I was still stuck in the bronze class.
And so were my friends.
It didn’t look like they’d managed to climb up even a little since the last ti. They were in the sa place, going through the sa struggles, and honestly, it was starting to feel suffocating.
Raymond had at least reached the top 10, which was an achievent on its own, but looking at the way he was fighting tooth and nail to stay there, I could tell it wouldn’t be long before he slipped back down. He was hanging on, but barely. Duncan, on the other hand, was still sitting steadily in the top 50. He wasn’t rising, but he wasn’t falling either. It was like he was just... stuck, caught in the middle of diocrity, neither gaining ground nor losing it.
"It’s getting suck," Raymond muttered with frustration, his voice carrying a rough edge as he leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. "I don’t feel like we’re ever gonna graduate to gold class. The only hope we’ve got is if Princess Myrcella actually manages to push through that thing she promised to implent during her two years of reigning here at the academy."
"Well," Duncan replied, his tone calm, almost resigned, "what she’s trying to do is damn near impossible. Even with the power of a princess, it’s still unrealistic to erase sothing that’s been here since the very beginning. This academy’s been running on that system for a hundred years already. Breaking that isn’t just a change, it’s like tearing down the foundation itself. And traditions like that... they’re nearly impossible to shatter."
I looked at him with mild surprise, but Raymond spoke first. "I’m surprised you even know all that stuff, Duncan."
"Well, Estelle’s been telling about these things," he admitted casually.
"Tsk." Raymond clicked his tongue and shot him a glare. "How co you two haven’t broken up yet...?" His voice had a hint of annoyance, though I couldn’t tell if he was serious or just sulking.
"She said she’s not going to break up with . That’s how much she loves ." Duncan’s answer ca without hesitation, his expression calm, almost smug.
Well, I wasn’t so sure about that. Sothing about Estelle always made feel like she was carrying so kind of hidden agenda, secrets buried beneath her soft smiles and sweet words. Things even I had no clue about.
And then, suddenly—my vision went dark. Soone’s hands covered my eyes from behind.
"Who do you think it is?" ca a bright, cheerful voice, practically dripping with energy.
I didn’t even need to think. That voice, that sweetness in her tone, and even more than that—her scent. She slled faintly sweet, like flowers in the morning, and it was so distinctly her that I couldn’t mistake it.
"Selene," I said instantly.
"Boo...! How’d you know it was ? Ah! You must’ve recognized my voice, huh? Have you morized my voice already, Leon? Ugh, creepy."
"You’re the one who snuck up behind and covered my eyes," I said, turning my head back toward her with a deadpan look, "and you’re calling creepy?"
She pulled her hands away, and I finally saw her. She was dressed in her academy uniform, neat and crisp, almost too proper. The way she wore it made her look... modest, but at the sa ti it only highlighted how naturally pretty she was. I could already tell she was going to end up in the silver class with her uniform color.
"Fufufufu... isn’t my uniform so crisp? I look really cute, don’t I?" she asked, spinning slightly with that playful smile of hers.
Well, she was Zeruel’s sister, after all. She didn’t even need to try—her beauty was sothing impossible to ignore. Both of them had that kind of striking charm that made people turn their heads without even realizing it. It wasn’t just them either—their mother had that sa aura too.
"Yes, you’re very cute," I said honestly.
"Hey, Leon. Who’s this?" Raymond asked, his tone curious.
"Ah... she’s Zeruel’s sister," I explained.
"Nice to et you, seniors. From now on, I’ll be your underclassman. I look forward to getting to know all of you," she said, bowing slightly with a smile that radiated politeness and elegance.
She really was polite.
But just as she was talking to us, a voice suddenly called out.
"Selene!"
I looked to the side and noticed a group of girls waving in our direction. Friends of hers, no doubt.
"Y-You’re close with this senior?" one of them asked, their voices carrying a mixture of curiosity and caution.
"Yes," Selene answered brightly. "He’s like a big brother to . Right, big bro?"
I didn’t answer.
"Um, have you heard the rumors about him?" one of the girls whispered.
"Rumors...?" Selene tilted her head.
"Y-Yes." They threw a side glance at , hesitant, almost like they were nervous about even speaking. Their voices lowered, but I sharpened my hearing just enough to catch every word. "T-That he’s a womanizer who struts around with different won in his arms...?"
Selene blinked, then smiled. "Hm... Well, I already kind of knew that. What of it?"
"W-What of it? D-Does that an... you’re one of them too...?"
Her cheeks turned red, but instead of backing down, she leaned in with that teasing glint in her eyes. "I-It’s not like that... but if Leon decided to take in too, I wouldn’t resist~"
I had no idea what she was trying to tell them, but looking at their faces, they didn’t seem like they were outright judging . No, it was more like they were worried—worried that Selene might get herself tangled with the wrong man. But Selene herself seed determined, almost eager to fall into it willingly, and that left her friends speechless, unable to argue further.
"Well then, Leon! See you soon!" Selene said, waving with the kind of enthusiasm that spread like wildfire. She looked like soone eagerly waiting to receive a present.
And honestly, her energy was infectious. I couldn’t help but raise my hand and wave back.
"I didn’t know you had soone like her, Leon," Raymond said after she left.
"What do you an?" I asked, tilting my head.
"Closer to a sister, I an," he clarified. "I didn’t know you were capable of smiling at anyone, honestly, much less soone younger. And to put up with her antics too? I can tell. I’ve got younger sisters myself."
Do I really see Selene like that? I wasn’t sure. But I did notice that I felt warr toward her compared to others younger than . Maybe it was because she was really cute—hard to treat her coldly when she looked at like that.
"Co to think of it, didn’t you say you also had a real sister?" Raymond asked suddenly.
"Did I really say sothing like that?" I replied.
"I just felt like you did," he said, shrugging.
I did have real sisters. In the past world, and here too. Four sisters in this world, all of them crucial to the resurrection of Lilith. And the truth was—Estelle was one of them.
But there was no way I was telling them that. If they knew I was connected to Estelle, they’d start swarming with questions, asking for details about her, pestering about how to win her over.
Honestly, that would just be a huge drag.
So for now, I kept my mouth shut, letting the truth stay buried.
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