The Academy's VIP Room. Seraphine’s Private Reception Room.

Across a table from the blonde princess sat a pair of individuals, a man and a woman.

The couple, who had visited Seraphine's VIP room, engaged in a serious discussion with her, exchanging various topics. After a lengthy conversation, the Third Princess, wearing a slightly bitter expression, asked the two in a somewhat dejected tone:

"...So, Lord Ethan and Miss Lillis will be stepping down from the student council after this semester, correct?"

"Yes, Princess Seraphine."

"I will also be following Lord Ethan's decision, Princess Seraphine."

"...I understand. Since both of you seem firm in your decision, I won’t try to stop you any further. After all, everyone has their own priorities."

"I apologize for having to deliver such news, Princess Seraphine."

"No, it’s their choice, after all. I’m just grateful that you’ll both continue to handle the accounting and administrative duties until the end of the semester."

Despite the calm words that left her lips, Seraphine's heart was burning with frustration. But she was not foolish enough to let her true feelings show.

Instead, she simply nodded at Ethan and Lillis’s decision with as calm a smile as she could muster.

"Thank you for informing me in advance. This gives me time to find replacements for the student council."

"...We’ll take our leave now, Princess."

"Yes, Lord Ethan. And please, keep your departure from the student council a secret for the time being, for the sake of maintaining a good atmosphere."

"I understand, Princess."

"May peace be with you, Princess."

As the two bowed and left her reception room, Seraphine maintained her smile until they had exited the building. Only then did she finally allow herself to let out a long, deep sigh.

“Haaa...”

"Are you alright, Princess Seraphine?"

"Yes, I’m perfectly fine."

"......"

"...Or at least, I would like to say that. But this time, even I’m quite shaken."

In truth, Seraphine had somewhat anticipated this conversation before Ethan's visit.

She had already noticed that Ethan had been investigating Natalie and Agnes during the winter break.

It wasn’t that she had been keeping an eye on Ethan, but rather that she had learned of it by chance when his investigation brushed against her own connections.

And knowing this, it wasn’t difficult to predict what decision Ethan might make after discovering the connection.

So Seraphine had prepared as much as possible to try and persuade them, but she found herself unable to sway Ethan and his personal maid, who both displayed firm resolve.

“This was clearly my mistake.”

“Princess Seraphine...”

“I should have been more careful. I didn’t anticipate that Lord Ethan would be so wary of the hero, Bolt.”

"It’s not your fault, Princess. You intended to mend the relationship between Lord Ethan and the hero during that gathering, but unforeseen events disrupted your plan..."

"In other words, it was a flawed plan that could easily be derailed by such a minor incident. I appreciate your kind words, but the fact remains that it was my fault."

"......"

Luke could only look at Seraphine, who was gazing out the window with a troubled expression, unable to find the words to continue.

He instinctively knew that any words he might offer would only leave his mistress feeling more regretful rather than comforted.

“It took so long to gather them, yet they scattered in an instant.”

"......"

“This is the just punishment I deserve for being a villainess. This is the consequence of trying to use others for my own selfish desires.”

"Princess Seraphine, you are not a villainess. Without your benevolence, I would not be here today."

"No, Luke. I keep you around because you are useful to me. I’ve always formed relationships based on mutual benefit, and I’ve believed that it was acceptable to sacrifice personal connections if it meant achieving my goals."

"But isn’t your ultimate goal a future that benefits everyone?"

"...Perhaps. But not everyone will agree with my goals. After all, everyone has something they hold dear, something they value more than their own life."

Seraphine sighed again and quietly gazed into the void, recalling the events of the last banquet.

Was the hero’s true intention in asking her to arrange a meeting with Lillis really to bring her into his party?

If that was his goal, why did he target her specifically?

Though Lillis’s magic was powerful, Agnes was already far more skilled in that field.

And while her supportive magic was useful, it was still somewhat lacking compared to that of Cerista, who was always by the hero’s side.

The only thing Lillis had that was undeniably superior to the other two was her overwhelmingly prominent physical attributes.

Perhaps the hero had some other motive for approaching Lillis…

‘...I can’t seem to think clearly. This doesn’t usually happen.’

It seemed that whenever the hero was involved, Seraphine’s mind became clouded.

She was a princess who, despite feeling uneasy about the growing number of women around the hero, didn’t want to be disliked by him and thus did her best to fulfill his requests.

This time, too, she had only arranged the gathering at his request. Normally, Seraphine would never have set up such a hurried meeting.

They say that a girl in love becomes foolish.

No matter how competent Seraphine was, she couldn’t help but be blinded by love, and as a result, the hero’s sudden request momentarily clouded her judgment.

However, the incident at the party did not entirely bring bad news for Seraphine. She secretly felt a bit of joy when she heard that the hero's party was beginning to fracture.

‘I know I shouldn’t be pleased by something like this, but...’

She felt some relief in knowing that Lillis, who she had feared might become her strongest rival, would not be joining the hero’s party after all.

And she couldn’t help but feel a small sense of satisfaction at the news that Natalie and Agnes had temporarily distanced themselves from the hero’s party.

Of course, the now composed Seraphine would soon work to bring them back into the hero’s party, but for the moment, she enjoyed the respite from having to consider them as competitors.

‘I can still salvage this. I’ll comfort Miss Natalie, bring her back into the hero’s party, and then persuade Miss Agnes to return as well...’

Relationships that have become strained can always be repaired.

Seraphine had confidence in her ability to forge human connections, and she believed that starting from scratch, she could make up for what was lost.

‘I suppose I’m too manipulative to ever see heaven when I die.’

But that didn’t matter. For Seraphine, the most important thing was the salvation of this world and all of humanity.

...The second most important thing was winning the heart of the hero she loved.

One week after Ethan and I informed Seraphine of our decision to leave the student council.

As the new semester at the academy began, it brought a new atmosphere with it.

The senior students who had little impact on the main story had mostly graduated, and a new wave of first-year characters with ties to the protagonist were enrolling.

Though their numbers were not as significant as the current second-year “protagonist generation,” there were still several characters among the first-year students who would play major roles in 『Luminor Academy』.

The Spear Club’s Barbarian Liria.

The Martial Arts Club’s Backstreet Kael.

The Pharmacology Club’s Kind Tralia.

The Technology Club’s Inventor Seldik.

Among these, Liria and Kael could eventually be recruited as the protagonist's companions, while Tralia and Seldik were more like NPCs.

If I had to prioritize, the latter characters were slightly more important than the former.

‘There are alternative companions for the Spear and Martial Arts Clubs in Thomas and Seraphine, but the only sources for medicine and tools are Tralia and Seldik.’

In simpler terms, it was about whether or not there were substitutes. Seldik, in particular, was more important.

While Tralia’s consumable potions could be replaced by other people or NPCs after graduation, some of the items Seldik created were powerful enough to be used right up to the ending.

I had briefly worried that these four might not enroll in the academy due to the changes in the future, but in the end, all four of them made it onto this year’s list of new students.

They even secured top or second place in their respective departments, just as they had in the original story.

‘There were a few close calls, but this much is manageable.’

I also heard that Natalie had returned to the hero’s party after apologizing to Ethan and that Seraphine had recently met with Agnes privately.

It wouldn’t be long before Bolt’s hero party, which had temporarily scattered, was reunited.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel a bit sorry for Seraphine, who had been running around tirelessly trying to keep everything together, but it was her responsibility to bear.

After all, if she hadn’t invited the hero’s party to the student council’s after-party, none of this would have been necessary.

‘It was strange that Seraphine made such an uncharacteristic mistake, but it’s too late to look into it now.’

At least, she wasn’t persistently clinging to me and Ethan. That was something of a relief.

Whether she had fully understood Ethan’s decision to leave the student council or was simply preoccupied with other priorities, she wasn’t showing any special interest in us at the moment.

Of course, there was always the possibility that she might suddenly take an interest in us again if she had a vision of the future, but that was something beyond my control.

For now, it was better to enjoy the peaceful days and the return to normalcy.

Though it was personally a shame that our relationship with Seraphine had cooled, the previous semester didn’t leave only regrets.

When one relationship fades, another often grows closer.

-Creak.

“……”

The door to the classroom opened for the first session of the new semester, and a red-haired mage quietly entered.

As I stared at her, lost in thought, our eyes met. Agnes, who had been looking around, locked eyes with me and then calmly walked over to where I was sitting.

-Thump.

“……”

“……”

She sat down beside me, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, avoiding my gaze and remaining silent.

There was a slightly awkward silence between us, and just as I was about to wonder what her purpose was, she spoke softly, her face slightly flushed.

“…You can call me Agnes.”

“What?”

“…I said, you can call me Agnes… Lillis.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that. Could you say it again, Miss Blaze?”

“…I said, you can call me Agnes!”

“Yes, yes~. So, I should call you Miss Agnes?”

“You…! You understood me the first time, didn’t you?! You…!”

…Seeing her like this, she does seem kind of cute.

It was one of those moments when I thought that maybe this kind of relationship wasn’t so bad after all.