Chapter 4: A Smile That Stirs Hearts

Chapter 4: A Smile That Stirs Hearts

Yamauca leaned back against the oak tree, the remnants of his lunch forgotten as he watched Tyler’s retreating figure. Despite the fiery noble’s brash attitude, there was something almost endearing about his childish behavior.

Unbidden, a soft smile graced Yamauca’s lips—an innocent and unguarded expression that carried no trace of the original Aetrial’s malice.

A few students passing by stopped mid-step, their faces turning red as they hurriedly looked away.

Unbeknownst to Yamauca, Arthur Lionheart stood not far away, observing the exchange from a shaded alcove. He had only intended to ensure Tyler’s usual temper didn’t escalate into anything embarrassing for the academy, but what he witnessed left him frozen in place.

That smile.

It was warm and genuine, entirely at odds with the reputation of the Aetrial Ranolf he knew. The innocence in it struck him like an arrow, piercing through the carefully constructed walls of composure he maintained as the crown prince.

Arthur’s hand instinctively clutched his chest. His heart pounded erratically, refusing to calm even as he took deep breaths.

“This can’t be happening,” he murmured to himself, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Why does my heart race like this when I see him?”

He shook his head, forcing himself to walk away from the gardens and find a secluded spot behind one of the academy’s spires. There, he leaned against the cool stone wall, trying to make sense of his reaction.

“This is Aetrial Ranolf,” he whispered, his face flushed. “he is a man who is supposed to be rude, arrogant, and selfish. That smile... it couldn’t have been real.”

Arthur closed his eyes, replaying the image in his mind. The kindness in that smile wasn’t something that could be faked. It was too pure, too natural.

“There might be more to this than meets the eye,” Arthur thought, his expression turning serious. “That smile wasn’t just innocent—it felt honest. It’s nothing like the Aetrial we’ve known.”

His mind raced with possibilities. Had Aetrial been hiding his true nature all this time? Or was something else at play?

Arthur’s resolve hardened. Whatever the case, he needed to uncover the truth.

Arthur quickly shook off the feeling of heart racing. As a momentary shock of change of perspective of a person. As he in fact knew he doesn't like guys and only likes girls. "Though Aetrial looks feminine he definitely is a guy. So I believe that was a reaction of other circumstances" he thought of a bunch of excuses to justify himself

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Back in the gardens, Yamauca was blissfully unaware of the effect his smile had caused. He stretched lazily under the tree, enjoying the brief moment of peace before the next lecture.

“I wonder how long I can keep this up,” he mused aloud. His disguise was holding for now, but the lingering gazes and growing curiosity from those around him were starting to make him uneasy.

For now, he could only hope that no one would dig too deeply. The last thing he needed was for someone like Arthur Lionheart to start paying closer attention.

Little did he know, the crown prince was already doing exactly that.