Chapter 24

During the lunch break on the day she had upset Gilbert, Cecilia was alone in the cafeteria.

“What should I do...”

She stabbed her fork into the quiche that came with her lunch and slumped over. Normally, she would eat with Gilbert, but after what happened this morning, it was only natural that Cecilia couldn't invite him. And from the fact that Gilbert didn't invite her either, it seemed he didn't want to see her today.

Incidentally, the female students who had been enthusiastic about "Prince!" seemed to have come to some kind of agreement among themselves, and they no longer approached her randomly. Of course, she could still feel their intense gazes, but there were no more bold attempts to join her at her table when she was eating alone. So, she could indulge in her thoughts undisturbed.

It was very much appreciated.

“I need to do something about Rin, but I can't just leave Gilbert alone either...”

In the end, she didn't know if the event with Jade and Rin at the camping trip had been successful. Jade hadn't been injured while protecting Rin, and since then, their relationship had only grown closer. They shared secrets and embraced each other, and from the outside, they might even look like a couple.

But to Cecilia, who knew the truth, it was clear that this wasn't a romantic relationship.

“None of the other characters seem to be avoiding events, but they don't seem to be getting closer either...”

Among the other characters, the one who was the least predictable was the protagonist, Rin. Cecilia had thought that, being the heroine of a dating sim, Rin would have a romantic mindset, but in reality, she seemed to have little interest in her own love life. Instead, she was busy with other people's relationships.

Cecilia stuffed a piece of quiche into her mouth.

“First things first, I need to deal with Gilbert!”

To Cecilia, Gilbert was a dear family member. She loved him, of course, but he was the only person she wanted to cherish more than herself. To her, Gilbert was a younger brother to protect, a friend, and a best friend.

“Why did Gilbert get so angry in the first place?”

She thought it was wrong not to tell him about sharing a room with Oscar and sleeping together, but since she hadn't been discovered as a girl, it should have been fine.

Cecilia thought this way. So, she had expected that if it were discovered, he would just be annoyed and scold her a bit, but he had unexpectedly become furious.

It had been a while since she had seen Gilbert so angry.

“Cecil, are you alone today?”

Turning around at the voice from behind, she saw Oscar there.

Thanks to the effect of the novel Rin had written, the female students who saw Cecilia and Oscar together started to buzz. Some even let out excited squeals.

(Everyone has such vivid imaginations...)

She couldn't help but smile wryly.

Oscar, of course, knew about the novel, but he didn't seem to mind.

Without asking for permission, he sat down in front of her. Immediately, a server brought him a coffee.

The cafeteria, being a place for nobles, offered better service than most cafes or restaurants and was stylishly decorated.

Oscar took a sip of his coffee.

“It’s rare to see you alone. What happened to Gilbert?”

“Just a lot of things... What about you, Oscar?”

“I didn’t have time for lunch today. It’s a distraction.”

He raised his coffee.

“Distraction, as in distracting yourself from hunger? Helping the king during lunch is good, but if you keep doing that, you’ll make yourself sick.”

“Well, it’s something I’ll have to do eventually. It’s better to get used to it now. Time is limited.”

“Yeah, maybe, but still...”

Cecilia sighed.

She had learned after they started dating that he was not only studying at the academy but also handling the country's affairs. Of course, there were many documents he couldn’t take out, so he would return to the dorm during lunch breaks. He was often called by the king and would disappear in the afternoon or be absent all day.

Even though the academy studies were challenging, he was very busy.

“Come on, you must be hungry! Have some of this!”

Cecilia, holding a piece of bread, pushed it into Oscar’s mouth.

“Wha—chew...”

“Chew well, or it’s bad for digestion.”

“...”

At first, Oscar resisted, but gradually he started to chew and ended up eating it all. He must have been quite hungry.

Seeing this, Cecilia smiled.

“You can’t fight on an empty stomach!”

“...If you did that at the palace, you’d be in more trouble than just getting scolded...”

“Huh? Why?”

“My meals are always tasted for poison.”

“Oh...”

She made a sound as if she had forgotten.

The food served at the academy went through strict checks. Every day, a taster would eat the food to check for poison, and the management of dishes and cutlery was meticulous. This was to prevent any incidents in a school with many noble heirs.

Furthermore, as the crown prince, Oscar had a dedicated taster. It was a precaution to ensure nothing happened to the future king. The coffee he was holding had likely already been tasted.

No one else at the academy had a taster, so Cecilia had completely forgotten about it.

“...Be more careful.”

“Hehe... Yeah, sorry.”

“Well, it wasn’t a bad feeling.”

His ears were slightly red.

Oscar looked around.

“By the way, where is Gilbert? He should be showing up to interrupt us by now...”

“Interrupt us...”

“He will. That’s just how he is.”

He said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Indeed, whenever Cecilia and Oscar were talking, Gilbert would always show up at just the right time.

Cecilia thought it was just a coincidence, but it seemed Oscar believed Gilbert was intentionally interrupting them.

“Did you have a fight or something?”

Cecilia flinched at the accurate guess. Oscar, noticing this, narrowed his eyes.

“What happened?”

His tone was gentler than usual, and Cecilia opened her mouth as if resigned.