At Avalyne Academy, there were only two ways to settle a dispute between knights.

However, one of these methods was exclusive to knights and knights alone. As knights fundamentally differed from nobles in terms of physical strength and condition, we were unable to engage in duels with nobles.

So how was it that a knight and a noble settled a dispute between one another? Well, I was about to find out.

Or so I thought.

“What the hell is this, Lady Shallie?”

“What? Is there a problem, Dame Charlotte?” Shallie smirked at me in a rather annoying fashion. Though the beautiful noblewoman usually wore bright and flowing dresses decorated with cute embroidery that complemented her dark blue hair, today she wore plain clothes and an apron.

“Yes. There’s a huge problem. I thought we were going to have a match, not sit here in the goddamn cooking classroom,” I crossed my arms, tapping my foot impatiently.

I was being subjected to this headache thanks to yesterday’s events. At first, it had been an exceptionally fruitful day of training. I was finally managing to get the correct amount of force into my spear thrusts and I’d been getting pretty good with distance control thanks to my sparring partners, so I had been feeling quite pleased by the time my training session ended.

Unfortunately, that was not to last. The moment I finished wiping the sweat from my brow, Lady Shallie had come striding up to me with a stupid looking expression on her face. She wore the goofiest grin in history and her cerulean eyes glimmered with a light that I could only call ‘mischief.’

“Dame Charlotte~!” Shallie had called with her idiotically singsong voice. It sounded so pleasant to the ears that it was almost as if she wanted everyone to look at us, especially the boys. Annoying. 

“I knew I’d find you here! Were you at the match just now!? You must’ve been, right!?”

I sighed in exasperation the moment I heard that giddy tone in her voice. The match that she was referring to was no doubt the one where Medrauta and her lady faced off against Lord Bastiche and Dame Ritya.

I was there, of course. There wasn’t a single knight in the academy who would willingly miss one of Medrauta’s matches. Sure, a few knights disliked her for carrying the title of ‘Oathbreaker’, but I didn’t care. Her oaths were her business, and regardless of what sort of reputation she held, Medrauta was a damn good fighter and one that was always worth watching.

However, I doubted that Shallie was interested in the silver-haired knight’s technique at all. In fact, I could tell exactly what she wanted to discuss based on the stupid way her eyes twinkled and glowed at me. God, I hate her.

I really do.

“Yeah. I was there,” I begrudgingly admitted.

“Wonderful!” Shallie clasped her hands together in delight. As a consequence, her arms pressed against her ample bosom, emphasizing it all the more. “So... You must have seen the way that Dame Medrauta swore her oath to Lady Viviane, right? It was so gallant and breathtaking! Oh, how I wish a wonderful knight close to me would do the same!”

My left eye twitched as she fluttered her eyelashes in my direction repeatedly, making her message more than obvious. I narrowed my eyes in utter disdain at her attempt of outdoing all prior brainless shenanigans she’d undertaken in her life.

“Yeah,” I replied sarcastically. “Hope you find ‘em.”

“But there’s a wonderful knight right here in front of me!”

I looked around myself rapidly, which was totally, utterly, completely not an attempt to hide my reddened cheeks which were caused solely by the increased blood flow I’d experienced during my training session and no other reason.

“Don’t see ‘em. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be heading back to the barracks.” I quickly grabbed my stuff and started hightailing it back to my room so I could finally protect my brain cells from this foolish and absolutely not adorable creature.

Unfortunately for me, things hadn’t gone my way that day.

“Oh, but... I came to challenge you to a duel?” Shallie said. “Come on! We haven’t faced off ever since you became a squire!”

I turned around and fixed her with a withering gaze that was sure to drive even the toughest pursuer away. “You’re a noble. I’m a knight. You cannot challenge me to a duel.”

“A-Ah!” Shallie gasped as if she’d just realized something that even a child would’ve known. “I meant a match! A match!”

“You. You’re challenging me to a match.” It was a statement, not a question.

“Y-Yes! Um, my knight has already agreed to the stakes, so all we’ll need is Lord Jasper’s assent!”

“And what might these stakes be?” I asked as I braced myself for what could possibly be the dumbest stakes for a match I would ever hear.

“Fufufu!” Shallie puffed out her chest and laughed proudly. It was such a stupid sound that I wanted to run over there and squeeze the air out of her. Plus, the fact that she placed her hands on her hips while doing it just made her look stupid and not cute at all.

“Well? Are you going to tell me or are you just going to laugh like a deranged jester all day?” I asked icily.

In response, Shallie jabbed a finger at me, striking a pose that I could only deem idiotic. “Should I win, then you shall become my knight!”

I shook my head and sighed. I knew it was going to be something stupid like this, but I never thought she’d be a big enough imbecile to actually go for it. “...Fine. But if I win, then you’ll have to give up on trying to enlist in the military after graduation.”

“H-Huh!? Why!?”

“Because I said so. Take it or leave it.”

“Fine!” Shallie crossed her arms with a loud and extremely unattractive ‘humph’ that caused her cheeks to puff out in an uncouth manner that was unbefitting of her station as a noble. “Just don’t start crying when I win!”

“Yeah, yeah. You’ll still have to get Lord Jasper’s permission, so good luck with that.”

I turned away and left her in the dust without looking back even once, totally unconcerned about leaving her behind in the middle of the outdoor training grounds where several knights were still sparring. After returning to my room without confirming Shallie’s safety or her departure from said training grounds, I immediately collapsed onto my bed with a single thought.

There’s no way Lord Jasper is gonna agree to terms like those...

To my surprise, I was completely wrong. Not only did he agree, but he supported the match as well. And so, I found myself here.

“Here, here!” Shallie thrust an apron at my face, smiling all the while. “You’ll need this!”

I tore it out of her hands with a look of annoyance before putting it on and turning my attention to the boy who stood near the entrance with an amused grin on his face. “Lord Jasper, what is the meaning of this?”

“It’s a cooking match, Dame Charlotte. I’m one of the judges. Lady Shallie’s current knight, Sir Rodney, will be the second judge.” Lord Jasper gestured to the knight who stood by his side.

“...Aren’t there usually three judges for competitions like these?”

Lord Japser nodded. “Indeed. The third judge will be arriving shortly.”

As if on cue, the door swung open. My eyes widened as I stared at the breastplate that they wore, the bright noonday sun causing it to gleam brilliantly as they strode into the room. Their long silver hair flowed like liquid moonlight, and their sharp ice blue eyes cut through the room like twin swords.

I couldn’t help but gasp.

“M-Medrauta!? What are you doing here!?”

The silver-haired knight glanced at me with a raised eyebrow. “Rodney told me there’d be free food, so I came.” She paused, squinting at me. “Hold up. You’re cooking!?”

“It’s a contest!” Shallie cut in with a bright grin. “A cooking match between myself and Dame Charlotte! I hope you’ll be kind enough to act as a judge for us.”

Surprisingly, Shallie ended with a refined curtsy. Not only was it utterly uncharacteristic of her to produce such an elegant and bewitching movement, but it was almost like she was trying to seduce Medrauta by performing such a perfect curtsy. It was so annoying and improper, I wanted to grab her and throw her out of the room immediately.

“I see. I don’t believe we’ve met before, but I’d be glad to serve as a judge for this honorable match. My name is Medrauta,” the silver-haired knight strode up to Shallie and took her proffered hand before bowing.

Normally, I held Medrauta in high regard due to her incredible combat skill, but something about the way she bowed just irked me at that moment. A greeting as formal as that only happened in fairy tales or when greeting the reigning couple. Not even the imperial siblings were greeted so formally, yet Medrauta had taken her hand so easily.

I hated it. Not only did I not want Medrauta to tou—I mean, not only did I not want Medrauta to be sullied by touching Shallie’s contagiously idiotic hand, but I also didn’t like how close they stood together. The only person who should be allowed to stand next to Shallie is me since I’ve built up quite the strong immunity to her stupidity.

“Well, Lady Shallie, it’s unfortunate but I doubt this will be much of a contest,” Medrauta said. “Charlotte isn’t exactly known for her stellar meals.”

“W-What did you say, Medrauta!? I’ll have you know I’ve gotten a lot better since last year!”

“I still don’t know why Padraig let Sir Markus bring you in and try your hand in the mess hall, no less. If Kaslavna chose to attack that day, I’m pretty sure the imperial knights would’ve been screwed.”

“S-Shut up! I’ll show you! Wait until you taste my creation today!”

“Everyone, please inform Lady Viviane of my death should I not make it out of this room alive by the end of the match.”

“Gah!”

After Medrauta finished making me look like an absolute buffoon, the cooking match started in earnest. We were each to make a simple and traditional dish that consisted of scrambled eggs on top of toast that originated here in the capital and was rather popular with commoners and nobles alike.

“The trick here is to ensure that the eggs are as smooth and silky as possible,” Lord Jasper commented as Shallie and I began cooking.

Medrauta nodded. “Yes. I remember Charlotte attempted to make this before too, but she unfortunately thought that the eggshells would make for a nice crunchy texture. I hope she doesn’t make the same mistake this time around.”

I glared at her only for her to smile lazily at me in return. Honestly, I wanted to walk over and throttle her, but the clock was counting down rapidly and we only had a couple minutes to finish the dish.

I quickly added a few flecks of butter into the eggs that I was stirring and got to work with the toast. Surprisingly, I was ahead of Shallie who still hadn’t even started adding butter. Instead, she was simply stirring and stirring the eggs rapidly in her pot.

“I’m afraid I’ve always had servants to cook for me, so I’ve never experienced the pleasure of making my own meals,” Lord Jasper remarked. “What about you, Sir Rodney? Dame Medrauta?”

Rodney shrugged. “Used to make a few things on my own since my order’s mess hall sucked. It was a tough time as a squire now that I think about it... Probably should’ve joined a different order.”

“Same here,” Medrauta nodded. “The imperial order might look fancy, but that just tells you the budget ain’t going into the mess hall. Their toast is a real treat, almost as burnt as the thing Charlotte’s makin’ right now.”

S-Shit! I’d been so engrossed in the judges’ commentary that I’d forgotten to flip my toast... or so I thought. The butter had started caramelizing against the heat of the pan, but my toast wasn’t anywhere close to burnt!

I glared at Medrauta again and she responded with that same smile. It was almost like she wanted me to lose.

“Oh. You figured it out,” Medrauta laughed as she saw the light of realization dawn in my eyes. I immediately flipped her off and decided to ignore any further comments she made until time was up.

The hourglass that we used as a timer ran out faster than I’d expected, but I’d managed to make it just in time as I stood next to Shallie, the two of us preparing to present our dishes. Normally, I would’ve begrudgingly volunteered to be the one who ate Shallie’s dish since I didn’t think anyone deserved to be subjected to her cooking, but that wasn’t an option since this was a competition.

“Alright... Let’s get the suffering out of the way first,” Medrauta sighed. “Charlotte. Explain your dish.”

“...Huh?” I was caught completely off-guard. “Uh... What do you mean ‘explain my dish’? It’s what you guys told us to cook.”

“We’re asking for the contents and the cooking method, if relevant,” Lord Jasper elaborated.

“It’s... eggs and toast.” I said simply. “With salt.”

Medrauta raised an eyebrow and said nothing while Lord Jasper just laughed. I didn’t know what was so funny, but if this was their idea of a prank, it was probably the stupidest prank I’d ever fallen victim to. I mean, what the hell did they expect? It’s scrambled eggs on toast!

“...Oh. I’m alive,” Medrauta’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as she tasted my dish. “Good crunch on the toast, but only on one side. The egg should’ve stayed in the pot for just a few seconds longer, bringing together the moisture in the dish and preventing it from soaking into the bread as a result of overexposure. Better than what I had last year. I give it a five out of ten.”

It wasn’t too bad, and five out of ten was a passing grade, so I was feeling pretty optimistic if even Medrauta was willing to rate it so highly after having suffered the catastrophe I spawned in the imperial order’s mess hall last year back when we were still squires.

“...I’ve only ever eaten food made by my servants,” Lord Jasper began. He’d barely even touched the dish that Medrauta passed over. “I used to take them for granted, but now I’ve learned to appreciate them. I can thank you for that at the very least, Dame Charlotte. But... Hm... How do I say this? It is... excessively bland with the only condiment being a pinch of salt. Two out of ten.”

I gulped. That sure wasn’t a stellar review at all, and I could only hope that Shallie was a much worse cook than I. Either that, or Rodney gave me full points.

“I wouldn’t say it’s that bad, Lord Jasper.” Rodney said as he finished off the dish and washed it down with some water. “Helluvalot better than the shit we had in our mess hall. Seven out of ten.”

I pumped my fist in victory while looking at Shallie with a smug expression. Hah! How’s that!? My victory’s assured!

I maintained that smug smile until Shallie revealed her dish, lifting up the cloche that hid her dish from sight. My jaw instantly dropped, and the three judges were equally surprised.

“Well, uh, please explain your dish, Lady Shallie.” Medrauta said as she leaned forward, eagerly awaiting the chance to devour the meal that Shallie had somehow managed to make despite her complete lack of any wifely qualities.

“Of course,” Shallie curtsied elegantly again. “I’ve made fresh scrambled eggs seasoned with chives, shallots, and bacon on top of a baked buttered crostini infused with rose water. Please enjoy.”

What. The. Fuck??? My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she launched into her detailed explanation on the heavenly dish that she’d created. What’s more is that she even managed to create three separate dishes for each judge instead of just one for them to share.

“Excellent,” Medrauta said immediately after wolfing down her fancy scrambled eggs on toast. “Superb. Has Lady Viviane invited you to any tea parties lately? She certainly should. Eleven out of ten.”

“W-What!?” I exclaimed. “You can’t give her eleven!”

“I’m the judge,” Medrauta replied simply. 

I was so stunned that I didn’t even know how to respond.

“...Lady Shallie. Pardon my manners, but you should count yourself lucky,” Lord Jasper said as he wiped his lips with a napkin.

“Oh? Why is that, Lord Jasper?” Shallie asked.

“Were you not the daughter of a marquis and I not the son of a mere count, I would have definitely sought a way to make you my personal chef. Absolutely fantastic. Eleven out of ten.”

It was hopeless. No matter what Rodney gave her now, she’d be the victor.

“...This is the fanciest thing I’ve ever eaten,” Rodney said. “Do you have more?”

Shallie shook her head with a giggle. “Unfortunately not, Sir Rodney.”

“Yeah, uh... I think it’s obvious who won,” Medrauta said. “Anyway, thanks for the food. And congratulations, Lady Shallie. Charlotte. Seeya ‘round.”

“Likewise,” Lord Jasper rose from his seat. “It was a pleasure to have you in my service, but now we must part ways, Dame Charlotte. Congratulations.”

Rodney hastened to stand as well, both Medrauta and Lord Jasper already making a beeline to the exit for some reason that escaped my knowledge. “Y-Yes. Congratulations, Dame Charlotte! And thank you for allowing me to serve you, however brief it was, Lady Shallie.”

The room emptied before I even had a chance to respond, leaving me alone with Shallie. I was completely and utterly confused. Why the hell were they congratulating me when I lost? Did they take their stupid pills or something?

“...Dame Charlotte.”

“What?” I snapped.

“Earlier, I lied...” Shallie said as she walked toward one of the kitchen counters, retrieving a dish that still had one of the rose water scrambled eggs or whatever that she made. “I’ve still got this one left over~”

“So what?” I asked in an irritated tone.

“Don’t you want to give it a try?”

“No, not really. Who would wanna eat something you made? N-Not me, that’s for sure!” I crossed my arms, turning my face away from hers.

“But this one has something special in it that I made just for you~!”

“Oh...” I felt a little bad, so I decided to humor her a little. It definitely wasn’t because I actually wanted to eat handmade food. “What’s the, uh, special thing?”

Shallie leaned closer to me as she held the dish out. I took it quickly, averting my eyes from her gaze. I didn’t like the way that she was looking at me, and I hated being so close to her. It always made me uncomfortable, especially around the chest since I had a disease that made my heart beat way too fast whenever she was near.

“Hm... Why don’t you try it first and see?”

“...Fine. It better not be something weird,” I said as I popped the thing into my mouth. Immediately, I understood why Medrauta and Lord Jasper had rated the dish so highly. It was like heaven in my mouth, an absolutely incomparable taste to anything I’d ever had in my life. If I could, I’d want to eat this every day.

“So... What’s the special thing you added?”

“The truth is... I laced it with a love potion~!” Shallie winked mischievously.

“W-What!?” I coughed, my eyes widening as I gripped my chest in pain. The potion was taking effect, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

I stumbled forward, falling into Shallie’s arms that wrapped around me tenderly. Even though I was taller and broader than her, I felt so small in her warm embrace. “...Shallie. I love you. I always have,” I declared abruptly as a result of the love potion’s effects, staring deep into her entrancing cerulean eyes. 

There was no resisting the potion, and it forced me to divulge these pent-up emotions whether I liked it or not. They were the feelings I’d repressed ten years ago when I was forced to become a page and then a squire. I was told that I’d only ever be allowed to serve a lord, but now...

Shallie smiled, hugging me tighter. It was almost like she knew this would happen. “I love you too, Charlotte.”

We basked in each other’s warmth for a while in the empty classroom, gaining comfort from our newfound courage and resolve to become lovers despite the empire’s stance against same-sex couples.

“I wonder when the love potion will wear off,” Shallie murmured.

“...Idiot. Love potions don’t exist.”

She laughed, and I followed along. She truly was so lovely that I couldn’t bear to admit it without the idiotic excuse of being under the effects of a ‘love potion’, but with our first step taken, I would definitely make up for all the romantic days that we’d missed.

But then again, what was it that stopped us from becoming a pair or even a couple in the first place? Even though Shallie had actively pursued me before we enrolled in the academy, I’d always rejected her advances. Why?

I was afraid. Afraid of standing out and being rejected by society... Yet, Medrauta didn’t even hesitate to give her oath to her lady in front of so many people. In stark contrast, I simply acted as though I was completely disinterested in Shallie even though I was paradoxically looking for any excuse to confess my feelings for her. 

Perhaps if I had the resolve Medrauta possessed, Shallie and I would’ve started dating long ago.

But I didn’t, and in the end, I was the idiot.

“Hey, Shallie?”

“Hm?”

I looked deep into her wonderful eyes and gathered my courage.

“Shall we go on a date tomorrow?”

She flashed me that goofy smile I loved so much before responding with the one word I’d been too afraid to ask for, but always wanted to hear.

“Yes!”