Male Lead, Don’t Push, Pull!

However, taking a leave of absence did not remove the punishment imposed on him, so when he returned, he would have to serve the remaining 11 months as a cleaner.

In my opinion, Franz would probably never return.

He was already older than his peers with a couple of paid holidays.

He took a leave of absence from school and ran away, so when he returned, he would be much older than his classmates.

Could Franz endure the humiliation of cleaning up after kids so much younger than him?

‘Absolutely not.’

In any case, I danced with joy as Franz left the academy on his own terms.

After the unintended ceremony, the rest of my time at the academy was peaceful.

With no one to stress him out, Kyle’s performance skyrocketed upwards.

So great was his achievement that Titania, who had heard the rumors from the distant capital, sent him daily letters of praise.

From what I’d heard, Titania brags about him at every social event she attends.

“Ho-ho, it’s all thanks to my education, and if you want, I’ll tell you how to raise a good child.

She was taking all the credit.

It was really, really nasty. All Titania had given Kyle was abuse. No education!

I wondered if Kyle would read Titania’s letter and forgive her.

Children who have been abused from a young age usually hate their parents and crave affection at the same time.

But Titania was a character with no room for rehabilitation based on the novel. Of course, she could have changed, just as Kyle changed, but….

I had a feeling that’s not the case.

Contrary to my worries, though, Kyle didn’t react too much to Titania’s letter.

“Kyle, there’s a letter for you.”

“Oh, yeah. Thanks for bringing it, Derek.”

It was like he was just receiving a utility bill that came every month…. If anything, Kyle was more pleased when I said thank you.

I was relieved that Kyle’s heart didn’t seem to be tied to Titania.

When we moved up to our second year of school, the mining of the mine that we decided to jointly develop with Baron Raston finally started.

The supply of magic swords had also been boosted, as we were now able to source Yttenum from within the Empire, which had always been imported entirely from abroad.

It was also at this time that Daniel’s expression began to visibly brighten.

As the family’s financial situation began to improve, an environment was created in which Baroness Raston could concentrate on treating her chronic disease.

“I went home this time, and my mom was out of bed. It had been five years since I’d gone for a walk with her…!”

How cute it was to see Daniel, who has been home every school holiday, beaming and talking about the improvement of her condition.

It was a sight to behold.

Unlike Daniel, who always went home, Kyle usually spent his holidays with me.

“I’m not going back to the palace, though.”

Respecting Kyle’s opinion, we usually went to the Rosiere mansion, or alternatively, stayed at a villa in the countryside.

After all, if we went back to the capital, we’d have to show our faces at the palace.

Besides, if Kyle were to stay at the Rosiere Manor alone, rumors would start.

With only my family and a few other people who manage the villa, Kyle was able to enjoy his holiday away from the spotlight.

At this point, I can’t help but mention my academic achievements…. My chosen major, Ancient Languages, is the foundation of more disciplines than you might think.

Magic, of course, and curiously enough, even swordsmanship has a connection to ancient languages.

It is said that the first emperor, the founder of the empire and a sword master, learnt about the origins of auras when he saw a tombstone with the ancient language on it.

However, the story is so legendary that no one has ever actually seen the stone.

So how did I do at the Academy?

[Vivian, you’ve been promoted to a higher grade again, which is great. Congratulations!]

I’ll let what my father had said in his letter speak for itself.

I’ve been studying ancient languages and trying to figure out why my body and magic are so imbalanced.

So far, I have made no significant discoveries, but….

You can’t expect me to give up after the first try.

Seven years passed by so fast, and we all turned 18 before we knew it.

***

When I first joined the Academy, I was overwhelmed by the amount of time I had left to graduate.

I was going to be studying at the Academy for eight years!

Of course, as the years went on, so did the amount of learning.

Even I, a certified ancient language talent, had to lock myself in the library to study.

I wonder how I got here. I need to graduate, don’t I?

Only now, instead of the library, I was sitting in a corner of the garden, counting down the minutes until I could get out of here.

And the reason for this is a couple having a moment of confession just beyond these bushes.

“I like you.”

A sweet voice carried on the wind. I could guess who it was by the sound of it.

Flora Lawrence from the painting department. It had to be Flora, last year’s Academy Queen.

That nasal vocal quality was Flora’s trademark.

“I like you, Kyle Ygritte. Go out with me.”

And I wasn’t surprised that it was Kyle. It was no secret to anyone at the Academy that Flora was persistently pursuing Kyle.

The Queen of Arene, with the support and love of so many men, had her heart set on one man.

It was enough to make even those who weren’t interested in love and romance take a second look.

“Sorry.”

And the fact that Flora’s confessions were always rejected was also something that drew a lot of attention.

“If you’re done confessing, can I leave now?”

“Wait. Are you sure you’ve taken my proposal seriously?”

“Yes, I did, and I’ve already said so many times. Sorry.”

“You always say things like that without even thinking about them! Why would you say no? Don’t you think I’m pretty? Do I look ugly?”

“Don’t read too much into it, Lawrence.”

Right. Currently, I was in a state where I was hiding myself, pushed by Flora’s momentum to continue her passionate confession of love.

I was just taking a walk in the garden to clear my head from studying…!

No way was I trying to eavesdrop on Flora’s passionate confession of love!

I cautiously raised my head and glanced at the two of them. Flora’s vibrant red hair came into view.

The men were simultaneously jealous and envious of Kyle, who was loved by their queen.

‘How dare you reject the confession of a goddess! Kyle, what happened to your eyes?’

Flora was a pretty girl to look at.

She was as gorgeous as a rose in full bloom and had a voluptuous figure.

It wasn’t for nothing that the boys were calling her a goddess.

‘Kyle, why don’t you accept Flora’s confession?’

One day, I asked Kyle himself why.

She’s pretty, a tad queen-like in personality, though I think Kyle’s just plain reserved.

There seemed to be no reason to reject Flora’s confession, as everyone else had said.

Kyle answered my question as if it were natural.

‘Because I’m not interested in her.’

‘Is there someone else you like?’

The questions that followed were met with a look of embarrassment. Kyle never answered the question.

In the past, I would have automatically thought of Sienna, the female protagonist, in this situation.

After all, she’s the one who first opens his heart.

However, seven years of academy life have erased the original from my mind.

To be honest, once I moved on to senior year, I couldn’t keep up with my studies and didn’t have time to think about things like who Kyle would marry in the future.

‘More than that, when the hell am I going to get out of this awkward mess?’

I frowned as I arched my back and leaned forward. Kyle and Flora’s conversation was still going on.

“I want a real answer today. Why do you always turn me down?”

It was more of a one-sided bombardment of questions from Flora than a dialogue.

“Phew,” I sighed under my breath.

Somehow, I don’t feel like I can study more today. I had already lost all motivation to study.

I dismissed the idea of going back to the library and made myself comfortable in my seat. I reached into my pocket and found the violet lollipops Daniel had given me a few days ago.

My mouth was bored, so this was good.

“You’re going to regret this, Kyle Ygritte!”

I rolled the sugar ball around in my mouth, and finally, after a long, long time, Flora’s confession was over.

I heard the sound of footsteps receding. They must’ve belonged to Flora.

I waited patiently, ready to stand up once Kyle was gone.

But at that moment, a shadow fell over my head.