As Cultural Festival preparations ramped up, the Academy was buzzing with activity in every classroom after school. Amidst the chaos, Ray’s class had split up by gender to work on their respective tasks.
Ray and the other boys had headed outside to build signs, a job that involved sawing boards and painting them.
The girls remained in the classroom, primarily in charge of the interior decorations and sewing the maid uniforms.
Naturally, when a group consists of only girls, one particular topic is bound to arise.
Yes. Love talk.
"Hey, hey. Rose-san, are you and White actually a thing?"
"—Huh!?"
While everyone was busy crafting small ornaments and ribbons for the interior, one female student posed the question to Amelia. In an instant, the other girls swarmed around her and began their interrogation.
Elisa didn't join the group, but her long, elven ears were twitching violently up and down as she strained to catch every word of the conversation.
"N-No, I mean... it’s not like there’s anything going on between Ray and me... we’re just friends..."
"But we heard a rumor that White went to visit your place over summer vacation?"
"Ugh..."
—Oh no. I see, it’s that incident...
The realization hit Amelia, but it was already too late.
The rumor had likely leaked from the boys. When she was trying to persuade them earlier, she had told them they could mention what she wore when she met Ray over the summer, but that decision was now backfiring.
She hadn't thought that far ahead, and now she was the absolute center of attention.
"...Ray and I are just on good terms, that’s all."
"Reeeally?"
"Y-Yes..."
Amelia remained adamant in her denial.
However, she had recently noticed that her own feelings were somewhat... off. She hadn't yet reached the point of clearly identifying her feelings as "love."
She was simply aware of him as a boy she was interested in.
Even her choice of clothing during summer vacation was born from a desire to look her best for someone she cared about. Of course, Amelia's mother had already seen right through her daughter's heart.
Lately, Amelia had found herself acting or speaking out of jealousy from time to time, wondering why she did such things... and if she really did feel that way about Ray. She was just beginning to ponder these thoughts when this question hit her.
Her face turned bright red, and though she tried to brush it off with excuses, to any observer, her reaction was as good as a confession.
"Hmm. Well, maybe I’ll try talking to White then?"
"Eh?"
"Oh, then me too!"
"Me three! I mean, he is pretty handsome. Since my family isn't noble, I wouldn't mind having him as a lover or dating him for a bit while we're students. It's not like I have to worry about a political marriage~"
"Ah, no fair! Then me too~"
The girls suddenly began chattering away, leaving Amelia flustered and glancing around in confusion, but the volume of their voices only increased.
Incidentally, Elisa was also hanging on every word of this conversation.
"R-Ray! He’s not that easy to deal with! He’s a total airhead, after all! It’s true he’s kind, and cool, and he helps you when you’re struggling, and he’s a wonderful person... You’d think he’d be sharp when it comes to feelings, but he’s naturally dense!"
"..."
She had intended to imply that they would have a hard time if they went after him, but then Amelia realized something. The girls around her were all wearing mischievous smirks.
—I-I’ve been played!
Indeed. This was a lie they had all improvised together. They had done it just to draw a reaction out of her, and it had worked better than they could have imagined.
"Ah... ugh..."
"So, what were you saying about White, Rose-san...?"
"Ugh... I mean, even I don’t really understand these feelings yet."
"Give us details!"
And so, Amelia’s love consultation began.
Thirty minutes later.
"Whoa... that’s intense."
"White is so cool... If a naturally handsome guy did that for me, I’d fall for him in a heartbeat."
"Yeah, yeah. He’s a dangerous man. To target the eldest daughter of the Rose family, one of the Three Great Noble Families. Well, I doubt he did it on purpose, but still..."
"He’d be great as a lover, wouldn't he?"
"Maybe. Well, an Ordinary and one of the Three Great Noble Families... it sounds like something out of a storybook, but... maybe it could work."
Amelia had spilled everything. Well, she hadn't shared every single detail of what happened at the Magics Chevalier, but she gave them a general overview. Even so, Ray's actions struck a chord with the girls; above all, they found his way of life to be beautiful.
They began to hold him in high regard for going so far to help others.
Furthermore, there was the matter of her awakening during the finals of the Magics Chevalier Newcomers' Tournament. That had also become a hot topic within the Academy.
Rumor had it that the power of love was what had caused Amelia to awaken.
"Hey, hey. What did you think the moment you heard White’s voice during the finals?"
"Ugh... that’s..."
"You won because of that, right?"
"Well... to be honest, at that time, I thought I was going to lose to Ariane. But when I heard Ray’s voice, the world suddenly took on color... even though everything had been silent and gray until then, Ray’s voice changed everything... and I was able to use new magic... and..."
"Kyaaaaaa!"
The girls erupted.
They let out high-pitched squeals, becoming incredibly excited by Amelia's admission.
"That’s the real deal!"
"And at the Magics Chevalier, no less!"
"Wow... there’s no doubt about it!"
"It’s a legend... that’s already a legend!"
"So sweet! It's so sweet I'm going to start spitting sugar!"
Their reactions weren't so much teasing as they were genuine shock at the "sweetness" of the story.
In the midst of the excitement, Amelia muttered softly.
"—But lately, Ray hasn't been paying as much attention to me as he used to."
"..."
The air froze instantly.
"Ray is kind to everyone. And while he has male friends, there are strangely many women around him. Is it because he’s so charming that they gather? Lately, it seems like he’s been getting along well with Rebecca-senpai. Oh... come to think of it, during summer vacation... I’m pretty sure he hung out with another girl, too."
The moment they heard Amelia’s flat, emotionless voice, Elisa put on a forced smile and tried to beat a hasty retreat from the classroom.
"Ah... I’m just going to the restroom..."
"Wait just one moment."
"H-Hieeeeeeee!"
Elisa, captured.
Amelia activated her Inside Code and grabbed the shoulder of the fleeing Elisa. Then, the other girls surrounded her with sinister grins.
"F-Fueeee..."
Thus, Elisa and Amelia ended up face-to-face. With the other girls forming a circle around them, the conversation resumed.
"So, Elisa. You definitely went on a date with Ray over summer vacation, didn't you?"
"N-No... that was just the two of us hanging out! There’s nothing between Ray-kun and me!"
"If a boy and a girl go out together, it’s a date," Amelia stated.
The other girls chimed in immediately.
"There’s no doubt about it."
"Wow. White even laid a hand on Elisa-chan."
"But she is cute. Elisa-chan, I mean."
"Yeah, yeah. She’d definitely make a good wife."
"And she’s got a big chest. She’s popular with the boys too~"
As she heard those words, Amelia’s expression became even colder.
"—Hey. Elisa."
"Y-Yeah..."
"I consider you a very precious friend."
"Yeah. Th-Thanks..."
"But don’t you think we should have a proper talk about this?"
Elisa felt cold sweat dripping down her spine. Amelia’s expression and tone were deadly serious.
Sensing that she was in grave danger, Elisa’s mind raced until she found an escape.
"Ah! Come to think of it, I heard Clarice-chan hung out with Ray-kun too. And I’m pretty sure... they stayed overnight together—"
"STAYED OVERNIGHT!?"
Moments later, the stunned girls stormed into Clarice’s classroom and apprehended the girl with the adorable twin tails.
"Wh-What!? What’s going on!? Is this one of Amelia’s fits!? Why are there so many of you today!? H-Help meeeeeeeeeeeee! Waaaaaaaah!"
—I’m sorry, Clarice-chan... I’m so sorry...
Elisa apologized in her heart, but there was no doubt that lately, she had grown increasingly comfortable with sacrificing Clarice to save herself.
As a result, almost no work was done by the girls today.
One could only wonder how their romances would unfold from here on out—.