“Huh…?”

Mark eyes widened.

Is it really that shocking?

Since he was the heir to the throne, it wasn’t surprising for a group of people who support him to appear. I thought that the fact that successors had been decided straightforwardly until now was actually a distorted practice.

Thus, I tried to be gentle.

“Well, you should make up your mind by the time you graduate.”

There, I’ve said what I wanted to say.

I didn’t think Cecily would be able to resume her date, so I decided to have Eivind buy me a nice cake. When I turned around to go home, Mark could be heard clicking his tongue.

“It’s all because of you…! You hung out with such a weird woman!”

I spun around, only to see Eivind being grabbed by Mark.

Oh, a fight between men. Taking out your anger on others isn’t nice, but I guess that’s also part of youth.

I was about to observe whether they were going to exchange blows when Cecily spoke to me in a somewhat firm tone.

[Nora, can I take over?]

Eh, sure…

Of course, I had no right to turn down Cecily’s request.

I immediately surrendered my body to her and decided to watch.

“Mark.”

Without hesitation, Cecily grabbed Mark’s arm.

Then, before he could shake her off and say, “Don’t get in the way!” …

Slap—!

Cecily had slapped Mark across the cheek with all her might.

Huh?

Oh?

Ooooooh?!

I, Eivind, and Mark himself, who had been slapped, were surprised.

What was more, Cecily immediately raised her voice.

“I don’t care about your situation! You made me worried! Don’t you owe me an apology?!”

“Eh, well… I’m sorry that I tried to take advantage of you…”

“That’s not it. I was worried that you were gone.”

Mark seemed taken aback by her overly gentle anger.

Breathing heavily, Cecily pulled Mark by the hand. “Come on, let’s go home!” Mark couldn’t help but follow her.

Behind them, Eivind muttered.

“Isn’t Ms. Travasta too strong?”

I think so too.

Maybe I raised her a little too strong.

It was a shame that I couldn’t get Mark’s approval. He must’ve noticed the difference between us right away.

The next day, Cecily and Mark managed to complete the basic fireworks formula. All that remained was for Eivind to make the finishing touches. He’d combine them with the results of the juniors’ research.

Then, during a break in class, Eivind sneakily asked me.

“Hey, it has to be finished by the school festival, right?”

“Are you busy?” I casually asked.

Eivind looked annoyed, saying, “I may look like this, but I’m actually pretty busy?”

However, this time, he seemed to have other plans.

“I want to use it for the assignments of the internship students.”

I heard that internships were very important events for third-year students who were about to graduate. Unlike actual employment, any workplace would only accept students for two weeks. Naturally, formal employment was often decided depending on the student’s attitude and grades.

Eivind was also a full-time employee of the Royal Institute of Magic, so he’d probably take care of the students. He wanted to use the finishing touches of the fireworks as a subject.

“But isn’t this too easy?”

“Please don’t use the standards of the Great Sage?”

Of course, this conversation with Eivind was a secret. There was no way Anita would hear it.

After all, there was no way she wouldn’t apply for an internship at the Royal Institute of Magic.

“…Anyway, is it true that there’s a legend about love at the school festival?”

“Oh, the one that says that if you confess on the roof of the clocktower on the last night, it’ll be successful?”

“Yes, that’s the one! You’ll definitely help me, won’t you?”

“Really?”

It went without saying for who, Cecily and Mark.

Flustered by Cecily’s anger, Mark ended up being bossed around by her to complete the research. I noticed a change in Mark’s gaze. And when they touched the same beaker together…

Yes, this is definitely going to work!

[Nora, you’ve been noisy since yesterday…]

Cecily, you’ll become a queen in the future! Isn’t that amazing? Talk about the rise of the Withered Grass Lady!

[I don’t want that at all!]

What are you talking about? I already promised it from the beginning—

Friends, a lover, a kind family, the best career path—I’ll secure them all for you!

It looked like I’d be able to provide the most important one out of them all—a lover. I was relieved.

“Ah, I’m looking forward to the school festival.”

But before that, for everyone and for myself, a very important job internship was about to begin!

---

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***T/N: Despite the false kidnapping attempt, we all good and gon back to school naw

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