Always think rationally.

Decide with cold reason, not following the heart's desires.

This was always a phrase Rie kept close to her heart.

Lately, she hasn't been able to adhere to it well, but she always tried to apply it in her daily life.

So, Rie thought rationally.

What would happen if she married Rudy?

First... Rie herself liked him.

No, she shouldnt jump to conclusions with such words.

She decided to think rationally, efficiently, and calculatedly.

Let's think about Rudy.

For starters, he wasnt particularly tall.

A height around the mid-170 cm.

Average.

However, when she saw the future version of Rudy, he seemed taller than he is now.

Probably around 180 cm...

Among adult men, that was considered on the taller side.

And when considering his face... it was decent, not bad.

That meant the genes hed pass onto their children wouldn't be bad either.

Now, lets consider other aspects.

Rudy's family is the Astria family, the largest ducal family in the empire.

Could there be a better family in the empire?

Of course, as the leader of the noble faction, they stood on the opposite side of Rie, who would become the Empress.

Depending on the perspective, they could be star-crossed lovers.

But its also an opportunity to strengthen the empire.

The current successor of the Astria family, Ian, is hostile to the emperor.

He showed an even more hostile attitude than the current head of the Astria family.

But Rudy is different.

His actions so far and his words have been very friendly towards the emperor.

His attitude was so favorable that it made one wonder if he really grew up in the same house.

If that's the case, marrying Rudy would be politically advantageous as well.

If Rudy forges ties with the royal family, his political standing would elevate.

Considering Rudy's current skyrocketing reputation, if he properly forms a connection with the Royal family, he would be on par with Ian, if not surpass him.

In other words, it meant he wouldn't fall behind when competing for the position of the successor.

This marriage acts as a robust support for Rudy to inherit the duchy.

If Rudy inherits the Astria family, they would support the emperor, making it politically beneficial.

Also, it's important to consider if he has any debts or personal issues.

Although there were rumors that he lived a reckless life in the past, it was clear they were just baseless rumors.

The only other issue was the noticeable number of women around him, but that didnt concern her.

She just had to hold onto him tightly.

She just had to ensure he couldnt escape her charm.

Now, let's consider their life together as a married couple.

Is she compatible with him?

There wasn't much to say on that matter.

They were already in a good relationship, and their personalities seemed to match well.

Though they bickered from time to time, it wasn't genuine fighting; it was more like playful teasing.

Moreover, when deciding on most matters, their styles were so compatible that they resolved issues without much disagreement.

Some say that couples should have at least one major fight before getting married, but why?

There was no reason to fight.

That left only the question of personal preferences.

When you get married, you spend a lot of time together, so it's essential that tastes, especially in food and hobbies, match to some extent.

With that in mind, Rie went to find Rudy.

But, as expected, there were no issues.

"As I thought, we have no problems."

Their preferences in food, hobbies, and even their ways of thinking were similar.

It was a perfect match.

That's why Rie confidently asked:

"Do you want to get engaged to me?"

Beating around the bush or acting shy wasn't Rie's style.

She preferred a direct approach.

That's how Rie lived her life.

Rie stared intently at Rudy.

Rudy, with a surprised face, looked back at her.

Seeing his expression, Rie's face began to flush.

She realized the implications of what she had just said.

A confession.

Rie had confessed.

Marry me.

It wasn't uncommon for women to confess, but it still felt embarrassing in its own way.

Especially when they hadn't been dating or even discussed their feelings before.

"W-wait, I mean... we should talk about getting married...?

Rie, with flustered gestures, tried to elaborate on what she meant.

Rudy was taken aback by Rie's reaction.

Why are you panicking after saying all that?

Rie couldn't disagree with that.

Rie thought that pushing forward without explaining in detail would be more effective than rambling on with explanations.

"W-well, a-anyway, let's... let's get engaged for now!"

Rie said, looking up at Rudy with her face turning even redder.

"N-no... how can you suddenly bring up something we've never even talked about before... and it's marriage."

What's there to think about?

Rie said, placing her hand on her chest and puffed it out with pride.

A beautiful person like me is offering to become your wife! I have skills! And a good family background!

But, despite her confident attitude, her face was turning crimson.

Rie shifted her gaze away, unable to maintain eye contact with Rudy.

She genuinely believed her confession was a logical decision.

But, after saying it out loud, she realized she acted more emotionally than she had intended.

Having already viewed Rudy through rose-colored glasses, Rie's thoughts weren't exactly logical or objective.

Rather, she had already come to a conclusion and was simply rationalizing her actions.

In reality, Rie had confessed to Rudy simply because she liked him.

"But... why are we talking about marriage all of a sudden?"

Rudy was taken aback and blushed with embarrassment.

"We're not kids, so why just date? Let's... let's just... get married,"

Rie said confidently at first, but her voice trailed off shyly at the mention of marriage.

"Let's... think about this later..."

"No! I want to hear your answer now!"

Rie firmly told Rudy.

"I have to go study, and it'll bother me if I don't know the answer now!"

Of course, regardless of Rudy's answer, Rie would be too distracted to study that night.

But she still wanted to hear his answer now.

Knowing Rudy's personality, it was obvious he wouldn't give a straightforward answer.

Lately, he seemed busy and lost in thought.

Rie knew that if she let this pass, the topic would drag on.

So she had to push forward.

It was advantageous to strike when the opponent appeared vulnerable.

This strategy was basic for Rie, who had studied the art of war.

However, one thing concerned her: What if Rudy rejected her outright?

Despite all her planning, she hadn't anticipated this possibility.

The usually assertive Rie quietly looked for signs in Rudy's expressions, then asked in a small voice,

"Um... do you... not like me?"

"No, no, I like you..."

Rudy replied quickly, hearing the uncertainty in Rie's voice.

Hearing that, Rie's eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh."

Rudy realized the implications of what he had just said.

He recognized the weight of his words and the potential consequences.

"Still... I mean, a sudden marriage..."

"Not marriage, but engagement."

Rie corrected him.

"We'll get married after graduation. That sounds good to you, right?"

"Well, yes, but beyond whether it's good or not"

"The wedding can be a small, intimate one, with delicious food prepared just for us."

"That's not the point."

"Having a big wedding isn't really necessary, right?"

"W-well, that's true. But the issue is the very premise of marriage"

Suddenly, Rie stepped closer and grabbed Rudy's tie.

Due to the height difference, Rudy had to tilt his head down.

Rie brought his head down to her level, looked straight into his eyes, and began to speak.

"Just tell me. Do you like me or not?"

"Well... I do, but..."

"That's enough."

As Rudy tried to say something, Rie cut him off.

Rie moved closer and pressed her lips against Rudy's.

And so, under the dim moonlight, their lips met.

After some time had passed.

In Rie's room.

After kissing Rudy, Rie had retreated straight to her room.

She knew that if they had started talking, Rudy would have begun to ask all sorts of questions.

Not knowing what to say, she had simply bolted.

"Hehe...heh..."

Lying on her bed, Rie had a silly smile on her face.

Her confident demeanor had completely disappeared, leaving behind only an innocent girl.

Despite the approaching final exams, she lay on her bed, hugging her teddy bear tightly.

Rie continued to roll around her bed while hugging her teddy bear.

Late at night.

Robert was in an academy laboratory, going through various documents.

"Hmm..."

The papers were about Daemon, the necromancer of the rebels.

The central authority had identified and located everyone who had previously infiltrated the academy based on their appearances and names.

Jefrin, for instance, was quickly identified since he was already a famous wizard in the central region.

Of course, the odd thing was that Jefrin had originally been an old man*, but Robert didnt dwell on that.

The magic used was similar, and after analyzing the magical tool that Luna had stolen, it was found to be similar to the ones Jefrin had created.

There was a possibility he had an apprentice, but there were too many similarities between Jefrin's appearance when he was young and now.

People speculated that Aryandor had done something with time magic.

Perhaps through some agreement, Aryandor had granted Jefrin youth, and in return, Jefrin is helping Aryandor.

It was a plausible guess, especially since a wizard of Jefrins caliber had suddenly joined the rebels.

However, traces of others were not easily found.

It was impossible to find out about Venderwood, who had been a slave, and Daemon, who hailed from the underground city Ephomos, left no trace after the disappearance of Ephomos.

Still, remnants of their past were present, and Robert could somewhat piece things together.

He continued reading the related documents.

"A sister...?"

Robert leaned back in his chair after reading the document.

"It's clear that he's up to something."

Robert reclined, creaking his chair.

"If such a person exists... I can't just sit still and wait anymore."

Robert stared at the drawer in front of him.

The drawer contained documents related to Levian, the owner of the magic book Luna had.

Robert had been waiting on an investigation regarding Levian's magic book, but there had been no progress on the matter lately due to his busy schedule.

"It's good timing. That guy owes me a favor..."

That guy.

He was referring to Luna.

He had recently taught Luna about mana stones and staff synthesis, so he felt she owed him a favor.

What Robert needed was information.

How the magic book came into Luna's possession.

And the events that happened before that.

Luna didn't know much when asked.

However, her father might know something.

Luna was quite young when she received the magic book.

He thought all of this needed to be investigated.

"That guy Rudy... that girl... If the three of us go..."

Robert muttered to himself roughly and immediately sat down in his chair.

Then he got up and began writing a document.

It was a document related to leave.

He planned to apply for leave during the summer vacation after the final exams.

"There shouldn't be any problems."

Robert thought so and continued writing the document.

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*I called Jefrin a she since he looked like a little girl but looks like that was a mistake.