Chapter 26: Villainous Aristocrat, That Way! You’ll be like

Three days had passed since school life began.

“Hmm.”

“What’s the matter, Kunou-sama?”

“Oh, nothing, really.”

After the class on territory management ended, I pondered something during the break.

Although Eleanor approached me with a concerned expression, it wasn’t something worth bothering someone else about, so I brushed it off casually.

“Her Royal Highness Princess Eleanor is asking you this question. Answer her, Dorana.”

Viola said this, looking displeased.

I was being glared at for some reason, but since I hadn’t done anything, I responded nonchalantly.

“No, it’s really not something worth discussing with Lady Eleanor, Viola.”

“D-Don’t, don’t call me by my name!!”

“My apologies. Lord Askam.”

Viola’s face turned red with anger at being called by his name.

“Am I of no use to you?”

“Hmm, I wonder?”

“Don’t act so aloof, Dorana.”

“Aren’t you a bit too harsh on me, Lord Askam?”

Viola’s face is beautiful, but he’s so domineering.

Could it be? Is it because he’s a high-ranking noble that he looks down on me, a baron’s heir?

Honestly, I wish he would learn something from Leon-senpai.

“In fact, it’s about Professor Vermeil.”

“Lord Zachtoll? What happened to her?”

As I was about to explain the situation, Sid, who seemed to have been eavesdropping, interrupted.

“Are you talking about Lord Zachtoll now?”

“I was just about to.”

“Let me hear it too, Kunou.”

Did Sid call Vermeil his mentor? Do they have a personal connection?

He seems quite interested in this conversation.

“Actually, whenever I meet eyes with Professor Vermeil, she flinches for some reason.”

It happened during the proficiency tests and also during homeroom after the entrance ceremony.

It’s not like she’s scared, but she seems incredibly tense, for some reason…

“It’s probably just your imagination.”

“You’re quite self-conscious, aren’t you?”

“Hey, do you guys hate me? I might cry if you keep being cold to me, you know?”

Sid and Viola said sharply.

I’ve never experienced such a cold attitude from others in my past life or now, so it hurts even more.

“Hm. No doubt, that’s a woman’s face.”

“What?!”

Unbeknownst to everyone, our fifth classmate, Kotori, had joined the conversation.

She stood behind Sid without making a sound, startling everyone in the room.

No, wait, what did Kotori just say?

“Hey!! Oversleeping girl!! What do you mean by ‘a woman’s face’ when it comes to our mentor!?”

“Hm. Vermeil-sensei shows that face to the person she has feelings for.”

“Wait, wait, Kotori. What are you saying?”

“Hm. My eyes are always right. I’m never wrong.”

I don’t understand a word of what she’s saying, it’s as confusing as someone trying to swing at an obviously visible pitch in baseball.

I have no idea what she’s saying.

“No, it clearly doesn’t make sense. I only met Professor Vermeil for the first time during the proficiency tests, you know?”

“Hm. Love knows no time constraints. Depth is what matters.”

“Although that’s a good point, I’ve never heard anything about Lord Zackthol having a preference for younger boys. As for Princess Eleanor—You royal highness?!”

When Viola tried to steer the conversation toward Eleanor, she seemed to be profoundly shocked by something.

It’s kind of amusing to see her reaction, similar to when I was surprised.

“Th-That’s, well, it’s quite… No, but, just in case, it’s a possibility!! We need to check this as soon as possible!!”

“No, no, Lady Eleanor. Even if you say we need to check, how are we going to do that—”

“I’ll ask the person directly!! Leave it to me!! The power of a princess exists for moments like this!!”

“””But isn’t that just abuse of power?!?”””

“Hm. She is very decisive.”

Eleanor, showing an unusual level of determination, was met with incredulous remarks from me, Viola, and Sid.

Kotori, on the other hand, was the only one grinning, finding the situation amusing.

However, the idea of directly confirming with the person involved hadn’t crossed my mind.

Luckily, the next class was military strategy theory. 

It is a lesson where we learn how to maneuver troops, taught by Vermeil.

As soon as Vermeil entered the classroom, Eleanor approached her aggressively.

“Professor Zachtoll!! I have a question!!”

“W-What is it?”

“What are your thoughts on Lord Kunou?!”

“Hm? Lord Kunou, you say?”

While tilting her head in confusion, Vermeil spoke about me.

“That’s right. He’s serious about his studies, and he’s physically adept. I believe he has the qualities suitable for Class S, but he’s a bit…eccentric—enjoys experiments and real battles.”

“It’s not about that!! It’s about whether you see Lord Kunou as a man!!”

“W-What!?”

Hey, Vermeil. Did you just imply that I’m eccentric?

And Eleanor, she’s oddly persistent about this.

“I-It’s not like that.”

“Then why do you always flinch when you meet eyes with Lord Kunou?!”

“T-That’s, well…”

Vermeil glanced at me briefly.

Then, this time, she didn’t flinch much but lowered her gaze as if pondering something.

“The truth is…”

All the students in Class S leaned forward, eager to hear Vermeil’s story.

And then, Vermeil revealed something shocking.

“W-Well, you see, my first love is his parent. Because they look alike, whenever our eyes meet, my body tenses up due to nervousness. I’d be fine if I were prepared, but if our eyes meet suddenly, I can’t help but sense the presence of that person…”

“……….”

“Hm. I knew my eyesight wasn’t playing tricks on me.”

Silence fell over Class S. Only Kotori looked smugly satisfied, puffing out her chest.

Her first love, huh?

In other words, Vermeil had feelings for Aslan.

Seriously?

Kotori’s wildly unexpected speculation wasn’t entirely off the mark, it seemed.

Well, she only said “looks like a woman,” and she didn’t specify the person, so did it really hit the mark?

But there’s something far more shocking than these minor details.

“…Do I really resemble my father…?”

True, Aslan has a handsome face.

However, being told that I resemble that sloppy man in the lower regions was a bit of a shock.

It’s not like I dislike Aslan.

I respect him as a father, but I dislike his lower inclinations of visiting brothels despite having a beautiful wife, my mother.

“Hm? No, I’m not talking about Aslan-dono?”

“Wha—?”

“I admire Karina-sama.”

Oh, that… Wait, that’s it!?

“Um, Kunou-sama. Karina-sama, she’s your mother, correct?”

“Y-Yes, she’s my mother.”

“……….”

Class S fell into silence once more. Probably, everyone except Kotori was wearing a similar surprised expression to the one I had earlier.

“Hm. There’s no good or bad in love. Between men, between women, infidelity and affairs, it’s all fine.”

“No, infidelity and affairs are not okay…

Sid calmly interjected in response to Kotori’s words.

What should I do? Everyone looks incredibly perplexed by the situation.

For some reason, Eleanor decided to ask Vermeil an even more probing question.

“Um, Professor Vermeil, which part of Kunou-sama’s mother do you like?”

“Well, that’s a difficult question. Everything about that person is perfect. Not only her beauty but also her brilliant mind, flawless manners, and her generous heart that treats everyone equally… When I was a student at the academy, I admired her like a real sister. I used to call her ‘Onee-sama.’ Every day, I was in competition with Leona-sama, Karina-sama’s younger sister, who called her ‘my big sister.'”

“I see…”

“Yes… But Aslan-dono… Grrr, unforgivable. I do wish for Karina-sama’s happiness, but why of all people, him!!”

Vermeil exuded an aura that felt almost murderous.

“…Phew, that’s how it is. Please don’t inquire further.”

“…Yes…”

“Hm. I’d like to hear more, but one’s affections belong to that person. It’s best to back off quietly.”

Kotori, you’ve been noisy since earlier.

I couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed at Kotori, who, despite looking sleepy, was wearing a somewhat irritating smile.

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