Her strawberry pair darted left to right, making out words from the ink texts.
She gazed up at the soft blue-haired girl who stood before her. A brow was raised, as if unable to comprehend the scroll she held. "This is.."
The girl gently smiled at her. "It's a simple incident report."
Two students enacting a bloody fistfight over a girl didn't seem simple, so it seemed to the Light Princess. She rubbed her temples, a deep and frustrating sigh escaping her mouth. "This one's a little unexpected, I don't recall bumping into any incident reports like these."
Minerva clasped her hands behind and innocently looked away, as if hiding an obvious fact.
Taking notice, Noelle forced a wry smile. "You're more.. Experienced in these things."
Minerva cheerfully giggled to her strained voice. "Oh, not at all!" she waved her hand. "I'm just like you,—[manless]."
The poor princess grunted as if sucker punched, her heart pierced by a javelin.
She hitched her breath, wiping a drop of sweat from her head. "A—Anyways.." she pointed behind. "Close the blinds."
"Uh, sure." Minerva walked over, dimming the room as she pulled the blinds.
Noelle went over the scroll again, her tightening grip and squinted eyes giving away the frustration as if it were a maths exam.
Minerva seemed to have noticed and leaned closer. "You seem to be stuck with this one."
"Is it that obvious?" Granted, she was the best student in the academy, though it seemed to have come with a price: Romance.—Something everyone, especially every teen, experiences at least once.
For this instance, she didn't want to tap into her logical side to resolve the issue just yet, rather, "I was hoping to use my emotions to understand the perpetrators." But looking at the report, she can only conclude their punishment, which would naturally be the case whether or not she understood their intentions.
"Princess Trysta has a flaw~."
Noelle turned to her, who smiled all throughout. Seeing such reaction, she couldn't grasp just how Minerva could smile at it.
She turned back, her ears reddening from embarrassment. "..Quit smiling. Besides, a flaw's nothing to be happy about." she instinctively flicked her hair. "Flaws are weaknesses; weaknesses must be eradicated."
She glanced at Minerva from her peripheral, who now wore a sly smile and shrugged her shoulders. "Really? Then.. Can I expect Her Majesty to score a man by the end of the academic year?"
For a moment, her muscles tensed to those words. Did she hear Minerva right? Was she challenging her to something romance-related?
Her mouth opened, yet nothing came out so she pursed her lips. Her heart raced to the idea, though for what reasons? She couldn't tell either.
Whatever it was, she had to accept. Looking back, it's a perfect opportunity to eradicate the "weakness" she spoke about.
With folded arms, a shrugged shoulder, and a face saying "It can't be helped"; "I accept."
"Splendid!" Minerva clasped her hands in delight. "I look forward to seeing your results."
"Mhm. I also look forward to you leaving this room at once."
Her authoritative tone didn't seem to budge through Minerva's playful demeanour. Even so, she obeyed and left with an "If you'll excuse me."
The door shut, leaving the princess to herself.
She tossed the scroll away and pushed her seat from the table with a sigh of relief. She rose from her seat and turned to the Stepan flag, her hand gently holding on. "..A love interest.."
Her gaze glued to the movement of the smooth golden silk that effortlessly slipped from her fingers.—It was something that soothed her heart, perhaps from the feeling of the silk.
From there, she thought of her options.
Would the Fourth Undefeated, Damon be suitable? Certainly not. He's a capable guy, but not much of her type.—Not like she really had one to begin with.
The Fifth Undefeated, Lazarus? He's on par with Damon, though she never really saw him in any light. The very fact he was the Fifth Undefeated icked her.
The Sixth Undefeated, Sampson? He's made multiple attempts on her, but his narcissism was ahead.
The Seventh Undefeated, Gerhard? He's an honourable man, though forgettable due to his position.
"If it were Minerva, I'm sure she'd choose the likes of the [Pariah Prince] just for violent reactions."
Her body paused, brows raised from realisation.
What if she tried her luck on the Pariah Prince—Sévir van Doren?
As quickly as she thought about it, she feverishly shook her head. "No good. I've a title to protect."
Sévir was popular in his own right. Besides his history as the [Fourth Prince of the House of Doren], information was lacklustre.
Throughout the years under the radar, what did he do?
How did he afford enrollment?
Why did he enrol in the academy?
Is he a criminal?
Is he skilled in combat?
Is he smart?
There were too many unknowns. "However, he has to be smart if he lived the years alone." That's right. There was no way he could've survived early on had he not used his brain. Whether intelligent in combat or financially, either counted.
She abruptly let go of the flag, her lips pursed in confusion. "..Why am I curious?" Previously, she couldn't care less about Sévir's presence, only going as far as sending someone else to keep an eye on him.
She rubbed her chin in thought. "..Whatever the reason may be, I know best than to fight curiosity if it ever grows."
As hesitant as she was, her pursed lips eventually grew from the edges, forming a sly smile. "Actually, that's not much of a bad idea..~"
As if completely convinced, she pumped her fist with sparkling eyes. "That's it! I'll make Sévir van Doren fall for me and win the challenge!"
Her heart pumped hard from motivation. She resolutely walked around the table and onto the double wooden door before her.
—But she froze in place right before the knob.
"Wait.. How do you even fall in the first place?"
She stepped back in realisation of her lacking. She walked back to the table and pressed her hands against the wooden surface.
"..I can't charge in head first, right? I have to plan this further." She cleared her throat and tucked her hair behind her ear.
Clearly, she had to slow down and plan things first.