Chapter 192

Time passed, and Luna and I no longer had any demerit points.

Thanks to it being the freshman banquet and testimonies from those around us, the committee didn’t raise any objections.

However, living with Grace wasn’t progressing at all. Apparently, the regulations are stricter than expected.

Had I been a girl, approval would’ve come easier, but being a guy complicates things. No matter how much of a guard I am, cohabitation between different genders is nearly impossible.

“Why won’t it work?”

Eli, who had heard the situation, asked with her eyes wide open, clearly surprised.

Grace, sitting across from us, let out a long sigh. She seemed just as frustrated.

“It’s tough due to the regulations. First of all, having a student as a knight is already difficult. Plus, we’re in the same class.”

“Why’s that?”

“Everything else is fine, but it hits a snag with the exams. If we end up in different groups, it would be troublesome in various ways.”

So, it basically means we’re stuck in regulations. It looks like this will take longer than expected.

Still, since it’s a contract stamped with the seal of the Verche Duke’s Family, there’s a good chance it could be resolved quickly.

Moreover, Grace has a solid justification, making it hard for the Academy to ignore.

She’s being cautious not to get into trouble. After all, they say precedents are important.

“That’s why Sivar and I have to stay in the same team consistently. I bet the professors are discussing this right about now.”

“I see.”

“Nom nom.”

I was too busy munching on snacks to pay attention to their conversation.

Today’s treat was a cake brought by Grace herself—a gloriously sweet chocolate cake.

While I was training with Rod as usual, Grace popped in.

For reference, currently, in the backyard, Rod, Luna, and Kara are all training.

“I’m jealous. Can I join in too?”

“Sorry, but I can’t do more than two. The contract only pertains to Sivar’s guard duties.”

“How unfair.”

“I know.”

Grace puffed out her chest proudly at Eli’s grumbling. It was quite adorable how Eli was sulking.

Of course, right now, the cake was my top priority. It was sweet enough to make my tongue tingle, but that just made it even better.

Besides, it wasn’t dry at all. It looked like it was a pretty pricey cake.

“Don’t be like that. I want to live with Sivar too. It’s unfair for you to hog him all to yourself.”

“Sorry, but I struggle to sleep if Sivar’s not around. You’re not like that, right, Eli?”

“What are you talking about? Let me join in too.”

Just at that moment, Kara, who seemed to have finished her training, chimed in. She was wiping the sweat off her face with a towel.

She was in the same outfit as before, and naturally, my gaze drifted to her abdomen.

Those solid abs were a sight to behold. Honestly, I wanted to touch them at least once.

Of course, doing that would earn me the title of a pervert, so I kept it to myself.

Instead, I’ll think about touching Eli’s chest later. Lately, my desires seem to have grown unusually strong.

‘Am I going through puberty?’

I was struggling to suppress my increasing interest in that area.

Being born as a male means enduring this trial, I suppose.

It’s true that men are creatures driven by instincts, so it can’t be helped. Others are likely the same, whether I’m included or not.

“Sis, don’t you think it’s unfair for Grace to monopolize Sivar?”

“Ah, you mean the guard thing?”

Kara naturally sat next to me and carefully placed her hand on my head.

Then she patted my head gently, as if reassuring me that it was all okay.

“What can you do? She wants to live with him. And it’s not like Sivar would hate us, right?”

“Hmm… Is that so?”

“Yeah. From what I see, he doesn’t seem like the type to do anything unnecessary… Just don’t overstep your boundaries. The moment you do, it turns into a mud fight. Got it?”

“Nom nom.”

While Kara was giving Grace a warning, I stuffed the remaining cake into my mouth. I should probably buy another one later.

“Don’t you worry about that. I have no intention of doing anything like that for now. Sivar is strictly my guard, after all.”

Grace shrugged off Kara’s warning nonchalantly. She was brimming with confidence.

There’s no reason for me to act improperly toward her, so there’s a high chance it’ll pass without issue.

Instead, the most important thing is the duration. After finishing off the cake, I turned to Grace with a question.

“How long?”

“Huh?”

“How long? The guard duration.”

Depending on how long it is, the reaction might vary.

If it’s about a year, that might not be bad, but if it’s for the entire duration at the Academy, that might be a bit much.

Grace rolled her eyes uncertainly and cautiously replied to my question.

“…About five years, I think?”

“What? Five years? Fiiive?! Have you seriously sold your conscience?”

“Five years means it’s even after graduation, right?!”

“No. That’s just how guard duty works, you know?”

Whoa. I didn’t even know that. It sounds like it’s causing quite the uproar.

While I couldn’t hide my shock, the mud fight began. It’s a case of too much of a good thing.

I wanted to slip out quietly, but being stuck in the middle, I had no choice but to remain seated and listen.

“Fine. I acknowledge that I was a bit too greedy. Still, we’ll be together for quite a long time.”

“That’s okay. But isn’t five years a bit too excessive? In that amount of time, I could have a kid.”

“Grace, don’t be so selfish. We’re putting up with this too, not that we aren’t doing anything about it.”

Eli said that while tugging me closer to her. My body naturally nestled against hers.

I felt a soft and fluffy sensation on my head. I always think it’s a strangely alluring sensation.

All the tension in my body relaxed, and I felt an urge to burrow in deeper. But with the situation in mind, I stayed still.

“Then I want to live with Sivar too under the pretense of guard duty. If not, we can rotate living together every quarter.”

“Oh. That sounds good! Fair and nice.”

I’m not a public asset, am I? Isn’t there any opinion I can give?

Eli’s remark sparked another round of debate, but it’s inevitable for Grace to be on the losing side.

No matter how valid her reasoning is, the duration is simply outrageous. Ultimately, she had to take a step back.

“Alright. Then let’s discuss it once this semester ends.”

“Sounds good! By the way, if I live with Sivar, what will we do first?”

“Hehe.”

In response to Eli’s question, Grace chuckled softly. For some reason, it had an almost sinister vibe.

Her appearance played a part in that too. She had a look of someone plotting something nefarious.

“I already have plans all lined up. First, I’ll teach him various common sense and etiquette.”

“Etiquette?”

“Yes. My guess is that Sivar would likely meet someone of higher status than me. I even heard he met the Crown Prince last time, right?”

That was due to the special nature of the freshman banquet. Plus, the Crown Prince, Karas, was quite the oddball, so communication was easy.

In that sense, he got lucky. Nobles tend to be strict and place importance on every little action.

“You can’t keep acting like a kid forever, right? Understanding and tolerance are separate issues. So, I plan to teach him etiquette to prepare him.”

“It’s not a completely bad plan. I may be a princess, but I find etiquette to be a bit awkward.”

Etiquette, huh? Like Kara said, it’s not a terrible plan.

In fact, it could help shed a little of the wild man image.

Of course, aside from that, behavior itself is tough to manage. For me, it feels like cosplay.

-Aaaaaaaaaah!

Just then, a shrill scream erupted from the backyard. It was Luna’s scream.

It sounded like she was getting roughed up under the guise of training with Rod. I know she had taken a beating quite a bit.

“Luna’s really going through it. I wonder how strong she’ll be by next semester?”

“She’s been growing at an alarming rate. Another year and she might be on my level?”

“Is it really that much?”

“They say she has a problem with her mouth, but her skills and talent are solid.”

As Kara pointed out, Luna’s recent rise is truly remarkable. She’s soaking up everything from Rod like a sponge.

The more Rod teaches her, the more he seems to get into it, resulting in training that feels like the real deal.

Thanks to that, Luna’s skills are improving by leaps and bounds. Truly a talent worthy of the protagonist.

“Speaking of which, what’s her name again? Lee Yeon-joo?”

“What about Yeon-joo?”

“I haven’t seen her at all during the vacation. During the semester, she was practically glued to you.”

She used to be regarded as Grace’s beloved doll. And now, I haven’t seen her throughout the vacation.

Grace returned to her estate, but Yeon-joo hasn’t even shown her face. Being cooped up in the dorm all day must be tough.

“She probably went back to her hometown. She told me as much.”

“Hometown? The Hwan Empire?”

“Yeah. Ah!”

Upon mentioning the Hwan Empire, something seemed to click for Grace, and she gasped.

Everyone’s attention turned towards her. With her level of knowledge, she should know a lot.

Kara, as far as information goes, is on a similar level as us. It’s only natural since she’s living without the authority of being a princess.

“A transfer student is coming in from the Hwan Empire. Her name is… Danyerin, if I’m not mistaken?”

“Danyerin?”

“Yes. I heard she’s a princess and ranked fifth in line for the throne.”

Everyone would likely know Danyerin. She’s the same girl I offered a drink to, and she graciously accepted it.

She stood out in a different way compared to Grace—a woman of elegance and dignity. Sure, she has a foul mouth, but that’s just stress taking its toll.

In any case, Danyerin becoming a transfer student was scripted for sure. And I bet there will be some friction between her and Yeon-joo, however unnoticed.

‘Danyerin probably has a rough idea of who Yeon-joo is.’

There’s a high possibility that a complex event will unfold. The day Yeon-joo’s mask comes off isn’t far off.

In other words, it means I have more aspects to worry about now. Luckily, Luna might help ease that burden.

…Though I don’t fully trust her, being the protagonist, she should be able to handle it well. Unbeknownst to anyone, I’m about to toss a weight onto her.

“Why would someone like her come to the Academy? Is there something going on in the Hwan Empire?”

“Who knows? I’m not sure about that. It might be for reasons similar to Kara’s.”

“Sounds like there are rumors flying around.”

“Word has it they’re having trouble with a minority group.”

As I mentioned earlier, the Hwan Empire is similar to the Soviet Union. It’s more of a union of nations rather than a single country.

However, the Hwan Empire has decisively overpowered the remaining countries. Of course, there will be significant backlash.

They’re doing their best to suppress it, but just like with Yeon-joo, they’re gradually gaining strength. After this incident, a civil war is likely to break out.

The “minority” Grace mentioned isn’t really a minority; they’re the people of each nation. They even speak different languages.

“Ah. And also…”

Knock knock—

Right when Grace was about to say something, someone knocked on the door.

At the sound of the knock, everyone’s attention shifted towards it. There wasn’t anyone else who was likely to come.

As everyone had curious expressions, voices from behind the door caught our attention.

– Is this the right place? I heard the headmaster is staying here during the vacation.

– Could they be out?

It seems the voices belonged to women. It looks like they came to see Rod.

“I’ll go call the headmaster. Eli, could you open the door?”

“Yes.”

Grace headed to the backyard while Eli stood up to open the door.

After Eli said “I’ll go,” she opened the door. I watched the people standing behind it.

“Hmm. And who might you be? Here to see the headmaster, I assume?”

I recognized one of the faces from the freshman banquet. She had black hair and black eyes.

Her appearance hadn’t changed a bit from the last time I saw her. She had a strikingly beautiful, well-defined face, especially her lips.

Her outfit was of Eastern style, balanced in black and red, exuding elegance and refinement.

“Ah, I’m Eli. The headmaster will be here soon.”

“I see. Understood. I will enter.”

Danyerin entered with her trademark archaic manner of speaking. A tall woman followed her.

In terms of height, she might be similar to or even taller than Kara. She had the kind of frame that could be described as lofty.

Her hair was neatly tied up, giving her a stern appearance. A strong-willed impression to boot.

“Hmm?”

As Danyerin entered, she raised an eyebrow upon seeing Kara and me. She seemed to wonder why we were here.

Since it was Kara’s first time meeting Danyerin, she was just staring in awe, while I was also staring blankly.

After a moment, Danyerin shifted her gaze from Kara to me and tilted her head slightly.

“How strange. Just looking at your face, you seem like that wild man from back then… Do you perhaps have a sibling?”

“That’s me.”

It was plausible for her to react that way since my appearance had changed during the time we hadn’t met.

“Did you really change so much in such a short span? Hmm…”

Danyerin showed a slight reaction of surprise, observing me intently.

Following that, she displayed a subtle smile, as if she found me agreeable.

“You’ve become more impressive. It wouldn’t be awkward for you to drink now.”

“Want to drink later?”

“That sounds good. I still remember the wine you poured back then.”

“…?”

Wait a second. Isn’t that a bit too casual for accepting an invitation?

‘I was just joking!’

Somehow, I’ve ended up making plans to drink.

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