Exactly one week had passed since I attended the academy entrance ceremony with Ethan.

…A week since Ethan and I caused a bit of an incident on the first day, after the entrance ceremony.

It was enough time for the news to spread among the new students about Raidenhart, who picked a fight first, getting stabbed in the back of his hand and losing in a duel with me.

Along with it was the incident where Ethan intervened and cut Raidenhart’s hands off when he insulted me. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

Luminor Academy was somewhat isolated from the outside as it is situated on an island, and while rumors didn’t spread outside, conversely, stories spread within the academy pretty quickly.

It would be strange to expect an exciting spectacle of clashing blades and splattered blood not to spread.

So, I was somewhat prepared for stories about Ethan and me to circulate after the incident, and it would have been fortunate if only the undistorted facts had spread as they were.

…But tales passed from mouth to mouth naturally went through a process of expansion and reproduction.

For example…

 

“…Is that her? The girl who stabbed the Raidenhart Count’s son’s hand with a dagger because he hit on her?”

“I heard she didn’t just stab him but cut off his hands completely?”

“No, from what I heard, she was about to kill him, but her fiancé barely stopped her.”

 

Other new students from the Magic Department looked at me with strange eyes as they talked.

Listening to their conversation silently, a feeling of unfairness naturally welled up from deep in my chest.

…Okay, I admit that I stabbed Raidenhart’s hand. Even if it was a wound from a duel, it would probably feel a bit brutal among new students.

But it was certainly unfair that Ethan’s actions had naturally become my accomplishments. In fact, I was the one who stopped him from trying to kill that guy.

Of course, no matter how wrong the rumors were, I couldn’t intervene in every conversation of other students I wasn’t even close to in order to correct the rumors, so all I could do now was to quietly attend my classes at the academy.

I was just earnestly hoping for another incident to happen at the academy as soon as possible so that the rumors about me would be forgotten.

After all, this was the game world of Luminor Academy, so an incident big enough to bury the rumors about me and Ethan was bound to happen at any time.

 

“I remember her because I was next to her during the entrance exam. Seeing how she completely devastated the exam room with Mana Blasts when things weren’t going well during the exam…”

“……”

“Hey, hey! She made eye contact!”

“Run away, quickly!”

 

…They spread unfounded rumors that gnawed at people’s hearts in front of others, and now, they run away without looking back as soon as I make eye contact.

I had enrolled with the status of Ethan’s exclusive maid in preparation for other nobles bothering me at the academy, but I hadn’t expected my classmates to avoid me at all.

What exactly did I maintain the position of Ethan’s exclusive maid for?

Strictly speaking, that incident at the entrance ceremony also occurred because I was walking around together with Ethan as his exclusive maid.

Probably, if I hadn’t been Ethan’s exclusive maid, he wouldn’t have gotten so worked up and yelled like that. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

It was likely because I was in a position related to the Blackwood family that he actively intervened in my duel with Raidenhart.

Thinking that, I put the notebook with my notes from my morning class into my bag and went out when Ethan, who seemed to have been waiting for me next to the classroom door, was heard.

 

“Lilith, is your class over?”

“…Young Master Ethan, didn’t I tell you is isn’t good to wait for me like this?”

“My lecture ended an hour earlier, so I just came to pick you up.”

“Please wait at the Swordsmanship Department Building or the cafeteria, and I will come to attend to you. If you keep coming to pick me up like this, what will others think of me?”

“…Lilith, were you the type to care about others’ gazes?”

“……”

 

What exactly is my image in this guy’s head?

To Ethan, who asked me as if in disbelief, I naturally gave the standard answer.

 

“Of course I care, Young Master Ethan. We’ve just entered the academy; how would it look if others evaluated me as a maid who makes her master come pick her up?”

“I’ve been thinking this from the beginning, Lilith, but is there really a need for you to show that you’re a maid? You just need to be faithful to your role as my exclusive maid while walking around with me, right?”

“But if I don’t wear the symbols of a maid, others might not recognize the master-servant relationship between us, young master.”

“…It doesn’t really matter if they don’t recognize it.” 

“……Pardon?”

“Ah, never mind! Let’s go eat quickly. We have afternoon classes today, too.”

“…Yes, I understand.”

 

…Well, at least this is better than Ethan not caring about me at all and wandering around the academy alone as he pleases.

If we walk around the academy together like this, anyone who sees us will undoubtedly view us as a young master and exclusive maid. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

Thinking that way, there was no need to view it negatively.

Probably, the other students looking at us from over there will undoubtedly recognize me and Ethan as having a clear master-servant relationship.

 

“Young Master Blackwood is with his fiancée again today.”

“For rumors of it being a fake engagement, they seem to get along quite well. Rather, isn’t the “fake engagement” part the part that’s fake?”

“That’s why Cassius almost died. I saw it then; if someone had spoken like that to my fiancée, I don’t think I could have held back either.”

“……”

 

Shuffle.

 

“…Lilith? Why are you suddenly stepping back after walking side by side…?”

“Please go ahead, Young Master Ethan. I will follow behind you, young master.”

“Why are you acting like this…”

 

…It’s just that interesting rumors spread quickly because the academy is isolated from the outside.

I believe they will die down someday, surely.

Even during my meal with Ethan, I could occasionally hear the voices of other students directed at him and me.

I suppose it’s unavoidable to hear other students’ voices in the academy cafeteria, and it’s true there aren’t many decent places to eat other than the student cafeteria.

About 80% of the voices were about unfounded speculations regarding the relationship between me and Ethan, so it was impossible not to be bothered.

 

“He rejected the Hero’s offer to eat together earlier, but he’s with his fiancée again today.”

“Just how close is he with his fiancée?”

“They’re almost always together except during class time? If they’re even using a couple’s dormitory, they’re practically a married couple already.”

 

We’re not engaged. We’re just a young master and an exclusive maid.

The reason we’re together at all times except during class time is that I’m his exclusive maid.

It’s not a couple’s dormitory, and we’re not a married couple.

Who exactly do you think I am?

 

“Lilith, have you lost your appetite?”

“…No, I was just thinking about something else for a moment.”

“You have a class in the Swordsmanship Department this afternoon, too, right, Lilith? I’m glad we can take at least one class together.”

“…Yes, I think it’s fortunate too.”

 

Well, come to think of it, I’m probably not the only one suffering because of rumors.

Just as there are strange rumors circulating around me, there are probably equally annoying rumors swirling around Ethan. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

Although it wasn’t my intention, I felt sorry for Ethan as the one who caused it.

I didn’t know that the Raidenhart would continue to make trouble even after getting beaten like that.

Moreover, the XP gained from causing that commotion was only 200, not even enough to lead to the next level up. It was a duel where I only suffered losses.

While continuing to eat with these thoughts, this time, a group of young ladies who spotted Ethan began to whisper, mentioning his name.

 

“L-look over there. It’s Young Master Ethan.”

“Young Master Ethan… Isn’t he the one who cruelly pointed his sword at the Raidenhart family’s son the other day…?”

“Is the person next to him his exclusive maid… no, his fiancée?”

 

…As expected, I thought it would be like this.

No matter if he was the young master of the Blackwood family, it seems unavoidable to become a topic of gossip among other students at the academy.

In the end, it seems Ethan, like me, didn’t make a very good first impression on other students.

Seeing Ethan suffering because of me made me feel somewhat sorry…

 

“As soon as he heard his fiancée was insulted, he drew his sword without hesitation, right? Not even caring about which family the opponent was from.”

“Moreover, he even got a proper apology towards his fiancée to protect her honor. He’s truly an exemplar of knighthood.”

“I wish my fiancé would follow even half of Young Master Ethan’s example. That person wouldn’t care even if I was insulted somewhere…”

“As expected of a son from a noble duke’s family, even his chivalry is lofty.”

“……”

 

Unlike me, receiving unfair misunderstandings from my classmates in the Magic Department due to distorted rumors and hearing strange rumors flowing about Ethan among the young ladies somehow made my head start to heat up.

I’ve already become a ruffian who draws a knife and tries to kill someone just for making eye contact among my department mates, so why is Ethan…

 

“…Lilith, are you really okay?”

“…Yes, there’s nothing wrong with me, so you don’t need to worry.”

“It doesn’t seem like there’s nothing wrong…”

 

It wasn’t particularly because I felt wronged. It was good for me, too, if Ethan’s evaluation improved among the young ladies. [GalaxyTL/Axiomatic]

I normally should have been happy about those young ladies’ evaluation of Ethan, but…

…I’m not sure why my head keeps heating up for some reason.