OMJFWTRAA chapter 3

After the unsettling entrance ceremony ended, the students were allowed to move to their assigned dormitories.

The dormitory rooms were shared by two people, with separate bedrooms but a shared living room.

Even the children of noble families were not given any exceptions.

Aina headed towards the shortcut that an upperclassman had shown him.

“Is this really a shortcut? It feels odd. It doesn’t seem like many people use this path.”

A girl, who was puzzled by the dense vegetation and uneven ground, spoke up.

She was Amelia Carter, whom Aina had met while listening to the speech, and they had since become acquaintances.

Amelia, with her vibrant orange hair tied up cheerfully, was the youngest daughter of the Carter Trading Company, which was thriving in Siela.

Although she had no original desire to become a knight, she had made a deal with her family to attend this academy in exchange for some benefits.

Although both had enrolled with specific purposes, their family relationships and attitudes towards their goals were quite different.

Even though their conversation had been brief, Aina already had the impression that Amelia was well-informed about the school.

She probably conducted thorough research before coming here.

Moreover, Amelia seemed to possess sharp insight.

Just as she had pointed out, the path through the forest, obstructed by tree branches and overgrown weeds, didn’t seem like a route that many would take.

“You’re right. Maybe there aren’t as many people going to the chapel as I thought…”

Aina, who also felt something was off, replied absentmindedly while her thoughts were elsewhere.

The dense trees formed strange, gnarled shapes, and there wasn’t even a sound from birds or animals.

The forest was darker and cooler than the outside because the thick leaves blocked out the sunlight.

Among the students who peeked into the forest entrance on the upperclassman’s suggestion, many felt a strange chill and turned back.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, their numbers dwindled, and soon, there were only a few left.

Aina hadn’t given much thought to it, but even if he had been hesitant to enter the forest, he would have eventually stepped in.

As he chatted with Amelia, his eyes were fixed on the silver-haired person striding ahead with long legs.

It was the first day he had seen his runaway fiancé.

Although he was briefly disheartened by his blatant coldness, his optimistic nature quickly resurfaced.

Seeing Pierre, who had been standing still like a lifeless doll throughout the ceremony, move of his own accord somehow lifted his spirits.

It was only the beginning. He might be shy, but perhaps, with a little more effort, he could get closer to him.

In a new environment, the kindness of others often opened hearts. New surroundings also provided opportunities to build new relationships.

Determined to speak to him before the day ended, Aina quickened his pace, closing the distance between them.

As he drew near, Aina cleared his throat quietly. Just as he was about to call out to Pierre, who was walking ahead, he was suddenly interrupted.

“Hey, watch out!”

Amelia, who had been following behind without understanding the situation, suddenly grabbed Aina’s arm.

Aina, in his haste, hadn’t noticed the tree root sticking out, and his shoe caught on it.

Despite Amelia’s attempt to help, Aina had already lost his balance.

As Amelia urgently wrapped an arm around his waist, Aina’s body curved and faltered.

Amelia’s long orange hair cascaded over Aina’s face.

Without thinking, Aina grabbed onto Amelia’s shoulder to avoid slipping.

As a result, the two ended up holding each other tightly, like dance partners in the middle of an intense routine, their eyes locked together.

“…”

In that moment, sparks seemed to fly between their gazes.

Aina’s heart began to pound uncontrollably, and the world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only Amelia in her sight.

Aina’s dry lips trembled slightly.

Despite Amelia’s slender frame, their difference in size made it hard to maintain the embrace, yet Amelia held her gaze intensely, as if nothing else mattered.

It was an overwhelming attraction that could only be described as falling in love.

As Aina stared into Amelia’s mysterious violet eyes, he was enveloped in a bliss he had never felt before. His entire being was filled with elation.

The features of Amelia’s face, which had not particularly stood out to her before, now appeared irresistibly charming.

Even while he gazed at Amelia’s face in a daze, savoring this unexpected happiness, Aina thought to himself.

‘Why does she seem so beautiful…? I’m not usually one to be swayed by appearances like this…’

“What are you two doing?”

The cold voice snapped the two out of their trance, breaking the intense eye contact that had felt like both a moment and an eternity.

Aina, who had been holding his breath, slowly turned his head toward his original target.

Pierre, with a displeased expression, was glaring at the two who were still clinging to each other.

More precisely, he was staring at Aina, who had been gazing dreamily at Amelia as if he were in a dream.

‘Oh, right. I’m engaged to him.’

The sight of Pierre’s irritated gaze brought Aina back to his senses.

Falling in love with someone else while being engaged was something his moral code could never accept.

Aina struggled to suppress the overwhelming attraction she still felt towards Amelia, who stood out so vividly before her.

Then, with a trembling voice, he quickly straightened himself and greeted Pierre.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lord Lazurblanc. I am Aina Nox Reinhard. It is an honor to be studying together under the grace of the Empire and in the garden of God Orthea.”

Despite their families’ longstanding engagement, this was their first time meeting.

Aina, realizing what he had just said, felt a sudden pang of guilt and anxiously watched for Pierre’s reaction.

In the noble society, where words were like hidden knives, his comment was hardly an insult, but how it would be received depended on the listener.

Pierre, with an unreadable expression, looked at the tense Aina. For a brief moment, his eyes seemed to flicker.

It was the same thought that had crossed his mind when he first saw him in person—perhaps Pierre was much more sensitive than people, including himself, had assumed.

He was clearly unsettled by his words.

Feeling a deep sense of guilt, Aina clenched his fists as he watched the handsome face, now clouded with unease.

Pierre, who had been sending uncertain glances, suddenly turned on his heel and walked out of the forest with quick steps.

By then, they had almost reached the end of the path.

Even as Amelia, who had been staring at her, remained by her side, Aina was filled with regret.

Pierre knew that he was his fiancé. And anyone, even a stranger, could have mistaken the look he exchanged with Amelia for something much more significant.

Even now, he had to fight the urge to turn his gaze back to Amelia, but there was no way such feelings could be hidden.

It was an unbearable impulse, but the growing shame prevented him from acting on it.

Pierre probably thought of him as nothing more than a political pawn. And given Aina’s family, it was not something she could completely deny.

In a world where marriage signified an alliance between families, it might not have been a big deal in itself.

However, the thought of having displayed such blatant immorality filled him with overwhelming shame.

It was the worst possible way to make an impression on someone he needed to win over.

Unfortunately, despite Aina needing to get closer to Pierre, who was assigned to a different building, they were placed in separate dormitories.

Not long after Pierre left, Aina hurried out of the forest as if fleeing.

He had made a mistake and now had to think of how to recover from it.

Still feeling an inexplicable excitement towards Amelia, Aina half-heartedly unpacked the belongings that had been delivered ahead of time and eventually collapsed on the living room sofa, pressing down on his pounding heart.

Amelia’s intense gaze and Pierre’s wounded expression mixed together, leaving his mind in turmoil.

Aina’s purpose in entering the school was to marry Pierre peacefully.

While the heads of their two families had agreed to the marriage, and the ceremony would proceed one way or another, Aina hoped that the process, at the very least, would not involve coercion or violence.

Given that it was likely to turn out that way if left alone, he tried to win his heart…

But the biggest issue now was his uncontrollable heart pounding for someone else.

Why had he suddenly fallen for Amelia?

Today was the first time they’d met, and all they did was exchange a few light words.

Sure, Amelia’s lush orange hair and confident manner of speaking were attractive. And her passionate gaze as she looked at him.

The strength in her arms as she gripped my waist, and the thoughtful care she showed when she caught him as he nearly fell…

…Even when holding onto reason, these were shallow and trivial things to fall in love with. Yet, it was hard to mistake this trembling for anything other than love.

Is love supposed to be this sudden and accidental?

As he was lost in thought, the front door opened, and a man with blonde hair, long enough to touch his shoulders, tied back, entered.

When he stood up, their eyes met, and he raised a thin eyebrow slightly.

The man, who had a sharp impression, seemed to be Aina’s roommate, with whom he would share a space for the year.

“Senior Ernest?”

He learned his name from the nameplate on the door, and since it was rare for freshmen to share rooms, he was likely an upperclassman.

Even if not, his somewhat worn-out atmosphere and familiarity with the space didn’t make him seem like a new student who had just enrolled today.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Aina Nox Reinhard.”

“Ah. So, you’re the one…”

The one? It was a strange way to refer to a junior he had just met.

The man narrowed his eyes slightly, sizing up Aina, then nodded and finally returned the greeting properly.

“Third-year in the Knight Department, Ernest Diarda. Pleased to meet you.”

Despite his irritable appearance, his reply was surprisingly calm. Finishing the conversation, Ernest headed to the kitchen on the opposite side of the living room.

He opened the lid of a jar of lemon preserved in sugar from the bar, added some to a glass of water, and with a light touch of magic, made the drink cold.

Aina, momentarily forgetting his troubles, watched in fascination as a thin layer of ice formed on the surface of the glass.

He had heard that at the academy, one could learn magic that ordinary people couldn’t easily come across. It seemed to be true.

Although magical tools were commonly used, this was the first time she saw someone use magic directly. Ernest took the chilled lemonade and was about to head straight to his room.

But seeing Aina sitting slouched on the sofa, he showed a slightly doubtful expression. Then, with a faint smirk, Aina became aware of how absentminded he looked and felt belatedly embarrassed.

His face had been burning hot from thinking about Amelia and Pierre just moments ago.

He hurriedly pretended to be unbothered and adjusted his clothing, and Ernest, who had set his glass on the table, plopped down on the sofa opposite of him.

Leaning naturally on the armrest and resting his chin in his hand, he asked Aina,

“You went to Oberon’s Forest?”