Being stared at like that by his daughter made the Duke feel somewhat guilty.
He let out a fake cough, trying his best to maintain his authority while finally relenting.
“Go if you want.”
Setis was taken aback, her gaze toward her father turning slightly suspicious.
The Duke ignored her look and continued, “I’ll have the family carriage pick you up from the academy tomorrow. Just make sure to come home early.”
Setis’s expression brightened almost instantly. Her previous gloom and distraction vanished completely, and even her eyes sparkled.
“Thank you, Father!”
This thank-you was exceptionally sincere—yet hearing it made the Duke feel strangely sour.
She’s this happy just to go there... How can she be this happy? Could this massive Duke’s estate really not compare to that kid’s teahouse?
He looked at his daughter, then at the smile in his wife’s eyes, and suddenly felt that the roast meat in his mouth had lost its flavor. He simply put down his utensils.
“I’m finished.”
The Duke picked up his napkin and wiped the corners of his mouth, standing up from the head of the table.
“I have some documents to review. I’ll be in the study.”
With that, he abruptly ended his meal and turned to leave the dining room.
Reinhardt watched his father’s departing back and whispered, “Didn’t Father seem to be enjoying his food just a moment ago?”
The Duchess smiled but said nothing.
Setis, however, was delighted. Even the vegetable soup she usually disliked began to taste delicious.
...
The next morning, as soon as Setis arrived in class, Mila noticed her friend’s unusual state.
Something was off—very off.
When Setis entered the classroom, her steps were much lighter than usual. Although her face remained largely expressionless, as her friend and self-appointed advisor, Mila could easily tell she was in a great mood today.
Mila sat in her seat, resting her chin on her hands as she watched Setis curiously. She asked, “Setis... did something good happen?”
Setis placed her books on the desk and said softly, “No.”
Mila blinked, having no intention of letting such a golden opportunity for gossip slip away. She immediately pressed further, “No? Then why are you so happy?”
Setis sat down and took out her textbook, replying tersely, “I’m happy every day. You just don’t notice.”
Mila turned to Thor beside her.
“Thor, has she been happy these past few days?”
Thor was currently scribbling furiously with his pen—catching up on homework. Hearing this, his pen paused, and a look of distress crossed his face.
It was unclear whether it was because he had made a mistake in his writing or because of Mila’s question.
He looked up at Mila, then at Setis.
He pushed up his glasses, remained silent for two seconds, and then very wisely lowered his head to continue scribbling.
“I didn’t hear a thing.”
Mila burst into a giggle. Setis gave a soft huff and ignored them.
A moment later, the teacher entered the classroom.
The students gradually returned to their seats, but they soon noticed something abnormal.
The imperial students, who were supposed to engage in an exchange with their class today, had not shown up.
According to the schedule for the past few days, the exchange students from the empire should have arrived before the first morning class for a joint session on Magic Theory and Combat Simulation. Yet the teacher was already at the podium, and there was still no sign of the imperial group.
Mila whispered, “Strange, why isn't the imperial side here yet?”
Thor also looked toward the door.
“Maybe the time was changed?”
Setis looked at the teacher, her brow furrowing slightly.
The teacher stood before the podium, holding a notice that had just been delivered, his expression also carrying a hint of surprise.
He cleared his throat and announced, “Students, I’ve just received a notice from the academy office.”
The classroom instantly fell silent.
The teacher looked down to confirm the contents of the notice once more before continuing, “The exchange students from the empire have collectively requested a few days of leave due to health reasons.”
The students broke into an uproar, exchanging bewildered glances.
Mila muttered under her breath, “Collective... health reasons? Can that even be a collective thing?”
The teacher pretended not to hear and continued reading, “Therefore, the previously scheduled exchange activities are temporarily suspended. Students responsible for related tasks do not need to continue following up for the next few days.”
At these words, low-voiced discussions broke out again, filled with varying degrees of regret.
After all, although the exchange had been a hassle, being able to see the skill level of students from the Imperial Royal Academy was a rare opportunity for them.
Mila leaned toward Setis and whispered, “This is way too sudden. They were fine yesterday; how could they all be feeling unwell today?”
Setis was also puzzled. “Maybe... something happened?” she said uncertainly.
“What could it be? Could it really be health reasons? There are over twenty of them. Did they all get sick at the exact same time?”
“...I don’t know.”
Setis shook her head. She truly didn’t know.
However, while those imperial exchange students all had quite the temper, they didn't seem like the type to collectively skip class over a minor ailment.
Furthermore, they had been very proactive over the last few days. For them to suddenly come to a complete halt seemed abnormal no matter how one looked at it.
The teacher clearly had no intention of explaining further and simply tapped on the podium.
“Quiet.”
Once the chatter died down, he continued, “Since the exchange activities are suspended, we will resume normal classes this morning. Open your textbooks to Chapter Three.”
The students were still confused, but for now, they could only comply. Setis lowered her head and opened her textbook, not dwelling too much on the matter.
These issues would naturally be handled by the appropriate people; it wasn't the place for students like them to worry about it.
Thus, her mood wasn't heavily affected by the news—after all, the family carriage would be coming to pick her up after school today.
It had been quite a few days since she last visited the teahouse.
At the thought, the corners of Setis’s mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly.
Mila, with her sharp eyes, caught the subtle change and immediately leaned in with a mischievous grin.
“You smiled again.”
Setis looked up, instantly reverting to her usual expression and denying it. “I did not.”
“You did.”
“I did not!”
Mila had no intention of letting Setis off the hook. She acted cute while making a solemn vow, “Come on, just tell me~ I promise I won’t tell anyone else.”
Setis was silent for a few seconds before saying softly, “Focus on the lesson.”
“Oh, come on, aren’t we friends? Friends should learn to share.”
“Then how about you share some of those Magic Recording Scrolls you bought at the Baker Magic Chamber of Commerce the day before yesterday with me first? Then I might tell you.”
These recording scrolls were a brand-new product that could instantly capture a specific moment and all surroundings within a certain range as a recorded image.
They were currently extremely popular among young women—for reasons unknown—but that didn't stop the chamber of commerce from making a fortune. Currently, the official price of five gold coins per scroll had been driven up to twenty by scalpers.
The moment those words were spoken, Mila instantly straightened her posture and said solemnly, “I think it’s better for friends to maintain a certain amount of personal space. Let’s not talk about such things during class.”
Rate on N.U.
