Chapter 39: If it were you.

The moment that question was asked, the air seemed to freeze; Violet wasn’t the only one who felt it.
The two who had been suddenly addressed, Violet herself, and above all, the atmosphere around Yulan all shifted at once—from soft pink to a gloomy overcast sky.

Anyone could see it was a topic better left untouched, yet Gear’s curiosity was perfectly natural.
The people gathered at this table now might be known to one another one-sidedly, but they hardly looked like they socialized. Their statuses, genders, and ages had almost nothing in common.

“Acquaintances… well…”

Technically yes, but from Claudia and Mirania’s perspective, Violet fell firmly into the category of “someone we’d rather not associate with.”
And Violet herself was fully aware of that.
Agreeing based purely on facts would be easy, but honestly she wanted to blurt out, “We’re complete strangers.”

While Violet’s gaze wandered, unsure how to answer, someone spoke before Yulan could rescue her.

“We’re old acquaintances. Most students here have been seeing each other at social functions since we were children.”

Claudia didn’t even glance her way; his eyes and attention stayed fixed on his meal.
Yet his words lacked the sharpness Violet had expected.
She blinked in surprise at the unexpected response, but Gear seemed satisfied with it.
He gave a lukewarm “Oh, really?” and, without digging further, puffed out his cheeks like a squirrel and kept eating.

“I’m more surprised that you two know each other,” Mirania said.

“I only met Vio-san the other day, but I’ve known Yulan since middle division.”

“…Right, you transferred here in middle division, didn’t you?”

Not just his attitude toward her, but Gear’s casual demeanor—whether it was his personality or the difference in upbringing—was striking.
Violet didn’t mind it because he was Yulan’s friend, but treating a prince (an especially exalted one) the same way felt… questionable.
She half-expected someone to scold him, yet her worry turned out to be needless.
Claudia wasn’t just reluctantly tolerating it—he had completely accepted it.
She wasn’t the only one surprised by that.

“Claudia, you know him?”

“We’ve met a few times at diplomatic functions. He’s the prince of Sheena.”

Sheena was Gear’s home country—an archipelago nation surrounded by sea.
Only the largest island was inhabited; the rest remained untouched nature, a treasure trove of rare flora and fauna.
Its people were known for one word: bold.
They had begun as a small hunting tribe, or so the story went.
Men and women alike tended to have tanned skin, silver hair, and eyes of blue or green.
Gear matched the description perfectly, and since he attended this academy he obviously had status… but a prince? That possibility had never even crossed Violet’s mind.

Both she and Mirania furrowed their brows in confusion.
Yulan understood exactly how they felt—he’d experienced the same shock back in middle division.

“I believe the last time we met was when my study-abroad program was finalized. I never imagined… you were friends with Yulan too.”

The hesitant phrasing naturally drew eyes to Yulan.

Sitting beside Gear, quietly working through his meal, he should have been wearing the usual beaming smile that normally made others want to look away.
Violet had always believed that as long as she was beside him, nothing could dampen Yulan’s mood.

Gear’s assumption was both right and wrong.
When Violet was near, Yulan was happy even on the brink of death. That foundation never shook.

Right now, he was extremely happy.
He was simply feeling displeasure in an entirely separate corner of his heart.

Even now, flowers practically danced in every direction toward Violet, but judging by Claudia’s expression, some unmistakably negative energy was leaking out as well.
What impressive multitasking, Gear thought with mild, detached admiration.

“Gear, chatting’s fine, but you really won’t finish in time if you don’t eat.”

“Fwaah—’kay!”

“Swallow first.”

Closing your mouth doesn’t make it okay.
His cheeks were stuffed to their limit, which at least showed he was trying to hurry, but he needed to learn portion control—though he was the one who’d suffer if he didn’t.

“…Vio-chan, if you’re done eating, you should order soon.”

“Eh…?”

“I heard today’s fruit tart is the recommendation.”

“How did you know…?”

“Hm? I asked one of the servers earlier. They got a shipment of really fresh fruit.”

“That’s not what I—”

How did he know she was going to order dessert…?
The question flashed through her mind and melted away just as quickly.
As she’d told Claudia and Mirania, it wasn’t something she hid. Her lunch habits were virtually the same every day, and she’d always done it in front of Yulan too. Predicting it would be child’s play for him.

Feeling somehow completely seen through, she sulked and turned away—but in the end she ordered the glossy fruit tart, which rendered the gesture pointless.
Proof: Yulan looked utterly satisfied when he heard her order.

“You too, Yulan—hurry up or you’ll be late.”

“I don’t have that much, and I don’t eat slowly, so I’m fine.”

“Only compared to Gear. By normal standards you eat plenty.”

“Says the person who eats less than most…”

“Shut up.”