Felix von Astria.
Helena Fell Degreff.

The two were childhood friends. They grew up together, played together, and were always together… So naturally, they dreamed of a future together as childhood friends.

Felix had always been a kind boy since childhood. He took care of Helena a little more than himself and also looked after his other friends, being somewhat mature for his age.

In addition, with his strikingly handsome appearance among boys his age and his diligent sword training as a warrior, Helena couldn’t help but naturally fall for him.

At 7 years old.

At that time, it was a very faint liking, too young to be called love.

That liking grew as Felix and Helena spent more time together. In a way, it might have been because no one was as good as Felix around them.

Of course, even thinking about it now, finding a better man than him might be a far-fetched idea.

Anyway, Helena thought. Once they graduated from the academy, Felix found what he wanted to do. It would naturally be her who would marry him.

That was perhaps arrogance and, at the same time, conceit.

She already knew that Felix was a good enough person. Although he wouldn’t inherit a title, he was still the son of an earl family, had outstanding talent in martial arts, and had the effort and passion to back it up.

At the same time, he was handsome and had a flawless personality.

It was arrogant to think that no one in the small society of the academy would be eyeing such a person.

At the same time, it was conceited to think that even if there were such people, she could win against them.

Therefore.

[I like you. Let’s date.]

Helena was devastated by the fact that it wasn’t her who was the receiver of such words.

Helena wasn’t oblivious. She had already noticed that Felix had some degree of affection for her.

That’s why she had let her guard down a bit. She couldn’t even imagine that Felix, that Felix, would be captivated by another woman in the academy just based on looks.

But fortunately for Helena, Felix was rejected by Sylvia, and after that, he returned to normal.

After being cleanly rejected, he seemed to have come to his senses and started training hard again, and he seemed more mature and cooler than before.

Helena was inwardly relieved. At the same time, she burned with determination.

She thought she should get closer to him to prevent such a thing from happening again. Of course, it wasn’t an easy task.

Now, she couldn’t be sure whether Felix really had feelings for her, and even if he did, whether those feelings were ‘love’ or ‘friendship.’

That’s why Helena thought even more that she needed to hold onto Felix. She felt she needed to capture his heart and make him completely hers.

Before a competitor appeared.

But the competitor appeared earlier than expected. At first, it was Princess Ashillya.

Somehow entangled with Felix, she began to express her feelings for him faster than expected. Of course, Felix himself was a bit burdened because of her position as the crown princess, but…

This won’t do.

Helena thought that someday she might lose Felix to her. This thought only grew stronger during the Siegfried incident.

Then, he was invited to escort the crown princess to her investiture ceremony.

Unlike herself, who couldn’t do anything during the Siegfried incident, the princess directly helped Felix.

Helena became more and more impatient. But she knew that nothing would come of just having an impatient heart.

That’s why she planned to dig into Felix’s life and heart a little faster than before, but not so fast that he would think it was too sudden.

But.

It would be fair to say that almost none of the situations she had anticipated since coming to the academy had occurred.

Even so.

[I am Shin-woo Lee.]

Helena could never have anticipated the contents of Felix’s notebook, and she didn’t want to think about them.

Helena, who had accidentally seen the words written in Felix’s notebook, had no choice but to read the contents carefully.

[I used to practice pen spinning during school because I didn’t want to study, but even though my body has changed, that habit remains. Is this fortunate?]

Such words were written at the end of that notebook she had seen by chance.

Helena read the notebook carefully from the first page while Felix was asleep.

The notebook contained little content, so it didn’t take her long to read it all.

But there was a difference between reading all the content and understanding all the content. Helena stared at the notebook for a long time.

It was because she couldn’t understand what was written in it.

It was the story of a man named Shin-woo Lee who lived in another world, not a person of this world.

[Shin-woo Lee, 27 years old, honorably discharged as an Army Sergeant. No family. Currently employed at a decent mid-sized company.]

There were words that Helena couldn’t understand with her knowledge, but she realized that this was his life story.

‘…Delusion?’

It was too coherent and too well-organized to be dismissed as a novel or delusion. The other world was also specifically explained, and even words she didn’t know were used familiarly.

It was definitely not some strange setting that could be thought up in a short time.

‘But.’

Even so, it wasn’t something she could easily believe.

The fact that the Felix she was looking at now was not actually Felix, but a person named Shin-woo Lee from another world who had inhabited Felix’s body.

She couldn’t understand this unrealistic situation.

That’s why Helena chose to leave his room for now. In fact, to avoid letting him know that she had read the notebook, it would have been wise to take back the snacks she had brought as well.

But Helena didn’t have the presence of mind to think of that.

Helena, who had sneaked out of Felix’s room the same way she had sneaked in, held her dizzy head and took deep breaths.

‘Felix is not Felix?’

That can’t be.

Although he appeared slightly more mature, Felix’s habits and personality remained.

Then what was the writing she had seen?

Really, really, had Felix become mentally ill because he was having such a hard time lately?

‘…I don’t know.’

Helena felt a tightness in her chest as if it was blocked. But she couldn’t confide this situation to anyone.

No, she didn’t think they would believe it even if she told someone. Helena, who had been repeatedly patting her tight chest, suddenly looked up at the window of Felix’s room.

‘Just who.’

Who are you…?

***

I smiled happily while eating the snacks Helena had left, bit by bit.

I had been worried about many things, but as she said, eating something sweet made my head feel much better. No, maybe my brain was melting because it was too sweet.

‘There’s no point in racking my brains alone.’

In the end, I had to meet Duke Geyrus anyway, and even if I didn’t get a clear answer from meeting him, it wouldn’t mean much.

Anyway, this problem wasn’t something that could be solved by talking to someone. I had to find the answer to it on my own.

While thinking this and eating cookies, I turned my head at the presence I felt in front of the door.

Knock, knock.

“…Who is it?”

When I woke up, it was already night, and the moon was high in the sky. I blinked blankly because no one would come looking for me at such a late hour.

A familiar voice was heard from outside the door in response to my question.

“It’s me. Cain.”

“…Ah.”

Remembering that I had asked to contact the Duke Geyrus family, I hurriedly got up and opened the door.

Despite the late hour, Cain was standing in front of the door in impeccable attire.

“What’s the matter?”

“A message came from the head of the family. He wants to meet as soon as possible.”

“…Really?”

I had asked to contact the Duke Geyrus family, and since he had said he wanted to see me first, I thought I could meet him relatively easily.

But I never dreamed the reply would come this quickly.

When I asked again with surprised eyes, Cain silently nodded and held out a white envelope.

In the center of the envelope was clearly stamped the emblem of the Duke Geyrus family.

I received the envelope and hurriedly opened it to check the letter’s contents.

[I wish to have a meeting as soon as possible.]

I couldn’t help but laugh at the content written concisely in neat handwriting.

Cain was waiting for me in front of the door to wait for the reply to the letter. Seeing this, I quietly nodded.

“This weekend. I’ll head to the Duke’s residence.”

Finally, this weekend, I would be able to have a meeting with Duke Geyrus.

Translator’s Corner

Hey guys. I mentioned in discord and completely forgot about putting it here. I’m currently travelling abroad, so I’m making chapters when I have time.

Sorry for missing a day.

-Ruminas