After the staring contest ended, Aisha was waiting for Theo outside the stage.
She wanted to celebrate their victory by enjoying a pleasant lunch together.
"Ugh, when is he coming out? The contest has been over for a while."
Theo was nowhere in sight.
"I had a feeling he and Piel had something to discuss after the finals... But still, shouldn't he prioritize family first?!"
Still, because she wanted to have lunch together, Aisha continued to wait for Theo with a pouty expression.
Another three minutes passed like that.
Finally, Theo appeared.
With her lips still pouting, Aisha hurriedly approached him.
"Ugh~! Why did you come out so late, Theo? I've been waiting for so long."
"Sorry."
Theo apologized.
Noticing a difference in his usual demeanor, Aisha felt something was wrong.
Her trait [Sharp Vision] enhances not only sight but other senses as well.
'As I thought, something did happen after.'
She saw Piel walking in the distance.
Aisha shifted her eyes to observe Piel.
'...Ever since the second semester, their relationship has been odd. Especially Piel, she used to treat Theo as if he was some insect.'
During the first semester, Aisha was in the classroom when Theo was scolded by Piel.
Back then, she enjoyed watching a trembling Theo in front of Piel.
But now, Piel's demeanor was... cautious.
She resembled a polite young noble who had been trained in etiquette from a young age.
'Ugh, that doesn't suit her at all.'
Thinking about Piel's usual brash attitude, Aisha felt a twinge of disgust.
"Let's go eat. You skipped breakfast as usual, didn't you, Theo?"
"No, I ate."
"Oh? That's unusual for you, Theo. I've never seen you have breakfast before. Didn't you even skip it even before enrolling at the academy?"
"I thought of gaining some weight, so I decided to increase my caloric intake starting today."
"Hmm... Well, considering the amount of training you do, it makes sense. But you should only gain weight up to a point where it doesn't compromise your style."
"What's the limit for that?"
"Well, it's hard to define. Just look good. As a member of the Waldeurk family, taking care of one's appearance is essential."
"..."
Theo didn't respond.
'Was there a setting in the game where people of the Waldeurk family cared about their appearances?'
It seemed like both Aisha and Theo were unique cases.
Theo handed the [Staring Contest] championship trophy to Aisha.
"Thanks to you, I won again. Thank you, Aisha."
Aisha, her lips gently curling upwards, received the trophy from him.
"At least the trophy is cute because it's an entertainment contest. Anyway, let's go eat soon. I'm hungry. I heard there's a food cart nearby that sells good hotdogs. Shall we go there?"
"Sure. But didn't you say you're on a diet, Aisha?"
"I'll eat it without the sauce, so it's okay. Then, let's head─"
Aisha couldn't finish her sentence because she saw Piel from afar, staring intently at both her and Theo.
'This is perfect timing. I need to find out what's been going on between those two!'
Aisha's inquisitive nature kicked in.
She called out to Piel.
"Piel, we're about to get some hotdogs now. Want to join us─?"
"......"
Piel didn't respond immediately.
After hesitating for a moment, she approached Theo and Aisha with a timid expression.
And so, the three of them set out to get hotdogs.
...With someone discreetly following them from behind.
Theo, Aisha, and Piel arrived at the hot dog cart.
Aisha's eyes widened at the sight of the full tables.
"Wow... It's not even 12 o'clock yet, and the tables are full. There aren't many people waiting, so should we just wait?"
Aisha looked at Theo and Piel.
"Let's do that."
"...Okay."
Theo's indifferent answer, as usual, was met with Piel's unusually reserved response.
Aisha narrowed her eyes.
'Something's definitely going on. During the staring contest, they talked as if... But no, definitely not...'
...No further conversation followed.
Unless Aisha started talking, neither of them did.
'Hehe, I'll find out eventually.'
Aisha disliked the awkward silences, but she found it amusing looking at their faces.
As time passed, it was their turn to order.
Aisha, having already decided what to order, stood in front of the employee.
Aisha spoke,
"A plain hot dog without sauce and a BBQ chicken... I didn't expect to see you here. Nice to see you, Sally. Are you working part-time?"
"Oh! Nice to see you too, Aisha! Yes, I'm working part-time. The owner said they'd move to the food cart during the festival since there aren't many people in the Hero Department!"
Sally greeted Aisha with a bright, genuine smile.
"You're really hard-working, Sally. But working during the festival might be a bit much. You should relax and enjoy it."
"Hehe, but it's a valuable part-time job. The owner even doubled my hourly pay for the festival period since I got second place in the beauty contest."
Hearing that, Aisha snuck a glance back at the tables.
All men.
'The owner's pretty smart.'
Aisha gave a business-like smile.
"Congratulations, Sally. I'll come back at least once more to see you."
"Thank you so much~! Oh, I think I've taken too much of your precious time. Let me take your order!"
"Thank you. One plain hot dog without sauce and one BBQ chicken hot dog..."
Carrying the hot dogs, Aisha moved to the table Theo and Piel had taken.
"Here we are~ Theo, you ordered the BBQ chicken hot dog, and Piel, the chicken tender hot dog, right?"
Both of them nodded silently.
Just as the three of them were about to start eating—
"Excuse me, there aren't any available seats. Would it be okay if I joined you?"
A woman with violet hair approached.
It was Seria.
She was holding a BBQ chicken hot dog in her hand.
Aisha looked at Theo and Piel.
As the two nodded, Aisha's red eyes sparkled.
"Of course, Seria. Fortunately, there's a seat left."
"Thank you. Aisha, Piel, and Theo."
With a dignified gesture, Seria expressed her gratitude and took a seat.
Aisha stifled a laugh inwardly.
'What's this? Such a coincidence? Seria here of all places. I should find out what happened between her and Theo!'
Contrary to Aisha's thoughts, the current situation was far from coincidental.
Immediately after her stare-off with Theo, Seria discreetly used magic on the entire venue.
She had used it to eavesdrop on all of Theo's conversations.
Seria smiled subtly.
"There are many good coincidences today. Having lunch with such esteemed company."
Seria's full name was Seria Lun Hestia.
As the legitimate daughter of the great Hestia family, permitted to use the middle name 'Lun', she was adept at conversation and etiquette suited to various situations.
"Yes, Aisha. The Magic Department probably has the most peculiar students next to the Hero Department, don't you think? There was this one time when..."
"It must be because you're the beloved of the Hestia family, as grand as the Waldeurk family, Seria? Your words are always so graceful..."
She synced well with Aisha, creating a lively atmosphere at the somewhat dull table.
While enjoying the meal in such a harmonious atmosphere,
Aisha asked,
"By the way, Seria, what aspect of Theo made you want to be his Aide? Did you decide after seeing him at the Knight Department 2v2 tournament?"
At that question, Piel's ears perked up.
"What should I say..."
Seria paused for a moment before speaking.
"..."
Though Piel's hearing was exceptionally good even within the Hero Department, she focused all her attention on her ears.
"Hehe."
After giving Theo a slightly mischievous smile, Seria turned her gaze to Aisha.
"It's hard to pinpoint exactly what about Theo appealed to me."
"Then what?"
"You know the feeling, right? When you meet someone for the first time and immediately think, 'It's them'."
"Wow... Theo really hit the jackpot. I know over 10 students from the Hero Department who tried to recruit you as their aide."
"Hehe, the fortunate one is me. Thanks for saying that, Aisha. And to everyone else, I apologize, but even if I had been approached for the Aide position, I would have declined."
With that, Seria gave Theo another playful smile.
Theo gave a faint smile and nodded.
'Indeed, she's as different on the inside as she is on the outside. She doesn't make mistakes in public.'
Only Theo knew the true meaning behind Seria's smile.
Aisha thought,
'Seria's smile is truly unique. Is it a trait of the Hestia family?'
While Piel thought,
'Theo really... likes women with big 'hearts'.'
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