Chapter 46

■ Chapter 45. Crisis (4) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

“Isaac, did that kid find out by any chance?”

As soon as it was 6 o'clock, the agreed time, Mari returned to the dormitory, leaving us alone. Nicole asked me a question. When I turned my gaze to her, I could see a face filled with worry and concern.

It seemed she was worried that our secret might have been exposed due to the close relationship between me and Mari. However, apart from a few mistakes, it hadn't been exposed.

“Don’t worry. It hasn’t been exposed. So far, we’re just friends, just friends.”

“…Really?”

Nicole expressed her doubt and gave me a look that was full of suspicion. Seeing this, I felt a bit flustered.

Who knew that I was seen as someone without real friends, just an outsider? I knew my social relationships weren’t good, but seeing her look at me like that, I couldn’t help but feel a bit hurt.

“What’s with that look? You don’t believe me at all?”

“Hmm… It doesn’t matter. Anyway, you mean she doesn’t know anything about your secret?”

It felt like she was trying to quickly change the subject. I decided to set aside the suspicions rising in my heart and answered.

“There were some mistakes, but it should be fine.”

“Mistakes… like when you showed her the painting last time? Could it have been her?”

When she asked, eyes wide with confirmation, I nodded silently.

I knew that Nicole was aware that I had shown the painting to someone by mistake. However, she didn’t know that the person was Mari. I didn’t want to worry her unnecessarily.

But now that I had some familiarity with Mari, I thought it might be okay to tell her.

“Hmm…”

My response was slightly different from what I expected. Nicole stared at me intently and then sighed deeply. It was a reaction that made me feel a bit tense.

Then, she seemed to be thinking for a moment before speaking to me in a low, calm voice.

“…Isaac, you also received a letter from your father, right?”

“Are you saying my tail has been stepped on?”

In response to my question, Nicole nodded in agreement. It seemed she, like me, had received a letter from her parents.

However, unlike me, she seemed to take the current situation quite seriously. Her expression was stiff and rigid.

Perhaps Nicole received a different letter, and it might be related to this. I tilted my head in confusion, and a sense of unease began to rise. I cautiously asked,

“Didn’t your mother say not to worry? The letter I received from my mother said not to worry, that it was just a matter of my tail being stepped on, and that there wouldn’t be any big problem. Honestly, except for that, it was no different from the usual letters of well-being.”

Of course, that didn’t mean I was acting as usual; I was being cautious to some extent. Today, Mari’s sudden question almost caused a big problem, but now it’s over.

Seeing my reaction, Nicole’s expression became even more troubled. It was as if she looked like a parent who had left their child by the river.

“…Isaac, do you know what it means when your tail is stepped on?”

Nicole asked me in a voice that seemed to have lost its strength. I instinctively sensed something was wrong and nodded silently.

In response, Nicole stared at me for a while and then shook her head from side to side. It seemed her mind was in turmoil.

“…No, I’ll tell you later. Let’s eat for now.”

“…Okay. By the way, what about Adel?”

“She said she suddenly had something to do today and couldn’t come. When I asked why, she said it was the day a letter from home arrived. She mentioned it was the first letter she’s received in almost a year.”

“Really?”

It was a bit disappointing, but I could understand her feelings. Not hearing from home for a whole year, she must have been looking forward to the letter.

For me, the distance between my home and Hallo Academy is quite close, taking only a week at most. But for others, it’s different. Generally, it takes at least a week, and if the home is far away, it can take over a month.

Especially for commoners, it’s even worse because there’s a law that prioritizes the mail of nobles. Nobles often handle the country’s official duties, so each piece of mail is important.

However, since magic can’t be used to send mail, they have to use carriages. As a result, it takes a very long time from the moment the letter is sent until the recipient receives it.

“Why does Adel receive a letter only once a year?”

“I’m not sure. I asked her before, and she said she lives quite far away. But I’m sure it’s not in Minerva Empire.”

“Hmm. Could she be a noble hiding her identity?”

“She does look like a noble. I thought she was a noble at first, too. But she’s not. She’s definitely a commoner.”

Since Nicole stated it so definitively, I couldn’t ask any more questions. I recalled Adelia’s beauty, which seemed too good to be true for a commoner, and quickly pushed the thought away.

Right now, having dinner with Nicole is more important. Since it was a meal with Nicole, I thought I could enjoy a peaceful dinner…

“Hmm?”

“…Lord Leort?”

…There was a time when I thought I could. That was before I met Leort at the entrance of the restaurant where I planned to have dinner.

“Hello? What a coincidence.”

“…Yes, it is.”

Even Leort was accompanied by Lina. When Lina waved at me with a friendly smile, I greeted her with a somewhat awkward feeling.

I didn’t know what was going on, but it seemed Leort and Lina also planned to have dinner together. Judging by their school uniforms, it seemed they had made prior arrangements.

But who would have thought that we would meet at the same restaurant, and at the same time, right at the entrance? It was an impossible probability.

I instinctively felt that the situation was getting complicated as I looked at the two of them and then at Nicole. She also seemed flustered, as if she hadn’t expected to meet them.

“Are you here for dinner too?”

When the awkward atmosphere began to settle, Leort asked us in a pleasant, deep voice. Nicole, regaining her composure, quickly replied.

“Yes, that’s right. I’m here to have dinner with Isaac.”

“Hmm…”

“… …”

After Nicole’s response, Leort alternated his gaze between us and then finally smiled. Seeing that smile, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding.

I hoped that the ominous feeling wouldn’t come true, but unfortunately, ominous premonitions always do.

Leort then extended his hand and proposed to us in a gentle tone.

“Since we’ve met like this, why don’t we have dinner together? I’ll pay for everything. Besides, I have something important to discuss with you.”

“…Alright.”

His proposal was more like a half-demand. Who would refuse the offer of the heir to the throne, the most likely next emperor?

Nicole, well aware of this, reluctantly accepted. Even if she refused, Leort wouldn’t hold a grudge, but there would be no benefit in making him uncomfortable.

There was one thing that worried me about Leort’s proposal: his mention of something important to discuss.

Given that he brought it up, it could be a significant matter, whether good or bad. Nicole had no reason to refuse and was curious about what Leort would say, so she agreed.

“Great. What about you, Isaac?”

“I don’t mind.”

“Understood. Let’s go in then. As I said, I’ll pay for everything, so feel free to order anything you like.”

“Really?”

“Isaac.”

When I asked with a hint of doubt, Nicole scolded me in a stern voice from the side. Only then did I realize I had made a mistake and quickly closed my mouth.

However, Leort seemed to find my reaction amusing and smiled faintly in response.

“Hahaha. Of course. You can order anything you want, whether it’s steak or wine.”

“Isaac. Surely you haven’t forgotten who we are?”

“… …”

Lina asked with a slight smile, as if teasing me. I blinked, and my face began to burn with embarrassment.

Who were the people in front of me? They were the royal family of Minerva Empire, with wealth that could rot from excess.

Asking such a question was foolish. Nicole knew this, which is why she called my name.

I usually think before I speak, but the situation made me speak without thinking.

“Sigh…”

“… …”

Even as Nicole sighed in embarrassment beside me, I couldn’t say anything.

Finding our situation amusing, Lina covered her mouth and giggled, making me even more embarrassed.

“Is there a private room for four that’s well-insulated? Money is no object.”

“Understood. Please follow me.”

After a minor incident, Leort asked the waiter to arrange a room. However, the characteristics of the room he wanted were a bit unusual.

Not just a regular room for four, but a well-insulated one. If it wasn’t something important, there would be no need to choose a well-insulated room.

From that moment, a sense of unease and worry began to stir deep within me. I felt a strong sense of foreboding and looked at Nicole.

Nicole also seemed to sense that the situation was getting strange, as she remained silent with a slightly stiff expression.

“You can call the staff by ringing this bell.”

“Thank you.”

“Enjoy your time.”

We eventually entered a private room for four, which was well-insulated, as Leort had requested.

I looked around the room after the waiter closed the door. It was quite spacious for a dining area.

The design was no different from a regular restaurant. There was only a square table in the center of the large room.

I had expected a more secretive atmosphere from a well-insulated room, but it was different from what I imagined.

“Come, sit down. Lina, sit next to me.”

“Alright. Isaac, sit down too.”

“…Okay.”

I obediently followed Lina’s instructions and sat down. Naturally, Nicole sat next to me.

For reference, Leort and Lina were already seated before we arrived, so I ended up facing Lina, and Nicole faced Leort.

“…I didn’t have a chance to introduce myself earlier. I am Nicole Duker Mysall, the eldest daughter of the Mysall family. It’s an honor to meet the future empress of our empire.”

Just as the awkward atmosphere was about to settle, Nicole introduced herself to break the ice. I realized that while she knew Leort, this was her first time meeting Lina.

In response, Lina faced Nicole, who had introduced herself in a formal tone, and then smiled softly. She placed her hand on her chest and greeted her according to the empire’s etiquette.

“Nice to meet you, Nicole. As you know, I am Lina Urmie Christine, the first princess of Minerva Empire. Please call me Lina informally.”

“Understood. But…”

Nicole looked back and forth between Lina and Leort. Their smiles were similar, as if to confirm they were siblings.

The problem was that their smiles gave a strong impression of hiding something. I felt the same way, so Nicole must have felt the same.

With a cautious and wary tone, Nicole asked,

“…Could you tell me what you meant by the urgent matter you mentioned earlier?”

“Let’s order first. We’ll discuss it after the meal.”

“…Understood.”

It seemed he planned to talk after the meal. Nicole accepted Leort’s request without hesitation.

“By the way, Isaac, you like wine, don’t you? You drank a lot at the last gathering.”

“…Huh?”

Suddenly, Lina, sitting across from me, brought up a past embarrassment. The sudden topic caught me off guard, but the real problem was Nicole.

As soon as Lina mentioned it, she turned her head sharply and looked at me. Her eyes demanded an explanation for what I had done at the gathering to make the princess, Lina, say such a thing.

Feeling the terrifying intensity of her gaze, I quickly waved my hands and said, trying to clear up any misunderstanding.

“It, it was just wine! Nothing happened! I swear!”

“…Really?”

“Haha. Really. But I did fall asleep in the chair because I drank too much.”

“Isaac?”

Why did she have to bring up that story? Even when I looked at her with a near-accusatory gaze, Lina only smiled, finding it amusing.

Did she hold a grudge because I rejected her invitation back then? I’m not close to Lina, so I don’t really know.

“Then we should order wine. Since you mentioned it at the gathering, Alcyone?”

“…Yes.”

“Understood. What would you like to eat?”

“I would like…”

Surprisingly, the meal itself proceeded without any issues. Although the cozy family dinner I had imagined was out of the question, I could still look forward to it later.

Thanks to Leort, who made the atmosphere more relaxed, we could have a comfortable conversation. Lina also contributed by bringing up interesting topics from time to time.

Eating with the royal family was a groundbreaking experience for me.

Having a meal with the heir to the throne, the most likely next emperor, implied a close relationship and, by extension, a solid political foundation from the start.

If someone from my family entered politics, it would be an excellent connection, but as you