I'll Smash Everything with Passive Skills-Chapter 62: 0. Midterm Evaluation (4)

"What's going on? You."

"Oh."

There was someone following Veris on his way back to the mansion.

Today, Veris had no plans and was just going to watch the duels of other students before heading home.

It was a rare moment for Veris to have some time alone. Arwen, Cecilia, and

Gunther was in S-Class lessons, Maria had a separate schedule with Lady Hedel, and Beatrice was called by the dean due to the aftermath of the duel results.

In that peaceful way home, there was someone who was quite irritating, so it was only natural for him not to tolerate it.

"Did you know I was behind you? Impressive ability."

The person tailing Veris was a woman with a striking appearance.

First of all, she had silver hair, which was hard to find at the academy. Moreover, her blue eyes, reminiscent of the moonlight, exuded a natural nobility similar to that of the princess, Maria.

And what about her attire? The form-fitting clothes and the impressive cloak that wrapped around her neck like a mane would certainly catch the attention of passersby.

But the important thing was why she was following Veris.

"Your expression doesn't look good, my dear."

The woman was scanning Veris with playful eyes. The smile on her lips suggested that she found the situation quite amusing.

"I'm not someone who should be followed."

In the end, Veris came to a conclusion. For some reason, this stalker seemed to find something interesting about him. The result was this conversation they were having now.

"Not someone to be followed... how amusing, how amusing."

"Isn't that Veris, who just had a duel? He's talking to a girl he's never seen before."

"Right? The S-Class people who usually stick together aren't around."

Hearing the voices around him, Veris frowned.

Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.

It seemed that there were far too many people passing by, as they were not far from the evaluation site.

Moreover, since Veris had advanced to the finals by defeating his opponent with overwhelming strength, many people recognized him.

"I have nothing to talk about with you. Just leave."

"I'm sorry, but we just happen to have the same destination. I'm not following you either."

The woman replied with a straight face. Veris shrugged and continued walking.

...It seemed he had encountered a strange woman.

*

"Hmm? Is no one here?"

Maria rushed to the mansion where Veris lived because Lady Hedel's advice ended earlier than expected.

When there was no response after knocking on the door, she eventually entered the mansion through the open door and soon realized something surprising.

─Swoosh.

"...The sound of water?"

Gulp.

It was early afternoon, after lunch. Considering that Arwen and Cecilia's S-Class lessons hadn't ended yet, it was easy to guess the source of the water sound.

'Veris is... no, Veris is taking a shower!'

Maria's white cheeks quickly turned as red as a tomato.

In addition to the meaning of the water sound, there was also a reason why it felt embarrassing to refer to Veris with such a familiar name.

'Good thought!'

As Maria walked quietly to the living room, she shook her head.

People always wish to judge rationally. And considering the current situation with that rational thought, it would be natural to wait quietly in the living

room...

'Well! I just came in from outside. Washing hands is a very natural thing, right? Yes! This is just for hygiene and cleanliness.'

The girl made a resolution.

And... the reason that led her to such a resolution was quite simple.

Arwen, Cecilia.

The positions of the two girls next to Veris were quite solid.

Was that all? The black-haired girl she had encountered not long ago was actually Veris's fiancée, and the information that she was a promising mage whose name was spreading across the continent was enough to make Maria fidget.

Gulp.

However, turning a resolution into action was more difficult than she had anticipated.

What if she entered the shower room where the sound of water was coming from and said, 'Oh, I'm sorry, I just came to wash my hands, but I didn't expect Veris to be showering, heh heh,' while wearing an innocent smile?

"Phew..."

Maria couldn't even begin to imagine what the outcome would be, so she fell deep into thought.

Yes, just yesterday, it was certainly a joyful thing to call Veris informally, unlike the other girls.

But even so, compared to the three who were already in the lead, her position felt very lacking. This meant that it wouldn't be bad for her to create a certain fact (?), after all.

'Let's do it!'

Maria clenched her fist tightly.

Her older brother, Crown Prince Friedrich, once said that love is # Nоvеlight # something that is won by those who act with passion and effort. And Maria was... unexpectedly a girl who valued her brother's advice.

'So, what should I say? Wouldn't it be too blatant to just brush it off with a smile? What if he sees me as a pervert... what should I do?'

Maria was lost in her own imagination.

And the sad fact was that she was completely unaware that the sound of water pouring from the shower had suddenly stopped.

Creeeak.

Unaware of that fact, Maria quietly held her pounding heart and opened the shower room door.

Yes, I just came to wash my hands. No matter what sounds I hear, I am an innocent person!... Just as Maria was about to say that, she found herself frozen in place, breathless.

Knock.

"Uh, wha, what?"

"Maria?"

As Maria gently opened the door and stepped inside, the first thing she encountered was a cloud of white steam rising.

It was now full summer, but was he using warm water to wash? Only when the steam filling the shower room began to dissipate could Maria finally see Veris.

Thud.

And then, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the floor.

As the steam gradually cleared, the first thing that caught her eye was Veris's wet hair. It resembled the color of the sky and was unusually drenched, exuding an oddly sensual beauty.

Moreover, what about the bare skin of Veris that was occasionally visible between the shower robe?

For Maria, who had never had physical contact with a man other than her family, it was not a simple scene to overlook.

"What are you doing alone?"

"That is..."

Veris couldn't hide his astonishment as he saw Maria, who was breathlessly panting.

He already knew that Maria had entered the mansion thanks to the mana that dominated the entire mansion.

That's why he had tried to wash up and come out faster than usual to greet a guest, but what was this sudden entrance into the shower room?

"Ve, Veris."

"Yeah?"

"I..."

Now, Maria naturally spoke informally. After all, if you think about it, she had a much stronger image of a friendly country girl than that of a stiff royal princess.

"...I feel strange."

"?"

After a long pause, Maria looked at Veris with a flushed face.

Her lewd gaze traveled from his head to his toes. Something sticky and overtly so.

*

"Hmm."

The silver-haired woman was resting her chin on her hand in front of the large mansion's door, deep in thought.

It was unpleasantly true that she felt a strange anticipation towards Veris von Vitelbach, a student belonging to B-Class. But the problem was the following.

She had clearly seen with her own eyes that Veris had entered this mansion, so why had the precious princess, whom she knew very well, also entered the mansion?

"Hmph."

A considerable amount of time had already passed, but the woman could not move.

Unfortunately, she was neither affiliated with the academy nor with the empire where the academy existed.

If one were to put it bluntly, she was like a guardian of a kingdom that was in constant conflict with the empire. That was the weight of the burden she carried.

"Strange."

Thus, the woman could not act recklessly.

The conversation she had with Veris a moment ago could be laughed off as just a happening, but if the princess were to get involved afterward, it could escalate into a diplomatic issue.

...What was the biggest reason for the current conflict between the empire and the kingdom?

Was it not because the duke family of the empire unilaterally annulled the marriage with the royal family of the kingdom and declared divorce?

Such petty pride or honor was precisely what the nobility was, capable of trampling over thousands of lives.

"I should return for today."

The woman said that and turned her body.

It was true that she didn't have much time. However, even so, there was no need to take risks out of curiosity that wouldn't lead to anything.

"Eh? Who are you?"

At that moment, her gaze fell upon two beautiful girls.

They seemed not to know the woman, but the woman knew the two girls very well.

One was a living testament to countless achievements, to the point of being tiresome for the woman. She was not called the Saintess of Mercy for nothing.

The other girl, while the woman didn't know her well, was aware that she was already a student with a significant standing within the academy. An elf who could handle spirits and even wield a sword, the academy people had recently started calling her the 'Spirit Sword.'

In any case, the two girls stood before the woman, naturally wearing curious expressions.

"If you're asking who I am, then I suppose I should introduce myself suddenly."

"...?"

"I am the rightful grand duchess of the Wallenstein duchy located in the eastern part of the Gallia kingdom."

Whoosh!

At that moment, the wind blew, causing her shining silver hair to flutter. Additionally, the cloak she wore on her back billowed, further enhancing the atmosphere.

"I am Evangeline de Wallenstein. And... I am a woman who is after your man."

"Eek."

"What?"

At the sudden confession of the woman, Grand Duchess Evangeline, Cecilia, and Arwen gasped.

After all, to say she was after a man meant she was after Veris.

It was a sudden attack. Naturally, the two girls tensed their necks to resist the empty voice.