I Start with a Bad Hand!

Before I lost my balance and tumbled forward, I flailed and grabbed the railing again, and just then, he roughly seized the collar of my clothes. It was uncomfortable to stand precariously on the stairs in such an awkward pose.

“Forward…”

Just as he was about to murmur to me again, a crashing sound erupted. Turning my head to look down the stairs, it was just my luck that the least desired person was scrambling to pick up the documents they had dropped.

“Ah, damn it…”

“Oh… I saw senior from a distance.”

Dietrich was also there. Saying this, Roxanne organized the documents, and with a brief glance at Elius and me, hurriedly walked towards the opposite corridor.

Elius, seeing Roxanne hurrying away, sharply withdrew his hand from my collar.

“Roxy!”

As if he no longer cared about me, Elius passed by me and rushed after the already vanished Roxanne. I was left alone on the stairs, holding onto my curiosity.

Honestly, the somewhat abrupt confrontation by the original male protagonist was incomprehensible.

‘What, why would he say that?’

Having had no prior interaction with Elius, it was even more baffling.

‘Could it be… because of Roxanne?’

Things had been going well with Roxanne, so why was he causing a scene? My mind filled with question marks. There had been an agreement between the parties involved, so why was he creating chaos? His behavior seemed only to foster misunderstandings about Roxanne.

But how could I possibly understand the mind of someone slightly unhinged? His love was beyond my normal comprehension.

Blessing the original characters’ crazy love, I headed back down the stairs. My legs were still aching.

***

The fatigue of my mind was consuming the tiredness of my body. Lately, irritating incidents had been occurring too frequently in brief moments. Lying down and idly staring at the script while nibbling on the end of my pen, Agnes drew my attention from the stage by calling my name.

“What are you doing? Come watch us rehearse!”

“Ah, um.”

Pushing away the uncomfortable feeling, I stood up from where I had been lying down. On stage were the two lead actors and an extra handling six roles simultaneously. Irene had been busy and often missed practice after the initial sessions, but these three had been surprisingly diligent in attending rehearsals.

Between the student council, personal studies, the dance team, and drama practice, Irene seemed to need several bodies to cope, unlike her. In contrast, they appeared to be simply enjoying their time at the academy.

Additionally, after the awkward initial practice day, they seemed to have fortunately become a bit friendlier with each other. Agnes, for one, although shy at first, would freely speak her mind once she got comfortable, and Klaus was just Klaus.

However, becoming too friendly was the problem. At some point, they began to bicker over trivial matters repeatedly. If they had spent that time practicing, they could have produced a better play.

“How is it that you don’t improve at all in practice? You think the same, don’t you, Horatius?”

“Someone with only a line or two to speak couldn’t possibly understand the challenges of a lead role. Right, Klaus?”

“Please, just stop…”

Always caught in the middle, Klaus bore an ambiguous expression, awkwardly fitting in. Whenever their voices seemed to carry beyond the practice room, I would almost open the door but then step back and unnecessarily walk around the corridor instead.

Nonetheless, they appeared to be getting along surprisingly well. Really unexpectedly.

‘Agnes and Klaus are one thing, but the Second Prince seems to be getting along with the kids better than I thought.’

Contrary to the impression his various nicknames suggested, the Second Prince had surprisingly integrated well with the others. That was to be expected, perhaps, since he played multiple roles and had many interactions with the two on stage.

Their acting was gradually becoming more synchronized. Of course, the first day was still the benchmark. Klaus, who had been overwhelmed by Agnes’s intensity, was finding his pace gradually. However, Agnes’s acting was still rough, and on stage, her performances and Klaus’s more theatrical efforts were in stark contrast.

The real issue, surprisingly, lay with the Second Prince.

‘He’s too conspicuous!’

Supposed to blend into the background on stage, he shone too brightly. Despite changing roles, his presence was so strong that he seemed like the Second Prince himself. Whether he was playing a bride, a servant of the Capulet household, or a coachman, he was himself. Thus, whenever he appeared, it felt as though a handsome, unemployed man was loitering around, interfering in everything happening in the neighborhood.

Eventually, during his line, “I saw it with my own two eyes,” I had to call him urgently.

“Your Highness, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Why? Was there a problem with the line I just said? Speaking of which, change that line. Why does this servant always have to say he saw something clearly with his own eyes…”

“Keep that line as it is, please. I was thinking, maybe for the actual play, the makeup could be done a bit more thoroughly. Because…”

“Because?”

I desperately didn’t want to say, ‘Because you’re too conspicuous. Because you’re too handsome.’ He stepped closer to me, aligning his gaze with mine, pressing for an answer.

“Why?”

Just as I hesitated to reply, someone knocked on the practice room door.

“I’ll get it.”

Perfect timing. I quickly moved to the door to escape from having to respond to that awkward question. Opening it, I found a male student with an unfamiliar face. Seeing me, he hastily straightened his clothes and then, seizing my hand, greeted me.

“Oh, ah… Hello!”

“Um, hello.”

After greeting me, the male student continued to hold my hand, forcing me to exert effort to pull it away. Yet, even after letting go, he stared intently at my face, his cheeks flushed, struggling to begin speaking.

“Is there someone you’re looking for?”

“Actually… I came here because I have something to tell you.”

“…Me?”

“Could you spare some time after practice?”

I didn’t have that time.

“I have an assignment to finish by tomorrow.”

“Then maybe after class tomorrow?”

“If it’s urgent, could you just tell me now?”

At that, the student stopped speaking and, still with a red face, began to mumble incoherently.

“You… When I first saw you in the… that time…”

“Yes?”

His mumbling was hard to understand, prompting me to ask again. This seemed to steel him, and he blurted out loudly:

“From the moment I first saw you, I couldn’t take my eyes off you!”

What, what?

His unexpected shout suddenly quieted the practice room. His voice was so loud that, despite being outside the room, it reverberated inside like an echo. I could feel a collective curiosity emanating from behind me without even turning around.

“Let’s step outside to talk.”

I quickly pushed the student out of the practice room and shut the door with a thud. As he stumbled out, he continued the conversation he hadn’t finished.

“I didn’t mean to call you out like this; I guess I was just too hasty.”

The student trembled as he spoke. Noticing that I was looking at his shaking legs, he stiffly continued.

“Uh, my name is Devon, and I’m the second son of the Count of Hillrat. We’re both freshmen.”

Sorry for the late introduction. As I turned my gaze to his face, his legs began to tremble again. Seeing my continued silence, he swallowed hard, closed his eyes tight, and blurted out:

“So… may I ask you out on a date?”

“Uh, that’s…”

“Dmitry.”

Huh?

“You’re in the archery club, right? I’ve seen you coming and going a few times. Ah, I didn’t mean to watch you on purpose, but I always pass by the training ground. I’ve seen your back every time…”

Who is Dmitry?

“You don’t have to answer right now. Just… whenever you, Dmitry, decide…”

Who is Dmitry?

‘Is it normal to confess without even knowing the name properly? Is this a trend in this world?’

Technically, it’s not even a confession, just a date invitation. But why would he ask me out on a date without even dating me? Gathering my composure, I replied.

“You’ve got the wrong person.”

“Uh?”

“I’m not Dmitry.”

“Oh, uh?”

“My name is Dietrich. And since we’re not really acquainted… going on a date is a bit…”

I’ll go back inside. I entered the practice room and quickly locked the door. The male student’s wail faintly reached me through the soundproof door.

‘What in the world…’

Reluctantly, I moved toward the three who had stopped practicing and were all ears due to the sudden commotion.

“What’s going on?”

As I approached, Agnes asked with a sly tone and expression, her jaw crinkled as if trying to suppress a laugh.

“It’s nothing.”

“Nothing? What did that guy say outside?”

The other two didn’t say much but didn’t stop Agnes from using practice time for chit-chat. However, it was too embarrassing to discuss it in front of everyone.

“Really, it’s nothing. I’ll tell you on the way to the dorm later. Let’s just get back to practice. Start from the section I’ve marked.”

I’m tired, so tired. Inhabiting society.

I sighed inwardly and refocused.

“…And he called me Dmitry.”

“…That’s really the worst. It’s the worst confession I’ve ever heard, including those in your scripts.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

As I unfolded the ordeal, Agnes’s expectant expression gradually soured.

“Do they usually just call you out for a date like that in the capital?”

“I was actually going to ask you that. Is that how nobles usually confess?”

“Probably not? I don’t know.”

Calling someone out for a date without any prior interaction might not seem strange in the 21st century, but doing so without even getting the name right, and when they’ve never spoken before, definitely was odd.

Neither Agnes nor I could be sure if this was the correct approach. I’m not from here, and Agnes is a commoner. Finally, I ruffled my hair and pleaded with Agnes.

“And don’t tell anyone about this, please. I really want to bury this in my memory forever.”

“Of course. But what about telling Senior Irene?”

“Tell her…”

Let’s wait for the weekend to come around, and we can talk about it while hanging out. But I didn’t need to wait that long.

The next day, I found myself in the midst of a lavish confession in a greenhouse full of blooming flowers. Well, to correct that, I wasn’t the subject of the confession. I was just hearing about it.

And it came from Klaus.