TN: Thank Dragons33 for this chapter.

Ah, I’m sleepy.

Honestly, coming to school without being late in the morning is a pain. Of course, the fact that I trained late last night was also a part of the problem.

As I opened the unfamiliar classroom door, the students’ gazes in the class converged on me.

“Hello.”
“Good morning.”

Receiving casual greetings from my classmates, I walked to my seat. The fact that most of the people–no, all of them–greeting me were male was a bit of a bitter reality.

With this face, not having a single close female friend was proof of just how messed up my interpersonal relationships had been.

The only consolation, if you could call it that,

“Ah… hello, Felix.”

“Good morning Sylvia, Cain too.”

Was that I could normally greet Sylvia now.

Well, it could still just be my own delusion.

She greeted me first, with a much more relaxed smile than yesterday, and waved. Cain, seated next to her, just slightly nodded in acknowledgment.

When I first confessed to Sylvia, I couldn’t even imagine being able to interact with her this casually.
She also seemed much more at ease compared to when we first met.

Seeing Sylvia and I exchange greetings, many people watched me with gazes filled with all sorts of emotions, but I easily ignored them.

I had no desire to properly address thoughts like “What should I do…” or “Is this what normally happens after getting rejected…?”

“Good morning, Helena.”

“Oh… yeah, good morning.”

Helena, radiating her fresh aquamarine hair but with an inexplicably gloomy expression, jumped in surprise before replying to my greeting.

I naturally took a seat next to her and stretched my stiff neck.

I definitely had lingering stiffness from the long swordsmanship training last night. Mainly mental fatigue rather than physical.

“Um, Felix.”

“…Yeah?”

“What happened?”

“With what?”

Helena asked me with a trembling gaze.
Unable to grasp the intent behind her question, I simply asked back calmly.

“With you and Sylvia.”

Ah, that’s right, I never properly explained it to Helena, did I?
I just said it was fine and brushed it off.

She must be quite flustered with the situation.

The person who confessed to be peaceably exchanging morning greetings with the one who rejected them must have been quite the sight. Of course, it was rather tricky to explain properly, too.

Even if I told her I’m not Felix but a different person possessing Felix’s body who has no feelings for Sylvia, she wouldn’t believe me anyway.

So, after briefly wondering how to explain, I calmly replied.

“Since I got rejected, I’ve cleanly sorted out my feelings. So I decided I’d just treat her as a friend, that’s all.”

A clear, precise explanation.
Well, even if it’s not the truth, as long as the listener can accept it, isn’t that enough?

“…Is that possible?”

Helena didn’t seem convinced, but looking dumbfounded as she asked again, I just shrugged and lay my head on the desk.

“I’m going to sleep a bit, so wake me up before class starts.”

I had no real intention to sleep, but the prickling gazes around me were too harsh, so I tried to avoid them like this.

If I really did fall asleep, well, so be it.

“…What is going on.”

Ignoring Helena’s muttering of incomprehension, I quietly closed my eyes.

***

“……”

The surroundings are noisy.

No, to be precise, the surroundings were eerily quiet except for one person making a racket.

I slowly opened my eyes and began rousing my dazed mind. Even that brief nap didn’t relieve my fatigue, leaving my head fuzzy.

Gradually waking up, I could still feel gazes directed at me from around the room.

…What is it?

Tracing their line of sight, I felt odd, but then I realized it wasn’t aimed at me but somewhere next to me.

Following it, there stood someone unfamiliar yet vaguely familiar.

Behind them, Sylvia bit her lip while glaring at him, and Cain ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply.

“…You’re finally awake, you insolent fool.”

A man with brilliant silver hair and azure eyes stared at me.

Dazedly meeting his gaze, which was tinged with subtle disdain and annoying condescension, I soon realized who he was.

Reflexively standing up, I greeted him with due courtesy.

“I Am Grateful for the grace akin to the radiance of the brilliant stars, the dazzling sun, and all it bestows. The second son of the Earl of Astria meets the Third Prince, the Shining Sun of the Empire.”

Delivering the long greeting while placing my right hand over my left chest with a slight bow, I awaited the voice of the third prince, Reinhardt, but his words did not come.

Of course, I could not presume to raise my head before a royal’s permission, so I silently waited for him to speak.

Head bowed, I continued my thoughts.

Reinhardt Philippe Hamel Urlas.

The third prince of the Empire and one of the main male leads of this novel.
Simultaneously, he was the male lead I disliked the most out of the three.

Born a prince without experiencing a single hardship, he was arrogant, believing the entire world existed beneath him.

Due to that personality, even after falling for Sylvia, he did all sorts of crazy things to possess her, earning him a lot of hatred as a scumbag early in the story.

Of course, after some time passed and he came to truly love Sylvia, he changed into a devoted character who respected and cherished her.

But that only applied to Sylvia, remaining arrogant and insufferable to everyone else.

Hence, he was the sole character I disliked.

“…Reinhardt!”

“Hmph, you may raise your head.”

After who knows how long, finally unable to watch any longer, Sylvia called out to Reinhardt, who begrudgingly told me I could raise my head.

Exhaling deeply at his words, I slowly lifted my head.

Not just any regular baronetcy or county, but the second son of the renowned Astria earldom, among the highest ranking ducal families in swordsmanship–and he acts like this. How would he treat others?

This character has a ruined personality. I still don’t understand what’s so good about him as I stare at Reinhardt, struggling to suppress my disrespectful thoughts.

“What an insolent gaze.”

“My apologies if it seemed so. I meant no disrespect.”

I carefully replied to Reinhardt, frowning in displeasure at me.

“What business brings Your Highness’s precious steps here?”

“Why, because you displeased me, of course.”

Arrogant.
Solipsistic.
No adjective could adequately describe Reinhardt. Well, I suppose there is demand for such characters too…..

In any case, it seemed to be a rule that these types of characters would always be the most annoying to meet in person.

“But could you tell me how I have displeased you?”

I looked Reinhardt squarely in the eye and calmly asked.
No matter how unlikable and vexing this character was, he was royalty. Not someone I could disrespect recklessly.

There was an edict claiming equality for all within the academy, but it was just one in name.

“You truly don’t know why I’m asking?”

Despite my cautious question, Reinhardt clicked his tongue in displeasure.

I inwardly sighed deeply at his attitude. Though dissatisfaction welled up inside, I suppressed it and spoke.

“My humble mind cannot recall any disrespect towards Your Highness.”

“…You’ve become quite brazen in the few days I was away, Felix.”

“If it seemed so, I apologize, Your Highness.”

I slightly bowed my head at Reinhardt’s words. Of course, I knew exactly what he was referring to.

It was none other than Sylvia, fidgeting restlessly behind him.

He must have heard about me confessing to Sylvia and then casually conversing. He must’ve come straight to find me.

In the original story, this was around the time when Reinhardt had briefly left the academy for some work. Upon his return, he must have immediately heard that news.

“To covet what is mine and be ignorant of your transgression…My mind is at a loss for words.”

“…My apologies, Your Highness.”

“Reinhardt! Stop this already!”

Unable to watch me being berated by Reinhardt any longer, Sylvia stepped between us, glaring at him.

From her perspective, Reinhardt was ruining the newly comfortable relationship she had rebuilt with someone.

But Reinhardt likely didn’t even consider her perspective, simply acting as he pleased.

“…Hmph, do not dare show your face before Sylvia again. Know your place, Felix.”

“Reinhardt!!”

Sylvia is quite something to raise her voice before Reinhardt boldly despite her usual shyness.

At Sylvia’s shout, Reinhardt scrunched his face in a snort before turning to leave, prompting me to shake my head slowly.

I don’t understand why the love interests in romance fantasy stories always follow such a predictable pattern.

Translator’s Corner

Again, thank Dragons33 for bringing you this chapter. If you want to support me, get more chapters, or both, consider supporting me on ko-fi.

-Ruminas