CH 30

Invitation

Regress Olbrandt had someone he yearned for.

Long black hair, self-righteous purple eyes. He was an aristocrat among aristocrats, as if his very existence was the embodiment of aristocracy.

The second son of Duke Centrix, Leidyrune Centrix.

Soon after entering the academy, Regress gathered a group of people who also admired Leidyrune and formed a fan club together.

They would watch Leidyrune’s heroic figure from a distance and immediately eliminate anything that would impair his presence. That was the rule of the club. Leidyrune Centrix was a sacred figure that mustn’t be touched.

He thought it would be nice if he could keep watching from afar, but the situation suddenly changed.

Leidyrune began to get friendly with a commoner.

He didn’t like Sheila Danau in the beginning.

She was slender and short, but her face was well-developed, and her body was well-proportioned. Her muscles were supple, and even just running was eye-catching.

Even so, she was only a commoner.

Regress thought so, but he didn’t like the fact that Leidyrune was giving that commoner attention.

“Regress-senpai!”

On the way to the training hall.

Sheila Danau innocently stopped Regress as he was approaching the staircase landing.

“Thank goodness, I was just about to search for Regress-senpai.”

Sheila gave a soft smile. He would never admit that he was happy to hear that she wanted to meet him.

“…. What is it?”

Rose-colored hair and strong-willed light-yellow eyes. He was amazed at how Sheila could talk to him so brazenly, even though she was a commoner.

“You, what’s with your outfit? Do you really think it’s okay to dress so casually when you’re talking to me?”

Sheila was dressed very simply, wearing only a shirt, dirty pants, and a breastplate. He would like to tell her to take off her breastplate and put on a blazer since they were in a school building.

The strong sunlight shining from the windows made the lines of her body stand out through her shirt. He wondered if she was unaware of the impudent stares of the men who passed by.

“Um, I’m sorry?”

“Don’t put a question mark at the end of the sentence. I’m telling you not to hang around looking defenseless like that.”

“Yes, I’m sorry!”

He sighed. The more he listened to her, the more he got a headache.

“So, what do you want?”

“I’m actually planning to cook on the next lunar day. I’d really like to have Regress-senpai try it.”

“Cooking? You can cook?”

“Yes. When I was in the village, I usually cook.”

He’d heard that she was raised in a remote village.

He’d also heard rumors that the reason why her skin wasn’t dark was because her village attire didn’t expose her skin. Regress wondered if she herself knew that such insignificant personal information was being passed on.

Sheila tilted her head anxiously at Regress, who didn’t answer immediately.

“Um… If you don’t want to, it’s okay. It wouldn’t suit your taste anyway.”

She slumped her shoulders, looking depressed.

Having lived in an aristocratic society where it was common to hide one’s emotions, that was the first time Regress had seen someone so open and transparent. Even the common people he had come in contact with at the academy were emotionless, in line with their way of thinking. He had never seen a man so out of the ordinary.

“I don’t have any plans, so if I’m up for it, I’ll go.”

“Really?! Thank you!”

Sheila smiled happily even at his blunt answer. When her yellow-orange eyes sparkled, his face heated up.

“――You’re an idiot.”

Not wanting his flushed cheeks to be noticed, he turned his head and started to walk away.

In social circles, their emotions should be kept secret. However, Sheilaa’s facial expressions were so expressive that even Regress was taken in by them. She was too honest.

Perhaps he was most annoyed at himself for being swayed around like this.

◇　◆　◇

On the landing of the stairs, where the afternoon sun was gently shining, Sheila and Regress could be seen chatting and laughing.

Maybe the sight of the two people getting along seemed pleasant to others, but the face of the man watching over them was blank. Their figures were standing near the stairs, and to say the least, they were creating traffic.

Leidyrune held his tongue as he walked through the crowd.

At that moment, Sheila looked back at him as if she had finished her conversation.

“Oh, Leidyrune-senpai!”

Leidyrune’s eyes narrowed slightly as he was given a bright smile.

The smile was bright and cheerful, but somewhat nonchalant, which was surprisingly precious. He tried his best to control his facial expressions so that it wouldn’t be revealed that he thought she was cute.

He was often mistaken for being innocent or virtuous, but Leidyrune was aware that his character wasn’t that great. He wondered if he was misunderstood because it was hard to tell what he was thinking.

Even during the competency test, the questions he asked because he didn’t want to be disadvantaged somehow gained respect as being fair to the commoners.

Leidyrune had always lived selfishly and freely, like a second son. He thought only of what he likes and what interests him.

But he didn’t correct the misunderstanding. Because it’s easier than being hated.

Sheila Danau was the object of Leidyrune’s interest.

He liked her playfulness and the fact that she was strong despite her appearance. Her eyes were unforgettable when she stood up against any odds. Compared to when he was fighting, he usually looked so empty.

Frankly, he had always wondered if they could be closer.

However, since the other party was a commoner, the people around him couldn’t comprehend it. Instead, they somehow misunderstood that he hated Sheila.

He didn’t think she was rude or anything. He didn’t even glare at her. The misunderstandings of the people around him were also bothersome in that respect.

When he happened to meet her in the royal capital the other day, he thought it would be a good opportunity to get to know her.

However, was it his imagination that she seemed to be getting along better with Seiryuu, instead of him? He was quite envious of Seiryuu’s proposal to call him by his name. Up until now, he had been the one to discard those who approached him, so he didn’t know how to get along with other people.

Sheila, running to him lightly, reached Leidyrune. She looked like a puppy that had found its master.

“Hello, Leidyrune-senpai. Thank you so much for the other day.”

“It was nothing. I didn’t do much.”

His manner of speaking was inherent, so it was difficult to correct. It was a relief that Sheila didn’t get scared.

Come to think of it, she was also one of those who misunderstood him.

However, it felt much better to be described as “kind” by her rather than being evaluated as “noble” or “wise”.

“Do you have any plans for the upcoming lunar day?”

“Plans….”

As a supporter of his brother who would become the next duke, Leidyrune had a lot of work to do. On holidays, he was forced to study territory management without question, so it was like there was no such thing as a day without plans.

“Why do you ask?”

When he didn’t understand her intentions, Sheila explained why.

“Actually, I want to treat the people who take care of me on a daily basis with home-cooked meals. If you don’t mind, I want Leidyrune-senpai to eat―.”

“――Home-cooked meals, you say?”

“Yes?”

“Mm. It’s nothing.”

Emotional outbursts were shameful.

Leidyrune tried his best to make things right in front of Sheila, who was trying to break down his aristocratic dignity.

Sheila’s home-cooked meals. Of course, he wanted to eat such a dish. It was a good thing that he hadn’t inadvertently said that he had political affairs to attend to.

“I have some things to do, but if I have time, I’ll go.”

He would love to go, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was arrogance. It was difficult to be honest.

Sheila laughed, undeterred by such an attitude, so Leidyrune was finally able to smile just a little bit.