I’m a Second Male Lead in a Romance Fantasy, but I Don’t Like the Female Lead

The Basic Swordsmanship I class ended. Being the first class, it concluded with just sparring for skill assessment, without anything special. It’s about 10 minutes earlier than other classes. I quickly changed back into my uniform and came out. I’ll have to put the training clothes in the cabinet for now and get them later.

“Cordelia, do I smell of sweat?”

I hadn’t sweated much since we only had a brief sparring, but I asked just in case. My next class is “Understanding Marriage” with Hestia. It would be embarrassing if I smelled while sitting next to her.

“How could you ask a lady something like that?”

Cordelia asked with a disgusted expression.

“Aren’t we just students taking the same class? By the way, you don’t smell at all, Lady Cordelia.”

“Are you crazy?!”

She was taken aback by my joke. She hit my shoulder repeatedly with her small hands. Surprisingly, they sting.

“I’m joking. Just a joke. We didn’t even do anything on the first day.”

“Even as a joke, that’s too much. If you make such jokes to Hestia, her affection will drop right away.”

“I don’t make such jokes to Hestia.”

“My affection has dropped. Isn’t that too much?”

Cordelia feigned seriousness. Judging by the smile she can’t hide on her face, it’s obviously playful.

“I didn’t think you’d be the type to joke around so much.”

“I only joke like this with Lady Deneb.”

“We’ve known each other for less than a day, you know?”

“It’s because you’re like a little sister.”

Despite her tall stature and fierce appearance, talking with her feels less like conversing with a peer and more like talking with a little sister. Of course, I’ve never actually had a little sister. Her honest and pure emotional side creates that impression.

As she said, even though less than a day has passed since we met, it feels comfortable, as if we’ve known each other for a long time. Is this what having a female friend is like?

“Did you have a little sister?”

“No, I don’t.”

“You’re really not in your right mind, are you?”

Cordelia made an incredulous expression at my words.

“But seriously, I don’t smell?”

“You don’t smell at all.”

I continued making small talk with her for a bit more. Before we knew it, we had arrived at the classroom for Cordelia’s next class.

“My next class is here. See you. See you in a bit.”

She waved goodbye. I also gave her a slight wave without saying anything.

Hestia’s classroom is right next to this one. I plan to pick her up and move to the Understanding Marriage classroom together. It feels a bit like a campus couple, which is slightly exciting.

I peeked inside the classroom, wondering if her class wasn’t over yet. Due to the early ending of the Basic Swordsmanship class, some other classes were still in progress. Some in the classroom seemed to notice me and whispered to the students next to them. Ignoring them, I searched for Hestia.

‘Found her.’

Actually, there wasn’t much need to search. She was sitting in the front row, diligently listening to the class. Her notebook seems packed with content, suggesting she’s been concentrating and taking notes throughout the class. As expected of a model student.

Moreover, her appearance shone incomparably compared to the other students in the classroom. Her face reduces everyone around her to extras. Anyone can see she’s the most eye-catching student in the classroom.

She doesn’t seem to have noticed me hovering outside, as her attention is solely on the teacher and her notebook. I decided to step back and wait in the corridor. Continuing to watch would disrupt the class.

Shortly after, the classroom became noisy, and students poured out through the door. Hestia is still asking the teacher a question with her notebook in hand. The students who came out first saw me waiting in the corridor, flinched, and then looked at Hestia, who was still asking questions in the classroom.

“Mikhail! Have you been waiting? You should have told me.”

A moment later, Hestia, having finished her questions to the teacher, came out of the classroom with a satisfied face and exclaimed in surprise.

“I didn’t wait long. Don’t worry about it.”

“Still, if I had known, I would have come out faster…”

Hestia mumbled, seemingly sorry for making me wait even though the class had ended.

“No, I’d rather you not be distracted by me than rush out.”

“Yes, I understand. But don’t blame me if we’re late for the next class because of me.”

She smiled brightly at my firm response. Perhaps it’s because I told her I liked her earlier, but she seems to be smiling more brightly today.

I headed to the “Understanding Marriage” classroom with Hestia.

The “Understanding Marriage” classroom was different from other classrooms. Unlike other classrooms where desks and chairs are arranged to face the podium at the front, round tea tables were placed throughout the room. Refreshments were already prepared on the tables. The room was filled with the deep scent of tea. It’s a complete 180-degree turn from the empty swordsmanship classroom where all desks and chairs had been cleared away.

Hestia and I froze as soon as we opened the classroom door, due to the unusual appearance of the classroom.

“The classroom… looks unique.”

Hestia stammered, seemingly surprised by the classroom’s appearance despite being the one who suggested this class.

It would be inconsiderate to keep blocking the classroom door like this. I led Hestia to a seat. Some tables already had male-female pairs seated. I approached a tea table in a suitable location.

“Is it okay to just sit anywhere?”
“They prepared it for us to sit on, after all. Other people have already sat down. Hestia, please sit down.”

I pulled out the chair in front of Hestia. She looked a bit hesitant but then sat down.

“I understand me being surprised, but I didn’t expect Hestia to be surprised too. Since you suggested we take the class together, I thought you would have researched in advance.”

“At that time! Ah, never mind.”

In response to my words, Hestia raised her voice as if wronged, but then quickly glossed over it. I wonder what she meant by “at that time.” I decided to probe a bit further.

“At that time? Is now different from then?”
“Don’t ask.”
“Really, I can’t?”

I asked with a deliberately serious voice.

“No, well, at that time, you were sort of making fun of me, or I thought you had some ulterior motive, so I brought it up thinking I’d test you once… I thought if you agreed to take it together, I’d trust you once, and if you refused, I’d think ‘I guess nothing has changed’ and give up…”

Hestia’s voice became increasingly quieter as she spoke. Sigh, what wrong have you done? I gently placed my hand on hers, which was resting on the table.

“How about now? Do you trust me?”
“Kyaah! Why suddenly take my hand!”

Hestia was startled by the sudden skinship and pulled her hand away.

“Is it that surprising? We even walked arm in arm yesterday.”
“This is more embarrassing than linking arms, you know?”

Hestia snapped back with a reddened face. I can’t understand women’s sensibilities. No matter how I think about it, linking arms seems more intimate than holding hands.

“So, do you trust me now?”
“Honestly, I didn’t look into this subject in advance. It was a bit of an impulsive suggestion.”
“I’m asking if you trust me now.”
“From what I’ve heard, it’s a practical-oriented class, so there will probably be such special preparations in the future too.”
“Do you trust…”
“I trust you! I trust you! I’m not so cold-blooded that I’d doubt you after you so sincerely told me you like me!”

Hestia, who had been deliberately ignoring my question, finally burst out at the repeated questioning. Her reddened face and loud exclamation are quite cute.

“What! Why are you smiling like that!”
“Just because.”

I must have been smiling without realizing it.

People around us whispered, watching Hestia and me. Even with Wilhelm, they didn’t whisper among themselves like this when I directly spoke to him. It’s very irritating, just like when I was waiting in front of the classroom earlier.

“Hestia, did you say something about me?”
“No, why do you suddenly ask that?”
“Everyone keeps whispering when they look at me. It’s a bit annoying.”

I spoke deliberately loudly, meaning they should listen and be aware. A few pairs who had been whispering discreetly backed off.

“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
“Yes, I really don’t know.”
“It’s a bit embarrassing for me to say it myself.”

Her evasiveness makes me even more curious.

“Don’t evade.”
“Don’t you think it might be because a man known for being silent and boring is now smiling like this?”

According to Hestia, what everyone in the Empire’s nobility knows is Cordelia’s hot temper and my reticence. Wait, to be lumped together with Cordelia, who tried to throw a slap at the eve party? That’s shocking.

Anyway, the silent, boring, reticent, and cold-blooded Northern Duke’s heir is waiting for his fiancée’s class to end, chatting and smiling like a fool, so everyone is staring because they find it strange.

After hearing Hestia’s words, I feel somewhat embarrassed. Ahem. I cleared my throat unnecessarily.

“I told you it would be a bit embarrassing for me to say it myself.”

Hestia smiled brightly. She seems to be enjoying my embarrassment.

As Hestia and I were conversing, the instructor entered the classroom. She’s a middle-aged woman who appears to be in her 30s or 40s. Though not exceptionally beautiful, she has a pleasant impression. She looks like a counselor who would distribute Choco Pies in the counseling room during school days.

She opened the door carefully, as if not wanting to disturb the students’ conversations, and quietly walked to the podium without making any footsteps. Hestia and I paused our conversation upon seeing her. However, it took over three minutes for all the chattering students to notice her and quiet down.

“Ah, have you all had your conversations?”

The instructor smiled brightly. Unlike her appearance, is she the type to be oddly strict? I prepared for the forthcoming, “It took you all three minutes to quiet down.”

“Then you should continue your conversations.”

However, the instructor’s words were completely different from my expectation.

“Um, was that too sudden?”

She explained, seeing the classroom that had gone quiet despite being encouraged to talk.

“Some of you might have researched in advance, but the Understanding Marriage class doesn’t have any special content. I’ll give you a practice topic, and you’ll perform it with your partner. My role ends there. I occasionally help pairs who fight and need counseling. And today’s practice topic I’m giving you is conversation.”

She cleared her throat and spoke again.

“As it’s the first class, some pairs might still be awkward with their partners. So today, I’ll give you time to have a slow conversation with your partner. Feel free to enjoy the refreshments prepared. Now, begin!”

After finishing her words, she sat in a chair next to the desk and savored her tea, as if she had no interest in us at all.

“We earn credits for this?”
“I-I didn’t expect it to be this minimal either.”

Hestia spoke as if confused. We thought there would at least be a minimal orientation, but there wasn’t even that.

I looked around. Some pairs had already started conversations, while others kept their mouths shut, not knowing what to say. Looking carefully, the latter seems to be the majority. It’s a vivid reminder that love doesn’t easily accompany strategic marriages. I’m lucky.

“Um, how was your first class?”

If we just sit here quietly, we’ll fall into a vicious cycle of awkwardness and silence, breaking the conversation and becoming awkward again. I forcibly brought up a topic.

“It was amazing! I was surprised at how substantial the content was even on the first day. Let me show you my notes.”

As soon as I brought up the class, her eyes sparkled. It was definitely a class with a very long name like “Application of Jewelry Crafting in Magic Circle Design.” She took out her notebook and showed me her notes. Honestly, I don’t understand any of it. The only thing I understood was that she’s a model student who takes excellent notes.

“If you look at the notes here, the topaz powder adds stability to this magic circle…”
“Oh, really? That’s impressive.”
“Here, here too. Even with the same gem, depending on which line it’s used in, the effect is different…”
“Wow, really?”
“The most fascinating thing was the effect that appears when designing a magic circle directly on the gem…”
“I see.”

Hestia excitedly explained each of her notebook entries to me. I responded appropriately. I really don’t understand any of it, what should I do?

After chattering for quite some time, Hestia’s voice gradually became quieter and then stopped, perhaps noticing that my responses were half-hearted.

“Was it… boring?”
“No! It was interesting. It was interesting, but I just don’t quite understand…”
“I’m sorry. Since before, when I start talking about things I like, I can’t control myself…”

She looks dejected.

“But I was glad to see this side of Hestia for the first time.”

I tried to package the conversation as positively as possible. And honestly, it’s not a lie.

This is the first time I’ve seen her get so excited and go overboard. Come to think of it, there’s so much we don’t know about each other. Just from what I just saw, she seems to have a hobby in magic, but I didn’t even know that.

I asked her a question.

“Hestia, what’s your hobby?”
“Suddenly?”
“I realized we know so little about each other.”
“My hobby is, um, reading magic papers.”
“Papers?”
“Yes. I subscribe to a magazine, so I receive a magazine with papers every month.”

She’s more scholarly than I thought. I was a bit surprised.

“And what’s your hobby, Mikhail?”
“Hobby?”

I pondered deeply on how to answer Hestia’s question. Let me think about Mikhail’s lifestyle. Wake up in the morning, wash up, prepare for sword training, eat after finishing, study, and then sleep when it’s time.

Wait, do I not have a hobby? Come to think of it, even in my previous life, I didn’t have any hobbies other than reading web novels. Mikhail is even worse, having no hobbies at all.

“Re…ading?”
“Did you know that reading is one of the hobbies that people without hobbies desperately squeeze out?”

Hestia sighed deeply.

“At this rate, it’s no wonder rumors about you being a boring man are circulating, really.”

I was about to retort, but I closed my mouth. Everything she said is true. A man without even a hobby, how can one be so boring? ;_;

“Alright! Then today, let’s find a hobby for you, Mikhail!”

Hestia declared with a voice full of enthusiasm.