No Romance Tag! [GL]

[Notice - Entry day-> First day-> Second day-> The Opening Day for Grade 1 First years.]

Leon like every other students, wanted to roam around the Academy Compound. He was in a good mood seeing themselves succeeded with their plan on entering the Academy. 

Leon sat on his bed and waited for Ina to finish folding in her bed.

"Ina. I think we should use these two days as a good opportunity to meet those promising figures", He suggested.

Leon and Ina knew nothing much about the Higher Economy. But they did come with one plan and that was to get the 'Royal Decree' from any one of the Royal descendants- Freya Benatte, Roderick Benatte and Theo Benatte. Except for Freya Benatte who was in Grade 2-First year. Roderick and Theo Benatte would fortunately be in the same Grade and year with Leon. 

This 'Royal Decree' is the only way for Leon to enter the Imperial Command- the Royal Soldiers directly under The King. With the Royal Decree, he would not have to undergo all the fierce entrance exams and would have direct authority to investigate on Torpan Gramil's Evil works. If he was going to take down one of the Duke's descendants, he needs higher authority. There were also soldiers from commoners background but with his Magic Academy's education he would gradually be given higher position. 

The difference between commoner's and noble's was so great that there was no way for Leon to find Torpan Gramil. He knew Torpan had a Research tower since his parents work there but there was no way for him to enter the tower. The land that Torpan bought from them was turned upside down. He didn't know Torpan's face or any information on him except that he is the Granduke Gramil's second grandson. What Leon needed is authority and power. And the Magic Academy is the fastest route to that. 

"If you are done Ina, let's go out and find the Royals.", They didn't know their faces. 

"I'm sorry, Leon. I had a bad sleep last night as well, I think I will have to stay in the room today as well. Don't waste your time waiting for me and just do as you please", Ina apologised. 

Leon blinked at her for a while. Ina also refused his proposal the day before and he too decided to stay in the dorm that day. 

"I understand. After all, everything around us changed. It must be hard on you. But we have to be strong, Ina"

Leon then walk towards the door, he cannot stay in anymore, he need to find at least one of the Royals before the class starts. With or without Ina. 

"I'm off then! Make sure you have a good rest this time as well~"

Leon then closed the door on Ina.

Leon was walking past the library and then through the Park, making his way to the Open Ground. He tuned in to the whispers coming from his sides when he was almost out of the park. 

The whispers were about the cursed Prince Theo, who was sitting on one of the bench on the park, reading a book. 

Leon face lights up immediately and walks towards Prince Theo. 

"Mind if I sit with you, Prince Theo?"

"Do as you pleased"

Prince Theo answered him with his eyes still fixed on the book.

Leon smiles and proceeds to sit down next to him.

"I have heard your name a lot, Prince Theo. I am incredibly honoured to finally meet you."

But Prince Theo was not bothered by his words neither his existence at all. His eyes were death fixed on his book. 

So, Leon decided to use other methods to grabbed his attention. 

"I do not think the rumoured 'curse' is real, your highness. I do think they are exaggerating quiet a bit" 

Prince Theo let out a deep sigh before he close his book. His intense eyes then fixed on Leon. Leon indeed managed to have his attention. 

"What do you want from me?"

Leon was caught-off guard by Prince Theo's question because he did approached Prince Theo with a plan in mind.

"W-What do you mean? I.. just-",

"My Princy!", A manly voice shouted from a distance which immediately distracted Prince Theo's attention from Leon. 

The owner of the manly voice reached their location. He was panting and was covered in sweats.

Leon watched as Prince Theo sighed over the other boy. 

"This hobby of yours, Hector!", Prince Theo scolded the tanned boy. He got great muscles for his age and he too has dark black hairs like Leon.

Hector laughed out loud. But dramatically squatted down when he saw the boy sitting besides Prince Theo. 

"Oh my, I thought I was your only friend, your highness. Hey boy, what's your name?"

Hector asked Leon with a smile and waited for Leon to answer him. 

Leon was in fact shocked to see Hector sooner than he thought. Hector Gramil, was the adopted son of the Grandduke's Gramil daughter. Also the aunt of Torpan Gramil. 

"Princy, is he a mute? Or perhaps dumb?"

"Hector! You and your lousy mouth!"

The Prince scolds Hector once again. Hector let out a chuckle, throwing mocking faces at Prince Theo. 

"My name.. is Leon Gargain. Pleasure to meet you, Lord Hector"

Hector finally stopped making fun of Prince Theo.

"Leon huh? Just call me Hector please. Do you play football?"

"I.. umm"

Before Leon could answer him. Hector jolted up and started exercising his legs. 

"Come follow me, Leon boy!"

Hector then sprints towards the direction he came from. Leon could only run after him. 

An hour later.. 

Leon sighed seeing his new ripped pants. He bend down to roll up the right hem of his pants to see the abrasions on his knees which were still bleeding. He pulled the hem down again to avoid attention but when his wound touched his pants inside, he could not help but limped a little.

"If Ina had come..."

Leon decided to sit and rest a little on the Shed opposite to the entrance of the Library. He was not only wounded, his heart was still pounding fast from the intense running and kicking he had done around the field. The sun was also up bright, forbidding his sweats to dry on the way back to his dorm. He really needed the shade and comfort of the Shed. 

"There you are! Why are you so fast?"

Hector popped up in front of him. But unlike Leon, Hector seemed to love sweating. 

"Here, Leon boy", Hector handed the bandage and ointment he took from the Infirmary for Leon. 

"It was not intentional. I didn't know you were there Leon boy. I went to the Infirmary right away after helping you up, but when I came back, you were already gone"

Hector proceeded to sit inside the Shed next to Leon, pulled out a bottle and started drinking. 

"I was a bit embarrassed with the fall. I know it was not intentional. I'm okay and thank you for troubling yourself to get this"

Leon lift up the things Hector had brought for him.

Hector immediately shook his head, he was still drinking the water so he shook his head assuring Leon that it was nothing.

"Anyway Hector. I came from a small village at Mystia and have this rare opportunity to come here after the mages from the Magic Tower saw me. I've always heard about the curses of the Royals, was that really true?", Leon asked. 

Hector threw the empty bottle on the near trash bin. 

"Yes. It is. Wait, you are from Mystia? So we lived in the same cardinals?! What a surprise. Well, if you may already heard, my mother is Ferline Gramil. My good mother adopted me...."

Leon knew he succeeded in capturing Hector's attention as soon as Hector started talking about himself and inwardly smiled. 

Meanwhile inside the Library...

"I don't remember telling you my name, My lady?"

Two girls were having a serious staredown or maybe it was only Ina because Amara was avoiding Ina's intense eyes, wandering her eyes everywhere. 

"W-Well. I.. Yes! I am the daughter of the Duke, Amara Wavern. Of course, there's always ways for me~"

Amara shutters as she speaks. 

Ina then let out a scoff.

She knew Amara was always up to something and would always use her status and power to make excuses for her evil deeds.

"My apology for not recognising you, My Lady"

Ina gives Amara a deep bow. 

"If you please excuse me"

Ina crack the door opened, slowly revealing Leon and Hector who were chatting in a Shed across the Library.

"Shit", Amara cursed, peaking from behind Ina's back. Amara also spotted Clara who was closing up on the door with a worried face. She was about to call her when..

Ina decided to close the door on them.

*THUD*

"My Lady, is your proposal still valid?"

"Huh? Oh~Yes. Of course"

"Thank you for giving me such a rare opportunity, My Lady"

".....No problem?", Amara was confused seeing Ina's sudden change of heart. 

"Shall we start to look around then?"

"Oh. Of course"

Amara was nervous for all too many reasons having to walk in front of Ina and was walking rather slow which gradually annoyed Ina

"My Lady, may I ?", Ina asked Amara to let her walk first.

"Yes. Please", Amara gladly accepted her request.

Amara watched Ina who was looking around the shelves. Her nervousness finally calmed down when she caught a glimpse of Ina's delighted face. The girl in front of her was clearly thrilled.

Amara then tied both her arms on her back and started following Ina's pace with a smile. Although her words were formal, Ina was acting detached and cold with her a moment ago, making her very nervous. But it was incredibly nice to see the most beautiful girl she has ever seen in both her life's combined finally acting fine.

Ina on the other hand, believed she had no choice. If she was to fully open the door, Amara might walked out with her. So, Even though she would have to spend time with someone like Amara, she chose to do it, she won't take any chances that would endanger her life. As long as Leon and Amara did not get paired up like before, she knew half of her problems would be gone. 

Ina could not attend the Class because of Leon in the past. The most she could do about magic was watching the students practised their magic. Her situation was not much better in the present either, she at least would need to use the books from the Library as much as she could, to learn about magic. So, she could not hide her excitements. 

Ina could not forget the day she visited the library. She had found a shelf named, 'The beginning of magic', somewhere in the sea of shelves and she was searching for it.

She fasten her pace when she had found the location of the said shelf which was still two lanes away. The librarian would noticed if she was too far away from Amara so she made sure to walk her way horizontally amongst the shelves in order to make some shelves separate her from Amara, maintaining enough distance so she could have time to take a quick look at the contents of the Shelf from the its table. 

Ina's plan worked. Amara was two shelves away when Ina started reading the contents from 'The beginning of magic', on the its table. 

She was in a hurry so she didn't gave much attention to her surroundings. Therefore, She didn't notice the boy who was steadily following her. The boy also stopped and lean on the side of the Shelf which was next to the Shelf, Ina was attending to.The boy was astonished by Ina's looks and decided to follow her.

"What a surprise? Why is a maid, left unattended here?"

He finally decided to speak and made his way towards Ina. 

Ina halted her every movements. Her heart began to beat rapidly. She knew exactly who the voice belongs to.

The boy came over to stand on her right side and lowered his head to look at the contents of the Shelf exposing his blonde hairs before Ina.

"Hmm", He hummed

"Well, indeed magic is interesting. If only you are not of common blood, isn't it?"

The boy continue to speak and turn his head to look at her with a wide smile. Ina stumbled her feet away. The boy then position his body straight, facing her. 

"Well, do not be let down so soon. Even the common bloods have one thing in common with us- Beauty~.May I Know which Lord or Lady you serve? I am Roderick Benatte, the Second Prince of Renatus. I would like to have a word with them"

Roderick gave Ina a gentle smile but Ina knew those smile of his too well and what was hidden behind them. If she had a deep grudge for Amara, in case of Roderick, she would love to take the living breath out of him once and for all.

Ina slowly gathered up her strength, exchanging her fear for rage. She don't mind using her Impure magic on him. No, she would love to see him suffer. After all, the boy was still young and not yet a master of his elements as he was before. It would be nice to nip him in the bud before he grows. 

"Why is a busybody like you doing here, Prince Roderick?", Amara who heard Roderick's introduction from a distance immediately ran to Ina's location. 

Amara pulled Ina behind her and stood in front of her. Confronting Roderick herself. 

"Oh. Lady Amara?"

Roderick was not expecting to see Amara to came by the Beautiful maid's side of all people. 

He came to the library, after seeing, his half brother, Theo who usually have a gloomy expression, depart from the library with a smile. What did Theo do or see to be in that mood? He was extremely curious. 

"Indeed, I am a busy person. But I am too, a new student at this Academy and was curious about the contents of the library as well, Lady Amara" 

As he speaks his reasons, he bowed respectfully at Amara and gave her a gentle smile which Amara responded with the same bow but was expressionless. 

The Princes and Princesses would usually use the Academy grounds to widen their influence amongst the other nobles.

Roderick wanted to speak with the Lord or Lady of Ina so he could negotiate to have Ina as his maid. Also, offering a handsome pay, Ina would agreed immediately to or so he thought. But if Amara is the Lady, Ina serves, it would be a problem for him as the Dukes were in no short of money either and Amara is rumoured to have an unruly character so it would be hard to reason with her. 

"My lady, if I may ask, Is that girl a maid of yours?"

Amara was also not expecting to see Roderick in the Library. Roderick was supposed to be busy attending to the nobles's descendants ,mocking the curse Prince Theo who was not approached by anyone. Has the story altered yet again?

"Not exactly", Amara reluctantly answered him. She wished she could say 'Of course, she is! Now scram!', but was afraid Ina might have a second thought with her actions.

Hearing her response, Roderick was relieved and let out a light laugh. He could proceed with his initial plan then. 

Seeing his reaction Amara regretted her words even more. Prince Roderick Benatte was the shameless arrogant bastard who was lusting over the female lead, Ina and Leon would eventually use Ina to get on Roderick's good sides. And that would be last thing Amara wanted Ina to went through. 

Amara had to immediately strengthened her defence and clenched her fists. She was willing to do anything to protect Ina from Roderick in that moment. 

"Well, I guess, we would be seeing each other often then we have a long years awaiting for us",

Roderick was looking at Ina, hinting Ina, he was talking about her. 

"I should take my leave. As a PRINCE myself, I have important things to attend to"

He emphasized the word, 'Prince'. Making sure Ina heard about his privileged Status. 

Amara let out a breath of relief watching Prince Roderick's figure steadily vanished from her sight. 

"That was close! Ina you should never get involved with that person" 

With her eyes still fixed on the direction Prince Roderick had left, Amara advised Ina. 

Ina stopped whatever she was supposed to do to Roderick when a figure stood before her. But when she realised it was none other than Amara, she knew she has to prepare herself to take on the both of them. She never had a thought to actually kill Amara. But she would not gave it a second thought, if the situations were crucial like the mess she was in at that moment.

Standing behind Amara's back. Ina didn't feel protected at all. What if both Amara and Roderick plotted against her? They would worked out a pretty good team.

But she also could not ignore the tensed aura around Amara when she came to stood in front of her. She also saw Amara's fists balled up and her aura becoming more tense, the longer she stood in front of her. 

Then Amara's choice of word after Roderick had left made her completely lose her defences. 

"That was close! Ina you should never get involved with that person" 

Why did Ina felt like Amara was actually trying to protect her from Roderick? Was there any possibility for Amara to actually be a good person before she met Leon? Ina only did knew Amara after she fell deeply for Leon. 

Certain thoughts clouded Ina's mind. So, she failed to noticed Amara's worried gaze over her.

'She must have felt so scared', Amara had her own assumptions filled her thoughts. Ina became too quiet after Roderick had left.

And soon Ina feeling her stares, looked up at Amara. They were both of the same height but since Ina was looking down before, she has to look up to face Amara. 

Their eyes met. 

Taken aback by Ina's beautiful amber eyes suddenly on her. Amara stumbled a bit backward and let out a fake cough.

"W-Well I was just saying it since I heard Prince Roderick is a pervert-Ahem! A bad person", Amara explained her words before and looked away immediately, feeling embarrassed.

"Then, I suppose I should thank you for your kind advice, My lady", Ina let out a small laugh and bowed at Amara- astonished by Amara's reaction which was the side of Amara she never got a chance to witness in her past life.

And Amara who was struck by Ina's small laugh and gentle eyes was dazed. 

"You even look more beautiful when you're happy?", Ina's limitless beauty stunned Amara to speak her thoughts out. 

Ina tilted her head to side a bit and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Did the Prideful Amara just praised her? 

"Ahahahha!", Amara let out a loud fake laugh, feeling extremely embarrassed with her dumb self. 

"I think we should both head out now. It's getting quiet late"

Amara tapped on her wrist which obviously did not have a watch on it. 

"Oh.. Okay"

Both Amara and Ina finally went out of the library after being trapped together by the cause of Leon. 

Amara ran to Clara who was patiently waiting for her by the door as if she was her knight in shining armour and immediately dashed away from the library and Ina. 

"Oh my God×2 Clara! I am so hopeless. What to do!? Huhu~", Amara cried out of embarrassment and had her arms clung on Clara's arm as she dragged Clara and herself away.

Ina went back to Leon's room.

"You're back? Where have you been, I was worried?"

Leon scolds her. 

"Nearby", Ina gave him a short reply and sat on the wooden chair next to the window. Meeting Roderick brings back unwanted memories and the sight of Leon afterwards was unpleasant and makes her feel eventually uncomfortable.

Leon walked up to her, he felt Ina's gloomy mood. 

"Are you okay?", He asked

"Yes"

Leon sighed and went back to his bed. He laid down on his head and have both his arms under his head as a pillow. 

"I've succeeded in meeting some of those promising figures today. I hope to befriend them soon after Classes commenced. The Princes were hard to approached but we still have a lot of years ahead to win over them."

"Princes?", Ina asked. If she remembered correctly. Leon was only able met Prince Theo and Hector before the Classes commenced. 

"Yes. I met Prince Theo and Hector on the park. And while Hector and I chat on the Shed near the library, Prince Roderick suddenly shows up. It seems Hector Gramil is on good terms with the Princes, he introduced me to Prince Roderick and It was only then Prince Roderick spare a glance at me"

Leon was proud of his own achievements and peaked at Ina with a wide grin. 

 But Ina immediately felt threatened after hearing Leon's words. 

Was it because of her absence? When Leon got injured by Hector, she was there to secretly heal Leon and Hector left them with an apology after inspecting Leon's wound and after the classes commenced, Leon had a hard time meeting with any of the Royals and Hector again but fortunately found a chance to meet Prince Roderick during the mid year of Grade 1-First Year and it was only then, did Leon was able to meet Hector again and befriended him. 

If anything changes and Leon would be able to hang around them from the start of the year and if Hector, being the main point of contact for Leon to the Royals and Nobles unlike in the past decided to acknowledge Leon and hang out with him from the start of the Academy...

Ina bites her nails nervously out of fear. She could only wish for the best and promise herself not to change any parts of the past again and hindered her safety, until she finds a way to make her situations much better.