Chapter: 139
Louise, who was simultaneously impeached and reelected by her club members, found herself caught in a constant cycle of impeachments and reinstitutions thereafter. The reasons? Nothing significant. It was a nice day, the cookies didn’t taste great, there were too many bread crumbs, or maybe today’s snacks turned out quite decent. Just your typical trivialities.
In this way, just two weeks after the new school term started, Louise set an impressive record by being reelected as the head of the pastry club seven times. And tomorrow, her seventh impeachment and eighth inauguration were already on the schedule. At this point, it felt like she was just tackling daily quests.
Changing the head meant I had to rewrite the club’s member list, which was a tedious job. However, I’d let it slide since it had been Louise from the very start. It was just the playful antics of teenagers, so there was really no need to intervene.
“The friendship among the members has grown stronger, so as their advisor, I find it heartwarming,” I mused.
Observing the friendship that blooms amidst all these pranks wasn’t too bad.
It’s a slightly unconventional friendship, but who cares? A foolish camaraderie among six is certainly better than a five-way love competition targeting one person.
“It seems like everyone is approaching this new term with a fresh mindset,” I noted.
Sir Villar nodded lightly in agreement.
If the club members engaged in a love rivalry and started harboring grudges, things would escalate dramatically. Just imagine the disaster if princes, heirs, and candidates for sainthood began to loathe one another.
Things would become a complete mess; and inevitably, the blame would fall on subordinates for failure to manage the chaos. Unfortunately, those subordinates would be Villar and me.
So, the current situation, where these five idiots have given up their quests for love, is preferable. At the very least, we’ve escaped becoming collateral damage in the emotional battlefield of those above us.
“I’m curious how they’ll surprise us next,” I said, intrigued.
“I feel the same. I already can’t wait for next year,” he replied.
Outwardly, it was a light-hearted chat, but the underlying sentiment was much heavier.
“Truly a troublesome situation,” I sighed.
With Louise rejecting everyone, the romance part of this romantic fantasy had vanished. I even held a sliver of hope that they might leave the academy.
If they were to return early, that would surely be something to surprise me, so I subtly brought it up.
But Villar’s response, “See you next year,” shattered any hopes for early departures. I should’ve seen it coming, but it still left me feeling dejected.
“They didn’t come for Louise, anyway.”
Though the influence of the original story brought the club members to the academy, this place was not just a setting for a tale; it was also a realm where real people lived.
Would any royalty, or even those of considerable status, truly visit the academy merely to meet Louise, whom they hadn’t even seen or heard of? I don’t know their specific reasons, but each of them must have had their motivations to come to the academy where they coincidentally met Louise.
Thus, there was no reason for them to leave just because they got rejected by Louise. They weren’t even here to see her in the first place. Besides, departing now would earn them the title, “Fled after being rejected by a girl.”
“Am I really going to have to stick it out until graduation?”
Still, let’s focus on the positives. Judging by the current atmosphere, we probably won’t have to endure any horrific “Part Two” events after graduation.
Let’s just keep our eyes shut and endure this. From now on, I won’t have to pull any ridiculous stunts to impress Louise. Nor will I have to witness the frustrating stalemate of the five of them continuously monitoring each other.
Villar seemed to share my mindset as our eyes met, firmly nodding in solidarity. Together, we’ll persevere!
*
“Should I drop out?”
That was the conclusion I reached after a lot of overthinking. The urge to quit was rising within me.
“What the heck is going on?”
A bitter chuckle escaped my lips. What were the odds that things would lead to this? I at least knew that an ordinary person wouldn’t likely experience this in their lifetime.
The probability of falling in love at the academy? High. The chance of having four rivals? Reasonably high. The possibility that all those rivals happened to be of higher status than me? Not negligible. The odds of all five of us getting rejected simultaneously? Not impossible.
And yet, amidst all those probabilities, the chance that the person I liked harbored feelings for my brother was exceedingly slim—essentially zero.
And yet, against all expectations, that nearly nonexistent probability turned real. If I had known this would happen, I should have bought some land instead. That would’ve yielded at least a gold mine or something, statistically speaking.
It was a feeling that was just beyond expression. Just because I liked someone didn’t automatically mean they had to like me back. I’d fortified myself for the harsh competition.
If Louise ended up rejecting me, I’d be disappointed and sad, sure, but I knew I had to come to terms with it. After all, she was a precious friend. I genuinely believed that.
However, having my brother involved was something I never saw coming. If anyone had anticipated such a scenario, I’d seriously question their mental state.
“How complicated…”
In frustration, I muttered to myself. No one was listening anyway, so I could curse freely.
Initially, I thought it was a surprise party. The situation was so shocking and bewildering that it felt something out of a comedy sketch. I had no clue how to act around Louise or even how to deal with my brother.
If it were anyone but my brother, I might’ve felt okay about it. I had let go of my romantic feelings, so I would have congratulated Louise heartily no matter whom she chose.
However, if Louise were to end up with my brother, I’d find myself in the bizarre situation of having my first love as my sister-in-law. And even worse, it made it awkward for both Louise and my brother. How would they even find the courage to breathe in such a cringeworthy environment?
“I doubt my brother knows,” I noted out loud.
My brother had just recently started to get close to Lady Marghetta after setting boundaries. It was unlikely he was aware of Louise’s feelings.
A sigh escaped me involuntarily. If he had deliberately charmed Louise, I’d have been incensed enough to confront him.
But deep down, I knew that wasn’t the case. My brother had no idea about Louise’s feelings and, in fact, wished for things to go well between us. He had also lent me considerable support.
Given all that, how could I resent him? My brother had done his best for me, while I failed due to my inadequacies. That was all there was to it.
“I’ll manage one way or another.”
Overthinking wouldn’t yield any answers, so I chose to stop pondering. Yes, I’d figure it out somehow.
After all, it wasn’t set in stone that Louise and my brother would end up together. I’d only embarrass myself if I overthought, and nothing came of it.
But I wouldn’t forget to carry the withdrawal form just in case I had to sprint to the main building to submit it.
“Am I turning out like my brother?”
Both of us stepping into official positions at seventeen. The Krasius family truly is a lineage of loyal subjects!
Ha, what a disaster.
I should just get some sleep.
*
It had been ages since I used my communication crystal for anything personal instead of work-related matters.
“I’ve been eating the food you gave me regularly.”
— Good, make sure you keep it up.
Perhaps it felt even more peculiar because I was directly contacting Mother for the first time. Until now, I’d reach out to the head butler or the head maid for family discussions. This was my first time skipping them and calling Mother directly.
That strange awkwardness made me hesitate for a moment, but I had promised Mother I would keep in touch, so I ultimately made the call. It wasn’t such a big deal, but it felt a bit wrong to break even that small promise.
I was slightly surprised when she answered within moments after I called.
— The heat is subsiding, but you should still take care.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
— I heard you can easily catch a cold if the temperature shifts suddenly.
“Ah, yes.”
In any case, Mother continued to talk non-stop, filled with concern and inquiries regarding my well-being.
“Be careful with this! Be cautious of that! Watch out for this, and that, too!”
“Where exactly am I?”
Mother’s barrage of warnings left me feeling bewildered. Was I working in hell? Why were there so many things to be cautious about?
In a way, it was almost hellish, but this was over the top.
— Do you understand?
“I understand. Thank you for your concern.”
Still, I silently listened to Mother, respecting her worry. Let’s think of it differently. Perhaps she was catching up on several years’ worth of convo all at once. Well, that was of my doing.
— How is Erich doing?
As she continued to speak, she brought up Erich. Why was she asking me about him?
That little brat, did he not reach out to Mother?
— It wouldn’t be surprising if he didn’t.
I was on the verge of getting angry over Erich’s failure to keep in touch, but then I recalled his current situation, and my rage quickly deflated.
Erich was probably not in the mood to talk to anyone right now. Maybe he would chat with fellow club members who shared his sorrows, but reaching out to Mother was surely off the table.
From what I’ve seen, he seemed unaffected when he was joking around after the rejection, but who really knew what he was feeling inside? He could be crumbling on the inside while maintaining that nonchalant facade.
Hmm… should I say something?
I seriously contemplated whether I should tell her about Erich’s rejection.
During the vacation, Mother had wanted him to find someone suitable at the academy. Naturally, she must be curious about her sons’ romantic affairs.
At that time, I couldn’t bring myself to say, “Erich has someone he likes, but he’s at the bottom of the competitive ladder.” But now, he had transformed from a competitor into a fellow rejected soul.
“Well, Mother…”
Carefully, I began to speak after considerable thought.
This was Erich’s private matter. Unless Erich himself brought it up, Mother didn’t really need to know.
Yet, if she, unaware of everything, asked Erich about his love life, it would be like pouring salt on an open wound. Sure, it was the responsibility of the one who kept secrets, but it seemed excessively brutal for Erich’s first heartbreak to be exposed through Mother’s inquiries.
“Well, you see…”
Naturally, I’d need to ask her not to show any signs of knowing in front of Erich.
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