"Why do you think he's staring at the commoner girl so much?

"

Miriette sitting right behind Zoemi leaned towards Horeo and asked, staring daggers into the back of the blond-haired girl a few seats away.

Rival or not, the first prince was the only person she could consult about her attendant without worrying about causing a scandal.

"Maybe he's annoyed that she's sleeping through the lectures and no one minds her, he is rather strict about discipline after all…

"

Horeo tilted his head and squinted his eyes while looking between the black-haired attendant and the blond commoner girl.

"Bull** – look at his face, he looks concerned – why is he worried about anyone who isn't me?!

"

"…

"

Miriette scoffed in annoyance, making Horeo blink and slowly turn towards her with an indifferent expression.

"Seriously, try to keep such things to yourself, or I will really drop your cunning fox nickname and start calling you an idiot.

"

"!!!

"

The gold-haired prince sighed and shook his head in disappointment, making Miriette flinch and blush as she realized she was indeed getting a little bit too intense…

"Still, it's not like you don't have a point there… I helped her with Surou's incident but I don't have a positive opinion of her… She's a commoner but she doesn't know her place at all – if she won't learn she will end up dead in a ditch the moment she stepped out of the academy… You would think that she would get the hint and straighten up her act since she gets bullied all the time.

"

Still, the first prince tilted his head and sighed also glancing towards the blond-haired girl breathing peacefully, clearly deeply asleep.

"She still gets bullied? I thought that people gave it up already…

"

The dark-haired girl raised her brows and gasped quietly in disbelief.

"What? You thought everything was over? After that whole engagement thing fiasco, miss commoner is getting so much ** that even I consider it too much… I even mentioned that I despise petty bullying a few times but I guess that thick-headed rabble of overconfident, pathetic…

"

"You're letting your honest feelings slip.

"

Horeo started muttering under his breath, clenching his fists stronger and stronger and Miriette had to nudge him in the side to stop the disgusted chanting.

"Ah…! Sorry, sorry – I wanted to say that it looks like I will have to remind our fellow students that ganging up on someone who cannot really fight back isn't how real nobles should act like.

"

Horeo closed his eyes and took a deep breath – when he opened his eyes he was back to being calm and refreshingly positive on the outside.

"You're feeling bad for her?

"

Miriette raised her bow and asked in surprise.

"I guess? She cannot fit in with the hierarchy, but I don't think that she is doing it on purpose either… I still don't like her, but it doesn't change the fact that she healed Zoemi's wounds… and that those bullies are a bunch of idiots who needs to be taught a lesson.

"

The first prince shrugged his shoulders and responded with indifference.

"What's with those questions anyway? Could it be that YOU are feeling bad for her?

"

The gold-haired prince's eyes widened and he asked with his lips forming a faint smirk.

"Hey… She was aiming for your younger brother and she lost him almost the same moment she thought she got him – as a fellow female in a difficult romantic situation I respect and feel sorry for her. Until their make-belief relationship fell apart, I was actually super jealous of her, thinking that she had it so much easier than me.

"

Miriette confessed and pointed at the sleeping heroine before shrugging her shoulders.

"Wait… So are you feeling sorry for me who's in a far worse situation since my gender is the same as the person I have a huge rush on?

"

Horeo leaned back in shock and had to stop himself from whistling in shock.

"Hmph! In your dreams, maybe! Why would I feel sorry for my rival!?

"

Miriette fidgeted and looked away blushing with embarrassment.

"Pffft…!

Seeing her flustered like that made Horeo snort and smile.

|It feels good to know she really considers me a threat.|

He sighed internally in relief.

"Alright, putting the obvious things aside, for quite a long time I was actually quite sure that it was you who punched through that commoner's desk way back when.

"

The gold-haired boy said changing the subject a bit.

"…eh…?

"

Miriette looked at him with actual disappointment.

"Really? You thought I did that?

"

"…

"

She asked with a sigh and Horeo started looking around awkwardly just to not meet her eyes.

"What – I have more important things to worry about than playing a detective, alright? At the time you were suspicious.

"

The first prince fidgetted awkwardly and confessed.

"…ohohoho…! Poor little prince, left in the dark about something so obvious…!

"

Miriette giggled and looked at Horeo with pity.

"Huh? So you do know who did it?!

"

Horeo gasped and his eyes lighted up with curiosity.

"Of course I do! And it's the reason why I am shocked that the bullying never stopped – I made sure that the one responsible swears that they will never mess with that girl again.

"

Mirietted declared, puffing out her chest with pride.

"Well, maybe you just met a shameless individual? Who is it…?

"

"And that's it for today, have a nice day, everyone.

"

Just as Horeo was leaning towards Miriette with a curious expression, the teacher announced the end of the lecture and left the classroom.

It was already time for the lunch break and Zoemi turned around towards his master and the first prince with a stunning smile.

"My lady, my prince, where would you like to have your meal?

"

"…!

"

"…!

"

He asked and both Miriette and Horeo straightened their backs taken by surprise.

"The weather is so nice, it would be a shame to eat indoors, won't you agree, my love?

"

"Indeed, my prince, you're right.

"

They consulted each other acting out their perfect-couple roles more so out of habit and the need to hide their embarrassment than an actual obligation to do so.

"Then, if you allow me, I will go make the necessary preparation, it will take just a bit of time so may I suggest the two of you go on a stroll alongside the pond in the meantime?

"

The black-haired attendant tilted his head and asked.

"Indeed that's a marvelous idea.

"

Horeo nodded and turned towards Miriette.

"Don't you think so too, my love?

"

"I can't wait, my prince.

"

Both of them had their lovey-dovey roles down so well that there was no way of figuring out that each of them would love it a hundred times more if it was Zoemi strolling with them than the other person.

But they had to keep their appearances.

"I'm off then, my lady, my prince.

"

Zoemi stood up and bowed towards them and was about to step away from his seat and leave but…

"…

"

Just as he was doing so, someone entered the classroom.

A tall, brown-haired boy.

A sophomore and one of the capture targets, the son of a duke.

Xeonith Zarble Derizno.

It was a rather strange sight as usually the second year students had no reason to show up at the freshman's classroom…

"…

"

Zoemi stiffened and his eyes lost their light becoming far more threatening as he glared at the brown-haired intruder.

|Did that piece of ** pervert actually come here for Burushi…? Does he have no shame…?|

The black-haired attendant thought to himself subconsciously activating the shadow enchantments, but as the transcended earth magician was looking around the classroom his eyes didn't stop at the heroine at all…

"!!!!!!

"

Even when the blond girl raised her head and made a terrified expression when she saw him…

No.

The brown-haired capture target ignored the heroine and instead focused on the three people further inside.

Especially on one of them.

Without paying attention to anyone else Xeonith walked towards the first prince forcing other students to step out of his way.

"Your highness, lady Espine.

"

He nodded towards the couple, completely ignoring Zoemi – which was rather rude, but not unacceptable behavior – their social standing was different enough to allow for such a thing.

"Sir Derizno.

"

"Sir Xeonith.

"

The future royal couple responded to the upperclassman's greeting with just the bare minimum of politeness – both of them were already extremely annoyed at Xeonith for a rather obvious reason.

"…

"

…the blond heroine used that chance to hurriedly sneak out of her seat while no one was paying attention to her and started moving towards the door….