"Today's quota is over."
The passing days Lillian was already busy compounding magical healing potions as an assistant medical officer. These medicines, rumored to be extremely effective, were originally created by her uncle, who had recently begun teaching her how to make them himself.
He had taught her only the basics before promptly locking himself away in the laboratory connected to the infirmary. She sometimes felt as if she was being used as part of his research, but at least she could live a stable school life this way.
Students frequently came to the infirmary—usually with simple cuts, minor injuries, or complaints of feeling unwell. As for those who occasionally stopped by simply to chat...she often wished they would leave quickly, but if any of them confided in her about their problems, she would hear them out and suggest legal ways for them to solve their problems.
"Now, I need to prepare for the practical exam..." she muttered.
Just as Lillian was about to do some serious studies, a shout suddenly echoed.
"Hide me!"
"...What?"
His rudeness made her instinctively lower her voice in intimidation. Before she could say anything else, the door burst open and someone rushed inside—a very familiar figure.
"Student Council Vice President...it's good to see you. Were you alright yesterday?" she asked dryly.
She had thought she had already crushed all possibilities of running into him, so it was odd that they still saw each other so often.
"Can't you hide me well?" he begged, having sprinted to her at full speed.
If he wanted her to act in a nurse-like role, she had no reason to refuse. After all, school nurses existed to help their students. Lillian is only an assistant medical officer, but the duties were close enough. She didn't particularly like it, though.
"Well then, let's run an experiment. Sir, please stand behind the sofa."
She poured power into the artificial magic crystal. Transforming it into the wind attribute—easiest for her to handle—she formed a protective membrane with magecraft. She preferred not to let others know which attributes she possessed.
Artificial magic crystals existed in six colors for six attributes, allowing the user's mana to be converted into another element. Red crystals produce fire, blue produce water, and so on. Theodore's artificial version of these crystals had shocked the world of magic. Though inferior to natural attributes, skill and training could offset the difference. Thanks to their existence, discrimination based on attributes had nearly vanished.
"Please stay still," Lillian said. "If someone sees through it, well...I'll apologize in advance."
She turned toward the door just as it burst open—revealing a startled girl who mirrored her surprise as a strange mood hung in the room. The one who entered is a black-haired young woman who introduced herself as Claudia.
Even to Lillian's eyes, which were indifferent to matters of physical beauty, the girl was plainly gorgeous. She had perfectly straight black hair and deep blue eyes that looked like lapis lazuli. Her features were so pretty, she looked like a masterpiece, a result of some divine being's labor; she was every bit as beautiful as Bridget Grayham. If Bridger, with her shining blond hair and amber eyes, was like a large rose, Claudia was like an iris, exuding a mystical beauty. And that gorgeous, eye-catching noble girl was giving off such a heavy, melancholic air that one might have guessed her entire family
had just died.
She is also Cyril Ashley's younger step-sister. Perhaps Cyril has been running away from her.
"Um...for now, would you like some tea? It'll calm you down," she offered.
"Please..." Claudia answered.
She couldn't look Lillian in the eye and acted somewhat embarrassed around her, but Lillian decided that was fine for now. She glanced at the hidden Cyril, who shook his head frantically, so she continued the conversation normally.
"Here you go. Lemon tea...it supposedly helps relieve fatigue."
"Thank you..." While she sipped, Lillian tidied some documents and waited until Claudia calmed down.
"Was there something you needed?" she finally asked.
"I'm looking for my dearest elder brother..."
"Elder brother?"
"Cyril Ashley, the current vice president of the Serendia Student Council."
"Oh...I apologize for not realizing that."
"...May I ask your opinion on something?" she asked, almost embarrassed.
"Please."
She sat across from her. Claudia began explaining her panic. "There was a rumor going around today..."
"Yes. The rumor is that the vice president is concerned about a certain lady. Students have been talking nonstop."
"What do you think?" she asked seriously.
Lillian had no idea what exactly Claudia wanted her to evaluate. "You mean, what do I think when observing the situation from an outsider's perspective?"
"Yes...If this is based on a possible engagement, then as his sister, shouldn't I at least know about it?"
"I see...but putting the rumors aside, I don't think the vice president was going around speaking to various students because of some romantic feeling."
She glanced towards Cyril, who was nodding vigorously from within the barrier. How desperate was he to deny it?
"Why were you in such a hurry?" she asked.
"I—I heard the rumor, and if it were true, I want to support my brother in any way I can. You see, I was able to get engaged to the man I wanted only because I pushed my responsibilities as the successor onto him. I can tell that he is a smart person to handle things on his own, but at the very least, I wished for him to choose a partner that makes him happy instead of being politically tied down. He never had such rumors before, so when I heard it...I guess I got overly worked up and..."
"You were worried about your brother, weren't you? Your expression is quite intense—you'd definitely shock him if he saw you like that."
Her face really was frightening when stressed. Claudia was normally beautiful, but anxiety made her expression stiff and intimidating. Anyone would instinctively run if approached like that.
"I hadn't considered that. Is that why my questions didn't go well? she murmured.
"If you stay calm and speak, people will probably focus on the question rather than your expression."
"I'll keep that in mind, thank you," Claudia said, smiling ever so slightly. "So, there's really nothing between my brother and some young lady?"
"I don't think so. In my personal opinion, it is unlikely for people to develop romantic feelings overnight."
"Right. That's reasonable. I'm sorry, I must have panicked. I apologize for causing trouble."
"No, good luck."
Lillian watched Claudia leave, satisfied and no longer frantic, then dispelled the protective spell.
"So, Vice President," she said, turning. "Please talk to her properly."
"You can have a normal conversation with Claudia like that? Are you some kind of beast tamer?" Cyril asked in disbelief.
"No, I'm an assistant medical officer."
Even though she subtly urged him to leave, he sat down where Claudia previously had been sitting.
"Will you listen to me too?" he asked.
What had she gotten herself into now?
Cyril's beautiful face was tinged with unmistakable sadness. A faint crease marred his usually serene brows, as though he himself couldn't comprehend how things had spiraled into such a mess. His expression carried the quiet fragility of someone clutching too tightly to something only he could see.
"Two days before the entrance ceremony, I had met my destiny," he murmured.
"Destiny?" she asked carefully.
Though truthfully, it sounded less like a fateful encounter and more like a suspicious one—borderline dangerous, even.
"That night," he continued, voice softening, "the moon was the only thing lighting the lake. It was there I met the goddess. Her silver hair shone under the moonlight, and her purple eyes were as clear as crystal—just like the lake itself."
Lillian inwardly groaned. Coming from anyone else, it might have been poetic, but from Cyril...it felt concerning. Cyril exhaled, blissfully lost in the memory, his eyes distant and dreamy.
"In that silent space, nothing disturbed us except the faint wind brushing the lake. She whispered, 'Don't look.' I felt...I felt she wasn't human at all. As though she would vanish if a fool like me truly saw her."
"This is terrible," she whispered under her breath.
It had crossed the line from romanticized to downright alarming.
"She stood there," Cyril said, cheeks faintly pink, "in her natural state, her skin smooth and pale like moonlit silk. She shyly leaned against a panther and spoke to it in a language no human would know."
"...How long were you staring at her naked body, exactly? Isn't that what people call ganmi"? She muttered, burying her face in her hands.
He didn't even blush—he was too far gone.
"That was four days ago. I...think she might be my soulmate. I've been searching for her ever since." He looked down, shoulders slumping. "So, I'm honestly not happy with the current rumor."
At last, something concrete.
"Is there something I can help you with?" she asked gently.
"Yes. You see...I have no charm."
The abrupt confession made Lillian blink.
"I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "I rarely attend evening parties, and I only started speaking with you after enrolling... I don't know anything about such rumors."
"I don't attend parties either..." He gave a faint, self-mocking smile. "The thing is...I'm not Marquis Lombardy's biological son. And my biological father...well, he wasn't a good man. I took him as a role model as someone I should never become."
"Then are you worried you might end up like him and disappoint your 'soulmate' or something?"
Cyril fiddled with his brooch—maybe a nervous habit—and dropped another piece of ice into the vessel with the help of a short chant. Suddenly, Lillian noticed something. She could feel a chill from around Cyril--the kind of chill that came with ice mana. But the chill was suppressed while he created the ice pieces. Wait...Could that be why he's doing it?
"And because I was talking to various female students to get their testimoy regard yesterday's incident," Cyril sighed, "people assumed it was love-at-first-sight. It's troubling. I know I'll get engaged eventually, but I wanted a little time...at least until I can prove myself worthy of House Lombardy."
His voice trembled with the weight of vulnerability he wouldn't show anyone else. Rumors feel especially cruel right now.
After a moment of silence, Lillian spoke objectively. "I'm sorry you were put in that position because of me. It's unpleasant to be judged by strangers and I made things worse without meaning to."
"No, you were just doing your job and I was doing mine..." he replied quickly. "And when Claudia asked me about it...I just panicked and run away."
"I see...However, you do realize that running away would just add fuel to such things, right?"
"Yes..."
"I'm not entirely sure to what extent things have been twisted but I would recomment remaining calm and collected while giving clear and confident denials. If you do that, people would eventually lose interest and move on. Oh...and if you can, write down a detailed incident report. If people close to you belive the rumor, they'll probably stop after seeing an official report."
"That's right...I wasn't told to keep it secret." Cyril's voice rose, excitement bubbling. "I see! If I had written an official report from the beginning, no one would have misunderstood anything."
"It's certainly safer than being envied and possibly targeted," she said. "At least, hypothetically."
"Thank you!" he beamed. "I feel so much better now."
"Wait...Vice President..."
"Thank you for listening," he said earnestly. "Not only did speaking out ease my heart, but now I know what I need to do. Above all...you're the only one I can talk to about my soulmate."
"I--I see..." she murmured, cheeks warming.
It would be troublesome if he came to rely on her too much but seeing his refreshed expression as he left, she couldn't being himself to regret it. If simply listening helped him, that that was enough. Yes--this is fine.