Early Morning
Amelia woke up early and asked the servant for black tea.
As she sipped her tea, she recalled her words from the previous day.
“… It’s embarrassing,” she muttered to herself.
No matter how jealous she had been, her behavior had crossed the line.
Amelia instructed her attendant to call Ed to her room.
“Ed.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Hyunjin… Do you think he was disappointed in me?”
She asked cautiously, and Ed replied with a benevolent smile.
“I don’t know what’s troubling you, my lady, but I doubt that’s the case.”
“… Really?”
Ed adjusted his monocle, lightly wiping away the steam.
“I gave Hyunjin the monocle.”
“The monocle… You gave it to him?”
Amelia understood what that meant. The monocle was a significant object, symbolizing recognition as an official servant of the Lionheart Mansion. For someone like Ed, who was both a servant and the head butler of the Lionheart Mansion, this gesture carried immense weight.
Moreover, Ed’s standards were notoriously strict. Very few had ever been formally recognized as official butlers within the Lionheart Mansion.
“Yes, my lady.”
“That’s unusual, Ed.”
“Indeed.”
“Tell me why you made that choice.”
Ed hesitated briefly before responding to Amelia’s query.
“When Hyunjin first came to the Lionheart Mansion, I wasn’t entirely convinced. Even though he diligently followed his lessons, it was unclear whether he acted out of genuine initiative or mere obligation.”
Amelia nodded in agreement, prompting Ed to continue.
“While his loyalty to your commands is commendable, I needed to test the nature of that loyalty.”
Amelia sighed softly and replied, “Was it to determine if his actions stemmed from his own will or someone else’s influence?”
“You understand, my lady.”
“I see.”
“Hyunjin is an upright young man. So, you needn’t worry about being disliked.”
“I see. Thank you, Ed.”
“Is there anything else you need, my lady?”
Amelia pondered for a moment.
“… Now that I think about it, June is already approaching.”
“Yes, it is.”
“I must prepare a party, Ed.”
Ed bowed politely without another word and then withdrew.
***
Later That Day
“Ugh.”
When Hyunjin woke up before dawn, he found himself lying on the hard floor of the gymnasium.
It had been ages since he had slept on a bare surface.
“… Time to get up.”
After shaking off the sleep, he decided to head back to the school. Stopping by the public bath, he cleaned up and took a moment to clear his thoughts.
The sparring match with Ed the day before had been intense, but it left Hyunjin feeling more focused.
“That monocle…”
The gesture signified his recognition as a butler of the Lionheart Mansion, something he hadn’t anticipated receiving.
“Let’s think about this on the way to the academy.”
Before leaving the mansion, Hyunjin stopped a servant to ask about Amelia.
“Miss Amelia has already left,” the servant informed him.
“I see. Thank you.”
After giving the servant a polite bow, Hyunjin mounted his bicycle and pedaled toward the academy.
***
When Hyunjin reached the school gate, the place was abuzz with activity. A large crowd of students had gathered, creating an unusual commotion.
He glanced around, wondering if the gangsters from before had returned, but there was no sign of them.
Just as he was about to walk past the crowd, he locked eyes with someone familiar.
‘Oh.’
He recognized her immediately—the heroine he had met at the game center while following Amelia’s orders.
It was Hoshizora Tsubasa.
Tsubasa walked straight toward him.
“You,” she said. “Come to the student council president’s office before the morning assembly begins.”
“Yes?”
“I’m not taking objections. That’s all.”
She turned and left, leaving Hyunjin standing in confusion as the surrounding students shifted their attention to him.
‘What’s this about all of a sudden?’ he wondered.
Hyunjin couldn’t understand why Tsubasa had summoned him. If it had anything to do with the game center incident, it could only mean one thing—she wanted to talk about the game.
‘But didn’t Tsubasa and Ryunosuke never cross paths during that time?’
If they had met, there would have been no reason for Tsubasa to act like this. It was also possible she had met them both and decided to address it.
As Hyunjin walked toward the student council president’s office, someone approached him from the crowd. It was Sojuro, who seemed particularly enthusiastic.
“Hey! The prez is truly impressed by you, Kim-kun!”
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