As always, they could just hold swordsmanship training sessions or competitions. Kaiserion was a prestigious academy, and the Swordsmanship Department spent every festival period without any worries.
In the first place, it was a department filled with students who preferred moving their bodies over using their heads.
Especially with the Emperor herself attending this time, there was nothing that could showcase the Swordsmanship Department’s prestige better than hosting a classic swordsmanship tournament.
Looking at Nigel, who was expecting an ordinary answer, the student responded.
“What we’ve prepared this time is an authentic romance play.”
“What?”
Did I mishear that? Nigel tilted his head down slightly and asked again.
“You don’t need to worry! We’re keeping the Swordsmanship Department’s character alive—it’s a play where all the cast members hold real swords and engage in actual sparring!”
He explained excitedly, spitting as he talked. At the same time, Nigel’s vision went dark. Were there even any female students in the Swordsmanship Department who would participate in such nonsense? No, there weren’t. And yet despite that, what? They’re preparing an authentic romance play?
Nigel slowly turned his head to look at Rowen. Rowen was scratching the back of his head as if embarrassed.
“You knew about this.”
“Yeah.”
Rowen answered as if it were obvious, then continued with a shameless smile.
“…Don’t you think it’ll be fun? I was offered the hero role too, but I turned it down because there were too many lines.”
It was such a very Rowen Ashfield reason for refusing.
Nigel squeezed his eyes shut. The festival that had seemed perfect just a few days ago was transforming into a monster.
“…You.”
“Yes, Lord Nigel!”
“…Make sure the safety measures are proper. If even one blade flies into the audience seats on festival day, the Swordsmanship Department will be abolished that very day. Understand?”
Nigel left the warning with a growl. If he listened any longer, he felt like he’d collapse from high blood pressure.
“Yes, yes sir!”
The student answered immediately, but there was one more thing that bothered him. Until just moments ago, the training hall had been bustling with students enthusiastically preparing for the festival.
But ever since Nigel and Rowen had arrived, a strange silence had been flowing through the space.
Even normally, Nigel’s appearance always attracted attention, but today’s atmosphere here was quite different.
It wasn’t reverence or caution.
The gazes were somehow mixed with strange curiosity and interest.
“……”
What’s this? Nigel frowned. Students who had been carrying large boxes and loads in both hands were whispering among themselves, then startled and turned their heads away when they made eye contact with Nigel.
“……?”
Just then, Rowen naturally touched his arm with a light tap.
“Don’t worry too much, Nigel. I read the script and they’re not showing any particularly difficult techniques.”
Twitch—Nigel’s eyebrow moved. As Rowen naturally approached Nigel’s side, the murmuring in the training hall doubled.
—”…Wow, I guess it’s really true. They keep going around together.”
—”Is the rumor true? That he didn’t come out of Rowen’s room for three days….”
—”I heard even the door was broken?”
Rowen was looking at Nigel strangely as he continued to stand still in the center of the training hall auditorium.
“Wait.”
Nigel grabbed a passing student. Before his hand could even brush the student’s collar, the student’s face turned deathly pale.
“Yes?”
“You, what did you just say?”
“I-I didn’t say anything….”
“Tell me the truth. Don’t even think about lying to my face.”
“……”
At Nigel’s cold interrogation, the student shook his face from side to side. All the Swordsmanship Department students in the training hall were watching the two of them. Cold sweat ran down his back. Because he knew that if he told this story, Nigel would definitely get angry.
“W-well.”
“Speak!”
Gulp—the student squeezed his eyes shut and opened his mouth.
“…The three days when Your Highness went missing!”
Immediately, Nigel’s eyes sharpened. He hadn’t expected something from a few days ago to come out of the student’s mouth so suddenly.
“……?” What about that time? As Nigel looked at him as if telling him to say more, the student continued with a face that said he had no choice.
“At that time… I heard that you stayed in Rowen Ashfield’s room for three days….”
“……”
“We were talking about that sto—”
So this rumor is going around the academy? Looking at Nigel’s dumbfounded expression, the student couldn’t continue and stepped back. The final “…ry” was so quiet it was almost inaudible.
“……”
He had indeed explained it that way to Sir Rodrick. After that, he’d been so focused on finding the culprit that he’d even forgotten he’d packaged his three-day disappearance like this.
“…Ha.”
Nigel let out an incredulous laugh. To dare spread such an embarrassing scandal about the Empire’s Crown Prince. It was an irreverence toward the imperial family that would be justified even if they were immediately thrown in prison.
“Hey! Is that something you should be saying in front of Nigel?”
Rowen shouted, his face turning red as if it would burst.
“Don’t worry about it, Nigel. I’ll go make them all shut their mouths. If I correct them and tell them not to talk nonsense……”
“No. Leave it.”
Nigel grabbed Rowen’s arm. When Rowen looked at him questioningly, Nigel looked around with coldly settled eyes. The Swordsmanship Department students were glancing over, watching the two’s reactions.
‘If I overreact here for no reason, it’ll just be like pouring oil on the fire.’
The Crown Prince responding to and getting angry about such a rumor? That would be undignified. Besides, he didn’t have a proper alibi to explain the three-day gap. Rather, it was better to let the idiots imagine whatever they wanted. At least an unconfirmed scandal was less fatal than a curse.
Nigel looked around at the surrounding students with his chin arrogantly raised and said,
“The talents who will shoulder the Empire’s future are indulging in delusions like third-rate romance novels.”
The students flinched at Nigel’s cold rebuke.
“Rowen Ashfield and I? Don’t be ridiculous. We’re just……”
Nigel paused as if choosing his words, and Rowen’s eyes darted in confusion. Their relationship was a bit too heavy to just call friends, and the Ashfield family was too large to call it a master-servant relationship.
Just then, Nigel’s body swayed slightly. The headache came again.
“N-Nigel?”
Rowen reflexively caught and supported Nigel’s waist. It was an extremely natural and familiar touch. Nigel didn’t refuse either, leaning his body against Rowen’s solid arm. Right now, he needed support more than pride.
In that moment, the surrounding atmosphere changed strangely. The students’ eyes sparkled with suspicion and interest that said, ‘He said no… but what’s with that posture?’
“…Let’s go, Rowen. My head’s ringing and I can’t listen to any more.”
There was no need to tell the idiots everything.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Let’s go.”
Though flustered, Rowen protectively embraced Nigel and parted through the crowd. To anyone watching, he looked like a knight protecting his ailing lover. Nigel kept a firm grip on Rowen’s arm the entire time they walked.
“Stay still. Don’t act tacky.”
“B-but….”
“I have no intention of explaining. We can just let them keep suspecting.”
Nigel’s breath tickled Rowen’s ear.
“It’s also perfect justification for you to stick by my side 24 hours a day. Isn’t it?”
It was a thoroughly calculated proposal.
“……”
But to Rowen’s ears, it sounded like a sweet temptation. His heart pounded as if it would break his ribcage.
He could feel the muscles touching Nigel’s arm tense up. Rowen didn’t know where to look and stared into empty space, but eventually fixed his gaze on Nigel beside him.
“…Why are you so tense? Act natural.”
Toward such a Rowen, Nigel scolded in a low voice.
“Sorry, but this is the best I can do, Nigel.”
Rowen bit his lip tightly and whispered, glancing at Nigel’s fingers entangling further with his own. Then he quickly turned his head to the other side.
His slightly reddened ear was visible, but Nigel only dismissed it with “How timid,” and walked confidently.
Everyone watched together as the two affectionately left the training hall.
Clack.
As soon as they exited the training hall, Nigel released the hand he’d been holding with Rowen as if it were nothing.
“Just play along with this for a while. When the time comes later, we can appropriately reveal that there was really nothing between us.”
“……”
Should I be grateful he’s not immediately wiping his hand with a handkerchief? Rowen tried to find even a trace of emotion remaining on Nigel’s expression, but saw nothing.
“Should I give Christine a heads-up?”
“…Christine?”
Rowen, who had been dazed, broke his expression and met Nigel’s gaze at the name that came from his mouth.
“Christine Sina, I mean. I heard the Head of House Ashfield is determined to arrange an engagement between you two. It wouldn’t be good if this rumor reached her, would it?”
