That wasn’t simply because she was the top student.

Of course, that was part of it, but Lucia didn’t like Iria’s arrogant behavior.

Lucia had been investigating Iria for a while.

Sometimes, she followed her, monitored her, and even didn’t hesitate to use her power for background checks.

Even if she looked weak, she was still the top student of the first year.

Even if her mana amount was small, there must have been something to overturn that.

But no matter how much she thought about it, Iria’s recent behavior was incomprehensible.

“Duel request……”

“No.”

Iria rejected all duel requests, didn’t hone her martial arts, and had a very limited range of activities.

If she wasn’t attending classes, she was mostly holed up in the library.

“Hey, you know that first-year top student? Isn’t she really annoying? Honestly, seeing how she doesn’t even accept duels, it seems like she just got lucky.”

“I know, right? Just because they call her the top student, she thinks she’s special.”

As a result, the rumors about her couldn’t be good.

Lucia agreed with those rumors too.

Unlike those who had glimpsed her at the entrance exam, Lucia hadn’t seen anything.

At first, she was wary because she didn’t know about her, but the more she saw, the more Lucia judged that Iria wasn’t someone to be afraid of.

Was it really just luck?

She didn’t like how Iria walked proudly as if she was something special, rejecting all duels.

Despite having such a small amount of mana, it only looked like she was avoiding all duels after luckily becoming the top student.

So Lucia decided to test Iria.

How would she react when a sudden accident struck?

Would she run away even after severe insults?

Or would she be unable to control her anger and accept a duel?

Either way was fine.

The “top student,” Iria, wouldn’t be a match for her anyway.

“……?”

“What are you looking at? I said I was sorry. It wasn’t on purpose. You’re being too sensitive.”

“……”

“Although it was a mistake, it’s my fault for not properly managing my servant, so I’ll apologize on their behalf. I’m sorry, Iria. Is that enough?”

Lucia said with a sneer.

Iria, drenched like a drowned rat, looked quite ridiculous.

But that laughter didn’t last long.

Because Lucia’s eyes naturally met hers.

Just that was enough.

“Ugh?!”

For a moment, it felt like everything around her was pressing down on her.

Breathing became difficult, and her heart raced.

As Iria took a step forward, the pressure intensified.

A sharp pain arose as if all the organs in her body were twisting.

As Iria came a little closer, her breath was suddenly cut off.

It felt like an invisible hand was strangling her.

It was painful and agonizing.

“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”

“W-what are you……”

She had indeed planned it in advance, but she would deny it.

How could she prove it was a lie when she said it wasn’t?

Rather, Lucia would mock her for being overly self-conscious if she reacted so strongly.

But it didn’t go as planned.

As Iria took another step closer, Lucia couldn’t move a finger, let alone speak.

She scanned Lucia with fierce eyes.

In the dark changing room with no lights on, Iria’s red gaze felt piercing.

Something was strange.

Lucia frowned and turned her gaze away.

It was humiliating, but it was to seek help from those around.

But May and Ray, Lucia’s loyal servants, were already unconscious on the floor.

So now only the two of them remained.

A chilly air filled the room.

Iria was still glaring at Lucia.

Resisting the unknown force, Lucia opened her mouth with difficulty.

“It seems there’s some misunderstanding……”

“What misunderstanding could there be after suddenly pouring water on someone’s head?”

“T-that! It was a mistake…!”

She tried hard to pass it off as a mistake, but there was one fact she had overlooked.

Iria can read the memories of those whose eyes she meets.

Just briefly reading Lucia’s memories, she could tell it was a lie.

But even knowing that, she couldn’t prove it to others.

If a commotion broke out now, Iria would be at a disadvantage.

So Iria let Lucia go willingly.

Because she had a better idea than tormenting her now.

“Cough! Hack! Haa, haaa……”

Freed from the restraint, Lucia exhaled roughly.

She couldn’t stand up for a while, her hands on the ground.

Spitting out the saliva pooled in her mouth, she took the breaths she couldn’t take before.

A woman was looking down at her.

Iria sighed and rummaged through Lucia’s pocket.

Skillfully taking only the wallet, she turned around and grasped the doorknob.

“There won’t be a second time, Lucia. I’ll take this as dry cleaning fees.”

“You…! Do you think you’ll be safe after doing this?!”

“What did I do?”

Iria tilted her head as if she really didn’t know.

Lucia bit her lip, her brow deeply furrowed.

For now, her boiling anger outweighed her fear of the unknown.

So she shouted.

“You disgraced the second daughter of Aster and even laid hands on my servants!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Did you have a bad dream?”

“Ha, so you’re going to deny it like that?”

Lucia laughed as if it was absurd.

At a glance, it was similar to what Lucia had tried to do to her.

Especially in the idea that it was clearly intentional but insisting it wasn’t.

But if there was a difference between Iria and Lucia.

“There’s one victim and two witnesses. And do you think no one outside saw you coming in here?”

“……”

“You’re screwed now. I’ll take responsibility for making your academy life miserable.”

Lucia had people backing her up, but Iria didn’t.

The faction following her, a recommended student, was not small, even outside the academy.

So, from the moment she turned Lucia into an enemy, Iria had already made a big mistake.

At least, that’s what Lucia thought.

She sneered as if looking forward to what would happen next, and Iria blinked as if she didn’t understand.

And.

“I never entered the changing room today.”

“……What?”

Leaving those last words, Iria disappeared.

She didn’t open the door and leave.

She just disappeared with a whoosh, like a passing wind.

As if she had never been there in the first place, there was no trace of Iria to be found inside the changing room.

“W-what? Where did she go?”

It felt like a dream.

It was spring.

***

May and Ray, Lucia’s servants, didn’t remember what happened in the changing room.

“What? I sprayed water?”

“Yes! Iria definitely came in here, and I gave the signal…”

“I’m not sure……”

Lucia felt frustrated and called the other servant who was there.

“Ray! You remember, right? Earlier in the changing room, I definitely……”

“……”

Ray just blinked, standing there as if hearing this for the first time.

Lucia became anxious.

Was it really a dream?

No, it couldn’t be.

She thought it couldn’t have been a dream when it was so vivid.

As proof, the wallet that Iria took was gone.

She asked the students who had been near the changing room.

May and Ray lost consciousness partway through, so that’s understandable, but someone must have seen her if Iria had come in and out through the door.

As much as she hated to admit it, Iria, who currently held the position of top student in the year, had a significant presence.

“Iria. Haven’t you seen Iria? She came into the changing room earlier.”

“If you’re talking about that top student, she was there receiving private instruction from a professor. As for the changing room… I’m not sure.”

“Really! This is driving me crazy!”

She felt like she was going to lose her mind.

No one except her remembered what had happened then.

She tried hard to spread the story that Iria had assaulted her, laid hands on her servants, and stolen her wallet, but still, no one believed her.

Feeling a severe headache, Lucia finally turned to Iria.

After finishing her private lesson with the professor, Iria was alone, tidying up her sword.

“You…… What did you do?”

Lucia asked.

What did you do to me?

Why don’t other people remember what happened then?

What is your true identity?

And Iria answered.

“Who are you?”

Well, it wasn’t really an answer.

Iria showed a blank expression.

Iria kept her mouth tightly shut and maintained silence.

It meant she didn’t know anything.

“Is she someone you know, Iria?”

And the golden-haired woman beside her intervened and asked.

Iria shook her head.

“She’s a stranger.”