Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the commander of the Imperial Guard, Count Gilbert MacLagan. He was seated behind His Majesty the Emperor and conversing softly with Marquis Grenville.
As far as I could remember, the two of them had no connection whatsoever. On the contrary, in my first life, Marquis Grenville had been in favor of the First Prince taking the throne, making him and Count MacLagan adversaries.
What in the world is going on…?
“…Hugh? Are you okay?”
“Huh…? N-no, it’s nothing…”
Melza looked at me uncertainly. I shook my head and regained my composure, then flashed her a weak smile.
…For some reason, the sight of those two men together unsettled me.
The entrance ceremony ended without issue, and the students were sent to their respective rooms.
“This is our classroom,” I explained to Melza. “Just so you know, the seats aren’t assigned… In other words, it’s first come, first served.”
“I see. I’m glad to have you with me, Hugh.”
“Ah-ha-ha…” I flashed Melza a wry smile.
Well, I only know about the school thanks to attending the academy as Louis’s stand-in…
“…Seeing as his father is a marquis, I was expecting that shameless beast to be in our class as well…,” Melza murmured.
“Oh yeah…”
Right. Under normal circumstances, he should have been in our class… He certainly had been in my previous life. His absence probably meant the archduke had pulled some strings for us.
Ha-ha… He may be a little rough around the edges, but when it comes to Melza, the old man doesn’t miss a single detail.
“Oh-ho… Grandfather cares deeply about you, too, Hugh.”
“You think so?”
“I do.” She smiled.
I tilted my head to one side. If that was the case, I was sure it was only because Melza herself cared so much about me.
“…You could stand to have a little more awareness, Hugh,” Melza muttered. “It looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me…”
“…Did you say something?”
“Ho-ho. No, nothing.”
Hmm… She just dodged my question.
Soon, a petite but dignified woman entered the room.
“Please be seated, everyone,” she called out.
She had wavy red hair tied up in a ponytail and a face I recognized.
“My name is Monica Lanchester, and I’m your new homeroom teacher,” she continued. “Here at the academy, I mostly teach swordsmanship and imperial history.”
Right, this is Professor Monica.
Despite her small stature, she had been feared by enemies and allies alike during the final stages of the war with Orléans. Her dynamic and unparalleled fighting style had even earned her the nickname “the Red Reaper.” On top of that, she was the only one to praise my self-taught sword skills while I was filling in for Louis at the academy, and—
All at once, a sharp pain tore through my right thigh, causing me to wince and turn my head. Melza was staring at me, her cheeks puffed out in a pout.
“…Please don’t look at other women like that, Hugh.”
“Understood…”
I hadn’t been looking at Professor Monica like that… But if it upset Melza, I would have to be more careful.
Afterward, each of the students gave a brief self-introduction, and our first day at the academy came to an end.
“Come on, let’s go home, Melza,” I said.
“Yes, let’s.”
Once I was ready to go, I took her hand and stood up from my seat.
“…Hugh?” Her voice suddenly dropped.
“…Yeah, I see him.”
Following her gaze, my eyes fell on Louis… Sure enough, he had enrolled at the academy as well.
“Hey, Brother.”
He shamelessly strode into the classroom and called out to me like it was nothing.
“…Stay away from Melza and me,” I warned him. Despite my unmasked aggression, he didn’t seem fazed in the slightest.
“Come on, it’s been a whole year. Can’t we at least rekindle our friendship? I mean, we’re all grown up now.”
“You scumbag… How can you say that with a straight face? Have you forgotten what you tried to do to Melza?”
“Hugh… You don’t need to engage with people like him. Grandfather is waiting. Let’s go,” Melza urged, tugging at my sleeve.
She’s right… I’m going to send this bastard to hell along with the rest of House Grenville. I don’t need to waste my time worrying about him now.
“You’re right. Let’s go, Melza.”
“Ho-ho… Let’s.”
“Hey, wait!”
Ignoring Louis’s attempt to hold us back, we both hurried out of the classroom. As we passed, I couldn’t help noticing the prince glancing back and forth between Louis and the two of us.
“That man is such a creep,” Melza fumed as we made our way back in the carriage.
We’d had our unlucky encounter right at the end of the day… In fact, I was certain he’d been waiting to ambush us. It was no wonder Melza was upset.
“That bastard… I hope he’s not still chasing after you…”
“Hugh… Don’t even joke…,” Melza said, glaring at me.
“Right. S-sorry…” I flinched as a chill coursed down my spine. “Either way, his presence could make things at the academy difficult. Let’s see if we can’t use Ellen to get word to Marquis Grenville.”
“Good idea…”
If I insinuated to Ellen that my plan to take over House Woodstock might fail if Louis got between me and Melza, I was sure the marquis would move quickly to rein him in.
“…But Ellen herself is a viscount’s daughter. Why is she working as a maid in the first place…?” Melza asked.
“Good question…”
When it was decided that Ellen would join me at the Woodstock residence, the archduke had ordered a thorough investigation into her background. This unearthed her status as the daughter of one Viscount Miller.
Curiously, House Miller wasn’t a collateral branch of House Grenville, so there was no particular reason for her to serve as a maid…
“…I don’t know,” I admitted. “The chief steward is still investigating, so let’s wait to see what he turns up.”
“Yes…”
This hadn’t come up during any of my previous lives, so I was truly at a loss. All I knew was that Ellen was 100 percent in House Grenville’s camp.
“Anyway, Hugh—do you remember what you promised me this morning?” Melza looked up at me as she changed the subject.
I hadn’t forgotten.
“Ha-ha, of course. Once we’re home…you can have as much as you want.” I grinned and rubbed the back of my neck.
Truth be told, I still found it a little embarrassing when Melza sucked my blood. It wasn’t that her fangs hurt or anything like that… But the mere thought of her cherry-colored lips pressing up against my skin, of her breath tickling my ears…
What’s more, Melza had told me that for vampires, blood-sucking was essentially an act of courtship. In short—it was much like exchanging a kiss on the mouth.
“My, my… When you get all bashful like that, Hugh… It makes me quite self-conscious…”
“Ah-ha-ha…”
I could feel my cheeks growing even hotter at the sight of her rosy flush and coy look. In the end, I hid my embarrassment with a wry grin.