Helena’s firm rejection surprised Pamela. Although she had thought rejection was possible, she didn’t expect such a resolute refusal.

“Why…?”

Pamela asked Helena, trying to steady her trembling voice.

Helena answered calmly, looking back at her without wavering.

“I appreciate the thought, but I’ll handle my own love life.”

“…Do you really think you can compete? Honestly?”

Pamela couldn’t understand. Did she truly believe she could beat the Crown Princess and Sylvia alone?

Pamela asked Helena in a tone of disbelief. Helena shook her head and replied calmly and matter-of-factly.

“It’s not about whether I can compete or not. It’s meaningless if I don’t achieve it with my own strength.”

“That’s foolish. In competition, winning by any means necessary is the most important thing.”

Pamela tried to persuade Helena calmly. She had to convince Helena to get closer to Felix. After all, Sylvia and Ashillya didn’t need Pamela’s help. They might even try to interfere with her getting close to him.

“That might be true for ordinary competition. But this is something I have to do myself, with my own power.”

“…Hah.”

Despite continued persuasion, Helena showed no sign of bending her will. Faced with this frustrating sight, Pamela couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

There was much she wanted to say, but seeing that further discussion was unlikely to change Helena’s mind, Pamela bit her lower lip and nodded.

“My offer will always be open, so think it over calmly.”

“…I’d like to say there’s no need, but alright. We never know what the future holds.”

“Yes.”

Pamela looked at Helena with sullen eyes before turning away.

Ironically, the one she thought would be easiest to persuade turned out to be the most difficult, leaving Pamela only able to sigh. Still, she could take some comfort in the fact that Helena, unlike before, hadn’t completely drawn the line.

Of course, from Helena’s perspective, it was merely leaving a small insurance since the future was uncertain, but that was enough.

‘She’ll soon realize the reality and come looking for me anyway.’

Common sense dictated that while Sylvia might be one thing, there was no way Helena could compete equally with Ashillya.

Or more precisely, it was questionable whether a competition could even take place. It didn’t seem likely that Ashillya would allow it.

“I’ll be going then.”

Helena watched Pamela’s retreating figure farewell.

“I hope your heart doesn’t change.”

“Hah…”

Pamela wanted to retort but didn’t even have the strength left for that.

‘That will never happen.’

It hadn’t happened before, and now it was even less likely. Not since Marquis Degrosis had ordered her to get involved with Felix.

‘I’ll never let things go his way.’

Pamela bit her lip hard as she walked away. Her gait was quite forceful due to her irritation.

@

“…What were you talking about for so long?”

I carefully asked Helena, who looked quite unhappy, as we returned to the academy together. She stared at me momentarily, then gave me a small smile.

“Nothing much.”

Seeing Helena force a smile despite her obvious bad mood, I clicked my tongue and frowned.

It was unexpected that Pamela came to meet Helena, and I didn’t know they had things to discuss. And I certainly didn’t expect their conversation to put them in a bad mood.

Remembering that Pamela, who left before Helena, had a similar expression, I let out a small sigh.

“For ‘nothing much,’ you don’t look very happy…”

“Well, how could I be happy seeing Felix, who came to meet me, flirting with another woman?”

“Um, we weren’t flirting…”

And I didn’t even bring her in the first place.

As I muttered this weak excuse, Helena pouted and poked my side with her index finger.

“Ugh.”

“Don’t make excuses.”

“It’s the truth.”

I firmly denied Helena’s words and subtly increased the distance between us.

As I moved one step away from her, she took another step closer, persistently aiming for my side.

“At times like this, you’re supposed to say ‘I understand.'”

“I was taught that a man should call right things right and wrong things wrong!”

“Who taught you such a terrible thing?”

“My mother.”

“…Fine!”

I bantered with Helena as we walked. Seeing Helena flush and get worked up, I burst out laughing and quickly moved away from her.

“Come here. Hurry up.”

“…When you say it like that, it makes me not want to come even more.”

Seeing Helena cracking her knuckles as she spoke, I shook my head and politely declined.

“You’ll die if I catch you~”

Seeing Helena approach me with a bright smile, I quickly raised my hands to appease her.

“Let’s go eat something delicious!”

“…You think I’ll feel better just because of food?”

Even though she hesitated as soon as I mentioned delicious food.

With clearly contemplating eyes and a trembling voice, there’s no persuasiveness in what you’re saying, you know?

“Come here.”

Step, step.

Although she hesitated slightly at my sweet offer, Helena steeled her resolve and resisted the temptation. In the past, she would have agreed with sparkling eyes. Wiping away the tears welling up at Helena’s growth, I continued.

“Steak. Expensive one.”

Stop.

“…H-how expensive?”

When I spoke firmly, like Kim Du-han negotiating with the US Army during the Korean War, Helena stopped in her tracks and cautiously asked me.

Looking at Helena’s sky-blue eyes starting to sparkle, I curled up the corners of my mouth.

“The newly opened…”

“Evergreen Night’s Feast?”

“Exactly.”

“Okay! Thank you!”

At my solemn and serious voice, Helena cheered and nodded her head vigorously.

Evergreen Night’s Feast, which was starting to become known as a good restaurant among academy students these days, was a place Helena had always been singing about wanting to go to.

‘By the way, why do all the store names here have to be like this?’

Of course, the store names in the original world weren’t exactly normal either, but here it’s like… a bit poetic, I guess.

“Hmm~”

Helena, whose mood had been down earlier, hummed cheerfully as she walked towards the restaurant with a spring in her step. Seeing this, I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Helena seemed to be in a really bad mood, and she had been eating only hospital food for a while, so I was planning to treat her to something delicious.

I was glad her mood seemed to have improved more than expected.

“Let’s go together.”

“Oh, since Felix is paying, I guess I can join you!”

“…Am I perhaps your wallet?”

“That’s right!”

Seeing Helena agree with my words with a bright smile, I laughed in disbelief and scratched my head as I followed her.

I was planning to treat her anyway, but it feels a bit vexing when she puts it like that.

‘Maybe I should eat and run.’

“What if…”

As I seriously considered eating deliciously and then leaving Helena with the bill, I snapped back to attention at Helena’s low voice beside me and turned to look at her.

“Hm?”

Helena’s sky-blue eyes were staring intently at me. They were still sparkling but somehow cold. As I blinked at those eyes, she smiled again and continued.

“If you eat and run, I won’t let you off easily.”

“…”

Seeing Helena mutter while looking into my eyes as if she had read my thoughts, I struggled to maintain composure and forced a smile.

“I’ll chase you to the ends of the world and make you pay the price. Without fail.”

“…As if I would do that?”

Although it was just a joke, I pretended to laugh casually to hide that I had briefly considered it and cheerfully shouted while pushing Helena’s back:

“Come on, let’s go quickly!!”

“Okay…!”

Sighing in relief behind Helena, where she couldn’t see, I thought to myself.

You should absolutely never dine and dash. Who knows what might happen if you do it, even as a joke?

‘A date with Felix!!’

Meanwhile, Helena smiled brightly, feeling Felix’s hands pushing her back.

She tried not to let him notice her excited heart and the loud thumping in her chest as she looked forward to her second date with Felix in the city.

Translator’s Corner

Always pay for your food. And only give tips when service is good.

-Ruminas