I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 797 - Side Story 70: Duke Lumos (1)

When she received a personal contact from Rudger, Flora unknowingly jumped up from her seat and stamped her feet.

It came. It finally came!

After the official execution ceremony of the Demon King, Rudger had departed on a journey, saying he would tour the world while hiding his identity.

She wanted to follow him if her heart had its way, but she couldn't. She was no longer the student she used to be.

After driving out her father and siblings who were suspected of treason, she became the new family head by subordinating the family through a deal with Emperor Aileen.

Now people called Duke Flora Lumos.

Having become the head of Lumos, most people would think Flora was too busy to go out.

However, that wasn't entirely the case. It was undeniable that there was much to do as the family head. Compared to her student days, there were also considerable restrictions on her movements.

However, for Flora, the process wasn't all that bothersome.

Flora Lumos was competent. Even aside from her unusual constitution regarding magic, she had excellent talent in understanding magic.

Beyond simply using magic well, the theoretical aspects were the same. There was a reason she had given the teachers in charge of magic headaches since her first year.

Her intelligent mind had no obstacles in handling the family's major and minor affairs, and as a result, she even achieved the remarkable feat of stabilizing the family far more than during the previous family head's time.

The retainers who had been anxious about the fact that the next family head was a young daughter, and Flora at that, who had only been mistreated, completely dropped their complaints at Flora's excellent work handling and were rather satisfied.

Secretly, they too had been displeased with the Lumos family's behavior of acting like lackeys of the Bretus Holy Kingdom while belonging to the Empire.

Thus, the Lumos family stood tall once again in its full majesty, and naturally Flora was at its center.

Flora didn't need to be confined only to the main house like other family heads. If one had to compare, she was similar to a student who had finished all their assignments and was free to go out and play.

Nevertheless, the reason she didn't follow Rudger was because she thought he needed time alone.

'But that's over now too. Teacher said he's returned to Theon.'

Rudger, who could do anything, had voluntarily returned to Theon. Though she was quite surprised by that, conversely Flora was a little happy about the fact that he was still in the same Empire.

And also that she could visit him anytime if she put her mind to it.

Of course, Flora wasn't careless. The fact that she could visit easily meant the same was true for others, especially since she had far too many rivals.

'Teacher Selina is still in Theon. And that Rene girl can travel anytime through spatial movement if she puts her mind to it. The Emperor too. She might use her authority to bother Teacher.'

Just then, she received a personal contact from Rudger. There was a reason Flora couldn't contain her excitement and stamped her feet.

'A summons to Theon? I don't know what the reason is, but still, if he called only me, there must be something, right? What could it be?'

Flora woke up early on the morning of the appointment and got ready. The maid applying cosmetics to Flora's face wondered as she looked at Flora's expectant expression.

Usually when Flora went out, she dressed up as a family head. But never once, she could say for certain, had she done makeup that emphasized femininity from early dawn like this.

'She would tear up all sorts of courtship letters without even reading them, but what is this?'

However, the maid didn't voice her questions. Instead, she exercised a woman's intuition and realized that Flora was going to meet a very important person.

'This is a man! The family head is going to meet a man!'

Even though she was a family head, Flora was still young. If one had to say, she could even be called young. So she worried about what would happen if Flora fell for a bad man, but still, this was the first time seeing Flora's expression so full of anticipation, so the maid concentrated on the dressing.

"Mm. I think it's fine?" 

"Yes, family head. You are more beautiful than anyone in the world." 

"Hmhm. Good. Then shall I go? Prepare the finest steam automobile." 

"Yes."

Flora immediately got in the car and headed to Theon.

"......So what exactly is this?"

Flora asked in a voice that couldn't contain its coldness. Her narrow gaze was directed at Hermoa, who was hiding behind Rudger, perhaps out of fear.

'What's she doing clinging so tightly to Teacher?'

Because that behavior irritated her, the aura flowing from Flora became even stronger. Naturally, the more that happened, the more Hermoa clung to Rudger.

"She's a student I'm teaching this time." 

"I see. I heard the story. That you were appointed as a teacher again and are teaching special children." 

"Right. Among them, this child, Hermoa Entiro, resembles you." 

"Me?"

Flora looked at Hermoa with a crooked gaze. Resembles? We're completely different though?

"To be precise, Hermoa has a constitution similar to yours. She feels magic itself through various senses. Flora, you felt magic through sight and smell, right?" 

"......That's right." 

"Hermoa feels it through touch. That's why I called you, who has a similar constitution, to seek some advice." 

"Haa."

Flora pressed her forehead with her hand and sighed.

"I made time to come here......" 

"Hmm. Are you busy with family affairs? Did I call you for nothing?" 

"No. I don't mean it that way......"

Flora glared at Rudger with a sulky face and crossed arms. At that expression asking why he didn't understand that, Rudger could only show a reaction of not knowing what was going on.

Hermoa, watching the scene, felt lightning strike her mind.

'Th-this atmosphere!'

Hermoa looked back and forth between Rudger and Flora. She couldn't not know this. Could it be that Duke Lumos, the wannabe and ideal role model of all female mages, liked Rudger Chelici!

Actually, she had vaguely guessed it from the moment she appeared. No matter how excellent a mage Teacher Rudger Chelici was, it wasn't something else - he had summoned Duke Lumos separately.

The two must have known each other from before. Come to think of it, wasn't Duke Lumos from Theon?

The abacus in Hermoa's head spun at tremendous speed.

As expected, I did well to take Teacher Rudger's class!

'Wait. Let me think. If I make a good impression on Duke Lumos here?'

It's none other than one of the Empire's three great ducal families. If she made a good impression on Flora and received various support from the Lumos ducal family?

The path to success she so desired would become much clearer.

"Wow. It's nice to meet you. Duke Lumos. I've heard a lot about you."

The moment Hermoa finished thinking, she immediately went into action.

As she approached warmly with an attitude clearly different from just before when she had been frightened by Flora's aura, Flora was rather quite flustered.

'What's with this girl?'

That appearance of smiling away and looking at her with a strangely expectant gaze was, how to say it.

It overlapped with the image of noble men rubbing their hands together and flattering her to somehow make a good impression when she became the family head.

Even so, she thought it didn't make sense to associate such a desire-filled noble's appearance with this year's Theon freshman, but she found it hard to shake off the feeling that they were strangely similar.

"More than that, you said you heard a lot?" 

"Ey. Who would I, a student, hear such things from?"

Hermoa said that while glancing at Rudger sideways. At that sight, Flora's interest in Hermoa rose sharply.

"Hmhm. Really? What did you hear?" 

"Of course! That you're smart and intelligent, beautiful, and handle work decisively. He spared no praise whatsoever."

That answer made Rudger, who had been listening quietly on the side, flustered. Me? I said such things?

Rudger tried to correct her that it wasn't so, but as Hermoa turned her head toward him, she widened her eyes and sent an intense gaze. At that force that seemed to say absolutely don't open your mouth there, Rudger unknowingly closed his mouth.

"Actually, Duke Lumos is my life's role model too. But I never thought I'd meet you like this. I was really surprised!" 

"Well, it's nothing special." 

"Moreover, being with Teacher Rudger like this, you two really can't help but be a well-matched couple, right?"

Hermoa, who had been deliberately making exaggerated compliments, asked Flora subtly.

"By any chance, are you two in that kind of relationship?"

The moment she heard those words, Flora's face turned completely red.

"This girl! We're not in that kind of relationship! Not yet." 

"Not yet, you say?"

Hermoa grinned slyly. It was a strangely sinister smile, making Rudger naturally wonder if she was really a student. Wasn't it like there was a 40-year-old man inside?

Meanwhile, Hermoa's persuasion of Flora continued.

"Rather, this is an opportunity." 

"An opportunity?" 

"Using teaching me as an excuse, you can come often like this and meet Teacher Rudger. Honestly, doesn't it sound tempting?" 

"That's......" 

"Ah. My education is fine. I have some talent myself, so if you just casually throw me some clues or a few teachings, I'll proceed in a self-study format on my own. During that time, Duke Lumos can naturally have personal time with Teacher."

Flora's pupils shook greatly. She had been vaguely thinking such thoughts too. She just thought it would be far-fetched unless Hermoa, the student, helped.

Hermoa, with ghost-like perceptiveness, said she would subtly excuse herself from the place on her own. It was exactly scratching where Flora itched.

"And I'll deliberately pester Teacher, using the excuse that I want to frequently take Duke Lumos' lessons, to keep calling you. Wouldn't that work?" 

"You, you're quite something for how you look."

Flora had to acknowledge it. Hermoa Entiro. This child had a sophistication that girls her age could never show.

If she became close with this child, it would even give her justification to naturally approach Rudger using that as an excuse. Who would have thought Hermoa herself would propose that in reverse?

Flora extended her hand. Hermoa realized what that meant and immediately shook it.

At this moment, the two became excellent business partners.

"I look forward to working with you, Duke Lumos." 

"Don't be so distant calling me Duke. Call me Sister Flora." 

"Yes! Sister Flora!"

And Rudger, watching the scene, felt a strange sensation at some kind of transaction proceeding regardless of his will.

'Was it okay to call Flora?'

He felt such anxiety, but since it had already happened, there was no way to undo it. Rather, if the two got along well like that, it seemed it would be more helpful in teaching Hermoa, so he decided to let it pass.

"Good. Then shall we go straight into the lesson?"

Flora, gone was that testy attitude from the beginning, already looked full of motivation.

Flora immediately told Hermoa anecdotes related to her constitution, and based on that, her experiences of how she felt and accepted magic.

Hermoa listened attentively and took it all in without missing anything. Setting aside connecting Rudger and Flora, the teachings about magic were also one of the important matters for her.

Rudger carefully observed Flora teaching Hermoa in her own way.

'You've grown a lot.'

A student who only received teachings had, after graduation, become a proper family head and learned how to lead someone.

The sense of fulfillment in his heart from seeing that sight - perhaps it was because of such emotions that he had returned to Theon.

Before long, Hermoa, who had fallen into enlightenment, began writing something in her notebook alone. Flora didn't bother to interrupt that and stepped back, joining where Rudger was.

Flora poked Rudger with her elbow. When he looked at her asking what was the matter, Flora looked up at Rudger.

Her beautiful jewel-like eyes stared intently at Rudger. Rudger felt like it had been a really long time since he had seen Flora's appearance up close like this.

Flora moved only her lips and said.

'Let's go outside.'