『 He does indeed look like His Majesty and the Duke of Lexion.』
The scholars heaped praise on Walter as he stretched out his long legs under the desk, fixedly studying the textbook.
『 If the Duke and the Emperor had pursued polygamy, there would have been a significant number of unmarried noblemen by now.』
『 When the portrait is completed and distributed, it will sell like hotcakes among the ladies.』
The Crown Prince boasted a handsome appearance, as if he had been sculpted that seemed to take the best of two mature men who had set the hearts of young girls on fire in their youth.
The way he rested his chin was so relaxed and elegant that you could never think of him doing anything improper.
But Walter was only interested in skimming through the booklet.
According to the investigation Cassius had conducted over the past few days, the students entering the Academy had similar aspirations, such as making friends with new people in unfamiliar places or meeting their destined partner in social activities within the Academy.
Edith, who had been looking forward to taking classes at the Academy for so long, must have had similar aspirations, and Walter wanted to fulfill them.
He flipped through the pages of the booklet, almost memorizing the nearby famous cafes and restaurants.
[It seems that the Academy has a sexually open atmosphere, probably because it’s a gathering place for young nobles.]
“…”
Sexually open atmosphere? Walter was so dumbfounded by the idea of a sexually open atmosphere that he suppressed a laugh at the absurdity of it. Given the context, this probably does not mean a welcoming atmosphere for students with low libido.
Although he didn’t like the idea of Edith being in a place full of hot-blooded men, he thought of a spell that could calm his sense of unease.
⋙“… It’s Isaac’s child.”⋘
Who is Edith?
Edith was the woman who used my middle name to hide my baby from me. She is my wife, my first love, with whom I had an affair, with whom I had a child, with whom I married.
When Walter reached this point in his thoughts, a smile unconsciously appeared on his lips. It was a smile he couldn’t hide even if he tried to cover it with one hand.
The scholars saw the triumphant smile on his face and nodded slightly in understanding.
“Yes, Your Highness! This event marks the unification of the continent by the Agnas Empire.”
Walter was somewhat surprised by the scholars’ positive response, but he naturally glossed over it after looking at the writing on the blackboard.
“It seems the era of glory is beginning.”
Improvisation was one of his specialties. This time too, the scholars nodded their heads with happy expressions.
“I am delighted to be teaching the Heir to the Imperial Throne.”
“It’s my pleasure to be attending excellent classes as well.”
Walter naturally resumed class and looked at the booklet again.
[It was said that there were many occasions when people expressed their interest in each other at internal events, or when those who saw eye to eye secretly spent the night together.]
[Apparently, there’s a popular legend that lovers who kissed on the terrace by the lake in the west garden would have a passionate love that will not cool down for the rest of their lives.]
When he first came to the capital with Helen Fortrion and her people, he had imagined taking Edith to the Academy, but now that he had read the booklet, he’s glad to attend classes with her.
He now wondered how he could have thought of sending Edith alone to such a place.
『 The role of the man who catches her attention at an event is, well… I should take on that role. And kissing in the West Garden Lake too.』
Who else would play that role if not himself, who ranked first and second on Edith Lowell’s list of men she would want to sleep with?
With his confidence restored, Walter scanned the booklet with a bright grin.
Meanwhile, Edith, unaware of these thoughts, was discreetly stealing glances at his focused side profile.
Although she had not confessed to Walter that he was the only man in her life, she had once imagined what it would be like to enroll in the Academy with Isaac.
Of course, Isaac’s opinion had never been taken into consideration; it was purely her fantasy.
Walter’s side profile is now several times more handsome than what she had vaguely imagined back then. The bridge of his nose, the kind of thing artists look at for reference, combined with the scenery outside the window, makes him look like a painting.
Edith unnecessarily averted her gaze as he kept his eyes fixed on his textbook, only occasionally making eye contact with her.
『 Walter is surprisingly paying attention to class, isn’t he…?』
Her heart fluttered at the change from his usual playful demeanor.
──────────✿◦•
“Walter, you were really paying attention in class.”
Edith, who was in a good mood thanks to the scholars’ enthusiastic teaching, praised him.
Walter slightly bent his waist and replied in a low voice, ensuring that others could not hear.
“I didn’t listen to the lecture because I was too busy thinking about how to score points with the Crown Princess who was sitting next to me.”
It was the pure truth, nothing added or subtracted, but Edith burst out laughing, thinking he was joking.
Instead of breaking her fantasy, Walter slightly shrugged his eyebrows.
In any case, now that he had definitively learned what fantasies the academy freshmen harbored during class time, it was his turn to make Edith happy.
“Edith, there’s still quite a bit left for the theory class on public health theory, right?”
“Yeah, there’s about three hours left, so I was thinking of exploring the library.”
Walter was amazed that even after touring Fortrion, Lexion, and the Imperial Library, Edith still planned to visit a library again.
『 Is Edith’s dream academy fantasy only about libraries?』
He had a reasonable suspicion that each library contained a piece of cheese to tempt the little mouse Edith, but he couldn’t let her go right now.
“I heard there’s a good cafe nearby that’s quite popular among academy students.”
“Oh, the one that sells fluffy soufflé? I heard it’s always crowded, so I was planning to visit later.”
As expected, Edith seemed well-informed about the famous places near the Academy. Walter nodded slightly and led the way.
“It’s an honor for our family that you two stopped by in person.”
A retired pastry chef, who had worked at the Imperial Palace for a long time, greeted the two of them with a very moved expression.
It wasn’t difficult for him to reserve the best seats, as he remained loyal to the Imperial Family, who had treated him so well for so long based solely on his skills.
Edith’s cheeks lit up with joy as the fluffy soufflé and fragrant milk tea, which she had only seen in pictures, were served.
“Why are you impressed by this?”
Walter cut the soufflé and served it to Edith, feeling proud that he had taken care of it in advance.
Edith had never had a large appetite, but it wasn’t until she became pregnant with Adrian that she began to take an interest in food.
Now that he had plenty of money, Walter seized the opportunity and diligently introduced her to various dishes, imprinting in Edith’s subconscious the joy of eating.
He was proud of his work as he watched Edith’s mouth water when she took a bite of the sweet, smooth, creamy soufflé.
“Is it good?”
“Yes, Walter. You should try it.”
When she smiled and offered him a piece of soufflé, Walter felt an unknown impulse.
Walter wondered if he could make Edith happier than she was now, as he ate the dessert she had been looking forward to for so long.
『 I wonder if I should just take her to the lake and kiss her like a beast.』
With his chin resting on his hand, Walter gazed at the cream on Edith’s lips.
The idea of Edith feeding him delicious dessert to achieve some dubious goal didn’t sit well with him. So, he asked.
“Edith, do you happen to know where the couples in the academy hang out? If there’s such a place, shouldn’t we go check it out?”
“Walter, the Academy is a sacred place of learning.”
Judging by the way she neatly cut off his sly words, it was evident that Edith had no interest in the legend that kissing in front of the lake in the west garden would lead to eternal, passionate love.
『 Is she only interested in classes, desserts, and libraries?』
This news was quite welcome to Walter, who didn’t want to become too obvious with his intentions.
──────────✿◦•
After leisurely enjoying some soufflé and milk tea, Walter made an excuse to look around the Academy and started taking a walk with Edith.
Contrary to what he said, Walter had a clear destination: the ‘western garden lake.’
『 Cassius must have cleared the area by now.』
Edith hated embarrassing situations. So, to properly kiss this innocent lady, it was better to ensure no one was around.
“The weather is really nice, Walter.”
As they entered the western garden and got closer to the lake, Edith looked around with a bright smile on her face.
She was in a good mood, having just eaten a deliciously sweet dessert. She had no idea what thoughts were going through her husband’s mind as they walked side by side.
『 Should I make a move now?』
At that moment, they noticed a bench surrounded by beautiful rose bushes on both sides and behind it. Walter was about to make his evil intentions known when Edith called him by his name.
“Walter.”
Edith called his name first and stopped him in his tracks. In an instant, she lifted her heels and pressed her lips against his.
“…?”
Walter, who suddenly received a kiss, blinked his eyes slowly. It didn’t take him long to grasp the situation.
『 She pretended to know nothing about the legend of the lake, but she actually knew everything.』
Despite claiming that the academy was a place for learning and shuddering as if she had no interest in things like places where lovers had secret meetings, in fact, Edith seemed to be more interested than anyone else.
Walter couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched Edith sneak a kiss and then scurry away like it meant nothing.
“Edith.”
Walter called to her in his deep voice. Edith looked back, pretending to be clueless.
Seeing Edith act innocent while covertly seeking a passionate and everlasting love, Walter found her mischievous yet irresistibly cute, and he couldn’t stop smiling.
At the same time, he felt the urge to grab Edith’s wrist and take her somewhere. Despite being aware that they were in an open outdoor space, his blood boiled.
“If you’re going to kiss me, you have to take responsibility.”
If she wants a love that’s more passionate than it is now, she should have spoken up sooner.
“I’m so happy that you kissed me first that I can’t move.”
“…?!”
Edith, surprised, looked down.
