“You were so tense earlier, but now you’re all relaxed? How convenient.”
“Y-you noticed that?!”
“It was painfully obvious the whole way here.”
Elena stepped half a pace in front of Luna, leaning in with a pout.
“I was kinda hoping you’d keep that to yourself…”
“Then you should’ve thought about why I said it out loud.”
Pouting, she subtly touched her own head—then continued.
“…Anyway, changing the subject—do you know why this happened? You’ve heard, right?”
“Huh? Sorry, I’m lost… What are you talking about?”
“Excuse me?”
She asked as if he should know, but he had no clue.
Tilting his head in confusion, he braced for the shocking news.
“You haven’t heard? Aria sama is starting school here—today.”
“Wha—?! Seriously?! This is the first I’m hearing of it!”
His shock was justified.
Aria was from a ducal house—a rank above marquises.
Even his status paled in comparison. One misstep, and there would be no recovering.
Instinctively bracing himself, he sorted through the implications.
“‘Starting today’ means she’s attending regularly now, right? Not just for exams?”
“Only on days without events, so once or twice a week at most.”
“And which classroom is she assigned to?”
“Ours, apparently. By request.”
“Request…? Wow. That’s… sudden.”
“…Your speech is slipping.”
“S-sorry, I’m just… thrown off. But I see…”
Luna’s quiet correction made him smile wryly as he processed everything.
For him, this situation was complicated.
It wasn’t that he disliked Aria—far from it.
At the dinner party two nights ago, he had genuinely enjoyed her company.
With her immaculate appearance, dignified and graceful demeanor, refined speech, gentle nature, and a singing voice that could enchant anyone—Aria was, like Sia, the very image of “flawless perfection.”
But by sheer chance, Byleth had discovered it.
The real Aria—unfiltered.
At home, she would lie in bed all day, cocooned in her blankets like a caterpillar. She insisted on eating meals in bed, refused to leave even to use the bathroom (begging to be carried instead),
and would even drag her maids under the covers to use them as hugging pillows.
And worst of all—her speech was so casual you’d never believe she was the highest-ranking noble in the duchy.
If he told a hundred people, not one would believe him. Yet here he was, someone far beneath her status, holding knowledge that could shatter the image of the “beautiful songstress.” It was beyond inconvenient.
“Um, regarding this matter—I already discussed it with Miss Elena, but do you have any idea why Aria sama suddenly changed her routine? She’s busier than anyone, so there must be a significant reason.”
“Given the timing, it must have something to do with the banquet. That’s the only explanation.”
“N-No way… I can’t think of anything, really…”
“You seem suspicious.”
“I agree, Luna.”
“Th-That’s not true! I mean…”
Their jewel-like eyes narrowed, pinning him with accusatory stares.
He scrambled to deflect, but Elena and Luna were as sharp as ever.
Truthfully, he did know why Aria had suddenly started attending school regularly.
And being cornered like this only made his dread grow.
—Had his advice on vocal care backfired, worsening her condition? Was she holding him responsible?
—Had someone spotted him talking to her in the dark garden after the banquet?
—Had she realized he’d seen her true, lazy self?
About the first point—Sanya, Aria’s personal maid, had already warned him:
“What Aria-sama does is the correct method of care. If your advice worsens her condition, you’ll face persecution from the duke and other nobles.”
As for the latter possibilities… if Aria found out he knew her secret, she might threaten him: “If you dare tell anyone about my true self, you know what will happen.” She might even start attending school just to keep him silent and under surveillance.
As Luna had said—unless there was an extraordinary reason, there was no way a lazy girl who preferred to stay wrapped in blankets like a caterpillar would willingly go to school.
“Your reaction just confirmed it. The cause is you, isn’t it? …Oh, now that I think about it, you and Sanya-sama went into the hallway together. Did something happen then?”
“Ugh…”
Elena had, at the worst possible moment, recalled the exact incident that made his story credible.
“I was skeptical, but your reaction just confirmed it.”
“Hahaha…”
His face twitched as he struggled to find an excuse. Just as he was desperately trying to change the subject—
“Byleth Saintford.”
“Huh!?”
Luna called him by his full name, her tone deadly serious.
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“…I-I don’t mean to blame you… But you’re someone important to me. No matter how wonderful Aria-sama is, don’t get too infatuated… And… please still visit the library during lunch like usual…”
“O-Of course!”
Her voice grew quieter, her gaze dropping as she spoke.
Seeing her muster such courage, flushed with embarrassment, made his own face heat up.
“Sigh… Really, Luna, just because you’re younger doesn’t mean you can sneak ahead like this. Think about me a little too.”
“You taught me the importance of courage, Miss Elena.”
“Ugh… You’re too sharp for your own good…”
It was so like Elena to scold her not as a higher-ranking noble but as the “older one.”
It’s impressive that she wouldn’t say such a thing even as a joke.
And of course, Luna understood the sentiment, smiling softly as she bowed her head slightly.
Before he knew it, the uncomfortable topic had shifted.
“—Anyway, Byleth, you look like you have something to say. Spit it out.”
“W-Well, I was just relieved to see you two getting along as usual…”
“With all due respect, it’s not as usual.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Honestly, how dense can you be? We’ve gotten closer. It’s not just our relationship that’s changed.”
“Oh…”
To them, sharing the same lover meant their bond had deepened beyond mere friendship.
Hearing it stated so plainly made his eyes dart away in embarrassment.
“Why are you blushing now? Straighten up. You’re my lover, after all.”
“…And mine.”
“H-Hey, are you two trying to fluster me?”
Though the situation was mortifying, Byleth couldn’t help but retort.
After spending some more time together—
As expected, given the hour, Luna left for the library while he and Elena headed to class.
“…By the way, isn’t it kinda noisy? Inside and out.”
“Aria-sama must have arrived. Look—people are gathering just to catch a glimpse.”
Elena stood by the window, gesturing for him to look outside.
Bathed in sunlight, his lover’s beauty was so striking it stole his breath. After a beat, he joined her by the window.
“W-Wow… She really is popular, huh…”
“Hehe, of course. With that voice and flawless elegance, who wouldn’t admire her? Aria-sama is every lady’s ideal.”
“……”
“Hey, don’t ignore me.”
“S-Sorry! Just thinking.”
He couldn’t say it. Couldn’t tell anyone.
That her “flawless elegance” was a complete façade.
That the same person who insisted on eating in bed, refused to leave even to use the bathroom, and begged to be carried around was—
“A-Anyway! It’s great Aria-sama decided to come to school more often. We’ll definitely have more chances to interact!”
Changing the subject was the safest move.
“It is wonderful… but the more I see her, the more jealous I feel.”
“Jealous?”
Half-serious, half-teasing, Elena said
As he tilts his head in confusion, she continues her thoughts.
“Aria-sama is flawless in every way. Even as a fellow woman, I find her mesmerizing.”
“…Like she has something you don’t?”
“Exactly. And no matter how hard I try, I’ll never reach her level.”
She sighed.
“Not that I resent her—her achievements are earned. But it’s hard not to compare.”
“Huh…”
“Don’t act like it’s someone else’s problem. This is your fault.”
“M-Mine?”
Her jewel-like amethyst eyes locked onto him.
“That’s unfair!”
“No, it’s not. Being with you made me more aware of it… I keep worrying that if I don’t measure up, you’ll leave me for someone more charming.”
“Pfft—what?”
He burst out laughing, caught off guard.
“…It’s not funny. Everyone wants the best partner they can get, right?”
“Maybe, but you seriously worrying about that is just… absurd.”
“Flattery won’t save you.”
“I mean it.”
Meeting her gaze as she arched a delicate brow, he answered without hesitation, his expression softening.
“If anything, I’m the one who should worry. At the banquet, barely anyone even greeted me.”
“Well, being with your lover did spark some… unfortunate rumors.”
“Y-Yeah…”
He knew what people whispered—”Is he threatening her?” “Is she okay?”—
and that it put Elena in an awkward position.
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