After I, a Penniless Noble, Entered a Fake Engagement with the Most Elegant Duke’s Daughter at the Academy, For Some Reason She Started Showering Me with Love - V2 Chapter 02

Chapter 02.1: Kicked Out of the Dorm by the Matron on a Snowy Day

On a snowy day, the prince supposedly closest to the throne dives headfirst into a snowbank.

If I told anyone what I had just witnessed, they’d look at me like, What nonsense are you spouting? No one would believe it.

They’d just assume I’d finally lost my mind.

“Reality just lied to me.”

That was how unreal it felt.

Why did I keep running into nonsense straight out of a fantasy story?

I yanked the curtains shut with a sharp shhhk and nodded to myself.

Let’s pretend I didn’t see that.

“…Wait. What was I about to do?”

That shocking scene had completely wiped my memory.

I pressed my thumb firmly against my temple. 

Right. I was going to talk to the dorm matron.

I grabbed the coat hanging from the wall hook and slipped it on before stepping into the hallway.

Technically, I didn’t need it inside the dorm. But the icy draft that crept in every time I opened my door was enough to make me want to dive straight back under the blankets. Even with the coat on, it was cold.

“Still… I’m just going downstairs.”

Turning back now after getting dressed would sting my already fragile pride. 

So I muttered, “Here goes,” and stepped out.

The hallway was eerily quiet, almost like the middle of the night.

The dorm was usually noisy, but when it got this cold, even the loudest residents seemed to hibernate like bears.

Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded doing the same.

But if possible, I wanted to find a replacement for the rose garden sooner rather than later.

Whether that was for Yuri’s sake or… mine—

Yeah. Let’s not examine that too closely. It’s embarrassing.

I went down the stairs and knocked on the dorm matron’s door.

“Is she in?”

On school days, she was usually around. But on weekends, it was hit or miss. In fact, she was probably out more often than not.

She might have been older than us students, but she was still a young woman.

It only made sense that she’d want to enjoy her days off instead of staying cooped up working. But for the boys in the dorm who adored her, that was apparently a serious matter.

“I heard she went into a huge mansion in town.”

“I saw her walking with some guy.”

Rumors like that spread quickly.

“I mean… that’s fine, isn’t it?”

I always felt like saying that whenever I heard the gossip echoing through the dorm.

Still, I understood a little. Noble or commoner, guys tended to admire older women they were close to. And if there was even the faintest suggestion of another man, of course they’d sulk.

Especially when the dorm matron was that beautiful.

“…Not here?”

There was no response, even after I waited a while. 

I was just about to give up—

When the door suddenly swung open without warning and smacked straight into my face.

“Oof—!”

“Crule?”

The dorm matron peered out through the crack in the door.

She immediately noticed me clutching my nose and seemed to grasp what had happened.

“S-Sorry.”

She reached out, gently pulled my hand away, and lightly touched the tip of my nose.

Her fingers were cool from the air—yet faintly warm beneath that chill.

That strange contrast made my heart skip.

“It’s red.”

“N-No, it’s fine. Really.”

“Really?”

Her golden eyes moved closer, searching my face.

“—!”

The closeness. The touch.

My face flared hot.

I couldn’t even form proper words. I just nodded desperately to show I was fine.

“If that’s the case, then good. However, if the pain lingers, please tell me.”

“Y-Yes…”

I somehow managed to respond, and only then did her beautiful face finally pull away.

I exhaled slowly.

When I pressed a hand to my chest, my heart was pounding wildly. 

Yes… I was definitely shaken.

She had simply been kind and concerned.

But when someone that beautiful leaned in that close, it was dangerously easy to misread things.

“You’re a dangerous lady.”

“That was my carelessness.”

We were clearly having two entirely different conversations, but explaining that would only make things worse, so I let it go.

I lightly rubbed the tip of my nose where she had touched me and changed the subject.

“I thought you weren’t here today since you didn’t answer.”

“My apologies. I was looking outside.”

“At the snow?”

Most of this country was mountainous, so towns were built at high elevations.

Snow wasn’t rare here. Around this time of year, it piled up easily. The academy didn’t require it, but back home, clearing snow off roofs and shoveling paths was simply part of daily life.

For most people here, snow wasn’t magical. It was more like, Great, more work just fell from the sky.

During winter, the mines shut down because of heavy snowfall, so there was no mining work either. But just because you had free time didn’t mean you welcomed backbreaking snow labor that paid next to nothing.

Maybe children enjoyed it.

As for nobles—who never shoveled snow themselves—perhaps they saw it differently. My commoner mindset was probably showing again.

“No, not that…”

“Hm?”

The dorm matron began to say something—then simply stared at me.

“Um… is something wrong?”

“I just remembered that you are Lady Yuliana’s fiancé, Crule.”

“Uh… right.”

I almost said, We’re fake, but that would only complicate things, so I swallowed it.

I had mentioned it to her before… but why bring it up now?

While I was still puzzled by the sudden shift, the dorm matron lightly placed her index finger against her upper lip, as if deep in thought.

From where I stood, that pose was… dangerously distracting. 

I narrowed my eyes, preparing a silent protest—

Wait.

Did she just smile?

“Crule, you came to see me because you require something, correct?”

“Huh? Ah—yes, I did.”

Still confused, I nodded.

“However, today is my day off. At present, I am not acting in my capacity as dorm matron.”

“…I see?”

“Yes.”

She said it with absolute firmness.

I understood the logic, more or less. But… what exactly was she getting at?

“If advising dorm students is part of my duties as matron, then it follows that, as I am currently off duty, I am under no obligation to accept your consultation.”

“I… see.”

She explained it neatly and thoroughly.

But in the end, wasn’t she simply saying, Since I’m not working, I don’t have to listen to your problems?

“In that case, I’ll come back another—”

“Therefore, instead of consulting me, why not try discussing it with a fellow student first?”

“Why not? Because—”

“What excellent timing. Just outside the dorm, you will find Lionel, who is technically your senior. I’m certain he would be delighted to hear you out.”

“…Did you even listen to me?”

She absolutely had not.

Before I realized it, she was gently—but firmly—ushering me toward the door. And then—

I was pushed all the way outside.

“Then please enjoy some healthy interaction between students.”

She gave me a bright, flawless smile, waved—

And bang—the dorm door shut right in my face.

“…Seriously?”

There I stood, locked out in the falling snow, feeling like I had just been swept away by an avalanche.

Chapter 02.2: A Young Lady Surrounded by Cats

Under the freezing sky, I had been kicked out without even understanding why.

Crunch.

Snow flattened beneath my boots. When I held out my hand, tiny flakes landed on my palm and melted almost at once.

“Good thing I wore my coat.”

That was about the only comfort I had.

Since moving into the dorm, I had never seen the matron act that forcefully before. I was honestly baffled. It felt like there had to be a reason behind it—but we weren’t close enough for me to even guess what that reason might be.

“Well… I was curious anyway.”

About what Prince Lionel was doing, that is.

Still, I barely knew him. I had only spoken to him twice—once at a social event, and once at that little detached cabin. 

…If I counted the cat incident, that made three, but I would very much prefer to pretend that never happened.

And now I had to face that “let’s pretend it didn’t happen” reality again?

Ugh.

But if I didn’t speak to him, I had a feeling the matron wouldn’t let me back inside. I glanced up toward her window. I couldn’t see in, but after that performance, it wouldn’t surprise me if she was watching.

“…Guess I’ll commit.”

Hopefully not that kind of commitment.

I let out a puff of white breath and started down the snow-covered path. 

Crunch, crunch—my footsteps carved a trail straight toward Prince Lionel.

He had moved from where I’d spotted him earlier from my room, but sure enough, he was still facing away from me.

This was… an awkward sight, to put it mildly.

My head began to ache, like I’d just bitten into something painfully cold.

“What are you doing?”

“…!”

The mound of snow in front of me shifted.

For a split second, I hoped it wasn’t Prince Lionel buried in there.

No such luck.

With a dramatic fwump, out popped that same refined, sharp-featured face adored by noble ladies. His eyes were as sharp and dignified as ever—making it difficult to reconcile with the fact that he had just been buried face-first in snow with his backside sticking up.

“It has been a while, Crule. Have you been well?”

“Uh… yeah, more or less.”

Prince Lionel rose gracefully and brushed the snow off himself with practiced elegance.

“And you seem… unchanged as well, Your Highness.”

“…I did request that you kindly pretend not to have seen what you witnessed before. However, I do not recall asking you to replace that with sarcasm.”

“I wasn’t being sarcastic.”

“I see. That somehow makes it worse.”

He shot me a half-lidded, slightly damp look.

Normally, his gaze was sharp like a lion’s—true to his name. But right now, it seemed softer somehow. Almost… closer to someone my own age.

I had half expected him to dislike me after I turned down Yuri’s suggestion that she marry him. But maybe that wasn’t the case.

At least he didn’t look like he hated me.

That was a relief.

“And you? Why are you outside the dorm in this dreadful weather?”

“Well… it’s less that I came out, and more that I was… kicked out.”

My vague answer made Prince Lionel narrow his golden eyes suspiciously.

I could tell him the truth. But would he even understand?

That I had gone to consult the dorm matron, and she kicked me out saying, “Go consult Prince Lionel instead.”

…Yes. It sounded absurd.

This wasn’t just some upperclassman. He was practically the most powerful person in the entire academy—no, in the entire country.

And I was supposed to consult him?

Wasn’t that unbelievably rude? Especially when what I wanted advice about was finding a place to spend time with Yuri—the very Yuri he was politically expected to marry one day.

Even if he weren’t a prince, I’d probably deserve a punch.

What exactly was the matron trying to accomplish?

“Crule.”

“Yes.”

He pressed me for an answer. I couldn’t dodge forever.

Fine. I would just explain honestly, immediately add, “Of course I meant no disrespect,” and then make a tactical retreat. Sure, my footprints would stand out clearly in the snow, but it’s not like he’d chase me.

Subtly lowering my center of gravity in preparation to bolt, I explained everything.

Prince Lionel let out a white breath.

It took me a moment to realize it was a sigh. When I looked at his face, he had a hand pressed to his forehead, wearing a faintly pained expression.

“…What is that woman thinking?”

“Huh?”

The way he said it made it sound like he knew the dorm matron personally.

Prince Lionel wasn’t a dorm resident. Did they already know each other?

Well, she was the matron of a noble academy. It wouldn’t be strange if she came from a noble family herself—and if so, it wouldn’t be odd for them to be acquainted.

“I understand the situation. I would assist with your consultation, but I am currently occupied.”

“I can see that you’re… busy.”

You’ve got snow on your head, after all.

I didn’t say it out loud, but perhaps it showed on my face. 

Without a word, Prince Lionel brushed the snow from his hair.

“I was not playing.”

“Oh? Really?”

“…I am unsure whether you are provoking me, or simply speaking whatever comes to mind.”

Sorry. My mouth tended to move faster than my brain.

To prevent further damage, I quickly covered my mouth with my hand.

He sighed, looking thoroughly exasperated.

“So this is why Lady Yuliana has taken a liking to you.”

Excuse me? I’m offended.

I wasn’t trying to tease him. And I definitely didn’t want to be lumped together with Yuri like that.

“Is it something serious?”

“It is. I am, in fact, in a hurry.”

“Hurry for what—?”

…are you doing?

I was about to ask what exactly was happening when—

“Kyahhh!?”

A girl’s scream rang through the snowy air.

What—what happened?

Had someone suspicious slipped onto campus?

I turned toward the sound, only to see something black flailing wildly in the snow.

When I hurried closer, I realized—

It was a person.

A black-haired, black-eyed girl had apparently slipped and fallen into the snow… and was now completely surrounded by cats.

Were they demanding affection? Or simply licking her for their own amusement?

Even through her thick coat, it was clear she had a rather generous figure. A fluffy white cat had comfortably settled right on her chest, while a striped one above her head gently tapped her forehead with its paws.

“Fugyu—fumnya—!”

Instead of proper screams, tiny squeaky noises kept escaping her mouth.

What kind of situation was this?

I had never seen someone get toyed with by cats like this before. It was so surreal that I simply stood there, staring.

Staring… wait.

That face. Haven’t I seen her somewhere before…?

Ah.

“Lady Obsidian?”

“Y-yes—fugya!”

Her reply came out half sob, half squeak—just as the white cat boldly flopped over her face, squishing it flat.

[Afterword] 

Nanayo Meguru Bunko
“After I, a Penniless Noble, Entered a Fake Engagement with the Most Elegant Duke’s Daughter at the Academy, For Some Reason She Started Showering Me with Love”

Now on sale!
Please check it out!

Chapter 02.3: The Second Prince’s Crush

“Do you know her?”

“Not exactly… I mean, kind of? But not really?”

Well, I do know her.

It wasn’t that complicated, so I gave Prince Lionel a simple answer.

“She’s my classmate.”

“…Just a classmate?”

“Just a classmate.”

Why did he make me emphasize that?

That tone was unexpectedly sharp.

When I glanced at Prince Lionel beside me, his golden eyes were narrowed as though weighing the truth of my words. They looked unusually intense—there was even a faint trace of hostility.

I shivered.

That pressure hadn’t been there when I was introduced as Yuri’s fiancé.

Did I offend him somehow?

“Y-Yes! Just a classmate—yyaaah!?”

Lady Obsidian, still buried under cats, tried to back me up. A snow-white cat stomped on her again, but Prince Lionel seemed satisfied.

“I see.”

The sharp lift at the corners of his eyes softened.

He let out a breath that sounded almost relieved.

The way he looked at her—at the girl currently being overrun by cats—was different from how I had looked at her. There was warmth in his gaze.

It reminded me a little of how Yuri looked at me when she teased me.

“Haaah?”

“…You appear to be implying something.”

“No, no. I wouldn’t dare.”

I shrugged and raised both hands in surrender.

“I just felt a bit of kinship, realizing even Prince Lionel is a man after all.”

“You truly are similar.”

He didn’t specify to whom this time. Perhaps that was his version of tact.

Though honestly, I didn’t think we were that similar.

I glanced down at my own rough, unrefined hands. Nothing like Yuri’s elegant ones.

“L-Leo…”

A tearful voice rose from near our feet.

“C-Could you please help me?”

““Ah.””

There was no danger. No urgency. She was simply being enthusiastically played with by cats.

It had seemed harmless enough that Prince Lionel and I ended up chatting instead. But from Lady Obsidian’s perspective, she was stuck flat on her back in the snow, unable to get up. Of course she wanted help.

“I would like to assist, but…”

Prince Lionel hesitated.

For a moment, I wondered if this was some obvious “royalty does not stoop to mundane matters” moment. But he was reaching out his hand.

That didn’t seem like him.

So why the pause?

Before I could think further, my classmate was muffled again, her face buried under fur.

Maybe some noble ladies enjoyed burying their faces in cats—but suffocation probably wasn’t part of the appeal.

I decided to move first.

I gently lifted the white cat lounging across her face.

Its body went limp in my hands.

Soft.

That was the first time I had ever properly touched a cat.

After shifting the rest of the gathered cats aside, Lady Obsidian finally managed to raise her upper body from the snow. Her pale beige coat was covered in fur, and her glossy black hair was completely disheveled.

“T-Thank you very much…”

She let out a tired little hefu and exhaled white breath.

After being treated as a playground by that many cats, anyone would look exhausted.

Even if it was snow, it wasn’t right to leave a girl sitting there. I moved to offer my hand—

But Prince Lionel was faster.

“Are you alright?”

“Y-Yes. Thank you, Leo.”

“I should be the one apologizing. I ended up scattering them again.”

Scattering?

It took me a moment to understand he meant the cats. All those cats that had surrounded Lady Obsidian were suddenly gone. When I looked around, I spotted them at a distance, watching us—

No, watching Prince Lionel—with clear caution.

Right. He had mentioned they didn’t warm up to him.

Maybe that was why he hesitated earlier. If he moved too soon, they would have fled. He likely didn’t want that.

But then why help her now?

“Don’t worry! We’ll just try again!”

Lady Obsidian stood up and pumped her fists in front of her rather impressive chest, brimming with determination.

Prince Lionel’s expression softened.

“Yes. We will.”

He smiled gently and reached toward her head, brushing away snow and stray cat fur. Then he carefully smoothed her messy black hair back into place.

“I-I can fix it myself…!”

“Hold still.”

“Ah—o-okay…”

I couldn’t tell whether that sound was agreement or another squeak, but Lady Obsidian lowered her head, her face flushing bright red. It looked like the snow might melt from the heat radiating off her cheeks.

And Prince Lionel? He was clearly enjoying himself as he carefully combed his fingers through her hair, smoothing it neatly.

This was… rather romantic.

I wasn’t exactly a connoisseur of romance dramas or novels, but I wasn’t oblivious either. 

Back at that social event, I had thought Yuri bold for speaking so freely to Prince Lionel. But seeing this scene up close, I could understand it a little.

When he rushed to help earlier, it probably wasn’t just kindness. He likely hadn’t wanted me touching her.

Seen that way, the intense pressure he directed at me earlier made perfect sense.

Maybe this prince has a stronger possessive streak than he lets on.

“Sorry to interrupt your little world here—”

“W-We’re not making a world!”

Lady Obsidian flailed her hands in frantic denial, beads of sweat forming.

Meanwhile, Prince Lionel looked faintly wounded.

Please don’t deny it that forcefully, I silently pleaded.

“What is it, Crule?”

“The pressure. It’s a bit strong.”

I understood why he was glaring at me.

But that didn’t mean my heart was sturdy enough to remain calm under a prince’s gaze. I’d rather not humiliate myself in front of royalty.

“I won’t tell anyone about your relationship, so let’s just set that aside for now—”

“W-We’re not in a relationship! It’s not like that at all! D-D-Don’t misunderstand!”

Lady Obsidian protested, red as a ripe apple.

“I understand, don’t worry.”

I nodded as if to say, No further explanation needed.

“My lips are sealed.”

“You don’t understand anything…!”

It’s not like I had anyone to tell anyway.

If I had to name someone, maybe Yuri. But she already seemed aware that Prince Lionel had someone he liked. Whether she knew that someone was Lady Obsidian specifically… that was another matter.

“I get that you want to keep it quiet, but honestly, it feels a bit pointless.”

“What a charming joke. I shall send you a mirror.”

“…Why?”

How did we leap from that to him sending me a mirror?

He looked utterly exasperated, as though I were the densest person in existence. Out of all the nobles he’d met, I might have been the only one to earn that expression from a prince.

Not exactly an achievement to boast about.

“So, what were you actually doing out here?”

“I was brushing Chito’s hair.”

Chito?

…Ah. From Chaton, perhaps.

Lady Obsidian called him “Leo,” so that seemed plausible.

“Then please continue brushing it forever.”

“I’d die of embarrassment!”

Lady Obsidian burst into tears.

Even Prince Lionel seemed to recognize that he might have pushed too far, because he withdrew his hand from her hair.

Though judging from his expression, he clearly hadn’t wanted to stop.

“We were trying to rescue the cats.”

“Rescue the cats?”

I shifted my gaze between them.

“So you weren’t being played with?”

“I was—but that’s not the point!”

Her eyes shimmered with tears.

In class, she barely stood out. I’d never really spoken to her. She had always seemed like a small animal quietly hiding in the corner.

Seeing her this animated… perhaps it was because she stood before Prince Lionel.

I was a little surprised.

“It’s snowing, and it’s freezing. If they remain outside, their lives could be at risk.”

So they were trying to bring the cats somewhere safe.

And here I was, wondering what foolishness the prince was up to in the snow. 

Meanwhile, he had been doing something genuinely admirable.

Compared to me—curled up in blankets earlier—he looked rather respectable.

When I glanced sideways, the cats were still watching from a distance.

“Where are the rescued cats?”

“…Nowhere yet.”

His voice came out tight, almost frustrated.

“The cats flee from me. And when Chito approaches them, too many gather around her for her to catch even one.”

“Ah. I see.”

Right. They didn’t warm up to him. I remembered that from before—they had run then too.

That “cat-loving friend” he mentioned previously was probably Lady Obsidian.

More accurately, cats loved her.

So they were trying to rescue them together, but it wasn’t going well.

That was… complicated.

I felt a flicker of sympathy.

“Well then, I’ll help.”

“Would you?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t mind lending a hand.

“If I can help Prince Lionel—who could easily order me around but chose to ask politely instead—then I’m glad to.”

“…This is a personal matter. I have no intention of using my authority for something like this.”

Yes.

That sounded like him.

But not everyone could truly live by that.

And that was precisely why I felt like helping.

Besides—

I glanced at Lady Obsidian, who stood flustered and unable to join the conversation, then looked back at Prince Lionel and grinned.

“It makes me want to root for you.”

“…We are not lovers.”

He pouted faintly, displeased.

That only made me want to laugh.

Prince Lionel let out a long sigh.

“You truly resemble Lady Yuliana.”

“—I’ll be careful. Seriously.”

The fact that I actually thought, He might be right, made me sink inward a little.

Just because I felt comfortable didn’t mean I could tease a prince like this. Yuri might get away with it—but that didn’t grant me the same privilege.

Had I picked up her habits from spending so much time together?

…No. That was bad.

“Very well. Then I shall request your assistance.”

“Huh?”

I was still half covering my face in mild despair when Prince Lionel said that.

Through the gaps between my fingers, I saw him smiling—no, smirking—in a way that felt unmistakably like revenge.

Ah.

That was not a good sign.

◆◆◆

“—Well?”

Wrapped in a deep velvet cloak, Yuri stood there wearing an absolutely lovely smile.

Only her eyes were not smiling at all.

“So why, exactly, was I summoned out into this dreadful weather?”

“Uh… we’re looking for cats?”

The sweat forming along my back felt unnaturally cold.

Yes.

I really shouldn’t tease people.

It always came back to bite me.

◆ End of Chapter 2 ◆
To be continued.