Book 1 Chapter 903

903.

On the day of the dance party.

There was still a lot of time left before the party started.

However, some students were already heading to the party venue a little early.

"Wow, wow. They became partners?"

Clock Tower Dormitory Garden.

The students sitting close together watched the couples heading towards the party venue with shy smiles, their faces filled with wonder.

There were couples that other students already knew about, and there were also completely unexpected couples.

Iliana, who was sitting in the garden watching the students, spotted someone and waved.

"Kal, hello!"

In response to Iliana's greeting, Kal flopped down in front of her and said.

"Are you over your anger yet?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"About instigating Juwen and Milia."

Iliana smiled sweetly at Kal's words.

"You knew?"

"I heard it from those guys."

"Oho! Who won?"

"Juwen."

"Then are you going with Juwen?"

"I'm not."

"What?"

"I politely declined."

"……"

Iliana's eyes widened.

Then she asked seriously.

"Are you going with Milia, perhaps?"

"No. I'm not going with anyone."

"That's surprising. You were grinning broadly when the girls were clinging to you saying they liked you."

Kal let out a deep sigh, watching Iliana tilt her head.

Seeing Kal like that, Iliana's eyes widened.

"Oh! It's Elena-senpai!"

At those words, Kal quickly lay flat on the lawn.

Watching Kal like that, Iliana burst out laughing.

Realizing she had been tricked by that reaction, Kal scowled and got up.

"I'll forgive you for this. The class representative decided to go with Eliza, after all."

Watching Iliana laugh triumphantly, Kal slumped down onto the ground.

Just then.

"Hey! Hey! Did you hear the news?"

"What news?"

"They say the student council president bought Eliza a party dress!"

"Really? Lucky them!"

"Aren't those two really something?"

Iliana made a strange expression at the students' chatter.

"The class representative himself? Wow, Eliza must be happy."

"…… Aren't you bothered that Leo is going with Eliza?"

Kal's question made Iliana burst out laughing.

"The class representative and Eliza? Isn't that as unlikely as you and Eliza dating?"

Having said that, Iliana got up.

'Am I and Eliza not that compatible?'

"Then I'm going first!"

Kal, who was gazing at the sunset sky that had appeared, let out a deep sigh.

'…He's even helping with the dress coordination?'

Leo would never be the type to steal someone else's partner.

However, there was no guarantee that Eliza wouldn't lose her heart to Leo.

'Of course, Leo. That guy is cool.'

Of course, he was confident that they would never develop into a romantic relationship.

But compared to Leo, would he really be attractive enough in Eliza's eyes?

Thinking that far, he became depressed.

"Should I just not go…?"

Kal muttered to himself in a low voice.

"Oh my? Is that how the protagonist of today's party should act?"

At the voice from behind, Kal jumped and looked up.

And seeing Mel standing there, he gave an awkward smile.

"You're here?"

"Yes. The cleanup has finally been roughly finished."

The cleanup referred to the self-reflection essay Leo had ordered him to write.

"By the way, Kal-student, do you not have a partner?"

"Haha. Yes. It turned out that way."

Mel, who tilted her head while watching Kal smile sheepishly, grinned.

"Then, would you like to go with me?"

"Yes?"

"However, your clothes are a bit old."

Mel looked Kal up and down.

Kal's tuxedo was a second-hand purchase from Lumelia City that he had kept neatly, so it was inevitable that it would be a little worn.

"Shall we go buy clothes first?"

"Yes?"

Mel grabbed Kal with a smile and immediately used warp magic.

***

Summoning Department Women's Dormitory Lounge.

Perena clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling.

'My sister is becoming the student council president's dance party partner!'

Literally, she had officially become partners with the strongest student in Lumern.

Moreover, Leo's status was not simply the strongest in Lumern.

He was the King of Archy, the Heroic Kingdom, and at the same time, the King of Beginning, who had succeeded Risinas, the King of Wisdom, to the throne of the world.

It was no exaggeration to say that he was a man who would lead this era.

'Student council president and sister! They look so good together!'

Perena's imagination ran wild.

She was undoubtedly the perfect successor to the Hargin family.

She was not lacking as a partner for the King of Beginning.

'No! She's not lacking as a life partner either!'

Before she knew it, Perena imagined Leo and her sister getting married and having two children, each becoming the ruler of the Archy Kingdom and Hargin.

A fantasy that Eliza would have been horrified by.

Just then.

Eliza came down to the lounge.

"Ah! Sister, you're here…!"

Perena stopped short when she saw Eliza's attire.

Eliza was wearing a shabby dress.

It made her wonder if Eliza had such a dress in her wardrobe.

Moreover, she wasn't wearing makeup or accessories.

She looked truly shabby.

"Eliza. Are you planning to go like that?"

Lil, passing by, also widened her eyes and asked.

"Yes."

"It's not like you, Eliza. Eliza is the protagonist today."

"You are also a protagonist, Lil-senpai."

"But…"

"I didn't think there was a need to dress up too elaborately."

Eliza, with an annoyed expression, was about to leave the dormitory.

"Oh, sister! This doesn't seem right! You have many prettier dresses."

"I'm lazy."

"Ah! Sister!"

As Perena stamped her feet, at a loss for what to do.

"Elena-senpai. Leo-senpai is waiting outside…"

Shasha, the top student of the 2nd-year Summoning Department, with a pained expression, was about to deliver Leo's message when she stopped short upon seeing Eliza.

"Are you going to go like that?"

"Yes."

Eliza replied curtly and went outside the Summoning Department dormitory.

Perena, with a tearful face, quickly followed Eliza.

Leo, who was sitting on a chair at the entrance of the Summoning Department dormitory reading a newspaper, burst out laughing when he saw Eliza and asked.

"Are you going like that?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

Yesterday, they were supposed to decide on the dress code, but Leo and Eliza hadn't.

So Eliza just wore whatever she found.

"Aaaah! Student council president! Just a moment!"

Perena, flustered, was about to say she would go back and change.

Leo, smiling faintly at Perena, folded his newspaper.

"Follow me."

"Yes?"

Leo opened a random door nearby.

"Let's go get a dress. Perena. Enter the door with your sister."

"Ah! Yes!"

"Wait, I'm wearing this…"

Eliza, flustered, refused, but Perena forcibly pushed Eliza's back and they entered the door.

A moment later.

The space changed.

A large dressing room.

It was a secret space somewhere in the Clock Tower Dormitory.

Enkenias, the successor of Melina, was waiting there.

"Hello. How should I dress you?"

To Enkenias's question, Leo replied with a chuckle.

"As beautifully as possible."

"Yes."

Enkenias led Eliza into a fitting room.

"Ah, just a moment!"

"Sister! You're the protagonist today, you have to be the most beautiful!"

"That's why it's bothersome…"

Eliza tried to resist, but Enkenias and Perena stopped her.

Leo reopened his newspaper and waited silently for them to finish preparing.

***

Murmurs-

At the party venue, not only Lumern students but also professors had gathered.

A grand party to celebrate the subjugation of the Erebus statue.

"Durand and Nella?"

"They do look good together."

The students enjoyed the party while admiring other students.

Meanwhile.

Eliza, sitting in a corner of the party venue, was holding her chin and gently swirling her wine.

"Senpai, you were here first."

Lil approached Eliza and sat down.

Lil, dressed elegantly unlike her usual self, exuded an extraordinary presence.

Seeing Lil like that, Eliza scoffed.

"You seem quite displeased?"

"I shouldn't have believed Kal's words."

"Even so, you didn't bully Kal?"

Lil asked with a puzzled expression, and Eliza clicked her tongue.

"How could I bully him when he had that heartbroken look on his face?"

"Hmm… I guess. If I were Kal, I would have been shocked too. Big brother is cool."

Eliza downed her wine with a bored expression.

Meanwhile.

Chloe looked puzzled, watching Chelsea cling to Abad's side and nervously scan her surroundings.

"Why is Chelsea like that?"

"Hmm… I wonder. The heart of a little sister who doesn't want her older brother to be taken away?"

"Taken away? By whom?"

"There's something like that. Hehehe."

Chen Xia giggled.

Meanwhile.

At the entrance of the party venue, Celia, with her arms crossed, saw Leo and Eliza arriving together and wore an expression of disbelief.

"She's dressed so elaborately!"

"I didn't dress her up. Leo Flove did."

Eliza said, her eyes twitching, and Celia looked at Leo.

'Leo?'

The cousin she knew wasn't the type to fuss over this.

Beside Eliza, Perena was fussing about how pretty she looked.

Celia, watching the scene, whispered to Leo.

"Leo. Do you really have feelings for Eliza?"

"No."

"Then why…"

"There's a reason. Go inside."

Leo pushed Celia's back and she entered the party venue with a strange look.

Perena also entered first.

As the two were left at the entrance, Leo extended his hand.

"Shall we go in, my lady?"

"……"

Eliza stared at Leo's hand and asked.

"Why are you doing this?"

As she asked the question, Eliza took Leo's hand, and Leo said.

"Eliza."

"Yes."

"You never know what life will bring."

"What do you mean…"

"Instead of worrying about this and that. Shouldn't you be true to your feelings?"

"……"

Eliza's eyes widened.

"You end up regretting things in one way or another."

"……"

"Being true to the present is the best way to minimize regret."

"…You talk like an old man."

Eliza let out a deep sigh.

And she thought of Kal.

The reason Kal was being so passive.

It was because of her, after all.

He probably couldn't even ask her to the dance party because he was considering her feelings.

"Kal is a great guy. If you overthink things, someone else will snatch him away, you know?"

Hearing those words, Eliza's expression became teary.

"They won't snatch him away, ever."

Leo laughed at that reply.

Just then.

With a warp, Kal and Mel appeared, dressed up gorgeously.

"Oh my! You didn't have to dress up this much… Huh?!"

Kal, dressed to the nines.

Seeing the handsomely dressed Kal, Eliza's expression went blank for a moment.

Kal also lost his composure upon seeing Leo and Eliza.

Leo handed Eliza's hand to Kal.

Seeing that hand, Kal hesitated, not knowing what to do.

Seeing Kal like that, Eliza sighed and suddenly grabbed Kal's hand.

"Isn't this something a guy should do?"

"S-sorry."

Seeing Eliza with a look of pity, Kal looked dejected.

Eliza, looking at Kal with a blank face, chuckled.

"Well, I'm the older one, so it can't be helped."

Saying that, Eliza started walking forward, and Kal hurried to follow.

"Eliza, are you okay?"

"Okay with what?"

"Rumors will spread."

"Hmph. It's my problem."

"Huh?"

Kal had a bewildered expression.

Watching their backs, Mel smiled brightly.

"It looks good."

Leo nodded.

"It does."