I’m an Ordinary Returning Student at the Academy

[Translator – Angel Dust]

[Proofreader – Prototype]

Chapter 192

“This is a disaster. Is this really going to work? No matter how hard I try, it’s just not happening.”

Shulifen anxiously stared at his reflection in the mirror.

No matter how he looked at it, something seemed to be missing. He lacked the same impact as Karl.

“At this rate, I won’t even be able to talk to the noble ladies, let alone date them!”

Shulifen confided his worries to the servants.

Their response was a chorus of gasps and exclamations of ‘Oh my goodness, Young Lord! How could you say such a thing? You’re already incredibly handsome!’

“If you were to attend a ball, the young ladies would undoubtedly be charmed by you.”

“Is that a response out of loyalty to the family?”

“No! This is my honest opinion!!”

He couldn’t even imagine it, and he probably never would. But Shulifen was, in fact, the protagonist. And he possessed the looks befitting a protagonist.

The servants’ compliments weren’t just flattery, they were objective assessments.

Yet, Shulifen remained unconvinced, believing he was somehow lacking.

This stemmed from the fact that he had been decisively rejected by Selena in the past.

Even though it was time for him to regain his confidence, the problem was that the person beside Selena was none other than Karl.

‘Shouldn’t I at least be good enough to stand behind Karl?’

If anyone else had heard this, they would have dismissed it as nonsense. How could one compare themselves to Karl? He was simply an exceptional being.

It wasn’t just about looks, Karl was incomparable in terms of reputation and social standing!

‘I feel like I need to achieve something more before I can confidently face the noble ladies. Only then can I proudly say I’m Karl’s friend.’

After spending nearly two years together, Shulifen’s standards for what constituted ‘being good enough’ had become excessively high. And this wasn’t a struggle unique to Shulifen.

“I have absolutely no confidence… Are you sure the ladies like me?”

“No matter how I look at it, I lack charm. What do you think?”

“…I need to be at least 0.5% Karl, but I don’t even come close.”

Wilhelm, Alexander, and Joachim were all making the same mistake of choosing the wrong person to compare themselves to.

* * *

“…What are you guys doing here, barging in like this?”

The busiest period had passed, and the dissertation that had been weighing on her was finally coming together. With the data analysis complete, all that remained was to complete the necessary requirements to earn her master’s degree within the year.

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Selena had just stepped out of the lab for a much-needed break when…

“Help me out, Selena.”

“If I go to Karl, he’ll just scold me.”

“A woman would understand another woman’s heart better.”

“Help me! No, save me!”

Looking at the four men, Selena found herself caught in a whirlwind of thoughts.

‘This is strange. These guys used to be normal. When did they become so weird? One moment they seem normal, the next they’re acting like fools. Could it be because they got rejected by me? Or did it start when they began hanging out with Karl?’

“Sigh.”

‘Calm down, Selena. If people turned weird after being rejected by you, Karl should be the weirdest of them all. Well, enlisting in the army was a bit extreme, but he’s been perfectly normal since then, so let’s ignore that. It leaves the possibility that it’s because of Karl’s influence… but that doesn’t make sense either, so let’s discard that too.’

“Alright, guys. Let’s break this down. You want to experience romance, but you feel inadequate and scared? You’re afraid that the noble ladies will be disappointed, so you hesitate to make a move?”

“Exactly.”

“What do you think of us? We won’t get rejected again, right?”

“We’ve been bragging about being Karl’s friends, but what if we’re not even 0.1% of Karl when it comes to being romantic partners?”

Selena immediately facepalmed.

‘These guys… They’re comparing themselves to the wrong person. Even if the sons of dukes came along, Karl would still be out of their league. He received the Medal of Honor twice. That alone makes him a hero. And you guys seem to forget that you’re the heirs to Marquisates and Counties. You may not be on Karl’s level, but you’re right below him. There’s no reason for you to feel inferior.’

“You guys have been spending so much time with Karl that you’ve forgotten how influential your family backgrounds are.”

“But we don’t want arranged marriages based solely on family status!”

“We want real love!”

“Someone who will love me for who I am!”

“Someone we can go to the army and grad school for!”

‘Seriously? Was that last comment a provocation?’

Selena’s eyes narrowed, and the four men immediately fell silent.

“…Let me make this clear. First of all, you weren’t rejected because you were lacking in any way.”

“Right.”

“We know.”

“You were going through a tough time back then, Selena.”

“If you understand, then that’s good. And comparing yourselves to Karl is pointless. Karl is just… Well, this isn’t because he’s my boyfriend, but he’s simply exceptional.”

It wasn’t just the Medal of Honor. He was even being considered for Sainthood by the Church.

He had connections to Hyzens and Lasker, and most importantly, he had made a name for himself in every field of the society.

If everyone despaired over not being like him, the whole world would be in despair.

“Remember, guys. You are the heirs to Great Noble families. You’re the future Marquises and Counts. If you show interest in them, no noble lady would say, ‘Go away!'”

“…What if they compare me to Karl and find me lacking?”

“Why are you even worried about that? Karl is already taken!”

Selena was already dealing with three other rivals, and she couldn’t handle any more!

If other ladies dared to set their eyes on Karl, she was confident that she could fend them off with her dissertation.

“Stop with the nonsense and show them your sincerity.”

“…You’re right. That’s what we should do.”

“As expected of Selena.”

“No wonder Karl likes you so much.”

“We deserved to be rejected.”

‘Are these guys trying to make me feel guilty?’

“Hold on a second.”

Sensing something amiss, she quickly interjected.

“By the way, when you’re talking like this, do you guys even have any noble ladies in mind that you like?”

“Huh? Not yet.”

“Nope.”

“Me neither.”

“Same here.”

“…”

Selena silently gripped the thick stack of papers she had brought with her.

She finally understood why Karl always fiddled with his greatsword whenever he saw these four.

“Ouch! Ouch!! Why, why are you doing this?!”

“Shut up and take it. You deserve it.”

“Cough! You’re just like Karl!”

“Of course I am! We’re going to be married in two years! But more importantly, you haven’t even started anything yet, and you’re already overthinking everything?!”

“We’re just worried, that’s all!”

“Instead of worrying, you should be figuring out who you like!”

‘What on earth does Karl see in these guys to call them his friends?!’

She remembered Karl once jokingly saying, ‘Those guys helping out the foundation is just them paying their friendship dues.’

At the time, she thought it was a joke, but now it seemed like it might not have been!

* * *

“Argh! I feel like hitting them with these papers!”

Whoa, whoa, calm down, Selena. That’s just how they are.

Selena chugged her now-cold black tea as if it were cheap beer, a clear indication of her frustration and anger towards the four men.

When I think about it, it was indeed absurd.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

‘Comparing themselves to me, fine. That’s understandable. We’ve spent a lot of time together as friends. And since they were rejected by her, they might think it’s their fault. So, yeah, I can understand and let that slide.’

But even so, they hadn’t even confessed or approached any noble ladies yet.

To be worrying from the very start was a definite strikeout.

“I’m seriously worried! They’re going to be Marquises and Counts soon, and they’re acting like this!”

“Well, wouldn’t their families take care of those worries?”

“It makes my blood boil to think of them going around saying they’re your friends!”

“…That is a bit concerning.”

One of the things she had been genuinely worried about lately was related to that.

“The response to mint chocolate has been extraordinary, Young Lord.”

“What do you mean? Is it not good, but actually bad?”

“No, it’s incredibly popular within the Empire, and now that it’s spread to Avileshti, the mages there are talking about it.”

“No way.”

“But it doesn’t stop there. Recently, it’s made its way into Lasker, thanks to the growing trade relations with Avileshti, and it’s quickly gaining popularity there as well…”

“Don’t tell me…”

“Even in Hyzens, there’s been a growing number of people praising mint chocolate.”

“Oh, for f*ck’s sake!”

That’s right. That damn mint chocolate. Or more accurately, the devil’s concoction created by those four.

It had finally crossed borders and started spreading across the continent.

Thanks to this, the four of them had gained new titles like ‘Creators of Mint Chocolate’ and ‘Gourmet Quartet’ in addition to ‘Friends of the Medal of Honor Recipient’ and ‘Strong Supporters of Karl Adelheit.’

So far, so good. But do you know what the most frustrating part is?

“The Quartet loves mint chocolate, so Young Lord Karl must be a mint chocolate lover too!”

“Indeed! Mint chocolate is a flavor that even the goddess approves of!!”

—Such blasphemous words had been uttered.

‘Hey! I’m not a mint chocolate lover! I despise it! I don’t eat it! I don’t eat it, I tell you! And oh Goddess! They think you approve of mint chocolate! Please send down your divine judgment upon them! Tell them that mint chocolate is not your will!!’

“…Huh?!”

Surprisingly, the heavens remained silent.

[Translator – Angel Dust]

[Proofreader – Prototype]