The Mysterious Dinner Party

—The Noblesse Magic Academy.

It was the most prestigious educational institution in the Kingdom of Ostrava, a peak-tier facility that every citizen dreamed of entering at least once.

The primary reason for its reputation lay in the legendary achievements of its graduates. Some had earned the title of "Sage," the highest honor a mage could achieve, while others became "Sword Saints."

Hero, Paragon, Holy Blade, Prodigy—the list went on and on. These were special distinctions bestowed only upon those who had carved their names into the bedrock of history. Wealth, fame, power, and honor—the moment a student enrolled in this school, their future success was essentially guaranteed.

Naturally, the difficulty of the entrance exam was staggering. Despite being a school meant for training, the admissions test demanded high-level magical talent and mastery of the sword. While rumors suggested that family lineage was the most important factor, that wasn't actually true. There was an age limit, but one’s birth status was technically irrelevant.

As for why such a prestigious academy had such a meritocratic rule, it was actually a bit paradoxical: it was only that way to accommodate the background of the original story’s protagonist.

A commoner born in the countryside who loved his family—that was the hero. His village would be attacked by monsters, his latent talents would bloom, and his journey would begin, leading him through various encounters and world-shaking events. Enrolling in this school was one of those major milestones.

According to the original plot, I was supposed to meet him for the first time on the day of the exam. If things were proceeding as planned, the protagonist was likely training himself to the bone right now. That was exactly why I wanted to be doing some special training of my own to prepare, and yet...

"The weather is lovely, isn't it? I can hear the little birds chirping."

In a corner of the sprawling House Fanscent gardens, we were currently enjoying afternoon tea at an elegant table. Lady Cynthia—a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, hyper-beautiful "Choroin" (an embarrassingly easy-to-woo heroine)—spoke softly as she lifted her teacup.

Naturally, I had to offer a socially acceptable response.

"Yes. The birds are indeed chirping."

"......"

"......"

Silence descended. It stretched on. And on.

What on earth am I supposed to talk about?!

Cynthia was undeniably gorgeous. Her skin was porcelain-white, and she was perfectly toned in all the right places. But she was supposed to meet the protagonist and trigger several vital plot points. One of those events involved her having me executed...

If I spent my time here bonding with her over tea, the future might spiral out of control. If I broke the scenario and lost my knowledge of the future, I’d be the one paying the price. That’s why I’d sworn to stay as far away from her as possible until enrollment, but then...

“Be happy, Weiss! It’s happening tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow? What is, Father?”

“Heh heh heh... you’ll see.”

My father had dropped that cryptic bombshell on me last night, and this was the result.

"Even your silence is so shy and charming," Cynthia remarked.

By the way, Cynthia had a remarkably pure heart. No matter how many times the protagonist fell into a crisis, she would shower him with unconditional love. Her character archetype was the "Easy-to-Woo Heroine," and she was prone to massive misunderstandings.

The fact that her affection for me was skyrocketing while I sat there in awkward silence was the ultimate proof of that.

"Master Weiss, would you like a refill on your tea?"

"Hyaa-ah?! Y-Yes, please!"

Lilith appeared out of thin air. I was so startled that I let out a pathetic, high-pitched shriek. Sometimes I completely failed to pick up on her presence.

It was humiliating, but in a way, maybe it was a blessing in disguise. I was supposed to be a refined nobleman; surely making such a disgraceful sound would give her "the ick." The "frog-ification phenomenon" had to be kicking in right about now. This is it. It’s over. She’ll finally be disgusted by me—

"So cute... so cute... Master Weiss is so cute... cute... cute... Master Weiss is just so cute..."

No, it’s not working! She was mumbling under her breath. She didn't look repulsed at all; if anything, she looked obsessed.

...But if I thought about it, maybe this was a stroke of luck? If I got on Lady Cynthia’s good side, then even if the scenario changed, maybe things would trend in a positive direction? Yeah, that had to be it. It was better to look on the bright side.

---

Suddenly, I felt an indescribable chill—a needle-like prick of murderous intent.

I spun around in a panic, but no one was there. It had felt like it was coming from right next to me, yet the only person in my line of sight was Lilith, who was wearing the smile of a literal angel.

"...Is something the matter?" she asked.

"No... it's nothing."

I hadn't triggered "the ick," but I was definitely experiencing some sort of paranormal activity.

"Master Weiss," Cynthia said, "did you hear about today from your father?"

"Ah, yes. I heard." (I meant I heard there was an 'event' coming up).

"I see. And so, you gave your consent?"

"Well, rather than 'consent' per se..." (I was just told to look forward to it) "...but yes, I'm happy too." (Because this is my first time having a fancy afternoon tea).

We passed the time with that kind of trivial small talk. I felt that murderous aura a few more times, but I never did figure out where it was coming from.

"Thank you so much. I had a wonderful time."

"The pleasure was mine. Oh—allow me."

I escorted Lady Cynthia to her carriage. I could feel a gaze like a physical weight piercing my back, but I was getting used to it by now. When she stumbled slightly, I reflexively reached out and caught her hand.

I figured one tea party wouldn't change the world. I just had to be more careful from now on. We were just acquaintances. If she invited me again, I’d just say I was busy.

"Hehe, you truly are kind. The entrance exam is coming up soon, so let’s both do our best."

"Indeed. Don't push yourself too hard, Lady Cynthia."

For the record, she was guaranteed to pass. She possessed extremely rare magic and was a prodigy with the blade. She looked delicate and lovely, but she was a hard worker who never neglected her training.

"Today has been so memorable. I'll never forget it. We can discuss the... more intimate details... at a later date."

"I won't forget it either." (Mainly because I was terrified I was breaking the plot).

With that, Lady Cynthia departed. Once her carriage was completely out of sight, I turned around to find Lilith standing there with tears streaming down her face.

"Lilith?! What’s wrong?!"

"No... it’s fine. It can't be helped. I am... merely a maid, after all."

I was completely lost. Why was she—oh. I see. Maybe it was painful for her? Seeing me getting along with Lady Cynthia must have made her feel lonely. She had always been there to support me, and I had been totally insensitive to her feelings.

"You're not 'merely a maid.' Lilith, you are a precious person to me."

"But... with Lady Cynthia..."

"That was just something my father decided on his own." (I meant the tea). "I didn't have a choice in the matter. —By the way, do you know about the Academy's attendant system?"

"...Yes, of course."

"I plan to bring you with me. I'll be counting on your support when the time comes."

At the Noblesse Academy, high-ranking nobles were granted a special exception to bring one attendant. In the original story, Weiss had brought some random, nameless maid, but I intended to bring Lilith. A minor change like that shouldn't break the game. I heard the attendants had to pass a test too, but it probably wasn't that hard.

"...Does that mean you're... asking for me?"

"Yeah. That's exactly what I'm doing."

"...I understand, Master Weiss! I'll do my absolute best! A... a 'secret love,' isn't it?"

"Come again?"

I didn't quite catch that last part, but I didn't want to grill her while she was still crying.

However, that night, I discovered something absolutely horrifying.

"...Engaged...?"

The document sitting on my desk stated that Lady Cynthia and I were now officially fiances. The "tea party" had actually been an informal celebration—a first meeting for the prospective couple.

When I realized that, the conversation from earlier played back in my head with terrifying clarity.

“Master Weiss, did you hear about today [the engagement] from your father?” “Ah, yes. I heard.”

“I see. And so, you gave your consent? [She thought I was agreeing to marry her!]” “Well, rather than 'consent' per se, I'm happy too! [She thinks I’m saying I’m happy to be her husband!]”

Wait. Does this mean I’m actually engaged to Lady Cynthia now?!

"DADDYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

And then there was one more thing. Just before bed, Lilith had appeared at my door.

"I look forward to our future together," she had whispered. "I'll keep our secret safe."

I thought about that, too... and it probably went like this:

“You're not 'merely a maid.' Lilith, you are a precious person to me.” “But... with Lady Cynthia... [She’s talking about the engagement!]” “That was just something my father decided on his own [She thinks I’m saying the marriage is a sham!], I didn't have a choice in the matter.”

Then I had asked her to be my "attendant" (which she probably interpreted as 'mistress') and told her she was "precious" to me.

Followed by Lilith’s words: "Secret love."

I think I accidentally declared an affair on the same day I got engaged.