I completed my follow-up tests. I was given 30 minutes for each subject. Those who had failed multiple subjects had to report to that classroom. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was always one such person every semester.

Among them, I finished early. As such, I still had time to attend my classes. It was when I was about to go find His Highness Sazanjill—

“—Lady Lelouche!”

“…Good morning, Lumiere.”

Why is she going out of her way to call me?

…Moreover, where was the formal greeting?

The moment I reprimanded her about it, Lumiere hurriedly curtseyed me.

“I’m sorry…”

Well, it seems to be an urgent matter.

I wondered what had happened?

“Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Please come with me!”

Then, she roughly pulled my arm. It couldn’t be helped. We went to the place where His Highness Sazanjill always propose to me before our classes began. A crowd had gathered there.

In the middle of it, His Highness Sazanjill was making a ruckus that day as well.

“All of you, what’s the meaning of this—!? Not only did you cover Lelouche in mud, you also dared confine her—!! Are you that eager to be beheaded—!?”

He’s truly angry…

I didn’t know what to retort anymore. His wrath had reached a level where he was threating his surroundings with decapitation. Even as the candidate for the future king, wasn’t that overkill?

Involuntarily, I whispered to Lumiere.

“Could it be, you want me to stop him?”

“It’s better to stop him, isn’t it?”

“Well, uh…”

Honestly, I didn’t want to get involved.

But, perhaps… At the very least, I was aware that he was angry for my sake.

Even so, it was troublesome. I didn’t like it. I didn’t really like studying, either. This was supposed to be a day where I was finally freed from studying—one where I could enjoy a sense of refreshment. Instead, immediately after that, I was told to not only stop His Highness, but to also reconcile with all my classmates?

It was when I was about to sigh, saying that I still wanted to enjoy myself with everyone in the class.

“I’m sorry, make way, please—!”

From the other side of my rumbunctious classmates, a familiar voice echoed.

My classmates split in two to make way. While apologizing, the ‘Silver Prince’ passed with a cart. It was truly a surreal sight. Moreover, the scent that drifted from the cart…

The sea, maybe I should’ve gone visit it again.

Even His Highness Sazanjill was surprised.

“Zafield, what are you doing?”

“Aah, this is Lelouche’s reward~”

“Lelouche’s reward?! She refused my offer, but accepted Zafield’s!?”

Don’t get me wrong?

I wanted him to pay more attention to the contents of the cart.

Now that it had arrived, it was a different story. His Highness Sazanjill was still complaining, “It’s unfair! I’m Lelouche’s fiancé!”

When I saw my classmates trying to dissolve, I knew that it was my cue to start.

“It’ll be wise for you to stay back, Lumiere.”

“Fue?”

Then, I approached the royal siblings. They both said my name, but instead of answering, I rolled up my sleeves. The cart was overflowing with mud. When I put my hands inside, it felt cool and refreshing.

“L, Lelouche…?”

I smiled to His Highness Sazanjill, before proceeding to press a handful of mud to his face.

“…Ha?”

For a moment, it was as if the concept of sound didn’t exist in the world. There was only silence. Everyone froze. Only the ‘Golden Prince’, whose face was smeared with mud, was confused.

It was as if nothing had happened—

“—Hey, Your Highness Sazanjill, did you know? This is the latest beauty method! That is, through the use of mud!”

“…Beauty, method?”

“Indeed, I learned that mud contains a lot of beauty ingredients and is very good for the skin! The sea on the Asatida Coast in the West is very beautiful, isn’t it? I asked for it of His Highness Zafield! However, as I’ve been being placed under His Highness Sazanjill’s care on a daily basis, I’d like you to experience it first!”

Although His Highness Sazanjill would occasionally get injured, his skin was white and unblemished. That fineness was unmatched by most ladies. In addition to his beautiful appearance, he was also the ‘Gold Prince’. Therefore, there was no need for him to undergone beauty treatment. Still, about half of what mentioned about was accurate.

It was fine. An academic institution had actually reported that the mud from Asatida Coast had high beauty effect. Albeit, it hadn’t been exactly commercialized, as of yet. I was merely promoting it. The research itself had been started because people of all ages—be it men or women—who lived near the Asatida Coast had beautiful skin.

Well, aside from that prank.

“Has your head cooled down?”

As I smiled at His Highness Sazanjill, the black mud clinging to his face began to drip onto the cobblestones.

“H, how generous of you, Lelouche…”

“Ufufu, even though I said, ‘I won’t smear mud on your face.’ I’m truly sorry for that. By the way, I answered everything correctly. The teacher graded me immediately afterwards.”

While showing off an elegant curtsey, I smirked.

The game is on.

Ah, never had I had so much fun.

I thought such as I proceeded to throw the mud at Duchess Lala Fable to whom I had also been indebted to until now.

---

***T/N: BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH C’MERE YOU THOT!!! ///throws grenade caked in mud.

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