Princess Mezzlen had just confessed to me that she had fallen in love over the past week, and I couldn’t help but be bewildered. How could she develop feelings for someone in just a week? Whoever this person was, they had to be far from ordinary.

If she managed to fall in love in such a short time, he must be someone quite special.

Of course, if there’s a hero involved, with a strong storyline and background, falling in love in a single day wouldn’t be impossible. In fact, Mezzlen originally became interested in the hero on the first day she encountered him at the academy.

But the problem was that the hero had been with us for the geology exploration class all week. I had made sure to warn him not to flirt with other women, so I was confident that he wouldn’t have made a move on Mezzlen.

So, the hero is out of the question. That leaves one of the remaining male characters who somehow caught her eye…

To be honest, I couldn’t figure out who it could be. Most of the named male characters had also been participating in the geology exploration class. There was the hero and Ethan, of course, but also Thomas, Karaham, and Gwyn from the hero’s party.

The only notable male student who hadn’t joined us on the trip was Cedric from the second-year engineering department, but…

Wasn’t Cedric supposed to end up with Kael later?

He was already meant to be part of another heroine’s pairing, so there was no way he could be the one Mezzlen was interested in. If she had fallen for Cedric, I’d actually have to sabotage it rather than support her, just to avoid messing up the storylines.

Besides, Mezzlen didn’t seem like the type to be drawn to someone as easygoing as Cedric, so I ruled him out.

I guess I’ll just have to ask her directly.

“I’m so happy for you, Princess Mezzlen, truly. My heartfelt congratulations.”

“T-Thank you, Lilith…”

“Would you mind telling me the name of the man who has captured your heart?”

“Well… I don’t actually know his name.”

“…Pardon?”

“I mean, how could someone like me remember the names of every person at the academy? When someone of my stature talks to others, it’s always proper for them to introduce themselves first.”

“……”

Right… what was I expecting? Of course, this princess with her inflated sense of self wouldn’t even know his name.

But in a way, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The key to making Mezzlen happy was for her to fall deeply in love with someone, rather than simply finding the right partner. Mezzlen was the kind of girl who could only truly be happy if she was passionately in love.

The problem is that the guy she’s fallen for could be some nobody, for all I know.

If it turned out that the man was a nameless background character, there wouldn’t be much to worry about. Most men of the empire would leap at the chance to be with a princess if they learned she was interested. Even if he were a bit unrefined, he could be educated to meet Mezzlen’s standards, and if he were a commoner, he could be given a suitable title.

After all, Mezzlen had the kind of beauty that made her a desirable partner, and her personality could be managed as long as she genuinely loved the person. The real issue would be if the man had some reason he couldn’t marry Mezzlen.

If she’s fallen for someone who’s already engaged or married…

That would be a real headache. It could lead to all kinds of trouble between the imperial family, the man’s family, and his betrothed’s family. In such cases, Mezzlen should back off, but knowing her, she wouldn’t let go easily.

“If you don’t know his name, could you at least describe what he looks like, Princess?”

“Hmm, well… he had a very elegant and refined aura about him.”

“An aura of refinement… He must be a noble, then.”

“And his gaze was so intense… He wielded a sword with such skill, defeating bad men effortlessly, yet without killing them—only knocking them unconscious.”

“An intense gaze… and excellent swordsmanship…”

An intense gaze… does that mean he had a strong impression?

In a setting like Luminor Academy, an intense gaze usually meant a named character, someone I would probably recognize if I heard the name.

And given that he fought with a sword, he was likely in the swordsmanship department. While it wasn’t impossible for others to use swords, like me, those with real skill usually came from the swordsmanship department.

Not to mention that if he’s a noble, there’s a high chance he’s already engaged…

The problem is that most of the main male characters in the swordsmanship department are already involved with someone else.

The hero was out of the question, and Karaham had already paired up with Lyria, forming a perfect couple. Ethan was practically engaged to Princess Rainy, and Mackhart was dead, being the antagonist.

Antonio, a first-year student, was currently involved with Agnes… and even if he weren’t, Mezzlen would certainly know his name, and besides, they were cousins, so that would be ridiculous.

So, who’s left in the swordsmanship department?

Maybe when Mezzlen said “intense gaze,” it wasn’t about the person’s appearance, but rather how she felt due to her attraction. When people fall for someone, they tend to see them in a more idealized light.

With eight departments in Luminor Academy, each with its own set of main and supporting characters, it was easy to overlook some of the lesser-known figures. Right now, it seemed like most of the notable male characters in the swordsmanship department were already taken.

But I needed to get more details, so I pressed her further.

“It seems like this man is from the swordsmanship department. Do you remember any other distinguishing features, like his height or hair color?”

“He was quite tall… and his hair color was… oh.”

Suddenly, Mezzlen gasped, as if something had occurred to her, and she stopped speaking. I tilted my head in confusion, locking eyes with her as she hurriedly covered her mouth, looking flustered.

“I-I can’t tell you! I just realized I can’t say!”

“…Excuse me?”

“Do you think I’m unaware of your true intentions, Lilith? You’re just asking about him so you can seduce him before I have the chance! You think you can fool me?”

“What? That’s not what I—”

“Don’t bother denying it! The whole academy knows you’re a genius when it comes to seducing men! You’re planning to use your… your vulgar body to lure him away from me, aren’t you?!”

“……”

She quickly glanced up and down my figure, before spitting out those last words. A vulgar body? Really?

Sure, Lilith’s body was pretty well-endowed compared to other characters in Luminor Academy, but accusing me of trying to seduce her crush just because of that? Ridiculous.

And why would I even want another man when I was already in a temporary relationship with Ethan? There was no one better than him in the academy, anyway.

Not to mention, I was practically a unicorn in my past life—I wasn’t interested in that kind of romance.

“Princess Mezzlen, I swear on my honor, I have no intention of stealing the man you’ve fallen for—”

“Anyway, I’ll handle this on my own! I don’t need your help, Lilith!”

Tap tap tap!

“Wait, Princess Mezzlen…!”

Before I could finish explaining, she bolted, running away as if I were about to steal her prince. I was left standing there, dumbfounded.

…Whatever. If she wants to handle it on her own, let her.

And if she comes asking for help later, I’m definitely not lifting a finger.