Arc 10: The Empress’s Eye (4)

Lunchtime.

Quinier de Biet was listening to her friend Anne as they headed to the cafeteria.

“Quinier, you heard too, right? The Third Princess transferred here.”

“Just ‘the Third Princess’? How disrespectful. What if she hears you?”

“Oh, come on. Status doesn’t matter at Constel.”

That was true enough.

Quinier thought Anne had a perfectly valid point, but she was currently learning firsthand that people didn’t actually work that way.

Aten Terst.

The moment news of her transfer broke, the students around Quinier went wild. How should they approach her? What gifts should they give her? Would it be appropriate to invite her to dinner after school?

The third-years, who were supposed to set an example for the rest of Constel, were even worse.

‘Well, I understand how they feel.’

In fact, Quinier herself was searching for a natural way to approach Aten Terst.

As a merchant, she understood the value of connections better than anyone. A connection to the imperial family was something she had to at least attempt, even if it came to nothing.

Still chatting with Anne, she arrived at the cafeteria.

“... Huh?”

“What?”

The two stared blankly at the scene inside.

An extraordinarily unusual sight lay before them. No, even that wasn’t enough to describe it. They had never seen anything like it before.

Anne asked in a fluster,

“I-isn’t that Frondier?”

“... It... is?”

Frondier sat at a table with no one around him.

Given his terrible reputation, that alone was hardly surprising.

... Except for one person sitting right beside him.

“Say, Quinier.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve only heard about her. I’ve never actually seen her, Quinier.”

“Yeah.”

“They said Lady Aten is white from head to toe, right? Her hair, her eyebrows, her eyes, even her skin.”

“... Yeah.”

They looked once more at the girl sitting beside Frondier.

“... Then that’s Lady Aten, isn’t it?”

* * *

I was exhausted.

It had been a long time since I’d felt this tired outside of combat.

I ate my lunch, feeling everyone’s eyes on me.

... I couldn’t taste a thing.

I stole a glance to the side.

“...”

“...”

“...”

Aten was sitting beside me.

Back in the classroom, she had remained motionless in the seat next to mine even after lunch break began. Then, when I stood up, she stood up too. When I started walking, she followed.

Eventually, she had followed me all the way to the cafeteria and sat down beside me, her back straight and her posture so perfect it could have been a painting.

It must have been part of the etiquette drilled into her at the imperial palace.

... But.

“Aten.”

“Yes?”

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

She couldn’t eat in that posture.

At my words, Aten remained still for a moment. No, she stared blankly. Then her eyes widened as though she had suddenly realized something.

“Indeed. I must consume my meal.”

“... Well, you don’t have to.”

You don’t have to, but you did fill that tray with food. With your own hands.

Only after hearing my words did Aten begin to eat.

It was as if I’d entered a command telling her to eat.

Was she a robot or something?

Looking only at her face as she quietly ate, she was the very image of the “snow woman” people so often used as a comparison.

She looked cold and merciless, yet flawlessly beautiful. An icy beauty who seemed to shine precisely because she allowed no one to approach.

‘I’d feel a little better if I at least knew why she was doing this to me.’

Hadn’t Philly sent her to pry information about Dragon Hearts out of me?

Then shouldn’t she be striking up a friendly conversation and casually slipping in a few questions?

She wasn’t talking to me or trying to do anything. She just kept following me around.

It felt like she was monitoring me.

What was this? Was she bullying me?

Was this some new tactic from those Aktober bastards?

“Huh...? Frondier?”

Just then, I heard a familiar voice.

I looked up to find Saibel standing there, looking bewildered.

Saibel, you came!

My savior had descended!

“Huh? Lady Aten Terst? Huh? Frondier, when on earth did you and Lady Aten...?”

“It’s not like I did anything.”

I didn’t know why this was happening either.

Despite our conversation, Aten simply focused on her meal. Seeing this, Saibel tilted her head slightly in greeting.

“Uh, um, Lady Aten Terst? Hello.”

Saibel’s gestures and expression could charm anyone, young or old, male or female.

At her greeting, Aten set down her utensils and wiped her mouth with a napkin.

Then she spoke in a voice as cold as ice.

“My name is indeed Aten Terst, but you seem to be mistaken about something.”

Oh, now she really did seem like a snow woman.

For the moment, the image I had of her from the game was still intact.

Was I about to witness her dismissing Saibel with that imperious tone befitting imperial royalty, that icy voice and manner?

“M-mistaken?”

“I am merely a first-year who has just transferred here. ‘Lady’ is hardly an appropriate way to address me.”

“... Uh, what?”

“Please, just call me by my name. I understand that Constel makes no distinction between high and low status.”

Saibel was dumbfounded by Aten’s words.

But so was I.

A moment later, Saibel broke into a broad smile and moved closer to Aten.

“Wow, you’re so nice, Aten! I was worried you’d be cold!”

“Hmm, am I?”

Saibel had maxed out her friendliness in an instant, and Aten accepted it with ease.

Watching them, I buried my face in my hands in despair.

What was this?

Was this really Aten Terst?

Where was the stern, cold Aten I’d seen when playing as Aster?

“So, Aten, did you come straight here after transferring? Where are you staying, then?”

“A mansion nearby was arranged for me as of yesterday.”

“Then you don’t really know what’s around here yet?”

“No. My personal secretary did give me an explanation once, but...”

“Then how about shopping with me after school? I’ll show you around!”

... The conversation was technically flowing, but it really was a conversation between the rich and the common folk.

I understood what was being said. I just couldn’t wrap my head around the scale.

“Um, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can go shopping.”

Well, of course.

Even she wouldn’t go shopping with a girl she’d only just met.

But as she spoke, Aten was looking at me.

... What are you looking at?

“Because I will be accompanying Frondier after school.”

“... What?”

The statement was so absurd that the question slipped out before I could stop it.

Saibel stared at me, mouth agape.

“F-Frondier. You’re incredible, huh?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Whatever you meant, you’ve got it wrong.

‘Wait, this isn’t the time to be talking to her.’

Pulling myself together, I turned to Aten.

“What exactly do you mean by that, Lady Aten? You’re not saying you’ll keep following me around after school, are you?”

Aten put away her napkin and let out a sigh.

“Frondier, that isn’t right.”

Oh, I thought so!

She wasn’t going to keep following me after school, right?

As if answering my hopes, Aten spoke gently.

“As I said earlier, I am simply a first-year at Constel. There is no need to call me ‘Lady.’”

“Hey!”

“Though being addressed like that all of a sudden is a little much as well.”

Why couldn’t we have a normal conversation?!

* * *

[“Aster, beware of Frondier de Roach.”]

Aster was lost in thought, dwelling on the words Baldur had spoken when they met in the Sanctuary.

‘What did he mean?’

Aster wasn’t swayed by rumors or reputations. He preferred to trust his own eyes and ears.

His judgment had never been wrong.

The same held true for Frondier. People could call him “the Human Sloth” all they liked, but after meeting him, speaking with him a few times, and exploring a dungeon together, Aster had learned enough about his character.

Frondier was a decent person.

At the very least, he didn’t deserve an insulting nickname like the Human Sloth.

‘I’ve seen plenty of people far lazier than him who pretend to be hardworking, and people who throw their weight around despite being completely incompetent.’

Aster was one of the people at Constel who thought most highly of Frondier.

That made Baldur’s words difficult to understand.

Yet he couldn’t simply dismiss the words of Baldur, the source of his Divine Power.

‘Put simply, telling me to beware of Frondier means Frondier is my enemy.’

But all Frondier had ever done was help him, from the fake Mistilteinn incident to the dungeon expedition.

He had actually invited Frondier along to repay him for the Mistilteinn incident, only to put him through even more trouble.

And Frondier had even saved Saibel in the process.

‘If Frondier is my enemy, why would he do that?’

Was it deliberate?

To deceive him?

If not, was he supposed to distrust a god?

Aster bit his lower lip.

He was strong enough even without Baldur’s Divine Power. But he knew full well what a tremendous blessing it was to have received Baldur’s strength.

This was a world where gods truly existed.

Aster keenly understood the weight of choosing not to believe a god’s words.

“Aster. Aster.”

The voice calling his name pulled him out of his thoughts.

His classmate Runia Frisel stood in front of him, holding out an ice cream.

“Chocolate?”

“... Oh, sure.”

Not particularly caring which flavor he got, Aster accepted the ice cream without thinking.

Eating her strawberry ice cream, Runia asked,

“What are you thinking so hard about?”

“Hmm. Runia, what do you think of Frondier?”

“Ugh, Frondier again. He’s all you talk about lately. Did you forget he’s the reason we’re here in the first place?”

That was true.

It had all started when Saibel Forte obtained an entry ticket to a Low-Level Dungeon.

Saibel had chosen Aster, and Aster had chosen Frondier.

“If you hadn’t done that, I could’ve gone to the dungeon with you!”

“That’s why I came shopping with you, to apologize. Besides, the dungeon rewards weren’t anything special.”

The only thing of any significance had been the Sanctuary, and only those with Divine Power could benefit from it.

Runia had no Divine Power, so that ruled her out.

But she seemed displeased with that answer, furrowing her brow with the ice cream still in her mouth.

“Mmph! You idiot! It’s not about the rewards! You’re so clueless.”

“... Really?”

‘Then is she disappointed she missed out on things like fighting in a dungeon or disarming traps?’

That was what Aster was thinking.

It certainly was a thought befitting a game protagonist.

“So, let me ask again. What do you think of Frondier?”

“... You really are something.”

Runia gave Aster an incredulous look and sighed.

She glanced upward with one eye as if considering the question, then spoke.

“Well, I’ve never met him, so I can’t really say. If he’s like his reputation, he’s a disappointment. If not, he’s just whatever. Somewhere between negative points and zero?”

“That’s awfully harsh.”

“They say he’s lazy and incompetent. And that he only gets away with it because he’s from a prestigious noble family.”

Runia was Aster’s childhood friend, and someone with a very high chance of becoming his love interest.

As such, she was also the person who spoke with him the most.

She had heard a great deal about Frondier from Aster. He was different from his reputation: responsible and considerate, a decent man who wouldn’t abandon someone who was injured.

‘I’ve heard all that, but I can only take half of what Aster says at face value.’

Runia knew Aster well.

He was too kind.

He prided himself on being a good judge of character, but he had yet to meet a truly evil person.

‘Just as I thought, Aster needs me by his side—’

Just as her thoughts reached that point, Runia stopped walking at the sight before her.

Her thoughts stopped too.

It was that bizarre a scene.

“... Aster, I’ve only heard descriptions of what she looks like, so...”

“Hmm?”

“Is that all-white person Lady Aten Terst?”

“... What?”

Only then did Aster look ahead.

Across the street walked Aten, truly white from head to toe.

And beside her...

“... Frondier?”

“Huh? That’s him?!”

Runia blurted out the question in surprise at Aster’s murmur.

The boy walking beside Aten was Frondier?

The one with that sleepy face?

He was just like the rumors!

‘And Lady Aten is trailing right after him.’

What was going on?

“Hmm?”

Just then, Frondier looked their way.

Spotting Aster, he raised a hand.

“Hey, Aster.”

His casual manner left Runia a little flustered.

She hadn’t realized it from simply hearing about him, but he really did seem to have become friends with Aster.

“Frondier. Who’s beside you? No, behind you?”

“Oh, as you can see...”

Just as Frondier was about to introduce Aten, his hand stopped.

It was because of the icy expression on her face.

“... Aten?”

Frondier called her name, but Aten didn’t answer.

Her cold gaze was fixed on Aster.

Then Frondier remembered something he had known all along.

Nothing had changed.

It was simply his perspective that had been wrong.

Whenever you first encounter Aten while playing as Aster, you are always met with those stern, icy eyes.