Volume 2: Epilogue

A/N: This is the final chapter of this volume, I kinda just stuffed like three chapters into one to be honest. Give me power-stones.

…

Before any of us knew it, our time had run up and it was nearly time to return to the academy.

"How regretful." A dismayed Angie said as she stared out the window of the luxury airship Valor.

"Mhm…" To her side, Livia similarly wore a sad frown as she also looked back at where the island was barely visible.

"I think you girls were spoiled too much." I chuckled in amusement as I sat on the couch, sipping away at some nice cold lemonade.

"It's your fault you know, if you had never introduced me to such amusement I would have been fine."

"Well sorry for showing you what fun actually looks like." I sarcastically said in response to Angie.

"Haa… well, in any case, it's over now, best not dwell on what's over." She said moving over to sit near me on the couch.

"Mhm, let's focus on what's happening now, Livia is there anything you want to tell us before we get there." I turned my attention to Livia who was still brooding over the loss of what she called 'True Heaven.'

"Ah, eer, ehm. I apologize in advance for my mother, she is a bit clumsy at times." She responded suddenly looking a bit more reluctant to continue our trip to her home.

Livia calling someone else clumsy, who the hell is this woman?

"On second thought, ehm why don't we just go straight to the academy, heh…" Livia said with pleading as she approached us.

"Nope!" I responded with a big thumbs down. "It'll be fine, I'm sure they miss you too."

"Ughh, this is so embarrassing." She grumbled moving over next to Angie and taking a seat.

"Of us three, your parents are the only ones we have not met."

"You're not helping Angie."

"Good point," I high-fived Angie for adding further reason for our visit.

"Meanies," Livia grumbled as she threw herself across the two of us.

Like a dead fish, she lay with her legs in Angie's lap and her head in mine.

I shared a glance with Angie before we shared a laugh.

"Since we suddenly have a table, let's play some uno." A pack of said cards appeared in my hand following my words.

My storage abilities were now public knowledge to them.

With Livia spread across the two of us, Angie and I enjoyed using her as a table as she thoroughly destroyed me. My luck in card games still seemed to be astronomically bad.

…

"Not bad, you're definitely improving." I clapped in genuine praise at the sweating Livia.

"Thanks." She grunted out as she went down for another squat, her hands gripping around the metallic bar in her hand.

Off to the side I watched as Angie panted as she ran on a treadmill at a moderate pace. It was her idea to start exercising daily, though she wouldn't tell me why.

All it meant for me was more time to grind as I used [Exertion] without reserve and pushed myself.

…

(Livia POV)

"Ugh, my legs." I chuckled lightly at the humorous display from Angie. I know how she feels though, my legs are really soar as well.

Noir really didn't take it easy on us, not one bit. A nice hot spring should set us right again though.

With that thought in mind I opened up the sliding door that led to said hot spring and walked in.

The usual smell greeted me as I hummed happily, I couldn't wait to get in that warm water.

I could tell by Angie's gaze that she was much the same, but the first thing was first, we need to wash off all of this sweat.

"I'll wash your back," I said off-handedly when Angie sat down on a stool.

"Ah thank you." She nodded accepting my offer and handing me her washcloth.

"Your hair is so nice and long Angie," I commented as I moved it out of the way to reach her neck.

"You think? I actually really like yours too, it's cute and fits you well." Her response made me really happy, I had always kept my hair short since I was a kid.

I hated when my mother would brush it every day so I told her to cut it to shoulder length, after that I never really grew it out more.

Now though, seeing how nice it looked on Angie I wondered if I should grow it out.

"Hehe, thank you. Do you think Noir prefers longer hair?" I questioned offhandedly. It was a question I had pondered more than once though I never asked him directly.

"I think he'd say it likes it how it is." Angie thought as she tapped a finger to her chin.

"Yeah, me too." I chuckled, Noir wouldn't want me to change myself.

"'My names Noir, and you think too much Livia, I like it just how it is.'" I don't know what possessed her but the impression she put on of his voice was hilarious.

For a good minute, I couldn't help but giggle into my hand as Angie did her best to mimic Noir.

She was awfully accurate, but I'm sure the man himself wouldn't agree.

"That was a really good impression, Angie," I said as I gave her back her washcloth and gave her my own so she could was my back.

"You think so, well when you hang around him so much I guess you pick up on a few things."

"Yeah, I bet you really pay attention to him." My words were meant to be casual but from the way Angie halted her scrubbing it may have not come off as that.

"Ehm, are you… okay with that?" Her tone was unreadable or more so a mix of too many things for me to identify.

"I still believe in what I said that day, in fact, I think I like the idea even more now," I responded honestly.

I didn't exactly love the idea of Noir doing the things he does with me to another girl, but, Angie was not… she was not just another girl. In a different way than I love Noir, I love Angie. I want her part of this small group we have formed.

I want her to be happy and I think that being with Noir would do that.

"You can't possibly mean that… can you?" There was doubt in her tone but it wasn't directed at me, it was directed at herself.

"I do, if it's Angie I want it." That was different from before. The last time we had this discussion, I told her if it was her it was okay.

Regardless if she caught on to that, she was pushed into silence.

"Angie, do you like Noir?" I asked in an unconscious whisper. The content of what was being discussed seemed like something that needed to be exactly that.

"I…Livia, are you sure, what if you regret that later." Her voice also came down to a whisper.

"I won't, I want Angie to be happy, I want Angie to stay close, I won't regret it."

"Livia, I…Yes. I like Noir, I'm sorry, I don't want to betray you." Her face fell as she whispered that out.

A smile overtook my face and seeing that tears were starting to run down her cheek I was quick to grab the girl in a hug.

"Angie… You haven't betrayed me." I tried to comfort her.

"But you like Noir, and I want to be with him." She said through tears as she lay her head on my chest.

"I love Noir, but, that doesn't make him mine. We're not even in a relationship…" Why'd I have to remind myself of that last part?

"But doesn't that feel like I'm getting in the way?" Ah, Angie, I'm glad it's you around.

"The fact that you are being so defiant despite how you feel proves my decision was the right one." I grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed looking at the girl straight in the eyes.

"Angie, I want us to be with Noir, and in that sense, you're getting in the way by going against it." I smartly concluded a bit proud of myself.

"That…ugh, what about Noir himself? What if he doesn't like me?"

Now she was just being silly, this is Angie we're talking about.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" My thoughts must have shown on my face.

"I wondered if Angie went crazy. There's no way he wouldn't. Angie is the perfect girl and fits Noir's taste amazingly."

"Eh, seriously? What about me?" A blush formed on her face as she asked that.

"Hehe, Angie is cute and I won't tell you that, that's not my job."

"Noir is an open book most of the time, it's best if you don't go about any roundabout methods," I recommend, maybe I should tell him how I feel beforehand and see what he thinks.

"Yes, you are right in saying that." She nodded.

"Angie, we're going to do this together," I reassured her one last time wrapping her back in a hug.

"Mhm, ah, I think I need a tissue, I'll be back." She said before she wrapped a towel around herself and went to the exit of the hot spring.

With every part of my body scrubbed and my heart a little lightened I rinsed the soap off before walking over to the actual hot-spring.

That was until my steps were halted when I saw a certain figure submerged in the water.

"Noir, wha?" I was taken aback by the sight of him.

"Yoo." He responded with a carefree wave.

"I thought you said you were going to shower?" I questioned keeping my voice down so Angie wouldn't hear.

"I said bathe, you know sometimes I appreciate a nice soak in the hot-spring too."

Whatever he was saying fell on deaf ears as I realized something a lot more grave.

"H-how much did you hear?" I questioned as I moved closer.

"Everything, I have very good hearing you know?" He again responded carefreely.

"…" I didn't know how to respond except with an agape mouth.

"Then… you know…"

"So, then what do you th-." I was about to push for an answer on what he heard but he stopped me with a finger to my lips.

"Wait until she's ready, let's talk through it then." It took me a second to process what he meant.

He showed no signs of dissatisfaction, no, he seemed almost happy. Taking his words at face value it could seem like he just wanted to put off answering, but that wasn't Noir.

He was being literal just like he always was. He was saying this wasn't a just the two of us thing, it involved all of us. In a way, he did give me an answer already.

Ah Noir, I love you so much.

I acted on my rampant happiness by jumping on him.

Our lips met in a kiss and his arms wrapped around my naked back.

Backing away he pecked me once more before he stood up and forced me to stand on my own.

"Now I'm going to go ahead and leave before Angie get's back, it'd be kind of awkward to still be here." He said before after rubbing my hair he suddenly disappeared from my eyes in a blur.

A few seconds after his departure the door to the hot-springs opened up Angie walked back in.

That night I reluctantly sacrificed a calming night with Noir in exchange for discussing plans with Angie.

…

(Noir POV)

Wallenstein was a large city under the feudal lord Charles Fou Wallenstein. It was also the city that was closest to the town where Livia's family lived.

After departing from my island we went back to my family's home for a quick visit before we set our sights on this land.

I decided it'd be best to put Valor in stealth mode before we arrived anywhere near the city, and from there take a smaller more normal-looking airship to the home of Livia.

If possible I wanted to avoid any unnecessary attention.

Since that day I overheard what was said in the hot-spring nothing has happened, well except for the fact that my lovely Livia rarely slept in my bed now.

Every night she went with Angie leaving my poor self alone. What a truly depressing thought.

Well, it was a worthwhile trade, I do like the girl after all.

Not like the aftermath won't be a headache. Though her engagement with Prince Julius was all but terminated, she was still the girl who would've been the future Queen, hell they might still try to push her onto another son of the king.

The Redgrave's were a powerful family but they couldn't just ignore the opinion of other high-class Nobles especially when they unified themselves. On top of that, I apparently had many people in the royal court who outright hated my guts.

How tempting it was to play God and flex my overwhelming superiority over these fools but alas I wouldn't. Angie was deeply tied to this country in a way that would only cause her grief if I went that route.

At the same time though, I'm not rising myself to the damn top of Noble society. As accomplishable as it was for me, it was a major headache I refused to give myself. Plus, how free would I be if I just became more of a subject?

Some sort of balance needed to be reached. One where I maintained a peaceful relationship with this country yet was unbound by any of its rules.

I wasn't so crazed as to abuse my power without reserve. If I were to do that I'd be left alone, and honestly that just wasn't the type of person I was. At the same time though, I valued my freedom and dignity way too much to allow myself to be ordered around by anyone.

…

Three knocks came in rapid succession on an old wooden door. The source of it was a blonde-haired blue-eyed beauty who did very little to hide her nervousness.

As we stood behind her we too twitched around periodically, a bit nervous about the meeting taking place very soon.

Less than ten seconds later, the door was opened and a man with unkempt blonde hair and a well-built frame answered the door. His eyes were a dark green and I questioned his identity before I saw his eyes lock onto Livia.

"Livia? Livia!" The serious expression he wore before vanished into thin air as he swung the door open and spread his arms wide.

"Hey Dad, it's good to see you," Livia responded, hugging the man back.

Her nervousness died down and a gentle smile graced her lips.

Just as the hug began it ended just as quickly as the man was suddenly pulled back into the house and thrown off to the side. In his place a woman who looked like a more mature Livia blurred past him.

Her arms similarly wrapped around my concerned not-girlfriend as she fell to her knees.

"My darling Livia! The woman yelped loudly as she brought Livia down with her.

"Mom, can't breathe." Livia pleaded for the unusually strong woman to loosen her grip as she tried to force a breath.

"Ah, I'm sorry." The woman in a panic released Livia letting the girl take a breath.

"It's good to see you too Mom." When she was finally able to claim some air she gave her mother a warm smile.

"Awww look at you, you've grown so much." The woman with tears dripping down her cheek inspected Livia.

"Huh, no I haven't? Have I?" Don't ask me, I don't think so.

The mothers fawning continued for a while before she suddenly began sniffing Livia.

"What's this? L-Livia, you smell like a man. OH GOD PLEASE TELL ME IT ISN'T TRUE." She burst out in tears once again as Livia looked embarrassingly at me.

…

"It is a pleasure to meet you, I wish we would've known of your visit. We would've tried to fix the place up more." The man who first answered the door when we arrived said as he placed tea cups in front of us.

After a while, we had been invited in though from what I could tell the mother was more against it. We three now sat on a couch in the living room area.

"Yeah. Real pleasure now who are you?" Yeah so much for first impressions.

"We are all friends of Livia. I am Noir Stardia." I gave a casual greeting.

Before Angie could begin to give hers, however, the mother spoke first.

"Friends huh? Why the hell is your scent all over her if your just friends."

Is this woman a hound? How the hell did she figure that out so quickly, someone loves their daughter a whole lot.

"Dear, would it kill you to be a little more welcoming? Don't forget they are from that academy." The man spoke and it seemed to calm the woman down a little more.

"I am Angelica Redgrave, and I am honored to also call myself a friend of Livia." Seeing she wouldn't be interrupted Angie said her piece as well, she seemed to find the happenings humorous.

"I am Frank, this is my wife Lucy. Thank you very much for taking care of my daughter, I hope she is not a bother." The man spoke an introduction for the both of them.

…

As I expected the mother, Lucy, was a very complicated lady. I expected her father to be more skeptical of our real relationship but she took the cake.

The father, Frank, honestly seemed very chill. He didn't look the slightest bit annoyed at me even when his wife said Livia had my scent on her. In fact, he seemed happy.

I found out that he was quite worried the Nobles would tear her apart in the academy, a very understandable thought. So I guess when he heard she had friends, as questionable a relationship it may be, he was happy.

"How long can you stay?" Frank asked offhandedly but before we could answer we heard a knock at the door.

"I'll get that." Frank got up and walked away leaving us alone with Lucy.

"Are you enjoying school life?" Lucy asked Livia and Angie, she made it very clear she wasn't talking to me.

"Yes, every day is fun."

"Indeed, I am glad I decided to attend."

Livia and Angie responded one after the other.

"I'm glad, I was reluctant to send you off, but I'm glad Angie here was there for you."

"I'm glad you think highly of me, but if there is anyone who was truly there for Livia from the start it is Noir," Angie responded seriously.

"Yes, Angie has been an amazing friend, but Noir has too. I'm only here today because he knew I missed home."

Ahhh, thanks, guys.

"…I see," Lucy said as she stared at me. Her face going through a wide range of emotions.

"…What are your intentions with my daughter?" She asked with her best attempt at calmness.

"Marriage," I responded simply.

"" Whaaaaaa.""

The mother and daughter pair reacted in the same manner.

"N-Noir, to be so brazen." Livia blushed with her hand in front of her face.

"L-lies, you think I don't know of your games. Be honest, you see Livia just as another commoner to play around with. No Noble would go after a commoner." Lucy responded standing up to me.

I couldn't even really call her words foolishness. She had a very accurate look into Noble life. She was worried for her daughter, and she certainly had the backbone to stand up for her.

"Mom!" Lucy was shocked into silence and forced back to the couch by Livia. "I-I once thought something similar… but, Noir is not like that." That's news to me, I mean I certainly expected it but to think she actually did feel that way at one point.

"Livia." Lucy choked out, regretting her previous actions.

"It may not mean much coming from me, but, you should know that though most Nobles admittedly are that way, not all of us are. Noir is on that latter side, he is openly against Noble society and has been nothing but hurt by it." Angie added, well she certainly was not wrong.

"Livia, some people are here for you!" While Lucy was processing that Frank called from the door.

Livia took us with her as we went to see who was there.

Just outside the door were 3 kids, two boys and one girl all around the age of eight.

"Sis." The girl in the center ran past Frank getting her muddy tracks in the house as she ran to Livia.

"Stacy, how are you."

"I'm okay sis, what about you? How's academy life." The young girl with auburn hair responded.

"It's going wonderfully."

"We saw you come in a while ago and we made you a surprise come on." The child, now named Stacy grabbed Livia's arm and pulled her out of the door, leaving more dirt tracks as she did so.

"Ah, ehh, can my friends come?" Livia scratched her head as she turned an awkward look to us.

"Mhm," Stacy said impatiently as she pulled harder.

Eventually, Livia gave in and move along with them. Behind them, me and Angie followed snickering to ourselves as we watched the helpless Livia.

…

We were taken into a woody area where the soil was still wet from the rain that only just let up.

"Tada." All three of the children spread their arms out as they put a spotlight on the central attraction.

A message written out using a stick in the mud that read, 'Welcome home Big sis Livia.' Right next to it was a bunch of flowers some dead, most alive, but all bundled together and tied together.

Stacy presented Livia with the flowers with a beamingly radiant smile. "We picked the very best flowers we could find from all over."

"You guys…" Livia gasped in shock.

"Do you like it?" One of the boys asked and in response Livia while towering over them brought them all into a hug.

"I love them, thank you, guys." She beamed a radiant smile as she looked back at the message written in mud.

"She needed this." Off to the side, Angie spoke to me.

"Yeah… maybe it should've happened earlier," I noted as I looked on at the scene. Noticing a chopped-off tree with just a trunk remaining I gestured to it and we went to sit there.

"Ah wait, let me introduce you guys to my friends." The kids proclaimed it was play time but Livia thought this was more important.

"This is Noir and Livia. They go to school with me at the academy."

Shyly, the kids waved.

"Guys, this is Stacy, Luke, and Matthew there the kids of some of the residents here. I watch after them whenever their parents need to go away."

"It's nice to meet you," I replied, trying to be as friendly as possible without babying them.

"A pleasure." Angie though, seemed to not be able to abandon her typical greeting.

"How about we all play a game?" Seeing the shy kids Livia offered.

"Yeah!" The collective shout followed after her words as the kids jumped up and down.

"Okay! How about red light green light?" Livia suggested much to my shock, they had that in this world?

More cheers followed and soon enough Livia had established me as the stoplight and Angie as the scout for anyone that moved.

Typical of her, Angie had no clue what the game was and had to be taught before we could play.

It was funny seeing Livia making a genuine effort to win the game. It fit her perfectly though and I was just glad to see this childish side of her.

Angie seemed to like that as well as she got sucked in the mood and enjoyed giving the signal that Livia had moved when she didn't.

Before we knew it, the parent duo of Lucy and Frank appeared as spectators watching over the game.

As Frank tried to appease his wife the woman in question never seemed to lose her focus on me as she stood with a complicated expression.

When the kids had tired themselves out Frank went to bring water and asked me to help.

As we walked back to the small countryside house it was mostly silent until he asked a question.

"You wish to marry my daughter?" There was no disapproval to it, only a genuinely interested tone.

"I do." I nodded, wondering how he'd take that.

For a moment he remained in silence. "Livia, my daughter, for as kind as she is, is very naive." Frank started.

"You are worried I am tricking her and using that trait of hers to my benefit," I asked, or more so stated.

"…Can you blame me?" He scratched his head pulling out a key to the front door we just arrived at.

"I can't, and I can understand yours and your wife's worry."

"Right, I apologize for her, she has always been very protective of Livia, she is as you can tell also very skeptical of Nobles."

"Don't mind it. And I'm surprised she let her attend the academy with that mindset." I shook off the apology as we walked through the now-open door.

"Ha," the man chuckled, "What a time that was, as you would think Lucy was very against it. It took Livia actually getting mad at her for her to give in."

Livia getting actually mad, that's something I never hope to see.

"Ah, you can just grab those cups." He pointed to the tabletop where there were plastic cups.

As the man filled up the cups from a jug he continued. "Livia is not a little girl anymore, she is a woman. We cannot control every part of her life."

"All I can do is pray your intentions actually are what you say you are, and that you in the end will keep her as happy as she seems to already be."

"… I can only imagine how strange it is, for a man you only just met to suddenly say what I said." I looked for a solution, I'd rather the parents approve of me for Livia's sake.

"To be frank, me and Livia aren't even in a relationship."

To my words, the man's calm face gained a bit of a frown. "I apologize, I do not understand."

"Do not get me wrong, the mutual feelings are there." I started before sighing. "I can be considered to be very accomplished, I've gained a title of my own even at such a young age."

"As a result of some of the actions she has seen me take or heard of about me, Livia seems to have put me on a pedestal, and started to think herself unworthy of me."

Seeing the man had stopped pouring water in the cups, I took over and with a bit of water magic filled them up on my own much to his shock.

"Y-yes, that does sound like my daughter."

"I'm not very much interested in glorified to such an extent, especially when she puts herself down because of it, and as such I have made it clear before anything is to start, that needs to be remedied."

"I see…" Frank nodded, his frown gone.

"I'm not sure how much that will do for you, but I hope it at least conveys some of my seriousness," I said finishing up with the final cup.

"Well, that certainly does change things…" He scratched his head.

With him in clear complex thought, we took the glasses of water back outside in a calm silence.

…

A few hours later, we dropped the kids back at their home and went back to Livia's home.

The strong gaze from Lucy had lessened after I was pretty sure Frank had conveyed what he learned from me to his wife.

"I can't say we exactly have the accommodations to give you all your own rooms, unfortunately," Frank said as we all sat down to eat.

"Please really don't worry about that, we were the ones who came unannounced I can take care of that." I shook my head.

The town was right there, a hotel for the night would be fine.

"Ah, they can stay in my room," Livia said though her mother was quick to deny it.

"Livia… I'm not sure your room is big enough for that." Lucy seemed to want to give a different reason but changed her mind midway.

Upon realizing the truth in her mother's words Livia lowered her head.

"It's okay, we can still afford another day here, you can stay with your parents and we'll get a hotel." I placated her sad self with gentle strokes on her head.

"Spend some time with your parents," Angie added from the side as she rubbed her back.

A nod from Livia showed her understanding as I and Angie stood up.

"Here." I handed her a deck of Uno cards. I'm sure they'd be able to make up for lost time with a few uno games.

We spent the remaining time before it got dark hugging Livia.

Frank offered to take us to the city as it was a bit dark but we refused.

"Bye, we'll be back early in the morning." I waved the family trio off along with Angie before we both began the walk back to the city.

…

There were barely any people out and about, most had already called it a day.

"Have you been in a city like this before?" I questioned Angie as we walked side by side.

"My interaction with anything commoner is minimal, not by choice it's just how things turned out I guess," Angie said as she looked around at.

Cracked pavement, run-down stores, and houses, drunken men rambling on to each other. It was also my first time in a place like this.

"It is one thing I dislike about this kingdom, the separation between Nobles and commoners is too wide." She continued as she watched an old lady close down shop.

Eventually, we arrived in front of the hotel we saw when we first came to the city. Walking in an old man greeted us.

"One room, please. No other accommodations will be needed." I asked pulling out a few coins from a pouch in my pocket. I wasn't familiar with how much things like this cost.

"One silver piece please, and please do try to keep it down." The old man gave a wry smirk.

Angie who had been confused blushed at the implication.

…

"Umm, is one room fine?" She asked as we ascended the stairs with the key the man gave us.

"It's fine, we're not staying here either way." This was just a cover after all.

"What?" Angie remained confused as we walked into the small room, our luggage in hand.

As soon as the door was closed I took her hand, not bothering to take a look at the room.

Before she could voice any concern a light overtook our forms and we disappeared from the room.

…

Angie blinked as she looked around at the familiar sight.

Her silence lasted half a minute before she spoke to me. "Is this… your closet?"

"Yup, we're back on the island," I responded as I opened up the closet door and stretched.

"Down for some late-night swimming?" I asked as I reached for my swimming trunks.

"Wait, wait, wait… how are we here?" Angie held her head things moving too fast for her.

"I teleported us." It was really that simple. It's not an expense I'd like to make every day, but a temporary magic circle that'd teleport me to my pre-drawn magic circle was an option.

"How?! No, no I should know better than to question your abilities, but, if you can do something like that why waste time traveling?"

"Well, it's not something that's exactly easy to do. It takes a quite a bit." I'm sure she thought I was referring to mana though I wasn't.

"I swear, I need a list of all your abilities, I'm losing years off my life every time you decide to bring out a new one."

"Heh, I think I'd prefer to keep surprising you." I teased as I walked out of the room, taking off my shirt as I did so.

"Idiot." I felt Angie's eyes on my back as I exposed myself to her.

"So you coming? If you want a good sleep we only have around two hours." I turned to her.

"…I'll get changed."

…

Less than ten minutes later we stood submerged in the warm outdoor pool water.

The stars were shining brightly and the moon was out for the world to see. In this world, the moon looked larger than in my old one. It allowed me to truly reflect on its beauty.

"It's really hard to give this up." Angie sighed as she stood next to me leaning on the edge of the pool.

The red coloring of her bikini set was still visible through the moonlit night.

"Well, you don't have to. I may not be able to bring you here every day, especially with how suspicious it would be if you suddenly disappeared every night, but I don't mind every once in a while." I shrugged, she still had many responsibilities.

"I guess so…" She nodded watching as I pushed off the edge of the pool and transitioned to lay on my back, my body completely relaxed as I floated around looking like a rag doll.

"Stop showing off," Angie said before with a giggle she threw herself over my chest, attempting to push me down into the water.

Instead though, like she just jumped on a raft I only sank for a second before returning to the surface.

"Jealous you can't swim?" I teased.

"Leave me alone." She lowered her head, in embarrassment before letting go.

Just as I thought she was going to go away, she seemed to think otherwise as I felt her push herself up using my chest and then shift her body so she sat on my chest.

"What am I a boat?" I joked, becoming conscious of the two soft lumps of flesh resting on my abs.

"So, how do you plan to convince Livia's mother?" Ignoring my rhetorical question Angie asked as she looked up the sky.

"Convincing? I don't think I can." Probably not, at least until she knows me better. "It's not like I'm in a rush, I'll just make more opportunities for them to get to know me."

"I guess that's the best thing to do, I'm a bit sad that she views Nobles that way, well not sad at how she views them, but more sad that we aren't living up to the expectations that we're initially expected of us." Angie sighed.

"You'd make a fine ruler you know, at least when it comes to a Noble purpose." I decided to comment.

"Y-you think so, thank you." Her reaction was nice even the unexpected blush.

"Mhm."

Silence reigned as with her atop I floated listlessly in the water.

We finished off the night at her request by watching a play. As we sat on the couch and did as she wanted to I found myself dosing off to sleep almost immediately.

I could never really get into these types of performances, they lacked a certain something that was crucial to entertainment.

On a better note, I had some helpers strictly dedicated to anime production at the moment, and so pretty soon my visual entertainment deprivation will soon cease to exist.

Knowing the time until I fell asleep was short I stretched myself before standing up. I wish I could give a valid reason for her to join me but alas I couldn't really think of one.

"You're going to bed? I suppose I should do the same." Angie nodded before she too stood up.

I turned off the projection before we both walked down the hallway.

"Ah right, I left my stuff in your room," Angie said before she took the turn to her room.

We arrived at my room and I climbed in my bed, while Angie went over to the closet to get her stuff.

"Hey, Noir…" Right before she left for the night she sat down at the foot of my bed.

"Hmm?"

"H-how do you feel about polygamy?" A question that seemed so out of the blue was actually inevitable.

"Polygamy? I believe there is no established quantity when it comes to love, but that it is ultimately something that needs to be wanted by more than just one side." I responded simply, can you girls hurry up? I'd like to hold both of you to sleep if you don't mind.

"I see then good night." She nodded, some clarity in her expression.

In response I held my arms out to her, signaling a hug.

For a second she looked at me confused before comprehension flooded her and with a slight smile she walked over to accept my embrace.

I refused to let her go immediately. "You're warm~." I hummed in contentment as I held her pajama-clad body close.

What's really stopping me from keeping her in here? I doubt she'd refuse me. I could tell her how I felt and everything would be solved.

'It's a shame though.' I thought as my grip around her loosened and I let her go. It's ultimately her that needs to bring about any definite change, that way I know she'd not regret anything.

"Good night Angie, I'll wake you up tomorrow," I said as I moved back under the cover, watching as the door closed behind the girl.

…

The next morning I did exactly as I said I would and woke up Angie. Within the hour we were back with Livia ready to spend the day doing whatever until we had to say bye to her parents.

Lucy's glare had died down and now she seemed intent on learning my character.

We left later that day, right before we left though, I went up to the two and gave them a slip of paper with an address. If they ever wanted to check in on Angie or even a visitation, I'd take care of it.

…

We arrived back at the academy the next day, which gave us just a few hours before our second semester would begin.

As for the prince and his entourage, most had been disowned while some managed to escape with just disinheritance such as Julius himself.

It seems he recently has been forced to stay in the palace after numerous attempts to go against the rules of the duel and see Marie.

The others were also in violation of this which actually led to most of their disownment.

As for Marie, the girl kept the money she had scraped off of the rainbow quintuplets. She seemed to try her hand at a certain dungeon but ultimately ran away when she realized she stood no chance.

Since then she returned back to the academy and tried her absolute hardest to ingratiate herself with some lower-class Noble sons.

…

"Mm? Noir what's wrong," Livia questioned me as she held her schoolbag and stood next to the door of my apartment.

Similar to her I was ready for the day, though I was just hit with a sudden sense of dread.

There was no way countless annoyances wouldn't come to bite me in the ass, did I really have to go?

Before I could finish that line of thinking Livia grabbed my hand, pulling me along with her.

"That's not the right attitude, we're going to learn so much this year."

Your words would mean so much to me if I really did care about this damn Noble education.

Regardless, I put on a smile and let her pull me out of the apartment. At least I had two people I could rely on two take the stress out of things.

…

Volume 2: End

Have any questions? Leave them all in this chapter, like last time I will address them in the author's notes.

POWERSTONESSS, this is a long ass chapter after all