Side Story: She Who is Dearest to Me

It has been a year since we enrolled into the Academy of Magic. We were now second-year students and I, Jeord Stuart, had been appointed student council president.

The academy’s systems, much resembling a meritocracy, ensured that only the capable would serve in the council. The position of President, of course, was also determined by academic achievement. As such, it was perhaps natural that one such as myself would be chosen for the role — after all, the position of top student belonged to none other than me.

In the past, I would have simply seen all this as an inconvenience, and would not even have taken tests seriously. Now however... Well. An inconvenience still, yes, but a hoop I obediently jumped though. All for the position of student council president.

The purpose of this was simple — to make known far and wide the capability and skill of Jeord Stuart. With my social standing established, I would be able to assure with certainty that the one I desired shall fall into my hands. In the past, I saw the seat of King as a burden, and never once even dreamed of taking on such a troublesome role. Now, however... if it was required so that I would be able to take her hand, I would gladly obtain such a position.

There was one more point — in showing my capability, skill, social influence and position, I would be able to ensure that a certain individual remained protected. Being the natural charmer that she was, she had many allies. She was seemingly incapable of understanding the concept of danger. She was defenseless. One would question if she was truly the daughter of a noble — exasperating. To make things worse... she never thought to suspect the motives of another.

The possibility of her being manipulated by some black-hearted noble, should I take my eyes off her, was far too high. As such, it was imperative that I solidified my social standing. My gaze from the sidelines would serve as a suitable warning to all those who would dare think of harming her.

With those reasons in mind, I would continue carrying out the troublesome role of student council president — all for the sake of solidifying my social standing.

After the lessons for today ended, I found myself in the Student Council Chambers, where I carried out my appropriate duties.

“My work for today is done. If you would excuse me,” I said, standing up from my seat.

If this had been a busy period, I would have been obligated to assist the others. There were no problems, however, given that we were not in a particularly busy season.

“You are already done, Prince Jeord...?” Maria Campbell asked, her voice full of surprise. She, too, had been appointed to a new position this year — that of vice-president.

“Yes. I will be returning to my quarters. Do excuse me.”

Although my workload as the president was significantly heavier than that of the other members, it was nothing to me should I put my mind to it. Under normal circumstances, I would finish my work at the same time as the other council members. Today, however, I finished early, having diligently finished my assigned tasks.

She was, after all, absent from the council chambers today. If she was not here, then there was only one place she could be, logically speaking. With me finishing my work early and heading off to see her, I could have her all to myself — if only for a short while.

As if deducing my intent, Keith Claes, another member of the student council, shot me a most intense gaze. Mary Hunt, too, looked around this way and that stealthily, visibly quickening the movements of her pen.

Although the two would surely catch up eventually, it was plain to me that there was still some time. I headed out of the Student Council Chambers, quickening my pace so I could have as much time with her as possible.

Leaving the council chambers behind, I walked beyond the bounds of the campus’ academic buildings, heading for a certain corner of the academy grounds. As I thought, that was where she was: Katarina Claes, dressed up as a commoner and happily working the fields. Katarina, my fiancée, had seen it fit to turn a small corner of the campus grounds into a crop plot.

The one person whom I desired to fall into these hands of mine. “Katarina.”

Katarina turned around, her voice filled with surprise. She had not noticed me, it seemed. “Ah, Prince Jeord... is your work at the council already done?”

“Yes. Are you planting seedlings today, Katarina?” I asked, upon noticing what appeared to be rows of vegetable seedlings lined up neatly in a corner of the field.

“Yes. They just arrived yesterday, you see, and so I thought I should plant them as soon as possible!” Katarina replied, a happy smile on her face.

This was how my fiancée was; she seemed to be happy anywhere she went, whatever it was that she did. There was not a single moment of boredom in my time spent with Katarina. The days I spent with her were filled with radiance.

It made me wonder, however. When was it that I first saw Katarina as a beautiful and radiant individual...? Before I knew it, the young girl known as Katarina Claes... had become the most important thing in my life.

I approached Katarina, who was still joyfully explaining the intricacies of seedlings — and then, I placed a single hand upon her soft cheek.

“Hmm...? Prince Jeord?” she said, curiously, looking up at me with her azure eyes. To think that I could be this elated simply because I was the only thing reflected in her eyes...

“There was some dirt on your cheek, you see.”

“Ah, is that so? Thank you very much.” Katarina thanked me in her usual, straightforward way. How defenseless. It was as if suspicion itself remained an unknown concept in her mind.

Usually, someone would get in my way right around this point. Those interlopers, however, were busy with their work at the council today. They would not appear before us. In that case...

I moved my hand, slowly, my fingers tracing a path from her cheek to her soft lips. I leaned in, my fingers still moving slowly across Katarina’s lips. A normal noble lady would have her face flushed red at this point, should anyone do such a thing. Katarina, however, did not have such a reaction at all — as expected of her.

If I had to make an educated guess... she perhaps thought that I was “removing some dirt from around her lips.” Having known her for nine years, I had come to understand the gist of how she thought.

The sensation of her soft lips against my fingers... I wanted a deeper, more personal touch — those were the thoughts that welled up in my mind.

“Katarina, you have some dirt on your eyelid. Close your eyes — I shall remove it for you.”

“Ah, right.” Without suspecting my words in the slightest, Katarina closed her eyes where she stood. Slowly, I moved my face closer to hers.

“Big Sister! Watch out!” Just as those words were uttered, Katarina was snatched right out of my arms.

Hmph. They always, always do this, interrupting me at such crucial moments... I thought, staring at the culprit responsible for removing Katarina from my side.

As expected, standing before me was Keith, almost out of breath, staring at me with his usual graven expression. It would seem that he had finished his tasks at the council chambers. It would have been better if he had taken just a little longer, no...?

Steadying his breathing as he stood, still staring at me grimly, was Katarina’s adoptive younger brother, Keith Claes. He, too, I had known for nine years. Keith had feelings for Katarina well beyond that of siblings, and he would always make it a point to get in my way. He also had a habit of plotting to cancel the engagement between Katarina and myself, one way or another.

“Ah. If it isn’t Keith. Already done with your tasks at the council?” Hiding my irritation, I turned to Keith, smiling in a most friendly manner.

“But of course. I was given sufficient motivation to speed up my work thanks to you, Prince Jeord,” Keith replied, his face hardening as he did so. And then— “Are you all right, Big Sister?” he asked, staring straight into Katarina’s face.

“Hmm? All right? What do you mean?” Katarina said, still somewhat confused, apparently not understanding what had just happened.

I see that Katarina’s tendency to be immeasurably dense is present in full force today. However, I was not entirely pleased with the distance between Katarina and Keith. They were too close — and with that thought in mind, I took her by the arm, pulling her away from him.

Although Keith did not seem to appreciate this development, he did not attempt to yank Katarina back into his arms. The reason for this was simple, really. Keith was simply somewhat of a late bloomer when it came to Katarina, or perhaps all women. He would never seek to take a relationship to the next level on his own accord.

Despite the fact that he was alluring to the opposite sex and often attracted the gazes of many women, the individual known as Keith Claes was simply not used to interacting with ladies. Yet even though he was not used to them, Keith still treated women in a most gentlemanly way — and that much was wonderful indeed.

Regardless, he was still an amateur when it came to relationships and love. Perhaps it was due to his own assumptions about how he simply had no luck when it came to love, or maybe it was because he had been raised together with the immensely dense Katarina.

Even so, the fact that he directed his affections towards Katarina was a most cruel fate. Katarina had, after all, been unwittingly fanning the flames herself without even knowing it. I had lost count of the times I had witnessed Keith’s face turn some shade of red, before he quickly distanced himself from his adoptive sister in a panic.

There were times when Keith himself seemed to have noticed how futile that approach was, and also times where he seemed to understand the necessity of moving things forward with his own hands... and yet there he was, hesitating, his resolve wavering, without me even lifting a finger or saying a single word.

Well, that strange awkwardness of his was something that I could be grateful for, no doubt. After all, Keith and Katarina lived together at the Claes Manor, and were essentially together for most of the day. Had Keith not been strangely awkward with romantic relationships in this particular way, it wouldn’t have been strange if something did happen between them then.

Honestly, the distance between Katarina and I would have long since been closed, should I have been in Keith’s position. As such, I supposed I had to thank Keith for his unique brand of awkwardness.

However, even if that were a good thing, it was most troubling for Keith to keep showing up, interrupting me at crucial moments. If only he had taken just a little longer to get here... Katarina’s soft lips would have been mine.

As I stared at her lovely lips with those thoughts crossing my mind, Keith immediately placed himself between us, as if sensing something. He had an alarmed look about him. He was unfortunately very sensitive to such developments — ironic, considering his otherwise awkward nature. He would then stand guard near Katarina, on high alert, as if to prevent me from approaching. How vexing.

But then again, I had already stolen the caress of Katarina’s lips once...

It had happened in the previous year, sometime near the onset of winter, when Katarina and the rest of the council found ourselves embroiled in a certain incident.

After Katarina had been confronted and falsely accused by some noble girls in the cafeteria, Maria Campbell had gone missing. All of us on the Student Council searched for her desperately. As the investigation progressed, I arrived at the conclusion that Dark Magic may have been behind this incident in some capacity.

Dark Magic, the Dark Arts. The ability to manipulate and dominate the hearts and thoughts of others — a terrifying, forbidden power. By my deductions, the target of these events was most likely Katarina. With this in mind, I promptly headed to her side, and soon had her inform me on recent events that had transpired.

Under normal circumstances, this information would only be made known to several high-ranking nobles. One did not simply decide to speak of Dark Magic to others. However, given the danger that Katarina was already in, I made the decision to speak my mind.

While Katarina was merely surprised at first, her face soon paled. She, too, realized the severity of the situation. When she heard that Dark Magic could only be attained by sacrificing the life of another... Katarina started shivering, ever so slightly.

It was too alien a world for the gentle and straightforward Katarina to comprehend — or even imagine. I held her tight as her shoulders continued to shake.

The very next morning, Katarina appeared before me, paler than she had been the previous night. I had assumed that she was frightened by what she had heard last night, and had lost sleep because of it. Katarina herself told me that she had witnessed a most terrifying dream.

For reasons unknown to me, she smiled in a most peaceful way upon seeing her other friends, and myself. We brought the pale Katarina to the infirmary, in hopes of her getting some rest. There, she fell asleep, as if reassured.

Honestly, I had wanted to stay by her side for the entire time. However, I was told by the doctor on duty that she would have trouble falling asleep should I do so. I made my way back to the classrooms after requesting that the doctor inform me once Katarina awoke.

A few hours later, I would direly regret ever having left Katarina’s bedside.

It felt as if the very blood in my body froze upon finding her, collapsed, in the academy’s courtyard. I ran towards her, panicking. Then an incredible sense of relief washed over me when I realized that she still drew breath.

However, Katarina was now paler than ever. From what we could see, she was simply asleep. However, no matter how much I called out to her or stimulated her, she simply wouldn’t open her eyes.

I exercised all my social influence and power to summon the most well-known doctor in the land, and had him examine Katarina thoroughly. The reason for her slumber, however, remained yet unknown. The situation did not improve.

The possibility of her being in this state because of Dark Magic was relatively high — and with that thought in mind, I had one of the few Wielders of Light in the kingdom brought to me, in hopes of them diagnosing the problem.

I knew that Katarina was in danger... and yet, I could hardly do anything to help her. I could not forgive my own weakness. How pathetic.

On the morning of the day after Katarina had fallen into a deep sleep, I paid a visit to her chambers. No response came, no matter how many times I knocked. Upon opening the door, I found that there was only Katarina, still asleep on her bed, and that personal maid of hers by her bedside.

Normally, someone or another would be in her room, but it would seem that no one else was present at the moment. It would appear that Katarina’s personal maid did not notice my entrance — she was most surprised at the sight of me, dropping the cup that she had been holding straight onto the ground. With a resounding shatter, the cup splintered, now mere fragments of broken glass.

“M-My sincere apologies...” Saying so, Katarina’s maid knelt down, visibly panicking and upset as she picked up the broken pieces of glass. Her face was white as a sheet; I wouldn’t have been surprised if she collapsed at any moment.

This particular maid was usually most capable and skilled. She was an exemplar of a maid, and often made any guests who visited Katarina feel at home. She was not the kind of maidservant to break glassware or make mistakes such as this. This was exactly why her panicked expression was painful for me to look at. She, too, admired Katarina greatly — and Katarina, in turn, trusted her maid deeply.

“Have you been feeding her water?” Given that the maid had not even noticed presence, and the fact that she was holding the cup as I entered, most likely meant that this was the case.

“Yes... I thought that... if I give the Young Miss some water, there might be some changes to her condition... but I have been unable to have her drink very well, thus far...” the maid said, an almost paralyzing look of sadness in her eyes. She then quickly returned to her previous task of gathering up the broken fragments.

After a while, the maid completed her task. I offered to take care of Katarina as she disposed of the fragments. “Please do take care of those fragments. I shall watch over Katarina in your absence.”

Although the maid seemed hesitant at first, she eventually bowed her head, and with a murmur of “by your leave,” was soon out of the room. And so... Katarina and I were the only ones left in her quarters. Normally, I would have greatly desired such a situation. Now, however... no matter the number of sweet whispers, Katarina would not wake. She did not even react to my touch.

Even so, I approached her bedside, if only so that I could look upon her face.

It was like Katarina was lying perfectly still, not even drawing breath. This caused me great unease, and I quickly placed my hand onto her lips. Thankfully, she was breathing. I also noticed that her lips were slightly wet — probably due to the efforts of her maid and her feeding cup. There was another cup on the bedside table.

“...If the young lady continues to sleep, Prince... she will be unable to have any water or any food. If this circumstance is prolonged... I fear she will lose her life.” The doctor’s words resurfaced in my mind.

There was no way I could let that happen. I lifted the spare cup to my mouth, draining it of its contents. Then, leaning in, I placed my lips against Katarina’s, allowing the water to slowly flow into her throat.

To ensure that there would be no leakage of fluids, I sealed Katarina’s lips with my own. After a while, I noticed some faint movements in her throat — and then an audible gulp. She... She drank it! What a relief... After that, I repeated the exact same motions many times, ensuring that Katarina was well-hydrated.

In the evening of the second day of her slumber, Katarina opened her eyes, apparently having overcome the Dark Magic placed upon her by her own power.

I was desperate at the time — hoping that Katarina would live. While I did not remember the exact sensations I felt then... I could, at the very least, remember that her lips were remarkably soft. Now that I had felt the sensation once, I longed to caress it with my touch once more. However...

“Big Sister, how many times have I told you this? You are not to be alone with Prince Jeord!”

“But... Keith. It’s already over! So it’s totally fine if Prince Jeord decides to visit me.”

“Eh...? What is over? Totally fine...? I’m afraid I do not understand, Big Sister...”

With this, it did not seem like another opportunity would reveal itself anytime soon. If I had known this would happen, I would have been more... intense, in the previous occasion. Those were the thoughts in my mind as I observed Katarina and Keith, neither one seemingly able to understand the other.

“Lady Katarina... are you safe?”

Yet another individual to stand in my way, I see. This one was out of breath as well.

“Oh! If it isn’t Mary. Hmm... everyone seems somewhat early today. But... what do you mean by ‘safe’...?”

“Ah, yes. You see, Lady Katarina... there were some... incidents today. I am glad that you are safe, however.” Saying so, she turned to me, smiling ever so faintly. This woman was none other than Lady Mary Hunt — my brother’s fiancée.

Theoretically, she was my twin brother Alan Stuart’s fiancée. Mary herself, however, did not seem to view Alan that way. She only had eyes for Katarina, and seemed to always be chasing after her. Although she was quite a beautiful girl at a glance, her inner personality was something much akin to mine. How long has it been since I had noticed this...? Mary was even more troublesome than Keith, her methods intensifying by the day. She was a most fearsome enemy.

“H-Hey! Where are you running off to, Mary?” Standing behind Mary was none other than my brother, Alan. In truth, Alan, too, had been drawn towards Katarina. He’d had feelings for her for almost eight years now. However, thanks to his relatively thick mind, tendency to be haughty, and the schemes of his fiancée, Mary Hunt, Alan had yet to notice these feelings himself. A truly pathetic man indeed.

However, even my dense brother seemed to have awakened to his own feelings following the Dark Magic incident. His attitude to Katarina had changed somewhat. Even so, I had let my guard down — Alan was not the kind to lay his hands on his brother’s fiancée just because of how he felt.

However... Mary Hunt, his very own fiancée and strategist, had apparently utilized him in one of her plans. As we were brothers, Alan’s quarters were adjacent to mine. Alan had apparently been instructed to report my movements to Mary... and so he had become an unexpectedly troublesome foe.

Alan aside, the fact that Mary’s methods became more and more intense by the day was troubling indeed. In fact, I was now more aware of Alan becoming closer to Mary after becoming aware of his feelings. Is this some sort of camaraderie? He has his own fiancée, does he not? I would greatly prefer that Alan and Miss Hunt get along well and keep to themselves. More importantly, they should stop interrupting the quality time I spend with Katarina.

While this small field supposedly only belonged to Katarina and myself, before I knew it, the entire Student Council was here. Although I had put my mind to it and finished my work early, I supposed I could not discount their capabilities either.

In the end, Sophia Ascart and Maria Campbell also arrived on the scene, and the small field soon became quite the hive of activity.

“Even so, Prince Jeord... the speed at which you work, and the fact that you can handle any kind of documentation, is most impressive.”

“It is nothing special. Today was simply a fluke.”

Maria, who had apparently been surprised at the speed of my work, offered me some compliments. I, however, responded in a relatively vague manner. Although the other members of the council had deduced the reason for me rushing through my work, and had ambivalent expressions about them as they did so, Maria hadn’t seemed to notice this.

This young girl, Maria Campbell — a commoner and a Wielder of Light, had a good head on her shoulders. At the same time, however, she did slip up from time to time. As such, she sometimes did do very strange things indeed, although not to the extent that Katarina would.

In fact, if I had not met Katarina... given how I was, I would have found her most interesting. Even now, Maria continued to work hard, and gave her all in everything she did. Yes... I think I would have been very fond of her indeed. However...

“Ah, right. Lady Katarina... I had made some snacks for you today, too. Please do try some, if you would like.” Saying so, Maria presented a box of snacks in Katarina’s general direction. Almost immediately. Katarina happily bounded to her side.

“Thank you so much, Maria! Oh, I love you so!” Katarina’s face was already full of unbridled adoration.

Yes... Maria Campbell. I did think of her as someone I could have become fond of... or so I thought... However, she was far too close to my fiancée. It would be quite a problem if Katarina grew overly fond of this girl. In fact, Katarina was already more or less thoroughly domesticated by Maria’s snacks. It was clear that she liked this girl very much indeed.

To make things worse, Katarina, who was already enough of a natural charmer herself, had long since succeeded in making Maria fall for her. Sometimes I would see the two of them together, almost looking like they were actual lovers. Ah, what a terrifying sight.

As such, the very existence of Maria herself meant that she was an enemy as well, hellbent on getting between Katarina and myself. If I had to say, Maria was different from the rest — she was a powerful foe, almost from another dimension.

As I looked upon Katarina, who was currently happily munching away on Maria’s homemade snacks at a small table in the corner of the crop field, I felt a somewhat complicated mix of emotions rise up from within me. And then...

“Ah! Big Brother, this way, please!” Sophia Ascart’s voice.

I followed the direction of her voice with my eyes. As expected, standing there was none other than Sophia’s brother, Nicol Ascart, who had graduated from the academy in the previous year. Accompanying them was the individual who, up until the middle of last year, was the student council president — Raphael Wolt.

“Well met, Prince Jeord. It has been a while.” The owner of that voice was none other than Nicol himself. Famous for his charms, it was said that his beauty captivated both man and and woman alike. I returned his greeting, and inquired about his presence at the academy grounds.

“I have business with the Magical Ministry’s research facility on the campus today,” Nicol replied with his usual stoic, expressionless face.

Raphael, who was accompanying them, was also currently working at that particular research building. He had been working there today as well, when Nicol, who had been visiting, apparently called out to him. He was then invited along... which explains his presence.

“Ah! Master Nicol, Raphael! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Apparently Katarina, who had been stuffing her face with snacks all this while, finally noticed the presence of Nicol and Raphael.

“Katarina. I am glad you are well,” Nicol said, his previously stoic expression melting away into an alluring smile.

Ah, yes. Of course. This Nicol, too, has feelings for Katarina. Even so, Nicol was quite the respectable man, and had a good amount of common sense about him. He would not think of lusting after someone else’s fiancée. After all, he had been strangely blessed with a mysterious, yet troublesome charm, one that was powerful enough to captivate men and women alike.

If anything, it almost seemed like Nicol’s charm only increased as the years went by. Even Katarina, whose tendency to be dense likely ranked somewhere near the top of this kingdom, had recently started to become attracted to his smile. Not exactly a development I could be relaxed about... And then.

“Big Brother, let us try some of Lady Maria’s snacks, too! This way...” I had not even noticed her movements — but there she was. Sophia Ascart, already seated next to Katarina, was calling out to Nicol.

Nicol’s younger sister, Sophia, admired Katarina greatly as well. In fact, seeing her brother take Katarina’s hand in marriage was apparently an ambition of hers — Sophia the matchmaker, so to speak. Although she was originally a quiet, withdrawn girl, the long years she had spent with Katarina and Mary were perhaps responsible for this transformation. She had become most... bold. She seemed completely different from the shirking young girl that I had met in my childhood.

In addition, Raphael, who had accompanied the two of them here, was also gazing at Katarina lovingly. Raphael’s circumstances were somewhat complex to begin with — and although he did not initially show any sign of emotion for Katarina, that all changed after the incident. It did not take me long to find him staring at Katarina with passionate gazes after he had returned to the campus.

Honestly... Katarina Claes. Just how many people do you intend to charm with your wiles...? I inwardly sighed as I continued observing Katarina, who was currently still stuffing her face with snacks.

She was silly, naive, and dense... a noble lady that was most unlike her peers — that was Katarina. Even so, she would mysteriously draw other people to her. Those with loneliness or sadness in their hearts often found themselves drawn to her earnest personality.

To those who lived in the world of politics and conspiracy that were the noble circles of these lands... to those who desperately tried to read the intents and charades of others — Katarina’s straightforward gaze must resemble the warm rays of the sun, warmly enveloping their hearts. This was why so many were drawn to the girl known as Katarina Claes, and found their lives changed because of their interactions with her.

With all that being said, Katarina was simply a little too much of a charmer. I had far too many enemies on the field. However... I suppose this is all right. The sight of her inflated cheeks as she enjoyed snacks with her friends was quite the hilarious sight. Perhaps it was fine for things to stay like this for a while — maybe even I had been significantly influenced by Katarina, to think of things in such a way.

I had been looking at Katarina all this time — and then... her aqua-blue eyes met mine.

“Would you like to try some too, Prince Jeord?” It would that Katarina had associated my gaze with a desire for the snacks she was currently having. She reached into the small basket of treats and took one, raising it up and offering it to me.

“Hmm. Very well then. I shall have one.” I leaned in towards Katarina, closing my lips around the snack — and her finger. “Most delicious,” I said with a slight smile. Almost immediately, I could feel a series of intense gazes dig into my being.

Katarina herself, however... did not seem to understand what just happened, as that absent-minded look was still on her face. “Ah... Prince Jeord. You didn’t finish it all! There’s still some here.”

Keith, however, soon leapt into action, his expression more grim than anything I had ever seen before. “Big Sister, quickly, your finger!” he exclaimed, grabbing Katarina’s arm, and then the finger that had met my lips just moments ago. He fervently cleaned it with a handkerchief.

“Eh! Wh-What is it, Keith? That hurts a little!” It would seem that Keith had rubbed her finger just a little too hard. Katarina’s voice soon rose in protest.

“Keith. Do be careful — you seem to be hurting Katarina.”

“B-But that’s because of you!!” Keith snapped back.

“Exactly! Prince Jeord, whatever were you thinking?” Sophia added.

“...Unbelievable. How dirty of you!” Mary exclaimed.

“Really, now! You... What have you done...” Alan grumbled.

With those exclamations, members of the previous and current Student Council soon placed themselves between Katarina and I, forcibly separating us.

Ah, well. I suppose I do like Katarina’s smile, as she laughs and plays with her friends like this. Perhaps it would be alright for this situation to last just a little longer... However, I have absolutely no intentions of handing Katarina over to anyone.

I flashed the still-stunned Katarina a brief smile. Now, then... how should I go about obtaining some quality time for the two of us next...?