WHEN Lyle pushed the heavy door with a creak, a sacred space suddenly opened before Yuffie, its high ceiling with intricate carvings and large stained-glass windows set into the stone walls cast a transparent curtain of light. The interior of the building was enveloped in a tranquil darkness, but the moonlight filtering through the windows created a mysterious atmosphere.
“No one will come here,” he said.
Th-This is so beautiful… Yuffie stopped in her tracks and looked around the church; its grandeur made the one in her village, which also doubled as the local school, look like a child’s toy.
“Yuffie.”
“Y-Yes?” She flinched when he said her name, but then was shocked to see Lyle bow deeply.
“First of all, let me thank you,” he spoke in front of the golden altar engraved with a statue of the Valencian god. “Thank you for saving me. I wouldn’t be here if not for you.”
“I-It was nothing, and you’re welcome…?”
Along with confusion, warmth expanded in her chest. It was basically the first time anyone had ever thanked her, so the strange feeling was both happy and ticklish. Just thinking about it made her lips curve into a smile. But at the same time, the fact that the person bowing to her so deeply was the third prince of this country made her feel something close to fear.
“So, um, what happened after that?” Yuffie asked, trying to divert the conversation.
“Right, we need to talk about that too.” He then continued to recount the aftermath of the day’s incident. “I told the teachers that I barely escaped with my life from the Flame Cerberus. I didn’t lie, did I? Because I honestly thought I was going to die.”
“So that means…”
“I didn’t say it was you who defeated it. In fact, I never even mentioned you.”
The tension in her body dissipated. She was relieved that her ability to use offensive magic hadn’t been revealed. Also grateful that Lyle had kept it a secret, just like he’d promised.
Ugh…I’m sorry for thinking you were a devil… She covered her face as shame overcame her.
“The higher-ups at the Academy are investigating the situation and why the Flame Cerebrus appeared in the first place. It’s impossible for a monster with a B danger ranking to even show up in that forest. It might have been because of some sort of natural disaster, or… Actually, let’s not discuss that,” Lyle paused, his gaze grim. Before she could guess the meaning of the emotion in his eyes, his expression returned to normal. “So, now let’s move on to the main topic. I’d like to ask you something, Yuffie.”
“What is it?”
He answered her with a bright smile, not even giving her a chance to wonder. “Are you interested in joining the student council?”
A question mark might as well have been floating above her head for all her confusion. “The student council…?”
He nodded, still smiling.
“What…is that?”
Lyle was taken aback. “I-I never imagined you wouldn’t know what a student council is.”
“I-I’m sorry! We didn’t have one in my church.”
“Ah, I remember now. You’re from the countryside, aren’t you? Sorry, I didn’t explain it well enough,” he replied, clearing his throat. “The student council is essentially a group of students who plan and manage the various activities and events that take place at school. Each member has a specific position, for example, secretary or accountant. Each role is self-explanatory, and all of them are important to running the student council.”
The words continued flowing smoothly out of his mouth.
“The student council at our school is a bit unique, since it’s often made up of students who excel academically or come from good families. This year, it’s me, Edward, and Erina.”
Lyle, the third prince of this country; Edward, the son of the prime minister; and Erina, the next Saint… An impressive lineup.
“The student council also has some privileges. Its members have their pick of career paths after graduation. In other words, you won’t have to worry about making a living. A very attractive organization, especially from the perspective of students who are commoners… Whoa, Yuffie. Did you just faint while standing up? Are you all right?”
“Ack! I’m sorry! All this talk about a world so far above the clouds made my mind go blank.”
“No, I apologize, I dumped too much information on you at once. Would you like me to explain it again?”
“No, it’s fine! I think I have the gist of what a student council is.”
“That’s good then.” Lyle nodded with satisfaction.
“Well, there’s a ton I want to ask you, so I’ll start with…why do you want a loser like me in the student council?”
He started pacing as he answered her. “Several reasons. First, the fact that you can use offensive magic is much more important than you think.”
Two conflicting thoughts immediately flashed in her mind at his words: “No way” and “Ugh, I knew it.” The former was much more powerful, though.
“Unless you actually are a cross-dressing boy, the only magic you should be able to use as a girl is the healing kind. And yet you activated an offensive spell strong enough to defeat a Flame Cerberus in one hit. This in itself is an extraordinary fact, one that could rewrite history textbooks.”
His shoes clacked on the floor as Lyle walked circles around Yuffie. Although it was impossible to read his expression, she could hear the excitement in his voice.
“However, to be perfectly honest, the problem lies in how we manage your power. Some will see it as the power of a god, capable of saving everything, while others may think of it as the power of a devil, capable of destroying everything.”
“I…guess.”
Though Yuffie agreed, his words didn’t feel real. It felt like he was talking about someone else, not her. But Lyle’s serious expression in the moonlight made it clear that he was stating an undeniable truth.
“When that power inevitably comes to light, if you don’t have someone to back you up…you might be in a bit of trouble. After all, your very existence overturns the building blocks of our world. Which means there will be both people who’ll try to erase your existence and ones who will try to investigate every inch of your body to find out the truth.”
“Eeek…!” Yuffie gulped and shrieked softly.
A dimly lit laboratory, a cold bed, a thick syringe… A scene straight out of her silly fantasies might actually become reality.
“Personally, I want to avoid that situation. Yuffie, you’re a student at this school and someone who needs to be protected. And more than anything, you’re important to me…” Lyle stopped speaking then, seemingly overcome with emotion. For a moment, something like love flashed in his eyes as he turned to Yuffie. But then he quickly shook his head and resumed. “As a friend. You’re an important friend to me.”
“Friend…” She suddenly broke out into a grin.
“What brought on that smile?”
“Ack! Nothing! I’m fine!” Yuffie rubbed her cheeks to return her face to normal. While she was overjoyed about him calling her an important friend, Lyle himself seemed a bit dissatisfied. “Lord Lyle?” She inquired, noticing the subtle change in the atmosphere.
He cleared his throat to deflect her question. “We’re getting way off track. Even though I want to protect you, I have my limits. So…” Lyle stopped pacing, looked her straight in the eye, and continued forcefully. “I want you to join the student council so you can stay as close to me as possible. It’s made up of the best students in the Kingdom, so I’m sure we can help.” He paused, took a deep breath, and asked, “So what do you say?”
Yuffie, on the other hand, was speechless. It wasn’t that she was worried that Lyle was trying to deceive her or make things up. The problem was entirely on her end.
After a brief moment of silence…
“I-I’m so sorry!” She bowed her head, bending as far as she could. “This is all too sudden for me… Plus, I’m having a really hard time getting my thoughts together…”
She understood why he wanted her to join the student council, but before she could even wrap her head around his logic, she simply couldn’t accept the fact that her offensive magic was valuable at all. In short, she was confused.
“Of course, I’m not expecting an answer right away. It’s an important decision that will affect your school life from now on.”
“Thank you for being so understanding… Again, I’m really sorry…”
“Don’t worry about it! I’m not the president anyway, so I can’t make the final decision.”
“Oh, I see.”
“The president is an upperclassman. I’m the vice president. I suppose that makes me the next student council president.”
Either way, it was still an impressive position.
“Everything I just told you is based on my own judgment. To move forward properly, I’ll need to get the approval of all the student council members, including the president. Which is why I’d like to suggest something to help with that.” After carefully choosing his words, Lyle asked Yuffie, “Would it be all right if I told them about what happened today?”
“Oh, sure, of course.”
“You’re not even going to think about it?!” Lyle’s eyes widened in shock. “A-Are you sure?”
“Huh? Oh, yes. I don’t mind, since it’s you, Lord Lyle,” Yuffie replied, looking a little embarrassed. Lyle ran a hand through his hair awkwardly.
“You should be a bit more cautious. Or more like…learn to be suspicious of people.”
“That might be a challenge for me, since I haven’t interacted much with anyone before now…”
“I’m amazed you can admit that so easily. I feel like I heard something I shouldn’t have.”
“Well, that’s because I think I can trust you, Lord Lyle.”
“Oh, really? And why is that?”
“J-Just because?” Yuffie’s eyes darted everywhere but at him.
In response, he let out a huge sigh and muttered to himself, “That’s it. I’m getting you on the student council no matter what.”
“What was that?”
“No, it’s nothing. Anyway, I want you to come to the student council office after school tomorrow. I don’t think words alone are enough to convince you, so you should see how we do things for yourself and use the experience to decide.”
“All right, I understand…”
And so, Yuffie, a wilting wallflower lacking confidence, would be visiting the student council office.
💠🌸💠