The Marquis' Daughter, a Research Enthusiast, Fails to Notice Her Junior's Devoted Feelings After Her Engagement is Broken. - Chapter 1.13
After that, I must have dozed off without realizing it because, by the time I woke up, Frederica was already gone.
Since the next day wasn’t a school day, I went home and slept until the afternoon. Thanks to that, I felt completely refreshed.
I headed straight to the research lab.
“Emil, are you feeling alright?”
“I’m sorry for worrying you. I’ve fully recovered.”
Hearing Frederica express concern for me made me feel even better—120% restored.
“Make sure you don’t push yourself too hard,” she said before returning to her desk.
“Wow, she was really worried about you, huh?”
Peter, grinning mischievously, teased me.
“Hehe…”
“Look at that face—you’re obviously happy about it.”
Peter, looking exasperated, then asked about my progress at the academy. I explained the situation to him.
“So, they’re after you too… Well, of course they would be.”
“Yeah, and if I leave a stationary recording device in the music room, I might be able to capture something between His Highness and her.”
“Is that the only place with a piano?”
“There’s also one in the large auditorium where performances are held, but for practice, the music room is the most likely place.”
“The recording device only has a maximum recording time of seven hours, right? If you have to go swap out the magic stone every day and someone catches you, that’s gonna be bad.”
“Exactly… It’s too suspicious.”
“Wait a second. I’ve got something for this…”
Peter rummaged through a cluttered locker and pulled out a uniform from a well-known magic tool repair shop.
“This is…?”
“You wouldn’t know, being rich and all, but some of us do part-time jobs like these.”
Apparently, Peter and the others sometimes worked repair jobs to cover material costs. The pay was surprisingly decent.
“Alright, put it on.”
“Peter… did you wash this?”
“A little dirt makes it look more authentic.”
…So, he hadn’t washed it. Reluctantly, I put it on, but the pant legs were a little too short.
“Tsk… Show-off.”
“Well, if you pretend you’re fixing the music room’s air conditioning, no one should suspect a thing. Just tuck your hair under a hat and wear a dust mask to cover your face.”
Once I was fully dressed, I looked just like a repairman. I could probably hide the short pants with boots.
“Alright. You owe me big time for this. You absolutely, positively must introduce me to a cute girl!”
Peter patted my shoulder with unnecessary enthusiasm. Normally, people demanded money or favors in return, so his straightforward friendship was refreshing.
“I’ll do my best to find someone great for you…!”
Though, how was I supposed to do that? I should probably ask my friend Barton Foshay for advice later.
Since moving around during class would reduce the chances of being seen, I headed to the music room in the middle of the fourth period. I had already confirmed that there were no music classes at this time, and I was fully disguised.
I reached the music room without running into anyone. The ease of it was almost disappointing, given how nervous I was.
I placed the recording device inside the air conditioning vent directly above the piano. From this angle, I should be able to capture both His Highness playing and the baron’s daughter singing.
After activating the recorder, I left. This setup should allow it to record until about 6:30 PM.
With only two weeks left until the cultural festival, I just had to keep this up. After changing out of my disguise, I returned to prepare for my elective class.
After class, I killed time wandering around the school until it was time to retrieve the recorder. Many students were busy making signs and decorations for the cultural festival.
As I walked, I was frequently invited by students promoting their class events:
“Come visit our class during the festival!”
One of my male students mentioned that his class was setting up a maid café.
I wasn’t entirely sure what a maid café was, but it sounded interesting.
Then, a pink-haired figure came running towards me.
…Oh no.
“Professor Emil! I’ve been looking for you!”
The baron’s daughter, Everett, puffed out her cheeks in a sulky expression. Behind her, Simon, the knight commander’s son, rushed to catch up.
“Uh… Do you need something from me?”
“Please listen to my singing! Once you do, you’ll definitely want to be my accompanist!”
She still hasn’t given up? The way she spoke as if it were already decided made me uncomfortable.
Was she using some kind of mind-control magic in her singing? Even if she was, there were plenty of ways to neutralize it. I even wore an anti-magic earring at all times, just in case.
“Sophie… Running like that is dangerous. You’ll trip again.”
Simon gently scolded her.
“It’s fine! You’re such a worrywart, Sai.”
…Wait, they call each other by nicknames?
Didn’t Simon have a fiancée? If I recall, she was the daughter of a marquis, though she didn’t attend this academy.
“Sorry about that.”
Everett glanced up at Simon and apologized. He turned bright red and looked away. She smiled in satisfaction before turning back to me.
“I heard that Prince Ernest is going to accompany you. Good luck with that!”
I returned her gaze with a polite smile, making it clear that this conversation was over.
“That won’t work! If it’s His Highness, we won’t win. It has to be you, Professor Emil!”
…We won’t win if it’s His Highness?
Why was she so certain?
She spoke as if she knew the future.
Even though many magical scholars had attempted to develop a future-predicting spell, none had succeeded.
“I’ve told you before—I’m a math teacher. I can’t accompany you.”
“You really can’t play?”
“Not at all. I’ve forgotten everything.”
“No way…”
Everett muttered something under her breath: Still image? Bug? Replaced by Ernest?
…Again with the nonsense.
Why was everyone just letting her act like this?
Seeing my reluctance, Simon put a hand on Everett’s shoulder.
“The professor has made his decision. We should get back to His Highness now.”
“Oh! His Highness is waiting? Then we must hurry!”
“Yes, you should. Good luck—I’ll be cheering for you.”
Ending the conversation abruptly, I made my escape.
Everett still seemed unconvinced, but Simon urged her toward the music room.
That night, when I retrieved the recording device, I found it had recorded everything perfectly.
Swapping out the magic stone, I played back the footage.
Simon and Everett had rushed into the music room, where His Highness was already waiting. They then began practicing.
His Highness had slightly improved his piano skills since the last time I heard him play. He must have been practicing.
Throughout the session, their interactions were ordinary. No suspicious behavior—just practice and small talk.
For the next few days, nothing out of the ordinary happened—just routine practice.
But on the eve of the festival, a sudden gust of wind blew through the music room, scattering sheet music. Everett tried to grab them but ended up falling onto His Highness.
From the overhead camera angle, it was hard to tell how close they were.
She hurriedly tried to pull away, but His Highness wrapped an arm around her waist and held her close.
A long silence followed before he finally muttered:
“Sorry… I didn’t mean to. My bad.”
Hmm… Not the most dramatic footage, but still useful.
Now, if only His Highness would talk about making Frederica his consort…
Wishful thinking.
For now, I’d keep collecting footage.