Imperial Magic Academy.
A place where the elites of the Empire, the future leaders, gather—a dream destination for all citizens of the Empire. The top 0.1% of talents come together in this place.

"Yuria’s discarded drawing from the Magic Arts class is up for auction! We’ll start at two hundred thousand Lark!"

"Dammit! I’ve never seen such a terrible drawing in my life!"

"I can’t believe Yuria has something she’s not good at! This drawing is worth a lot just for being hers!"

"One million Lark!"

"Five million Lark!!!"

"Hey, hey, slow down!"

The auction of a discarded picture from the trash was in full swing. It was such a miserable piece of art that it was impossible to guess what it was supposed to represent, but the mere fact that it was drawn by Yuria, who excelled in everything from studying and research to sports and combat, made its value skyrocket.

In fact, drawing was the only thing Yuria wasn’t good at. For all other subjects, she had received perfect or near-perfect scores, but ironically, she struggled with exams in the Magic Arts Department, the very department she majored in.

Despite being good at so many things, why did she insist on going to an art school? What was her passion for art? People couldn’t help but marvel at her determination to pursue her dream, regardless of her innate talent.

"Oh my! Yuria’s here!"

"Hide the picture! Quick!"

"Auction’s over! We’ll continue later!"

Just as the news that Yuria had arrived spread, the students, pale-faced, hurriedly began to leave. The auction hall, once neatly arranged, vanished in an instant, as everyone quickly opened books or sat down across from each other, pretending to be busy.

"Y-Yuria! It’s good to see you."

"Hello, senior. But everyone seems so awkward."

"Uh..."

Finally, Yuria appeared. Though she noticed something odd about the scene—seniors gathered in the front yard of the dormitory—she chose not to dwell on it. As she passed by, the students couldn’t stop whispering about her.

"Wow! Yuria, you look so amazing today!"

"I heard you were listed as the second author on Professor Howden’s paper about mana wave frequencies?"

"In the mock battle held by the Combat Magic Department, you defeated all the major students!"

"You’re excelling in both studies and research, and your combat skills are top-tier!"

Contrary to the predictions that her fame would fade over time, Yuria’s achievements and reputation continued to rise.

At first, there were many who mocked her, claiming that no matter how excellent she was, she was just a commoner. But now, it seemed as if everyone had forgotten that Yuria was a commoner at all.

It was true that when someone was truly extraordinary, feelings of inferiority and jealousy seemed to disappear. Before long, both the professors and students at the Imperial Magic Academy had become ardent fans of Yuria. Now, there was genuine excitement about what kind of person she would become by the time she graduated.

And now, with all the admiration from the students of the Imperial Magic Academy, Yuria was currently...

‘That black-clad man... no reply yet...’

Her thoughts were entirely focused on one person. It had been said that the post office would be closed for three days. That meant her reply wouldn’t arrive until at least next week.

Of all the times for the post office to be closed, it had to be now, right when she had asked an important question!

She had spent the whole day anxiously waiting for a reply, and now, she had no idea how she was going to endure until then.

"Ah!?"

At that moment, she spotted a familiar envelope in the dormitory’s mailbox, and without realizing it, she let out a joyful exclamation. She quickly took the envelope and dashed off to her room.

"What, what’s going on!?"

"Who’s the letter from, to make Yuria so happy?"

"I’ve never seen Yuria smile like that before..."

"It must be a letter from her lover!"

"Ahhh! That’s not allowed!"

The room buzzed with gossip, and rumors spread quickly. Meanwhile, Yuria, oblivious to the commotion outside, happily tore open the letter.

"So you knew the post office was closed and hired a private courier, huh? Such great sense. Aslan Vermont is on a completely different level compared to that inconsiderate guy!"

A subtle smile lingered on Yuria’s face as she finally found the antique stationery with "From the black-clad man to Yuria" written on it. After carefully preserving the envelope in a moisture-proof storage box, Yuria lay on her bed, eagerly kicking her feet as she began to read the letter.

• "I’ve read your letter. It seems you’ve been spending a lot of time with Count Vermont recently."
• "I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw all the flaws you listed about Count Vermont. If I showed it to him, I’m sure he wouldn’t even be able to argue back."

"Ah, right..."

Suddenly, Yuria recalled the letter she had sent to the black-clad man and smacked her forehead.

Come to think of it, she had spent almost a whole page complaining about Aslan Vermont. Back then, she was frustrated and impulsively wrote those things, but now, she regretted it.

"Ugh! Why did I do that!?"

The black-clad man wouldn’t want to see me hating anyone like that... especially if it was one of his acquaintances.

Realizing her huge mistake, Yuria kicked the blanket off in frustration.

• "Knowing so many things that even Count Vermont doesn’t, it must mean you’ve been watching him very carefully. Seems you’re quite interested in him."

"Ahhh! Nooo...!"

What? I’m interested in Aslan Vermont?

That’s not it! Definitely not!

Yuria couldn’t help but scream in frustration.

The only person I’m interested in is the black-clad man!

That disgusting Aslan Vermont is just a nuisance, and he’s not someone I care about!

I just get annoyed every time I think of him, but he’s not important!

The thought that the black-clad man might misunderstand her feelings was driving Yuria to the brink of madness.

• "But reading through this, I don’t really sense any hatred. Usually, when people truly hate someone, they start disliking them for no reason at all."
• "Whether or not you should accept Count Vermont’s kindness is not something I can decide. It seems like you already know what decision you need to make."

As Yuria finished reading the letter, she became conflicted.

At first, she had thought that the black-clad man was completely misunderstanding her, but after reading the last paragraph, she started to feel that there might be some truth to his words.

I still really hate Aslan Vermont, and I probably always will. But the more I learn about him, the less my initial hatred feels, and now it’s just strange obsession.

I hate Aslan Vermont. Why?

Because he’s a villain who torments Charlotte and Yuria.

That reason was quickly replaced when I found out he was actually taking care of Charlotte and Yuria, and once I knew that was a lie, I switched to another reason.

In the end, I’m just looking for a reason to hate Aslan Vermont.

As this thought crossed her mind, Yuria felt her chest tighten.

‘Aslan Vermont has to be a bad person…’

If Aslan Vermont really were a good person...

If he’s not the kind of person I can hate...

Then I’ll have to watch Charlotte and Yuria marry him.

I won’t have any reason to stop the engagement...

Just imagining that Charlotte and Yuria might drift away from me made my chest ache, and I bit my lip.

"···?"

Suddenly, a note slid under the door.

Yuria quickly jumped up, grabbed the note, and read it.

• "The following is confidential. After reading it, you must burn it."
• "An important event will be held at the Imperial Palace in two days. You are to be my personal guard for the event, so please come to the estate by 7 AM."

"What!? Why tell me this just two days before..."

Yuria’s face turned pale in shock.

An important event at the Imperial Palace? And I’m not just being a guard, but serving as the Count’s personal bodyguard? You tell me all of this just two days in advance?

And there’s no indication of who sent this letter.

From the writing style, I can guess it’s from Aslan Vermont, but...

How can he be so inconsiderate?

This was yet another reason for Yuria to dislike Aslan Vermont.

After ripping the letter apart, she set it on fire with flame magic.

"An important event, huh? Nobles will be gathering in huge numbers. Does that mean the black-clad man will be there too?"

At first, Yuria was just annoyed, but when she realized the black-clad man might actually show up at the event, her heart suddenly started to race.

The black-clad man is an acquaintance of Aslan Vermont. He mentioned they sometimes talk about business, but since Aslan seems to know him well, it seems like they must be close friends.

Then, at the event, the two will meet and greet each other.

Among the people Aslan Vermont interacts with, the black-clad man will definitely be there!

With this conclusion, Yuria felt her heart flutter.

‘This is my chance to learn more about the black-clad man...!’

She clearly remembered the black-clad man’s figure: his tall height, long legs, and broad shoulders. Unlike the weak-looking Aslan Vermont, the black-clad man exuded charm and masculinity just from his back. She would definitely recognize him right away if they met.

Although there had been a promise to learn his true identity after graduation, that was something he was supposed to reveal, and there was no rule saying she couldn’t figure it out herself.

Yuria smiled mischievously, like a little devil.

She couldn’t wait for the event in two days and felt she might not be able to sleep at all.