Looking for My Fiancé's Lover

Andrew led me and Tuld out of the audience room. I blinked my eyes blankly at his high ability to put up a front and hurriedly followed them. Andrew and Tuld’s pace, especially Andrew’s, was so fast that I had a hard time catching up to them. He was also short-tempered. Despite being brothers, he was the opposite of Nezar in many ways.

“Long time no see.”

Across from Andrew, who bowed his head deeply, Nezar lightly beckoned.

“It’s only been a while since I last saw you at the banquet. How come I feel like you’ve grown taller in just two weeks?”

Despite Nezar’s friendly tone, Andrew’s expression was still cold and stiff. I could only see the back of his head, but the unique rigid demeanor that he gave off was enough to let me know. Andrew, who had taken his seat across from Nezar, spoke casually.

“I didn’t expect you to come to the academy.”

“There is no reason not to come. Aren’t you my one and only brother? The war is already over, who would care about you if it’s not me.”

At the sounds of it, anyone would have thought that they were siblings who had lost their parents. Andrew didn’t answer and looked straight ahead in silence. He then turned his head slightly to face me. I tried not to shrink and smiled as naturally as I could.

“Is that woman Ron’s successor?”

“Ron is too young to be considering a successor. She’s just here as a substitute.”

“How astonishing.”

Yet, the tone of voice which said that did not sound surprised at all. For a brief while after that, I made eye contact with Nezar.

“Kaitlyn.”

He put the teacup he was holding to the side and called me quietly. For a second, I forgot that Kaitlyn was my alias, and stayed momentarily dazed before replying in a haste.

“…Ye-yes.”

“Since there is something I want to talk about between just the two of us brothers, I would like you to leave the room for a while. I heard that Professor Rick and you have been close friends for a long time. You must not have seen him in a while, his office is downstairs in this building, you should go greet him.”

It had only been two hours since Nezar promised to be by my side all day, yet, he wanted me to leave and go to Rick? How could he say two things that contradicted so. But again, I, too, was much better off going outside to catch my breath than putting up with Andrew’s hostile presence.

“I understand.”

“Tuld, guide her around.”

“Yes.”

As soon as I left the waiting room, I retied my loose ponytail and headed for the stairs to Rick’s office. I felt like my legs were itching to run away at any moment.

(WOAH!)

A loud cheer came through the wide open window. The academy, where the graduation ceremony took place was like another festival. It was bustling nonstop, as if there was never a break.

“He is a difficult person to deal with, isn’t he?”

Tuld’s laugh came from behind me.

“You mean His Highness Andrew?”

He nodded. To his question, I recited my personal feelings as if I had waited for this chance.

“On the outside, anyone can see that they are siblings, but on the inside, they are polar opposites.”

If Nezar resembled the emperor and exuded a splendid yet oppressing presence, Andrew resembled the empress, who was like a marsala rose with a rich and heavy scent.

When they were together, the difference was especially stark. Separated, they certainly looked like brothers, but when they stood close together, it was hard to believe that they were of the same blood. In addition, I didn’t like the way he kept finding a fault to pick on me.

“Polar opposites? Miss Kaitlyn, you don’t seem to know that much. Let me tell you, His Highness Nezar is just as sensitive as His Highness Andrew. The only difference is whether they show it through words or not.”

It went without saying that the Nezar seen by others and the Nezar seen by me seemed quite different. Ron said that Nezar treated me very kindly, and Tuld described Nezar as being quite sensitive.

The Nezar I saw was a little different from the two. Sure, he was affectionate and sensitive at times, but it was more appropriate to say that he was mischievous, easy-going, and delicate (in the sense of being tactful and considerate). Well, it must have been because everyone’s standards couldn’t be the same.

Soon, we arrived at Rick’s office.

“Oh, the door is locked. It looks like he is away.”

At Tuld’s words, I pulled on the door handle again. The antique wooden door of reddish brown colour only rattled and did not budge.

“Hm, what should we do now? There is nowhere to go to pass the time.”

“If you don’t mind, would you like to watch the graduation ceremony? I’m also from the academy, so I know the way of this place quite well.”

Absolutely impossible. Going to a place where vigor existed along with youthfulness? Just thinking about it made my whole body drained.

“No need. I’m more interested in the Academy Library than the outside. I think there was a small library somewhere upstairs…”

“Then let’s go there. I guess it’s not bad for killing time.”

“Are you alright with it though? If you think it’s boring, you can go watch the ceremony, Sir Tuld. I’ll just stay quiet in the library.”

Tuld, who burst into a lively laugh, moved ahead.

“From the outlook, it might not seem like I’ve built a good relationship with books, but the Royal Academy Swordsmanship Department isn’t a place where you can graduate just by using your body well. I am quite familiar with books. Don’t worry, let’s go.”

He’s familiar with books? As my thought traced back to Lockherd, it was an absolutely unreliable statement. Lockherd, whose expression crumbled as if he was picking up a rag instead of touching paper whenever it came to reading, couldn’t have been on good terms with books.

Tuld’s fictitious kindness saved me from going outside into the crowds. Since I had to act as an aide, I could not be reading cooking recipes as I did before, so I searched the bookshelves and tried to pick out the cover with the most plausible title.

“Oh, are you going to borrow that book?”

It was at that moment that I heard the voice of a strange woman. I turned around, pulling out a surprisingly thick book that seemed to be about half of a hand span long. Before me stood a red-haired beauty with big eyes like glass beads.

“No. Do you need it?”

At my reply the woman said with a smile, seemingly a little shy.

“It’s a book I’ve been searching in all the libraries and studies of the academy for the past few days…”

“Take it.”

There seemed to be enough books for me to choose from besides this one. I handed her the book without hesitation, but the movement of her hand was rather slow as she received it. Wondering what was wrong, I lifted my head, and the woman, carefully tugging her thick wavy hair back, parted her trembling lips.

“Are you, by any chance, Lady Katrina Ezelot?”

I almost dropped the thick book in my hand in surprise. But eventually, I temporarily pushed aside the fact that I had to serve as Nezar’s aide and nodded.

“How did you…”

“O-oh my Gosh! OMG, OMG!”

However, her reaction was much stronger than I expected. What was wrong with her?

“Ah, was I being ridiculous? My apology. I was just extremely happy, so pardon me. My name is Lily Amasra. You looked so much like Professor Rick that I couldn’t help but recognise you. Have you heard of me? D-did Professor Rick ever mention me?”

Lily Amasra. How could I not know. She was the woman who Lockherd said was Nezar’s ideal woman! I answered coldly, without refining the sudden sense of rivalry.

“No.”

I could not believe that this flippant girl was Nezar’s ideal type. In an instant, my head fell in a state of confusion. Did her personality not matter at all as long as she was smart? It felt like I was already losing if this were a competition. Though, it’s none of my business even if I did.

If she was a woman of the same age, I would normally feel pressured and unable to communicate properly, but since she was talking so loudly herself, I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all.

“Is that so? Still, did he mention Lily Amasra in a passing sentence, or praised her as his outstanding disciple…”

“No.”

Lily’s expression was dotted with disappointment and depression in an instant. I only answered based on facts, but I felt like I had unintentionally become the perpetrator who made her that way.

“If it’s not that, then the first female top graduate in the Department of Physics is his student-…”

“Are you acquainted with Brother Rick?”

If I left it like this, I was afraid she would start reciting a personal history that I wasn’t even curious about, so I hurriedly interrupted her words. Lily, whose face flushed red like a radish at my question, opened her mouth.

“Yes, I was his student. I have graduated now, but I dropped by the academy for the first time in a while to give an alumni speech.”

“Then why don’t you go and visit my older brother? If you ask me, I have nothing to tell you.”

I guess my words were pretty blatant. Lily, whose complexion had gone from slight blush to bright red in an instant, raised her hands to cover her face.

“I am…”

Her lips were moving, but I could hardly hear what she was saying because of her mumbling.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t hear anything. Please speak a little louder…”

Lily, who took a deep breath at my words, shouted a beat later.

“I’ve been chasing him around so much that he runs away every time our eyes meet!”

It was such a loud cry that both of my ears tingled. I peeked over her head and caught a glimpse of Tuld as he sat in a chair. Fortunately, he had dozed off.

… Wait, she said she was chasing after Rick?