* * *

That evening.

After class ended, it was free time. I glanced around, then hurried out to the back garden.

“Zahid!”

Zahid was already there with Fire.

“You’re here already? Have you been waiting long?”

“Not really.”

Zahid was sitting quietly on the garden bench with his arms crossed.

The early moonlight shone down on his jet-black hair, his long, narrow eyes, his straight nose bridge, and his sculpted jawline.

He’d grow into an even more handsome face as an adult, but I liked the youthful version just as much.

The girls had been grumbling about him all day anyway.

They wanted to talk to Zahid because he was so good-looking, but since he always had that stiff expression and was constantly sleeping with his face buried on the desk, they couldn’t even approach him.

A desirable outcome.

‘Honestly, just sleep every day. I don’t care if you rank dead last. Keep that pretty face glued to your desk.’

Grinning to myself, I sat down next to him.

It had been a while since we were alone like this—we’d been stuck together with Ray all day since we were in the same class.

Smiling softly, I said:

“It’s a shame we’re not in the same class. We should be glued together all day, don’t you think?”

“……”

“Of course, it’s all your fault that we’re not.”

I expected Zahid to react, maybe snap back at me, but he stayed calm. Instead, he asked bluntly:

“…What if I went to Class 2 on purpose?”

“Mm. Can I be honest?”

“Yeah.”

I dangled my feet in the air and answered immediately.

“You petty little bastard. Our homes are far apart, so we don’t get to see each other often, and you couldn’t even last three months sticking together, huh? You sure are emotionally frugal for someone so young…”

“……”

“Something like that.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little too honest?”

Zahid grumbled, clearly thrown off.

“And weren’t you the one whining about how much you wanted to stick by me all the time? Why are you saying something completely different now?”

“…Mm.”

I shrugged and replied casually.

“That was just me… getting confused for a bit. If I keep my head on straight, I don’t get confused.”

A soft scent of wildflowers drifted at our feet.

Zahid’s legs, which were still shorter than I remembered, just barely touched the ground.

I looked at him for a long while in silence.

Familiar, and yet unfamiliar. ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) Longing, and still new.

I slowly turned my gaze away.

Then, for no reason, I gently swung my legs and said, almost lazily:

“You… don’t believe in me, don’t like me, plan to break off the engagement eventually, and honestly find me kind of annoying—I know all of it. Don’t worry.”

Fire let out a low whine and laid down at my feet.

His soft fur curled around my legs as if to comfort me.

I stroked the back of Fire’s neck and smiled quietly. Then added softly:

“You probably find it annoying how I keep acting like I know you around the Academy too, right? I know all of that…”

Zahid had always called everything annoying and troublesome.

Before regression, I had been the exception—but I guess that’s not true anymore.

Feeling a twinge of loneliness, I murmured:

“Mm, but sometimes… sometimes I just get confused. Just let me be.”

“……”

Zahid let out a quiet sigh. Then, he spoke softly.

“Why the hell are you confused? There’s no way someone as brilliant as our top student is just… dumb.”

“Because someone made it confusing.”

“Then I guess that person must be awful.”

“I’m trying not to hate him, ‘cause it’s not really his fault. But still, it’s hard. Hey, can I just curse at you instead?”

I thought Zahid would scold me for talking nonsense, but he didn’t say much. He just shrugged and played along.

“Mm… well. Sure. Do whatever.”

I let out a deep sigh. Then, meeting Zahid’s eyes directly, I mumbled:

“It honestly hurts… that you don’t remember me.”

He wouldn’t understand anyway, but I’d been wanting to say it for so long.

Zahid sat still, then furrowed his brow slightly and asked:

“You’ll feel better with just that? Say more.”

“Try to remember me, you dumbass son of a bitch!”

“…I think the earlier one might’ve been enough.”

Zahid made a sour face.

But having let all that out with just a single “dumbass son of a bitch,” I smiled again and gently asked:

“So, why’d you call me out here? You said you wanted to meet secretly, in private, without anyone else around. Honestly, that was a very appealing offer.”

“…Don’t twist it. I just said we should meet without Ray.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Zahid sighed once and then casually held out his hand.

“Give me some divine power.”

“…What?”

“Divine power. Lend me some.”

“Huh? Are you running low on sedatives?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Zahid looked away and cleared his throat.

“Sedatives make me kind of dazed. It’s… different from divine power.”

“Ohh, so that’s why you ranked dead last. Got it.”

I grabbed Zahid’s hand and pushed divine power into him as hard as I could.

My meager divine power was usually useless, but I hadn’t expected it to be good for this. It made me laugh on reflex.

“Hehe.”

“…Why are you laughing?”

“Because I’m glad I can be of help to you. I really do like you.”

A soft night breeze passed between us.

Sure, it stung that he didn’t remember me, but more than that—I still liked Zahid.

And I knew very well that it wasn’t his fault.

“I mean… what the hell, all of a sudden…”

Zahid turned beet red, even to the tips of his ears. I just shrugged and said:

“It’s not sudden. I’ve always liked you.”

“You say stuff like that with a totally straight face. Isn’t it embarrassing?”

“When someone sincerely cares about another person, it’s not embarrassing—it’s noble. Why does a kid like you already have such weird values?”

“….”

“What’s with that face? Doesn’t divine power feel good?”

“…I just feel like trash for calling you out here.”

“Woof! Woof!”

<Marry this one! Marry this one!>

I gently patted Fire’s head as he conveyed the same message he always did when we met.

“Also…”

Zahid cleared his throat and began speaking again.

“…It’s not like I find you annoying or troublesome when we’re here.”

“Really?”

“It’s way better than the count’s manor. At least it’s not noisy here.”

“What do you mean by ‘noisy’?”

“I’m talking about your grandfather and your brother. I’m the one who was forced into this engagement, so why can’t they just leave me the hell alone…”

Well, true enough. No Grandfather here, no Julian either. Not even Ethan!

Zahid frowned and added with irritation:

“Damn it, seriously—even if he’s your brother, he’s so damn extra—”

And then—

“What exactly are you two doing?”

A voice, cold as ice.

“Step away from each other. Immediately.”

Zahid and I flinched like we’d been caught doing something wrong and instantly let go of each other’s hands.

The owner of the cold voice was Yuta.

Yuta Orgon.

Blond hair, green eyes, and soft, puppy-like features.

At the Academy, professors did the research, while teaching assistants handled the students.

Yuta was the assistant in charge of Theology.

He was the adopted son of Duke Orgon, and the Temple had recommended him in exchange for divine power.

Everyone assumed he was one of the Temple’s elite high-ranking priests.

‘It’s fine.’

The voice was cold enough to startle me, but we hadn’t done anything wrong.

After class, it was free time, and we were allowed to go anywhere on campus.

Yuta spoke again, his tone frigid.

“Zahid Dyfenril. Minus ten points.”

“What? Why?”

Zahid asked, clearly baffled, and Yuta lifted his chin and said:

“Your Divine Beast is stepping on the flowers.”

“……”

“You’re aware that grass is vulnerable to fire, right? Take proper care of your beast. Especially in gardens like this—avoid them when possible.”

Hm. It sounded like nitpicking, but… he wasn’t wrong.

“Step apart, both of you. And it’s late—Miss Rosie, go sleep soundly and have sweet dreams, and Mr. Zahid, go flop down and pass out or whatever.”

“……”

Yuta glared at us like a hawk.

In the end, we had no choice but to quietly get up and head to our rooms.

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