*
Whether it was a coincidence or destiny, there was exactly one empty spot in the girls’ dormitory of the Academy.
A cute girl with red pigtailed hair and an impressive mage hat.
“Pina! You came to the girls’ dorm this time!”
“..Ah, yeah.”
Ariel smiled brightly at the white-haired Pina.
“Hehe, I heard Kai and that helmet guy are in the same room~! I feel so lonely since I don’t have a roommate~!”
Pina unpacked her belongings on the empty bed, and cute plushies tumbled down to maintain their formation.
“Licht and… Kainel are in the same room, huh.”
Pina hugged one of them tightly. It was a plush doll that looked just like Licht, sporting burn scars and a helmet.
“Why, feeling regretful? Pina? You wanted to share a room with Licht, didn’t you..?”
Her white wolf ears and tail drooped down. Ariel quickly noticed the change.
“..Yeah. I did, originally.”
“Hmm… I’ve been curious for a while now. You… like Licht, don’t you, Pina?”
Ariel covered her mouth in surprise. The princess of a nation had a crush on someone.
It felt like watching a younger version of Kainel and herself a few days ago, making her squeal.
“Probably not..?”
But to her disappointment, Pina shook her head.
“I’m worried about Licht.”
Rather than the exhilarating feelings found in romance novels, most of her memories were painfully cold.
“He’s always getting hurt and in pain…. It’s frustrating because he doesn’t show it at all…”
If he could at least express himself properly, that would be nice. Seeing Licht get hurt while fighting the Demon King made her unknowingly angry.
At this point, she might not hesitate to do whatever it takes. If he just ate well and slept well, there shouldn’t be any problems.
As she scratched the bed sheet with her fingers, Pina’s thoughts kept digging deeper and deeper.
“I know that feeling well. When Kain was young, it was the same…. Oh?”
Knock, knock. There was a sound of two knocks on the girls’ dormitory door, followed by a presence.
“Pina, what’s all this..?”
When Ariel opened the door and peeked outside, there were countless letters piled up.
Some were bouquets, some were plushies, and even bags of gold coins—it was a blatant scene.
“Are those drawings from the boys in the art club..?”
Ariel shivered as she saw another drawing of Pina’s face as if she were wanted.
“Am I being followed? No way, right?”
Pina sighed, donning her masterpiece.
The move to the dorm was a secret operation. Since Dijur was in charge of everything, the chances of being caught were slim.
Her white ears perked up as they focused on the continuous knocking sounds.
“..We should just leave it be, Ariel.”
Pina stopped Ariel from picking up a letter.
“Why…? We need to know who sent this right away! Let go of this…!”
Ariel struggled to break free from Pina’s grasp but failed easily.
“It’s bait. They seem to be trying to check every girl in the dorm….”
Pina’s identity still hadn’t been revealed at the Academy.
Who would dare suspect that a princess was hidden within a heavily armored knight?
After her face was exposed on the last visit to the theater, there had been attempts to find a silver-haired beauty within the Academy.
“Probably, the target is me..”
As her brows knitted in frustration, Pina picked up a letter, revealing a magic circle engraved on the paper.
“Tracking magic?!”
Ariel’s eyes widened in shock as she looked at the magic circle. It was definitely one of the things she knew.
A spell used to trace a person’s location or gather information. It could be a dangerous thing used for criminal activity.
“There are real letters among them…. But some are traps.”
To cleverly hide such things within the letters like this was rather crafty.
“If a specific person picks up the letter… it activates..”
Zzap! A spark climbed up the glass armor but bounced off without harming her.
“It’s a trick to catch just one person….”
Shaking off her hands, Pina lowered her head.
There could be barriers or imperial chivalry in the Academy, but they wouldn’t be able to inspect such details. It probably only activates when Pina touches it.
“Who would do something so insane?!”
Kaboom! Ariel used firework magic to reduce the letters outside to ashes.
An act clearly filled with malice. It might be the Hero Church’s malice in trying to uncover Pina’s identity.
“….”
After a moment of contemplation, Pina sat at the desk and began writing something down. She filled the white letter quickly.
“..Licht might get something like this.”
Melting golden wax to seal it, she coated it with glass magic.
“I need help.”
The glimmering glass letter reflected sunlight.
Holding it, a heavily armored glass knight dashed off somewhere.
*
Time passed after we returned from the shrine.
“Oh, the rumors have spread.”
I sighed while looking at the pile of social club invitations stacked in front of me.
“Hey, how many of these are from girls? Pina would get jealous if she found out.”
“Of course not.”
The letters were adorned with the emblems of various families and embellished with gold thread. Sometimes there were perfumes for men or even money, making them somewhat discomforting.
There were so many that it was hard to estimate when I would read them all.
How did they know to send them right to the front of the dormitory? Did the rumors spread too much at the capital?
“…Speaking of which, Kainel, you said you’ve never been to a social club, right?”
I turned around and spoke to the blond knight beside me.
“Yeah. Ariel’s really sending me? I’ve been struggling with date spots lately.”
“..I’m jealous.”
Since the affection level of the hero couple had hit 50 percent, this could be an opportunity to raise it further.
In the end, if I wanted to connect Nex and Schartines’s marriage, I would have to go through this route too.
“Kainel, let’s go get suits and dresses fitted sometime.”
It would cost a lot, but they had given us money after catching the Head from the royal family.
“Why a dress?”
“Don’t you want to buy one for your girlfriend?”
“Ah.”
Kainel, being slightly unaware, would only have the chance to get scolded later.
“How about a red suit?”
“…Isn’t that too flashy?”
“Flashy is good! That’s the best choice.”
Matching colors with someone you love is the way to go.
‘Ariel would probably go with blue or yellow.’
As for me, a white suit with a yellow tie would suffice. If that matched, it would be perfect.
‘Speaking of which, Black Rose Pina too.’
A bitter taste lingered in my mouth. A thought that shouldn’t have crossed my mind kept coming back.
In the end, heading to the social club seemed inevitable. I just hope nothing happens.
As I gathered the letters to organize them, I saw something shining faintly in the sunlight.
“..Grancia?”
I recognized the familiar handwriting. The golden seal stamped onto the white letter.
The golden wax bore the shape of a wolf howling at the moon.
I squinted my eyes. Seeing the sender marked as Pina Grancia, I immediately tore open the letter.
[Hello, Licht.]
It was definitely from Pina.
[..It feels strange to be communicating through a letter like this.]
The round, cute handwriting. It was the same as when I borrowed her notebook last time.
[Actually, there’s going to be a social club gathering with the Ten Heroes soon.]
But why did she send a letter to me? Wasn’t she trying to hide her identity?
[I kept thinking about you while seeing the letters coming in around me, Licht.]
That was a bit too much. I wondered what caused such a sudden change in her feelings.
[You’d probably feel the same, right? So I was worried.]
After taking the Head position, I did become famous.
[I just completed my coming-of-age ceremony, and I’m thinking of formally attending the social club from now on, so I’m writing this letter.]
[Licht, will you go with me as my partner this time?]
“….”
I doubted my eyes. I did plan to take Pina to the social club eventually.
But I would have never dreamed of receiving a letter directly from her. If I went to this, it would surely cause a stir.
I was currently a bad guy rejecting all the offers from other noble ladies. I had meant to sneak in.
[Kainel and Ariel are also being invited as guests. What do you think?]
[Normally, it would be right for me not to attend….]
[But I think this is the most efficient way to support you by my side.]
I gulped. There was no way I could refuse this, Pina.
─ [To my knight, Princess Pina Grancia.]
The changed title felt soft and sweet, like cotton candy in my mouth.
I thought it was a word I’d never hear again in my life.
“..Haha.”
My face turned hot. My lips curled up uncontrollably as I closed the letter.
“Kainel, let’s go with this..!”
I couldn’t control my pounding heart. It felt like electricity coursing through my entire body.
This was the first letter Pina had sent me. I wanted to coat it and keep it somewhere immediately. But was there even such a thing here?
Ah, it was already coated in glass.
The letter that had been shimmering oddly since earlier could be Pina giving me a little extra thought.
“What the, did the princess really send this?”
“Yes, she did!”
Unlike before, Kainel noticed the distinct character of one letter immediately.
“Totally a love letter… a love letter..”
Why was he looking at me like that? Kainel clicked his tongue with a frown.
“So, are we going to get clothes? Just the two of us?”
“..Ariel and Pina should definitely come too, right?”
“Your title is wrong, Licht.”
Kainel shook his head. What’s with that? What do you mean my title is wrong… Oh.
“We should call Kainel’s girlfriend and Pina too.”
“That’s right. From now on, call Ariel like that.”
Only then did he start getting ready to head outside with a satisfied expression.
Looks like he’s excited to be dating for the first time.
[Pina, can you hear me?]
I used sound magic to contact Pina. I needed to coordinate the schedule by contacting her, who lived in the Imperial Palace.
[Yes, I can hear you. Did you receive my letter?]
Pina’s voice was slightly trembling. I could sense that something was up; her breathing was rough.
[Yes, I’m thinking of buying clothes and accessories to wear to the social club. When would be a good time for you?]
Even if it didn’t have to be black, I hoped a white outfit would give off a wedding dress vibe.
[…Gold.]
[Oh, how about Friday then…]
Thud! I couldn’t catch what Pina was saying because her words were cut off.
[No, not Friday.]
When I opened the door, following Kainel who left first.
[Now is fine. Licht.]
A shining white knight stood before me.
