After reminding us for the umpteenth time that we were in the same promotion and we should help each other, Mona spoke and added a few more informations for an hour before leaving us.
It was time to eat after all.
"Edward, I will never forgive you!"
"Are you a kid?"
I said as I stood up from my seat.
"A kid? The entire class is making fun of me!"
"Not Milleia though."
"Eh?"
Milleia was caught off guard when I brought her into the conversation. I merely wanted to shift his anger on her, sorry Milleia.
"Milleia laughed as well!"
"S-Sorry! I couldn't hold back!"
Milleia joined both her hands in apology.
"Everyone is thinking I will disguise myself as a girl now…"
Jayden said that with a hollow laugh.
"J-Jayden, I know you won't do it, don't worry."
Milleia patted Jayden's back with a bright smile.
"Milleia…"
Like that, Jayden froze again.
That guy… could it be that he already fell for Milleia?
[<You are a good wingman.>]
I didn't insult him because of that!
It was merely revenge.
She is speaking like I am playing the wingman 24 hours a day…
"Oh? Isn't that Edward?"
"Hm?"
We all turned around and saw the curly blond-haired beauty. A Heroine of the game [Princess And Dragon], Lyra Kertalir.
"Edward, you know her?"
Milleia asked.
"Yeah, go ahead, I will join you at the cafeteria."
"Okay…"
Jayden and Milleia nodded before leaving.
Usually they would have introduced themselves happily but since Lyra's appearance screamed noble lady, they held back.
It seems they were still touched by what happened with Ronald back then. They were warier than before when dealing with nobles, with me being an exception.
"Lyra…"
Lyra Kertalir.
I talked to her a few times to just strike the conversation, but nothing more. She was the kind of girl looking for something exciting to liven up her boring life. From my point of view, as someone who knew her for years, I found her rather normal and social with everyone with that 'cool' personality of hers.
"Wow, you have changed a lot, Edward."
Lyra approached and scanned me.
"Could it be, it's to impress Aurora? Too late though, she broke off the engagement."
She shrugged her shoulders as if disappointed for me.
"I didn't do it for her."
I snorted and walked away but Lyra followed next to me.
"Then for what?"
"For my well-being."
"No way…"
"Shut up."
Lyra giggled at my reaction.
"The true reason, then?"
She asked with a smile.
I stopped my steps and turned around abruptly.
I approached her.
"!"
Lyra raised her hand to palm my face but I avoided it.
She thought I would probably kiss her something, since before I was able to do something like that.
I caught her hand and whispered to her.
"I just want to beat the hell out of Alfred, Loid, Thomas, David, and Ronald."
"Eh?"
Lyra was dumbfounded by my words.
I stepped back and grinned.
"It's just that."
I wasn't lying.
Those five guys really made my life hard at every freaking banquet and I still hold a grudge.
Not Edward in me, but the Nyrel's part in me held a grudge.
"Pffft!"
Lyra, who was surprised, suddenly started to laugh hard.
"Aahaah! I can't believe I would hear that from you, Edward!"
She rubbed her eyes.
I shrugged and walked out of the classroom.
"Hey! Wait for me!"
"No."
"Do you know where the cafeteria is?"
"Yeah."
"Then lemme accompany you."
"Is that how a noble talks? You are the daughter of a Marquis, right?"
I pointed out to Lyra.
Lyra smiled at my words.
"Let me at least act normally when nobody is around Edward."
She sighed in an exhausted tone.
"Look at me. I wanted the blazer style uniform but father was against it."
She said, lifting her pinafore slightly.
"Why? It suits you, right?"
"Of course, it suits me! But I like the one your friend wore more."
"Milleia?"
"Yeah…speaking about her. I'd never have thought you would make commoner friends."
Lyra looked at me with narrowed eyes.
Don't tell me she is thinking I'm after Milleia's body?
[<She is definitely thinking that.>]
Don't need to confirm that.
"Listen, Lyra. I might have been like that before, but it's the past now. I will not do that anymore. Milleia and Jarvis are just some guys I met and got along with."
"..."
Lyra stared at me, seemingly finding any lies in my words.
"Okay, I believe you!"
"I don't care whether you believe me or not."
"Harsh!"
I ignored her and put my hands in my pockets.
She was still following me next to me, which made me frown.
What the hell did she want?
"Why are you following me?"
"Hm? Cuz you're the only one I know in our class and I'm also going to the cafeteria."
"Don't play dumb with me, Lyra. I know you."
I said.
"Oh? Is that a declaration?"
"You are a pain in the *ss."
"Was it you who spoke about my way of speaking? And look at your clothes. You haven't even put on your blazer nor your tie, strolling in your dishiveled shirt. If your sister saw you like "
"I don't care about that. You must be aware that I left the house, right?"
"Indeed, I heard Duke Falkrona drove you away from the house and chose Simon as the new heir."
I gritted my teeth at Lyra's answer.
I was the one leaving at my own volition, dammit…
Lyra tilted her head as she looked at me.
"Aren't you angry for having your status as heir revoked?"
"What? I don't care about this status. It's just a pain managing the territory anyway. That jerk of Simon can have it for all I care."
"..."
…
…
The cafeteria of the academy was inside an oval-shaped building between the fourth building in the north and the building of the first years in the west.
It wasn't hard at all to find as people were flocking in mass inside it. A lot of people, but thankfully we will not have to wait. More than two hundred famous and talented chiefs were working in the kitchens to provide each students a balanced meal at time.
There were five floors in the building.
On each floor was an area for the kitchens and the other one, the largest one for the students. Countless tables would already be arranged there with cutlery and other condiments.
How am I supposed to find them?
I thought as I swept my gaze around.
First years, second years and third years. They were all here.
-Clink!!!
The piercing sound of cutlery and plate falling on the ground echoed in the canteen.
It started.
A little quarrel that happened in the game.
I didn't know which floor it was, but thankfully it was on the first one. I didn't have to look out for the higher floors. I should have guessed they were anyway. The higher the floor, the higher the students were ranked. There weren't any rules like that. Indeed, you could even find high-ranking nobles on the lower floors, but on the highest floor, there was a garden, so people liked to eat there.
The people I'm speaking about are obviously the [Main Characters].
Those guys are sure seeking attention, eating on the fifth floor.
I shook my head, exasperated.
[<In the game, you also went to the fifth floor, right Jarvis?>]
[Yes.]
'It's not the game now!'
That useless Goddess was only speaking to retort me.
"Won't you help them, Edward?"
Lyra suddenly tapped my shoulder.
"What?"
"I'm speaking about them. You said they were your friends, right?"
Lyra pointed at Milleia and Jayden, who were looking at the ground. Their plates had been knocked over purposefully by the three third-rate young masters laughing at them, right in front of them. From the dark green emblem on their sleeves, I guessed they were in my class.
It happened exactly like in the game–or so I would like to say, but they seemed more aggressive? Why?
"Edward?"
"Leave them. I am not their babysitter, they need to learn how to solve this kind of problem as it will be bound to happen again."
Yeah.
Despite the Student Council and the Executive board's presence, there was still some harassment towards commoners from nobles.
"W-Why…?"
Milleia stared at the ground with a shocked expression.
I started to feel guilty seeing her. What the hell?
[<You are falling for her.>]
No way in hell am I!
It was just Milleia's character…
Was that because I played in the game and knew her from there…?
"Y-You!"
Jayden finally lost it and grabbed the guy's shirt.
"Hey. Do you know who you are touching?"
His two henchmen glared at Jayden.
"He is Teen Masta, the son of the Viscount Masta. You will be dismissed from the academy and your pretty girlfriend as well."
"Nah, we are gentle, so we will keep the girl for us. She will be honored to let us enjoy her."
The other crony snickered as he oggled Milleia's body.
"Y-You!"
Sparkles of lightning started to swirl around Jayden's arm.
"N-No, Jayden!"
Milleia grabbed Jayden's arm.
"B-But Milleia!"
"Please, let's leave, w-we will find another table."
"Milleia…"
Jayden bit his lips and let go of the man's shirt when he saw Milleia's pained smile.
Lyra had a disgusted expression. She was occasionally sending me glares but I ignored it. Milleia and Jayden needed to go through that.
Milleia took a sweeper and started to clean the spilled food. She didn't have to do that as there was a cleaning staff, but she was still doing it.
"Hmpf! Do you think, just because that good-for-nothing Edward is your owner, you can do whatever you want?"
Nevermind.
As soon as the third-rate b*tch said that, I threw away all my reasoning and took a step forward.
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[!] LYRA KERTALIR's PROFILE and REF ILLUSTRATION have been added in the [HEROINE] auxiliary chapter!