Yuriko was startled by the sudden interruption and straightened her back.
Knowing that Yuri was an Astrologer, she felt very constrained in her presence, fearing she might accidentally let something slip.
“Ah, y-yes, I also think Carmilla is a kind girl and want to be close friends with her.”
Yuriko believed she hadn’t said anything wrong.
Any normal person would want to interact with a good child like Carmilla.
“Ho ho, just friends? I thought you’d think Carmilla is more suitable as a wife~”
Yuriko’s heart skipped a beat because she really had thought that.
Carmilla’s temperament was so gentle; she was practically the ideal candidate for a virtuous wife.
‘Can this Yuri really read minds?’
“We’re all girls, how could I have those kinds of thoughts? Why do you think I’d think that, Yuri?”
“Intuition. An Astrologer’s intuition is very accurate~”
‘Damn Astrologer, why does your intuition have to be so accurate!’
Yuri pushed herself up, leaning closer to Yuriko’s seat and whispered to her:
“So you really don’t have those thoughts? According to my observations, there are quite a few girls who are interested in the same sex. You actually like girls, don’t you?”
Yuriko definitely liked girls.
After all, her previous life was that of a man—a man who had lived for nearly twenty years.
In this life, although she had been a girl for several years, she was either fighting or on her way to a fight.
In some ways, she was even more manly than in her previous life, and her sexual orientation could not possibly change.
However, liking girls was something she absolutely could not admit.
Although this world was open and did not oppose same-sex relationships, that was still a minority, not the mainstream.
If the fact that she liked girls while being one herself got out, it would likely affect her popularity among her classmates.
Popularity was what Yuriko valued most right now.
In other areas, Phantom could help, so she didn’t need to worry too much, but increasing her popularity was something only Yuriko could do herself.
“I like boys, of course. Don’t say such nonsense, Yuri,” Yuriko said with a forced, stiff expression.
“Oh, is that so…”
Yuri flopped back down, looking somewhat bored.
‘Why do you find it boring that I have a normal sexual orientation? Are you just a fun-seeker, you Astrologer?!’
Yuriko complained in her mind, but it was fine.
It was easier for Yuri to lose interest in her than to keep pestering her.
Just as she was about to turn back and continue her conversation with Carmilla, she saw Yuri’s eyes dart around as if she had thought of something interesting again.
‘Bad news!’
Yuriko only had time to curse inwardly before Yuri propped herself up on the desk again, continuing to speak with a beaming smile:
“Since Yuriko likes boys, then you’ll surely be happy to share what type of boys you like?”
If she could, Yuriko really wanted to seal Yuri’s mouth shut.
This fun-seeker only knew how to ask questions that made things difficult for her!
Yuriko didn’t like men at all, so the idea of having a preferred “type” was absolute nonsense.
She had to avoid the topic.
“Does Yuri want to talk about romance? Although I’d love to chat, I just joined the academy, so I’d rather talk about academy-related topics for now.”
Yuriko really did need to learn more about the academy.
Even if Yuri didn’t want to end the previous topic, she had no choice but to follow Yuriko’s lead and change the subject.
“Tsk, dodging the question,” Yuri grumbled dissatisfiedly.
Yuriko had no choice but to ignore her and turned to Carmilla instead.
“Haha, Yuri is very enthusiastic.”
Carmilla blinked.
She looked at Yuri, who was staring intently at Yuriko as if trying to see through her thoughts.
“Yuri seems to like you quite a bit. She usually isn’t this… well, enthusiastic?”
Yuriko would rather do without that enthusiasm.
After shaking off Yuri, Yuriko began asking Carmilla about academy matters.
Carmilla dutifully explained various things about the academy and offered her own suggestions and insights, which Yuriko found very beneficial.
Yuri lay bored on the table; these dry topics didn’t interest her in the slightest.
Under Yuriko’s intentional guidance, the topic moved to the Star of the Academy, and Yuriko took the opportunity to ask Carmilla about it.
“I don’t know much about the Star of the Academy. As far as I know, a selection for the Star of the Academy is held every year. It not only requires the student to place first in academics, martial arts, and magic, but also requires them to place first in a popularity vote. Only by satisfying all these conditions can one be selected as the Star of the Academy.”
“You actually have to participate in a popularity vote?”
Yuriko pretended it was her first time hearing it, acting surprised.
Carmilla smiled and explained, “Because when the Saint first established the title of ‘Star of the Academy,’ it was meant to select the most outstanding students. The popularity vote is actually a competition of a student’s charisma. Only a talent with strength, knowledge, and charisma across all fields is qualified to become a disciple of the Saint. Even after the Saint’s passing, this system was preserved.”
“I see. No wonder I heard it takes many years for a ‘Star of the Academy’ to appear. It really is difficult to fulfill all those conditions.”
Yuriko was currently most worried about the popularity vote, but her older sister, Yun Jianlan, had once obtained the title of “Star of the Academy.”
Perhaps she could learn a thing or two from Yun Jianlan.
“Yes, it has been many years since the last ‘Star of the Academy’ appeared. In the intervening years, no new ‘Star of the Academy’ was born. But this year is a bit different.”
Yuriko caught the information in Carmilla’s words.
This year was different, which meant there was a seed candidate for the “Star of the Academy” title?
“Does that mean someone in our year is expected to win the ‘Star of the Academy’ title?”
Yuriko perked up.
Carmilla nodded while looking toward a blonde girl in the front row.
“That’s right. She is ‘Windham Olesia.’ Not only does she have a perfect score in every subject, but her popularity in the academy is also the highest. I even heard she has an Underground Fan Club!”
“A perfect score!”
Although she didn’t know the difficulty of the exams at Shengxiu Academy, to be able to get a perfect score in an academy of this level—if she didn’t have an external brain like Phantom—she was truly a genius among geniuses.
Yuriko followed Carmilla’s gaze and looked at the blonde girl in the front row.
Elegant, dazzling, and dignified—that was Yuriko’s first impression of Windham.