Chapter 3

That day marked the beginning of my secret meetings with Shiraya behind the school. The more we met, the more I was drawn to his character. Without a doubt, he was a good man.

"Though I thought it might be unnecessary, if you'd like, please use this."

On that day, what Shiraya offered me was a notebook. I knew about this item, but I decided to pretend I didn't and asked him.

"What is this?"

"I've written down likely questions and common mistakes for the next exam. I hope it will be of some help to you."

This was the mountain guess notebook, which you could obtain after completing a study event with Shiraya. Once you got it, your academic performance would significantly improve. It also indicated that Shiraya's affection for you had increased.

In the game, you could choose whether to accept it or not. You could even choose not to accept it to avoid a bad ending by not increasing Shiraya's affection. However, if you chose that path, it would be much harder to improve your academic performance, making the game more challenging.

I carefully accepted the mountain guess notebook, as my feelings were already set.

"I will use it gratefully. I've always wanted to see your study methods. I'm very happy."

"That's good. If you want to see my study methods, let's review the lessons in the library next time."

"Yes, please. And if you don't mind, would you like to be invited to the Ludran Viscount's residence?"

"To your... house? But that might cause misunderstandings..."

"Actually, today I sent a letter of engagement to the Brook Duke's residence. Along with it, I sent a letter expressing my feelings after talking to Shiraya Brook several times."

"To me...?"

He gasped, his face turning bright red, and his eyes welled up with tears. He looked away, trying to hide his tears, which made him look incredibly adorable. I wanted to comfort him, ideally as his fiancée.

"Is this with your parents' approval?"

"Of course. I only sent the letter, so whether to accept it or not is up to you, but..."

"I will definitely accept it!"

He stepped closer to me, his eyes filled with determination. As he got closer, my heart raced. I wished he would come even closer, but he pulled back, looking embarrassed, as if he had made a mistake.

"Sorry... I was just so happy... I might have surprised you."

"No, I'm happy. Hehe, you're charming when you're so proactive."

I couldn't help but laugh, and Shiraya's frown turned into a delighted smile.

"Though it's a bit early, can I call you Shiraya?"

"Of course, there's no problem. Then, can I call you Cynthia?"

"You can call me by my first name."

"In that case, you can call me Shiraya."

"Yes, Shiraya. I look forward to a long and happy future with you."

"I feel the same. I hope you'll stay by my side for a long time. Thank you, Cynthia."

I was delighted to be the first person he opened his heart to. Unlike the game's heroine, I wouldn't treat him as disposable. I wanted to cherish him for the rest of my life.

That day, for the first time, we sat side by side on the stairs.

After our secret meeting behind the school, I walked down the hallway, feeling elated, with Shiraya's mountain guess notebook in my arms. A girl with pink hair suddenly blocked my path.

"Oh, it's Ely of Edy."

"What kind of name is that!?"

If that was the case, I would be Shiraya Cynthia of Shiraya. Hmm, it's long, but it rolls off the tongue nicely.

"Anyway, did you do something to Edy? Why isn't she coming to school?"

"Oh, right, she hasn't come. Thanks to that, it's peaceful."

"Right, but did you do something? And what's this about breaking the engagement? That's something you do at the graduation party, right? Why is this event happening so early?"

"It's not breaking the engagement, but dissolving it. We had a peaceful discussion. Oh, I see. Since we dissolved the engagement long before the graduation party, there's no one to pay for her tuition, so she might have dropped out."

"Dropped out!? What's that? That's a problem... Wait, if you understand, you must be a reincarnated person, too, right!?"

"Well, be careful saying that. You might be sent to a convent if people think you're crazy."

"Really! You too!"

Since no one was around, I admitted it easily. However, I avoided saying it explicitly. If she mentioned reincarnation in public, it would be easy to send her to a convent. It would be easier for her to slip up if she knew I was a reincarnated person and the heroine.

Ideally, we should both pursue our happiness without further involvement, but she seems too foolish to understand.

"Eh... Wait a minute. That's Shiraya's mountain guess notebook! Why do you have it!?"

"It's nothing. Shiraya gave it to me. I have his permission to call him by his first name, but you should call him the Duke of Brook's son. That's the proper etiquette for nobles in this world."

Half out of kindness and half out of anger at her calling Shiraya by his first name, I said this. The heroine smiled maliciously. It's surprising how well she can make such faces with her cute features.

"No way. Are you aiming for the prince route? You're not even the heroine. It's beyond ridiculous for a villainess to aim that high. It's too difficult!"

"Don't be disrespectful. The prince has a suitable fiancée. I'm just getting along with Shiraya."

"Huh? Could it be that you like yandere? Ugh, I can't believe it. Do you know what Shiraya does to the heroine? Forced suicide is the worst. It's too creepy, impossible. I didn't choose the prince route because I didn't want to meet Shiraya. Your taste is terrible."

So, will Shiraya really become a yandere? If I push him away harshly now, maybe. But I have no intention of doing that. Instead, I want to take care of his heart, which has been hurt for so long.

"Let me warn you again not to be disrespectful. You should stop calling Shiraya by his first name and making personal comments about the prince. Of course, you should also stop talking about reincarnation. You don't want to go to a convent, do you?"

"Are you threatening me? There's no ending where the heroine goes to a convent. But a villainess like you might."

"I'm just being kind. If you continue this, I'll leave. By now, you should know that the Earl of Doris can't afford to bring Edy back to school. Goodbye."

I tried to walk past her, but she grabbed my shoulder firmly.

"Wait! If you won't, give me the notebook! I'm going for the prime minister's son route, which requires high academic performance. With this, it will be easy!"

No way. I won't give Shiraya's notebook, which he made for me, to another girl.

"Stupid. Just having the notebook won't improve your academic performance. In this real world, you need to study. Or do you... want to increase Shiraya's affection? Hehe, are you good at swimming?"

"..."

My villainess face and suggestive smile must be quite intimidating. The heroine, imagining her fate, withdrew her hand.

"Goodbye this time. Please be happy in your own way, without involving me."

The heroine, looking frustrated, didn't follow me.

I hope this ends our connection.

The next day, Shiraya and I headed to the library. The school library had a room with study spaces separated by potted plants, where a bit of private conversation was allowed. It was a common place for students to study together.

Since we came early in the morning, there were few library users. We sat at a small round table and opened our study materials.

"Eh? The Duke hasn't spoken to you yet?"

"Yeah... I even asked if he had received any messages for me, but there was nothing."

"That's strange. One of our servants delivered the letter directly, so it should have arrived by yesterday."

Naturally, the topic turned to our engagement, but strangely, the Duke's family claimed they hadn't received my letter.

"...My father is a busy man. He probably doesn't want to spend time on matters related to me. ...I'm sorry, Cynthia, and the Ludran Viscount's family for the trouble."

"Don't worry about it. If we don't hear from him, I'll suggest a meeting with the Duke along with my father. It might be presumptuous, but since it concerns our engagement, it wouldn't be disrespectful."

"That would be a great help. Thank you, I'm sorry for the trouble."

"It's no trouble. It's for our engagement. I'll spare no effort."

"Cynthia... I'm a lucky man to have met you."

"Me too, Shiraya. I want to become your official fiancée soon."

"Aah," Shiraya replied, and at the same time, we intertwined our fingers under the table. I wish we could progress further, but since we're not officially engaged yet, this is the limit.

Still, I didn't expect the letter to be ignored. I haven't told Shiraya yet, but the letter also mentioned that we were prepared to welcome him to our home for a period of training and that we would cover his tuition and living expenses. I thought the Brook Duke's family, who treated him as a burden, would quickly send him to the Ludran Viscount's family. It seems I was wrong. I hope nothing strange is happening.

"By the way, I looked at the notebook you gave me. It's surprisingly easy to understand, and I even realized some mistakes I had made. You're amazing, Shiraya. You have a talent for teaching."

"Such praise... But before thinking about our future, I had considered becoming a teacher. The knowledge I gained might have been useful. I'm glad I could help Cynthia."

"Shiraya would make a wonderful teacher. In the future, you'll manage the estate with me, but if we have the resources, you could serve as a temporary teacher. You don't have to give up your dream."

"I only aimed for it to support myself after graduation, but if you think I'd be good at it, I might try it. I think I'd enjoy it."

"Hehe, yes, I'm sure you'd be a wonderful teacher."

In the game, Shiraya managed to make a commoner heroine a candidate for the prince's fiancée. He must have a talent for teaching. He doesn't need to force himself to become a teacher, but if he enjoys it, I want him to do it. It would boost his confidence, which is important for healing his wounded heart.

"If you're that good at teaching, could you give me some advice?"

A cool voice suddenly addressed us. I recognized this luxurious voice. The speaker must be...

"His Highness the Crown Prince."

Shiraya, who noticed first, stood up, and I followed a moment later. Since we were in the school, we kept our greetings simple.

"Thank you. You can relax."

With the Crown Prince's permission, we both looked up.

The main character of the game. Though we might never have a reason to call him by name, his name is Adelbert Alan Elsaria. He is the first prince and Crown Prince of the Elsaria Kingdom.

With his typical golden hair and blue eyes, he is the quintessential prince character. Even in real life, he is breathtakingly beautiful. To me, Shiraya is the most attractive, but that's beside the point.

"Though I didn't mean to eavesdrop, I happened to hear that Duke Shiraya of Brook is not only academically excellent but also a good teacher."

"I apologize for the noise. The Ludran Viscount's daughter praised me, but I don't think I've done anything worthy of the Crown Prince's attention. It's more that she is excellent."

"Ah, I've heard that as the future Viscountess of Ludran, she is exceptionally talented. Then, could you tell me what the Ludran Viscount's daughter thinks of the Duke of Brook?"

I didn't expect to speak directly to the Crown Prince with Shiraya, a high-ranking noble, present, but since he asked, I couldn't refuse.

"Yes, Your Highness. It's an honor to be praised. To answer your question, I believe the Duke of Brook has the ability to be an educator. His teaching is clear and precise."

The Crown Prince, who had been listening to our conversation, turned to Shiraya.

"By the way, you were talking about the notebook earlier, weren't you? I don't want to force you, but could I see it?"

"Only if he agrees. What do you think, Shiraya?"

"Of course, there's no problem."

Though I asked for his consent, if the Crown Prince wanted to see it, there was no reason to refuse unless there was a significant issue. Shiraya agreed immediately. There was no need to hesitate since there was nothing to hide.

"Here is the notebook you mentioned, Your Highness."

"Thank you, I'll borrow it."

The notebook, which I had taken great care of, was handed over with some tension. The Crown Prince handled it carefully, flipping through some pages quickly and reading others more thoroughly. After finishing the last page, he closed the notebook and fell into a brief silence, as if thinking.

"Indeed, this is excellent. The teachers I have at the palace are not inferior, but I could understand things I couldn't before. I didn't know the Duke of Brook had such talent."

Shiraya, who received such sincere praise from the Crown Prince, tensed up, his cheeks slightly red. His voice, which was slightly trembling, continued.

"Your Highness, you flatter me..."

Shiraya's self-esteem, which had been damaged, was finally being recognized and healed. Though he tried to hide it, I could feel his joy.

"Tell me, would you allow me to join your study sessions occasionally? I would mostly be learning from the Duke of Brook, but I would also consider a token of gratitude."

Shiraya, who had been feeling a calm joy, suddenly tensed up. I was also surprised. Shiraya is indeed talented, but he is still a student. It seemed too much to be teaching the Crown Prince and receiving payment for it.

"Please wait... I am not qualified for such a task."

"From what I've seen of the notebook, I don't think so. To be honest, I'm grasping at straws. I want to improve my academic performance as soon as possible. I want to try everything I can."

"But, Your Highness, you are one of the top students. I don't think your academic performance is lacking."

"No, it is. As it is, it's not good enough. It's lacking. Everything is."

The joy from a moment ago was gone. Shiraya looked completely troubled, and the Crown Prince seemed to be pushing himself hard. The atmosphere was heavy, and neither of them backed down.

What is going on with the Crown Prince? As Shiraya said, he is one of the top students. He excels in every subject, always ranking in the top ten. That should be more than enough. Even compared to the performance of past royal family members, his abilities are on par. Could he be aiming for the top like Shiraya?

Even if he is the Crown Prince, there's no need for that...

Thinking about it, I suddenly remembered the Crown Prince's route in the game.

The Crown Prince feels inferior to his excellent fiancée. This leads to a strained relationship, and the heroine appears as a source of healing, leading to love between the Crown Prince and the heroine.

"Forgive my interruption, but, Your Highness, is there someone you want to outperform academically?"

I asked, showing a respectful but intrusive stance. The Crown Prince looked surprised, as if I had hit a nerve.

"Ah, no... It's not that I want to outperform her. It's just that if I'm not better than her, she might be disappointed..."

"Is this about your fiancée, the Duchess of Grindmore, Esterlise?"

"How did you... I haven't told anyone about this."

Because I played the game. I couldn't say that, so I smiled and said, "I'm just very perceptive."

Ignoring the Crown Prince's skeptical expression, I continued.

"Indeed, the Duchess of Grindmore is one of the top students, on par with Shiraya. But, Your Highness, hasn't the Duchess of Grindmore been looking unwell recently? She often looks down when she's with you."

"That's... because I'm not good enough, and she's disappointed..."

"No, Your Highness. The Duchess of Grindmore, who truly admires you, would never do such a thing. Please consider her situation. She might be reaching her limit."

"What do you mean? Do you know something?"

"I hesitate to say it. I suggest you observe the situation yourself and have a heart-to-heart talk with the Duchess of