Chapter 31
There was no one who could rival Miriell Adrian when it came to winning others' favor.
Her first impression was perfect beyond measure.
Objectively speaking, she had a beautiful face.
The prestige of House Adrian.
And the ability proved by being the top-ranked student in the entire second year.
Dare I say it, she had every condition anyone would want in someone they'd like to get close to.
Just with that, she already had half a foot in the door in human relationships.
Even if the other person didn't take the bait at their first meeting, it didn't matter.
Miriell understood better than anyone that the essence of human relationships was ultimately transactional.
If she did someone a favor for no reason and left a small debt in their heart, they would respond one way or another.
Whether with gratitude, embarrassment, or at the very least caution.
Once she opened the door to conversation like that, the rest was Miriell's stage.
Miriell's greatest weapon was none other than her exceptional way with words.
Don't underestimate the social skills of a second daughter who grew up tiptoeing through family life, caught between a flawless eldest and a third daughter who monopolized the family's affection.
Much less when that family was House Adrian, one of the pillars of the Belhart Empire.
But.
Even Miriell herself had never managed to properly get a word in with Lunaris.
"That's a little troubling..."
The lounge of Linea Hall, where the red glow of sunset was seeping in.
Miriell murmured under her breath as she set down her teacup.
She was the type to put up an iron wall from the very start.
Miriell had no idea how to approach someone who left not even the slightest opening.
Still, she couldn't just ignore Lunaris as if she didn't exist.
Miriell knew.
That the Empire's third princess, Celestina, who was subtly at odds with her, had taken an interest in Lunaris.
If only, by some chance...
If Lunaris went over to Princess Celestina's side, it would become troublesome in many ways.
After all, she wasn't just an ordinary top-ranked freshman.
Rumor was already circulating in the Empire that she was the youngest candidate for Grand Mage.
Not only that, but despite having entered less than a month ago, she was already recognized as one of Elterion Academy's strongest.
The key was that even among students, assistants, instructors, and professors, she was said to be one of only a handful.
If she'd only heard the rumors, she would have scoffed.
But she'd seen it with her own eyes, after all.
Didn't she confirm it for herself with her own eyes during the magic exchange tournament a few days ago?
She was well beyond the category of a student.
Above all...
"...I want her."
Miriell murmured blankly.
A drawn-out, windless haa- slipped from her loosened lips.
She recalled Lunaris's languid eyes looking at her.
A proud cat that slips away as if annoyed whenever someone tries to reach out a hand.
That fussy, arrogant attitude was strangely on her mind.
It had fully piqued Miriell's interest.
The harder something is to get, the more you want to put it in your hands no matter what.
But to get close to someone like that, she was supposed to do absolutely nothing.
What kind of ridiculous nonsense was that supposed to be?
Relationships are ultimately the product of constant investment and maintenance.
A relationship in which you make no effort does not exist to begin with.
That would be neglect, not a relationship.
...Just what is the third princess thinking?
Just then, a small commotion broke out at the entrance to Linea Hall.
The third princess had just returned to the dormitory under the escort of knights.
In that instant, Princess Celestina and Miriell's gazes met.
"..."
Miriell didn't miss the faint wrinkle that formed on the princess's delicate forehead.
"Oh my, Your Highness. It's an honor to see you like this."
Miriell rose from her seat, straightened her skirts, and bowed gracefully at the waist.
It was a perfect greeting, respectful without lowering herself too much.
Princess Celestina looked away for a brief moment, then quickly forced the corners of her lips upward toward Miriell.
"It's nice to meet you, Senior Miriell."
Beneath the polite smile, her voice trembled ever so slightly.
A subtly stiff jaw and hunched shoulders gave away a hint of discomfort.
"I was just having a cup of tea alone. If you don't mind, would you care to join me for a moment?"
Princess Celestina's gaze swept briefly across the lounge.
After a moment's hesitation, she gave a sigh and nodded.
"I have an assignment, so I can't stay long... but I suppose a little while is fine."
Miriell, as if she'd been waiting for it, lightly gestured to the head maid, Odette.
It was a natural, dignified look befitting the lady of Elterion.
Soon, a new teacup was placed silently on the table.
Amid the faint fragrance spreading through the air, the two of them silently savored their tea.
After a brief silence, Miriell was the first to speak.
"How are your Magic Department classes these days, Your Highness?"
Princess Celestina slowly and carefully chose her words while touching her teacup.
"Keeping up with the pace is a little hard, but I'm enjoying them quite a bit."
"If you'd come to the Political Science Department, it would have been easier for you to get by. You'd have taken first place without much trouble, too."
"The academy is a place of learning. I simply went where I could learn even a little more."
Princess Celestina looked at Miriell and gave a gentle smile.
Though her voice was calm, a strange wariness flickered in her eyes.
"Well said, Your Highness."
Miriell agreed softly.
Then, as if something had just occurred to her, she added naturally,
"Maybe Lady Lunaris, the top freshman, was also moved by Your Highness's noble intentions and went to the Department of Magical Engineering instead of the Magic Department."
Lunaris.
The moment that name was mentioned, the princess's hand twitched as she lifted her teacup.
"...Why are you bringing up Lady Lunaris all of a sudden?"
"Nothing in particular."
Miriell shrugged casually and spoke as if she'd been waiting for this.
"I just happened to remember that I met Lady Lunaris alone for a bit earlier today."
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Princess Celestina's violet eyes.
Miriell didn't miss that fleeting moment.
As expected.
The princess still hadn't completely won Lunaris over, then.
Looking back, on the day of the magic exchange tournament, the princess's eyes had held a wistfulness when they rested on Lunaris.
That gaze had been longing for something just out of reach.
Even now, she was trying her best to act composed.
But in truth, one corner of her heart was surely burning.
"So... what did you meet Lady Lunaris about?"
"It wasn't anything special."
A cautious, probing question.
Miriell smiled as if nothing was amiss and spun a plausible lie.
"That girl seemed to find the academy's various administrative procedures and unavoidable social gatherings quite... troublesome."
"..."
"As a senior, I thought I'd help her so she wouldn't suffer over such unnecessary things."
A capable junior shouldn't be held back by such trivial things, should she?
Her gentle voice carried a strange weight.
"I plan to keep meeting her regularly and help guide her through one thing and another."
Celestina, who had been listening silently, blinked blankly, then let out a soft chuckle.
"You don't know Lady Lunaris very well, do you, Senior?"
When Miriell tilted her head in confusion, the princess continued with amusement in her voice.
"Given her personality, I doubt she'd welcome meeting someone regularly."
She'd hit the mark exactly.
But Miriell didn't even blink, and lifted her teacup with a composed expression.
"That's true, Your Highness."
But-
She drew a languid breath, as if sighing, then continued.
"If a time ever comes when she needs help, wouldn't Lady Lunaris think of me first?"
Princess Celestina and Miriell's eyes met in the center.
An invisible spark crackled between them.
*
"You may all withdraw. I want to be alone, so don't let anyone in."
Back in her room, Princess Celestina said to her escorts in a voice she tried to keep casual.
The moment the door closed, the smiling mask on the princess's face fell away.
In the place where her painted expression had been, only an anxious, restless look remained.
"I never expected Senior Miriell to have met with Lady Lunaris separately..."
In the empty room, the princess's voice trembled faintly.
At the very least, it was a relief that Lunaris hadn't completely fallen for that woman yet.
But she couldn't simply sit back and relax.
This wasn't good news for Princess Celestina either.
If even that Miriell, the one known as the "mistress of Elterion," had failed to win Lunaris over.
Then even if she, with nothing to boast of but her royal title, stepped forward, the result would hardly be any different.
In the first place, the student named Lunaris Evermoon paid no mind to whoever the other person was.
She was the sort who would proudly skip an important event if she didn't feel like going.
There was no way someone like that would be swayed by a royal title.
"Haa..."
Princess Celestina buried her head in her hands and let out a small sigh.
She had never imagined that making one capable friend would be this hard.
No matter how she thought about it, Lunaris was dangerous.
More than just the youngest Grand Mage candidate, she was likely to become the greatest mage in the history of the Empire.
If that talent were claimed first by her older brother or one of her other sisters...
In that instant, a dreadful future flickered across Princess Celestina's mind.
The thought of all those stars she'd seen during the magic exchange tournament pouring down on her sent a chill through her before she knew it.
"This won't do."
Making Lunaris her own person.
At the very least, earning her goodwill.
This was no longer a matter of childlike make-believe about whether or not to make a friend.
This was already a matter of "survival."
"But... what am I supposed to do...?"
No matter how hard she thought, no answer came to mind, so Princess Celestina buried her face in the pillow and let out a groaning krrrnnngh-.