Cain grumbled as he clung to my back.
“What’s the fun if Rye can’t attend the homecoming party?”
“You guys will have to play amongst yourselves, what else can we do.”
“Then I won’t go either.”
“As if you really won’t go.”
Just today alone, Cain had received two proposals to be someone’s partner for the homecoming party. For reference, Cesare received three.
Me? I got zilch.
Even before the news spread that I was banned from attending the dance party, there were no girls who would go to the dance party with me.
I’d become the public enemy of girls as Trash. As it turned out, Jaina Fellox was one of the people praised for good influence within the academy along with her older brother Jayden Fellox.
“I’m done for.”
When I laughed with an enlightened expression, Cain finally let me go and threw a stone at the wooden target he’d made over there.
“Aw. It’s more fun if we go together.”
“Cain. What are you going to do about formal wear?”
Cesare, who was reading a book leaning against a tree trunk under the shade, casually asked Cain.
“I’ll just get it tailored roughly like last year.”
At those words, I quickly raised my hand.
“I’ll make a reservation at the tailor!”
Cain stopped me while throwing stones.
“Don’t bother. You can’t even go to the dance party, so what’s the point of making a reservation. We’ll take care of it ourselves.”
You bastard. Our Cesare can’t buy stuff like that without me! Our baby has no money!
I quickly stuck to Cesare’s side and suggested first so he wouldn’t be troubled.
“I’ll, let’s go together. Hm? I’ll make all the reservations and pay for it too.”
“Hmm.”
Cesare made a pondering sound while only looking at his book as if stalling. How can someone have no money yet look so full of swagger like that. Even that looks so cool because it’s so Cesare-like, it’s really a big problem.
“I’m good at picking out your clothes. The jewelry store in our affiliated company sent a catalog too. A black spinel brooch that I think would really suit you came out.”
“Well, do I need to?”
He flipped the page of the book and reacted indifferently.
I don’t know why my heart is burning when I’m saying I’ll buy everything. He’s a master of push and pull. I want to throw that book away right now and shove my face in front of him to make him look at me, but… rebellion….
Sniff.
What do I do. Mini Cesare patted my shoulder.
Right, you ungrateful bastard. I won’t buy it. I won’t buy it for you. Annoyed at his attitude of seeming to weigh this and that, I packed my bag out of spite too.
“…Fine. If you don’t want it, forget it.”
Only then did he smoothly turn his pupils to look at me. I won’t buy it. Too late. I know you ducal family people are broke.
Cesare lives here. Lionel is leaving.
As I stuffed my half-eaten bag of biscuits and book into my cross bag and got up from my seat, Cesare spat out a word from beside me in a voice full of laughter.
“Cute Rye.”
Your Honor! This bastard keeps giving me hope?!
“Are you sulking?”
Your Honor! I kept calling out to Your Honor in my heart. If Your Honor reads this, you’ll see, but I think this is one-sided flirting from Cesareeeee!
“Our Trash. Cesare won’t play with him, so he’s super sulking.”
“Sit down. Lionel.”
Making my getting up look pointless, I plopped back down in my seat at his command—no, suggestion.
Still, I won’t make a reservation at the tailor. Hmph.
“Do you want to go get fitted for formal wear with me?”
“……”
Feeling annoyed for no reason, I consciously avoided his gaze and ignored him. It’s not like I have to come when you tell me to come and go when you tell me to go… though I am your subordinate. Anyway, if you abuse your power like this, I have thoughts too!
“Ugh. Why isn’t this hitting properly.”
Cain ran toward the target, wondering why the stones weren’t hitting well. In the situation where only the two of us remained, Cesare closed his book and tapped my hand.
“Lionel. You want me to dote on you.”
“……”
“You have to look at me to dote on you. Right?”
Feeling like my cheekbones were ascending to heaven, I quickly bit my lips. His fingers started tickling over my wrist heated by the sunlight.
“I don’t really know how to dote on you, but I’m doing my best.”
“Don’t tease me.”
I wanted to pull away the hand caught on my wrist, but it wouldn’t move as I wished.
“Does it seem like teasing?”
I loved Cesare’s touch as he grasped my wrist a bit more boldly.
Touch me. Touch me more.
I wanted to transform into a Pomeranian acting cute right now, roll over on my back with my belly exposed, and feel his touch all over every corner of my body.
“What do you want. Lionel.”
Cesare Yanox. Guilty. Bang bang.
With the verdict, my walls crumbled and I ended up shouting.
“…Go to the tailor with me!”
“Ahem. Is that all?”
“Go to the tailor with me, and try on the new black spinel brooch too!”
Once the words burst out, they poured out in a flood.
“I want to stop by at least three tailors! I want to make you look the coolest! Jewelry, belt, hairstyle too. Consult with me about everything! We’ll go to cafes in between and eat meals too! Go everywhere with me!”
At my whining tone, I heard Cesare’s sound of laughing pleasantly, puhehe.
“Okay.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah. Let’s go together. You prepare everything. I’m too lazy. You’d know better than me, anyway.”
At the sound that he’d go with me, I smiled brightly as if I’d gained the whole world. Then Cesare’s touch that I’d been feeling on my wrist dropped off.
“And you pick my homecoming partner too.”
“Huh…?”
“Ugh! Seriously, today my luck is shit!”
At that moment, Cain picked up a pile of stones and strode over. He started throwing stones at the target again with thuds.
– Thud.
“You pick one.”
– Thud.
“Cute Rye.”
– Thud.
“Pick a decent one who suits the Yanox Ducal family.”
– Thud.
My heart shattered and collapsed once again today.
* * *
Frantically attending classes and doing lackey work for Cesare, it was suddenly Friday morning.
I ran to the bathroom on the third floor of the library, the meeting place I’d set with Rossi in advance. Since Rossi was hesitating in front, I quickly dragged him into the bathroom.
“What are you doing not going in. What if we get caught!”
“L-Lionel. I really wonder if… this is okay.”
I silently pulled out 100 more torka and stuck it in Rossi’s pocket. Then Rossi held out a small bag with trembling hands.
Inside were a chessboard, recording paper, name tag and other crude things.
“It’s fine to skip class often. If you go into my bed in my room, cover yourself with the blanket and lie face down, no one will come in. Read a book, and if you think Cain is coming in, quickly pretend to sleep.”
I ruffled Rossi’s bushy bangs and subtly parted them. His hair color was a bit darker, but still, at a glance they might not notice.
“Glasses… just in case, I brought ones with a slightly lower prescription.”
Rossi held out a pair of glasses. They were ordinary-feeling glasses, not severe spinning horn-rimmed ones like what Rossi was currently wearing.
I put them on and turned my head this way and that. My vision was still blurry, but at least objects didn’t overlap in three layers, so it was quite good.
“Is it okay?”
“C-cool… Um, Lionel… I have something to say….”
“Rossi. No backing out now.”
I quickly grabbed Rossi’s shoulders firmly and met his gaze. With a hesitating opponent, you had to seize the initiative at once.
Then he bowed his head deeply and nodded.
“We’re meeting at one PM at the clock tower in front of the community center. Senior Cedric will lead, and Professor Mahoff will cast the transportation magic….”
“Good! I’ll buy you a souvenir when I come back from Roswell! Please!”
I gripped Rossi’s hand tightly and put my cross bag on him. Instead, I took Rossi’s leather suitcase and lowered my bangs, messing them up wildly.
If I stuck out my head like a turtle neck and hunched my back, I looked quite like Rossi. Having energetically left the bathroom like that, I immediately ran to the front of the clock tower.
* * *
Several chess club members had already gathered in front of the clock tower. And Professor Mahoff with his stern impression was also standing there. Professor Mahoff was one of the few young professors at the academy, and they said he was a mage with excellent magical skills who was sometimes summoned even to the imperial palace.
But being excellent at skills and teaching are separate things. He was so obstinate and the content he taught was so difficult that many students suffered, and I always dozed off in his class too.
I’d never properly listened to his class. Strangely, whenever I saw his voice and the magic theory textbook, sleep poured over me.
“Oh, you’re here! What. We waited forever!”
“Mmm…”
Several seniors and juniors spotted me and gestured for me to come quickly. I quickly bowed my head deeply and ran to them.
“Why did you come so late.”
“Suddenly my throat wasn’t so good… I was late making and drinking tea….”
“Wow. What’s really wrong with your voice. Did you catch a cold?”
Fortunately, the students seemed to think I was Rossi without any particular suspicion. And just as Cedric arrived, all the students’ attention was drawn to that side.
“Senior Cedric! How’s your condition?!”
“Perfect.”
“Senior Cedric, I stayed up all night making a predicted bracket.”
I’d expected this scenery since both the chess club and student council were places where imperial fanboys went. That was actually better. No one would pay attention to me.
“Now, everyone gather around. We’ll be leaving now. Um, you are?”
Suddenly Cedric turned his gaze to me in the corner.
