"Fufu… Rigel-san, is he still not here yet?"
The girl smiled happily on the main street of the royal capital.
Her name was Char.
She was the E-Class dropout who had been discriminated against at the Royal Academy.
However, right now she was at the peak of happiness.
"I came too early again… There's still time until my meeting with Rigel-san…"
Char was in love with Rigel.
The trigger had been something small.
During lunch break, when she had almost collapsed from feeling unwell, Rigel had caught her in his arms.
She learned that although he was ranked at the bottom of his class, he was still an S-Class student.
He had comforted her by saying, "We're comrades."
It was his gentle smile at that moment that made Char fall in love.
Ever since then, she had been completely infatuated with him.
She studied hard to live up to his encouragement and improved her cooking skills to make him happy.
"Fufu… Does this necklace look good on me?"
Char touched the small necklace shining at the chest of her uniform.
Rigel had given it to her.
He had called it "just a cheap thing," but Char knew better.
"It's quite expensive… Probably something only nobles could afford… Rigel-san's background must be…"
Char had vaguely guessed Rigel's status.
He was almost certainly a noble.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to buy such a necklace.
His world was completely different from hers, a commoner.
"But… As long as we're students at the academy, I don't have to worry about that, right…?"
Char murmured.
At the Royal Academy, people from various social classes gathered.
From royalty to commoners, everyone was equal within the school.
It was also forbidden to inquire about others' backgrounds after enrollment.
"Rigel-san back then… He looked so cool… He saved me from the bullying…"
Char gently closed her eyes.
She could still vividly recall the scene.
When the S-Class bullying had escalated and she had fallen into despair, Rigel had appeared like a hero and stopped it.
However, she had lost consciousness right after that, so her memory was hazy…
"Rigel-san…"
Char's cheeks flushed.
Just remembering his appearance from that day made her heart race.
Her feelings for him had grown far beyond simple affection or crush — they completely dominated her heart.
"Haa… I wish Rigel-san would come soon…"
Char let out a longing sigh.
Behind her, a figure moved.
"Hey, Char. Sorry to keep you waiting again?"
"Eh…?"
Hearing the sudden voice, Char turned around.
There stood Rigel.
He smiled at her and said,
"What's wrong? You've got such a dreamy look on your face."
"Eh… Ah! N-no…! It's nothing!!"
Snapping back to reality, Char's face turned bright red.
(Oh no…! What am I doing…!!)
She felt embarrassed that her head had been completely filled with thoughts of Rigel.
As long as they were both students at the Royal Academy, Char and Rigel were officially equals.
Therefore, she should enjoy their date openly.
Char told herself this, but the pounding in her chest showed no signs of stopping.
"Haha! You don't have to be so nervous, you know?"
"Uuu…!"
Seeing her like this, Rigel smiled wryly.
"Come on, let's go, Char!"
Rigel reached out his hand.
Char started to take it, but a moment of hesitation stopped her.
"Ah…"
"Char?"
Rigel tilted his head in confusion.
Looking at him, Char spoke.
"Um… Rigel-san."
"What is it? Is something wrong?"
Seeing her hesitation, Rigel asked curiously.
After thinking for a while, Char gathered her courage and said,
"Would it… be okay for me to hold hands with you, Rigel-san? Someone as dirty as me… might dirty your hand…"
"Huh!?"
Rigel was taken aback by Char's sudden words.
Of course, he understood what she meant.
"You saw my shameful state… didn't you, Rigel-san? An unmarried girl showing her skin to others is absolutely unacceptable…"
Char murmured.
But before she could continue, Rigel pulled her into a hug.
"R-Rigel-san!?"
Startled by the sudden embrace, Char panicked.
Rigel said to her,
"You idiot! Don't worry about that!!"
"Eh…?"
Rigel continued while the confused Char listened.
"Those people involved in the bullying have been quiet lately, right? Besides, there were no men at the scene… Your body isn't dirty at all!"
The perpetrators and onlookers of the bullying had been desperately avoiding both Rigel and Char.
Rigel had ordered them to do so.
"B-but…! I… showed such a shameful sight…!!"
Even as Char tried to protest, Rigel stroked her head and said,
"Char! You are beautiful! You're a very cute girl!!"
"Ah…"
Her face turned bright red at those words.
Rigel continued without stopping.
"So don't worry about it! Your body is beautiful! I guarantee it!!"
Saying that, Rigel pulled her close again.
"Ah… Aah…"
Tears overflowed from Char's eyes.
(Rigel-san… Rigel-san…!!)
A warm feeling spread through her chest.
"Uu… Uu…!"
Char did her best to hold back her sobs.
Rigel gently hugged her.
(Aah…! I really do love this person!!)
Char screamed in her heart.
She had always looked down on herself and kept her heart closed.
But now she was different.
(I… want to become Rigel-san's girlfriend!)
Char made up her mind.
Unaware of Rigel's wicked intentions…
—-
"Look, Char! Those earrings are beautiful, right?"
"Wow… They really are lovely earrings."
Char answered Rigel's words.
The two of them were on the main street of the royal capital.
Various accessories were displayed in the shop.
"Alright, I'll buy them for you!"
"Eh? No way! That's too much!!"
Char hurriedly refused Rigel's offer.
They clearly looked expensive.
"Don't hold back! It's a present for cute Char!!"
"Ah… Uu…"
At Rigel's words, Char was left speechless.
(C-cute…!)
Char blushed involuntarily.
"Hm? Your face is red?"
"N-no! It's nothing!!"
Char desperately denied it while Rigel grinned.
But it was obvious that her face was bright red.
"I'll go buy them! Wait here!!"
"Ah…"
Leaving the flustered Char behind, Rigel entered the store.
(Uuu… I'm so embarrassed I could die…)
Char covered her face with both hands and waited for Rigel.
(Rigel-san… He's definitely a noble, right…? But he's so kind to a commoner like me… Maybe he's from a knight baron family or a baronet family…?)
There was a huge wall between nobles and commoners.
However, lower-ranking nobles were relatively closer to commoners.
Of course, even among lower nobles, there were those who looked down on commoners and had strong superiority complexes…
Still, they were better than higher nobles.
Some high-ranking nobles didn't even see commoners as fellow humans.
Char thought about such things while waiting for Rigel.
It was then that—
"Hey! A mere commoner bumps into a noble's carriage and doesn't even apologize!?"
"Hii…! P-please forgive me…!!"
Voices came from further down the street.
Char looked over.
There, several soldiers were surrounding a woman.
The woman was cowering in fear.
"Apologize with more sincerity! We could execute you for disrespect toward a noble, you know!?"
"Hiiiiii!!"
One of the soldiers shoved the woman.
She screamed and collapsed to the ground.
Char watched the scene in fear.
(Uu… A noble is here in a place like this…)
This was the main street of the royal capital.
While there were high-end shops, they were high-end only by commoner standards.
Nobles usually had merchants come to their residences for shopping.
However, some liked to go out shopping with soldier escorts.
(As expected, nobles are scary…)
Char shuddered.
Although discrimination by status was officially prohibited at the Royal Academy, it was only half pretense.
In reality, Char had been bullied by students from noble and powerful families.
"…Tch! What are you staring at!? This isn't a show!!"
One soldier shouted at the onlookers.
For a moment, it seemed like his eyes met Char's.
But he quickly looked away.
He kicked the woman he had been harassing and returned to guarding the carriage before leaving.
(Aah… That was scary…)
Char let out a sigh of relief.
She was glad she hadn't been involved.
(The person in that carriage earlier… was probably a high-ranking noble? But… There's nothing a commoner like me can do about it…)
Char decided to stop thinking about it.
Her thoughts returned to Rigel.
(Rigel-san is different from those arrogant nobles… If he's the son of a knight baron family… maybe even a commoner like me could become his girlfriend… If I graduate safely from the Royal Academy, it would add some prestige…)
Char imagined such things.
If Rigel was from a lower noble family, marriage with a commoner might be possible depending on the conditions.
(Marrying Rigel-san… and having children… Kyaa!)
Char squirmed happily as she imagined her future.
It was then…
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Char. …What are you doing?"
"Ah!"
Rigel looked at Char with a puzzled expression.
Char, who had been lost in her fantasies, snapped back to reality.
"I-it's nothing!"
"Hmm? Well, whatever. Let me put the earrings on you right away. It's crowded here, so let's go into an alley."
"Ah… Yes!"
The two left the main street and entered a side alley.
After moving to a less crowded spot, Rigel took out the earrings.
Char smiled happily.
"Here, turn this way…"
"Yes!"
Rigel put the earrings on Char's earlobes.
A cool sensation touched her ears.
(I'm so happy…)
Char had an entranced expression.
Looking at her, Rigel said,
"Just as I thought. They look really good on you, Char!"
"Ah… Thank you."
Praised by Rigel, Char blushed.
The earrings swayed gently on her ears.
"Here, Char."
"Eh? Ah…"
Rigel held out his hand.
Char hesitated for a moment but then took it.
(This is… a lovers' handhold!)
The two held hands tightly while gazing at each other.
Char felt her heart racing.
In this way, a happy time passed in the back alley of the royal capital.
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