Vol 2. Chapter 59: Bitterness

The next morning, as usual, Vinny put on his male school uniform and was about to head out. Rarely, he even checked himself in the mirror and tidied his hair.

In the mirror, the blue-haired youth with fair skin looked a bit too refined.

Vinny had always been decently handsome—he just never took care of himself. With poor skin during adolescence, acne all over his face, no sense of grooming, and a general air of sloppiness, he’d looked utterly unkempt. Not to mention the constant drinking and every other unhealthy habit under the sun—naturally, his appearance hadn’t been anything worth mentioning.

But now that all those bad habits had been corrected, and his divine bloodline had nourished him over time, Vinny’s complexion had significantly improved. His acne and blemishes had practically vanished.

Fair skin hides all flaws—and Vinny was good-looking to begin with. As a descendant of the Goddess and successive Saintesses, his genes guaranteed he would never be unattractive.

For some reason, looking at himself in the mirror now, Vinny had a rather absurd thought.

With this face and body, in male clothing, he clearly appeared to be a handsome young man. But if he dressed up a little—put on women’s clothes... would anyone still be able to tell he was a guy?

Wait, no, no, what the hell was he thinking??

It had to be Aesphyra’s fault. He was clearly influenced by that white-furred little pastry. It was all because she teased him not long ago, saying if he dressed up in girl’s clothes to accompany her on a shopping trip, maybe—just maybe—she’d consider letting him get close or something. That teasing must have planted the seed of this ridiculous thought.

Shaking the idea from his mind, Vinny tidied his appearance once more, made sure his collar was properly folded out, and, finding nothing out of place, pushed open his room door.

Ordinarily, he wouldn’t care this much about his appearance. Today’s rare deviation from the norm was because he had promised his upperclassman to serve as one of the student representatives welcoming the Radiant Church delegation.

That said, tidying was fine—but only just enough. Too much and he’d look like he was trying too hard; too little and he’d look disrespectful. The goal was to avoid standing out too much in the crowd.

Vinny hated the Radiant Church. The reason he agreed to meet their delegation wasn’t just for academic credit and salary.

Please. Did they really think his vision was that narrow? Of course there were other, more important reasons.

“Classmate Vinny, you’re going to meet the Radiant Church delegation today, right? In that case, would you like me to tidy you up a little?”

In the kitchen, seeing Vinny come downstairs, Shikondell offered.

“No need, Classmate Dale. I’m a man—this kind of stuff doesn’t matter. Just a little touch-up is fine, as long as I look clean. If I get too polished, I’ll look like a fop.”

Vinny declined.

He wasn’t about to put too much effort into meeting that delegation. Putting on a presentable face was already doing them a favor.

“Oh.”

Shikondell had no choice but to nod.

After finishing the breakfast Shikondell made, Vinny left the dorm and headed toward the student council.

****

“Vinny, you’re really going to be one of the students welcoming the Radiant Church delegation?”

By the time he arrived, Student Council President Mirexia had already begun preparations, and the rest of the selected student reps were already present and rehearsing.

Seeing his name on the roster this morning, Mirexia had been hesitant. She’d even called over the upperclassman to confirm, only to learn it was Vinny’s own idea. That’s why she chose to ask him herself.

“Yeah, that’s right,”

Vinny replied.

“...Are you really okay with this?”

Mirexia hesitated for a moment.

She was referring, of course, to Vinny’s long-standing hostility toward the Radiant Church. The fact that he was willing to meet their delegation now surprised her.

“No problem. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s just a welcoming duty. The upperclassman was right—who could be more suited than me?”

Vinny smiled, then leaned in close and whispered just for Mirexia to hear:

“This’ll benefit me. Don’t worry—I know what I’m doing.”

Hearing that, Mirexia knew he had his own plan. She nodded and didn’t ask further.

“Good morning, Mirexia dear~”

Just then, a voice cut into their conversation.

Hearing that familiar voice, Vinny wasn’t the least surprised. He had already guessed that Aesphyra, the top-ranked freshman, would almost certainly be among the representatives.

Still...

Tch. What a great start to the day—already ruined by this white-furred pastry, sour orange, and slutty sea-empress.

Well, looking on the bright side, his good mood was bound to be ruined anyway—he’d be seeing the Radiant Church later, those crusty-faced bastards with expressions like dried orange peels. Compared to them, even Aesphyra looked fresh-faced and radiant.

“Oh, I almost forgot—Classmate Vinny, I didn’t see you earlier. Good morning to you too~”

Aesphyra tilted her head, smiling brightly.

Really? He wasn’t exactly pocket-sized—he’d been standing right there for ages. She wanted him to believe she didn’t see him?

If not for the fact that Mirexia and the Dean were both present, Vinny would’ve already started sniping back at her.

“Oh. Morning to you too,”

Vinny replied curtly.

His tone toward Aesphyra was cold and sharp—a stark contrast to how he’d just spoken to Mirexia. And it was clearly deliberate, like he wanted Aesphyra to know he was being combative.

“No need for the attitude, Classmate Vinny. I just didn’t expect you to be selected, let alone actually come,”

Aesphyra said with a disarming smile.

This woman...

Vinny pursed his lips but decided not to engage.

Outwardly, their relationship seemed unchanged.

“All right. Since everyone’s here, let’s start rehearsing before the Radiant Church delegation arrives,”

Mirexia called out.

Vinny and Aesphyra both moved into the lineup.

Besides Aesphyra, Vinny also spotted another familiar figure:

Isatia.

But she didn’t react at all. Either she didn’t notice him, or she did—and chose not to speak.

As Vinny settled into position, someone suddenly called out to him.

“You must be Classmate Fasylis, right?”

...Huh?

Vinny frowned.

That could only mean him—there was no one else with the Fasylis name at Carillian Academy.

The voice sounded oddly familiar, but he couldn’t place it.

Wait... this voice... it was...

Vinny turned, confused—and met a pair of shining cross-shaped pupils. It was like stepping into a dazzling cathedral of light. He froze on instinct.

The honey-haired girl’s familiar face sparked his memory. He hadn’t recognized her immediately—last time they met, she’d been wearing a maid outfit. Now, she was in a student uniform. The change had thrown him off.

“...Ah, may I ask who you are?”

Perhaps surprised to see her here—or maybe still overwhelmed by her otherworldly beauty—Vinny instinctively defaulted to pretending not to know her.

“First time meeting~ Please forgive my abruptness,”

the honey-haired girl said, lifting her skirt in a graceful, lady-like curtsy.

“I’m Luna Hauchkai, currently a second-year student at Carillian Academy.”

Her curtsy was notably Church-styled—its refined gestures carried the unmistakable marks of a legacy Church household.

But Vinny wasn’t paying attention to the gesture. His gaze was locked onto her over-knee white stockings stretched snugly over her pale thighs, completely magnetized.

“Classmate Fasylis?”

“Ah—ahh, terribly sorry. I... just now, I remembered something really important, and zoned out a bit. My apologies.”

Only when the honey-haired girl laced her fingers over her abdomen, smiling radiantly and tilting her head, did Vinny snap out of it and quickly apologize.

Well—what could he say? Men really are drawn to novel, alluring stimuli. It’s just how it is.

Vinny snuck another glance at Luna. Her honey-golden curls cascaded gracefully down to her shapely thighs. Her lace-trimmed stockings dug just slightly into the soft skin.

Weird... was it hormones acting up? Last time he saw Luna, she was gorgeous too—but she hadn’t pulled him in this hard. Or maybe... was it the school uniform that hit his XP?

While Vinny was caught up in thought, Mirexia—watching from the platform—had witnessed their entire interaction.

This was the worst possible moment to be distracted, and yet her gaze had drifted toward the pair. Seeing where Vinny’s eyes had been fixed, her elegant brows unconsciously furrowed, and an odd tinge of bitterness crept up from her chest and spread through her entire ribcage.

What... was this feeling?

What was wrong with her? Why did she feel this weird sour pang?

Mirexia couldn’t understand her own reaction. It was the first time in her life she’d felt something like this—watching a boy she knew draw the attention of another girl.

“Classmate Mirexia?”

Even the Dean beside her noticed. When Mirexia failed to call for the rehearsal, at first the Dean assumed she was thinking, or planning—but then saw her spacing out and asked in confusion.

“...Apologies, Dean. I was momentarily distracted,”

Mirexia said quickly, regaining her composure.

“It’s fine, Classmate Mirexia. Just remember to rest—don’t overwork yourself.”

The Dean didn’t overthink it. Everyone at Carillian Academy knew Mirexia was a model student council president—if she had a flaw, it was being too dedicated and constantly overworking.

“Thank you for your concern.”

Mirexia nodded politely, pressing her lips together and glancing back at Vinny. He had already looked away.

“It’s all right~ I suppose Classmate Fasylis must’ve remembered something really important to him,”

Luna said gently, brushing off Vinny’s awkwardness and giving him an easy out. Her light smile radiated warmth—an instant boost to anyone’s impression.

Something important, huh?

Vinny felt a bit awkward. He wasn’t sure if she was teasing him or not.

“Classmate Hauchkai, was it? What can I do for you?”

Vinny straightened up and asked.

“Oh, nothing in particular. I’m a second-year student, and I’ve always wanted to meet the last surviving descendant of House Fasylis—but never had the chance. Plus, I’ve been busy lately.”

Luna smiled graciously.

“You’re much more handsome than I imagined.”

“Ah... well, thanks.”

Vinny scratched his cheek, a little flustered. This was the first time a girl had openly complimented him as handsome—and it came from a honey-haired, cross-eyed beauty.

Who could withstand that??

“The rehearsal is about to begin. Please return to your positions. No whispering.”

Just then, Mirexia’s voice rang out from the platform.

“Seems now’s not the best time to chat.”

Luna smiled politely and stepped back into her spot.

“I’ll find time later to speak with Classmate Fasylis again.”

“O-okay.”

Vinny nodded. Mirexia’s voice had jolted him back to reality, and he returned to his place.

He was positioned close to Luna—no wonder she’d approached him so easily.

Still... that maid café owner was actually a Carillian Academy student too?

Vinny couldn’t help but marvel. Her family must be rolling in gold to afford to run a maid café in a place like this—where every square inch of land was priceless. Judging by her demeanor, it wasn’t even for profit. More like a side project.

Ugh, the comparison’s just painful.

If he had a golden mountain at home like Luna, would he even bother attending school? He’d just stay home and live off it.

Vinny’s goal had always been simple and easy: graduate from Carillian Academy and land a cushy job where he could coast through life.

Soon, the rehearsal began.

There wasn’t much to it—just lining up, saying a few welcome lines, then touring the VIPs around.

Before long, it ended. The group, led by Dean Morinkett the Boneless and Student Council President Mirexia, headed for the main gate to greet the delegation from the Radiant Church.