In front of the oak tree, I was dozing off when I felt someone’s gaze and looked up. Whether it was the instinct of a preysurvival, I could quickly sense if someone was staring at me.

As soon as I opened my eyes wide, Acid was standing in front of me, observing me intently.

“Acid!”

If you came, you should call my name; I wondered why he was staring at me so intently.

“…Yes, Lady Si-en.”

Acid kept an unusual fiery gaze fixed on me. Watching him, I asked directly.

“Have I upset you lately?”

“T-That’s not true! Lady Si-en, you have important affairs to accomplish.”

Acid jumped, tilting his head. With a puzzled expression, I lightly pinched Acid’s cheek.

For the past year, Acid had faithfully stayed by my side. I could easily and quickly discern his facial expressions more than anyone else.

Now, he was… well…

“What’s going on?”

Yes, there was definitely an expression of something happening.

Looking at Acid’s face, it was undoubtedly a look of concern.

Amid my thoughts, Acid stammered.

“Uh…”

Acid’s cheeks turned as red as a burning flame. I looked at Acid and couldn’t help but smirk.

‘Something is odd.’

I approached Acid and looked straight into his eyes.

Normally, when I stared at him like this and smiled brightly, he would respond with a cheerful “Yes!” This time, however, he quickly averted his gaze.

‘What could be bothering him?’

Seeing him like that made me worried.

During the time I didn’t pay attention, did Acid have another secret?

Unconsciously, it was when I brought my face close to Acid’s face. Acid widened his eyes and slightly parted his lips.

“Ah, oops.”

Acid hastily stepped back. Not only did his face suddenly turn red, but he also looked like he would avoid me if I brought my hand closer.

With a perplexed face, I put my confused expression aside and pondered.

‘Acid seems a bit off…’

He wasn’t the usual dignified and affectionate Acid.

‘Why did he change like this?’

Even vague and baseless hypotheses like whether some miscreants at the academy had bothered him crossed my mind.

Blinking my eyes, I grabbed Acid’s arm.

“Why are you like this?”

“Th-that…”

Acid couldn’t shake off my arm, and while unable to hold or shake it off, he trembled his eyelids in silence.

“Just… because.”

Smiling gently, I nodded.

“Alright!”

“…Yes.”

Acid and I exchanged glances. When our eyes met, it felt strangely warm and intimate.

Despite there being numerous academy students around, it felt like only Acid and I were lingering under this giant oak tree.

During the quite long, or perhaps very short time that Acid and I locked eyes, a familiar voice calling my name interrupted our private world.

“…Si-en?”

“Huh? Leonhardt?”

Suddenly, from a distance, Leonhardt with a mask was waving his hands and running toward us. Smiling broadly, he said,

“Why are you two acting like that, Si-en? I found that guy!”

“That guy?”

“That, you know! The one you like!”

“Who? Martin?”

At my words, Acid’s complexion drained. But I didn’t have time to notice Acid’s change of expression.

Immediately, Leonhardt patted his chest and shouted.

“Yeah, that guy, the one eating a hamburger over there!”

“Hamburger too?”

“Yeah! They both look strange together!”

Since it wasn’t a part of the original work , I had no idea why. But judging by Leonhardt’s expression, something seemed to be going on.

I urged Leonhardt with a puzzled expression.
“Then where are those two right now?”

“Well…”

“Yeah?”

“May I join as well?”

Acid’s expression looked strangely determined.

Blinking my eyes, I nodded after a moment.

“Sure, why not!”

It was just a simple thought that it would be nice if Acid joined us.

At that moment, Acid’s expression melted like soft tofu.

Seeing that smile, I quickly averted my gaze.

I felt like I glimpsed emotions that I shouldn’t see.

⭐⭐⭐

Leonhardt, Acid, and I walked side by side, holding hands. Although there was a tense feeling in Acid’s hand due to nervousness, I deliberately ignored it.

As our pace quickened, we soon stood in front of the classroom door.

We heard the voices of children screaming inside the classroom.

“Martin, hold on!”

“Leana!”

“Someone call the teacher!”

There were sounds of protest, chairs creaking as they moved, and even the loud noise of something glass-like shattering.

I opened the front door of the classroom, frowning.

“Not a teacher…!”

“Yeah, not a teacher…!”

I squinted my eyes at the brawl unfolding inside the academy classroom.

‘Supposedly, even if it’s Hwanglip Academy, it should be at least fallen nobles, but they’re fighting like this…’

Martin was looking into the empty space of the classroom with a slightly stern expression, and his gaze was fixed on a girl.

‘Huh? Isn’t she Leana, or something like that?’

I silently observed Leana and Martin quarreling.

Leana glared at Martin with her face turning red. Her eyes were full of bloodshot veins, making her look like someone who had just cried.

As I took a step forward to gauge the situation, Leonhardt stopped me, saying, “Si-en, don’t step forward.”

“…Huh?”