“You’ve never received one before? Really?”

Nigel nodded, as if entranced by Ashton who was more excited than herself.

“Then where did you find this?”

“Last night after meeting Noah. I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, but his coat had the same scent as this flower.”

Ashton rubbed his chin, thinking for a moment, then his eyes suddenly lit up.

“…So that’s what it was? No wonder it kept bothering me.”

“Don’t just keep it to yourself, tell me too.”

Nigel said, as if about to grab Ashton’s collar again.

“Before that, tell me why you and I suddenly became dance partners overnight.”

Ashton placed his index finger on Nigel’s lips. Nigel lightly brushed it off as soon as Ashton’s finger touched.

“Last night, Noah gave a Bluming Bell…”

“Not Bluming Bell, but Stella. Believe it or not, my dear classmate actually has a proper name, Stella.”

Ashton chuckled lightly. His hair at the nape of his neck shimmered in the sunlight.

Nigel slightly furrowed her brow and opened her mouth again.

“Right, Stella. I saw Stella giving Noah a Bluming Bell. It annoyed me to see them exchanging flowers late at night with no one around, so I hid behind a wall. Then that guy came like a ghost and asked about our relationship, so I said we were partners out of annoyance. That’s all.”

“Ah, so that’s how it happened. Then, I’ve been thoroughly used by the lady, haven’t I?”

Ashton rested his chin on his hand, staring intently at Nigel with a smirk.

“No. I never specified whether we were dance partners or project partners.”

“Liar. You knew everything.”

‘This is why the political department…’

Realizing she couldn’t win against Ashton with words, Nigel crossed her arms and glared at him disapprovingly.

“So what do you plan to do? Are you going to leave Lord Beselion misunderstanding like this?”

“…If it’s alright with you, I’d like to maintain the status quo for a while. It won’t take long to clear up the misunderstanding.”

Nigel ultimately gave in to the inexplicable emotion eating away at her rather than the guilt of deceiving Noah.

“Alright, fine. Being a lady’s dance partner is an honor for my family. It would be even better if this misunderstanding lasted until the ball.”

As Ashton grinned smugly, Nigel let out an incredulous laugh.

It would be nice if she could think about it a bit more seriously. Ashton swallowed his disappointment.

“I’ve said my part, now it’s your turn.”

“Alright, alright. Having someone else’s flower means one of two things.”

Ashton held up two fingers in a V shape.

“Either you’ve been asked to deliver the flower, or… you’re a coward worried about losing your partner position and acting preemptively.”

Nigel’s face slowly brightened. It was clear she thought Lord Beselion had been asked to deliver the flower, and some coward had thrown away the flower meant for her.

‘Unfortunately, you’re wrong again, lady.’

As Ashton watched Nigel mumble that she had expected as much, he recalled Noah lingering in front of someone else’s locker a few days ago at dawn.

To think that Noah Beselion would do something as childish as throwing away someone else’s flower out of fear of losing his dance partner position.

He had heard of people doing such petty things during ball season, but he never expected Noah Beselion to be one of them.

‘…Well, I suppose it makes sense.’

Ashton smiled sweetly as he watched Nigel cover her mouth to hide her laughter.

On the outside, she looked as cold and unapproachable as a noble lady who could be mistaken for royalty, but she was more down-to-earth and unpretentious than anyone.

From readily accepting Sid’s apology after being publicly insulted, to fearlessly charging at the top swordsman in the third year. It was all intriguing how she treated male students comfortably like brothers, yet became oddly shy when dealing with female students.

And decisively, Nigel had a charm that drew people in. He couldn’t define exactly what mechanism was at work, but as soon as he saw Nigel, he naturally wanted to get closer.

Even Allen Evans, who was picky enough to reject most of the noble peers he knew as friend material, immediately wanted to become friends with her. That said it all.

“Oh, right. Did you read the book I recommended? Seeing that well-regarded noble gentleman crumble in an instant over love, doesn’t it give you a sense of what love is?”

No sooner had Ashton finished speaking than Nigel swung her arm, violently striking Ashton’s head with the book.

…Thwack.

Fortunately, the book landed much more gently on Ashton’s head than expected.

“It wasn’t great. Not at all.”

Ashton stared blankly at Nigel’s slightly upturned corners of her mouth before coming to his senses a bit late.

“Then what about me? Am I not good as a partner?”

“Why are you suddenly bringing yourself into this?”

“Because I like you.”

Ashton suddenly drew close to Nigel. Nigel leaned back and frowned.

“Stop with the weird jokes.”

“What if it’s not a joke?”

“What do you mean what if? I’d have to flatly reject you.”

“Come on, you’d surely regret rejecting a wonderful partner candidate like me.”

“We’ll see.”

Nigel looked at Ashton as if measuring him up. Unlike before, there was a glimpse of expectation and excitement in her eyes, so she slightly averted her gaze.

“…I’d rather go to the ball alone than feel uncomfortable.”

“Haha, that’s so like you. I guess this is why I like you.”

Ashton gently put his arm around Nigel’s shoulders.

Instead of opening her mouth to speak tiredly, Nigel created a magic flame. It was a clear expression telling him to stop fooling around and get lost quickly.

Ashton removed his arm and in an instant pulled Nigel’s hand to lightly kiss the back of her soft hand.

“I’ll see you later then, partner.”

With his ear tips reddening through his ash-gray hair, Ashton quickly closed the door and left.

‘In “Lady and Maid,” the heart always fluttered at times like this…’

It was the exact romantic situation from the novel, and the other person was a decently good-looking boy. However, her heart showed no response or change.

She was in a comfortable state where she could just be herself.

Although she felt sorry for Ashton, whom she had ended up using his affection, Nigel hoped and hoped again. That today would pass quietly without incident, just like now.

Of course, Nigel’s day without the goddess’s hand was never calm.

As soon as she ran into Noah, her mouth itched to ask if he had received that damned Bluming Bell, no, Stella’s flower. The person in question had his robe flipped up in the still hot weather, making it impossible to even see what expression he was wearing all day.

He even skipped lunch, despite being someone who strictly managed his diet.

Even when she asked Allen what was wrong, if he was sick, Allen just kept repeating that he would be fine if left alone.

Right, up to this point, it was something she could overlook.

However, after school, in the first-year lounge. This is where the incident began.

“Nigel.”

A voice, familiar but one she didn’t want to be familiar with, sounded in Nigel’s ear as she tried to concentrate on studying.

Nigel squeezed her eyes shut then opened them as she uttered the name of the voice’s owner.

“…Stella.”

Sky-blue curly hair and a lovely appearance that naturally made one want to protect her. And, Bluming Bell.

Stella and a group of female students from the political department surrounded and sat down around Nigel.

It was the first time she felt the urge to jump up and run away at someone joining her.

Stella gave a sweet yet sharp smile, then opened her cherry-like, cute lips.

“Hello? Are you having a good day?”

“Thanks to you.”

“Oh right, Nigel. You’re not in any kind of relationship with Noah, are you?”

“Well, that’s… What?!”

Her tone was as natural as if she were asking about the weather. Nigel could only open and close her mouth for a while without saying anything before finally closing it.

“Hmm… Did I phrase it too difficultly?”

As Stella tilted her head from side to side, the surrounding female students agreed and kindly explained, breaking down the words.

“When Stella says ‘any kind of relationship,’ she means are you dating Noah, or do you have romantic feelings for Noah?”

“More precisely, she’s asking if you like Noah.”

The female students who finished speaking looked at each other’s faces and giggled.

The calm surface began to roughen and simultaneously started to engulf Nigel.

“…What does that have to do with me right now?”

Nigel said, trying her best not to reveal her emotions.

The strange feeling of wanting to avoid, jump up, and leave this conversation with an innocent girl was due to accumulated personal stress.

Because this lovely child in front of her was sticking to Noah without falling away, preventing her from injecting magic into Noah. Because while he readily accepted flowers from other girls, he didn’t immediately give her a flower, and she couldn’t understand the hidden meaning behind it. Above all, because she couldn’t understand herself for being so caught up in these little things.

This petty emotion wasn’t love. So please, she begged, don’t try to define this emotion. She sincerely hoped to be left alone so that this feeling would naturally be washed away by the waves of time.

In contrast to the deep patience that had given Noah chances over and over again, Stella didn’t allow Nigel even a moment’s respite.

“Because I want to know.”