The door to the office remained closed, obscuring their view, but it seemed the group had headed toward the stairs.
“Uh… are those people you know, Luna?”
“I believe they were introduced to me for the first time today.”
Keeping their voices low to avoid detection, Luna responded in a whisper.
“Yeah, from the sound of it… you made the right call, huh?”
“It would be troublesome if they misunderstood… After all, I already have you…”
“……!”
As she nuzzled against his chest, whispering those words, Byleth’s breath caught in his throat.
“And besides… they should respect the library’s rule of [keeping quiet]. Shouting like that is unacceptable.”
“W-well, I guess you’re right. That was a pretty loud call…”
Luna loved books dearly and treated the library with the utmost care—more than anyone else.
Of course she would be strict about the rules.
“By the way… what should we do? Show ourselves?”
“No… Please stay like this. So will I.”
“Mm, got it.”
In other words, Luna had chosen to pretend she wasn’t here.
“We should stay like this until they leave… Making noise might give us away.”
“Isn’t that just an excuse?”
“……I’m not saying anything.”
“Ahaha.”
That meant he had hit the mark.
Though Luna had come up with a plausible reason, the situation left her at a disadvantage.
“……Ah, just so you know… if you ever get tired of touching my hair, you can stop…”
“I can’t even imagine getting tired of it.”
“……Then let’s stay like this.”
As their eyes briefly met, Luna quickly lowered her gaze, hiding her flushed face against his chest.
“……”
“……”
Yet as he continued stroking her hair, the voices of the three visitors returned.
“She’s not responding at all, so she must not be here.”
“What a shame.”
“Tch, I even went out of my way to visit…”
“Perhaps she’s with Byleth Saintford or Elena Leclerc somewhere?”
“Ah, now that you mention it, I heard they’re close.”
“Pfft, what a joke. Elena, fine, but him? He’s probably just using his status to intimidate her. Ridiculous.”
“I heard they looked like they were having fun, though? She didn’t seem scared at all.”
“If anything, Byleth’s the last person I’d expect her to be around… How strange.”
“Just wait. Soon enough, rumors will spread that she was being threatened.”
With those final words, the sound of the library door opening and closing echoed again.
Listening closely, they could hear the footsteps fading away.
The visitors had left without noticing them—but as Byleth withdrew his hand from Luna’s head, an awkward expression crossed his face.
“Uh… hey…? I know it’s late, but I’m really sorry, Luna. I’m the reason you’re getting talked about like that…”
“It’s alright. Though it’s rude to say, I was prepared for this.”
“But doesn’t it still bother you? You were worried about this too, right?”
“In my case… I’m happy.”
“……Huh? H-happy?”
“Of course, not in a strange way.”
Shaking her head, Luna took a small step back, breaking their close contact.
True to her earlier words of [staying like this until they leave], she softened her gaze and continued.
“While others don’t know your good qualities… I do. That gives me a sense of pride—and happiness. So no, it’s not all bad. And this feeling will never change.”
She declared it with confidence.
Then, little by little, her face turned red.
“……Thank you. That… really put me at ease.”
“If you ever feel uneasy again, tell me. I’ll always say the same thing.”
Her embarrassment was obvious.
And yet, she had still said [always]—likely because she had once shared the same insecurity.
No, Byleth was certain of it.
“Ah, may I ask… have you had lunch yet?”
“Nah, I came to see you as soon as break started.”
“Good. Then… would you like to eat together? I have enough for you.”
“W-well, I’m happy you’re offering, but… wouldn’t that mean taking your after-school portion?”
He knew she usually brought two meals—one for lunch and one for dinner—since she stayed late in the library reading.
When she said [I have enough for you], it was more of a figure of speech. He still felt guilty, but—
“No, there’s no need to worry. Today, I made a little extra.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Here’s the proof.”
After a brief reply, Luna turned and retrieved one, two, then three woven lunchboxes from her bag.
“I knew you’d say something like that.”
“Kinda embarrassing how predictable I am… Wait, huh? Earlier, when you said [I want you to come to the library]—was that because…?”
“Preparing this was one reason.”
“You should’ve just said so!”
At worst, the meal she made for him might have gone to waste.
The thought made him speak with more force, but Luna showed no sign of admitting fault.
“Though it may sound conceited… I was sure you would come. And my prediction was correct.”
“……”
He had been completely outmaneuvered.
“Now then, please take one.”
“Haha… I really can’t win against you, Luna…”
Accepting the box gratefully, he sighed in amusement.
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“Now that we’re like this… I’ve been wanting to talk about the first time we met.”
“Oh yeah, that was the first time you gave me food! I was so shocked when I found out later it was homemade!”
“I still remember how happily you ate it.”
“……It really brings back memories. Even back then, when the rumors about me were awful, you were always kind.”
“That’s a revision of history. I suspected you were here to cause trouble in the library. I even said I’d be watching you. Yet you never once looked displeased—in fact, you went out of your way to be considerate of me.”
Sitting side by side as they ate, they reminisced about the past.
“Looking back now, what you did was amazing, Luna. Given my status, I should’ve been someone terrifying to you, but you stood your ground to protect this place.”
“Of course. I was prepared to throw everything away.”
“Ahaha, so you really were, huh?”
Given her position, she must have understood social hierarchy better than anyone—likely drilled into her by strict parents.
Yet she had still fought back. That alone spoke volumes about how much this place meant to her.
“……But I’m glad I did. Because of that, I was able to build this wonderful relationship with you. And I became friends with Elena and Sia too.”
“O-oh, right.”
Flustered, Byleth fidgeted, avoiding her direct gaze.
Luna, however, simply smiled.
Byleth understood how difficult a polyamorous life could be.
Ideally, he would handle everything himself—but hearing her say this honestly meant a lot to him.
“Oh, there’s something I haven’t told you yet. I’ve already informed my family about our relationship,”
“Huh!? Seriously!? Uh, um… How did they react…? Did they seem upset?”
Given his awareness of his own bad reputation, this was his biggest concern.
Because they were dating with the future in mind, whether he had gained her family’s approval mattered more than anything.
“What are you talking about? You really are a worrywart with low self-esteem, aren’t you?”
“So… that means…?”
“My little brother, Alan, was overjoyed. Father and Mother kept patting my head, saying, ‘Well done.’”
“—!!”
“They even said, ‘If it’s Byleth-kun, then turning down all those other marriage proposals was the right choice.’ Not to brag, but even someone like me had offers from well-respected families.”
“Wow… That makes me even happier…”
He had braced for the worst, so the sudden surge of joy nearly brought tears to his eyes.
“Just so you know, they didn’t react well just because of your status. It’s because they know your character—that’s why my family is happy.”
As if to say, “Don’t get the wrong idea,” she lightly bumped her shoulder against his. The gesture warmed his heart all over again.
“I know your family isn’t like that, Elena. That’s why I’m glad.”
“Hmph. Well then… To avoid getting my hopes up for nothing, you’d better be serious about taking things all the way. Not just ‘sort of.’”
“You too, Elena.”
“I’ve already thought it through. That’s why I asked about after graduation.”
“R-right, of course.”
“Obviously. Honestly…”
Their eyes met, and Elena let out an exasperated sigh, pouting slightly.
Then, turning away, she muttered under her breath—
“Sigh. I was planning to do it today, you know. If you’d just set the mood a little better here, I might’ve gone for a kiss or two…”
“……!?”
—Words that nearly made Byleth’s eyes pop out of his head.
“W-wait, hold on! This is the classroom—”
“It is, but we’re alone. Our classmates won’t come back—they’ve been told to go home.”
“……”
What was withheld during the banquet.
What he absolutely wanted to do.
As his mind processed the situation, his heartbeat quickened. A suffocating tension built in his chest.
Unconsciously, his gaze drifted to Elena’s lips.
“Honestly, I’ve always been bothered that Luna was the only one who got to kiss you… I was just holding back.”
“R-really…?”
“Yes, really. So… this was supposed to be your reward for making Luna happy in the first place.”
Her embarrassment was overpowered by desire—her cheeks flushed, but her voice remained firm.
Seeing her so flustered eased his own shyness.
Even in a place as unsuitable as this classroom, his rationality began to crumble.
“Someone inexperienced like me needs an excuse like this… It’s my fault for rejecting the first chance to kiss you, making the next opportunity so hard to take…”
“You mean when you acted cool that time?”
“S-shut up… Don’t tease me now… I’ll hit you.”
“I’d prefer the opposite.”
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