The next morning.

  Anfield.

  Dan got ready for school. The moment he woke up, he was surprised to be greeted by his wife, who had gotten up early to make fish-congee.

  “This is delicious.”

  His wife hummed a tune from the other side of the table.

  “Fifty percent love, fifty percent care.”

  “Oh wow.”

  He glanced back; steam still curled from the pot of congee.

  “I’ve always dreamed of doing this.”

  “Really?”

  “Getting up early to cook for my husband before he goes to work. Though in our case, my husband’s off to school, so it feels more like I’m his mom than his wife—but whatever~”

  “Some thoughts are better kept to yourself.”

  “But it’s tasty, right~? You’re not just flattering me?”

  “With fifty percent love and fifty percent care in it, if I said it wasn’t good I’d be floating up against the ceiling.”

  “I’ll smack your head with this spoon and crack it open, watch me.”

  “I’ll pack some to take for lunch.”

  “Go ahead.”

  Artheris Academy.

  Students were filing into class.

  Today both sections met together because Professor McClaff had business during the other section’s period, so he merged them.

  Dan Burn arrived right on average time; ten minutes remained before class began.

  Nora had gotten there before him. She was right there. The two of them waved, and Dan went up to sit beside her.

  “Good morning, Mr.Fury.”

  “Hey, Nora.”

  Looking down toward the lecture rows below—Rafinya Saint Pauli, who was chatting with her friends, glanced up at them. She stared long enough that it had become normal by now.

  “Excited for this Friday?”

  “I don’t know… I guess I feel a little pressure?”

  “Do your best.”

  “By the way, who do you have to face?”

  “I drew a nerdy kid. Shouldn’t be much trouble.”

  *stood up*

  “Hang on, I’ll be right back.”

  “?”

  Dan got up—which was unlike him. Nora watched him head toward a group… Chris and Tristina, who were sitting with Freya.

  “Hey.”

  Dan approached them first, which was not his usual habit, and Chris and Tristina both turned.

  “D-Dan? What is it?”

  His manner was noticeably more polite… well, they probably knew his reputation by now.

  “I wanted to ask something…”

  Dan stopped in front of… Tristina.

  “You’re Tristina, right?”

  The girls looked a little thrown, but she—

  nodded.

  “I’ve seen that CD-thingy of yours… it can do that thing—capture images onto film, right?”

  “Oh… you mean this?”

  Tristina took out “that camera,” the same one Freya had returned.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “That’s the one. I wanted to ask if there might be another one like it?”

  “I’m not sure. My dad gave me this to play with. But if you want one… I can ask.”

  “Really? Thank you so much.”

  Dan’s tone brightened at once. Freya, in Zeedee’s form, tilted her head to eye him curiously.

  “See you at noon, Zeedee.”

  Dan winked at Freya.

  Then he crossed continents back to his seat.

  “Mr.Fury, you seem very interested in that thing called a camera.”

  “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. My drawing skills are slow and lousy. This is way faster.”

  “Practice drawing, Mr.Fury. There’s no demon law that forbids drawing.”

  “If something’s faster and better, I’ll use that.”

  “You’re open to new things, just like my little brother.”

  “And you should be too.”

  Just then—

  step.step.step.step.

  Footsteps clacked up from the lower lecture rows, and someone sat right beside Dan without a hint of shyness…

  Thump.

  Rafinya St. Pauli.

  She set down her notebook and books with a firm claim to the spot.

  “…Hello.”

  Rafinya slid her eyes toward him… then back again.

  She’d obviously heard him, but chose silence.

  “How’s the knight program?”

  “Good.”

  “…”

  Does this girl even know how to socialize?

  “Senior Aaron sends his regards.”

  “…Oh… okay.”

  Silence.

  “What’s your move today?”

  “My defeat is very funny to you, isn’t it?”

  “You lost? I recall it being a draw.”

  “What do those old heads know?”

  (…Whoa. Kid’s mouthing off at the faculty now.)

  “Honestly, it’s been funny for a while, Dan.”

  …Uh-oh.

  Dan’s eyes flew to Nora. “Why start this?” his look said. But Nora’s gaze at Rafinya was openly scornful, a thin smile on her lips.

  “Try bowing your head and apologizing to Dan Maybe he’ll open his heart and accept you as a friend.”

  Nora knew Rafinya would never do it… which made it all the more fun.

  “Why? Why does someone I’m not even talking to have to butt in?”

  For a princess, being called a busybody by a noble would mean the death penalty, but here Nora had no such power.

  “What did you do to Dan, Rafinya? After all that, you still dare come talk to him? Outside the ring you don’t see anyone, right? Then try being the one who gets ignored for once—no big deal.”

  Nora looked to him.

  “Right, Dan?”

  “That’s true, Nora.”

  Rafinya faltered a little… Days had passed, and she’d begun to soften—at least not arguing every point.

  She’d been inching closer to Dan, something like, “Hey, I was wrong. Talk to me again,” or the like.

  For a noble used to being courted all her life, having to do the chasing was hard.

  Harder still because Nora was no slouch.

  “Don’t hang around people who didn’t value you from day one.”

  “I wouldn’t know. (You’re the same, you know.)”

  “Knew from the start, did you?”

  Rafinya shot the question at the princess while keeping her eyes on the board, pen moving.

  “Dan, I’m guessing coming here like this means she’s cornered.”

  Dan: “Maybe.”

  Rafinya’s family had searched every nook and possibility, but every road led to a dead end, even with the best informants—zero.

  They knew nothing about Dan Burn.

  “I only want to know one thing… Why do you suppress your power? Why did you let me pummel you one-sided back then?”

  “Well then—why do you think?”

  “What?”

  Rafinya’s pen halted. She turned her head toward him.

  Dan was done dodging. Time to fire back—to shut Rafinya up, once and for all.

  “I asked what you think the reason is, Rafinya.”

  “…How should I know?”

  “Genuine gold doesn’t need tapping to prove its worth. The truly strong don’t need to boast to show their might.”

  People who shout about their strength do it because they’re afraid others won’t believe them.

  Those words made Rafinya stiffen.

  Just then, the bell for the lunch break rang.

  Students rose to take care of their business. Dan and Nora stood, but Rafinya caught his arm.

  “Wait…”

  Rafinya’s voice wavered. She carefully worked the words out, then lifted her face to look at him.

  “If I beat Nora… will you come to House Pauli… please?”

  Please

  That word mattered.

  It meant Rafinya’s stance had shifted from “coercion” to “half-pleading.”

  “…I want you to refuse my father in your own words…”

  This time, Rafinya spoke with a noticeably different mood.

  As if this was beyond her control.

  Dan said nothing. Rafinya let him go, and he slung his bag and left with Nora.

  Nora stared a moment, then turned and walked away.

  Their usual lunch spot—Dan and Nora’s.

  The pavilion shade near St. Maximin Bridge.

  “‘True gold doesn’t need to boast,’ huh, Mr.Fury? So you do have aphorisms.”

  “Borrowed from someone I met long ago.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Ho-ho? This?”

  He opened the tiffin box.

  “My wife’s congee.”

  “…Isn’t it cold by now?”

  From Nora’s look, Dan pulled the tiffin closer as if protective.

  “I’d share, but since my wife made it—I won’t.”

  “I wasn’t asking.”

  “Jealous that I have such a wonderful wife?”

  Nora glanced down at her own golden plate, prepared by the finest personal maid.

  Even if that congee, compared to hers, was like a junk cart beside a Rolls-Royce, the grin splitting Dan’s face—something only Casca could summon—stirred a twinge of envy deep down.

  Even when Nora had taken him to a fine restaurant, he’d never smiled that wide.

  “Mr.Fury, can I ask you something?”

  “Mouth full of congee Hm?”

  “Why do you love Lady Casca?”

  “Isn’t it obvious? Because she’s my wife.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Huh? Why the grumpy face? I mean, I—ah…”

  “?”

  Dan abruptly stopped talking. Nora saw him looking toward the institute hedges behind her, so she turned her head as well.

  Ah—

  The princess let out a sound without thinking.

  In the lush hedge that walled the garden…

  A woman’s cotton-white hair and caramel skin peeked through, staring at them—despite not being allowed on institute grounds at all.

  A face that went “Uwah”

  “Ms. Casca?! / Casca?!”

  “Hii~ you two.”

  Was she being stealthy? Maybe.

  But this was blatant trespassing on school grounds.

  “I couldn’t help it. I missed you at home, so I came to see youuu~”

  “But it’s only midday.”

  “There’s nothing to do at home.”

  Dan: “Add firewood?”

  “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

  “…Knew it.”

  Casca gently parted the hedge in her usual casual clothes, tiptoeing until she slipped into Nora’s pavilion.

  “Do you know how hard it was to slip past the institute’s wards?”

  “I’ve got an easier way—get a school uniform and walk through the gate—”

  Head smack.

  “You smacked me without any regard for the congee in my hand.”

  “Oops! You’re actually eating it!”

  “‘Actually’? Did you think I brought it to dump out?”

  “I thought you were just buttering me up. Aaah, why are you so cute, babe~ twists around”

  “You didn’t come to secretly check up on Mr.Fury, did you…?”

  “Of course not.”

  Casca shot Fury a side-eye. Nora jumped a little; he paused mid-chew.

  “I think I heard someone asking why Fury loves me, didn’t I?”

  “Uh… well…”

  “Oooh, Fury~ what do I do, I’m so shy. How embarrassing.”

  “Then don’t tell her.”

  “Hmm? Are you sure? I’m really embarrassed.”

  “Then don’t tell her.”

  “Do you really not want me to?”

  Dan, still chewing congee, stopped.

  “…I’m eating… You talk.”

  “Can’t be helped. One question per day, right?”

  Nora gave a weak smile.

  “So, here’s the thing…”