Who Isn't a Herrscher?

"Eh?"

A rosy flush spread across her refined, lovely face, and her sapphire eyes gazed at Luo Mio with moisture in them.

A rare sight... an incredibly rare sight...

In Luo Mio's memories, he seemed never to have seen Kidewara Kanata looking so breathtakingly bashful. Aside from when Kanata had been as mischievous as Brother Awa during their childhood, whenever he saw her after they had grown up, she had always presented herself before him with an elegant tone and bearing.

For a moment, he found himself staring blankly.

After touching her cheeks, which had grown hot from embarrassment, Kidewara Kanata came to her senses and gracefully covered it up with a smile.

"It's nothing. I probably still have some warmth left over from my bath."

"Is that so...?"

Ikki, who had been observing from the side, noticed something with his astonishing insight, and a trace of confusion involuntarily appeared in his eyes.

"...Senior Kanata's emotions were clearly..."

Then Ikki looked at the person sitting beside him, who had kept her head lowered. Her eyes could not be seen beneath her bangs; only her flushed profile was visible.

His gaze shifted to Touka... who was equally silent. Though her cheeks were not flushed, one side of her chestnut hair revealed an ear that had turned bright red.

Then he recalled what Luo Mio had said earlier... and put it all together...

The corner of Ikki's mouth twitched slightly.

Could it be... Touka and the others heard something in the bathhouse?

Just then, the silent Touka suddenly spoke to Luo Mio. "Miohua, um... there's something your sister wants to ask you."

"...Huh?" Luo Mio replied somewhat absentmindedly. "Go ahead."

Touka's voice drifted out softly.

"What kind of girl do you like?"

A girl...

The moment Luo Mio heard that, the mature figure of Touka in the white formal dress she had worn at the banquet, as well as Kuden'en Kanata's beautifully flushed face from earlier, surfaced in his mind without a second thought.

There was no need to think about it.

"Someone as pretty as you and Sister Kanata."

Ikki helplessly spread his palm and covered his eyes.

As one of the people involved, Stella knew very well what state Touka was in right now, and Luo Mio's answer left even her feeling awkward.

Indeed, in terms of looks, Touka and Kidewara Kanata were both exceptional among women their age. The former had chestnut-gold eyes and chestnut hair, though her beauty had been sealed away by her oversized glasses and twin braids.

The latter had dazzling golden hair, an elegant and dignified face, and the air of an aristocrat. She was also the eldest daughter of the Kidewara family.

There was even less need to mention their strength.

At present, the two of them could be called the dream girls of countless male students.

If it had been any other man, they would have rejected him without hesitation. But the person before them...

After Touka and Kuden'en Kanata heard Luo Mio's words, their faces instantly became even more radiant, and the temperature of their cheeks steadily rose.

Ikki and Stella could both see bashful heat slowly rising from Touka and Kuden'en Kanata's heads as though they were steam engines.

"..."

Luo Mio unconsciously let out the sound. A moment of silence spread among them, while Luo Mio's mind gradually became clear and calm again.

After coming back to his senses, cold sweat poured down Luo Mio's heart, and his lips trembled.

"Wh-wh-wh-what did I just say...?"

Then he looked at Touka and Kuden'en Kanata. The two girls, turned into steam engines by Luo Mio's words, were too embarrassed to lift their heads.

Just as everyone sat in speechless silence—

Kidewara Kanata broke the silence.

"Um..."

Then she bashfully raised her head. Her flushed cheeks and moist eyes were filled with affection as she looked at Luo Mio.

"If Little Mio doesn't mind... the age difference... I-I don't mind either."

"..."

"It matters!"

Touka suddenly stood up on the other side. Her flushed face and chestnut-gold eyes revealed a firm determination.

"Little Mio will absolutely not be given to you, Kanata!"

Touka continued, "Little Mio is my younger brother! I-I should be the one to approve of his lover!"

"Eh?"

"...Sis?"

Kanata stood up as well and stared straight at Touka.

"You don't get to decide that, Touka!"

She pointed at Luo Mio.

"Little Mio is the one who gets to say it."

Then the two girls looked at Luo Mio.

"...Um..."

Luo Mio looked helplessly at the two girls.

It Was Over

Luo Mio looked at Touka and Kanata, who were pressing him for an answer.

He slightly turned his head and looked toward Ikki and Stella, the couple beside him, for help.

After noticing Luo Mio's pleading gaze, Ikki could only return a look that said he was unable to help.

Sorry, Miohua. I really can't help you with something like this...

"Little Mio!" ×2

Luo Mio tactically leaned back a little.

"What are you doing?"

At that moment, a voice rang out from the dining hall corridor.

Everyone looked over and saw Morohoshi Yudai standing there, dressed in Buku Academy's student uniform, with a black headband tied beneath his pale golden hair as he looked at Luo Mio's group.

The moment Luo Mio saw Morohoshi Yudai, it was as if he had spotted a savior.

Then he lunged toward him.

"I'm saved! Morohoshi-senpai!"

"Eh?! What?!"

Morohoshi Yudai was completely confused. He looked blankly at Luo Mio, then at Touka and Kanata.

Touka and Kanata: "Stare..."

Morohoshi Yudai shuddered under the two girls' sharp gazes.

Trembling, he asked Ikki, "Hey, Kurogane, what's wrong with those two?"

He swallowed.

"They've been staring at me the whole time."

Ikki scratched his cheek and smiled wryly. "Well... maybe Morohoshi-senpai came at a bad time?"

After hearing Ikki's words, Morohoshi Yudai swallowed again. He glanced at Touka and Kanata, then at Luo Mio, who had lunged over and hugged his leg.

He muttered quietly, "If I leave now... is it still not too late?"

At the dining table, everyone silently ate dinner, and the atmosphere was incredibly awkward.

The reason was where Luo Mio had chosen to sit, which gave Ikki and Morohoshi Yudai terrible headaches.

Luo Mio sat between Ikki and Morohoshi Yudai, while Kanata and Touka sat on the other side of each of them.

Stella had originally been seated beside Ikki, but after seeing where Luo Mio sat and sensing the intensely burning pressure from Kanata, her survival instincts kicked in. She abandoned Ikki, gave Kanata her seat, and sat on the other side to watch the show.

With Luo Mio between them, Ikki and Morohoshi Yudai sat rigidly in their chairs as though they were sitting on pins and needles.

Ikki looked pleadingly at Stella, who had sold him out.

"Stella..."

Morohoshi Yudai said to Touka, "Um... Tou..."

Before he could finish, Touka coldly said, "Is there something you need?"

"Morohoshi. Classmate."

She emphasized each word heavily.

Morohoshi Yudai jolted and shook his head.

"Nothing... nothing."

He forced a smile on the surface, but inwardly...

Akira! Momiji! Come save me!

At the entrance to the dining hall, Shizuku and Arisugawa appeared.

"Oh my, isn't this Ikki's little sister?"

Asagi Momiji's voice rang out from behind them.

Shizuku turned around and saw Asagi Momiji and Jonoshiraki Byakuya walking toward them.

"Senior Asagi." Shizuku gave a slight bow and elegantly greeted her.

Arisugawa, standing beside Shizuku, also smiled and greeted Jonoshiraki Byakuya.

Jonoshiraki Byakuya nodded as well.

"Senior Asagi, why are you here?" Shizuku asked Asagi Momiji.

"This? A Xing invited Akira and me to eat at the dining hall." Asagi Momiji answered energetically, with none of the bashfulness she had shown in the bathhouse.

Shizuku looked at Asagi Momiji and Jonoshiraki Byakuya, then asked in confusion, "Then where is Morohoshi-senpai?"

Jonoshiraki Byakuya pushed up his glasses and answered for Asagi Momiji. "Yudai went into the dining hall ahead of us."

"Is that so?"

Arisugawa smiled and invited them, "Then shall we go in and eat together?"

"Then we'll take you up on that." Jonoshiraki Byakuya politely bowed.

"Not at all." Arisugawa waved his hand.

Shizuku and Asagi Momiji watched the two exceptionally handsome men converse, and for a moment, neither of them could find a chance to interject.

Then Shizuku said to Asagi Momiji, "Then let's go in, Senior Asagi."

"Mm."

Asagi Momiji nodded.