Orion’s mood soared to the sky.

He was so happy that he even nodded with a bright smile when I asked him if I could have my semi debutante in the Bolton mansion.

He seemed to have no idea that it would be difficult for him to attend the banquet in the Bolton mansion because he had delayed all his work to adjust for the date of my career counseling.

“Are you really going to the academy with Master?”

“He likes it that much. What’s good is good.”

Jeremy stared at me in astonishment.

There were certainly questions and pity about my taste in that gaze. Since when did you look at it as a good thing?

“He is so happy with this small thing. I should have talked with him and listened to his small requests sometimes.”

The boy asked seriously in response to my muttering.

“This has given me goosebumps, yet there is more than this?”

“At least Orion’s smiling face flutters many people.”

The beaming smile on Orion, who was feeling happy since noon, brightened up the mansion.

Thanks to that, the workers also looked happy.

As he was feeling happy after a long time, there was tolerance in the knights’ training.

“If the knights have their face blushing, how will they train?”

I saw a few knights who opened their mouths without realizing it and then closed their eyes tightly as if they got their minds back when they saw Orion.

“That’s not Orion’s fault. He’s just born like that.”

“The situation is already like this in this mansion, so it would surely be worse in the academy.”

“Well, that’s true.”

I had anticipated that, but I was in awe when I saw the workers that had been working here for a long time lost their souls.

There was no doubt that Orion’s smile had a greater killing power than I thought.

This might be the reason the young ladies easily came to my side.

Jeremy, who gave up on understanding what I meant, changed the topic.

“Speaking of which, what kind of conversation did you have with my brother?”

He still had not been informed about his return to the palace.

I looked at him, who asked curiously with a clueless face.

Now that I faced him, it was hard to say goodbye, telling him that the time for him to return had come.

Maybe I should have let the crown prince send him a letter.

“Marianne?”

Cowardly, I thought it would be good if it wasn’t me who clouded that face.

Nevertheless, his return had been decided.

And Jeremy had no power at all.

He couldn’t reject it and stayed here, so he had no choice but to accept it.

I didn’t want to tell him at the last moment under the pretense of respect by delaying it.

The feeling of getting struck by lightning out of nowhere when finding out something everyone around me but myself knew, was terrible.

“Marianne?”

Pretending to not know the horror that crept in by back, I slowly opened my mouth.

“You see, Jeremy . . .”

It was not as easy as I thought to deliver an unilateral notification to the boy who was making eye contact with me without knowing anything.

* * *

On the day to the academy, Orion’s clothes were surprisingly simple.

It was not only his attire, but everything.

The sword sheath on the waist was also dark blue, and there were no decorations.

I, who anticipated he would surely pay more attention, blinked my eyes at his unexpected appearance.

He smiled widely and said,

“Well, you know. It is said that siblings with a close relationship are becoming alike to each other, right? In that sense, I’m dressed like you . . .”

This is not becoming alike to each other, but you’re adjusting to my tastes, Orion.

Usually, I would say that out load, but I swallowed it back.

He liked it after all.

Next to us, Jeremy was sending an unchanging disrespectful gaze to his teacher.

“I will go first.”

We had to go separately because he was hiding his identity in the academy, but even without that, he clearly showed that he wanted to go alone.

The boy, who had heard the date for him to return to the Imperial palace, was more honest with expressing his emotion nowadays.

“Seems he’s like that because he’s being sensitive. Well, he will soon reach pubescent age.”

Looking at Jeremy’s back, Orion recited the knowledge he gleaned from a book he read.

That’s not it.

I boarded the carriage while swallowing down my opinion.

Whenever I heard him occasionally recite his knowledge, I realized yet again that learning from books wasn’t everything.

“By the way, Marianne.”

“Yes?”

“Is it really okay for me to go to your career counseling?”

I was a bit surprised by the unexpected question.

He, who was so happy with the guardian word, suddenly had a serious expression and asked in worry.

“Of course. I wanted you to do it from the beginning.”

“It’s a new thing for me to be someone’s guardian. Not that I don’t want to do it, but I’m worried if I can’t be a help for you.”

I was slowly seized by a pang of conscience for no reason as he said it out with a shy face.

“It’s okay. You will do well.”

I was amazed as I looked at the slightly nervous face.

Come to think of it, after the hearing in the previous academy, this was the second time I showed someone as ‘my guardian’ in front of people.

And both were curiously Orion.

Back then I asked for his favor only to escape the situation and sort it quickly.

This time . . .

My feelings turned strange.

* * *