"Aiiyaaa~."
Elize brushed the dust off her clothes.
Until now, she had been trying to get close to Adrian Merrick, only to be kicked out by the Supervisor.
"Couldn't you just accept? How narrow-minded."
Despite grumbling, her thoughts kept drifting back to Adrian Merrick.
It had been a while since she'd met someone this… interesting.
Even with the rumors about the sparring being rigged, her instincts were screaming: the talent of the man who defeated her in one punch is real.
She just wasn't sure what method he had used.
'He's definitely got something, that man.'
Elize could tell he was more than he appeared.
And, naturally, she was the type of person who couldn't rest until she got answers.
So, logically… how could she figure out this man's true nature without crashing headfirst into disaster?
By befriending him.
It was simple: get close, watch, and find out what makes him tick.
'…But I don't know how to make friends with a man.'
Growing up in an all-girls monastery, men had always been a mysterious, almost mythical existence. Talking to one, let alone making friends, was completely foreign to her.
Still, she refused to give up.
'But that attitude…'
No matter how she tried, she couldn't break through him. It was like Adrian Merrick himself was made of iron walls, which, honestly, made her a little embarrassed despite her usual thick skin.
She had no choice but to tactically retreat for now…
"Ayat."
Lost in her thoughts, she turned a corner at the end of the hallway—only to collide with someone coming the other way.
"Sorry, I wasn't careful," Elize said, instinctively.
"No, I..."
Elize tried to reflexively respond. However, her voice trailed off upon seeing who the other person was.
"Are you hurt?"
The Student Council President, Lirielle, asked while Elize unconsciously grabbed her sword.
Immediately, she despaired.
'...I can't win. Never.'
She inwardly groaned as she instantly gauged the gap between their strength.
Although she currently had skills comparable to a regular knight, the other person was just built differently.
Regardless of where and how she struck, all she could see was herself dying in the end.
'This is Duke Caldwell's…'
Lirielle was worthy of being the daughter of a master swordsman, regarded as the peak of the continent. Achieving this level when she was only a few years older than Elize was a great feat.
She let go of her sword and replied,
"...I'm all right."
Biting her lip, Elize held down her anger while Lirielle only slightly nodded.
Such a response was another thing that fueled Elize's emotions.
Lirielle should have noticed Elize holding her sword, yet she didn't even budge.
As if it wasn't even noteworthy.
"..."
To this person, Elize was simply irrelevant.
And this was Lirielle, from the family that had turned Elize's whole life upside down.
At this instant, hot rage surged through Elize, but she forcefully suppressed it.
There was no point in revealing it right now. She couldn't win even if she attacked with a sword.
"Here."
Elize managed a fake smile as she picked up what Lirielle had dropped when bumping into her.
It was an envelope. Looking at it, the words "Dear Adrian Merrick" were cutely written.
'Why would this person pop up here?'
Elize handed it over, still forcing calm, though internally screaming.
"Are you going to where this person is?"
"I am."
"If you turn right here, you will find the place you're looking for."
After saying those words, Elize passed the envelope to Lirielle and hurriedly left. Her mood wasn't exactly the brightest after running into this person.
"Wait a moment."
Lirielle suddenly called after her.
"How do you know where Adrian Merrick's room is?"
Elize froze for a moment. She didn't understand why Lirielle was asking that, but she had to answer.
"We just met up."
The moment Lirielle heard those words, her hostility spiked. It wouldn't be surprising if she saw Elize as an enemy to kill.
'…Enemy? Kill?'
Why? No, seriously, why?
Even when someone had tried to draw a sword at her, Lirielle's expression hadn't changed. So why was she so angry just because Elize was with that guy?
As Elize tried to process this confusion, Lirielle asked another question.
"For what purpose?"
Her voice had grown noticeably colder. One wrong move, and it really felt like she could attack.
"Uh… just to make friends as fellow freshmen…?"
Lirielle's eyes narrowed. It was obvious she didn't like that answer.
"Dating between new students is prohibited."
"…Pardon?"
Elize blinked, baffled. What the hell was she talking about all of a sudden?
"Anyway, it's forbidden."
"Is there such a school rule…?"
"I just made it."
"..."
Technically, the Student Council President had that right.
But that didn't mean it was meant to be abused like this.
"So, from now on, you cannot visit Adrian Merrick's room."
"Um… what relationship does the Student Council President have with that person?"
Lirielle froze at the question.
The silence dragged on so long that Elize started to feel awkward, even though she was the one asking.
"...There's nothing between us."
It was a painfully difficult answer, loaded with what seemed like hidden complaints, as if Lirielle hated even having to clarify that kind of relationship status.
"Alright then. Please keep in mind what I just told you."
Elize's face went blank as she watched Lirielle walk away.
"What the hell?"
How could someone act like that—writing a man's name in huge letters on the outside of an envelope and personally delivering it—without being in a relationship?
Elize remembered something Adrian had said the other day.
"I quite like her."
"Facade. I know. In fact, I have a rough idea of her actions."
A spark of realization hit.
The puzzle pieces were starting to fit together.
The Student Council President said she had nothing to do with Adrian… but clearly, she did. And this was the same mysterious man whose identity was still shrouded in rumors and whispers.
'There's something here…!'
Elize's instincts screamed that these two were hiding something big. Digging deeper could reveal a complicated backstory. Perhaps even a massive secret about Duke Caldwell himself.
"Perfect. Time to keep trying to befriend him and gather intel."
If Adrian ever heard her thinking all this, he'd probably lose his mind.