Chapter 56

■ Chapter 55. Confession (2) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

Princess Lina of the Minerva Empire had a surprisingly ordinary life at the academy. Before enrolling, she had expected nothing but tiring tasks.

By "tiring tasks," she meant being swarmed by admirers, just like her older brother, the Crown Prince Leort, had always experienced. Indeed, from the moment of her enrollment, when a noble lady named Sophia clung to her, to the reckless approach by Jackson before the first lecture, it was easy to understand why.

However, such situations rarely occurred, much to her surprise. The reason was none other than Cecil, the princess of Helium, who had become her new friend from the first day of enrollment.

Cecil had caught the attention of many with her extraordinary actions from the opening ceremony, and her beauty and mysterious aura only added to her allure.

Stories about Cecil had long spread throughout Halo Academy. Many came just to catch a glimpse of her, but even that proved futile.

With Lina by Cecil's side, and Cecil by Lina's side, it took considerable courage for anyone to approach them.

Thanks to this, Lina enjoyed a relatively smooth academy life. She had new friends, and she could indulge in things she couldn't do at the palace, making each day enjoyable.

Most importantly, there was an unexpected gain. While having a heartfelt conversation with Cecil, Lina decided to ask a question that had been on her mind.

"Cecil, there's something I want to ask. Is it okay if I ask?"

"Hmm? Go ahead. I'm always happy to answer Lina's questions."

Cecil readily agreed to Lina's request. Encouraged, Lina discarded her mask and asked the question she had been pondering.

"Are you also looking for the author of the Zyon Chronicles?"

"The Zyon Chronicles?"

Cecil's eyes widened in surprise at Lina's question. Lina nodded and continued.

"Yes. I assumed you would be looking for the author in Helium as well."

The reason for this question was simple. She couldn't say it directly, but she hoped to help Cecil in some way.

As she grew closer to Cecil, she realized something. She wasn't sure if it was true for all demons, but they regarded the author of the Zyon Chronicles as more than a benefactor, almost a savior.

Given that demons were forced to live in isolation and hide in the darkness, treating the author as a savior was only natural. Therefore, demons must be eager to find the author.

Lina, on the other hand, knew who the author of the Zyon Chronicles was. To be precise, they were "co-authors."

'The Red Lion must have told the story, and Isaac wrote it down. Otherwise, the calluses on the middle finger wouldn't be so severe.'

The Crown Prince, Leort, had determined that the Red Lion, Hawk, was the author of the Zyon Chronicles. However, Lina had a different opinion.

Could a knight who had dedicated his life to martial arts have such writing skills? To Lina, the evidence was weak.

Thus, she suspected that Isaac had written the Zyon Chronicles based on the story Hawk told.

While Lina was making these speculations in her head, Cecil blinked and then smiled.

"Of course, I am looking for the author. But I try not to focus on it."

"Huh? Why not?"

Cecil's response left Lina puzzled. If she were in Cecil's shoes, she would do anything to find the author, but Cecil had a different answer.

Cecil then adopted a deep, wistful look and spoke softly.

"At first, I tried hard to find the author. But after some thought, I felt it would be disrespectful."

"Disrespectful?"

"Yes. Most importantly, I want to focus on my studies right now. Remember the speech I gave at the opening ceremony? I said I want to show that demons can live like humans. The author would surely want that. So, instead of looking for the author, I should achieve what I truly want. I can always find the author later when they reveal their identity."

Cecil's explanation, delivered with a gentle smile, left Lina slightly dazed. Unlike herself and Leort, who had used the royal resources to find the author, Cecil's decision was remarkably mature.

Of course, Cecil had already found "the author," which is why she could make such a statement, but Lina, with her keen observation skills, immediately sensed the sincerity in her words. This made her a bit uneasy.

"...Really? I see."

So, Lina decided not to give Cecil any hints. She had thought it would be fine to share a bit of information as friends and fellow fans of the Zyon Chronicles, but she reconsidered after hearing Cecil's resolve.

Cecil, hearing Lina's response, smiled and stood up. She then made a suggestion.

"Do you want to go to the restroom for a bit?"

"...Sure. Let's go."

Lina casually accepted the offer and stood up to join her. Just before they stepped out of the lecture hall, Lina noticed someone.

Mari, with her face hidden on the desk, looked very different from her usual self.

Most importantly...

'...Why are her ears so red?'

The ears, visible between her white hair with a faint blue tinge, were unmistakably red. To Lina, who had known Mari since childhood, this was a curious reaction.

If it were someone else, she might have approached out of curiosity, but Lina couldn't. A mistake she made when they were very young had left Mari with a deep-seated animosity towards her.

So, even though she was curious, she had to hold back.

'Is she sick or something? I'm a bit worried.'

In this aspect, Lina was slightly lacking in perceptiveness. She cast a concerned glance at Mari before heading out the door.

Meanwhile, Mari, lying on her desk...

'The one who wants to talk to me? She definitely said that. Then... No. What should I wear? She said to just come in my uniform, but...'

Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.

* * *

The meeting with Mari was set for 6 PM. She thought it would be good to prepare some things at the dorm and have dinner as well.

Naturally, Mari had wondered why they couldn't go together from the start, but when Lina mentioned something to show her, Mari quickly shut up. Her face turned red as she did so.

It seemed Mari thought Lina was meeting her for a kind of confession. While it was a confession, Lina was a bit conflicted about whether to clear up the misunderstanding.

'...She won't be disappointed, right?'

Returning to the present, Lina was waiting at the agreed restaurant. She wore her uniform, as casual clothes seemed inappropriate.

The restaurant was the same one where she had dined with Leort and Lina before. It was the only place she knew with soundproofing.

'I'll show her this after everything is said and done.'

While waiting with a slightly anxious heart, she checked the envelope in her hand. Inside was the first edition of the Zyon Chronicles that she had written.

After dinner with Mari, she planned to hand this over and explain everything. Whether Mari would believe her was uncertain, but Lina intended to do her best.

"Isaac!"

While waiting with a heart pounding for a different reason, a familiar voice reached her ears. Turning her head, she saw the white-haired girl with a faint blue tinge, Mari, waving her hand and approaching.

Had she put on makeup? Despite wearing the uniform as instructed, Mari seemed different somehow. Lina was slightly dazed by her more vibrant appearance.

Certainly, Mari was pretty, even if she was overshadowed by others. Today, perhaps because they had planned to meet, she seemed even more beautiful than usual.

"Am I too late?"

Mari, now right in front of her, laughed and asked. Lina, still dazed by her radiant smile, replied in a slightly bewildered voice.

"...No. I just got here. It's not even 6 PM yet."

"That's a relief. Let's go inside now."

Mari, eager to be alone with Lina, urged her on. Hearing this, Lina couldn't help but think that Mari really liked her.

A gentle smile naturally formed on her face. Being with Mari always made her feel at ease. She could focus solely on her without worrying about anything else.

Deciding to confess her secret to Mari was not a wrong choice. Tucking the envelope with the first edition under her left arm, she extended her right hand with a playful smile.

"Shall we go, Lady?"

"..."

As soon as Lina said this, Mari's face turned noticeably red. It was just a polite gesture, but her reaction was puzzling.

'Why is she reacting like this? Is she embarrassed?'

According to the etiquette she learned at home, this was just a polite gesture, something her mother had taught her.

However, she remembered something else her mother had said. This gesture was only a polite gesture in formal settings like social gatherings or balls. In everyday situations, it had a completely different meaning.

If a man offered his hand to a woman in everyday situations, it meant, "I have romantic feelings for you." This alone was enough to shock Lina, but it didn't end there.

"...Yes."

Click.

Despite her embarrassment, Mari gently took Lina's hand. Lina felt a slight tremor and a strong resolve not to let go.

This time, it was Lina's turn to turn red. A woman accepting a man's hand?

It was a response saying, "I also have romantic feelings for you." If not, Mari would have smiled and politely declined.

But she had taken Lina's hand softly, accepting her indirect confession.

"..."

"..."

They stood there, holding hands and looking at each other, unable to say a word.

Lina, unsure of what to do, finally broke the awkward silence.

"Shall we go inside?"

"...Yes."

Mari, with her head bowed, answered in a voice as soft as an ant's footsteps.