0&1 Ch 21.14

“Your name wasn’t on the list of successful candidates?”

I asked the female lead. She had stopped crying, but when she heard my question, she bowed her head and began to shed tears like pearls again.

It was my fault after all! Why does this girl start crying every time I open my mouth?

“You don’t have to answer. Don’t cry. It happens.”

But it shouldn’t!

I couldn’t believe what I was saying. If the heroine wasn’t accepted into the academy, what would happen?

What kind of dating simulation game is this?

The heroine shook her head at me, who was pacing back and forth.

“No, Your Highness. There’s no need to check. I already know I won’t pass.”
“You didn’t check the list of successful applicants?”
“It’s okay. I think I know what I have to do now.”
“What are you going to do?”

She didn’t check the list. Before she could even hope, the heroine gave up.

I had a bad feeling. The heroine smiled with tears in her eyes.

“I’m going back to my hometown to do what I’m supposed to do. I’m going to give up on my futile hopes.”
“What you’re supposed to do?”
“In my hometown, there must be something I can do. I think coming here was a good experience. If I hadn’t come here and failed, I would have lived my whole life with regrets.”

The heroine wiped her tears as she said this. It seemed as if she had no regrets and was ready to return home.

I couldn’t watch any longer.

“I’ll go check the list.”
“Your Highness?”
“Wait. Don’t go anywhere.”
“Your Highness, you have my luggage…”

Even in her shock, the heroine pointed out the fact. Oh, right. She can’t go anyway. The heroine’s entire fortune might be in that bag.

That’s what I’m holding?

“I’ll give it back to you. But you can’t go.”

I slipped the bag into the heroine’s arms. Alex ended up holding the heroine, who was hugging the bag.

Would Alex find it heavy with the extra weight?

I looked at his expression, but he didn’t seem to mind. I figured he wouldn’t.

I looked at the huge crowd. People were swarming.

To check the list, I had to go to the front row and look through countless names to find the one I was looking for, but it was so chaotic that I couldn’t even do that.

Still, there were fewer people than before. I took a deep breath and tried to push my way through.

The heroine asked, “But Your Highness, you don’t know my name. Are you just going to leave?”

Why wouldn’t I know your name? You’re Idella.

I almost bit my tongue.

Alex was staring at me blankly. He was still holding Idella. His posture was steady.

He didn’t seem to be struggling.

I was a little tired. I didn’t know how many times my heart had skipped a beat since earlier.

If I had said Idella’s name, I would have had no excuse if she thought I was weird.

“Yeah. I don’t know.”

When I said it casually, Idella smiled.

“What if you leave without asking my name? How will you check?”

She looked at me strangely. Her eyes were sparkling, perhaps from crying.

I calmed my racing heart.

“You can tell me now.”
“I’m Idella Eclair, Your Highness. Are you really going to check my name? You don’t have to do that because of me.”

Her face showed that she thought it was a waste of time.

Why is she so unsure of herself? Idella was a good student who got good grades when she studied.

She was also diligent, always following her schedule unless she was under a certain amount of stress.

Of course, that was only possible because it was a game.

Idella here must be a really good student in that game system. She absorbs knowledge like a sponge.

How amazing is that? Why doesn’t she realize it?

Or is this Idella incapable of such things? I felt uneasy.

chest and bowed my head slightly.

“My name is Joffrey Biscotti.”

“I’m Alex Baumkuchen,” Alex, who had been quiet, said.

Idella seemed to remember whose arms she was in and said, “Oh, I see! Please put me down!”

If he let her go, wouldn’t she run away?

But it wasn’t polite to hold someone who didn’t want to be held. I nodded, and Alex put Idella down on the floor.

Idella tapped her skirt to smooth out the wrinkles. Her gloves were in worse shape than her skirt, though.

She looked at her gloves and sighed.

“I’m sorry. I’ll pay you back for your gloves and clothes. Please wait.”
“What? No, Your Highness. It’s really okay!”

There’s no way it’s okay.

At the start of the game, when Idella began her first semester of second grade, she had… I don’t remember exactly how much money she had.

I remembered that half of it was gone for a month’s worth of dormitory expenses, and another half was gone for food. On top of that, there was tuition.

It was a rip-off.

Anyway, the important thing right now wasn’t how much the academy was robbing her.

“Idella, how’s your studying going?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, when you study, you remember what you studied, and when you read a book, you remember what you read, right?”
“Huh? Of course… Right?”

Just as I thought. Idella was the heroine I knew.

“You’re smart. You have a good head for studying.”
“What? No, um…”
“You definitely passed. Wait here. I’ll go check the list.”

Idella stammered. She seemed to lack confidence. I thought you were supposed to have a lot of pride to participate in the school ball.

I must tell her to take literature class before we part ways. There was nothing better than literature class for boosting pride.

“Your Highness. I’ll go now. Please wait here.” Alex watched me and Idella, then said that. Before I could answer, he disappeared into the crowd.

Surprisingly, Alex waved his hand a few times and a path opened up in front of him. He easily pushed his way through the crowd and reached the list.

“You said I’m smart?” Idella asked. She looked like she didn’t know whether to laugh or not. Her face twitched.

I said it just to make her smile.

“Yes, you are. It’s great that you can remember things just by reading them.”

“I didn’t mean that I’m a genius who can memorize things after reading them once. I’m a slow learner who has to read something several times to remember it.“ Idella looked sad.

I only knew one person who had that kind of ability to remember things. I didn’t expect it from anyone else.

“Yes. It means that when you study, you accumulate knowledge. It means you have potential for growth. That fits perfectly with the ideals of the academy. You learn knowledge, master it, and make it your own.”

Idella blinked. “Ah… I…”

“You’re not going back to your hometown, are you? You’re such a talented person who fits in so well at the academy. It would be such a waste. I am the Prince of this country. If a national treasure like you leaves the academy, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

I didn’t know why Idella had made the surprising decision to return to her hometown, but I had to stop her.

If you go, I guarantee I won’t be able to sleep tonight.

The mere thought of it sent shivers down my spine.

“Do you really think I’m suited for the academy?” Idella asked.

Before entering the academy, Idella seemed to be a very anxious person.

She needed to be reassured.

“Of course you are.”

“I’m sure I failed…” Idella whispered as if confiding a secret.

“So did I.”
“You, Your Highness?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s not strange that I’m anxious, is it?”
“Of course. With an exam this easy, it’s only natural to be worried.”

Idella’s hopeful expression darkened for a moment. “…What?”

“Huh?”
“Was the exam… easy?”
“No? What did I say? I said it was very difficult.”

I was late to notice the change in atmosphere and tried to smooth things over, but it didn’t work on Idella. Fear and anxiety rose in her eyes again.

“I have to go.”
“Where?”
“Home. This isn’t the place for me.”

This is exactly where you belong.

“If you hadn’t said that, I would have had another foolish idea. Like staying here to study…”

That’s a really good idea.

“Idella.”
“Thank you for encouraging me. I will never forget your kindness.”

You don’t have to remember. Don’t go.

At that moment, Alex returned. He glanced at Idella, who looked as if she was about to run away, and reported to me. “I’ve confirmed it.”

“…What?”
“I checked the list of successful applicants. Idella Eclair is indeed one of the successful applicants for the academy.”

“…Really?” Idella asked dumbfounded.

“Yes.” Alex said only that, even though he should have added something more. 

He took the bag from my hand.

‘We should go to the dormitory before it gets any later, Your Highness.”