The second-year student supervisor wasn't nearby and Zoemi didn't bother to pinpoint her location as it must have been inside the Academy building amongst the dozens of other people...
"...weren't notified about your arrival."
"I apologize for the rush but his highness personally asked for his second son's presence."
...but what the black-haired boy did pick out quite easily were the voices of one of the teachers talking with an unknown man – who, by the sounds he was making while walking, was armored from head to toe.
"...interesting... and ill-timed..."
Zoemi muttered to himself looking towards the direction the voices were located while Kierul and Surou showed up on the path to the picnic spot.
The scarred attendant was going to enjoy the sight of affection not meant to flourish with his master and the second prince but apparently that little amusement, just like the romance of two cunning characters with their own separate plans for their future, was not meant to be.
"Greetings, your highness."
"Hello, Zoemi, thank you for excellent service as always."
Even so, the black-haired boy couldn't forget about a proper greeting and the blue-haired prince returned the short nod with a smile.
"Zoemi, what's with that look in your eyes? Did someone get on your bad side?"
The attendant might have acted calm but his master was both keen-eyed and attentive so she asked as her expression darkened – just as if she expected that the little joy of eating together with Surou will be taken away from her.
"My lady, it seems that a member of the King's Guard arrived at the Academy grounds to pick up his highness, prince Surou. The teacher is guiding him right now and they should be here within a few minutes or less."
Zoemi reported as he intended to from the very start, putting his right hand to his chest and lowering his gaze with a disappointed face.
"...oh... ehem... I see."
Kierul flinched and for a moment she made a really sad expression, but pulled herself together a moment later and nodded with grace.
"Someone from the King's guard is here to pick me up you say? That sounds wrong."
"...?"
But to the surprise of both the master and the attendant the second prince furrowed his brows and shook his head decisively.
"I mean, it might be someone else wearing heavy magic armor and working under the royal order..."
"No, Zoemi. It literally can't be."
The black-haired boy tilted his head a bit and hinted but the blue-haired prince shook his head with a serious expression denying it.
"Why is that, my prince?"
Kierul raised her hand and put her index finger on her lip, speaking out with hesitation.
"I am not as strong as the first prince so it would be easy to assassinate me by any light magician impersonating a member of the King's Guard. His majesty the king would always without fail have a wind magician contact and inform me prior via the message spell about someone arriving to pick me up. Although that is a secret that only the king, the queen's mother, and I know about."
Surou revealed, breathing out and looking at both Kierul and Zoemi with a forced smile.
"..."
"..."
The master and the attendant immediately tensed up and their expressions grew grim.
"I... I mean... there is a chance it was an emergency or something...!"
The second prince certainly didn't expect the two to react like that. It seemed he was prepared to answer at least a few questions stemming from the doubt and the immediate reaction that at least looked like complete trust and readiness to take the preventive measures caused the blue-haired boy to become bashful. He even used one of the questions he was prepared to answer in order to bring down the tension.
But his stuttering brought out the exact opposite effect.
Zoemi cracked his knuckles while staring toward the buildings like a hawk waiting for its prey to show up while Kierul activated her enchantments.
"...we will protect you, so don't worry..."
"Y-young lady Helterose... that's not what I...!"
The red-haired girl turned her head away so the second prince would not see her face and murmured reassuringly, causing the blue-haired boy to gasp while blushing.
"...wha...?"
Then Surou closed his mouth as Kierul reached out to the side without looking and took his hand.
"I know."
The red-haired girl nodded, lightly squeezing the blue-haired boy's hand...
"The students told the teacher guiding our guest our location... were you seriously boasting about eating together in the most romantic spot...?"
"!!!"
"Well... not really... I only said that it's a beautiful spot, haha... haaa..."
Zoemi spoke up, startling his master into taking her hand away, and looked away even more intensely while the second prince let out an embarrassed laugh.
|Hmph~ that's how you bring down the tension~|
Zoemi snickered to himself while glancing at his master and the second prince.
"Hmph. Someone sounds confident enough to mess with his master."
Kierul scoffed, took a deep breath, and turned around to glare at her attendant.
"I do, actually. But judging by your tone you don't quite like that, my lady..."
Zoemi nodded with a shameless indifference but then furrowed his brows knowing that the red-haired girl would not leave it at that...
"Then when our prince will confirm that the visitor you talk about is not who he claims to be you will apprehend him without using the law of Aquarius, won't you? After all, you are so full of yourself~"
"..."
Kierul shook her head to get rid of the strands of hair that got on her face and motioned at Zoemi with her chin, challenging and stunning him for a moment.
The master and the attendant began glaring at each other and the atmosphere became even heavier than before...
"Hold on...! I don't want to intrude on the hierarchy between you two but I know enough about star powers to know that the law of Aquarius can empty the mana reservoir of most magicians instantly, causing mana depletion. That would be a perfect pacification method...!"
The blue-haired prince raised his hands and spoke nervously looking between Kierul and Zoemi trying to appease them both while using a reasonable argument.