The next day after the events with Haiko and her father, Xara and I agreed to meet up for a lunch date and were currently sitting in one of the school’s many gardens.

  “Alright. Say aaaaaah.”

  Opening up my mouth, Xara put some food in front of my face and I bit down into it.

  The two of us were currently taking turns feeding each other and I felt like I was in heaven.

  The two of us didn’t get much time to hang out due to all my committee duties, so even something as simple as feeding each other felt like bliss to me.

  “You seem to be enjoying yourself,” Xara giggled as she guided more food toward my mouth.

  I would’ve responded, but I was just too happy to utter a single word.

  After another minute, I began feeding Xara.

  Several people looked at us while walking by. Some with jealousy, some with envy, but the majority were in disgust.

  “How could she fall for such a low life?”

  “Why does that commoner look so pleased?”

  “That commoner doesn't deserve a beauty like her.”

  As usual, people were mostly looking down on me. But for once, I didn’t mind. I was too happy to care about what a bunch of assholes thought about me and Xara. After all, I could just get revenge on them later.

  Once the two of us finished our lunch, I relaxed on the ground and looked up at the sky above.

  Xara stared at me in silence for a few moments before a frown formed on her face.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Xara asked. To which I turned my head to look at her.

  “Yeah. I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

  “Well, it’s just that you have this distant look on your face. Like your mind is off somewhere else.”

  I sat back up and scratched the back of my head.

  “It’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Are you sure?” Xara asked. To which I nodded my head.

  “Yeah.”

  “...Well if you say so.”

  Probably a bit unsatisfied with my answer, Xara turned her head to the ground with a gloomy look on her face.

  Not wanting to ruin the mood, I changed my posture to have my legs curled up and grabbed Xara.

  She blinked in surprise and was about to speak up when I pulled her down and rested her on my lap.

  “Huh? What are you doing Axel?”

  “Er…It’s meant to be a lap pillow to help you feel better. Do you not like it?”

  Xara’s cheeks glowed a bright pink before she let herself relax on my lap.

  “No. This actually feels quite nice.”

  I felt my own cheeks warming up as I chuckled awkwardly.

  I'm completely aware lap pillows are normally meant to be the other way around. And while I have no doubt I’d enjoy resting on Xara’s lap, she was the one who needed cheering up right now so this was the best I could do.

  We sat there for several minutes until I heard the sound of a light snore enter my ear.

  I looked down to find Xara had fallen asleep.

  Letting out another awkward chuckle, I leaned down and kissed Xara’s cheek.

  “Geez. How can a guy like me be with someone as amazing as you?” I muttered while I let Xara sleep.

  Turning my head toward the sky, I thought about Xara’s question from before.

  In all honesty, I don’t know if something really is bothering me or not.

  I’m concerned about Haiko and this whole thing with her dad, but there isn’t exactly anything I can do about it. After all, this doesn’t appear to follow the same story I’m familiar with after all.

  Come to think of it, should I tell the MC about Haiko’s dad? After that trip a while back where Xara went on a rampage through the forest due to her curse, she told me it was caused by her seeing the MC with another girl. That was another thing that was different from the initial game's story.

  Maybe this time, if I tell him about the change in the story beforehand, he might not try and force her to give her dad another chance.

  Thus, I decided to let him know.

  But much to my own frustration...

  “Don’t be ridiculous. If her dad’s really here, it probably just means her story thread is slightly different. It doesn't change how things are gonna turn out.

  I rubbed my eyes.

  “This is clearly going down a different path than the game. It’s way too dangerous for her and her dad to interact with each other right now,” I explained.

  After school, I went to talk about things with the MC in hopes of convincing him to avoid going down the Haiko route only for him to spit in my face about it.

  “Yeah right. You’re probably just worried this will get me together with Haiko.”

  “I don’t give a shit about your love life. It’s just not safe right now to have the two of them interact.”

  The MC simply waved his hand as if dismissing the issue and began walking off.

  “Whatever. Just don’t get in my way when I sweep Haiko off her feet.”

  “Geez. Just how conceited can you be?” I muttered before letting out a sigh.

  I’ve given him his warning, so whatever he does next is entirely up to him. I can only hope he’ll heed my words.

  Working inside the student council office, I looked up to see Toyazoto walk into the room.

  “Hello there Toyazoto. Do you have the report I asked for?”

  “Hm? Oh! Yeah. Here you go.”

  Pulling a stack of papers out of his bag, Riko Toyazoto handed me a small batch of paper which I put next to my desk that I’d look over later.

  I was about to go back to my own work when Toyazoto spoke up.

  “Hey, are you on bad terms with your dad?”

  I froze for a moment before turning my head to look at Toyazoto.

  “Why…do you ask?”

  “Well, you see I met the new teacher this morning and...”

  Riko was wandering the school to pass time during his break period when he saw a teacher he hadn’t seen before who looked oddly familiar.

  “Excuse me, are you a new teacher here at the school?” Riko asked the teacher.

  The aforementioned teacher looked at Riko with a meek smile.

  “Er…Yes. My name is Richard Ariyama.”

  “Ariyama? Like the student council president?”

  “Um…Yes. She’s actually my daughter.”

  Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

  “So this is Haiko’s dad? He looks slightly different from the game,” Riko thought.

  Unsure of what to do next, Riko simply talked with Haiko’s dad for a bit and was even told about how Haiko and her father had lost contact with each other after an incident in their past. However, their conversation quickly came to a close when Riko remembered that he needed to get to class.

  Waving Mr. Ariyama goodbye, Riko left with a smile on his face.

  He had actually rather enjoyed his time talking with Mr. Ariyama.

  As such, when he met with Axel a few hours later, he found the warning he was given to be unwarranted and ridiculous.

  With such thoughts in his head, he had come to a conclusion.

  “He honestly seems like a good guy. I think you should try and reconnect with him.”

  From Riko’s eyes. My father seems to have fully reformed. But that’s just it, Riko doesn’t know about the kinds of things my father did to me in the past. And because of that, I found myself conflicted about his words.

  Even if my father truly did reform, that doesn’t mean the two of us should make up and act like nothing he did to me ever happened. I’d sooner die than be reminded of that horrible past.

  Still, after hearing Riko’s words maybe I should at least give my father a chance to speak with me.

  “I’ll consider what you’ve said. But for now, I’d like to focus on my work. So let’s drop the subject.”

  Riko nodded in understanding.

  “Got it.”

  He then walked over to his desk and began working on a new stack of papers lying there.

  Sitting in my room, I finished writing off the last of my report for the disciplinary committee and shoved it into my bag.

  “Um…Sir Savoncho?”

  Hearing a voice, I turn my head to find Vey twiddling her fingers while looking at me.

  “What’s up?”

  “I was wondering…could you help me with something?”

  “If it’s something within my power. What do you need?”

  Relieved by my words, Vey was about to say something before her body went stiff and she closed her mouth.

  “Actually…No. It’s nothing important. Forget I said anything.”

  “Er…Okay?”

  Why did she suddenly look so nervous?

  “I’m…just gonna go to bed.”

  Without another word, Vey walked over to her bed and pulled up her covers before closing her eyes. What was all that about?

  Deciding to let it go for now, I walked over to bed where Nia was waiting for me.

  She instantly snuggled up close after I relaxed into bed and I closed my eyes.

  The next morning, Vey got up early and eyed Axel who was still sleeping peacefully.

  Slipping on her uniform, Vey snuck out as quietly as she could and began making her way toward the school building.

  At the front gate, a group of girls were smirking as they spotted her.

  “Hey. Glad to see you made it on time.”

  Seeing their smiles only caused a shiver to crawl down Vey’s spine.

  Without hesitation, one of the girls, who appeared to be the leader, stuck out her foot.

  “Now then commoner, before we do anything else, lick my shoes clean.”

  Frustrated, Vey obeyed as she began licking the girl’s shoes.

  As she did so, other girls began kicking her sides.

  “Hah! That’s where you belong commoner!”

  “Serves you right for trying to stand on our level!”

  “You look as pathetic as you should be!”

  Vey was used to this treatment. After all, she’d been treated like this ever since she was mysteriously transferred to the royal squire classes.

  She still didn’t know why it happened, but one day she was told she was being moved to the royal classes without her notice and she had no say in the matter.

  Despite the fact, that her family had become rich and like royalty themselves, the other nobles didn't seem to see it that way and constantly bullied her for being on a different level than them. And up to this point, she’d been covering her wounds with make-up and refused to tell Axel about it since she didn’t want to bother the one she served.

  Even last night, despite wanting to ask for his help, she held back and stifled her words before they could escape her mouth.

  Knowing how nice the one she served was, he wouldn’t hesitate to help her. However, he could risk expulsion if he hurt any of these girls.

  Because of these concerns, Vey planned to keep this to herself. Even if it was degrading and disgusting.

  The girls continued kicking as she licked their leader's shoes clean.

  Once she was done, the leader joined in the kicking.

  “Haha! This is what you deserve you filthy comm-!?”

  Before she could finish her sentence, the leader suddenly felt herself lose her footing and she slipped onto the ground.

  “Owchie!”

  Rubbing her butt, the girl looked around confused before freezing up as an intense aura began to loom over her.

  “What do you think you’re doing to my squire you pint-sized punks?”

  The voice was quiet but menacing.

  The rest of the girls froze up as well as they turned to look toward the voice.

  Standing there was Axel who gave them a chilling smile.

  The group’s leader, who figured out almost immediately who he was instantly smirked as she spoke up.

  “We’re just putting this girl in her place? Is that so wrong?”

  “Is that so wrong? What a funny thing for an insect like you to say.”

  Axel’s voice was filled with venom as he glared at the group’s leader.

  The leader looked completely baffled by his insult.

  “H-How dare you call me an insect! You commoners are all the same! A bunch of low-life snakes that don't know their place! Do you seriously think you will get away with insulting me!?”

  Axel remained silent for a moment which the leader took as a win for her and she smiled confidently.

  However, that smile quickly fainted when Axel started chuckling.

  “What’s so funny!?”

  The leader was growing quite enraged at this point.

  “Sorry. I just thought it was kinda funny. That’s all.”

  “What do you mean by th-!?”

  Before she could say anything else, Axel’s next words caused the girl’s leader's whole body to shiver in fear.

  “As a member of the disciplinary committee, if I see behavior like this, I’m obligated to put a stop to it by any means necessary. Do you know what that means?”

  At that moment, the girls who once thought Axel was beneath them suddenly felt like he was looming high over their heads.

  “It means no one will blame me no matter what happens to all of you. So are you gonna learn your lesson? Or do I need to get a little more physical to make you understand?”

  The chilling smile never left Axel’s face as he kept his eyes on the girls.

  Clearly sensing his bloodlust, the entire group took a few steps back before all dashing off into the school with fear in their eyes. All the while the leader quickly glared at Axel before following the others.

  Letting out a frustrated sigh, I let my pent-up anger out of my body and turned to Vey.

  Suspicious of her actions the night before, I decided to wake up a bit early and found her leaving the dorm.

  I tried to stay back and gather information in hopes of reporting things to the disciplinary committee, but my anger got the best of me.

  Come to think of it, those girls seemed pretty terrified of me. Did some of my bloodlust leak out by accident? I was trying to keep it in as best I could, but I guess I accidentally let it escape. My bad.

  Walking over to Vey, I helped her up and guided her to the nurse's office.

  Once she got some treatment, I checked up on her and asked her to explain things to me.

  Apparently, she randomly got transferred to the royal squire classes and all the kids in there were bullying her due to her previous life as a commoner before her family struck it rich.

  Geez. Even the younger generation at this school were corrupt as hell.

  “If they were bullying you why didn’t you tell me?”

  Tears began forming in Vey’s eyes as I continued my questioning.

  “I…I didn’t want to be a bother to you. And if you did step in, you could end up getting expelled and it’d be all my fault.”

  Ah. So she was concerned for my well-being.

  As nice as it is to hear that, I’m afraid I couldn’t let it slide.

  “Listen to me when I say this, don’t hesitate to come to me when you need help. No matter what happens, I’ll be there for you. I promise. As punishment for keeping this from me, you now have a duty to come to me whenever you’re in trouble. If you fail to do so, I’ll cut the ties between us and remove you from your role as my squire.”

  Vey immediately hugged me tightly as her face went pale.

  “No! Anything but that!”

  Huh? Why did she look so scared when I brought that idea up?

  Well, if it motivates her to come to me, that’s all the better. The last thing I want for her is to end up like an edgy loner who thinks she has to do everything by herself. All that attitude would do is get her killed.

  Waving her goodbye one last time, Axel left the nurse's office and Vey found herself by her lonesome save for the nurse who was relaxing at her desk.

  Curling up into a ball, Vey thought about Axel’s words from before.

  “As punishment for keeping this from me, you now have a duty to come to me whenever you’re in trouble. If you fail to do so, I’ll cut the ties between us and remove you from your role as my squire.”

  Those words hung in Vey’s mind. They terrified her.

  She still remembered when she was a kid and how she decided to go out alone into the forest outside her village.

  Had Axel not been there to save her, she probably would’ve been sold off to some slaver and been forced to act out her days cleaning someone's home…or worse.

  Thanks to that day, she decided she would dedicate her life to serving Axel to the best of her abilities. Even after her time as his squire was over. For her, Axel was everything. And if he decided to leave her behind, she knew her life wouldn’t have any meaning anymore.

  Thus, staying his squire was her number one priority. No matter what she had to do in order to ensure she remained at his side.

  Once I left the nurse's office, I pulled out my grimoire.

  “You think she’s okay?”

  “Dunno. She seemed quite desperate when she heard you mentioned leaving her side.”

  “I guess we're on the same page then. I just hope this doesn’t turn into some massive hassle.”

  After saying that, I let out a sigh. It seems life’s never dull in a dating sim.