The early afternoon sunlight slanted in through the classroom windows. In one of the lecture halls at the Imperial University, Professor Nichen’s general administration lecture was in full swing.

Unlike Aidel, who was sitting up straight and concentrating on the class, someone sitting diagonally across from her was unable to focus easily, lost in other thoughts while gazing at her figure.

It was then that Nichen called out the name of the student who couldn’t concentrate on his lecture.

“Lord Rainien.”

“…Ah, yes, Professor Nichen.”

“As I mentioned, teamwork is important for this assignment. Please identify common issues with your designated partner, but logically draw out each other’s contrasting perspectives.”

Assignment…? Rainien, who had been focusing all his senses elsewhere the whole time, hadn’t properly heard Nichen’s words.

From the context, it seemed he had given out a collaborative assignment… But Rainien didn’t know who Nichen meant by the designated partner.

Just as a slightly flustered Rainien was about to ask Nichen to mention it again, a clear and calm woman’s voice was heard.

“Understood. I will work well on the assignment together with Lord Rainien.”

Surprised by Aidel answering on his behalf, Rainien was left dumbfounded. Aidel turned her head and their eyes met.

Aidel blinked slightly at the blank-faced Rainien, as if signaling with her eyes, and then turned her head away. It seemed she had stepped in on his behalf when he hesitated, not having properly heard Professor Nichen’s words.

Rainien pressed his hand against his cheek, which suddenly felt hot as if burning. His heart was beating much faster than usual.

It was partly a reaction to the embarrassment of having been deeply absorbed in thoughts of her, but also due to the anticipation of working on the assignment with her. It was also because he was moved by her thoughtful gesture of stepping in for him.

He lowered the hand covering his cheek to slightly cover his mouth. How ridiculous and pathetic he must look, smiling foolishly with a flushed face…

Though he didn’t want to be caught looking so foolish, the joy that couldn’t be hidden still overflowed in his eyes that he hadn’t managed to cover.

.

.

.

It was just as Aidel had stood up from her seat after the lecture ended.

“Lady Aidel!”

“Ah… Lord Rainien.”

Seeing the man approach her and smile with curved eyes, Aidel was about to return the smile when she hesitated for a moment.

− Do you think it’s possible for a man and woman to become complete friends without any feelings between them?

She seemed to hear Caeron’s piercing words in her ear. Somehow, her heart didn’t feel as comfortable looking at Rainien as before.

Rainien’s expression also darkened when he saw the hesitation in Aidel’s gaze towards him.

He had been worried about her ever since she left the imperial banquet with the Grand Duke. That was why he couldn’t concentrate on today’s class and had been lost in thought while constantly looking at her.

He felt uneasy seeing how the Grand Duke clearly set boundaries between himself and the Grand Duchess. Although he tried his best to hide it under the name of friendship in front of her… the Grand Duke, who watched him sharply like a keen awl, had probably noticed.

His feelings for her.

It was a brief moment, but it felt like an eternity before Rainien broke the silence.

“…Are you alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean about the relationship between you and me, Lady Aidel. It seems the Grand Duke doesn’t approve of it.”

Not wanting his relationship with Aidel to become awkward, Rainien chose a direct approach. He asked for her opinion honestly, without beating around the bush.

Looking at Rainien, who asked with a very tense face, Aidel pondered for a moment before calmly asking back.

“You and I are friends, aren’t we? Unchanged, going forward as well.”

Unchanged, going forward… Rainien’s eyes shook greatly at Aidel’s tightly closed question, but he answered in a deliberately calm voice.

“…Of course. Certainly.”

“Then it’s fine.”

Having received confirmation from Rainien, Aidel seemed relieved at last. Her brightly smiling face was dazzling, but Rainien’s heart felt numb seeing it.

Completely unaware of the man’s disappointment, Aidel fell into thought for a moment, then seeming to make up her mind, asked Rainien.

“Lord Rainien, are you free tomorrow by any chance?”

“Tomorrow…?”

When Aidel inquired about his schedule, Rainien’s face, which had been shadowed, instantly brightened. If she wished it, he would have to make time even if he didn’t have any.

“Yes. I am.”

“Then how about we go to the capital’s center together, to work on the assignment Professor Nichen gave us today?”

At the end of class today, Professor Nichen had assigned them to explore the living conditions in the capital and write up an administrative proposal for improvements.

It was a collaborative assignment to be done with the assigned partner. They had to find the same points for improvement together, but describe ways to solve them from contrasting perspectives.

There were certainly aspects of administration that could be double-edged swords. It would be nice if there was a way to satisfy all the imperial citizens, but sometimes when someone gained, someone else suffered losses.

Aidel thought this assignment from Professor Nichen was a good one that gave students the opportunity to think about such points.

Aidel, who was already planning to go to the capital’s center, suggested going together to carry out the assignment and also to get Rainien’s help with what she was preparing.

She thought that if Rainien, being a man too, could look at it together, that task might go more smoothly.

‘If Lord Rainien helps this time…’

He would also naturally come to know her feelings for Caeron.

It was also to leave no room for any possibility, but Rainien, unaware of this fact, brightened his eyes with overwhelming excitement for the time he would spend with her.

“That sounds good.”

Anything, as long as it’s with you.

Swallowing the words he couldn’t bring himself to utter, Rainien nodded vigorously with a bright smile.

“Did you have a good day at school?”

The Grand Duke, who had returned after finishing official business, asked while having dinner with the Grand Duchess. A blush bloomed on Aidel’s soft cheeks at the sight of Caeron taking such close interest in her daily routine.

It was strange. After clearly recognizing and acknowledging her feelings for him… every little word he said resonated specially, making her heart race.

“Yes, I had a good day.”

Hiding her trembling heart, Aidel answered demurely, then hesitated for a moment before speaking. Thinking it would be better to be honest so as not to cause any unnecessary misunderstanding with Caeron, she said:

“I have something to tell you.”

“Alright. Go ahead.”

“I’m planning to visit the capital’s center tomorrow for an assignment. We need to come up with an administrative improvement proposal for the capital.”

“I see. I’ll assign attendants if you need them, so be careful.”

“Actually, there’s someone I need to go with tomorrow.”

“Go with? Who?”

Caeron’s eyes narrowed as he saw Aidel’s expression, which somehow seemed cautious.

“…I’m planning to go with Lord Rainien.”

At Aidel’s answer, the knife Caeron was holding fell onto the plate with a small ‘clang’. Like that sharp sound of fracture, his expression instantly sharpened.

“I thought… I had already spoken about this.”

Caeron tried to suppress the emotion that felt like it was burning from below his solar plexus. Yet, his mouth felt parched from the hot emotion that wouldn’t easily subside.

“I know what you’re worried about, Your Highness.”

“If you know… why are you spending time with him?”

“I’ve clearly defined my relationship with Lord Rainien. He and I are just friends, now and in the future. And this outing is also to carry out a collaborative assignment.”

Aidel faced Caeron with a composed expression. Looking into her unwavering eyes, Caeron also tried to control this seething emotion.

He didn’t want to repeat the mistake of pushing her away by not properly managing this emotion, like at the last imperial banquet.

Still, this unfamiliar and unpleasant feeling knotted like a tangle of thread in his stomach, pressing uncomfortably. Between his elegantly furrowed brows, undisguisable irritation and anger faintly gathered.

“If you’re worried at all, I’ll go with my maid Bien tomorrow. There won’t be any time alone with Lord Rainien.”

Aidel spoke in a tone as if gently soothing such a Caeron.

“I… hope you would trust me.”

When her earnest gaze reached him, Caeron felt the knot in his stomach slowly unraveling.

“…I do trust you.”

It’s just that annoying prince that I can’t trust.

As Caeron answered while inwardly hiding his displeased look under an expressionless face, Aidel finally smiled brightly.

“Thank you. And, I have one more thing to tell you.”

“…Go on.”

Caeron, who had somehow ended up allowing Rainien and Aidel’s outing, pressed his throbbing forehead.

“Well…”

The bright smile disappeared, and tension suddenly settled over Aidel’s face. Unlike before, Aidel, unable to look straight at him and lowering her eyes, took a deep breath.

“It’s alright… speak comfortably.”

Caeron spoke in a deliberately gentle tone seeing Aidel’s obvious hesitation, but his eyes were tinged with impatience.

‘What on earth is she trying to say that she’s hesitating so much.’

He had a clear feeling that it could be something far more bewildering to him than the talk about that irritating prince earlier.

Tension rarely seen settled in his eyes as he wondered what kind of talk the Grand Duchess, who hardly ever acted according to his will, would bring up this time.

Caeron, who had been anxiously watching her quivering lips, suddenly realized himself and chuckled.

Had there ever been someone who made him this nervous before?

He felt dumbfounded as he realized that this frail and small woman before him had been wrapping him around her finger at some point.

The man, arrogant from birth, briefly swept his hair back along with the fleeting sneer that arose. He hid his expression under a skilled mask, sweeping away the tension that was revealed along with his hair.

However, his mask was miserably stripped away by the Grand Duchess’s words that followed.

“Tomorrow night…”

“…Tomorrow night?”

Aidel, who had been looking down, slowly raised her eyes to gaze at him.

The woman’s face was red with shyly blooming passion, but there was no more hesitation in her upright gaze looking at him.

“Tomorrow night, may I come to Your Highness’s room?”

“…!”