Chapter 18 – Vying for Attention

The first morning at the Imperia Academy dormitory was quite lovely. The sun was warm, birds were chirping, and I didn’t have to worry about serving Jullius – no washing his face or picking out his clothes.

Nevertheless, I still had to wait at the base of the dormitory to follow him to the academic wing, playing my part as a loyal subordinate to perfection. After all, I still need to stay with the Griffin family.

Jullius showed up thirty minutes late, his hair a bit disheveled and his tie crooked. I remained silent, offering no comment as I escorted him to the door of Class A before heading off to Class F.

My late arrival didn’t affect the lesson; the teachers understood my circumstances perfectly. But as I made my way toward my usual seat, I realized it was already occupied. It was the guy I’d encountered last night, Kale.

He seemed to recognize me as well, as a flash of visible awkwardness crossed his face.

Oh, so he actually knows how to be embarrassed? Then why did he act like such a jerk last night?

Instead of looking for another spot, I walked right up and sat down directly next to him.

The first period of the day was Kingdom History.

“The protracted war against the Demon King in the Kingdom of Averula has lasted for over five hundred years,” the teacher began, scanning the room before settling on the new faces. “Who can tell me the name of the Hero who first sealed the Demon King? Since we have two new Hero candidates joining us today… Kale Derick, would you like to answer?”

Judging by the poorly hidden flustered look on my seatmate’s face, I gathered he wasn’t 100% the “perfect model student” he appeared to be. At the very least, he wasn’t someone who spent his time diligently reading history books.

So, I flipped my textbook to the page containing the required name and nudged it slightly toward him.

He clearly had good eyesight and must have seen it in a single glance, yet he acted as though it wasn’t there and replied bluntly:

“I don’t know.”

The class erupted into snickers at his brutally honest straightforwardness. As for me, I was seriously starting to wonder if he held some sort of personal grudge against me.

Or perhaps he knew I was Jullius’s lackey and was keeping his guard up? Come on, he couldn’t be that petty.

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The rest of the period passed in peace. During the break, Lealia Castela approached me to strike up a conversation. She looked strikingly different in the white Academy uniform for female students, her chestnut hair curled in light waves and tied back at the nape of her neck.

“Hello. You remember me, right? We met at the congratulatory banquet,” Lealia said timidly.

I smiled. “Of course. So, how is your first day at the Academy?”

“The library has so many books on herbalism. It’s very helpful.”

“I’m a bit curious, why did you choose Class F?”