Book 4 Chapter 14

**Episode 88**

**<Delaitten> Academy of Magic.**

This is the most prestigious academy in the Holy Human Empire, founded by Emittsa Page, the progenitor of magic.

Even today, a thousand years later, talented individuals who would eventually lead the magic world were fiercely competing to earn a diploma from this place.

"Look at that!"

"Oh, those people are…!"

And even in this hallowed ground of study, there were individuals who reached the pinnacle and led their talented peers: the student council executives.

"It's Duke Rain Ludwig and Duchess Crista Warden, who consecutively placed first and second in all exams of the first semester!"

Only students who distinguished themselves in the early stages of admission could join the student council.

There were only two opportunities to prove this distinction: the midterm and final exams of the first semester of the first year.

"How could they be so well-matched?"

Every time such voices were heard from behind, veins bulged on Crista Warden's forehead, as she clenched her teeth.

"Are those two perhaps… in that kind of relationship?"

*Clench.*

*Grind, grind.*

"Right. They say during the top student decider, they each nominated the other as worthy of being the top student!"

"Oh my, oh my!"

And the next moment, *thwack*, a dull thud erupted, and the voice was cut short with a cute shriek.

"You! What are you blabbering about to yourself, constantly following us around since earlier?!"

The pigtail-haired girl, tearing up after being hit by Crista's fist, was none other than her attendant, Gertrude Fenton.

"No, such narrations appear in plays, don't they? I was just trying to voice, however imperfectly, the things my lady might want to hear…"

"What do I want to hear? What?! You're making things up, seriously! I should just smash your head in!"

"Kyaak! That hurts!"

The black-haired pretty boy walking ahead, Rain Ludwig, let out a long sigh and glanced back.

"Hey, can you stop chattering and just walk?"

"She keeps spouting nonsense, and you want me to just leave her be?"

"You can just let it go, why get upset over every little thing? Come on, let's go."

Let it go, he says?

When she's spouting such embarrassing nonsense?

She felt a slight confusion, but since she was currently in the position of a junior being guided by the student council, she decided to follow quietly.

That's right.

Crista Warden, too, proudly became one of the student council executives after these final exams.

Originally an honorable position only accessible to the top student, if one student holds the top position for two consecutive times, one spot goes to the second-place student.

"How are the student council seniors?"

"How? They're all just diligent."

Rain Ludwig's eyebrows, which seemed to respond perfunctorily, subtly twitched for a moment, and then he said something difficult to understand.

"But be a bit careful with the student council president."

"Careful, you say?"

"Don't get closer than necessary."

This was also a strange thing to say.

Isn't the student council president the pinnacle among the students currently enrolled at <Delaitten>?

He's someone one should try to learn even one more thing from, out of respect, so why keep a distance?

"We're entering."

While they were talking, they had already arrived at the student council office, on the 4th floor of Yongnyun Hall, the main academic building.

Crista, having lightly tidied her appearance and voice, followed Rain into the student council room.

The student council room, which she hadn't visited in a long time, was still spacious, elegant, and tidy. Most visible objects had noble curves.

"I am Crista Warden. I look forward to working with you."

And she slightly lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands, showing noble courtesy. The student council seniors welcomed her with applause.

"You've returned, young lady."

Vice President, Felix Drake.

Most people had expected Crista to become the top student, so Felix had also brought Crista to the student council before the midterm exams.

"Crista! I've been waiting for you!"

And no matter when she saw her, Sandra Keppel, the young lady of the Keppel family, would act friendly by intimately hugging her.

"…"

And Trivis, who, as before, simply bowed her head lightly without a word or expression.

"It would have been better if you had come first, rather than that slacker."

And President Valencias, famous as the most beautiful person among the students currently enrolled at <Delaitten>.

Her captivating features and long eyelashes enchanted women then as they do now.

Not only her appearance but also her skills were outstanding, so she planned to ask her many things once she joined the student council.

"Well, I'm truly sorry about that."

As she was gathering her thoughts, Rain 'tched' with his tongue and replied so impudently.

What was that?

The two seemed to have a considerably bad relationship.

Does he dislike using informal language with the descendant of a prestigious family? But Rain doesn't usually care much about such things.

"Then you can immediately take over the administrative duties."

Seeing the mountain of piled-up documents, Crista couldn't help but gape in dismay. Felix smiled weakly.

"It's because the seasonal festival is coming soon, and these are things that piled up during the exam period."

"Even so, this is…"

Too much.

Then Rain placed a hand on her shoulder as if to encourage her, and lightly swept his index finger under his nose.

"It's a path everyone has taken. Just accept it."

Sandra also swept her finger under her nose and shrugged her shoulders with the expression of an adult recalling bittersweet memories of the past.

"That's right. They were truly painful days. But we managed to overcome them. Because we had a sense of mission, having become student council executives."

Oh, if that's the case…!

Just as Crista's blood was about to boil, surprisingly, Trivis also swept her finger under her nose with a poker face and mechanical movement, then said:

"But the top student gets liberated after just two months at most."

Two months?

Now that she thought about it, the top student…

A cold sneer formed on Crista's lips as she realized the truth.

"Hmm, and then what do you tell me? 'A path everyone has taken'? 'A sense of mission as a student council executive'? You're all full of it, aren't you?"

As soon as she muttered coldly and made a contemptuous face, Rain and Sandra flinched and started coughing awkwardly.

"A-ahem! Senior, even so, there are too many documents, perhaps a little help?!"

"That's a nice idea, Rain! We should help each other! Because we have camaraderie as student council executives!"

Thus began her first student council activities, but events followed that deepened the suspicion about Rain's eccentric behavior.

"President, this document—"

"—The president is busy, ask me."

Every time she tried to ask the student council president something, Rain would always intervene and interrupt her, wouldn't he?

Furthermore, an inexplicable chill permeated between the two of them, and whenever a topic of discussion arose, it usually ended with one of them making sarcastic remarks towards the other.

"Did the President also have an interest in such matters? How unexpected. I thought you were only interested in how to efficiently destroy the human body."

Rain was like this.

"Oh, was this too trivial a topic to discuss with a noble young master from a prestigious family?"

Valencias was roughly like this.

With such sarcasm, the conversation ended… and the indoor temperature dropped low, as if time itself had frozen.

However, despite this, they also seemed to get along well, as Rain took on all the tasks of assisting Valencias.

"Come with me to Yongmyeon Hall—"

"—I'll go."

"Let's promote this seasonal festival together—"

"—I'll do it."

In such puzzling and hard-to-understand days, Crista's stamina was severely depleted day by day.

"The work, the work never ends…"

Because of this, every day after student council activities, she would stagger back to her dorm and often collapse. The next day at school, she felt like she was going to die from exhaustion.

'There was a reason Rain always looked sleepy after joining the student council, wasn't there…'

Between school life, club activities, and student council activities, there was no time to rest anywhere.

Then one day, as she was heading to the student council room after school, Gertrude Fenton asked if her student council activities were enjoyable.

"Enjoyable? It's a continuous battle with documents every day, and right now I'm on the verge of dying from writing minutes."

"And nothing special with Duke Rain?"

"Of course not?! Hmph, he's acting weird, though, not me."

"Weird, you say? How?"

Crista let out a soft yawn and recounted Rain's actions towards Valencias up until then.

"Isn't it strange? I heard they got along well before I joined. Did something happen during the final exams?"

She hadn't expected any particular answer, but Gertrude, who was nodding her head as if very interested, her eyes sparkling brightly.

"Could that possibly be… him trying to keep her in check?"

"Keep her in check? What check?"

"Oh my, oh my! Acting so innocent! What else could it be! He's trying to keep her in check because he's afraid the young lady will be taken by the student council president! In other words, it's jealousy!"

Keeping in check? Jealousy?

Crista's face instantly turned bright red.

"What nonsense is that?! What kind of keeping in check! He and I are rivals! We don't have any feelings like that for each other, you hear? Hey! Aren't you coming here?"

"Hehe, my lady might be like that, but the Duke might be different, you know!"

She chased after Gertrude, who ran off swiftly, intending to beat her up, but then stopped. Because there was work piled up in the student council office.

'How absurd. Doesn't she know that boys and girls should not sit together after the age of seven? Neither he nor I intend to spend our school days with such a complacent mindset.'

Hmph, she ascended the stairs of Yongnyun Hall, proudly with her arms crossed, clearing her mind of random thoughts. She reached the 4th floor, and the student council room door was slightly ajar.

Wondering what it was, she approached, but her hand, which was about to push the door open, stopped on its own at the voices coming from inside.

"…I don't know what it is that bothers you so much."

It was the student council president's voice.

A voice as cool and relaxed as always.

"Don't you think your actions are too excessive? If this continues, people will start looking at you strangely."

"Knowing your true nature, this much is nothing. It doesn't matter if people look at me strangely or not. What's important now is to monitor and keep you in check."

The low voice responding coldly was Rain Ludwig's.

"Hmph, calm down. I have no intention of doing anything to Crista Warden that would cause you concern."

Something to cause concern?

I don't understand what they're talking about, or rather, why am I eavesdropping in the first place?

I should just go in, she thought, and just as she was pushing the door.

"Who would believe that?"

"Whether you believe it or not is your freedom. But I'm telling you my true intentions."

"Then I'll tell you my true intentions too. I'm warning you, if you lay a hand on her, you'll be in for a rough time."

Not just her, but others too…

Without even hearing the rest of that sentence, Crista Warden gasped in surprise and hid herself behind the door.

Her face, flushed redder than a carrot, felt hot enough to burst.

- He's trying to keep her in check because he's afraid the young lady will be taken by the student council president! In other words, it's jealousy!

Rain Ludwig, what's with that guy…?

Gertrude's words were true?

Now that she thought about it, it wasn't just one or two strange things. Like how he suddenly sat next to her on the first day and became her partner.

'And when he told me to just leave Gertrude's teasing alone three days ago… was it because he liked being misunderstood like that?'

What in the world is that pathetic guy thinking, coming to university?

I need to tell him clearly. That we are rivals and not at an age to harbor such feelings.

But it's strange. Why is it so scary to open the door and go into the office? Her heart was pounding uncontrollably, her face was hot, and she couldn't even utter a sound.

Because of that, she had no choice but to run away from that spot. Although she didn't even know why she was running away…

As the door suddenly slammed shut and footsteps ran off somewhere, Rain looked back at the doorway and tilted his head.

"What was that?"

Meanwhile, seeing that Crista had come, Valencias, who had deliberately orchestrated this situation, showed a meaningful smile.

"Well, perhaps it's the death throes of youth."