Absentminded
Floria’s Side
“And since this commerce practicum will involve setting up street stalls in town, we might also need to think about things like where to place the flowers.”
“I see…!”
There were only a few days left until the commerce practicum.
As Lux and Floria Florence walked down the hallway toward the lecture room, they were talking about the upcoming event.
“Depending on the type of flower, some of them don’t do very well when they’re exposed to direct sunlight, after all!”
“Exactly.”
As they continued chatting while walking down the hallway…
“Ah! Rodwell-kun!? And Florence…!”
The blonde girl approaching them, Nora Ashwell, called out their names as she came closer.
“Hello, Ashwell-san.”
When Lux greeted her with his usual gentle smile, Ashwell’s voice went a little high.
“Hello, Rodwell-kun! I know the commerce practicum is coming up soon and things must be tough in a lot of ways, but do your best! I’m cheering for you!”
“Thank you very much. You do your best too, Ashwell-san.”
“Ah! Y-yeah! Thank you!!”
Ashwell thanked him, looking slightly embarrassed.
Meanwhile, Floria…
“…”
Was paying more attention to a certain gaze than to their conversation.
Then, when Ashwell turned toward Floria, Floria shifted her focus to her.
And Ashwell spoke in a way that made her seem like a completely different person from when she’d been talking to Lux.
“You too! You’re paired with Rodwell-kun, right? Just make sure you don’t drag him down, got it! …I don’t like your personality, but I’ll at least acknowledge your ability. Seriously, do your best.”
“Oh my, are you cheering for me?”
“W-what!? Don’t get the wrong idea! I’m only cheering because you and Rodwell-kun are in the same pair. It’s not like I think anything about you at all!!”
After saying that, Ashwell’s face turned red, whether from anger or embarrassment, and she tried to leave the spot, but.
“Please wait.”
“Jeez! You’re so persistent! It’s not like I’m cheering or anyth—”
Ashwell stopped mid-sentence when she saw the serious look on Floria’s face.
Once Ashwell’s blush faded, Floria turned to Lux.
“Lux-sama, would you mind going on ahead? There’s something I’d like to speak with Ashwell-san about for a moment.”
“Understood. In that case, I’ll excuse myself.”
After giving a small bow to both of them, Lux walked down the hallway toward the lecture room.
When the two left behind faced each other again, Ashwell spoke up.
“So, what do you want to talk to me about?”
“I’m glad you can tell my intentions are serious. To be honest, there’s something I’d like you to look into for me, Ashwell-san…”
Elizalina’s Side
“The Lage faction’s movements are way too suspicious! They’re definitely plotting something!”
Elizalina, who was eating lunch with Rezamiliana, said that loudly.
In response, Rezamiliana replied in a somewhat lifeless voice.
“I see.”
“Yeah! That feeling is absolutely timed to match the noble academy’s commerce practicum!!”
Elizalina said it forcefully, but Rezamiliana replied again in the same hollow tone.
“I see.”
“…”
The first time hadn’t bothered her, but after hearing that lifeless response twice in a row, Elizalina started to feel something was off.
Thinking it strange, she spoke up.
“Rezamiliana-oneesama, don’t you think something’s odd? We’re talking about the Lage faction making suspicious moves, but you seem kind of absentminded, like your thoughts are somewhere else.”
“Ah, sorry. It’s just that…”
She wasn’t showing it much on her face, but she was clearly more down than Elizalina had ever seen her.
Seeing that, Elizalina asked out of pure concern for her sister.
“Did something happen? Because of your position, Rezamiliana-sama probably can’t really talk to anyone even if something does happen, so I can listen for you, you know?”
“Even if I were to talk about it, it wouldn’t really change anyth—”
“You didn’t deny it, which means you definitely have something on your mind! So hurry up and tell me what it is!!”
“…”
After hesitating for a moment, Rezamiliana left a pause before finally beginning to speak about what was troubling her.
“Before… I told you that I’d found a man I’d decided on in my heart.”
“Yeah, that really surprised me.”
What kind of man could make even Rezamiliana-oneesama fall for him? Well, no matter what kind of man he was, he couldn’t compare to Lux anyway.
As Elizalina was thinking that, Rezamiliana spoke with a dark expression.
“I can no longer become engaged to that man.”