Rebecca-senpai was officially getting engaged.
Amelia filled me in on the details of what she’d heard.
The announcement was to be made officially as soon as summer vacation ended. Her partner was the eldest son of House Bernstein, a lineage that ranked just below the Three Great Noble Families among the high nobility.
Evan Bernstein.
Amelia apparently had some history with him. According to her, he was a man of great character who also possessed exceptional magical talent.
Despite being only twenty-five years old, he was already a Platinum Rank Sorcerer. He was also remarkably handsome. In terms of pedigree, magical prowess, appearance, and personality, he was a match for Rebecca-senpai in every way.
Master had once told me that elite sorcerers tend to marry young.
From the perspective of passing on genetic traits—specifically, inheriting magical talent—this was a vital concern. It was common for nobles to be married and have children by their twenties.
It wasn't that I harbored any ill will toward bloodline-ism.
The issue, as with all things, was balance.
Focusing solely on bloodlines was just as nonsensical as focusing solely on effort or environment. I believed that a sorcerer was forged through an exquisite balance of all these factors.
Of course, that was just me repeating Master’s teachings.
While I understood it wasn’t unusual for a noble’s daughter to get engaged early, Amelia’s take was that the teens were still far too soon.
The current trend leaned more toward the early twenties.
The push for early marriage was supposedly less intense than it had been in the past, with the average age gradually rising. I didn't know why Amelia was so well-versed in the subject, but I supposed such knowledge was a requirement for a noble lady.
"I see. So that’s how it is..."
"I was shocked too. I never expected it from Rebecca-senpai."
Amelia and I were talking in our classroom before the rest of the students arrived. Soon, our classmates began trickling in, but the topic of conversation remained the same—the room was buzzing with the news of Rebecca-senpai's engagement.
"Were there no rumors about this before?"
"Hmm... none that I heard. I mean, even I haven't had talk like that come up yet."
"I see..."
I sank into thought.
It had been right at the end of summer vacation when I went to that sales event with Rebecca-senpai.
At the time, I’d assumed she would continue her artistic pursuits indefinitely. Yet, at the very end, she had told me it would be the last time—her voice tinged with a certain melancholy.
I could still vividly recall her expression at that moment.
That day, senpai had laughed more than I’d ever seen her laugh before. Her entire being had radiated pure joy.
She had told me with a beaming smile how happy it made her to know that people wanted to buy the things she created.
In stark contrast to that joy, she had eventually parted ways with me in a manner that felt like a rejection of my presence.
Her words then must have been leading up to this.
She likely wanted to say that because she was getting engaged, she could no longer indulge in such hobbies. But even knowing that, I couldn't let it go.
"Ray? What’s wrong?"
"There’s somewhere I need to be."
"Eh? But the bell’s about to ring... Ray!"
I didn't stay to hear the end of Amelia’s sentence; I simply dashed out of the classroom.
I went to senpai's classroom first, but she wasn't there. When I asked her classmates, they told me she hadn't arrived yet.
Next, I ran to the Gardening Club room. She wasn't there either.
I checked every place I could think of, but Rebecca-senpai was nowhere to be found.
Maybe she had skipped school today.
The thought crossed my mind, but I decided to check one final location.
I sprinted up the stairs.
The stairs led to the roof. I threw the door open with a bang.
There, in the center of my vision, stood Rebecca-senpai. She was holding down her hair as it fluttered in the wind, her face lost in deep contemplation.
She usually wore a kind, approachable smile, but now she was utterly expressionless.
I had seen many of her different faces, but the one she wore now looked profoundly lonely.
"Senpai. So this is where you were."
"Ray-san... is it?"
The moment we spoke, the bell rang.
Morning homeroom would be starting now. I had never been late once, but today was an exception I was willing to make.
"Ray-san, didn't you hear the bell?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that, Rebecca-senpai? Aren't you going back?"
"Even I have days where I feel like playing hooky."
"...I see."
I walked forward slowly and took a spot beside her.
"..."
"..."
We stood in silence, watching the pure white clouds drift across the blue sky.
It was already September, yet the heat remained oppressive. Though they called it "lingering summer heat," it was just as intense as the peak of the season.
A breeze blew.
It was a welcome relief, cooling my flushed skin. After a minute or two of silence, Rebecca-senpai finally spoke.
"You heard, didn't you?"
"Yes."
We kept our eyes fixed forward, neither of us looking at the other.
"Since the formal announcement was scheduled for after the break, I figured the rumors would have started by now."
"...Yes. Everyone is talking about your engagement right now, Rebecca-senpai."
"I see. And why did you come looking for me, Ray-san?"
As she turned to look at me, I faced her as well. Her expression was uncharacteristically grave.
Her jet-black eyes seemed to pierce right through me.
I sensed a flicker of something like resolve within them.
"Senpai. Do you remember the last day of summer vacation?"
"Yes. I remember."
"Did what you said that day refer to this?"
"It did. I am now a woman with an engagement. I no longer have time to be distracted by such things."
"Such things...? But senpai, you looked so happy—"
"It doesn't matter. I am Rebecca Bradley, the eldest daughter of one of the Three Great Noble Families. I have been prepared for this since the beginning."
"Don't you think it’s a little too soon?"
"Perhaps. But it’s only a difference of a few years. It isn't a problem."
"..."
Her answers were mechanical, as if she had rehearsed them in anticipation of my questions.
There was no trace of will or emotion in her voice.
I found it hard to believe those words were coming from her mouth... yet there they were.
I realized then that, in the end, one human can never truly understand another.
We slap labels on people and define them based on our own assumptions, but only the individual knows what truly lies within their heart.
Even so, I couldn't believe her smile that day had been a lie.
So, I pushed a little further.
"Even if you get engaged—even if you get married and have children—can't you keep it as a hobby?"
"...That is not permitted."
"Why not?"
"Because I am the eldest daughter of the Three Great Noble Families."
"Because you have to maintain a certain image?"
"Yes. The Three Great Noble Families are the ones who lead the world of sorcerers. The blood that flows through my veins is that of the elite House Bradley. Passing that lineage on to the next generation is my duty."
"...I see. I apologize for my overstepping. Once again, congratulations on your engagement, senpai."
I bowed my head.
I offered a sincere apology and my congratulations.
But I still wasn't satisfied.
I hadn't come here just because I wanted her to keep her hobby.
The real reason was that I was worried about her.
I felt that Rebecca-senpai was in a precarious position.
Amelia had been lost for a long time. She didn't know which way to go. That was why I told her we would find the way together.
By contrast, Rebecca-senpai didn't seem lost at all.
She was a remarkable person who was simply trying to fulfill her duty as a noble daughter. I respected her for it.
If that were all there was to it, I wouldn't have come here.
I came because I couldn't get her face out of my mind.
Her face from that day.
Because in that moment, she had looked to me like she was crying out for help.
Help me.
I felt like she had mouthed those words. I hadn't heard them, but I was certain her lips had formed the shapes—.
Maybe I was misremembering. It had only been a split second.
Maybe it was just a delusion I’d manufactured in my own head.
But I couldn't shake it. It was burned into my mind.
As these thoughts swirled, senpai spoke up in her usual gentle tone.
"Ray-san, please look up. It isn't something you need to be so worried about. Fufu... you really are a serious person, aren't you?"
When I looked up, the usual Rebecca-senpai was standing there.
The prickling tension from a moment ago had vanished. She was simply smiling at me with her usual warmth.
"Ray-san, even though I'm engaged, I’m still going to graduate from this Academy. We have the Cultural Festival coming up this term. The Student Council is going to work hard to make it a success, so please make sure you enjoy your first one."
"Oh! I'm definitely looking forward to it! I can't wait for the Cultural Festival!"
"Good! Well then, I look forward to working with you from now on."
"Yes. Likewise, senpai."
Rebecca-senpai offered her hand, and I took it, wrapping mine gently around hers.
Her smile was truly captivating.
Exquisitely beautiful.
But contrary to that radiant smile, the fact that her hand was as cold as ice... was no trick of my imagination.