... Raiden? I'll visit your group often..."
"......"
They offered their condolences as they looked at my stiff figure.
But nothing was registering in my ears.
Does this even make sense?
There are almost a thousand students!
How could I be in the same group as Margaret, of all people?
It wouldn't be strange even if someone rigged it.
With a complicated mind, I rubbed my face with my hands and muttered to myself.
"...What a shitty group formation."
"Shitty, you say?"
"Yeah, it's really shitty... Huh?"
Wait, that's not Lucy's voice.
I was absentmindedly agreeing to the voice behind me.
The moment I realized that the owner of the voice was not Lucy, I turned around in surprise.
And there, dramatically enough......
"It's shitty, you say?"
Margaret was standing there, her red eyes glowing coldly.
"......"
Her neat uniform was not out of place one bit.
Her curvaceous figure was visible beyond the uniform.
Her silver hair fluttered beautifully in the wind.
And her crimson eyes, a mesmerizing color, were staring at me fiercely.
I stared at the sudden appearance of Margaret with wide eyes, and I couldn't help but rub the space between my brows once again.
'No, this is ridiculous...'
It seemed that the world was really against me.
***
"Well then, I'll be on my way."
"Have a good day, Miss." Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ NʘvᴇlFire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.
Margaret gave a light greeting to her personal maid and left the dormitory.
The blowing wind ruffled her silver hair.
She gently brushed her hair back and looked up at the sky.
It was truly beautiful weather.
The weather was two steps ahead of summer and one step behind winter.
The cool air, with just the right amount of warmth from the sunlight, touched her heart dryly.
"Haaa..."
Margaret took a deep breath, savoring the freshness that surrounded her.
The scent of autumn in the air seemed to add flavor to the cool weather.
She walked towards the light carriage stop, a small smile gracing her lips.
However, that small smile didn't last long.
Because in the distance, she saw a boy.
"......"
His hair contained a quiet darkness even in broad daylight.
As far as Margaret knew, there was only one person in the Academy with such distinctive hair color.
"...Raiden."
She muttered his name unconsciously and slowed down.
It was because she remembered the 'Second Year School Trip Group Arrangement' she had checked yesterday.
The group list she was on with Raiden.
Remembering it, Margaret frowned slightly.
It was as if a nightmarish voice was ringing in her ears.
-Ha, what an ugly face.
-It's none of your business who I mess around with.
-Pfft... Love, you say? Don't make me laugh. Get lost.
Those were the words that flashed through her mind reflexively whenever she thought of Raiden.
And even now, two years later, they are still painful memories.
Margaret bit her lip to forget the pain in her chest.
She stood there for a moment, then let out a sigh.
She brushed aside her distorted expression.
"What am I doing... I decided to forget all about those things..."
Margaret muttered to herself sarcastically and started walking again.
There weren't many carriage stops near the dormitory, so she couldn't avoid them.
"Huh, huh...? This group arrangement is..."
"How could such a combination be born..."
As she got closer to the stop, the sound of the boy and his companions' conversation began to reach her ears.
Judging from what she could hear, it seemed like they were looking at the group list that had been posted yesterday.
Margaret walked up behind them, her footsteps echoing softly.
Raiden was groaning, holding his forehead in front of the bulletin board.
Beside him were Ariel and Lucy, their faces a mixture of emotions.
Margaret decided to greet Lucy first as a matter of courtesy.
She put her hands together neatly and bowed her head slightly.
At that moment, she heard it.
"Ahem, it is an honor to meet the Star of the Empire..."
"What a shitty group formation."
Raiden's mutterings pierced through the air.
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