“These are flat shoes, so it’s fine. And after eating so much, walking is better. Besides, it’s just right for a walk right now.”

He nodded at that and stepped up beside Jeanne, and she took his arm. The warmth of the contact made Ruhir’s body go rigid on its own. Naturally, he had no room to spare a thought for the students whose gazes trailed after them all the way back to the Academy.

He also failed to notice Jeanne subtly pulling his arm deeper into her embrace and putting on an expression of someone who could die happy.

The number of people who had feelings for Ruhir de Winter was beyond counting. Not a headache-inducing crown prince, but the second prince, handsome and flawless and kind to everyone. How could anyone not like a man like that.

But they had given up, not daring to set their sights on royalty, and now he was in a relationship with a commoner?

When the news first broke, no one had believed it. But seeing them together like this every single day, there was no choice but to accept it. And with that came an explosion of jealousy.

What does she have besides good grades and a pretty face?

The ladies from families that had once exchanged marriage talks with his in their younger years were naturally beside themselves. They had waited quietly at first, certain that Lilian, Ruhir’s twin sister, would surely make a scene.

But nothing of the sort happened. A month passed without any reaction at all. The ladies who had been counting on someone else to do the work ground their teeth.

What is that princess doing, the one who adores her twin so fiercely and is always watching over him?

The sound of their simmering frustration rang vividly in her ears, those ladies who had no idea that all of this had come from Lilian’s own head. Jeanne’s smile deepened.

“-Today was truly wonderful.”

Jeanne looked at him and smiled warmly. She could never pass up a chance to rub it in the faces of those who had looked down on her for being a commoner.

She loosened her arm from his and took his hand instead, leaned her head fully against his shoulder, then looked up at him.

“I’m glad you had a good time.”

“I’ve been at the Academy so long and never knew there were so many places worth going to. Will you keep taking me, Ruhir?”

“…… Yes. I will.”

Those words were nothing but a source of joy to him. If nothing between them changed even after becoming a couple, there was no reason her grades would fall. Ruhir had also been prepared to let his own grades slip.

His parents had always wanted nothing more than for him to be healthy. It was a somewhat disagreeable thing to say, but studying was not particularly important in his life.

It was partly because his elder brother and elder sister had already graduated with outstanding marks. And since his twin Lilian had been so sickly, his parents had wished for nothing more than that he too simply stay healthy.

When they drew close to the women’s dormitory, there was no one in sight around them. Seeing that, Jeanne took his hand and pulled him toward the back of a large tree.

“Is something the matter?”

“Yes. There is.”

She gestured for him to lean in, and when he bent down close, Jeanne cupped his face in both hands. Then she rose up on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek…… Every time she initiated physical contact, the unfamiliarity of it made Ruhir feel as though his head might burst.

A pleasant scent drew near and he squeezed his eyes shut, and then he heard a low laugh. She pulled back with a light smack and wrapped her arms around his neck and asked in a near whisper.

“Today was really fun. What about you, Ruhir?”

“I, had fun too.”

“I’m glad. I was worried I was the only one enjoying myself.”

Jeanne rose on her toes again and pressed another kiss to his cheek before finally stepping back. Soft lips. The lingering sensation of them left his mind blank. She had said she had never dated anyone either, just like him, yet she was so natural about it that it surprised him every time.

They had only been together a short while, and yet lately he had found himself looking forward to her kisses. …… Was that normal?

And more than that, he wanted to kiss Jeanne’s cheek too, not just receive hers.

But someone might pass by this area, so it was better to do it later when they were alone.

“Rest tomorrow and I’ll see you Monday.”

“…… Won’t we see each other tomorrow?”

“Ruhir. Aren’t you tired? If we see each other tomorrow too, that’s seven days straight.”

“I’m not tired. I like being with you, Jeanne.”

“A friend told me that if you spend too much time together, you might break up.”

“That might be true for other people, but I don’t think it applies to me.”

He held her hand tight. If they were apart even for a day, that time might be time Jeanne spent studying. If dates like today were too much for her…… he turned it over in his mind for a moment, then smiled and said,

“Then would you like to come to the hideout tomorrow?”

“The hideout?”

“Yes. It’s a place where friends I’ve known since childhood gather, but none of them come on weekends.”

“That’s interesting.”

“It’s a perfect place to relax, and there are quite a lot of books on magic there.”

At that, Jeanne’s eyes went wide. Come to think of it, one of his friends was the daughter of a grand mage. Could there be books brought from the mage tower too?

“…… Would it really be all right for me to read them?”

“Yes. It’s fine. So let’s have lunch together at the Academy tomorrow and then go to the hideout.”

“All right. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

She accepted his suggestion, and with him seeing her off, Jeanne stepped into the dormitory.

He had been nervous she might say no, so he felt an immense relief when she agreed. He was truly glad he had gotten Rebecca’s permission in advance to let her read the books.

Walking back to the men’s dormitory, he touched the cheek where the sensation still lingered. It was only a kiss, but the feeling was strange enough that he kept reaching up to touch it. He had received kisses from family many times, but Jeanne’s kisses were different from those.

Ruhir stroked the back of his neck and stepped inside, carrying that peculiar feeling with him.

***

In all likelihood, Ruhir de Winter had no feelings for Jeanne. But if she kept holding his hand, hugging him, and kissing his cheek, wouldn’t that change? Jeanne knew she was pretty, and she had decided to make use of that.

She wanted Ruhir’s feelings for her to grow through it all. If they did, there would be more she could get out of this.

“Wow.”

She had imagined somewhere dark and cramped when she heard the word hideout, but it was nothing like that. They had rented one of the Academy’s private rooms and turned it into a gathering place, she had been told, and the money spent on it showed. The interior was genuinely large, enough to draw an involuntary sound of admiration.

There were beds for sleeping, sofas, and tables. On top of that, the variety of books lining the shelves was enough to make her spirits lift on their own. But first she looked over the books related to magic. If these were books brought by the daughter of a grand mage, what kind of information might they hold?

“Sit comfortably on the sofa. I’ll make you some tea.”

“Sure.”

Sitting on the sofa, she liked the soft feel of it. It was so plush that she felt she could drift off to sleep just sitting there. She had never seen one like it anywhere else, so he might have bought it himself and put it here.

Where had he gotten it from? If she found her mother someday and they lived together, she wanted to put one just like it in their home.

“It’s peach black tea. I remembered you don’t have any allergies.”

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Taking the teacup in her hands, a wave of warmth washed over her. She felt she could be happy spending an entire day just sitting here like this. But today the goal wasn’t to sit idle. It was to read.

In the quiet, she finished her tea quickly and opened her mouth.

“The tea was wonderful.”

“I’m glad. I learned how to make it, but I’m happy it suits your taste.”

“May I browse the books now?”

“Oh, of course. I’ll show you around from this side.”

He set down his teacup and led her straight to the shelves. The books at Ruhir’s bookshop had held many rare volumes, but the hideout had even more.

“But are you really sure it’s all right for me to read these?”

“Yes. I already asked everyone. They said it was fine for you to come to the hideout, and they gave permission for the books too. They said you’re welcome to come on weekdays as well, anytime.”

“If I come on weekdays, I’d end up meeting your friends……”

“Yes.”

I should absolutely never come on weekdays. The thought arose on its own. These were people far out of reach for a commoner. Ruhir was fine only because she was meeting him alone. If it were otherwise, she would not have dared even speak to them.

She had never met them, but she knew about Ruhir’s friends.

They were well-known figures at the Academy. There was no way she wouldn’t know of them.

She also knew they did not discriminate between commoners and nobles, which gave her a good impression of them.

She brought several books over and set them on the table, then began to read. He watched her in quiet fascination at how quickly she fell into concentration, but she didn’t seem to notice him looking at all, and read without so much as a twitch.