I Have a Stalker of Noble Status. And to Make Matters Worse, their Numbers are Increasing (BL) - Chapter 17

“Herb gathering?”

“Yes! You mentioned before that you wanted to go outside the city, so I thought it might be nice to go together.”

◇◇◇

A few weeks have passed since the Ghost Prince’s introduction event.

As for me, I’ve been living my usual academy life.

Even when a dazzling Academy Prince arrives every morning in his fabulous carriage to pick me up.

Even when an Elite Glasses guy insists on tagging along wherever I go.

Even when the Idol Saint sitting beside me starts conversations every single break.

Even when I thought I was safe during class, only for the Ghost Prince to suddenly barge in. ← NEW!

…At this point, this has become my normal.

Yes, I’d like to cry.

By the way, Prince Chrisford is currently floating above me and Angelica.

During class, he insists on sitting between us, maintaining an awkward half-squat position. Since he has no chair, he ends up in a permanent air-sitting pose.
The sight is… beyond surreal.

Thinking back, I should have said something when he first appeared in class.

“Like this, it feels as if I’m truly part of the class! I’m so happy!”

…With a beaming smile like that, how could I even bring myself to scold him?

Meanwhile, Angelica had simply responded, “That’s wonderful!”

She’s really something else.

As expected of a heroine—her ability to stay composed is on a whole other level.

And now, here she is, inviting me to go outside the city.

…Oh, Prince Chrisford?

Yeah, he’s still here. (At this point, it’s just a horror scene.)

◇

To be fair, I had mentioned before that I wanted to leave the city and explore a bit.

The royal capital is impressive—there’s nothing you can’t find here. But for someone like me, who grew up in the countryside, I can’t help but miss nature now and then.

“If you find rare herbs, the shop will buy them, so it’s also a good way to earn some money,” Angelica whispers, lowering her voice slightly.

Ugh. That’s… actually really tempting.

When I first arrived in the capital, I had every intention of getting a part-time job. Yet somehow, nearly six months have slipped by.

As a scholarship student, my tuition and dorm fees are covered, but I still have to pay for stationery, reference books, and lunch myself.
(For the record, breakfast and dinner are included in the dorm fees. Bless.)

The only reason I’ve been able to avoid working so far is because Ray and Max have been covering almost all my expenses at the academy.

Though, to be clear, they’re not personally paying for me.

Among the highest-ranking nobles, there’s a special privilege—within the academy, they don’t need to use money at all.
Yes, that means everything is free.

Of course, this is because they make substantial donations to the school, essentially paying for their elite status.

Ray and Max both fall into this ultra-high-class category.

So, as long as I’m with them, I basically don’t need to spend any money either.
Talk about a remora fish existence.

“Wait, people around them don’t have to pay either?!”
Yeah, that was my exact reaction when I first found out.

Apparently, nobles of their status are expected to have entourages, and it’s only natural that their expenses are covered.

At one point, I asked Ray and Max why they don’t keep an entourage like other high-ranking nobles do.

Max simply said, “That’s just not the Maxwell way.”

Ray, on the other hand… well, in his first few lives, he did have an entourage.

However…

Over the past six reincarnations, as he desperately tried to help Violetta-sama, he was betrayed, used, and abandoned over and over again.

“It’s pathetic to admit, but… I’m afraid of the people who approach me.”

Ray had forced a smile when he said that.
It was painful to see, so I never pressed him for more details.

If I ask, he’ll answer. But he never brings it up on his own.

Max, however, probably knows the full story.

When the two of them first spoke, they interrogated each other thoroughly to confirm the facts of their shared experiences.
The way high-ranking nobles probe for information… is honestly terrifying.

Back then, I wasn’t included in their discussion, and honestly, it made me feel a little left out.

But now, I understand.

They were probably being considerate of me.

Anyway, back to the topic—herb gathering, huh?

…Maybe I should give it a try.

I don’t want to burden my family, the barony, any more than I already have. And there’s no guarantee that I can continue living off Ray and Max’s generosity forever.

It’s about time I secured a way to earn money on my own.

“Yeah! Thanks, Angelica—I’d love to join you!”