CH 78

Appointment Day

The appointed day with Wilfrecht finally arrived.

Since work at the pharmacy started in the afternoon, Sheila spent her free time in the morning working out. Inspired by Cody and the others, she felt restless if her body wasn’t exercising.

After some light flexibility exercises, she started swinging. The sound of her wooden sword ripping through the air was pleasing.

‘There’s no need to rush. But it’s been a while since I’ve walked with Cody and the others.’

It was reassuring to have friends who could work hard together. It was fortunate for Sheila that they had established a relationship in which they could improve each other. Thanks to that, training wasn’t so hard for her.

Sheila finally stopped swinging when she was sweating enough from the heat and exercise. As she was wiping the sweat off with her sleeve, something fell on her head.

“Wah!”

A soft, soapy scent tickled her nose. It was a soft towel.

There was no one in the training hall when Sheila came in. She must have been so concentrated that she didn’t notice other people’s presence.

When she removed the towel from her head, Regress stood a little further away with an exasperated face.

“Regress-senpai?”

“Seriously, how long are you going to keep swinging? If you don’t take a good break, you’ll get injured again.”

Sheila frowned as she alternated between Regress, who was walking towards her with his pink-blonde curly hair swaying, and the towel.

“…. Um, is there some sort of aristocratic significance to throwing a towel? Like a duel, for example.”

“What?”

As they both tilted their heads, they suddenly heard a chuckle. Sheila turned toward the voice and saw Seiryuu walking into the training hall.

“Huh? Seiryuu.”

He had an imitation sword in his hand, so he must have come to train his body a little. Chuckling, Seiryuu looked at Regress.

“The towel is just for wiping sweat off your face like normal. Regress must be worried about you. You just collapsed yesterday, are you sure you’re okay to move around so much?”

Sheila’s head was stroked, and she was flustered. Her hair was damp with sweat, and she was somewhat embarrassed.

Regress, who was looking at him, had a similar reaction to his words.

“S-shut up, Seiryuu Mifune!”

“I apologize. However, I thought it would be a waste if your sincerity was not conveyed properly.”

“Sincerity….”

Sheila looked down at the towel and then at Regress again. He was exasperated, but there was a faint reddish tinge around his cheekbones.

‘Perhaps he’s embarrassed?’

Did that mean Seiryuu’s words were right? Was he really worried about her condition?

Perhaps because Sheila was staring at him so hard, but Regress started making excuses even though she didn’t say anything.

“Don’t get me wrong! I would never go out of my way to worry about some commoner!”

“I know, right? I’m sorry, I was expecting a little bit more.”

“E-expecting something….?!”

Regress’ grim face turned bright red. Ah, she had said something gibberish again.

‘But…’

Sheila looked down at the towel in her hand.

Even if his worries were a misunderstanding, this towel was the genuine kindness of Regress. Seiryuu had also confirmed it, so there was no doubt about it.

“Even so, I’m glad that you lent me the towel. It’s so fluffy, it’s almost too good to use.”

Sheila laughed and gently wiped her cheek. It was very comfortable to the touch.

“Thank you very much. I will wash it properly and return it to you.”

Regress turned away again.

‘I’m pretty sure he hates me, but he went out of his way to visit. Maybe we’re getting to know each other a little better?’

If Sheila could get close to Regress, who was so cute that she could admire him all day long, her days would surely be full of bliss. It would be a welcome relief in an academy full of muscular men.

Sheila was unconsciously smiling at him as she thought of this wonderful idea. Regress frowned suspiciously.

“…. Sheila Danau, are you sure you’re all right? I think you hit your head and are getting weirder and weirder. You seem to be easy to understand, but your facial expressions are surprisingly hard to read, so I’m worried that I can’t guess if something’s wrong.”

“You say “weirder,” as if I’m weird from the start. It makes me wonder if you’re worried about me or you’re swearing at me.”

“That’s why I told you I’m not worried about you!”

“Right? …..Wait, then, aren’t you just openly bad-mouthing me?”

Sheila thought he was definitely worried, but her intuition was wrong.

But she never thought she would be called hard to understand, even though she lived her life without hiding her true feelings. If her childhood friends in Denan Village heard that, they would surely burst out laughing.

Sheila smiled bitterly, and then she saw Seiryuu watching the exchange with amusement.

“…. Seiryuu could tell that I was in a hurry at that time.”

When Sheila heard Regress’ words, she was surprised that he saw through her impatience to become stronger. Even though, they didn’t see each other every day.

Seiryuu calmly looked down at Sheila. His warm jet-black eyes narrowed gently.

“I like you when you’re fighting. I think it’s captivating to see you focused only on defeating the enemy in front of you. But at that time, you were fighting as if you were suffocating. That’s why I noticed it.”

Both Sheila and Regress widened their eyes. It was as direct an expression as a confession of love could be.

“…. Seiryuu is surprisingly passionate. Even I, as a man, was touched by it.”

Sheila nodded admiringly, but for some reason, Seiryuu was choking as if he was flustered.

◇　◆　◇

In the afternoon, Sheila was busy helping Amy at the pharmacy.

When the customers were gone, and Sheila was getting comfortable, at the exact same time as before, the person she was waiting for finally arrived.

“――Welcome, Sheena-sama.”

Luxurious blonde hair, clear blue eyes, and dressed in simple town girl-like clothes, she was the most beautiful girl―or rather, the most beautiful boy of all time. The Second Prince of the Kingdom of Steitz, Wilfrecht von Steitz, who was currently a senior at the academy.

Sheila had told Amy in advance that she wanted to have a private conversation with him. She asked for an inspection of the medicinal herbs brought in and walked with him to the back. The guards outside the door didn’t look good, but Wilfrecht signaled them not to intervene.

If you went to the back of the store, there was a storage area for medicinal materials. It was cramped, but there was a sofa and a table, so Sheila chose this place for the secret meeting. She thought that if she went outside, the knights would follow them.

She brewed a cup of herbal tea and placed it in front of Wilfrecht and herself. The baked goods had been placed on the table from the beginning, so the refreshments were complete.

Sheila, being careful to use the right words, held out a package to him.

“Your Highness Wilfrecht, I am very pleased to see that you are in excellent health today. It is a great honor for me to see you here as promised. First of all, please allow me to return this to you.”

When Sheila started talking, Wilfrecht made a strange face. It was as if he had swallowed vinegar. Maybe she said something wrong.

“I am deeply honored by your concern for someone like me. I offer my deepest gratitude to Your Highness, the Prince, for your generosity and compassion.”

Sheila respectfully held out a light blue jacket. It was the Steitz Academy uniform.

Wilfrecht accepted it and quietly opened his mouth.

“… I saw you sleeping unprotected at that time, and I thought it would be a bad idea to leave you like that. I wanted to carry you, but if I moved you, it would be that much more conspicuous. I knew that wasn’t your intention, so I could only offer you my jacket.”

He was referring to the time when Sheila had just entered the special course and there was a lot of hostility. At that time, she was in trouble after getting water poured over her head by Dilliam, with whom she now had a good relationship.

Sheila was mentally exhausted and dozed off in a deserted courtyard, but someone quietly put their jacket on her.

It was Wilfrecht.

“Still, I am deeply grateful to Your Highness for your thoughtfulness.”

Sheila thanked him without looking up.

It was only when she passed by him that she realized the identity of the person who put their jacket over her.

A clean yet somehow elegant, forest-like scent. Sheila noticed it because the perfume he was wearing was exactly the same as the scent that remained on his jacket.

“… But why are you keeping quiet about this matter? I just don’t understand.”

There was no doubt in her mind that he had lent it to her out of the goodness of his heart. But there was one thing that Sheila just couldn’t understand.

Sheila was soaking wet, and her figure was exposed that day. Whoever had put the jacket on her would have surely discovered her true identity. And yet, even at this moment, Sheila was still enrolled at the academy without any problems.

Wilfrecht hadn’t told anyone that Sheila was a woman.

“―― Your Highness, you know my secret, don’t you?”

He turned his golden lashes down in response to the question. A small sigh escaped his lips, and he slowly looked up.

Then, he told her a shocking truth.

“…. That day was not the first time. I knew you were a woman from the beginning.”