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n“Mister Leon! This will not do. Those who march on the path of tea do not cause trouble for a lady! That is not what a gentleman does!”

n“I’m sorry, Mentor. However, I──I had my circumstances!”

nThe cafe no longer had any guests.

nMy mentor scolded me.

nAnjie asked my mentor for help, and now I was being lectured. Normally, I would ignore what someone says while keeping a serious expression, but I took my mentor’s words to heart.

nI couldn’t go against this person.

nAfter all, my mentor was my teacher for tea before a teacher of the academy.

nMy mentor placed his hand on my shoulder.

n“It must have been painful. It must have been hard. However, don’t give up. Beyond is the path of a true gentleman──leading to the path of tea.”

n“──R, right, Mentor!”

nThe path of a gentleman seemed long and steep.

nMy mentor’s words left a strong impression on me, and then I heard a sigh.

nThe adult woman was now sitting on chair with an exhausted face. By her sides sat Anjie and Livia, and they surrounded a round table.

nI changed my ragged clothes while Daniel and Raymond left the cafe to get in touch with their friends for a fun party.

nThe irritating girls were pardoned by the queen and left the scene to run away. I engraved their faces into my mind. ──I definitely wouldn’t forget them.

n“It seems your discussion is over. So, is it okay if I speak next?”

nMy mentor straightened his back, adjusted his suit, and started acting like a waiter.

n“In that case, let me prepare some tea. Mister Leon, may I borrow your tools?”

n“Of course!”

nI was delighted to have my mentor use the instruments and tea leaves of mine.

nLeaving that aside, I was worried about how the queen seemed angry at me.

n“Leon. I’m mad.”

nWhen the queen said that, I instantly went down on my knees and put my hands onto the floor.

n“So you really were angry, I understand, but please spare my family at least! I, I don’t care about what you do to me!”

nMilaine became flustered once again when I took such an attitude.

n“Huh? No. T, that’s not it. That’s not what I’m talking about. Anjie, help!”

nOnce I saw Milaine seeking help from Anjie, who was sitting next to her, I understood that she wasn’t really angry.

nWell actually, I already knew that from the start, but I wanted to poke fun at her through my acting skills.

nIf the queen was genuinely angry, I would have been fleeing from the kingdom by now.

nHowever, Anjie realized that I was acting.

n“Milaine, he’s teasing you. Leon’s face is telling me that he knows you’re not really angry.”

n“Huh?”

nWhen Milaine looked at me, I stuck my tongue out while resting a fist onto my head──a silly pose.

nIt seemed that she didn’t take kindly to that, as she glared at me with a frighteningly cold gaze.

n“How cheap. I misjudged you.”

n“My apologies!”

nAfter I made a sincere apology, my mentor went towards Milaine to provide his services. I felt like my mentor could make a business out of preparing tea.

nThe fragrance was shocking.

nAugh! It was made using the same tea leaves, and yet why was there this big of a difference?

nIt wasn’t just a difference in fragrance.

nAs expected of my mentor.

n“Queen, you wanted to travel incognito, but──”

n“It’s fine. To my disappointment, I can tell that what happened was due to the bullying going on. Leon, I came to make a complaint towards you. Not anything like a punishment, just some private talk.”

n──I suppose that I should have expected this.

nThe reason being that I had beaten up Julian.

nHis mother wouldn’t forgive me for that.

nWell Milaine was the queen──but in the game, she was a so-called enemy. As can be seen from her close relationship with Anjie, she was someone who would be hostile towards the protagonist, causing both her and Anjie to become the protagonist’s enemies.

nAs expected for a game marketed towards women. The mother-in-laws were loathsome.

nShe was someone who didn’t forgive the protagonist for having Julian fall in love with her. Saying this is obvious, but in the otome game, she was an opponent who tried to disrupt the relationship between the two.

nIt was a bit absurd. It was quite obvious to tell that she fit the template for a cruel person.

nBy the end, Milaine eventually recognized the protagonist.

nThat was caused by the protagonist gaining the position of a saint. The position of a saint had a very important religious meaning.

nThese explanations were just part of the overly-lackluster explanations in the game, though. There was no explanation for why a saint was so grand, but it was as if the protagonist was commended for doing a great service in the end.

nThe power of the protagonist herself was also pretty major, but to think that the power of saint was this immense.

nI’ve gone off-topic. Well, I wonder what criticism Milaine had for me.

n“Do tell.”

n“Alright. Well then──I’ll first apologize for Julian. I’m sorry that you had to deal with that child’s selfishness.”

nI didn’t expect her to start with an apology.

nShe was quite courteous for someone supposedly evil.

n“Even as his mother, I myself don’t understand why things turned out like this. Though this may be improper to say, it’s a relief that he at least has a lover who’s from a viscount household. He hadn’t cared for women when he was at the royal palace, so I didn’t think that he would be this fixated on her.”

nMilaine stared right into my pupils.

nIt was as if her clear, blue eyes were about to devour me.

nI then noticed something remarkable. ──This person was very beautiful.

nWhen considering her behavior from just a while ago, I wouldn’t believe that she were someone who was even in her thirties.

nActually, wasn’t she pretty cute?!

n“However, I cannot condone what happened in the duel. That fight was too harsh. Couldn’t you have resolved it in a more peaceful way?”

nI did think it was possible, but I didn’t really care because I wanted to relieve my stress.

nWhile making a timid face, I glanced at Livia and Anjie to ask for help. However, the two didn’t pay attention.

nThe cause for that was probably the words the earl daughter said a while ago.

nThey both cast their eyes downward and didn’t notice the eye contact I was making with them.

nWhen I made a silent prayer in order to ask Luxon for help, I heard an electronic sound.

nMaster doing things peacefully? Impossible. What does this person expect from my master?

n──What a heartless companion.

nWhat a useless AI! It should’ve been more friendly towards me!

nHowever, my silence was misunderstood by Milaine. She was wondering what I was thinking about when looking and Livia and Anjie.

n“Oh, could it be because of that? How youthful you are~.”

nJust what kind of misunderstanding did she have, teasing me while making a smirk?

n──Well, I kept on being silent since it was convenient.

n“Leon, I think you know this, but you have many enemies in the royal palace. Many people had placed their expectations on Julian. Have you thought carefully about what you will do from now on?”

nLet alone the royal palace, I had so many enemies within the academy.

nSeriously, why did such a virtuous person like me have to suffer such an experience? Anyways, I suppose I would have enemies in the royal palace.

n“Of course.”

nI pretended to be aware of it, but I was relying on Anjie’s father for the matters of the royal palace. In the first place, I didn’t want to show up in the royal palace, nor was I interested in being promoted.

nIf I had the choice, I would have liked being demoted instead.

nSo there were people who had expectations for Julian? They should’ve just given up and accept that they had misjudged. Really, they had poor discernment skills. After all, Julian incompetency was clear the moment he threw away Anjie and chose Marie.

nHe was disqualified from being the crown prince.

n“I see. You’re a capable child, aren’t you. Perhaps if there was a child like you by Julian’s side, he wouldn’t have gone down an erroneous path.”

nI wondered about that. Marie would certainly have kept a distance if I were by his side. However, in that case, Livia might have gotten together with Julian for some game-like reason. In that case, Anjie would become her enemy.

nWhether it be the right choice for the game or the right choice for reality──both were bothersome.

nHow troubling. If I were by his side, I have a feeling that I would have more troubles than what I had right now.

nThough, there’s no point in talking about hypothetical scenarios.

n“I’m not going to change my stance.”

n“Is that so? So be it then, I have one other goal for today. Do help me with it.”

n“One other goal?”

n“Since I came from a different country, I’ve never attended the academy. So, I want to have some memories about this academy~. You can help with that, right Leon? The academy greatly interests me. All of my female acquaintances have been talking about it in delight, and that makes me envious.”

nA woman in her thirties wanted memories of the academy while making a mischievous smile towards me?

nPerhaps in my previous life, I would have showed respect to my elders with a smile.

nHowever──that wasn’t the case anymore.

nI got up and grabbed Milaine’s hand.

nWhat beautiful hands she had.

n“Huh?”

nMilaine voiced out as such in surprise.

n“Sure thing. Let’s make some memories at the academy. Milaine──please marry me!”

nMilaine was flustered and had a red face.

nLivia and Anjie got up from their chairs.

n“Leon! What are you saying?!”

n“Y, y──you! You’re talking to the queen!”

nAs expected, my mentor was also surprised. Wasn’t I amazing for making my mentor, a perfect gentleman, shocked?

n“Mister Leon, I cannot laugh at such absurd jest!”

nI knew this would happen. I was aware of what I was doing, but I wanted them to think carefully here.

nWhat was the goal of going to the academy? Pursuit of knowledge? Wrong answer!

nThis is the academy from that otome game. There was only one goal! It was marriage! In other words, she must have wanted such memories. In that case, what I had to do was make a marriage proposal!

nI wasn’t being serious, but what could I do when she said that she wanted to make memories?

nIn other words, the queen wanted a confession of love! What a glorious deduction of mine. I’m amazing!

nIn addition, Milaine was very excellent when one saw her as a marriage partner. So she has given birth before? That’s just proof that she could make children! Nobles wanted heirs anyways, so they would warmly welcome it! So she wasn’t a virgin? Almost all of the girls in the academy weren’t virgins anyways!

nOther than in fantasies, there was no such thing as a virgin!

nWhat about age? It’s all good. Rather than teenage brutes who hadn’t learned manners, a graceful cute woman in her thirties was better! I wanted to marry an actual human being!

nThis is what I came to understand through my academy life. I should stop having fantasies about girls already.

nIf I had to choose between the girls at the academy or Milaine, I would choose Milaine without hesitation!

nOh, wait. I intended this to be a joke, but was there really anyone as perfect as her?

n“I like you! I love you!”

nThe words came out of my mouth before my mind could even process what I was saying.

n“T, that’s troubling. I, I’m already a older woman with a husband and kids.”

n“That doesn’t matter. You’re beautiful. Even if you have a family, I still like──gah!”

nWhen I saw Milaine’s cute blushed face and her eyes getting moist, I quickly felt something hit me in the back of the head.

nWho was it?! I’ll send them flying!

nI turned around while thinking so and saw an enraged Julian.

nHis suit was in disorder, and the chest area was left unbuttoned and wide open. His hair was also disheveled. It seemed that he was quite exhausted.

n“Ah, your Highness.”

nAs I said that, Julian raised a tray overhead.

n“You’ve got some nerve to seduce someone’s mother, Baltfault. It’s unfortunate that I can’t slice you up here.”

nHe was genuinely angry.

nI suppose that was natural, considering that I was hitting on his mother right in front of his eyes.

nMilaine was perplexed.

n“T, that’s not it, Julian. T, this is──”

n“Mother, take your hands off of him! Baltfault, you too should release her!”

n“Eh~I don’t wanna.”

nJulian struck me in hatred.

nI was sent flying away.

n“Leon!”

nIn a panic, Milaine tried rushing over to me, but Julian grabbed her by the hand and left the cafe.

n“Mother, this has gone on for long enough. Our cafe is right next to this one. I’d like to hear what you have to say for yourself once we’re there. Good grief, why are you in this academy?”

nI had a thought while seeing the two leave.

n──Queen, I wonder if made a good memory for you at the academy?

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