Editor : Amethyst00



Because midterms had ended, Lumeria City was packed with students.

Normally, outside activities and overnight stays were strictly regulated at Lumene, except on designated holidays when classes weren't held. However, during the week following exams, students were granted permissions to relieve academic stress.

That didn't mean they had complete freedom — casual clothing was still prohibited.

To enforce the rules, the student council's discipline committee and professors patrolled the area.

Night had fallen.

Having gone to the dock to see his friends off, Carl waved them goodbye with a cheerful grin.

"See you tomorrow."

Leaving those words behind, Carl walked away from the Lumeria Lake pier.

"Class rep. I think you should revoke Carl's overnight stay with the authority of the student council president."

"Why are you picking on Carl?"

"Improper romantic conduct is against school rules!"

"There's no proof that Carl is doing anything improper."

"Didn't you see how slyly he was smiling just now? And going on a date at night? That's totally inappropriate! He's definitely planning something naughty!"

"With Eliza?"

At Leo's question, Eliana wagged her finger and clicked her tongue.

"You're still too young to understand, class rep."

Nearby, Chelsea, Nella, and Tade, who had been listening, whispered to each other.

"That idiot's spouting nonsense again."

"It's always the most childish one who says this stuff…"

"She's only creative when saying weird things — been like that since first year."

Despite their sharp comments, Eliana didn't get defensive.

She'd known them long enough to stop reacting to such jabs.

With a straight face, Eliana began explaining.

"Eliza publicly revealed her relationship with Carl."

"That's right."

Eliana crossed her arms seriously.

"For a lady from a noble family, every single relationship is a massive scandal. The rumors spread like wildfire. And Carl isn't just some random Lumene student — he's even been listed in the Hero Records. There's probably no one in the world who doesn't know about them."

"Now that you mention it, there was an article in the global newspaper not too long ago — called them the couple of the century."

"Exactly. Among all of us, Carl is probably the most popular."

If one had to name the most beloved hero among commoners today, it would undoubtedly be Carl.

Though his family practiced alchemy, they were of a very modest background.

Carl had entered Lumene entirely on his own merit.

Granted, Leo had reached hero status first.

But Leo's accomplishments felt like something out of legend, not relatable to the average person.

And being the successor of the "Hero of Beginnings" made him even more difficult to empathize with.

Carl, by contrast, felt much more familiar and accessible to the public.

That familiarity caused Carl's popularity to soar day by day.

"Now that I think about it, that's pretty impressive."

"He's always joking around, so he doesn't even realize it."

Carl had risen from humble beginnings to become a hero.

And Eliza — heiress to the prestigious Hergin family, the most powerful in the north — was also a hero in her own right.

With such high-profile figures, once their relationship became public, the news spread in the blink of an eye.

For gossip lovers, this was pure gold.

"Eliza definitely foresaw this level of attention. But she still went public, meaning she doesn't take her relationship with Carl lightly."

Eliana crossed her arms again.

"Well, even if a few scandals came up, it wouldn't matter much for someone like the Hergin heiress. But considering Eliza's personality, going public is practically a declaration that she intends to marry him. Any woman without serious guts wouldn't even think about making a move on Carl."

Chelsea, listening, asked, "And how is that related to improper romantic behavior?"

"Ah, this is why kids don't get it!"

SQUEEZE–!

"Gaaah! I surrender! I surrender! Chelsea. No… Chelsea-unnie! Lady Chelsea! That was a slip of the tongue. Please forgive me–! Gaaaack!"

As Eliana was being choked by Chelsea, she quickly added,

"So?"

Leo prompted her, and Chelsea let go of Eliana.

Catching her breath, Eliana continued.

"To summarize — they're gonna get married anyway! They're going to see and do everything together in the future, so what's a little night-time rendezvous?"

"That's just your opinion. And even if Carl were planning something lecherous, Eliza wouldn't even bat an eye."

Tade chimed in, "More likely, if Carl made a move, she'd half-kill him."

"Yeah, that sounds like Eliza."

Eliana added, "But girls like Eliza, who usually act fierce, often go soft for the person they've claimed as their own. Just look at how she treats her summoned beasts."

Though Eliza was usually cold and cynical, she had always shown gentle eyes to her summons since first year.

"But those are animals," Nella pointed out.

Eliana looked exasperated.

"That kind of affection applies to people too! You guys don't know how she treats Carl these days, do you?"

"She's the same as ever?"

"She was dragging him by the neck with a whip just yesterday."

"Exactly! But I saw her apologizing to Carl later and applying ointment to his wounds with my own two eyes!"

"Well, they are a couple."

"She probably just felt bad about being too harsh."

Despite Eliana's claims, her friends remained unconvinced.

"I'm telling you — her eyes were full of honey!"

"Sure, Eliana. Sure."

Nella smiled kindly, humoring her.

Pouting, Eliana grabbed Leo's arms and shook him.

"Class rep! No one believes me! Carl and Eliza are definitely engaging in inappropriate romantic behavior!"

"You shouldn't suspect and slander your friends."

"Humph."

"And if they were really planning something shady, they'd do it in secret."

"No, no, they're pretending to be all open about it to throw us off!"

As Eliana continued obsessing over sabotaging Carl, Nella sighed quietly.

"Eliana, just admit it. You're jealous of Carl, aren't you?"

"Yup. I'm envious and sick of seeing him happy."

Eliana turned to Leo and said, "Class rep! Want to go on a date with me tomorrow night?"

"Don't sneak in weird requests like that."

Chelsea intervened, and Eliana clicked her tongue in frustration.

A short while later, the boat bound for Lumeria arrived at the dock.

As he boarded, Leo glanced briefly back at Lumeria City.

'Well, Carl can handle himself.'

Carl walked through the night streets, humming.

Thinking about the supplementary class next week with Professor Harrid dampened his mood, but when he remembered the letter in his pocket, his energy lifted.

Taking it out from his uniform's inner pocket, Carl swallowed nervously.

The sender was none other than Eliza.

[Tonight at 8. See you at your house in Lumeria City. –Eliza.]

It was a short letter, but it made his heart pound.

"A date at home, just the two of us, at night?!"

For a young man like Carl, the mere thought of being alone with his girlfriend in a private space was plenty stimulating.

Of course, he had no intention of doing anything lewd — but being a guy his age, certain thoughts naturally crossed his mind.

"Whew. Calm down, Carl Thomas. Don't get ahead of yourself. Easy, heart."

Trying to settle his nerves, Carl checked the time.

Seeing that he still had some time left, he headed toward the night market.

"Oh~ It's Carl!"

"Take a look! Great deals!"

The night market vendors recognized Carl and greeted him warmly.

Now a local celebrity, Carl had built a friendly rapport with Lumeria's merchants.

"Haha, I'm just browsing tonight."

He returned their greetings.

On any other night, Carl would have browsed for good finds — but tonight, nothing caught his eye.

Instead, he bought a bouquet and a brooch for Eliza.

After finishing his simple shopping, Carl headed home once the time came.

'Why am I this nervous?'

His heart pounded as hard as it did when he confessed to Eliza.

He arrived in front of his house.

And froze when he saw someone waiting there.

"Huh? Freyna?"

Standing at his door was none other than Freyna.

Meanwhile, back at the Summoning Department dorms, Tade returned to the lounge where his classmates were playing cards.

"Tade, you're back?"

"Did you bring what I asked for?"

He handed them the goods he'd bought from Lumeria City.

Then, he noticed someone playing chess with Walden in the corner.

"Wait. Eliza?"

Sitting across from Walden was none other than Eliza.

Her eyes burned with competitive fire as she stared fiercely at the board.

"What the? Eliza, why are you here?"

Eliza glanced at him mid-move.

"Is it strange for me to be in the Summoning Department's lounge?"

"Stop stalling and make your move, Eliza Hergin."

Prodded by Walden, Eliza gritted her teeth and moved her piece aggressively.

She seemed to be at a disadvantage — but not beyond recovery.

"Don't distract me."

She focused on the board again.

Tap.

Walden made his move. Eliza reached for her piece again when—

"Weren't you supposed to have a date with Carl tonight?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Carl said he was staying overnight in Lumeria City for a date."

Crack!

"What did you just say?!"

A menacing aura radiated from Eliza's eyes.

The chess piece in her hand shattered to bits.

Walden commented,

"Eliza Hergin. You destroyed a game piece — you lose."

'That's not the point right now…' Tade muttered internally.

Eliza stood and glared at him.

"Say that again. Who's staying out overnight, and who's going on a date?"

Tade instinctively took a step back.

Not just him — the entire room slowly edged away from the angry Eliza.

"Eliza Hergin. Just admit your loss already."

Even now, Walden relentlessly demanded her surrender.

At that moment—

"What's going on in here? Eliza, is something wrong?"

Just then, Lyl entered the lounge.

The students lit up at the sight of her, hoping she'd defuse the situation.

One of them explained.

Hearing the story, Lyl's eyes widened — and then she made things worse.

"Huh? Could it be… Carl is cheating on her?"

Tade groaned internally.

'Do we need to call Leo?'

bl

"Freyna? What are you doing here?"

Carl asked in surprise. Freyna replied,

"I'm the one who wrote that letter."

"But the handwriting was definitely Eliza's."

"Imitating her handwriting is easy for me."

"Hmm… So why did you write it under Eliza's name?"

Carl asked, confused.

Freyna shrugged.

"You'll find out once you go inside."

Feeling uneasy, Carl entered his home.

Freyna followed.

Inside, a man sat in the living room.

When Carl saw his face, he gave an awkward smile.

"I'm sorry. Something urgent came up…"

"Carl Thomas."

The silver-haired man called out coldly.

"Come. Sit."

Carl, now with a miserable expression, knelt in front of him.

"…"

The man sighed lightly.

"Sit on the chair."

Carl timidly moved to the chair and sat with his head bowed, glancing nervously at the man.

He was none other than Elkan Hergin — the head of the Hergin family and Eliza's father.