We were given a ride ho by the Blackmore family’s carriage. Sharing the carriage with us were Milly and Aisha, but Milly kept glaring at the entire ti. She was still upset—not with , per se, but with Envi, who had taken control of my body to tease Aisha last night.
When we arrived at Braveheart Knight Academy, we were stunned. The academy’s buildings were completely restored to their forr glory. Just three weeks ago, half of the academy had been destroyed in the battle against the demons.
I decided to et with Arsene to discuss the continuation of our alliance with the Grand Kingdom Solara, where Alia had been sent as Braveheart’s envoy.
When I reached Arsene’s office, the door was already open. I knocked lightly and stepped inside, only to find a group of people there. Arsene was speaking with a tall man with long red hair who exuded an aura of nobility.
Beside the man stood soone I recognized—Kael, bald as ever. Next to him was a beautiful woman with her red hair tied back—Freya.
Curiosity tugged at . What were they talking about? I knew Freya had been learning Flamore Swordsmanship from Kael, but the tall man intrigued .
"Very well, Arsene-sama. I’ll take my leave," the red-haired man said, his gaze falling briefly on . "It seems you have another guest."
He turned to Freya and Kael, motioning for them to follow him. Freya noticed and looked like she wanted to say sothing, but the man grabbed her hand and said, "Co, Freya. Let’s continue our training."
He held Freya’s hand tightly and looked at her with the unmistakable gaze of a man in love. I couldn’t hide my shock—how could he be so bold in showing such affection in public?
Freya, usually so energetic and sotis shy around , seed flustered. She glanced at , clearly wanting to speak, but the man pulled her along, walking toward the exit.
As they passed , he smirked and said, "Naoki, it’s been a while. I’m glad to see you again, but I’m afraid I have plans with my Freya."
My Freya? His words struck like a blow. My mind raced. What happened while I was gone? Are Freya and this guy... together?
Freya avoided my eyes, her expression subdued. "See you later, Naoki-dono," she said softly before leaving with him.
As I stood frozen, Kael approached . Before passing, he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Tough luck, Naoki. Cain von Flaremore has taken an interest in Freya."
Cain von Flaremore. The na triggered a mory. He was one of the Four Heroes sent to defend the capital, chosen from the Flaremore family.
Kael continued, "Cain is my elder brother, so I know his nature. When he sets his eyes on a woman, he doesn’t let go. You should probably give up on Freya. Things won’t be the sa between you two anymore." He patted my shoulder encouragingly before following Cain and Freya out of the room.
I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling within .
Envi’s voice suddenly echoed in my mind. "This can’t be allowed, Nao! Freya is a pri candidate for your harem! You can’t just let her get snatched away!"
"Shut up, Envi! I don’t want a harem! But... I can’t stand seeing Freya forced into sothing she doesn’t want."
Arsene, observing my expression, smirked mischievously. "Ara-ara, Naoki. Are you jealous because Freya is getting close to Cain? My, my, such a greedy man. You already have my sister, Alia, but you’re aiming for more?"
"Wait, what? Alia’s not my girlfriend! And I’m not after Freya either. I just... I just don’t want her to be unhappy."
"Ara-ara, such a dishonest boy," Arsene teased before shifting the topic. "Anyway, what did you want to know?"
"I wanted to check on the alliance with Grand Kingdom Solara. And... how is Alia doing?"
Arsene’s grin widened. "Ah, so you’re worried about her. Alia is doing just fine. You might see her tonight. As for the alliance, both kingdoms have agreed to work together, but Solara will only assist us in the war against the demons. They won’t help against Gildoria."
"That’s good news. At least we’ll have support on the front lines. I hope Patriarch is holding strong there. And... I’m glad Alia is well."
Arsene nodded. "Oh, by the way, I heard you conquered the dungeon in Blackmore’s territory. Impressive. Since the graduation test involves dungeon conquest, I’m sure you’ll pass with flying colors."
"Hey, isn’t it against the rules for the headmaster to spoil the final exam?" I joked.
"Ara-ara, don’t worry. You’re my trusted student now," Arsene said with a laugh. "I expect great things from you, Naoki."
It seed Arsene was genuinely pleased with my progress. But even with that, my mind remained tangled with thoughts of Freya and Cain.
As I left Arsene’s office, my mind was still tangled with thoughts of Freya.
What is this feeling? Am I jealous? I shook my head, trying to dismiss the idea. That’s impossible.
I decided to take a break in the academy’s garden to calm myself. The cool breeze and quiet atmosphere always helped clear my thoughts.
As I strolled around, I noticed Lyra sitting alone on a bench. She seed lost in thought, her usual bright expression replaced by a somber one.
Curious, I approached her and tapped her shoulder gently. "What’s on your mind, Lyra?"
She turned, startled, but her face lit up the mont she saw . "Naoki-sama! It’s been so long! I’m so happy to see you here."
I smiled. "I’m happy to see you too, Lyra. But seriously, what’s troubling you? You looked really deep in thought just now."
She hesitated for a mont, then sighed. "It’s Freya... I’ve been feeling lonely. I returned to the academy last week since my training ended successfully. But ever since then, Freya hasn’t had ti for . You know how we’re always together here, right? But now that she’s training with Cain-sama, she’s been so busy. She doesn’t even have ti to relax with anymore."
Her voice trembled slightly, and I could tell she was genuinely upset.
I reached out and gently patted her head. "I understand, Lyra. I feel the sa way. It seems like Cain is forcing her into sothing she doesn’t really want. Don’t worry—I’ll figure out a way to bring Freya back to us, just like old tis."
Lyra’s eyes welled up with tears as she looked at . "Naoki-sama... thank you. I’ll help you too! Let’s work together to free Freya from Cain-sama’s grasp!"
Her determination brought a small smile to my face. "That’s the spirit, Lyra. Together, we’ll make things right."
We ended up spending the entire afternoon in the garden. We shared stories about our experiences during the break—Lyra enthusiastically listened to my tales, and I enjoyed hearing hers. Her excitent was infectious, and for a while, I forgot about my worries.
At so point, she leaned her head against my shoulder.
I froze.
This... this was unusual. Lyra was always cheerful, but she rarely got this close to . My heart started pounding in my chest, and my face grew hot.
Stay calm, Naoki. Don’t make it weird.
But then, an unbidden mory surfaced—the ti I accidentally kissed Lyra on that boat. My heart raced even faster as the scene replayed in my mind.
Lyra didn’t seem to notice my internal turmoil. "Naoki-sama, you’re so warm," she murmured softly.
No, no, no, don’t think about it! Focus!
I clenched my fists to maintain control over myself. Don’t you dare nosebleed right now!
Thankfully, I managed to compose myself, and we spent the rest of the ti talking and relaxing.
As the sky darkened, we decided to part ways and return to our dorms. "Goodnight, Naoki-sama," Lyra said with a bright smile.
"Goodnight, Lyra. Rest well," I replied, waving as we went our separate ways.
But as I approached the boys’ dormitory, an eerie sensation washed over .
It was a familiar aura—cold, suffocating, and laced with an unsettling intensity.
Oh no.
I stopped in my tracks, my instincts screaming danger. Slowly, I turned my head to confirm what I already knew.
Standing there, shrouded in shadow and emitting a chilling presence, was Alia. Her violet eyes glinted in the dim light, and her expression was one of unrestrained obsession.
"Naoki..." she whispered, her voice low and dripping with possessiveness.
Yandere mode.
My entire body tensed as I tried to think of a way to escape.
"Alia... uh, what a surprise! Did you... need sothing?" I asked, forcing a smile.
Her lips curved into a sweet—no, terrifying—smile. "I just wanted to see where you were going. You’ve been spending quite a lot of ti with other girls lately, haven’t you?"
I laughed nervously. "What? No, no, it’s not like that. I an, Lyra and I were just—"
"Shh..." She took a step closer, her intense gaze locking onto mine. "You don’t need to explain, Naoki. I already know everything. You belong to , after all."
Belong to you? Wait, WHAT?!
Before I could respond, Alia tilted her head, her expression softening slightly. "Now then, let’s head inside. You must be tired, Naoki. I’ll make sure no one disturbs you tonight."
That sounds even more ominous than comforting!
I gulped, trying to find an escape route as Alia continued to stare at , her aura unwavering.
Suddenly, Envi took over my body and pulled Alia into a tight embrace.
He said, "I’ve missed you, Alia. I’m so happy to see your sweet smile tonight."
That damn Envi was using his charm skills again! I watched in disbelief as Alia’s face lit up with joy, and she returned the hug just as tightly.
Then, to my utter shock, she closed her eyes and leaned in, pressing her lips softly against Envi’s.
I was completely dumbfounded. A KISS?! THEY’RE KISSING?!
"Envi, you bastard! You’re kissing a girl with MY body!" I scread internally, but there was nothing I could do.
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