The main building’s cafeteria was the most prestigious and expensive dining hall on campus. It was a place frequented by the Empire’s nobles, the Holy Empire’s high-ranking clerics, and the Republic’s wealthy heirs. Among all the cafeterias in the Hero Academy, it stood at the very top in both quality and price.

Inside that grand cafeteria was a private room, a luxury space reserved for not merely those with money but also cadets whose exceptional grades earned them the privilege. Around the large table that could easily seat ten sat four people: Laneige, Iris, Yurina, and me.

Iris’s gaze drifted toward Laneige. “Then...”

Laneige flinched like a startled animal, her shoulders trembling before she quickly averted her eyes.

Iris continued, “This is Senior Laneige, the one you grew close to during the mentoring program, right?”

“Yeah, that’s her,” I replied.

Yurina’s expression hardened, as if recalling certain rumors about her. “Laneige. Fourth year, if I’m not mistaken...”

I replied, “If it’s those rumors you’re thinking of, forget them. Laneige has nothing to do with demons.”

Laneige’s voice trembled as she looked at me, eyes shimmering with emotion. “D-Dale.”

Yurina watched her silently, her sharp eyes narrowing. She finally sighed and nodded. “Alright. If you say so, I’ll believe you.”

“Same here,” Iris added softly.

Though neither of them seemed completely convinced, they both nodded in quiet acceptance.

Iris then asked, “Was it Senior Laneige who invited you to the main cafeteria?”

“No, it’s the other way around,” I replied.

“The other way around?” Iris blinked, surprised.

“I invited her.”

Her eyes narrowed, sharp as a blade. “You. Invited her?”

Folding her arms, she tilted her head and gave a low, skeptical hum before shooting a sidelong glance at Laneige. Laneige hiccupped, startled, and shrank back in her seat.

“There’s a bit of a story behind it,” I said.

I explained how Laneige had been ostracized by her classmates and how, because of all the whispers and stares, she had never once eaten in a proper cafeteria since coming to the academy.

It was probably something she wanted to keep hidden. But if we were going to keep spending time together, it wasn’t something that could stay a secret forever. And why should it be hidden at all? She wasn’t the perpetrator, but the victim. Why should someone who did nothing wrong have to hang her head in shame, pretending her past didn’t exist?

The sharpness in Iris’s eyes softened. “I see.”

She had known that the children of demons weren’t exactly welcomed in the Hero Academy, but even she hadn’t imagined that the so-called hero cadets, supposedly mature adults, would bully someone so maliciously.

Shaking her head, she muttered, “That’s awful,”

Yurina’s expression darkened as well.

Laneige turned to me with a faint smile and softly said, “I-it’s okay. Dale saved me,”

Iris clicked her tongue, as if to say she understood the situation now. “Honestly, Dale, you’re still the same as ever.”

She smiled, but her eyes gleamed with a dangerous edge. I gave an awkward cough and turned my head away from her stare.

Then I said, “Anyway, since we were going out to eat, I figured we might as well eat somewhere nice.”

“That’s why you came to the main building cafeteria instead of the annex,” Yurina replied, nodding.

She looked between me and Laneige, her expression curious. “By the way. You’re calling her just ‘Laneige,’ huh?”

I replied, “Oh, that’s—”

Before I could finish, Laneige blurted out, “I-I told him to call me that!”

“You did, Senior Laneige?” Yurina asked.

“Y-yeah. Dale’s the one who saved me, after all.”

“I see.”

Yurina narrowed her eyes at her. Laneige’s head was lowered, her ears burning red. She sighed, giving me a look that said, I knew it.

“S-so, um, should we start eating?” I said quickly.

“Fine,” Yurina replied.

“I’ll go get the plates,” I said.

The main building cafeteria usually operated buffet-style, so I stood to grab four plates, but Yurina stopped me.

“No need,” she said.

“What do you mean?”

“In private rooms, you can just choose what you want, and they’ll bring it to you.”

“They do that?”

I didn’t even know that was an option.

“Yeah. One sec.”

Yurina pressed a button on the side of the table. Instantly, a holographic menu appeared before each of us, divided neatly by cuisine: dishes from the Empire, the Holy Empire, and the Republic.

“Just pick from here. They’ll cook it fresh and serve it here.”

“It’s like ordering room service at a luxury hotel,” I muttered.

I finally understood why only top-performing cadets were allowed to use this place. Even if one were rich, good grades were the real key to getting in. Thank goodness, Yurina was the top student of the year. Normally, neither Laneige nor I would’ve been allowed in here, but top-ranked cadets had the privilege of bringing a few guests regardless of their status.

Laneige let out a gasp of wonder as she scrolled through the endless list of dishes. “W-wow! Look at this, Dale! There are so many I’ve never even seen before!”

She sounded bright and excited, her eyes darting from one holographic image to another, fingers tapping frantically on the menu as if afraid to miss something.

When I saw her like that, a natural smile spread across my face. “Order whatever you want.”

“O-okay.”

She scrolled through the menu again, unable to decide.

“You’re from the Empire, right? Then maybe you should try something from the Imperial section,” I suggested.

“But I’m curious about the Republic’s food too,” Laneige replied.

“Then how about something from the Holy Empire?”

“T-the Holy Empire’s food is a bit...” She trailed off, clearly uneasy.

Wait, she said yesterday that she would eat dog food if I were the one buying it, yet she’s avoiding food from the Holy Empire? What in the world did they do to their food over there?

I suddenly felt the Holy Empire’s reputation on a whole new level.

“Dale, what about you? What are you getting?” she asked.

“Hmm, not sure yet.”

“Something from the Republic?”

“Nah. Not today.”

After eating Republic cuisine almost every day, I suddenly found myself craving something Imperial. “Since we’re in the main building cafeteria anyway, I might as well treat myself to a steak today.”

“T-then I’ll have the same thing as you, Dale!”

“Yeah? How do you want it cooked?”

“Cooked? I get to choose that?”

“Let’s just go with medium.”

A short while after I placed the order through the menu, perfectly seared steaks were brought into the room.

Laneige took one bite, and her eyes went wide. She exhaled an excited snort, her legs kicking under the table like a happy child. “Uuummmhh!”

Watching her beam like she had just discovered the meaning of life over a single bite of steak left Iris and Yurina both looking conflicted.

“Haah. I guess there’s really nothing I can say after seeing that,” Iris muttered.

“Right?”

They exchanged a wry smile, shaking their heads. Laneige, who had been devouring her steak like she hadn’t eaten in days, suddenly froze and looked around in a panic.

Her cheeks flushed red, sauce still clinging to the corner of her lips. “S-sorry. I got a bit carried away.”

Iris smiled softly and handed her a napkin. “Here, use this.”

Laneige took it. “Thanks!”

She wiped her mouth, grinning shyly.

After that lavish meal, the four of us decided to take a short walk around the academy to digest. For Laneige’s sake, we chose a quiet trail behind the academy where few cadets ever went.

Laneige practically glowed as she recounted the mentoring session episode to Iris, her tone full of excitement. “Then Dale showed up, and bam! He burned the demonic monster to ashes!”

“Really?” Iris asked, amused.

“Hehe, yeah!”

Technically, Laneige was a year older, but by energy and composure, Iris felt much more like the older sister. Honestly, to me, she even looked the part. Laneige wasn’t as small as Senior Sophia, but she still had that delicate, frail air about her, short and slender, like a porcelain doll.

“I get it, you know,” Iris said suddenly.

Laneige blinked. “You do?”

“Yes. The person I’m dating right now also saved me when I was in danger.”

“Ooh! I see.”

Laneige nodded, then looked back and forth between Iris and Yurina. “Um, Iris and Yuren, you two look really good together.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Wait, aren’t you two dating?”

“Oh.” Iris burst into laughter, the sound bright and clear. “The person I’m dating isn’t Yuren.”

Laneige’s expression turned sheepish, clearly embarrassed by her mistake. “O-oh, really? Sorry, I just assumed.”

“The person I’m dating is...” Iris’s lips curved into a teasing smile as she reached over and gently wrapped her arm around mine.

“Wait a second,” I said in a hurry.

A sinking feeling hit me, but before I could say anything, Iris cheerfully finished her sentence, “Dale.”

Laneige froze, her face stiffening like stone. “What? You’re... dating Dale?”

“Huh? Didn’t he tell you?”

The color drained from Laneige’s face. Her shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably. “Dale and Iris are... a couple?”

“Laneige, this isn’t...”

Laneige suddenly dropped to her knees, clutching her head as if trying to tear the thoughts out by force. “Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies!”

Fwoooosh!

A blinding light burst from her soul stigmata. The air around us froze solid as an arctic wind swept through the hill. A violent blizzard howled to life, coating everything in frost.

She said with a hollow laugh, “I see. Yeah. That makes sense. Someone as good as Dale, of course, he wouldn’t be single.”

Her laughter cracked and broke apart, twisting into something pitiful. “What was I even thinking? Someone like me. There’s no way Dale would ever love someone like me.”

“Laneige!” I shouted.

“Ahaha! Ahahahaha!”

The blizzard surged outward. Towering trees, solid boulders, drifting leaves—all of it froze and shattered like glass.

I clenched my teeth, staring at Laneige as she laughed with lifeless eyes, her sanity dissolving into the storm. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Why? Why was this happening? I had saved her from those bullies! I kept her warm when she was freezing! I even found a Soul Stigmata Stabilizer for her soul stigmata! I did everything for her! So why, why the hell was she awakening the Blessing of Frost less than a day later?

A silent scream echoed in my chest, swallowed by the roar of the blizzard.