"I f*cking won!"

The academy infirmary.

As if time stop had been lifted, Ariel—who had been lying on the bed—suddenly did a salted-fish flip, bounced upright, then planted her hands on her hips and broadcast again the cheer she hadn’t managed to shout out in one breath earlier.

Unfortunately, there was no audience this time, and no one to applaud her. Only a few brawny nurse big sisters happened to pass by. Seeing Ariel springing around, they didn’t say a second word—just angrily pressed this unruly patient back into the hospital bed.

"Your injuries aren’t light. You need to rest!"

"Oh..."

Facing nurse big sisters whose arms were thicker than her waist, even Ariel couldn’t help feeling a little intimidated, and nodded obediently.

"Sigh. Kids these days really don’t cherish their bodies. Hurt like that and still bouncing on the bed, shouting weird stuff." Nurse Big Sister A was furious.

"I know, I know. This is that legendary chuunibyou, right..." Nurse Big Sister B was well-read.

"Poor thing. Not only injured, she’s sick too. No wonder the doctor told us to take special care of her." Nurse Big Sister C shook her head, feeling deep sympathy for the little girl on the bed.

"..."

Ariel wore a speechless expression, but only after the nurse big sisters left did she secretly stretch out one hand again, clench it into a fist, and whisper in a lowered voice:

"Yeah. I won."

The last trace of sunset shone across her face, light glinting in her eyes, making her look like a victorious woman general returning from battle.

"Looks like you’re really happy about beating Muen Campbell."

The glow of the magic stones in the ward suddenly flickered once.

A hazy figure drifted out from the ring on Ariel’s finger, leaned against the wall, then stretched lazily, faintly outlining a graceful curve.

"Even after sleeping, I still don’t see you calming down."

"Of course I’m happy I won. Why wouldn’t I be?"

Ariel pursed her lips.

"But when you beat other people, I’ve never seen you this happy."

"That might be because..."

Ariel lowered her head and looked at her hands. As she opened and closed her ten fingers, it was as if she were still savoring the taste of that slaughter.

Every collision, every crossing, every flood of blood—she had experienced countless thrilling duels before, even life-and-death battles where one slip meant eternal ruin, but rarely had she felt this kind of excitement that made her tremble.

"This fight... really exceeded my imagination."

"In what way?"

Ariel’s teacher asked curiously. "Because it’s the first time you’ve met someone in the same rank who’s actually almost caught up to your strength? Or because that person was Muen Campbell, someone you absolutely never expected?"

"Get lost—what’s the difference? Why are you splitting it up like that?"

Ariel scowled and shoved away her teacher’s gossiping face.

"I’m talking about the fight itself."

"I’m just curious."

Ariel’s teacher straightened. Her smoke-like, illusory hand lifted to support her chin.

"Still... even I didn’t expect that Muen Campbell would already be this strong. You know, one year ago he was still the academy’s dead-last student who only knew Light Spell."

"He still only knows Light Spell. Did you see him use any other magic?"

Ariel said indignantly.

But... after viciously belittling Muen Campbell for a bit, she hesitated, then still nodded seriously.

"Still, he really is pretty impressive now. He’s even almost caught up to me. I have to admit that."

"Hm? Getting that kind of acknowledgment out of your mouth isn’t easy."

"That’s because those trash before never had anything worth acknowledging."

Ariel snorted. "Either they relied on age, or they relied on realm, or you beat the small one and the old one came, and in the end weren’t they all still taught a harsh lesson by me? But Muen Campbell... same age, same rank, a fair duel. I can’t really nitpick that."

Ariel let out a light breath.

She knew Muen Campbell had been working hard to grow.

As if he’d truly turned over a new leaf, properly putting away that wretched past, sorting out everything he had, and pushing forward.

That was why on the night the carriage stopped, she had said she wanted to challenge Muen Campbell.

But in truth, before this exchange, she had still looked down on that guy a little. She’d thought his effort was still built on the resources of being a "duke’s son"—a false, fragile kind of effort that would shatter the moment you poked it.

That kind of effort was completely different from a commoner like her, who, even if she did have an amazing teacher guiding her, still had to rely on herself most of the time, climbing step by step with her own feet.

Living on black bread every day, scraping by through hard times, black-eating-black, diving ruins, doing anything for resources—the king of grind kings—how could she possibly think highly of some noble young master who spent money like water and could get anything he wanted with a snap?

But after this battle, she understood.

Muen Campbell’s effort wasn’t false, fragile, something that would shatter the moment you poked it.

That too had been tempered at the edge of life and death countless times, refining himself through blood and fire, walking a road full of thorns, forcing himself forward even as his flesh split open—earned little by little through struggle.

He wasn’t afraid of pain either—he even enjoyed pain. He too felt sincere excitement at blood and battle.

Fighting Muen Campbell, it was like she had seen a shadow—completely different from her, yet completely the same.

So...

"Just like Teacher said, I’ll acknowledge fifty percent of him for now."

"Fifty percent?"

Ariel’s teacher looked strange, thinking: you can even put a percentage on acknowledgment?

"Why only fifty percent?"

"Obviously!"

Ariel sprang upright again, furious.

"I’m not going to forget what that bastard did just because of one fight. I still haven’t settled the score for him stealing from under my nose!!"

"Right now it’s probably not very easy to settle the score..."

Ariel’s teacher was speechless. "You couldn’t even do anything to him on the platform."

"Relax. The reason I’m this happy isn’t just because I got to fight a satisfying fight. This victory itself makes me really happy too, Teacher, do you understand?"

Ariel let out two excited hums, hands on hips.

"Even if I didn’t win easily, in the end I still beat Muen Campbell in front of everyone! Especially with Celicia watching too! So, I’m guessing that in her eyes right now, I’m still stronger than Muen Campbell!"

"But by that logic, the gap in strength between you two still can’t erase the gap created by the identity of ‘fiancé.’"

Ariel’s teacher thought it over.

"No, no, no. Identity and all that isn’t important. Is Celicia the kind of person who cares about identity? What matters is... a deep impression. That’s right, a deep impression!"

Ariel got more fired up.

"Teacher, do you remember what I’ve helped Celicia do?"

"Let me think—clearing out the Inner Council, reporting the Bugaard family, and this match..."

Ariel’s teacher counted them off one by one. "Quite a lot."

"Exactly! I’ve already done so much. Even if my favorability with Celicia isn’t eighty, it’s at least sixty, right? And plus earlier, Celicia promised me she’d have dinner with me. Teacher, do you understand what that means?"

Ariel covered her flushed cheeks and said shyly, "After stacking up favorability like this, then having a romantic candlelit dinner—if this were a romance novel, that’s the last few chapters where the lovers finally end up together!"

"...I-Is that so?"

"Of course! Hmph. Muen Campbell stole from under my nose before and made Liya leave me. Since I can’t erase him with physical means, I’ll have to strike him mentally instead. I’m swinging this hoe for sure—I can’t wait to see his face when Celicia falls into my arms!"

Ariel twisted her slim waist, already indulging in an incomparably beautiful future.

"Of course, Celicia also hits my strike zone perfectly. If she becomes the first mistress of my crystal palace, that’d be pretty great too. Then later I’ll steal Liya back... heh heh heh heh!"

"..."

Ariel’s teacher didn’t know what to say, but she had a faintly ominous feeling.

Her disciple was reliable in everything she did, but only in matters of love... she didn’t seem that reliable?

"Then I’ll do it. While it’s hot, I’ll go build favorability with Celicia, lock in the dinner time, then tomorrow I’ll beat up that ‘seventeenth prince’ and take the championship as a gift for Celicia... perfect!"

"Hahahaha! I, Ariel, really am a genius in love. With such a brilliant plan, how could I fail to flirt with girls?"

Ariel didn’t care about her teacher’s worried expression at all. Full of smug satisfaction, she hopped up and was about to act—only to find that those nurse big sisters had come back again.

"Damn it. Always ruining things."

So she could only duck back under the blanket for now and wait for an opening.

But even if her action had been halted, the fire in Ariel’s heart was already blazing, impossible to stop—if anything, it would burn even hotter during this agonizing wait.

"Later, I’m going to come find you. Just you wait, Celicia!"

...

...

"The weather is really nice."

"Yeah. The weather is really nice."

The academy’s small grove.

Anna and Liya walked side by side beneath the plane trees, occasionally lifting their heads to gaze at the clear, clean night sky as early summer drew closer.

The combination of the Silent Bureau’s Acting Swordbearer and the Life Church’s Saintess was simply too rare. Add to that the two stunning faces, each with its own kind of charm—by all logic, inside an academy still buzzing with leftover heat, they should’ve caused quite a stir.

Unfortunately, one side was deep shadow, and the other was holy, faint light, silently separating inside from outside, making it impossible for anyone to catch a glimpse of their true faces.

"How was the match during the day?"

As if chatting casually, Anna lifted the hair at her forehead and took the initiative to start a topic.

"The match? It was wonderful."

Liya answered, "Worthy of the empire and kingdom’s elites. Everyone was very impressive, especially... Muen and Ariel’s match."

"Is that so? I think you must’ve been very happy."

"Happy?"

"The Ariel you support won the final duel, didn’t she?"

Anna turned her head and smiled seductively. "Your best friend won—shouldn’t you be very happy?"

"..."

Liya’s pretty brow twitched, but she still revealed a perfect smile.

"Y-Yes, I’m very happy."

"I’m so jealous. The Muen I support lost, I’m really heartbroken."

Anna dabbed at her tears in a pitiful way.

"..."

Liya grabbed her skirt hem tightly. You could faintly hear cloth letting out an overloaded wail.

"Yes. Miss Anna is heartbroken and pitiful. After all, the Muen you support got hurt, and yet because Her Majesty the Empress sealed off the infirmary, you can’t even go see him."

"..."

Anna froze for a moment, then glanced at the seemingly delicate girl beside her with some surprise. A hint of chill began to seep into her eyes.

But Liya didn’t back down either. She widened her watery eyes with force, like a wild rabbit baring its teeth.

The two of them stared at each other, and another silence fell.

In the end, Anna looked away.

"I have something tonight, I’ll leave first. What about you, Saintess?"

"Eh? Me?"

"Does Your Highness still have business staying in the academy? I don’t recall a Saintess being such a leisurely post."

"...Th-Then I... I’ll go too."

So the two of them split up at the end of the grove, ending this short—and not at all pleasant—companionship in an abrupt way.

...

A few minutes later.

A figure appeared here again.

"She really left?"

After confirming the other person’s departure, she curled her lips into a slight smile and looked toward the academy infirmary.

"Then I won’t be polite."

...

...

"You should rest."

"Mm... are you leaving already?"

Muen stroked Her Majesty’s water-snake waist with reluctance, but after Celicia elbowed him again and made him understand what ‘pain that pierces the heart’ meant, he obediently let go.

"You think I’m as idle as you, a carefree playboy? I still have state affairs to handle. I’ve already delayed a lot today."

"I see... you’ve worked hard, Cia."

Muen held Celicia’s hand and shook it indulgently.

Celicia’s expression softened too, but she still pretended to be cold and tapped Muen on the head.

"Behave. Don’t cause trouble again."

"Do you think I’m that kind of person?"

Muen was shocked. "I’m always well-behaved, okay!"

"Hmph. You might be well-behaved. I’m worried certain people drawn here by a delicate flower like you won’t be well-behaved."

"Hah? What did you say?"

"Nothing. Lie down properly."

Celicia warned him a few more times, then stood up and left the ward.

...

"Guard this place well."

After walking out, Celicia ordered the female knight stationed here.

"Yes!"

The female knight answered loudly.

Unlike Ariel’s top-tier treatment with nurses surrounding her, Muen’s side was much duller. Not only were there no nurse big sisters, even the guard outside was a royal female knight personally assigned by Celicia.

Serious, stiff, uninterested in men.

"Mm... good."

Celicia looked around to confirm there were no flaws, then finally left at ease.

But after she left...

The female knight—who had been stern and statue-like—suddenly held her cheeks, blushing bright red.

"So sweet, so sweet. Is this the legendary pure love?"

Diyaka was moved.

She was born into a knightly family. Her father was the captain of the third squad of the Royal Knights, so even though she was a woman, she had been trained in the strictest knight training from childhood.

Because of that, growing up, she had never tasted the nourishment of love.

She had thought it didn’t matter, but after she was fortunate enough to be selected as a personal guard for Her Majesty the Empress, and was fortunate enough to witness the interactions between Her Majesty and Young Master Campbell with her own eyes, she finally understood...

What love was.

"It’s so beautiful."

All those so-called deeds of Young Master Muen Campbell stepping on a dozen boats and toying with women were nothing but malicious rumors spread by people with ulterior motives. These past few days, watching him with Her Majesty, Young Master Campbell was clearly very devoted! There weren’t other women around him! He also very obviously seemed obsessed with training—otherwise he wouldn’t be so strong at such a young age!

In her view, Her Majesty the Empress and Young Master Campbell—an outwardly cold but inwardly warm proud empress and a handsome, considerate blond noble young master—were simply made for each other!

"No. I can’t get distracted."

Diyaka hurriedly patted her face to wake herself up.

Her duty right now was to guard this beautiful romance. As a newly promoted pure-love warrior, she absolutely would not let anyone interfere with something so beautiful!

Absolutely!

"Um... hello."

But at that moment, a gentle voice suddenly sounded not far from her.

"Excuse me—Is Muen Campbell in this ward?"