Step~ Step~
The sound of students walking through the hallway could be clearly heard outside the classroom. It was just another regular day in the lives of the academy's students, and the entire campus was as lively as ever. Still, there was a faint sense of excitement in the air, something that many students seemed eager about.
At first, Rio was a little confused. But after overhearing the students chatting nearby, he quickly understood what was going on.
"Hey, you know there's going to be a big celebration event after the final exams this year."
"Well, before that celebration, we still have the finals. There are only two weeks left now. I think the teachers will announce the exam dates soon."
"Oh, come on! Don't remind me that I barely studied the whole year. I just want to attend the celebration fest!"
"Yeah, you really didn't study much. And you know, if you don't get passing marks in both the written and combat exams, you won't even be allowed to attend the celebration. You'll just be crying in a corner after failing."
"No! I'm not that terrible at studying. Besides, there's still the combat test. If I score well there, it can cover for my written marks."
"Heh, we'll see."
So it was already that time of the year again. Rio sighed inwardly. Another event he would have to go through,one that hadn't existed at all in the original novel.
Still, there was nothing that could be done about it. Even if the novel never mentioned such an event, the protagonist had become a second-year student regardless, meaning these exams had simply been skipped for the sake of plot development. Fade had already improved his grades and fame during the midterm exams, so there shouldn't be any problems with passing the finals either.
All things considered, these upcoming exams would probably be uneventful. Nothing interesting was likely to happen, and honestly, Rio preferred it that way. A peaceful life suited him far more than the constant turmoil a protagonist was usually dragged into.
Unaware of the dangers and changes looming in the main plot due to the butterfly effect he had caused, Rio spent his time quietly sitting at a desk placed beneath the shade of a large tree.
This spot was quite famous among the academy's students. Rio often came here to eat the lunch brought by his girlfriend.
Even he hadn't expected that the pampered daughter of a wealthy and influential family like Lia would be able to cook food good enough to put any five-star hotel to shame. She clearly had an incredible talent for cooking. The only flaw was that she wasn't always very honest,but he liked that side of her too.
"You seem to be listening to those girls quite intently. Is their conversation really that interesting?"
The sudden voice startled Rio slightly, though his expression didn't show it at all.
"Nah. I was just thinking a little about the upcoming exams. Mostly, I was thinking about how surprisingly good your cooking is."
"Hmph! You can't divert the topic just by praising me, you know. But of course my cooking is good. Do you even know who my personal maid is? She won the silver medal in the national cooking contest. I've been taking lessons from her since I was ten."
She puffed her chest out proudly before continuing.
"My personal maid is like an older sister to me. She cares about me a lot, and I respect her very much…"
Lia looked genuinely proud as she spoke, a small grin forming on her cute face. Her confidence surprised Rio a little.
She really looks up to her maid… To think that this girl, who respects her personal maid so much, was also the one who, after going insane from darkness, started her killing spree with that very same maid.
Thankfully, things were different now. And if changing the plot brought trouble in the future, Rio didn't mind. As long as he could protect those close to him, nothing else mattered.
He just had to be strong,strong enough to kill the protagonist easily when the time came.
"You know, Lia, I care about you too. Maybe even more than your maid… shouldn't you be a little nicer to me?"
"Well, of course you care about me,"
She suddenly froze.
"Wait! Wait! What,is it what I think it is!? Are you jealous of my maid, Rio!? Hey, don't avert your gaze,look at me! Heh! I didn't expect even you could get jealous. You always seem so aloof and indifferent… this is really eye-opening!"
She laughed lightly, clearly enjoying herself.
So she got me good this time… but that smug look on her face is kind of cute. Seriously, I'm becoming more and more obsessed with her. I never thought this emotionless body of mine could still feel something like this. Sigh…
"Well, I am a little envious of your maid. She gets to see you all day, eat with you, stay with you, she can even,"
"Hey! Stop! Stop, you idiot!"
Lia hurriedly cut him off, her face turning redder with every second.
"O-Okay, I get it… w-well… y-you know… y-you can b-be w-with me i-if you m-marry me in the future…"
She took a breath, then declared firmly:
"Of course, I'm going to marry you after we graduate from the academy. There's no way I'd ever let you leave me!"
"Wha,wha… y-you're telling the truth? You won't take it back later, right? I wouldn't accept a 'no,' you know…"
"Of course I'm telling the truth."
Seeing the confidence on Rio's face, Lia grew even more embarrassed, but her heart felt unbearably warm.
My heart is beating so fast… is this normal? This idiot really has a silver tongue… but why does this happiness feel so nice?
"We'll see how true you are in the future, hmph, idiot king Rio!"
"Hey, are you planning on keeping me hungry today? Lunch is almost over. Are we eating or not?"
"Y-Yeah! I almost forgot… h-here."
"Oh, it looks delicious. Time to dig in!"
Ever since Rio got a girlfriend, he had stopped bringing his own lunch. After all, he now had someone to cook for him. Eating Lia's food,dishes worthy of top-class restaurants,had become part of his daily routine.
At first, he'd suspected that the meals were prepared by Lia's family chefs. But after personally seeing her cooking skills, all his doubts vanished.
While Rio focused on enjoying the godly food, Lia quietly ate as well, lost in her thoughts.
So it's true that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach… I never expected even Rio could get jealous.
I'm glad I learned how to cook. Otherwise, it would've been much harder to understand his feelings. He's so difficult to read…
If I weren't such an understanding girlfriend, what would this idiot even do without me?
Meanwhile, Rio noticed her expression.
That smug look again… is she still thinking about me being jealous? Sigh. She really got me good today. Sometimes I feel like she's corrupting me with this godly food.
White flower petals slowly drifted down from the tree above them, carried gently by a refreshing breeze. The peaceful scenery felt almost unreal, calming anyone who witnessed it.
I wish time would stop right now, so we could stay together like this forever.
The same thought quietly echoed in both of their hearts.