“Ah, I realized something.”
I had planned for Lumia to develop a special fondness for Kalian after receiving his help in a crisis situation… but this outcome was entirely unexpected.
Lumia was grateful to Kalian and, indeed, her feelings for him grew stronger.
However, for some reason, she started to pay more attention to me than to Kalian.
At first, I thought it was just camaraderie, a bond formed by going through a crisis together, but that wasn’t it.
— “There’s someone I want to protect.”
Lumia said this while training with me, as I hid my true identity.
Even as she gritted her teeth during extreme training, her body trembling, crying and begging to be sent home, she eventually reaffirmed her resolve with those same words.
It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out who this “someone I want to protect” was.
She was clearly thinking about me.
This wasn’t what I had planned.
I only intended to portray myself as an extra, someone who sacrificed themselves for a friend.
So why is it that she’s interested in me, and not Kalian, who is clearly the protagonist in everyone’s eyes?
This was troubling.
Extremely troubling.
Even if I could somehow accept Evelyn, the villainous heroine, harboring feelings for me, Lumia, the virtuous heroine, absolutely needed to end up with Kalian.
Sigh…
So I decided to shift gears and focus on connecting the virtuous heroine, Lumia, with Kalian.
Until now, I had been preoccupied with dealing with the villainous heroine and various extras.
From now on, my efforts would be directed toward supporting this connection.
As part of this plan, I prepared a collaborator to assist me in this endeavor.
While waiting by the fountain in Arcana’s Third Plaza, a carriage approached and stopped directly in front of me.
“Have you been waiting long?”
Evelyn stepped out of the carriage.
Unlike her usual self, she wasn’t wearing her uniform or armor but a simple dress.
Although “simple” might not be the best word—the jewels and gold embroidery made it clear it was an expensive piece, though modest by the standards of her family.
She was also wearing earrings and a necklace, which she rarely did.
It wasn’t overly extravagant but just enough to serve as a tasteful accent.
Every time the dress swayed in the wind, a sweet floral scent brushed past my nose.
Was she wearing perfume as well?
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“You look quite different today.”
“How so?”
“I was expecting a more formal outfit, but you have a softer image today. It suits you. As expected of a noble family, your sense of style is impeccable.”
“Ahem… This much is only natural.”
Evelyn cleared her throat and glanced at me for a reaction.
She was the collaborator for this plan—though she had no idea what my plan was or even that she was involved in it.
“From my perspective, it seems like you’ve put in a lot of effort for this. Were you really looking forward to meeting me today? If so, I feel a bit bad.”
“Looking forward to it? Well, I wouldn’t say I wasn’t looking forward to it at all, but… isn’t this what they call a date? Naturally, one should dress appropriately.”
“A date… Hmm, I suppose you could see it that way. But as I said earlier, don’t get your hopes up too much.”
“Fine, fine. Let’s go already.”
Evelyn pointed toward the shopping district.
Her face was brimming with anticipation, clear for anyone to see.
I felt a little guilty about the fact that I was going to ruin that anticipation, but I had no choice.
I wasn’t here to have fun.
Together with Evelyn, I headed to the theater.
As expected from the central theater of the capital, unlike street performances or magic shows, we entered after purchasing official tickets.
Rows of wide, plush seats stretched before us.
Looking up, I could see the VIP seats that provided a clear view of the stage and the audience.
“I couldn’t get VIP tickets. Will you be okay watching from the regular seats?”
“It doesn’t matter. Watching from the lower seats like this is a new experience. If you want, I can get VIP tickets for you.”
“I’m fine with this too.”
Before the play began, Evelyn and I sat in our assigned seats, gazing at the stage before the curtains rose.
“Do you watch plays often?”
“No, hardly ever. Sometimes I visit the theater when invited by others, but I’m usually too busy discussing official matters.”
“Really? There are plenty of nobles who are so obsessed with plays they neglect their duties, but you’re the complete opposite.”
“At the end of the day, aren’t plays just fabricated stories?”
Evelyn didn’t seem particularly fond of plays.
Even after the play started, she didn’t look very engaged.
“The armrests here are unusually narrow.”
“They are.”
“Ahem… This is troublesome. Like this, our hands can’t help but touch.”
She seemed more concerned about the armrest than the play itself.
Evelyn would subtly move her hand close to mine on the armrest, only to quickly pull away when I moved mine, pretending as if nothing had happened.
Though I was somewhat enjoying the unique atmosphere of the theater, it felt like the right moment to bring up the main topic.
“Evelyn, I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor…? Alright, tell me what it is.”
She answered with a faintly expectant look.
I’m not sure what she was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t this.
“It’s about Kalian.”
“Kalian?”
“I want to help him grow closer to Lumia and Serena. I’ll need your assistance for that.”
“Ah… so that’s the kind of help you’re talking about.”
Evelyn looked openly disappointed.
“What kind of help were you expecting?”
“Hmm? Oh, nothing. Alright, tell me what you want me to do.”
“Shall we discuss it outside? It doesn’t seem like this play is to your taste.”
“Let’s do that.”
Evelyn and I left our seats before the play ended.
As we exited the theater, I explained my objective to her.
“You want Lumia and Serena to fall in love with Kalian? Did I understand that correctly?”
“Yes, that’s the gist of it.”
After hearing my explanation, Evelyn frowned slightly.
“How peculiar. What’s the point of doing this? Why would someone like you, who has so much potential, waste time on something so trivial?”
“Think of it as working toward a happy ending.”
“A happy ending? What do you mean by that?”
“I mean, it’s nice when friends find good partners and live happily ever after, isn’t it?”
“Well, I suppose that makes sense… but I still find your actions hard to comprehend.”
Evelyn nodded slowly.
“Fine, I get it. I don’t know what your true motives are, but I trust you aren’t up to anything foolish. I’ll help.”
“Thank you.”
“Now that we’re done talking, is this when our proper date begins?” Evelyn asked with a sly smile.
I glanced at my watch and shook my head.
“Unfortunately, no. I have more people to meet here.”
Not long after we stepped out in front of the theater, Kalian, Serena, and Lumia approached from a distance.
Kalian spotted Evelyn and me, raising a hand in greeting.
The guy who used to cling to me out of fear of women now had one on each side, looking surprisingly at ease.
Though he did run over to me like he was escaping, it seemed his fear of women had improved somewhat.
“Wade, as you asked, I brought Serena and Lumia.”
“Good job. From afar, you looked pretty natural. Are you not scared of women anymore these days?”
“My stomach hurts so bad right now.”
“…Sure. Let’s say you’ve improved.”
While Kalian and I whispered to each other, Serena and Lumia quickly joined us.
Lumia, still wearing her mask, sniffled softly, likely a lingering effect of the extreme training in the snowy mountains.
“Sniff… Hi, Wade!”
“Oh, Lumia. What’s this? Did you catch a cold? How could you in such warm weather? You need to take care of yourself better.”
“It’s nothing serious. Sniff… Thanks for worrying about me.”
Serena, standing beside her, asked me, “How have you been? Looks like your wounds are all healed now. Don’t overdo it, okay?”
“Thanks to your care, I’m fully recovered.”
“I heard you’re the one who called us together today. You said it was about the Lumen Festival? What’s the matter?”
“Thanks for coming despite being busy… but it’s not a topic we can discuss here. Let’s find somewhere to sit down.”
I led the group to a nearby café.
As we walked, Evelyn poked me in the side with a dissatisfied look and whispered,
“Wade, what is the meaning of this? Our date has other people tagging along now? You didn’t mention this.”
“This is an essential part of my plan. I apologize for not telling you in advance.”
“Hmph. This is very disappointing.”
She puffed out her cheeks in a pout.
We arrived at the café and found an appropriate table. However, a problem arose.
The original plan was to have Kalian sit on one side with Lumia and Serena flanking him, but things didn’t go as planned.
As soon as I sat down, Kalian plopped down right next to me.
On my remaining side, Evelyn and Lumia both moved to sit, bumping into each other in the process.
Normally, when that happens, one person would naturally step back, thinking, “Oh, they must want that seat.” But no.
The two of them locked eyes briefly, then attempted to sit down again, colliding once more.
“Huh?”
“What?”
Their gazes met awkwardly in midair as they began to assess the situation.
What are you two doing? Just sit wherever you want already.
Evelyn, sporting a sharp smile, turned to Lumia.
“If you bump into someone, you should apologize, shouldn’t you?”
“I’m sorry…” Lumia muttered quietly.
“Good. That’ll do.”
Lumia, who had exchanged a brief glance with Evelyn, quickly backed down and moved to another seat.
Evelyn, looking victorious, settled next to me.
Serena chuckled loudly.
“Nya-haha! Who knew Wade would be this popular? Surprising, nya.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? They just bumped into each other by chance. Don’t read too much into it. It’s nothing like that.”
“Yeah, you’re right. No way you could charm two beauties with that face, nya.”
“You little—”
Arkana is home to many festivals.
You might wonder why a place focused on training knights and mages would have festivals, but most students here are nobles who love such events.
There’s no avoiding it.
The upcoming Lumen Festival, however, was the first major event for both Kalian and me.
The festival supposedly originated to commemorate the Hero of Light banishing the darkness, but honestly, nobody cares about the history.
Everyone is just there to have fun.
But I had no intention of letting this festival pass by idly.
I was determined to use this opportunity to deepen the bond between Lumia, Serena, and Kalian.
A festival, romance, and dating.
What a natural combination.
During this time, everyone’s spirits run high, and getting close to someone of the opposite gender feels effortless.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Kalian ended up with a girlfriend during this period!
Even if that’s too ambitious, surely he could manage at least a date.
With that in mind, I pitched my plan to the group.
“How about putting on a play for the festival?”