CHAPTER 49….
Mellin bit her lip as she looked at them, then shouted,
“Doing this won’t make Ren like you!”
She already knew that they’d been subtly showing interest in Ren.
More than once, Mellin had been embarrassed when Ren clearly drew a line with them.
And now that it seemed the two of them had grown distant, Emily’s group was revealing their true colors right in front of her.
They can’t even act like this in front of Ren…!
Perhaps their pride was wounded at the thought of a noble lady liking a commoner boy, because their faces hardened.
“Who said we like Ren?”
“We just don’t like seeing you, a noble, clinging to a commoner to keep your grades up.”
Emily spoke in a soft, admonishing tone.
“Isn’t that truly a disgrace to nobility?”
“I–I’ve never done that!”
At Mellin’s protest, they burst into peals of laughter. Emily then held up a yellow notebook.
“Then what’s this?”
That…! Mellin’s eyes widened.
“You’re only doing things like this because you don’t have this notebook, right?”
“Oh my, what would happen if this notebook got out at the Academy?”
A wicked smile appeared on Emily and her group’s faces.
“So… if you don’t want this exposed, you’d better listen to what we say.”
“From now on, you’re our loyal dog. Our obedient hound. Got it?”
Mellin’s lips trembled.
[Mel, should I blow them away?]
The spirit at her side was seething with anger.
Mellin quickly whispered to the one about to go berserk:
Stay still.
She didn’t want to cause a scene and risk her sister finding out.
She hugged the fidgeting Mion tightly to her chest.
Meanwhile, Alfeo, who had followed Ren out of the lab, was starting to feel uneasy.
Did I provoke him too much?
He’d only brought it up as a joke because he was curious about Ren’s reaction. He hadn’t expected to be dragged off like baggage right away.
What happened to that male student who bragged about dating Mellin before…?
Ah, yes — Ren had “taken care” of him where no one could see.
That student happened to be in the Swordsmanship Department, so Ren challenged him to a spar. Then he beat him to a pulp — a completely one-sided match.
That’s when Alfeo learned a person could make such a wide variety of screams.
The beaten student didn’t even complain afterward.
Anyone who whined about getting hit a few times with a wooden sword in a swordsmanship spar would just look like an idiot.
He must have calculated that, too.
Ren was nothing if not thorough.
Realizing that the area was now empty except for Ren, Alfeo suddenly felt a chill and blurted out:
“You know hitting me would be an insult to the royal family, right?”
He wasn’t the type to throw his weight around just because he was royalty — but if it meant not getting hit, he’d say anything.
Wasn’t that other guy the second son of a count…?
If Alfeo wanted to avoid getting hit by Ren, he might have to invent a connection to the imperial family.
He hated getting hit more than anything.
That was how he’d managed to stay alive until now — by knowing when to grovel to his father, the emperor.
Alfeo, I’ve kept you alive because I like that about you.
Even without being told, you know how to crawl like a worm. Unlike your brothers, you understand your place.
Since childhood, being an illegitimate son had meant he was trampled on endlessly by his brothers. Pride? He’d lost that long ago.
Well… those brothers were all taken care of by Father anyway.
Alfeo glanced at Ren.
But that guy… even though he’s a commoner, he doesn’t bow his head to anyone.
It was hard to even imagine Ren bending to someone. It was natural for him to be the one above others.
Could he secretly be… someone with a hidden birthright?
If that were the case, he’d probably be the child of someone so powerful that most nobles wouldn’t dare meet his eyes.
“I can’t spar. I don’t even know the first thing about swordsmanship. If you hit me, that’s just cowardly.”
Ren, who had been silent, finally spoke.
“Then explain it. Go tell them.”
“You mean, tell the professor that there’s nothing going on between you and Mellin?”
“Yeah.”
A smile spread across Alfeo’s face, as if he’d never been afraid in the first place.
Joining Countess Jacqueline’s lab had been the right choice — it was full of interesting things.
“And if I don’t?”
Renox simply looked at him.
As the green in his eyes darkened, Alfeo felt an instinctive pressure and swallowed dryly.
Uh-oh… I’m gonna get hit at this rate.
Having grown up under violent brothers, Alfeo had a perfect sense for these moments.
He quickly changed his tone with a grin.
“Haha, sure! What are friends for? But even between friends, there’s gotta be some give and take.”
“Name it.”
“Just save my life once in the future.”
Ren’s brow twitched. Was this guy trying to owe him his life with just one promise?
“Hmm, you don’t seem to like that… in that case—”
“Fine.”
Ren sighed as he said it.
Alfeo’s eyes lit up. That was easier than expected.
“Then can I ask you something?”
Ren frowned in annoyance but nodded.
Fine, I’ll humor you, his face seemed to say.
Seeing that expression, Alfeo was momentarily dumbfounded.
Does Countess Jacqueline even know?
This guy was completely different depending on whether she was around or not.
Alfeo had met plenty of nobles, but Ren’s true personality was one of the most arrogant and haughty he’d seen.
Well… I’ll admit he’s impressive in many ways.
He was humble on the surface, but he knew exactly how talented he was.
A “man of many talents” he was not — but Alfeo figured at least he wasn’t pretending otherwise.
Countess Jacqueline will never find out.
After all, in front of her, this wolf acted like a polite, gentle lamb.
“Do you… like Countess Jacqueline?”
“Professor.”
“Huh?”
“Call her Professor.”
“Ah, right, Professor.”
The fact that he was so particular about her title basically confirmed it.
“So you do like her?”
“I respect her.”
Ren’s gaze asked if that answered the question.
There wasn’t a trace of falsehood in his eyes.
“I mean, do you like her romantically?”
“…Romantically?”
Ren’s mind stalled. He’d never really thought deeply about that before.
Was there really such a thing as liking someone romantically versus not?
Seeing the rare confusion on his face, Alfeo was taken aback.
What the— he really doesn’t know?
Then a smile spread across Alfeo’s face.
Jackpot. He’s still completely unaware. That’s way more fun.
Indeed, real-life romance was far better than reading about it in novels.
A few days later…
I looked coldly at Mion, who had come to the lab at this hour.
“You’re only here now?”
There was only one reason Mion would come see me when I was alone.
He must have tried to handle it himself, but it didn’t work out.
Having played Mellin’s knight until now, Mion had finally come to me because he couldn’t resolve it on his own.
Still in his beast form, Mion heard me say:
“Emily Ruspina, Glena Shuren, Nea Siedel.”
At my words, Mion’s body was suddenly wrapped in light.
“H-how did you know?”
Now in human form, Mion stared at me in shock.
Once I’d sensed something was wrong with Mellin, I’d quietly observed her from multiple angles over the past few days.
Three people had caught my attention during that time.
The way they’d giggled while filling out course requests near Mellin had left a bad taste in my mouth, so I’d remembered them — and sure enough, it was about this.
I can’t take this class with someone so beneath me~
The smell from my seatmate is so bad I can’t concentrate! Oh, is it her again?
It was obvious who they were talking about.
I had expected Mellin’s awkwardness to be related to me, but it had come from somewhere else entirely.
Having identified the culprits, I thought:
This is going to be easier to deal with than I expected.
I told Mion:
“Tell me exactly what they did to Mellin, and what leverage they have on her — without leaving out a single detail.”
