Chapter 13: Mind Your Own Business

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Mind Your Own Business

"Victor Rockwell."

He was a character registered in the system, and one of the game’s capturable targets.

Based on Lilia’s understanding, Caius’s route involved deception and intrigue among the Nobles. Not to mention the extremely harsh conditions for reaching his ending, just entering his main storyline was incredibly difficult. After all, raising his Favorability was truly a struggle.

In comparison, Victor’s route seemed much simpler. If Lilia remembered correctly, his route followed a rather standard Long Aotian script—the kind where a commoner, looked down upon by everyone, turned the tables to become the strongest Mage.

Lilia didn’t actually know much about the specific walkthrough for his route, but compared to the moody Caius, Victor had at least one advantage. He was emotionally stable—or at least, he appeared to be. She just didn’t know if his Favorability would be easy to raise. She thought to herself that she would only know once she tried.

In class, Victor had just finished answering the teacher’s question, earning a "very good" evaluation. He was clearly a top student, already accustomed to the teacher’s praise. As Victor sat back down, he suddenly realized someone was watching him. He turned his head and met a pair of exceptionally bright eyes.

That gaze was focused, yet unlike the other girls who liked to steal glances at him with eyes full of admiration, it carried a sense of scrutiny and evaluation. It was as if she were looking at a moderately satisfactory product in a store. Before Victor could get a clearer look, Lilia retracted her gaze and focused on noting down the key points of the lesson.

The class period quickly passed. During the break, Victor was reviewing his notes when a figure suddenly sat down beside him. The girl’s body, enveloped in a fragrant scent, aggressively invaded his personal space. It was a very unique smell—like the crisp sweetness of flowers and fruits mixed with the sugary aroma of frosted pastries.

"Mr. Rockwell?" Lilia handed over a book filled with neat notes. "There’s a part I don’t quite understand. I’d like to ask for your guidance."

Victor was stunned for a moment before he realized she was just here to ask a question. Lilia’s question wasn’t simple, but it was easily solvable for a top student like Victor. He explained it patiently, stopping from time to time to check Lilia’s reaction. The girl listened intently, nodding thoughtfully.

As she moved, the loose strands of black hair at her temples swayed gently, stirring a strange urge in him to reach out and touch them. ℴ

He quickly withdrew his gaze. "...That’s roughly it. Did I explain it clearly?"

"Very clearly. Thank you, Mr. Rockwell."

"Just call me Victor." His voice was gentle as he looked up at her. "And you?"

"My name?" The girl narrowed her eyes into a smile. "Lilia. Lilia Sifris."

He thought about the name Sifris. Neither the first name Lilia nor the surname Sifris sounded like they belonged to the upper class. At the very least, they seemed somewhat out of place in Class A, a place teeming with Nobles. Victor himself had been promoted from another class, and he knew that before him, no commoner had ever been exceptionally admitted to Class A purely based on talent. So what about this girl named Lilia?

As he was lost in thought, the girl, having finished asking her questions, left his side. That unique, sweet fragrance receded from his surroundings like the ebbing tide. Victor suddenly felt a strong urge to ask her if she loved eating cake.

Harboring this question, Victor waited until the lunch break. He closed his book and stood up from his seat, wondering if he should invite Lilia to have lunch together, only to see a figure striding up several steps to stop in front of her. It was a handsome young man with a slender build and a cold expression. The standard dark green school uniform somehow gave him an aloof, aristocratic aura.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

He rapped his knuckles against the desk, his voice as cold as ice. "Let’s go eat."

Victor frowned. The words sounded completely devoid of emotion, as if the young man was merely completing a task. Lilia didn’t respond immediately. She unhurriedly organized her desk, closing her open books one by one and putting them away. Just as Victor thought this invitation was entirely one-sided on the cold-faced young man’s part and that Lilia might refuse, the girl finished packing her things and left with him.

Victor didn’t look away until their backs vanished through the doorway. He found a relatively friendly-looking classmate and asked, "Is Ms. Sifris familiar with that guy?"

The Noble youth he stopped glanced at him. "You mean Lilia?"

Victor nodded.

"Lilia is Caius’s maid, so of course they’re familiar with each other." Throwing out that single sentence, the Noble youth walked away, as if staying near Victor made him physically uncomfortable.

Victor didn’t pay it much mind; he had long since grown accustomed to the disgust and ostracism of the Nobles. Rather than that, he cared more about something else.

"A maid," he murmured.

As he suspected, she wasn’t a Noble, but a commoner just like him. She was even a servant to an upper-class student. That guy named "Caius" looked extremely difficult to get along with; Victor wondered if Lilia got bullied when she was with him. In his years studying at Lien Academy, he had seen too many similar incidents. In the eyes of those Nobles, servants were nothing more than their property. And since they were property, they could be treated however their masters pleased. Whether it was scolding or even killing, it all depended entirely on the Nobles’ moods.

He hoped Lilia would be alright.

[Victor’s Favorability has increased.]

In the second-floor cafeteria, by a window seat, Lilia suddenly heard the system notification.

She was slightly surprised that his Favorability had already increased. As expected, capturing Victor was far simpler than dealing with Caius. Furthermore, judging from her brief test earlier, he probably had a soft spot for a soulmate-type partner who would work hard and grow alongside him—simply put, a childhood sweetheart or a close confidante. This seemed to perfectly fit his "Long Aotian" persona.

Regardless, with her first attempt ending in success, Lilia was in a great mood.

A servant brought two servings of lamb chops to the table. The freshly roasted lamb chops boasted an almost perfect charred brown crust, and the rich aroma of fat instantly filled the air. Lilia picked up a silver dining knife and poked at the meat; judging from how it bounced back, it was definitely tender and soft. It looked absolutely delicious.

Lilia set her knife down and used both hands to push her plate across the table, right in front of Caius. Her meaning was obvious—she wanted him to cut it for her.

He didn’t even need her to speak; Caius’s movements were silent and swift. The hands gripping the knife and fork were pale and slender, with distinct knuckles. Though he was merely cutting meat, he looked like a composed orchestra conductor on stage. Every movement exuded the elegance and aristocratic air unique to a Noble.

Lilia rested her chin on her hand and admired the view for a moment. Soon, Caius finished dicing the lamb into bite-sized pieces and pushed the plate back to Lilia. Only after Lilia took a bite and revealed a satisfied expression did Caius begin to cut his own portion.

As he cut his lamb chop, he asked, "Are you planning to befriend that new student?"

Caius would occasionally spy on her, a habit Lilia was already accustomed to.

"I heard his talent is A+, just as high as yours," Lilia replied. It was worth noting that Caius had a system evaluation: [A Magic genius rarely seen in a century.] This alone demonstrated Victor’s immense potential.

The corners of Caius’s lips twitched upwards slightly, only to quickly fall. "But he’s a commoner."

"I’m a commoner too," Lilia pointed out.

"You’re different from them."

"I don’t feel that way." Lilia lowered her head and continued eating her meat. "Anyway, stay out of my business."

"...Alright." Caius lowered his eyes, hiding the flash of gloom in his gaze.