Chapter 8

The first semester was almost over.

It had become a tradition to hold a party for each grade, and the party held in the school facilities was lavish.

The quality and quantity of the food on the tables left us speechless. The boys were in their school uniforms, but most of the girls were wearing dresses.

With their personal servants standing beside them, the boys were ogling the dressed-up girls.

My eyes also automatically locked onto the girls' cleavages, making it difficult to move them around.

I cleared my throat and put on a serious face.

"Are your current cups F? No, that's amazing food, isn't it?"

When I returned my gaze to the table, Daniel was piling a large amount of meat onto his plate and eating it. Raymond was looking at him with exasperation.

"I've never been to such a big party before. The school is amazing."

"Daniel, don't talk with your mouth full. When you think about it, the capital is really something else. It's a world apart from a poor baron's family in the countryside."

Previously, Luxion had said that the students were sent to the school to show the capital's power to the regions. Indeed, the financial disparity is evident just by the fact that such a grand party can be held.

Even nobles who were pampered at home would have some thoughts after seeing this.

The boys around me were in the same situation.

Today, even the regular class students were participating, and the number of party attendees was very high.

Daniel was looking around.

"There are a lot of girls from the regular class in dresses. There are too few girls in their uniforms."

Raymond was pushing up his glasses.

In front of him was a slender girl he liked.

This guy is a closet pervert.

"Dresses come in a wide range of prices. Apparently, you can get one for about 2,000 dia."

One dress costs 200,000 yen, if converted to yen.

Well, I don't know if it's expensive or cheap, but the minimum price of 200,000 is laughable.

In such a situation, Marié, who was the talk of the town, appeared in her uniform. The students around her were buzzing with chatter.

In this situation, the specially admitted student, Olivia, who was attending in her uniform, was completely unnoticed.

Still, I thought that a viscount's daughter should be able to prepare a dress... but as I thought this, Marié joined the princes.

In terms of social hierarchy, she was in the highest group of princes, looking very happy.

More importantly, though.

For us, the commoners, this party was also an opportunity. According to the seniors, couples can form at such times.

"Alright, are you both ready?"

When I called out to the two of them, Daniel put down his plate.

"Yeah, I'm well-fed."

Raymond also adjusted his glasses.

"We have to do our best too."

The three of us immediately started our actions.

We simply went around talking to the girls.

In such an atmosphere, perhaps a girl who would lower her standards and marry us might be found. At this point, I even thought it would be fine if she had a lover.

"Hey! I spotted a group of three girls over there! Let's make our move right away."

While other boys were also moving, we headed towards the girls.

But—

"Huh? Go home and look in the mirror before you come back."

"From a baron's family in the countryside? We didn't invite country bumpkins."

"Be a potato and talk to potato girls. We're aiming for at least a viscount's family. And a border baron... forget it."

"Ugh, I hate guys who are desperate to get married. It's obvious they have no depth."

"Men need to be more relaxed."

"Completely different from the Crown Prince."

The girls brushed us off lightly, and their personal servants—our lovers—looked down on us. Their masters were the girls, not us.

Moreover, if we attacked a girl's slave, we would face a severe investigation.

They knew they were in a safe position and acted accordingly.

"Um, can we just talk—"

One of the girls gestured to her servant.

Then, a muscular demi-human pushed us away.

We rolled on the ground, attracting the attention of the surrounding girls, who laughed, and the boys, who either laughed or pitied us.

"Go home. No, if you have another life, you should wish to be born as a better man."

The girls and slaves around us were laughing at us.

◇

Outside the party venue.

"Damn it! They're so full of themselves!"

The voice filled with anger was Daniel's.

Raymond, sitting on a bench with his knees hugged, was looking up at the night sky.

"Start over... would they really say that?"

From nearby buildings, the music and laughter from the party could be heard.

Unable to bear the atmosphere inside, we had fled outside. The girls who saw us were laughing.

The ones laughing were the upper-class girls and slaves.

The regular class girls either looked at us with pity or avoided eye contact.

It was miserable.

"...I'm starting to feel like I don't want to do this anymore."

As I spoke, Daniel opened his mouth to say something but closed it and looked down.

Raymond remained silent.

The three of us sat on the bench, gazing blankly at the sky.

"I'm starting to feel like girls are disgusting."

Raymond agreed with Daniel's words.

"Yeah. Men are pressured to get married by the time they graduate, so they rush into it. But the conditions for girls, who have more time, are completely different."

Not all the girls in the school are bad, but the proportion of bad girls is too high.

Therefore, living in the school increases the number of boys who have unpleasant experiences.

I recalled something unpleasant.

Senior Luxion had said—

"Some guys get so fed up with girls in school that they turn to guys... They were laughing about it before they entered the school, but now they can't laugh."

Daniel and Raymond nodded.

Some guys get so fed up with girls in school that they turn to guys.

What's not funny is that there are ordinary girls who like BL in the school. It's a world that can't be saved.

School entry → Girls' nastiness leads to misogyny → Turning to guys →腐女子 (fujoshi, girls who like BL) are overjoyed.

This cycle is formed.

It's a spiral of corruption... I just said it because it sounds good. Well, if you think about it, this sad cycle repeats every year, so it could be called a chain of corruption. No, it can't be called that, can it?

Time passed in silence.

Then, I noticed that the music had stopped.

There should have been live music in the party venue. Checking my pocket watch, it wasn't time for the party to end.

I thought it might be a break, but when I listened carefully, I couldn't hear any laughter from the venue.

Occasionally, I could hear someone shouting.

"Hey, isn't something strange going on?"

At my words, Raymond looked towards the venue.

"Come to think of it, it seems unusually noisy."

Daniel stood up.

"Should we check it out? We don't need to go inside; we can just peek through the window."

Raymond stopped him.

"Don't add to our humiliation. We'll be laughed at if we're caught. But it is worrying, isn't it?"

The three of us showed interest, but as we discussed whether to return to the venue, a girl came out.

She looked around and ran towards us.

The girl in uniform was Olivia.

"León! Something terrible has happened!"

◇

When we returned to the party venue, the place was silent.

Well, the students by the walls were quietly observing, but the group in the center of the venue was different.

I asked Olivia for the details.

"What happened?"

"It started as a light argument, but..."

In the center were five boys surrounding Marié. Among them was the blonde, blue-eyed elf boy, Kyle.

Facing the seven, Angelica was raising her voice.

It sounded like a desperate cry.

"Why won't you listen to me! I—I am for the Prince!"

The Prince's response to her trembling voice was cold.

"Your words are not worth listening to. That's all there is to it."

"Wait. How can you accept someone after knowing what they've done!"

The flow was unclear, but it was evident that Angelica was desperately trying to plead for something.

When I looked at Olivia, she continued the story.

"Well, Angelica got angry when she saw Marié holding hands with another man. Then, the Prince said it wasn't a big deal."

The Prince could accept his woman being with other men.

He was a big man, but I would never accept it. The Prince seemed to be okay with it.

Marié, in her uniform, was hiding behind the Prince.

She looked like she was seeking protection, while Angelica, in a red dress with heavy makeup, looked radiant.

Was it a contrast?

Angelica and Marié seemed to be complete opposites.

While Marié had boys and handsome slave boys around her, Angelica had no one.

Blade stepped forward.

"Even the daughter of the Redgrave family is pitiful now. Look, there's no one here who agrees with you."

When Angelica looked around, the students who had previously surrounded her turned away.

Not necessarily hostile, but students who had harbored resentment were smirking at her.

"To whom are you speaking? I am the daughter of the Duke's family, the Redgrave family. You border barons, don't get too full of yourselves. Do you know what this woman has done to all of you? To all of you—"

Did she sleep with everyone?

But the boys didn't seem panicked.

"We know that much."

When Chris, with blue hair, said this, Angelica was surprised.

"What!?"

Chris seemed to smile for a moment at the frightened Marié. The usually expressionless, sword-wielding man's smile made the girls around him blush.

Is it really about the face? Is it the face?

"I was saved by her. She listened to my troubles. And I—I want to protect her."

To make such a declaration in front of the entire grade, I thought his mental fortitude was commendable.

Next, Greg stepped forward.

"You're too argumentative. Just say you like her so much that it doesn't matter."

Zirk put his hand to his mouth and smiled.

"That's right. She's a wonderful woman. But I think I love Marié the most."

Speechless, Angelica looked at the Prince.

The Prince had a slightly annoyed expression.

"Zirk, even you are wrong. I am the one who loves Marié the most."

At these words, the girls who had been silent started to cheer.

"Did you hear that!?"

"I want to hear that too!"

"How envious. In contrast, the Duke's daughter is so pitiful."

Angelica, being laughed at, lowered her head and clenched her hands.

"…Is the Prince saying that he doesn't intend to end this as a mere school affair?"

To Angelica's question, the Prince lowered his gaze.

"I only have one irreplaceable woman. Angelica, before you entered the school, I didn't dislike you. But if you