After receiving a mysterious warning from Void, the delinquent, I found myself somewhat dispirited as I trudged toward the girls' dormitory.

Fortunately—or unfortunately, depending on how you see it—unlike the potato-headed self I was in my previous life, I now possessed androgynous features. This allowed me to pass through the front gates of the girls' dormitory without drawing much attention, even boldly entering through the main entrance.

Though I wore a boys' uniform, the knight academy occasionally had girls who chose to wear it as well. Even in the elementary section, there were a few female students. So, walking in and out openly wasn’t particularly suspicious.

Still, I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be mistaken for a girl.

As I arrived at the dormitory entrance, I saw Holly, the dorm mother, sweeping the entryway with her broom.

“Oh my, welcome back. Elementary classes end early on the first day, but you’re rather late. Did something happen?”

Her tone was leisurely, genuinely concerned.

“I’m back. Despite how I might look, I’m in the advanced division,” I replied.

“Oh dear, my apologies. You’re such a lovely young lady that I mistook you,” she said with a chuckle.

“Haha…”

Spare me. With a dry laugh and an eye roll, I walked past her.

Lili’s room was on the third floor—the level reserved for female instructors. Just as I was about to enter, I realized something.

“…Oh, the key…”

Lili hadn’t given it to me.

I tried both pushing and pulling the door, but of course, it wouldn’t budge.

“Ah, damn it!” I muttered, cursing under my breath as I turned back.

Left with no choice, I headed for the faculty office. However, as I rounded the landing of the staircase on my way down, I nearly collided with a girl ascending from below.

“Whoa!”

I managed to avoid bumping into her, but she wasn’t as considerate. The moment I stumbled, she swiftly wrapped her arms around the back of my head and pulled me forcefully into her chest.

“Boom! Gotcha!”

“Mmpphh…!”

My face was smothered against her small, flat chest, only to bounce off painfully. A sharp sting radiated through my nose.

I had barely stopped myself earlier, only for this to happen.

“Eek! Perv! Hey, hey!” she teased.

“What the hell are you doing?!” I growled, glaring up at her.

It was none other than Miku Orunkaim. She smirked without a trace of guilt, raising two fingers to her temple in a casual salute.

“Yo! Long time no see! How’ve you been?” she said cheerfully.

I let out an exaggerated click of my tongue.

“Wow, tongue-clicking right after seeing me? That hurts!” she said, feigning offense.

“It hasn’t even been that long since the last time. What’s with that stunt you pulled?”

After dealing with Miku in the classroom, getting harassed by Void in the hallway, and now running into Miku again at the dorm, this day was shaping up to be one for the books. She bent her knees slightly, leaning in with a playful grin.

She smelled faintly sweet—not as intense as Lili’s scent, but still noticeable.

“Well, you were just so cute! I couldn’t resist reacting reflexively. Don’t like boobs?”

“Is that your excuse for harassment?”

“By the way, Ere-tan, what’re you doing in a place like this?”

“Listen to me…”

“You know, you shouldn’t be wandering around the floor reserved for female instructors at this hour. Come on, even if you’re tiny, you’re still a boy. If it’s some awkward coming-of-age issue, I’m all ears,” she said teasingly.

I faltered.

I hadn’t told anyone yet that I was sharing a room with Lili. Only the instructors were aware. While it wasn’t a major secret, I couldn’t ignore the fact that I was a ten-year-old boy living with a woman. I didn’t want to do anything that might inconvenience Lili.

While I was debating how to respond, Miku grabbed my hand and started pulling me along.

“Let’s go to the cafeteria! Luuunch tiiime!”

I snapped back to my senses and yanked my hand free, glaring at her.

“What are you even doing on the fourth floor? There aren’t any student rooms there.”

“Hmm?”

Why did I even ask that? Perhaps Void’s words were still nagging at me.

—Be careful around the Orunkaim girl.

This airheaded catgirl didn’t seem dangerous, but it still bothered me how she knew about secrets that should’ve been impossible to discover.

“Oh, me?”

“Yeah.”

Twisting a lock of her wavy red hair around her finger, she met my gaze with her feline-like eyes. Then, as if deciding something, she broke into a wide grin.

“Well, okay, I’ll tell you. Hehe. It’s simple! I saw cute little Ere-tan climbing the stairs to the girls’ dorm and thought, What’s he doing in front of Instructor Ituka’s room? So I followed you!”

“You were tailing me?!”

“What a terrible way to put it! I just happened to see you in the dorm and followed along. That’s not tailing—it’s just plain old chasing.”

Her explanation was somewhat plausible. It didn’t seem like she had witnessed my interaction with Void, nor did it feel like I was being constantly monitored.

Did she really just happen to see me and follow out of curiosity? What an enigmatic person.

“Don’t worry! I won’t tell anyone. So, next time you’re feeling pent up, come to me, okay? I’ll welcome you with open arms, Ere-tan!”

Still. Was it really possible?

Could a simple student like her manage to tail me, a former Sword Saint, without my noticing? It wasn’t supposed to be that easy.

Or had my instincts dulled after years of living as a prince?

“Hey, hey!”

“What?”

“You looked kind of suspicious jiggling the doorknob in front of Lili-tan’s room. You might want to be more careful about things like that.”

The nerve of someone who followed me to say that!

Wait. Hold on.

As I quietly processed her words, I realized something alarming—was she subtly painting me as the suspicious one here?!