Ximo’s little face flushed red. She didn’t want to come off as such a foodie… but that damn system quest still wasn’t done!
“You’re really interesting, Ximo. No problem, I’ll wait for you~”
Melrose sheathed her rapier and watched as Ximo picked up her Student Terminal from the bushes.
“I see,” Melrose said with sudden realization. “You figured out so quickly that Hunters use the Student Terminals to track examinees’ positions?”
She had seemed so meek and submissive during their previous encounters, yet Melrose hadn’t expected Ximo to be so seasoned in combat, with such a decisive sneak attack…
Coupled with Ximo’s deliberate attempts to get close to her before, Melrose grew even more curious about the secrets Ximo was hiding.
“Just a lucky guess, haha…”
Ximo awkwardly rubbed her nose. She had simply reasoned out how Hunters located examinees. Normal people might not immediately think of the Student Terminal, since there were many types of tracking magic.
But for Ximo, still clinging to modern thinking, looking at the phone-like Student Terminal in her hand… well, the answer was obvious. That’s why she had come up with the plan to use it as bait.
…
“Sorry about that, Ximo. I ate your food without asking—mainly because I didn’t expect any examinee to be cooking in the forest. I got a bit curious.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine…”
Ximo bit into a piece of rabbit meat. The cute bunny was now not just cute but tender and juicy. Melrose had tasted the roast rabbit earlier too, and Ximo had added some seasoning herbs, making it quite delicious.
Melrose propped her chin on one hand, smiling as she watched Ximo eat. Though being stared at while eating was a bit pressuring, Ximo finally relaxed after hearing the quest completion chime in her mind.
“You know, when I took the freshman exam last year, I did something similar.”
Melrose set down her rapier, seemingly unconcerned about her Hunter role, and chatted casually with Ximo as if it were nothing.
Oh, so last year during your exam, you got screwed by the system and had to complete a quest too, huh… Ximo thought to herself, of course not daring to say it aloud.
“The entrance exam lasts three days. Last year, I got… let me think, over two hundred points in two days.”
“I figured the magic beasts in the exam grounds were limited in number. The more points I took, the fewer there were for the others.”
“My score was already high enough anyway, so on the last day, I stopped hunting magic beasts and just found a spot to rest properly.”
Ximo nodded silently, unsure of how to respond. Melrose truly lived up to her status as the Empire’s princess, humblebragging so naturally.
“But I think you’re more impressive than me, Ximo. I only dared to rest once my score was secure, but you’ve been this relaxed right from the start of the exam. You must be really confident in yourself.”
“Hah?” Ximo nearly choked on the thick soup. “No, no, no, you misunderstood, Senior Melrose. I’m not that humbl— I mean, confident.”
“Oh? Then what’s the reason for doing it this way, Ximo?”
“I…”
Ximo chewed silently on the rabbit meat in her mouth. She could hardly tell Melrose it was to complete a system quest, right?
“…I was a bit hungry, yeah.”
Ximo’s answer made Melrose burst into laughter. It was the first time she’d heard such a adorably dumb response. This little maid was clearly shrewd and strong, yet sometimes she gave off this endearingly airheaded vibe.
“Ah, I think I bit that spot earlier, Ximo.”
Melrose flashed a teasing smile, watching Ximo’s reaction. Her desire to tease Ximo was growing stronger—she hadn’t been wrong; Ximo was the perfect “toy.”
This moment alone together was a great opportunity. Melrose figured she could toss out a little olive branch… lure this little maid into biting the hook.
She couldn’t wait to see the adorably panicked look on Ximo’s face when she realized she’d fallen into the trap. Ximo had been trying to sneak close to her anyway; she’d definitely take the bait.
“Does this count as an indirect kiss, Ximo…? Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Melrose’s seemingly casual remark made Ximo pause. Her nerves had been on edge since earlier—not because Melrose was a Hunter.
Ever since learning that Melrose’s sunny, approachable persona was all a facade, Ximo had been wary of this two-faced woman. This comment immediately set off her alarms.
How to put it… it somehow reeked of green tea vibes?
Ximo nodded and tore off the piece Melrose had bitten, tossing it aside.
“Oh, thanks for the reminder, Senior Melrose.”
Seeing Ximo’s bright, sunny smile directed at her, Melrose fell silent for a moment.
Why wasn’t the plot unfolding as she’d imagined?
If any other academy student saw Ximo’s reaction right now, they’d probably faint from anger. This was Melrose, after all—even if she acted approachable, everyone knew the gap between themselves and the Roland Princess.
A normal student would have been fluttering with excitement inside at such words, but Ximo treated her like any ordinary senior in casual chat.
What was with “thanks for the reminder”? Was that what she meant?
If Melrose had read those domineering CEO novels, she might have thought, Heh, an interesting woman. Trying to play hard-to-get to catch my eye? Fine, you’ve succeeded.
Unfortunately, she hadn’t, so Ximo’s “hard-to-get” act only piqued her interest more.
She’d been scheming to get close just days ago, yet now she reacted like this to such obvious overtures?
Melrose couldn’t tell if Ximo was playing dumb or genuinely missing her subtext, but just as she pondered switching topics to probe further, her Student Terminal suddenly rang.
It really is like a phone… Ximo thought to herself, watching Melrose answer the call—no, the Student Terminal.
“Yes, Teacher Shirley, I’m here. What happened?”
Melrose then fell silent for a long time, but from her increasingly serious expression, Ximo could tell something had gone wrong.
