Chapter 9.8

The sky was cloudy, almost dark. With every step, the sound of stepping on wet grass echoed on the ground.

It must have rained yesterday in Rontiano.

Aaron, following his master, quietly observed Herace’s heavy mood, matching the weather.

What could they have talked about?

After finishing his talk with the Duke, Herace went straight to the garden and picked white lilies, which the former Duchess had loved.

Aaron knew where those flowers would be placed.

A quiet hill, long forgotten by visitors. It was the grave of the former Duchess, far from the main residence.

“…It’s been a while, Mother.”

Herace placed the white lilies on his birth mother’s tombstone and knelt on one knee. Aaron, sensing the moment, stepped back and paid respects to the grave’s owner.

After a few minutes, as Aaron glanced up, the scene from years ago overlapped in his mind.

<…Mother.>

Four years ago, his master had sat in front of the grave in the same posture.

Aaron, the most junior knight of the Belif family, used to practice swordsmanship alone on this hill.

Of course, he had practiced there even before the grave was built, but after it was erected, the location didn’t change much.

At first, it felt a little uncomfortable, but since no one ever came, sometimes he even forgot the grave was there.

But for years, there was one person who always remembered and visited the grave.

Herace Belif.

The eldest Young Master, destined to be the next Duke of Belif.

He always walked alone, without an attendant, silently guarding the grave before disappearing. He never hugged the tombstone and cried, nor did he speak to the dead.

After he visited, only white lilies would remain.

Whenever the eldest Young Master visited, Aaron would sometimes bring white lilies to the tombstone afterward. Some days, while practicing swordsmanship, he’d talk to the grave about various things.

Having met the Duchess a few times while she was alive, it wasn’t awkward.

But for some reason, seeing Herace’s back as he sat at the grave always felt strange.

What kind of sorrow did Herace carry on those broad shoulders?

As he watched his master’s quiet figure that day, Aaron suddenly wished for his master’s happiness.

“…Let’s get going.”

“Yes, the carriage is waiting at the front gate.”

As Herace slowly stood and walked away, Aaron glanced back at the familiar grave.

Where Herace had been, the white lilies remained. The wind, still damp from the rain, tickled the white petals.

Aaron thought that the scene resembled Herace’s smile whenever he was with Miss Ford, and quickened his slowing steps.

* * *

“Congratulations on your admission, Miss!”

Early in the morning, Diashi came to see Brienne, beaming with joy. Dressed in her Academy uniform and coming down from the dormitory, Brienne looked nervous.

But Diashi was genuinely excited about Brienne’s admission.

“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to say this. Finally, the day has come to congratulate you on officially entering the Academy! Oh, my heart is pounding. I’m more nervous than you, you know?”

“Thank you for congratulating me, Miss Diashi. And congratulations to you for becoming an official researcher.”

“Miss…”

Diashi smiled sadly, then quickly turned serious.

“Being a researcher is nothing to celebrate. I’m just becoming the Academy’s slave. Slavery was abolished ages ago, but here, there are still slaves!”

“But you said you were looking forward to it.”

“That’s right. But the only thing I really look forward to is money. I’m just chasing money now. I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”

“Miss Diashi, sleeping when you’re dead… Where did you get that?”

“Right here!”

Brienne laughed at Diashi’s earnest declaration. She had been nervous about the upcoming entrance ceremony, but meeting Diashi made her feel at ease.

Brienne, now visibly more relaxed, listened intently as Diashi poured out her struggles about the exhausting life of a researcher. After talking for a while, Diashi bid her farewell.

“Whew, then I’ll be off. I plan to study in the library until the researchers’ meeting starts after the entrance ceremony.”

“All right, I’ll come find you in the library if I have time after it’s over.”

“Thank you! Good luck at the entrance ceremony, Miss!”

After sending Diashi off, who intended to go to the library, Brienne returned to her room and checked the state of her uniform once more. She meticulously inspected for any stains or wrinkles and even tidied up the smallest loose threads.

She wanted to show Herace a neat appearance after such a long time.

But even with an hour left before the entrance ceremony began, Herace still hadn’t appeared.

Was the schedule just too tight after all?

Brienne sighed and looked outside through the window. The Academy’s gate, which was usually strictly controlled for visitors, was wide open today, with many people passing through.

The campus, usually quiet, was now filled with faces brimming with excitement. The area in front of the library, where the outdoor entrance ceremony platform had been set up, was bustling.

It was then that Brienne spotted a familiar doll among the crowd entering the Academy.

“…Lusell?”

Squinting, Brienne stuck her head out the window. As she looked closely at the approaching faces, she realized it was Lusell.

And the person next to Lusell.

Garzen, dressed in a pristine white uniform, truly looked like a prince now. His disciplined stride was nothing like his usual casual walk, and if Lusell hadn’t been beside him, Brienne might not have recognized him.

Surprised by the change, Brienne rested her chin on the windowsill and watched them.

It was at that moment that her eyes met Garzen’s as he sensed her gaze and looked up.

“…Ah.”

Brienne awkwardly smiled and lifted her hand from her chin to wave gently. Garzen looked around, then flashed a broad grin and winked with one eye.

And then…

He started blowing her kisses with his gloved hand.

‘Is he crazy?’

Startled, Brienne quickly drew the curtains shut. But Garzen’s unexpected antics weren’t over yet.

Before the entrance ceremony started,

Brienne went down early and blended into the crowd, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Pushed and jostled by the throng, she found herself quite overwhelmed.

Furthermore, many students were already holding armfuls of bouquets. Looking around, Brienne felt like she was the only one whose family hadn’t come.

‘What were Mother and Father doing?’

Brienne watched the others a little enviously. Feeling that today would be a lonely day, she wished the ceremony would end soon so she could return to her room and rest.

“Miss Brienne!”

Suddenly, Lusell’s voice rang out nearby. Carefully weaving through the crowd, Lusell handed her a huge bouquet.

It was as large as three bouquets put together, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Congratulations on your admission, Miss Brienne. Today is finally the day.”

A bit flustered, Brienne accepted the enormous bouquet from him.

“My goodness, what’s with this bouquet? And such a big, colorful one…”

“Oh, this was prepared by His Highness.”

No wonder. As Brienne let out a sound of realization, Lusell scratched his neck awkwardly.

Brienne glanced down at the vibrant flowers and burst out laughing.

“Honestly, it would’ve been strange if you gave me a bouquet, Lusell. Especially such a conspicuous one.”

“That’s exactly what I thought. His Highness really has no sense for gifts. I told him you wouldn’t like it, but he insisted on giving it to you. He said gifts should be all about extravagance and size…”

Shaking his head, Lusell handed her a box from his coat.

“I have a separate gift for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes, open it.”

With a delighted face, Brienne accepted Lusell’s gift. Thanks to Lusell holding the bouquet for a moment, she was able to open the box quickly.

But what was this?

Inside the box was a small spray-like object. As Brienne wondered what the gift was, Lusell explained its purpose first.

“This is a self-defense spray. The streets have been a bit dangerous lately. I thought about what practical gift I could give, and I hope you like it.”

“I see. Thank you, I’ll use it well.”

“Honestly, I hope you never have to use it…”

Lusell nodded, wearing a bittersweet smile. Just then, the Student President who was to declare the opening of the ceremony appeared on the platform.

“Oh, looks like the entrance ceremony is about to start. Lusell, are you leaving now?”

“No, not leaving—I’ll be over there. Since I’m attending as part of the official event, I have to stay with His Highness.”

Lusell gestured toward the VIP seats to the right of the platform. Following his gaze, Brienne saw Garzen looking right at her.

Ignoring Garzen’s burning look that seemed to ask how she liked his gift, Brienne quickly turned back to Lusell.

“I see. Thank you for stopping by, even though you must be busy.”

“Not at all. I’ll be off now.”

“Yes, see you later.”

As signs of the ceremony’s start appeared, the noisy students began to take their seats one by one. Brienne also found an empty seat and sat down.

Felix, the Student President standing on the platform, tapped the microphone to announce the beginning.

Excitement spread across Brienne’s face as the entrance ceremony began. But at this moment, Brienne still didn’t know.

How the ceremony she had waited for would unfold.

『Make Believe Is Extremely Dangerous』Continues in Volume 4