However, Lloyd and Hersy had been admitted early. No one should have been in front of the exam venue.
“Ah, Lloyd. You’re a little late?”
Amelia, her hair soaked in sweat from training, waved her hand as she approached.
“How did you get here, Nuna?”
“Well, it’s Lloyd, so I knew you’d find a way to get out of there even if you had to use some tricks.”
Amelia looked at Hersy, who stood beside her, looking flustered.
“And who’s this?”
“A friend.”
Hersy flinched as Lloyd spoke absentmindedly.
“A friend…?”
Hersy hadn’t had many friends since she was young. Although she was close to Sophia, there was still a sense of distance between them. They still used formal language with each other in front of others.
But when Lloyd openly called her a friend, Hersy felt delighted, almost as if she could cheer loudly if no one was around.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Amelia Windsor. Thank you for coming to the party with my sister.”
Amelia placed her hand on her chest and gave a restrained bow.
“I-I’m Hersy Minerva. It was truly an honor.”
Her voice came out a bit shaky due to her extreme fluster. Hersy covered her mouth and blushed.
“She’s strangely cute…!”
Amelia Windsor was more famous than Lloyd in terms of reputation. She had been renowned for her exceptional swordsmanship since she was young. With her graceful swordplay, she earned the nickname “Sword Dancer.”
In reality, she was even more beautiful than the rumors. Her slightly short hair reaching her shoulders, but her dignified aura made it impossible for anyone to treat her lightly.
“Well then, I’ll leave you two.”
Amelia casually extended her hand towards Lloyd, who hesitated to respond.
“Your report card.”
“Oh, right.”
Lloyd handed her the report card. Amelia carefully read through it, although it was only a few lines long.
After reading it all, Amelia chuckled and patted Lloyd’s head.
“Good job, Lloyd. You didn’t receive a ‘beyond standard’ evaluation, which even my sister and I couldn’t achieve.”
As she pulled Lloyd into a playful hug and ruffled his hair, a pleasant fragrance emanated from her.
Amelia was feeling very happy.
However, the same couldn’t be said for Lloyd.
“I’ll show you when I grow taller.”
He felt annoyed being treated like a kid. It was his only complex in his current life.
Seeing Lloyd’s expression, Amelia smiled broadly.
“Ah, you have that ‘wait until I grow taller’ face.”
“……!”
“No need for that to happen. Wake up from your dream. Now, have fun with your friend!”
Wrinkles formed on Lloyd’s forehead, and he playfully pouted his lips.
Hersy watched Lloyd and thought, “He’s so cute!”
**
The Academy’s grounds were incredibly vast.
It was so large that it could rival a palace in size.
It was divided into East, West, South, and North areas, with the South being dedicated to magic and the North to swordsmanship. However, the divisions were not strictly enforced, as all the students of the Imperial Academy were considered part of the same community, and they often interacted with each other across the facilities.
Lloyd and Hersy headed to West Town, where many conveniences were located. It was a street filled with shops, and half of them were restaurants. Any student of the Academy would come here to have their meals.
They found a restaurant called “Magic Feast.” It was the most expensive restaurant in the West and had a price range that even the average noble would find burdensome.
Although it was expensive, it was also very popular, so they could only find scattered empty seats.
“Look at them, Minerva Youngae and Lloyd Gongja.”
“They must be first-year students. Could it be that they failed?”
“Probably nothing serious. Maybe Lloyd Gongja annoyed Hersy Youngae, and she’s giving him a hard time.”
“Kook kook. That sounds like a realistic thought.”
They sat by the window, and Lloyd overheard some whispered conversations. Though he had good hearing, it felt like they were speaking right next to him.
“Why do I have to be the one annoying her?”
As long as people were talking about him, it was fine, but he didn’t like the topic they were discussing.
“Uh, uh. I’ll treat you today, so eat to your heart’s content.”
“No need to. You know, the Windsors are strict when it comes to money, and they receive very little allowance.”
“Ah, that’s not true.”
Hersy was brimming with confidence. It was famous at the Academy that if you were to meet a member of the Windsor family, you should buy them a delicious meal, or else you’d mysteriously find yourself dealing with various inconveniences.
“Your sister said so, right? Just accept it without any hesitation. Anyway, make your order.”
“Well then, do you know enough about our house, Hersy?”
“We are the only ducal family in the empire. You can’t be a noble if you don’t know that much. Besides, I received help from you, so it’s only proper to repay it.”
“Just keeping my promise.”
Hersy seemed thrilled, her spirits high. She smiled cheerfully.
“She’s smiling so brightly.”
Lloyd couldn’t help but think that it suited her.
“Anyway, please don’t worry about treating me. I know you’re not affected by that ‘treat the Windsors well, or you’ll suffer the consequences’ thing.”
“Well, that doesn’t apply to Lloyd-sama.”
Lloyd, as the youngest in the Windsor family, didn’t need to worry about such things. He was only twelve years old, after all.
While Hersy was excitedly chatting away, Lloyd placed his order with the waiter who came over to their table.
“That should be enough, right? You can order more if you want…”
“It’s not like I can eat a lot anyway.”
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Lloyd’s eating portion was as small as his physique.
“By the way, do you plan to stay as the Lake Delin’s fairy in the future?”
“Maybe? But let’s drop the fairy part.”
“Yeah… but it suits you.”
Hersy seemed disappointed.
Lloyd intentionally changed the topic.
“What about you, Hersy?”
“I’m focusing on the weaker areas. Like magical psychology or potion-making. Luckily, I’m an expert. You can only learn magical psychology as an expert.”
They exchanged small talk, and time quickly passed by.
The scent of delicious steak filled the air. Hersy showed a slightly regretful expression.
“…I wanted to talk more.”
Among the etiquette of nobility during meals was a rule to avoid talking while eating. It was to show consideration for those who enjoyed the taste of the food.
Conversations were mainly held after finishing the meal, usually during dessert, but it felt unsatisfying as the flow was interrupted.
“Here’s the finely diced onion and unicorn meat stew, as well as the unicorn fillet steak cooked at the perfect temperature.”
“Mm.”
The food was brought to a different table, not Lloyd’s. It was a table that ordered after them.
Moreover, it was the exact same menu.
“Seems like a mistake. Judging from the fact that it’s a different waiter from before, it looks like the message wasn’t delivered properly.”
Hersy blinked her eyes as she spoke. Lloyd glanced in that direction for a moment. The students who received the food started eating. It seemed like their dishes went there instead of here, and coincidentally, it was the same menu.
“That’s interesting. These kinds of coincidences happen.”
“Unicorn stew and steak are popular items in Magic Feast.”
“I should have ordered steak too.”
“You can probably change it now.”
“Never mind. It’s bothersome.”
“Or you can order another one. I was planning to treat you generously, but you only ordered one, so it’s a bit awkward.”
Lloyd shook his head.
“I feel sorry for the unicorns.”
She came to eat unicorn meat but feels sorry for the unicorns. Hersy said with a bewildered expression.
“…Lloyd is very considerate.”
Lloyd looked outside the window as he sipped his tea. It was an absentminded action, something he did often.
But then…
“Hmm?”
“They are here.”
The main group appeared. It seemed they stuck together even after the exam.
“Why did they have to come here?”
Among all the restaurants, why did they pick this one? And in West Town, the most expensive restaurant.
“…Is Sophia the culprit?”
She was seen holding Catherine’s hand and pulling her along. It looked like Sophia intended to pay for her.
“I guess it doesn’t matter.”
Even though they were the main characters, it wasn’t like he would bother with someone just eating quietly.
Lloyd believed in Justin’s excellent character.
“But you never know.”
“Hersy.”
“Yes?”
“That, commoner. They took your feather.”
“His name is Justin, right?”
Hersy frowned as if she didn’t remember well.
“Are you going to confront him?”
“Of course. He stole feathers, after all. Not just any feathers, but phoenix feathers. He’s a very ill-mannered commoner, so be careful. But…”
Hersy grinned.
“But this place isn’t the right one.”
Lloyd shook his head. In that case, it didn’t matter.
Seeing Hersy, he asked cautiously.
“…Is Lloyd the type to pick a fight?”
“Absolutely not.”
Just then, the main group entered the restaurant. They seemed somewhat rowdy.
Hersy didn’t give them any attention and just bowed when she noticed Sophia. Sophia used her mouth to say, ‘I won’t bother you!’ Hersy responded with a smile, but her cheeks turned red.
Lloyd looked at Catherine, and she glared back with a fierce, impure look in her eyes.
“A perfect fit. That’s a very apt expression.”
For Lloyd, the main group was no different from dung.
“Order, please.”
The waiter who took Lloyd’s order earlier hurriedly approached the main group to take their orders.
I didn’t want to pay attention, but I couldn’t avoid it. The seating arrangement made it hard to miss what they were saying.
And even though I didn’t want to, I heard everything they were talking about.
“Hmph, acting all high and mighty. In the end, they got disqualified too.”
“It’s not good to talk behind someone’s back.”
“It doesn’t matter; they can’t hear us from this far anyway. Besides, it’s okay. We got disqualified unfairly because they didn’t cater to our tastes, right?”
“Annoying.”
Hearing unpleasant gossip was the worst feeling. After taking a sip of water, Lloyd spoke.
“When will the food come?”
He wanted to eat quickly and leave this place.
“Yeah, it feels like they forgot about our order. Should I ask them again?”
“Yeah.”
Hersy made a light gesture to the waiter.
Even before she had to ask, the waiter realized his mistake as soon as he arrived at Lloyd’s table.
“I’m really sorry. There seems to have been a misunderstanding. I’ll relay the order again.”
The waiter bowed excessively, looking apologetic to the point that it made anyone watching feel sorry for him.
“It’s alright. Take your time.”
Lloyd replied, and the waiter hurriedly disappeared, much faster than before.
Hersy glanced at Lloyd and smiled brightly.
She continued the conversation they had earlier.
“By the way, what’s your main magic, Lloyd?”
“My house is cold.”
“Oh, so you have the cold attribute. Windsor has the down attribute. They go well together. But… is it really that cold up in the north?”
“Want to come and find out? You’ll know immediately.”
“Really, really?”
“Why are you so surprised?”
The conversation with Hersy wasn’t bad. She was a good conversationalist, and the uncomfortable feeling he had earlier had disappeared cleanly. Was it because of her?
“We’ve kept you waiting for so long. Here are the unicorn beat stew and steak you ordered.”
Ironically, the food coming out now made him feel a bit disappointed.
“Well, we have plenty of time, so let’s savor it later.”
Let’s postpone this enjoyment for later.
Lloyd picked up the spoon with a good feeling. As he was about to take a bite of the stew…
“Why is their food coming out first when we ordered first?”
…Catherine’s annoyed voice rang out.
It was as if she wanted everyone here to hear it, as her voice was quite loud.
