* * *

“Alright, I understand that the Angelina I knew was actually a boy imitating his younger sister.”

It was a rare complaining tone from the Model Student. But for this moment, I could understand him. I felt the same way, after all.

“But his face hasn’t changed much from back then, has it? Why is he suddenly exploding in popularity now! Especially when the real one is in the class next door!”

The Model Student’s index finger pointed at the swarm of heads crowding the classroom entrance. Suitors holding love letters in one hand and ropes in the other.

They were after one thing. The Princess, who had become Andante.

‘And since all the first-years are in class right now, those must be second and third-years. Scary, seniors.’

“Well, it can’t be helped~? Break is coming up soon. They have to hurry if they want to make plans in advance. Besides, handsome people are rare in this Academy. Though there are quite a few beautiful girls, myself included.”

Twin-braid, looking like she was dying of amusement, leaned back against her chair and said.

In truth, she was right.

Given the nature of fantasy novels, male characters with looks as handsome as the Protagonist were inevitably limited. At most, one or two companions. It had already ended with the Princess and the Lion.

“But you’re handsome, Professor.”

“Michael~ First of all, the Professor is a woman, and normal students are too scared to even talk to her, you know? Do you think those girls are waiting outside for nothing?”

Leaving the students’ commotion behind, I turned my gaze back to the book in my hand. I felt that just sleeping during self-study time was too obvious, so lately I’d been pretending to casually read an ‘incredibly difficult-looking book.’

Of course, only the cover was a book written in the Ancient Language; I had swapped the contents with a basic magic education primer titled <My Child’s First Magic Encyclopedia>.

I figured I needed to build up some basic common sense.

‘I think they call this a study method utilizing the gaps in daily life.’

As I was secretly feeling proud of myself, Twin-braid turned the arrow of conversation.

“So~ What about the person in question? Any thoughts on resolving this situation caused by your own charm?”

“…….”

I was curious about his reaction too. I glanced sideways, using my long hair to block my view as much as possible.

The Princess cleared his throat once and answered, looking embarrassed.

“What charm……. It’s just because Angelina went around blabbering about her relationship with me as she pleased. She didn’t want to be bothered herself.”

I thought the speed at which the Princess’s circumstances spread throughout the school was remarkably fast. It seemed Real Angelina intended to divert all the attention directed at her to her older brother.

Of course….

‘The fact that only suitors flocked to him must be because there was another reason.’

The Princess seemed to guess as much, his expression slightly bitter. Though he didn’t voice it out loud.

“Anyway, I’m sorry if this causes you any trouble. I’ll try to talk some sense into them later.”

“……What? Why are you being so sweet? Where did that icy, rude attitude go?”

“I try to be nice and this is what I get. Don’t talk to me. Don’t you know it’s class time right now?”

“Oh my. You haven’t just grown physically, but experienced mental growth too, Andante? How commendable, truly.”

“…….”

In an instant, it turned into a comedy routine atmosphere. I thought they might feel awkward around a classmate whose appearance had changed overnight, but if that’s how they acted, there was nothing to worry about. They really were good kids.

But I shouldn’t have let my guard down.

The lunch bell rang, and after I left my seat-

“Ah, ah? Seniors! You can’t just come in like that! The door is breaking, the door!”

“Wow~ There’s a little pond under this window, right? I’m just gonna jump down there? The rest of you try to survive on your own, okay?”

“Urgh, uwaaah……. Andante, are you okay? Huh? Where did he go? Andante!”

“Excuse me, seniors, if you want to deliver letters, could you please line up in a single file? A single file, oh my! That’s my locker!”

If I had known a living hell would unfold.

* * *

A leisurely lunch break.

As always, I was sitting up in a tree like a solitary cat, killing time. However, today there was one thing worth watching.

‘A chase involving magicians is incredibly brutal.’

I thought dust clouds rising when a person ran was just a cartoonish exaggeration. But when they ran while firing off all sorts of magic, it wasn’t unreasonable.

The person running away desperately was probably the Princess. Of course, I didn’t even think about helping. One stray spell and it would be me heading to the afterlife.

“Hah, hah……. Phew, they didn’t come this far.”

Above all, the Princess was no easy mark. He had somehow made it here in one piece.

This was supposed to be my own secret spot, how did he find it?

“…….”

On the Bedallua map, I saw a group of students lingering around before leaving. They probably noticed Chris’s presence.

The Princess leaned his back against the tree and caught his breath. He knew his teacher was right above him, yet no greeting.

Well, even without being the Ice Princess, his personality was originally quite rude. You could call it a terrifying tongue.

Silence continued for a while.

Chris was not the type of person to care about who was under the tree she climbed, so there was no reason to respond. Naturally, it was the Princess who opened his mouth first.

“……It’s quiet here.”

It didn’t seem like he expected an answer. I just closed my eyes, feeling the gentle breeze. His voice continued.

“Actually, it is always peaceful by your side, Professor. Not just the surroundings, but my heart as well.”

That was because no one but the eccentric X-Class wanted to be near me. That was also the reason I adopted the ‘Chris’ roleplay.

Did he seek me out on purpose for that? I feel like I’ve become some sort of person-repelling totem.

“This matter will be resolved soon. Once everyone realizes their false hopes, they will back off.”

A sentence steeped in a bitter smile.

Right, if the suitors were truly only after handsome men, they should be rushing the Protagonist too. He was a guy whose shining appearance was becoming more apparent by the day.

However, the Princess had one crucial difference from the Protagonist.

His origins.

“It must be daunting to approach Angelina. But I, despite being an illegitimate child, am attending the Academy as a child of the ducal house.”

In short, the easiest and most plausible existence to form a connection with the Serif ducal house.

‘Thinking that most of the guys rushing him weren’t the eldest in their families, their motives are clear.’

As expected of Bedallua Academy. They might look clumsy, but they were children of noble houses well-versed in politics.

“Unfortunately, my father still doesn’t care about me at all. He doesn’t even know my name…….”

The Princess murmured with his eyes closed. What Duke Serif cherished was the ‘Angelina’ the Princess was pretending to be, not the Princess himself, so it was only natural.

“But I did make sure to tell him that you saved that child. Thank you, Professor. These words are not enough no matter how many times I say them.”

The Princess’s sentence, which had been close to soliloquy, was directed at me.

What should I reply in this situation? Modesty didn’t suit ‘Chris’, and taking credit would look uncool.

Above all, the reason ‘Chris’ helped the Princess was simply because she couldn’t escape the fragments of the past and meddled.

It was a situation where a monologue like ‘I vowed to turn away from everything, yet do I make another foolish choice…….’ would fit.

Then I should change the subject. Let’s pretend to be a proper grumpy but genuine mentor.

“Andante Serif.”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you use stealth magic while being chased?”

“Huh? ……That is.”

The Princess hesitated to answer. He probably did it unconsciously too.

But it didn’t matter what the truth was. I was going to fabricate it anyway. Listen well, Princess. If you lose your timing to a Roleplay Addict, you get completely swept away.

“You didn’t want to hide yourself anymore.”

“……!”

The Princess had lived pretending to be someone else for far too long. And now he had finally regained his original identity.

He probably felt reluctant to just hide right away in front of people who approached him calling him Andante.

“Th, that is, I mean…….”

“It doesn’t matter.”

I cut off the Princess’s attempt to make an excuse and spoke calmly.

“Kids bounce back as much as they’re suppressed. Go ahead and blabber all you want that you’re Andante. As long as you take responsibility for it.”

And after a brief pause, I added.

“You were always a proud one from the start, anyway.”

This was a part that revealed ‘Chris’s’ filthy personality. Actually, the Andante who imitated Angelina was still Andante, after all.

“Professor.”

But…….

“Occasionally, very occasionally. ……May I not also come here?”

Why can’t he lift his head?

“You’re being annoying. Scram.”

I tossed it out as if to say, do I really have to tell you that much?

The class bell would ring soon anyway, so he’d leave on his own, but I also needed to use the restroom soon. Me climbing down the tree was definitely not something to show others.

“Then, I will see you next time.”

Why is the Princess listening so well?

‘Is he slowly developing some sense of perception?’

I scratched my head as I watched his back retreating as if fleeing.

It was a little later that I found out the Princess had rejected every single suitor with the excuse, ‘I already have someone I’m waiting for.’