Chapter 26

He scratched his cheek as if he was embarrassed by the sudden conversation.

His awkward smile had a way of tickling the other person's heart, but not mine.

I knew all too well that his smile was fake.

I asked curiously,

"Offering to make coffee? Where?"

"I have the tools to make coffee in my personal lab. Want to come along if you don't mind?"

Even if it were Thérèse, who was hostile towards Damian, she would have accepted this offer with a "Hmph, the coffee made by a commoner will probably be terrible, but I'll drink it."

I didn't particularly want to refuse, but the offer seemed too suspicious.

This was an event that only happened when Damian's heart was filled to one level.

I checked Damian's affection level again, just in case.

[Affection Level: ♥♥♡♡♡]

'What? It's still the black heart.'

If the black heart had been three, I would have interpreted Damian's offer as a threat, but two wasn't a level that led to a death route.

'What should I do?'

This event was necessary for the game's progression.

However, it wasn't an event that applied to Thérèse.

There was no reason for Damian to invite Thérèse, nor for Thérèse to accept the invitation.

'Does he have another motive?'

Damian was an assassin who only moved by cold calculation and never acted carelessly.

This action couldn't be a simple gesture of goodwill.

'Maybe he's trying to use me to get closer to Livy.'

But this was still an opportunity.

'Damian giving me this leeway is a good sign for the game's progression.'

To join the student council, a recommendation from an existing officer or a professor was required.

Even with a recommendation, if the majority of the officers opposed it, one couldn't join the student council.

The special event I had set up to get Livy unanimously accepted into the student council had become a hindrance.

'With two black hearts, it's lucky that the lab invitation event happened on its own.'

"Thanks, but won't it be too much trouble for you, Damian?"

Damian waved his hand in surprise at my concern.

"No, it won't. I want to drink coffee too."

Damian despised Thérèse.

The black heart was undeniable proof.

Yet, his considerate words to make me feel less burdened sounded unexpectedly good.

I knew it was a false act, a pretense to appear like a good person, a clear hypocrisy.

But I knew how much effort it took to maintain such a false act.

I had done it myself.

In fact, Damian and I were not so different.

'Just wearing a mask of a good kid to survive.'

Was that why? My mental guard loosened a bit.

I even felt a bit sorry and grateful for Damian, who was kind to Thérèse, whom everyone avoided and who was extremely rude to him.

The stiffness in my lips relaxed.

"Then I'll gladly accept your invitation."

At my answer, Damian's smile momentarily twisted, as if he was surprised.

Damian turned his gaze forward and muttered,

"I've never seen you smile like that before."

"…Oh."

I unconsciously wiped my mouth.

Damian smiled brightly again and looked at me.

"What time is your first class?"

He chatted casually to keep the atmosphere from becoming awkward.

I answered earnestly and occasionally asked him, "What about you?"

A peaceful atmosphere, like that between friends, flowed between us.

As we got closer to his lab, the unpleasant feeling from Oswald faded, and I looked forward to the coffee made by Damian, who was skilled in cooking.

"Here's my lab. It's a bit messy, isn't it?"

Damian's lab wasn't messy at all; rather, it was desolate.

"It's clean and nice."

"Ahaha. I'm relieved to hear that."

Despite Damian's fresh smile, the place was truly barren.

A space often reflects the person's character.

In that sense, this lab was the place that most starkly revealed his duality.

Ding!

[Throne 'Great Detective' has donated 1,000 coins.]

[There's an excessive lack of human presence. A few artificial tools create a sense of discomfort. It's likely a space for secret work.]

'Sharp.'

As I looked around the lab, my eyes met Damian, who was taking out a coffee dripper.

He asked with a habitual smile,

"Now that I think about it, is this your first time here?"

I was about to say "Uh," but hesitated.

'Even if Damian hasn't invited Thérèse, she could have barged in on her own.'

Since there was no specific description or dialogue about it, it was better to be vague.

"I don't know. I don't keep track of such things."

"Is that so?"

It didn't seem like he was probing, so Damian let it go easily.

There was nothing worth seeing in the lab.

Instead of forcing myself to look around, I decided to observe Damian making coffee.

As I sat opposite him, Damian spoke again.

"By the way, wasn't the reason you were going to the auditorium with your sister yesterday to congratulate her on being the top student?"

His tone made it sound like a caring question.

But Damian knew Thérèse wasn't the type to celebrate others' achievements.

So, this was a deliberate attempt to gauge Thérèse's reaction.

'He's trying to confirm exactly how I feel about Livy.'

"I intended to, but even if I don't watch, it doesn't change the fact that Livy is the top student."

The direct descendants of the Squire family are born with an unusually high amount of magic.

Livy was the epitome of this setting.

Among the new and returning students, only Clyde had more magic than Livy.

A mysterious new student with overwhelming magic power who became the top student.

Hmm. A very protagonist-like setting.

Damian nodded while continuing,

"Still, your sister seemed a bit disappointed yesterday."

I shrugged.

"Isn't my future, which is doubtful even for graduation, more important than congratulating my top student sister? As you know, my major grades are a mess."

"……Ahaha."

Damian laughed awkwardly, unable to affirm it.

Valhalla operated with a very harsh system.

If you couldn't prove you were an excellent magician, you were expelled.

If your grades were too low, you were expelled.

If you were injured and couldn't fight demons, you were expelled.

If you couldn't meet the graduation credits, you were expelled.

There were too many reasons for expulsion.

'Like Thérèse's death routes.'

Damian, still looking perplexed, said,

"……Since you're already a senior, it's about time you started paying attention to such things."

'You probably meant to add, "I didn't know you cared about such things."'

I pulled the coffee cup, which emitted a warm, rich aroma, toward me and said happily,

"Good aroma."

While hot coffee is enjoyable for its aroma, I preferred iced coffee.

Clank-

I used my magic to freeze the remaining water Damian had used.

Then, I cut the floating ice into cubes to fit the cup and dropped them into the hot coffee, drinking it straight.

"Ah, that's it."

After finishing a refreshing cup, I put the cup down and saw Damian with a strange expression.

He looked like he had just witnessed someone enjoying a bizarre food.

"Drinking coffee… cold?"

"Yeah. It tastes better this way."

Damian, with a dubious look, followed my lead and made iced coffee, nodding hesitantly.

"Hmm, it's not bad. I don't know much, but this seems to be a trend in high society."

"No, it's not. I just drink it this way. If I drank iced coffee at a social gathering, I probably wouldn't get good comments."

I would probably be criticized for lacking manners.

Of course, no one would openly do that to Thérèse.

'Wait a minute.'

I tilted my head as I poured another cup of coffee.

'Was Damian also subtly criticizing me?'

Damian was skilled in high society etiquette, so it was hard to notice even if I knew his character.

Ding!

[Throne 'Ropan Addict' has donated 1,000 coins.]

[It seems Damian was mocking a breach of etiquette. Despite being a commoner, your ability to use high society language is quite advanced.]

'Ah, that's what it was.'

I dropped more ice into my coffee.

Ding!

[Throne 'Cider Pass' has donated 1,000 coins.]

[Yeah~ Be more subtle~ If they don't get it, it's their loss~]