What?!
She couldn’t believe her ears.
He really was acting strange today. Truly abnormal. Even more so than she was.
“Sir Yuri, did you happen to eat some food off the street?”
“No, that’s something you would do.” He snorted.
But he looked so despondent that she timidly held out something from her own lunch.
“…Here, have this.”
“What?”
“It’s pudding. I thought you’d have less trouble eating something sweet.”
Brigitte loved sweets, pudding, of course, included. But she knew when she got home, Carson the pâtissier would give her his latest creation like he did every day, so she could make a lunchtime sacrifice.
Yuri was silent for a while, and she worried she might have overstepped her bounds.
“You’re a good person,” he finally mumbled.
“Eeep!” she screeched, quaking in fear.
Next to her, Nival let out a frightened “whoa!”
Yuri really isn’t himself today!!
She didn’t know why—but a few hours later, she learned what had happened to him, by sheer coincidence.
Since he’d admitted to her face that he missed her, she made up her mind to go to the library that afternoon. There were plenty of books she wanted to read. She had some to return, too, although they weren’t due yet.
It would be strange to keep avoiding him…
She also wanted to check on him, since she was worried about how he’d acted at lunch. As for Nival, though she did her utmost to convey that he was not welcome, he still insisted on seeing her as far as the library. Now she was standing in front of said library, watching a boy and a girl bicker about something. Brigitte knew them both.
“Sir Yuri, would you join me for a cup of tea?”
“No, thank you.”
“You’re so smart I doubt you even need to go to the library!”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
Lisa was complaining loudly as Yuri attempted to walk around her into the library. Visibly annoyed, he tried to dodge her, but Lisa cut him off at every turn.
Inside, the librarian with glasses was walking around in a dither. Brigitte guessed she wanted to scold them for making such a ruckus and scaring off other patrons, but since they were outside, she probably couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Even now, a small crowd of students was watching from a distance as Yuri and Lisa argued. Lisa was making no effort to lower her voice, and the sound seemed to be drawing.
Brigitte had a bad feeling as she looked at what passed for a smile on Lisa’s face. For the last few minutes, she seemed to have been waiting for an opening of some sort.
No way…
The moment Brigitte guessed what she was after, she stepped forward to break them up. But as she did, Lisa glanced over at her and shouted dramatically, “Even you will pay a price if you go against the wishes of the Third Prince, Sir Yuri!”
Brigitte clenched her teeth. Just as she suspected.
She’s trying to trap him publicly…!
Kings choose their vassals, but vassals also choose their kings.
Yuri belonged to an illustrious dukedom, but that was a very different position from the royal family, which was the pinnacle of all nobility. Most likely, Lisa was intentionally tangling with him to point out in public that his attitude was inappropriate.
The watching students were exchanging glances and whispers.
But in contrast to Brigitte’s anxiety, Yuri seemed as collected as ever.
“I had no idea.”
“No idea? Of what?”
“That the Third Prince was a girl.”
Ouch…!
Brigitte’s face twitched.
That was just…pure Yuri.
The day Joseph broke off his engagement with Brigitte, he had acted the part of Lisa’s affectionate knight in shining armor. But Brigitte still hadn’t heard anything about a second engagement. In other words, Yuri was pointing out that right now, Lisa was nothing but a baron’s daughter.
Just like last time. He doesn’t flinch.
She remembered the last time Joseph and Lisa had confronted him—he’d not only held his ground but retorted with wit and irony.
He acted the same way toward Brigitte, who was as overbearing as they came. Why would he let anyone else—Lisa included—con him into something?
But Lisa just tilted her head in charming bewilderment.
“…A girl? Joseph is most definitely a boy.”
“…”
Yuri fell silent in the face of this unexpected response.
Amazing. She didn’t back down even when he said that!
Or maybe she hadn’t caught his sarcasm—Brigitte had a feeling that was the case.
She’d never talked directly to Lisa. Although Lisa had lied about her the day Joseph ended their engagement, forcing Brigitte into a villainous role, she didn’t have many thoughts on Lisa as an individual.
But this time…
Suddenly, Yuri’s eyes met hers…but before he could say anything, she acted. She didn’t care if he thought she was interfering.
“Miss Selmin,” Brigitte called from a distance. Lisa glared sharply at her. Quickly, though, her gaze strayed—as Nival stepped forward to protect Brigitte.
“Nival, please…”
“Don’t worry, Miss Brigitte. She’s nothing; certainly no match for me,” he said, for some reason rolling his shoulders. Brigitte was terrified he might genuinely be planning to knock her out, but Lisa spoke first.
“Sir Nival, you seem to be enjoying that collar your mistress put on you!”
“…What?” Brigitte and Nival said in unison.
Lisa smirked in apparent amusement.
“You’re just like a disobedient dog! Although given the kind of mistress you have, I suppose that’s only natural.”
…Um, is she serious?
She didn’t appear to be joking. No—this was a genuine attempt to mock Nival and Brigitte. Nival was silent, perhaps too stunned to find any words. Since he didn’t seem to have the energy to answer Lisa, Brigitte took a step forward.
“Lisa Selmin, I don’t know what ridiculous idea you’ve got in your head, but Nival is wearing a magic-suppressing collar.”
“A magic what…?”
So she really didn’t know what it was. Brigitte went on briskly.
“Check page 136 of the first-year fundamentals of magic textbook.”
“…Huh?”
“There’s an explanatory note in the right-hand margin.”
The real purpose of the shining collar on Nival’s neck must finally have dawned on Lisa, because gradually, her face flushed.