Chapter 7
“Please forgive me. I was wrong.”
“No, no. What could a commoner possibly have done wrong? This is all my fault.”
Belver desperately held back the urge to say, “Exactly,” with superhuman patience.
If she really thought it was all her fault, she wouldn't be so obviously sulking.
When he took a step closer, she moved a step away.
Whenever he spoke to her, she said it was all her fault.
It was obvious she wanted something.
Even knowing that, it was hard to say it.
This was giving in way too much.
The reason he'd snapped was clearly that Bellatrix had kept teasing him.
Besides, she'd only been stunned; she hadn't even been unconscious for long.
‘I should give in. I'm a man among men, a real man's man. I can give in a little to a sulk.’
In the end, Belver decided to fall for Bellatrix's devious scheme.
He thought that was the path to growing into a magnificent man's man.
He never even noticed he was being played.
“Lady Bellatrix, I'll do one thing for you, anything, so please stop being angry.”
“Really? Anything?”
“Really! See, you weren't angry after all! If you keep teasing me like that, I'll get mad too!”
“Sorry. So anything, right?”
“Yes. But this is the only time I'll let you win like this. Understand?”
Belver raised his index finger and declared it firmly.
He'd really only give in this once.
From now on, he'd clearly tell her when she was wrong.
If she didn't apologize, he'd really get angry.
If all else failed, maybe he could use crying as a last resort.
Gasp! Belver was startled by his own thought and shook his head vigorously.
Making Bellatrix feel bad by crying wasn't something a real man's man with any common sense would do.
Wasn't that exactly the kind of thought a little girl would have, just like she'd said?
He nodded and firmly vowed never to think that way again.
Bellatrix burst out laughing, having held it in, at the sight of him speaking adorably, suddenly shaking his head, then finally nodding with resolve.
It was so hard to hold back laughter with this cute creature beside her.
It had been harder than when she was a child and had an audience with the emperor.
The way he got so flustered and approached her when she made her sulking obvious was unbelievably cute.
She'd nearly reached out and ruffled his hair in the middle of a street packed with students.
‘Would it be okay? Rumors are going to spread anyway.’
Several of Belver's impulsive actions had already been witnessed by others, and during the morning lecture, she'd openly shown favoritism.
Even if they didn't think she'd changed, they'd assume Bellatrix had some close relationship with him.
From their perspective, wouldn't it look like Bellatrix had fallen head over heels for some commoner whose name they didn't even know?
She realized it was already a little too late to hide everything.
If so, was there a way to use this?
Thinking it over, she could come up with a few, but she couldn't do any of them in her current state.
She needed to build up more fame and strength first.
For now, she should focus on Belver beside her.
“Then, will you go on a date with me tomorrow?”
“A date…?”
“Yeah. If I ever stopped being myself, I'd wanted to try dating someone of the opposite sex. If I became a man, a woman; if I became a woman, a man.”
“You think about things like that normally…? Then was that why you…?”
“If I could do that, would I have come to the academy? I just didn't want to be a woman named Bellatrix. So, are you doing it or not?”
Belver stared at Bellatrix, who was making it abundantly clear he shouldn't ask why.
She pouted, took everything she wanted, and gave nothing in return.
He couldn't help giving her a glare.
Still, he didn't press her.
He'd wanted to become someone else, too.
Everyone had their own circumstances.
He also held back from asking if she meant she wanted to date herself.
It was a truly rude question.
He wanted to pay her back in kind, but he didn't actually want to fight.
In the end, Belver realized there was only one possible answer.
He had no idea why he'd switched bodies with someone so brazen and selfish.
He couldn't help wondering what it would've been like if she'd been a little more reserved.
“I'll do it. No taking it back.”
“Of course. Do I look like someone who would say that?”
“Yes. You do.”
“I think so too. But you'll still do it, right?”
“I won't!”
Belver tensed up.
She was clearly planning to go back on her word.
How could anyone be so shameless?
For someone who'd never lied, even if he'd sometimes kept parts of himself hidden, this was a real shock.
And somehow, her tone made it sound like of course he'd agree, which made him feel even stranger.
What did she take him for?
He had to firmly refuse and refute her arguments.
‘A real man's man needs to know how to say no.’
To refuse, he had to recognize when someone was subtly drawing him into their mood.
He couldn't let his guard down until tomorrow.
He never knew when that shameless woman would make her move.
“The classroom's here. Once we're inside, act exactly like me. Don't talk. You know I'm rude, right?”
“Yes, I know. I'll do it properly.”
“Oh, how hurtful. So that's what you think of me, commoner.”
“Grr! Just go inside already!”
It was impressive how she kept teasing him right up to the very end.
Belver held back from yelling and lecturing her, since they were right outside the classroom.
How could someone be so lacking in gravitas?
With Bellatrix beaming behind him, he opened the classroom door.
Naturally, he began his expressionless imitation of her.
He'd passed that part, at least.
He thought he'd imitated her speech accurately, but she'd absolutely forbidden him from speaking.
‘I want to go back to the dorm….’
Belver fought the urge to turn around and leave as soon as he entered and felt everyone's eyes on him.
She really was famous; there were so many people who knew her.
He glanced to the side and saw Bellatrix calmly accepting their stares.
They must have been looking at her just as much, if not more, since he'd entered with her.
He searched for a spot where as few eyes as possible would land on him, then went up to the highest row.
Surely nobody would openly turn around and stare at a duke's daughter.
“You're doing well. Just keep it up.”
“Yes.”
He answered her whisper, sat up straight, and looked ahead.
Belver was excited now.
What would a magic lecture in a fantasy world be like?
Bellatrix hadn't taught him anything she'd promised; she'd only teased him.
Zap. Suddenly remembering what had happened in the dormitory, Belver glared at Bellatrix.
She calmly met his gaze and just smiled thinly.
What was the point of glaring at someone like her?
He let out a deep sigh to himself and looked ahead again.
Whenever he paid attention to her, he felt like he got drawn into her schemes.
Then he met the eyes of a woman openly looking back at him.
He'd wondered who would openly scrutinize a duke's daughter, but when he looked back, it turned out she was someone who could get away with it.
She was the heroine of the original story and Bellatrix's rival.
Her name was Roho, the second daughter of the Red Tower Master and, in effect, the confirmed next Red Tower Master.
‘What am I supposed to do here?’
Belver found himself in a very difficult situation.
The moment Roho met his eyes, she smiled brightly and waved at him as if greeting him.
She looked genuinely happy to see him, and since he liked Roho too, he desperately wanted to wave back.
But there was no way that action would suit Bellatrix.
She absolutely hated Roho.
She'd said she hated her so much she felt sick just being around her.
So Belver couldn't act happy to see her either.
Then how was he supposed to respond?
That was the problem.
Bellatrix hadn't told him what to do in a situation like this.
“What's wrong?”
Belver tapped Bellatrix lightly under the desk.
His gaze stayed fixed on Roho.
When there was no response, Bellatrix discreetly looked around and realized what was going on.
Then she spoke and acted in a troubled voice.
“My lady. What are you thinking about so hard?”
Whoosh! Belver's face flushed hot with embarrassment.
Bellatrix's attempt to help hit him hard.
She had forcibly turned his head so he would look at her.
The action itself wasn't the problem; the problem was that she was sitting right beside him.
They were now face-to-face at an incredibly close distance.
Thanks to that, Belver could see his own face in considerable detail.
He wanted to lecture her again for such an unladylike action, but held it back since they were in public.
Instead, he told her to restrain herself.
“Don't do that in public.”
“Yes, if that's what my lady wishes.”
Look at her turning away with that sly little smile.
If she'd been born a man, she'd definitely have made women cry.
She'd made him cry already, just in a different way.
“We will now begin the lecture.”
The professor arrived at just the right moment and began the lecture.
What kind of lecture would it be?
***
“Well? Was it helpful?”
“No. Not at all.”
The introductory magic lecture, which had gone on for two whole hours, had been absolutely no help.
It had only covered theory Belver already knew, with no practical exercises at all.
There didn't seem to be any point in taking a class like this.
He'd been looking forward to it, so his disappointment was all the greater.
In the end, he would have to learn from Bellatrix.
He did wonder, though, whether she could teach him properly.
Wouldn't she just spend the time playing around again?
“Let's go back.”
“Yes.”
“Could I talk to you for a moment?”
The lecture was over, and just as he was about to leave, Roho came over to him.
With alarm bells blaring in his head, Belver hurriedly looked at Bellatrix.
It was a plea for her to do something.
“It'll only take a moment.”
This was a real emergency.
If they weren't careful, their body swap would be exposed already.