Male Lead, Don’t Push, Pull!

It didn’t look like it was bruised. I came up with a reasonable theory.

“Were you practicing swordplay or something?”

Kyle shrugged without answering. Yeah, right.

I heard monkeys fall out of trees too. What the hell is going on here?

Didn’t you just scratch your national treasure face?

“You have to be careful,” I said, feeling as sorry for him as I would for my wounds. “What if you get hurt?”

“I was careful.”

“There you go again, making excuses. But at least you didn’t get hit out of nowhere.”

I stroked my fingertips over the band-aid covering the wound with a heavy heart. Kyle softened his gaze and closed his eyes as if entrusting everything to me.

But suddenly, he burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“I just remembered when you called me a ‘poop puppy’ before.”

It was an old story, and Kyle grimaced with distaste.

“That was an insult to royalty.”

“Kyle, don’t you think that’s a bit of a stretch to call that an insult to royalty?”

“Barely.”

Kyle pulled away from my hand stroking my cheek.

“Blasphemy, yes. You called the royal bloodline little dogs.”

“It wasn’t a dog; it was a puppy!” I yelped, snapping back at Kyle’s outrageous statement.

“That’s what you do when you see your cute little grandchildren, you start by comparing them to cute little puppies. “

“Really, who does?”

“Ooh, my grandmother used to do that.”

Well, not my grandmother now, but my grandmother in another life. I hope calling grandchildren cute little puppies is somehow a universal thing.

***

Separating from Vivian, Kyle peeled the band-aid off his cheek. His scarless face was exposed to the sunlight.

He’d never been hurt in the first place. He’d only pretended to be hurt because he knew it would get Vivian’s attention.

A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he remembered Vivian’s hand stroking his face.

Kyle had come to a strong realization after the events of the last festival. He realized that Vivian could withdraw her attention from him at any moment and leave. With that realization, Kyle stopped acting so casually.

Because even though Vivian was paying attention to him now, there could come a time when she wouldn’t.

Instead, Kyle decided to take a chance and try to seduce her.

He clung to her to the point where people normally would have asked if they were dating, and he was willing to try things he would have been hesitant to do before.

Luckily, Vivian didn’t shy away from Kyle’s behavior, and at times they even acted as if they were of the same mind.

A tingling sensation of warmth hovered over his cheeks. 

Whenever Vivian touched him, Kyle always felt his entire body tense up. He acted nonchalant on the outside, but his heartbeat furiously as if he were in a wrestling match. 

And it was a desire that started in the deepest recesses of his mind that drove him to these little pranks. The need to feel the other’s body heat, to be closer, was simmering in the pit of his stomach.

He recently received a letter from Titania.

[Kyle, there are rumors that His Majesty the Emperor will announce the crown prince who will succeed him at this year’s founding festival. Be sure to return to the imperial palace by this summer.]

Even without Titania’s urging, Kyle would leave Arene soon.

Vivian had finished her graduation thesis and finished all her coursework. There was no reason for Kyle to stay in Arene without Vivian.

’The day I graduate and return to the capital, I will confess to Vivian.’

And he wanted to go on a journey to see the world with her. At least now he had the power to protect her.

With that thought, Kyle walked down the street.

***

Boom, boom–

Magical firecrackers exploded in colorful bursts behind the mansion. Red and blue sparks lit up the sky.

It was said that firecrackers that bite their tails and explode were difficult and expensive to make.

The fireworks being set off in the sky right then were bursting like a long line of trains running on top of the Marquis de Rosiere Mansion.

And it was daytime, not nighttime.

Completely overwhelmed by the enormous momentum generated by the giant fireworks, I muttered, “Isn’t this crazy?”

People are going to ask what happened. Even a war hero coming home wouldn’t celebrate like this!

“Do you like it?” My brother Verdo asked as he came out with a large cake.

On top of the white frosted cake was written in chocolate, “Congratulations on your graduation, Vivian”.

For some reason, I couldn’t help but think that he was the one who organized this embarrassingly large party.

As I glanced at Verdo with suspicion, my mother, standing by my brother’s side, wiped away a tear with her handkerchief and said, “How wonderful that our Vivian is graduating from the Academy of Arene.”

“She did very well.”

Even father?

Haha…. These people.

Why does the embarrassment have to fall on me?

I covered my face with both hands. Today, I arrived back at my home in the capital.

I had finally completed the entire regular course of the Arene Academy and graduated. I was proud to graduate from the academy, even though it had been a haphazard process.

Especially since I chose to specialize in Ancient Languages, which I had always struggled with.

I did the thing. And I’m proud of myself for that, too.

But to set off such a huge fireworks display from a townhouse in the capital of an empire, let alone a provincial estate. What were they thinking?!

‘The sheer scale of the event makes it a festival, not a private celebration.’

In fact, there were still people peeking their heads over the walls of the mansion to see what’s going on.

My face burned red with a wave of embarrassment.

“Father, this is so–”

“Huh?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Speechless at my father’s overwhelmed expression, I eventually slumped my shoulders.

Haha, now at least all the nobles in the capital will know that I graduated.

I couldn’t help but smile weakly.

As I slumped, Verdo gave me a friendly shoulder to lean on.

“You have every reason to be proud, Vivi. You graduated from the Arene Academy on time. Honestly, I thought it would take you another decade, and I would have understood if you spent the rest of your life studying there.”

“Hoo-hoo. Brother.”

“Hmm?”

“Do you want to say goodbye to Leti today?”

As I appropriately mentioned our niece’s name and threatened him with my fist clenched, Verdo quietly loosened his shoulder strap.

It would have been nice if our older sister could have attended the party after giving birth, but at least we didn’t have to put on a show of sibling affection in front of her.

“Besides, a merit award directly handed down by His Majesty the Emperor!”

“How could you come up with such a great invention? As expected, your father always knew that you were a genius. Well, since you were more like me, of course, it would be like that.”

“It would have been better if Vivian had gotten the prize all to herself.”

“Haha,” I laughed sheepishly, “We did the research together.”

As someone who knows the original story, it was a bit of a cheat, but I guess I was showing my conscience.

My collaboration with Daniel literally hit the jackpot.

True to his word, our research paper was accepted for publication, and we were granted a joint patent on the technology.

Daniel’s improved formulation of the elixir was not yet available to the public, but the technology for extending the storage life of drugs was immediately applicable to the distribution of conventional magical potions, so we immediately set up a business.

In fact, since I had already spoken to my father, there was little I had to do myself.

By the time I graduated, the business was well established and….

As an equity holder, all I had to do was collect the money that would come in.

What was a bit unexpected was that the imperial authorization for the business came faster than I expected….

I had assumed that the deal was that I would give a portion of my stake in the business to the imperial family, or more precisely, to the emperor.

It seems even more likely now that the emperor is giving me a merit award.

Today is my first day back home, so I’ll have to set up a time later to confront my father.

“You received an invitation from the palace, Vivian?”

“Yes. It’s in three weeks.”

“Then you’ll have quite a bit of time to get ready!” Her mother interjected. “I’ll have to make an appointment with the boutique right away. It’s a big day, and I want you to look the most beautiful in the world.”

As excited as her father was, her mother was just as motivated.

“I’ll have to get all new clothes, and you are not allowed to use the ones you wore in Arene.”

“Are they really that bad, Mother?”

“Very old-fashioned,” Mother said sharply. “Vivian, since you are back in the capital, from this day forward, the most radiant lady in the capital must be Viviane Rosiere.”

“Ahaha….”

“I’ll have to get you some new jewelry to match your dress, and I’ll have to get your skin and hair done.”