There are many students who attend the Imperial Academy. It's common for classmates to be nothing more than acquaintances.
Naturally, relationships between upper and lower years weren't particularly close either.
Even Anastasia, though she and I had graduated from the sa academy, only ever interacted with on a purely professional level.
And yet, from my mouth had co the word “Senior” in a familiar tone?
“He’s a kind and gentle person.”
Kind? Gentle?
Kiaros narrowed his eyes.
“From the way you speak of him, it seems you two are quite close.”
He couldn’t imagine Namia being close to anyone.
Hadn’t she said before that there wasn’t even anyone she could go to a restaurant with?
He never imagined there might be a friendly man in her life.
She always had that lifeless look, like she’d just go “Ah, yeah,” over and over again.
“I thought the Minister had no n she was particularly close to.”
“Ah, yeah.”
“Isn’t that the point where soone usually asks why?”
Namia simply stared at him blankly.
Kiaros flinched and added hastily,
“...yom?”
Namia let out a long sigh and said,
“I’m letting it slide because you’re a foreigner. Normally, speaking to your superior like that would be unacceptable. And having a personal conversation this casually? That’s not how things are done in the Empire.”
He hadn’t said anything that casually. If anything, he was feeling rather uncomfortable.
Just then—
“Namiaaa!”
A young man’s voice rang out from the hallway.
Namia furrowed her brow and muttered, “Luka?”
“Namiaaaaaa!”
The door burst open with a bang, and a brown-haired young man strode in.
Judging by the doctor’s coat, he worked for the dical and Public Health Departnt.
“I’m here! Luka Class, the man who has a very special relationship with you!”
He stord in, joy lighting up his entire face as he called out Namia’s na.
That pure, beaming face was familiar.
He was the sa dic who had cared for Namia the day of the assassination attempt.
But... “special” relationship?
Kiaros blinked, dumbfounded.
Who the hell is this guy now?
***
Exactly twenty minutes past lunchti.
He finally showed up.
I figured he’d co around this ti. Luka Class had arrived.
But before I could greet him myself—
“H-h-how may I help you?”
Luka bumped into Anastasia on his way to the Minister’s office. As far as I knew, this was their first eting.
“Are—are you here to see the M-M-Minister?”
At her stamred question, Luka’s mouth dropped open.
“No way. So Namia really is a Minister now.”
Anastasia looked at him, clearly unsure.
“You’re, um, from the dical Departnt... what’s your relationship with the M-Minister? You—you seem very informal with her. A-a-are you close classmates, maybe?”
“We’re Academy classmates, yes, but not just close classmates.”
Luka grinned and tilted his chin confidently.
His green eyes sparkled with pride.
“It’s a bit more... special than that. I’m soone who had a huge impact on Namia’s life. We started as good friends, but over ti, we beca each other’s only one.”
Kibon looked up sharply from the docunts he was reading.
And Luka kept going.
“Others didn’t see Namia’s worth. But I saw her light from the very beginning and kept approaching her, again and again.”
The way he spoke, so passionately—it made snort a little.
“After persistently chipping away at her coldness, I finally broke through. She opened up to in the royal hospital ward when it was just the two of us.”
That would be the day I collapsed and received IV treatnt.
Well, technically not wrong.
That was the first ti I gave him a proper answer after all his pestering.
“And in the end, I succeeded. I made her stand by my side. She even publicly acknowledged that we’re special to each other!”
That had been a rushed move to get the guards to leave us alone before I t ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ the Empress—I had needed a “rival” to cover for ...
But I guess, from Luka’s point of view, it made sense.
After telling him to live more properly, and calling him a “rival” through soone else’s mouth, I beca a Minister shortly afterward...
“Is that... true?” Kibon asked, wide-eyed.
“Well, it’s not a lie...”
And at that mont, Anastasia chid in with an oddly serious expression.
“S-s-so...”
Then, blinking, she asked,
“W-w-would you like so coffee?”
“Coffee sounds great!”
Luka cheerfully replied, continuing the conversation as if nothing had happened.
“Make it strong, no milk, bold aroma, please. By the way, you are...?”
“Good question. I’m Anastasia Kayen, team leader of the Managent Team.”
“Wait, you? You’re the team leader, but you’re offering ... coffee? I—I an, is that even okay? I’m only in my fourth year...”
“You think it’s not? Then just drink what you’re given and shut up.”
Letting out a sigh, I stepped out of the office.
Kibon quickly followed.
“Luka.”
I scratched my cheek and greeted him.
“Fancy seeing you here. But this is official, so please use my title. Gotta keep appearances.”
“C’mon, even if we’re in public, do I really have to— Ugh, fine. Yes, Minister.”
He stood at attention and saluted.
Not exactly serious-looking, but with his tall and polished appearance, he made a decent impression.
He continued, face full of self-satisfaction.
“Ah, my insight... my persuasive power. Isn’t it amazing? All I did was speak seriously once, and boom—she ascended!”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Right after I told you to pull yourself together, you beca a Minister...”
“Sure.”
“When I challenged you to a promotion race, you took it seriously! Look how fast you crushed ! Just like during the entrance exams...”
While I gave lackluster replies, Kiaros—his expression darkening with irritation at the word “competition”—narrowed his eyes.
Luka, unaware, raised his chin even higher.
“Everyone in the departnt heard you call your rival to the guard.”
At that, Kibon interjected quickly.
“...Rival? You two?”
Luka looked at Kibon, startled.
What’s this guy’s deal? his face seed to say.
“Oh, sorry.”
I stepped in quickly.
“He’s an intern. Still not fluent in Imperial. Probably didn’t know what ‘rival’ ant.”
“An intern? Wait, is this the sa rude—”
I rembered I had once told Luka that the intern was disrespectful.
I cut him off before he could finish.
“Yeah, he’s back. Turns out there was a misunderstanding.”
“But... is it okay for him to interrupt a conversation between the Minister and her rival? Speaking so casually?”
“He’s a foreigner. Cultural difference. I’ll correct him moving forward.”
Then, Kibon mumbled an awkward apology.
“Sorry. I didn’t an anything by it. I just thought... it sounded weird.”
“What do you an?”
“I an, saying you’re ‘special,’ she ‘opened her heart,’ she ‘stands beside you’—it all sounded like... you were lovers or sothing.”
Instantly, both Luka and I made disgusted faces.
“This intern has tainted thoughts.”
Looking as if he’d been gravely insulted, Luka furrowed his brow.
“How can you twist such a beautiful, pure rivalry like that? Can’t a man and woman be true rivals? Is ‘standing beside soone’ only ever romantic? Do you just go ho and read trashy romance novels after work?”
Anastasia flinched and quickly shoved a book under her desk titled:
《I Quit Being the Rival of the Supre Male Lead and Now We’re Dating》
Anyway, I gave Luka and Kibon a wary look.
They’re not even in a direct reporting line, but this tension is... a bit much.
Kibon seed like he had a temper. I hoped he wouldn’t explode.
But surprisingly, he answered with a casual, friendly tone.
“Oh, I just thought... you two seed close, maybe from Academy days...”
“That doesn’t an you get to link with him! There’s nothing like that between us!”
Luka recoiled in horror and waved his hands furiously.
Then, after a mont of deep thought, he muttered offhandedly:
“...If it were Senior Victor, maybe.”
Kibon’s pen clattered to the floor.
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