"If we had just done this earlier, wouldn't we have saved half a year? Though maybe he's still a little young for certain things, it's fine! Based on my understanding of Allen, his preferences are completely different from his father's."
"Pajamas will work!"
"They'll totally work!"
As Rudy spoke, both corners of his lips lifted into a rare, sleazy grin.
And as if fully satisfied with his suggestion, he nodded and clapped, looking every bit like a proud, responsible educator.
The moment he finished speaking—
A crackling sound echoed through the room.
Despite the stuffy, unventilated dining room, Rudy suddenly felt a chill in the air.
Goosebumps instantly rose on the back of his hand.
Huh?
His face froze, eyes widening.
And in his line of sight—
An ice blade, perfectly formed and gleaming coldly, had manifested in Sylphy's hand.
It looked nearly identical to the one Allen wielded—thin, straight, sharp, and emanating a frigid aura.
Completely at odds with Sylphy's gentle, smiling face.
"Rudy, what are you saying? I don't quite understand~"
Sylphy's sweet voice only made the scene more terrifying.
Rudy opened his mouth slightly, stunned.
He was a Saint-rank magician—he wasn't afraid of a little ice blade.
But the implication behind Sylphy's words… that's what worried him.
"You don't understand?"
Which part?
The method after entering the room because they're too young?
Or the motivation behind his suggestion?
If it's the former, well—Allen would teach her, right? Sylphy seemed like the passive type… as long as Allen took the lead—
Wait a second!
Allen might look mature, but is he actually good at this kind of thing?
If left up to him, wouldn't they just end up talking all night about swordsmanship theory?!
Is Rudy supposed to be their… life guidance counselor on top of reading, arithmetic, magic, and history?
No—calm down. That's only if it's the first case.
If it's the second… that's trouble.
His mind blanked out for a second.
He glanced again at the ice blade, more of a warning than a weapon, then at Sylphy's face, now flushed completely red from the tips of her ears to her cheeks.
He blinked.
Resisted the urge to laugh awkwardly.
And instead straightened his expression and asked with absolute seriousness:
"Sylphy, from which part did you stop understanding? Should I go into more detail?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Sylphy's eyes went wide, and her face turned beet red—like a perfectly boiled shrimp.
She stared at Rudy's serious face, lips trembling, and finally opened her mouth in disbelief.
"Rudy… are you serious with that expression? That can't possibly work, can it? And even if it did work… wouldn't the teacher need to demonstrate it himself?!"
Rudy's mouth twitched.
Called it.
Sylphy hadn't realized Allen liked her at all.
And she definitely didn't understand why Allen's emotional drive had stagnated lately.
Utterly defeated, Rudy clutched his hair.
At first, he was content just being the "greenery" around Allen—surrounded by beautiful girls left behind in Allen's wake, occasionally basking in the leftover glow.
But now even the leftovers were gone…
Why should he be the one coaching the white-haired elven girl to charm the already very charming Allen?!
This green leaf is too competent!!
Allen-sama, you're unbelievable!
So how to get Sylphy to "naturally" attract him…?
At that moment, a gentle voice spoke beside them.
"Excuse me, Miss Sylphy, may I have that ice blade?"
Rudy looked up.
Beside them stood the cat-eared head maid-chef, wearing a white apron, politely bowing slightly and glancing curiously at the blade in Sylphy's hands.
Sylphy quickly handed it over.
"Of course."
"Thank you."
The chef wrapped the blade in a thick kitchen cloth, bowed again, and cheerfully walked off.
Leaving Sylphy and Rudy slightly dazed.
This odd scenario had started happening now and then ever since summer.
It had started one day during a meal when Sylphy had conjured a flawlessly compressed ice blade to threaten Rudy after he said something lewd—
And that chef had suddenly popped out!
Praising Sylphy's "craftsmanship," and, under the dumbfounded gazes of Allen, Rudy, and Sylphy, asked to keep the blade.
As one of the four great noble families of Asura, the Boreas household's culinary staff still retained the extravagant habits of royal court cuisine—every dish crafted to perfection.
One dish in particular required thin slices of a fish-type magical creature, freshly cut from the living belly and immediately served. The texture had to be crisp and springy.
And for that—
Only an ice blade could be used.
Usually, maids would extract ice from the cellar and try to carve out usable blades, often ruining the edge or getting frostbite. And other magicians' ice spells were too crude and thick to be used in the kitchen.
So when the chef first saw Sylphy's perfectly refined blade, she had been instantly smitten.
How convenient.
The two of them sat in silence, watching the cat-eared chef happily trot off, tail swaying behind her.
Rudy watched the tail flicking beneath her skirt and got a new idea—maybe giving Sylphy a tail could provide a more effective "special attack" on Allen?
Seduce Sylphy into teasing Allen? Wrong!
Let Allen realize Sylphy's charm and lose control? Right!
Sylphy, meanwhile, was watching the chef's twitching cat ears.
It reminded her of Lir, who always twitched her ears adorably while pouring tea during morning sessions with Hilda.
The Madam…
Sylphy blinked. Her flush faded slightly.
"Rudy… do you think encouraging contact between Allen and Madam Hilda… might help stabilize him? He clearly cares about her, doesn't he?"
Rudy leaned on his hand, still thinking about tail material, and replied without much thought—
"I've considered that too. But Allen's been deliberately avoiding her. He knows she's always watching from the second floor, and he still goes to the roof to train… So that probably won't work. You'd be better off just—"
Sylphy quickly cut him off.
"Then let's just make it so—Allen can't avoid her!"
Rudy blinked, turning to look at her.
"…Are you planning to send the Madam up to the rooftop?"
Sylphy ignored his nonsense.
"Right now, Allen only attends the one class he can't skip due to formality—"
Rudy's eyes widened.
"…Etiquette class?"
(End of Chapter)
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