I Just Wanted to Call Off the Arranged Marriage With the PrincessโSomeone I Could Never Possibly Be a Match ForโBut for Some Reason, She Took a Liking to Me and Is Now Closing in on Me
I canโt keep skipping class forever.
Whether at the academy or the mansion, Iris doesnโt seem to mind, but sheโs been skipping class just to keep me company. Even I, who isnโt exactly enthusiastic about classes, have to admit that this situationโwhere Iโve lost sight of why weโre even attending the academyโis a bit troubling.
Things havenโt changed a bit since before we enrolled.
โIโll go to class tomorrow.โ
โYeah.โ
While we sat around the dining table at the mansion in the capital, I declared I was giving up my delinquent ways, but Iris didnโt seem interested. She didnโt seem very interested when we enrolled in the academy either, did she?
And yet, here I am, being dragged along with her. It really makes me sad, honestly.
โAnyway, Iโll be cooking tomorrow morning, soโฆโ
It looks like the academy is closed tomorrow.
ใใโใโใโ
Back in the academy classroom for the first time in a few days, I was still the center of attention.
I still feel curiosity and disgust, but now thereโs a hint of pity mixed in, and it almost makes me want to cry. I sit next to Iris in the very back row by the window.
I slump over my desk as soon as I get to school.
โYouโre quite the popular one, arenโt you?โ
โItโs normal, isnโt it?โ
โWell, I guess thatโs true for Iris.โ
But this wasnโt the kind of attention youโd expect for just the third son of a viscount. This wasโฆ the princessโs guy? Her fiancรฉ? โHey, hey, arenโt you new students trying to act a little too cool here?โ โLetโs have a little chat on the rooftop to get to know each other better?โ Thatโs exactly the kind of thing theyโd say.
Even if that happened, I was going to put up a fight! I was even thinking of using Iris as a shield, but until the teacher arrived, even though I could feel people staring, not a single student actually came over to talk to me.
โThatโs kind of surprising.โ
โItโs normal, isnโt it?โ
I donโt get what โnormalโ means for a princess.
The only one who showed any reaction of surprise toward us was the teacher; they looked startled every time a teacher switched classes, but that was about it. There were no back-and-forth jabs or behind-the-back fightsโnothing that obvious.
It was a total letdown.
โLetโs go to lunch.โ
โYouโre so carefree, arenโt you?โ
โThatโs just how it is.โ
As if to say this situation was perfectly normal, Iris grabbed my sleeve and pulled me along. Even as we walked past the back of the classroom, peopleโs eyes followed us, but no one said a word.
โIs aristocratic society surprisingly kindโฆ?โ
โOf course not.โ
Iris, who insists this is just normal, denies it.
I, too, had imagined them to be more underhandedโthe kind of people who hide daggers behind their smilesโbut seeing them act so consistently like this actually feels eerie.
Itโs not just the envy and jealousy directed at me; what bothers me most is that they donโt even try to get close to Iris, the princess.
โI told you, this is just normal for me.โ
โHuh.โ
โTake an interest.โ
โWait, which is it?โ
Just as I was about to accept that and end the conversation, she lashed out at me. If I show interest, she brushes me off coldly; if I try to forget about it, she grabs me and demands I ask more questions.
Even kids are a bit more straightforward and easy to read than this.
โAre you some kind of capricious little cat?โ
โDid you say I was cute?โ
โI didnโt.โ
She flicked my nose with her finger. Was that my fault?
Feeling the stares of those around me, I walked down the hallway and arrived at the cafeteria. It was essentially a restaurant, with students enjoying their meals in the spacious hall, engrossed in lively conversation.
Unlike a commonerโs tavern, the conversation was quiet and refined. There was a quiet tensionโthe kind where dropping a single fork would draw everyoneโs attention.
For an aristocrat, thatโs something you get used to as naturally as breathing, so itโs not really worth worrying about, but it felt a little suffocating.
โโฆWasnโt there anywhere else we could eat?โ
โYou could eat in the salon, but that place has its own set of hassles. The factions.โ
โIs there really such a thing?โ
โItโs a gathering of nobles, after all.โ
I found myself oddly convinced. Is there no place in this academy where I can rest in peace?
Though I found the whole thing a hassle, I entered the dining hall, where a waiter escorted me to my seat. The table was covered in a white tablecloth, with a purple flower arranged in the center. I wondered if enjoying things like this was just part of being a noble.
The waiter placed the menu down, bowed, and left. As expected of a school attended by nobles, the service was impeccably polite.
โWhat are you having?โ
โMeat.โ
โI knew youโd say that.โ
Iris turned down the corners of her mouth in exasperation.
โItโs delicious, isnโt it?โ
โIsnโt there anything a little more sophisticated?โ
โThen pie.โ
โMeat pie?โ
โOf course.โ
She let out a sigh.
Bread and soup are nice, but for lunch, I really wanted something hearty. It wouldnโt be bad to nibble on small pastries, chat away, and sip tea. But meat is delicious.
Maybe Iโll just order whatever they recommend.
Just as I was thinking that, Iris hid the lower half of her face with the menu and looked at me, lowering the corners of her eyes that usually turned up at the corners.
โBut we donโt really serve meat at the mansion, do we?โ
I raised my hand to call the waiter as if nothing had happened, and from behind the menu, Iris let out a quiet chuckle. Feeling uncomfortable in my seat, I pulled back my chair, but unfortunately bumped into the person behind me.
โIโm sorry.โ
โItโs my fault for standing behind you, so donโt worry about it.โ
โHuh?โ
It was a familiar, androgynous voice.
A voice that combined the low tones of a boy with the high tones of a girl. There are quite a few young people who refer to themselves as โboku,โ but only one person came to mind who possessed a voice that embodied such refreshing charm.
I placed my hand on the armrest of the chair and turned around. Just as Iโd imagined, a dashing young woman was standing there, raising her hand with a smile that would charm any woman.
โItโs been a while, Lucian.โ
โAisiaโฆ?โ
As I called out her name, as if to myself, she added a touch of joy to her smile and, with the graceful poise befitting a dukeโs daughter, gave her skirt a little lift.
And a prebuilt rival has appeared!