Chapter 428

“So, this summer break, I spent the entire month with Harold searching for the Aphrian Flower in the high mountains of the northwest. We’re currently trying various methods to cultivate the Aphrian Flower we collected to see if it can be artificially grown…”

“……”

“And let me tell you, watching him carry me down a cliff with those strong arms was just so impressive. Truly, Harold is a model noble. If every man in the world were even a tenth like him, there would be no more wars…”

“……”

“You’re listening to me, right, Lilith?”

“…Yes, I’m listening.”

I was listening to what Princess Mezzlen was saying, but I wasn’t entirely processing it.

The flood of information threatening to halt my brain was overwhelming, but I managed to regain my composure just in time. It seemed I was finally grasping the unexpected connection between Mezzlen and Harold.

‘I never thought Mezzlen would get close to Harold this quickly…’

It wasn’t surprising, given Mezzlen’s intensely passionate nature. But it shocked me that Harold had been so easily caught up in her intentions. For a man who had always stayed true to his late wife, Tanacia, and avoided any situations that might lead to gossip, Harold had acted completely out of character.

He must have agreed to Mezzlen’s plan because of her promise to research a cure for the disease that took Tanacia’s life. Harold had always been driven by his love for her in the original story, and anything related to Tanacia would undoubtedly move him to action.

‘Of course, it’s only Mezzlen who could have exploited that so effectively.’

Mezzlen had a sharp mind when pursuing her interests, and she wasn’t above bending her morals to get what she wanted.

Thanks to that, she’d essentially enjoyed a full month of dates with Harold over summer break. Though it’s likely she was the only one who saw it that way.

Just in case, I thought I’d ask her a bit more directly about her relationship with Harold, to see if Ethan might end up with a stepmother younger than himself.

“How did things go between you and Professor Harold, Princess Mezzlen?”

“T-that’s… too embarrassing to talk about…”

“…Pardon?”

“I’m not one to gossip about my private life with others, you know. What do you think I am? Do you think I’d indulge in crude conversation like an unrefined commoner?”

“Lover… crude… Wait, what?!”

Hold on, what? Are they already that close?

This didn’t make sense. They’d only met six months ago. How could Mezzlen have charmed that emotionally cold man so quickly?

“Princess Mezzlen, could you at least give me some idea of how far you’ve gotten with Professor Harold…?”

“T-that’s all I can share with you for now, Lilith! Since your advice helped me win his affection, I felt it was only right to tell you this much…”

“No, wait. You can’t just drop something like that and leave…”

“I’d rather you not pry into my relationship with Harold anymore, Lilith. He’s already completely fallen for me, and we’re both committed to each other’s future…”

Jumping up!

“Well then, I’ll see you later, Lilith!”

“……”

And with that, Princess Mezzlen hurriedly left me alone on the bench, fleeing toward the academic building.@@novelbin@@

Once again, I was left to puzzle over the unexpected developments in the relationships around me.

To be realistic, it seemed highly unlikely that Harold would actually be in a serious relationship with Mezzlen.

Her story about the northwestern mountains and her experiences were probably true, but that’s about as far as it went. Things like sharing water from a single flask or carrying her down a cliff could easily happen between friends without any romantic connection.

The notion of them being involved romantically or even hinting at intimacy was likely a result of Mezzlen’s imagination or exaggeration.

Having concluded that much, I decided not to worry about it anymore. Honestly, their relationship didn’t matter much to me.

In the original storyline, Harold remained unattached until the end, and Mezzlen was just one of the hero’s many admirers. So, whether their relationship worked out or not wasn’t really an issue.

‘What’s more pressing now is the upcoming Luminor Festival.’

Being set in an academy, Luminor Academy naturally had its festival.

The festival wasn’t held in the first or second year because Luminor Academy only hosted it once every four years.

As a training facility focused on producing capable fighters and researchers, Luminor Academy couldn’t afford to compromise academic rigor with annual celebrations.

The festival served as a break for students, an event designed to ease the pressure from their intense studies. It allowed everyone to participate in something special once in their time at the academy, assuming they didn’t take a leave or drop out.

‘In reality, it’s just a feature the developers wanted to include to give the game that classic academy festival vibe.’

Putting a festival event every year would have made the game too expansive, but skipping it entirely would have been a waste.

Participation in the festival was mandatory for all students, as each student had to take part in at least one activity.

Students could form groups to run stalls, put on musical or theatrical performances, or engage in mock duels showcasing flashy battle techniques.

There were no restrictions on collaboration across departments, so working with Ethan was an option. The real challenge was choosing what activity to undertake.

Since this would be our only chance to attend the festival, I wanted it to be memorable for both Ethan and me.

“Looks like I’m all set for class registration, Lilith.”

“…Yes, Master Ethan.”

“How are you planning to prepare for the festival? Got any ideas?”

“…I’m considering it now. Do you have anything in mind for this opportunity?”

“I’ll do whatever you decide, as usual. But you seem a bit more contemplative than usual this time.”

“This is the only festival I’ll experience as an academy student, so I want to create an unforgettable memory with you, Master Ethan.”

“…Ahem, yes, of course.”

There were quite a few events to choose from when playing as the protagonist.

If you were on the student council, you could manage student activities and explore the festival freely, interacting with heroines in various booths and maximizing affection points.

For a romance route, you could stage a play with the hero, creating an intimate one-on-one performance that boosted affection significantly, although it might lower some jealous heroines’ approval.

Or you could gather the heroines and open a maid café, raising affection across the board and enjoying the chance to see characters like Seraphine in maid outfits or Natalie in bunny costumes.

‘Honestly, doing a play with just Ethan would be ideal.’

But as a mere maid, I had no way of rounding up extras for a private date.

At best, I could call on Reggie and Lilia, maybe Reggie’s brother and Lilia’s lover, Caraham.

Agnes, being part of the hero’s party, might not be available, but if their party didn’t have any specific plans, I might convince Natalie to join too, with Thomas naturally tagging along. And if I could get Antonio, he’d likely bring Agnes with him.

‘Turns out, I have more connections than I thought.’

Even with just five or six people, it would be enough to put on a play, so I’d have to meet with that guy and see if he planned anything with Agnes or Natalie.

I needed to find out if they had other events planned before I could move forward.