Was there a need to be this secretive?

After exiting the cafeteria, I had planned to have the conversation with Ashlyn in the hallway itself, but the girl... she made me walk for around ten minutes, and now we were in some sort of garden at the academy.

It was my first time seeing this place.

Several plants ranging from herbs of various kinds to tall trees enveloped us from all sides.

The air felt refreshing, with the mild breeze hitting my face from time to time.

Looking closely, small plaques were placed beside the trees, describing their names and the properties of the given plants.

"It’s developed by one of the clubs."

Ashlyn, seeing me looking around the place with slightly curious eyes, made the comment, though I made no effort to acknowledge it.

It wasn’t like I was ignoring her.

No.

I was just focused on analysing the plants around me.

"So what is your father’s decision?"

Without wasting any more of my time, I got to the point, making Ashlyn clear her throat in response.

"He wants to meet you during the academic visit."

Fair enough.

I hadn’t expected him to agree without hearing my terms.

I mean, that would have been kind of impulsive, and no matter how ambitious Damian was... he wasn’t a fool.

"What about my first condition?"

Ashlyn still hadn’t uttered a word on that.

"That... I had discussed it with my faction, and most of them have shown a positive response."

"So?"

Fixing my eyes on Ashlyn, I made her look back at me.

As the wind blew across us, Ashlyn’s blonde hair moved with the momentum, making the girl arrange it with a sweep of her hand.

"Both of your conditions are acceptable to me."

Sigh.

That was good enough.

Ashlyn’s faction had many interesting individuals, who would serve a better purpose under my lead.

Looking at Ashlyn, she seemed a little unsure after uttering the statement.

"I guess we could be officially called partners from now on. So... feel free to speak your concerns. I may not agree with them, but I will try to give them the required importance. After all, you could now consider me your advisor."

Ashlyn had a decent chance for the position of the student council president on her own, but with my help, her victory would be certain for sure.

My words seemed to have brought some sort of realization to Ashlyn... at least that was what I inferred from the expression that she was making at the moment.

Her brows were slightly raised, and I could see her slightly biting her lips while having her eyes downcast, as if in deep thought about what to say.

"You seemed close enough with Alicia, at least from the way I had seen her looking at you."

Ashlyn maintained the tone of her voice throughout her sentence, as if she was just stating an observation without being suspicious of it.

"Diana was the one behind it."

"..."

"You don’t have to worry about it. No matter what, I won’t be supporting Victoria, even if Alicia asks for it."

I clarified the doubts that might have begun to take place in Ashlyn’s mind.

Though my words seemed to be a lot more impactful than I had assumed, as Ashlyn was taken aback by my straightforward answer.

"Uh... I didn’t actually mean it that way. I had just heard the rumours that you weren’t on good terms—"

Ashlyn paused at the end without speaking further.

Maybe... I shouldn’t have spoken much, but my words still had a good effect, as they would have cleared any worries in the Levaith’s mind.

"And I wanted to ask something, only if it isn’t rude—"

"Go ahead."

I uttered the words as my legs moved to walk around the garden.

Ashlyn quietly followed me from behind, as she sorted the words in her mind.

"I had heard rumours about it, but... what is your actual relation with the headmaster?"

Hm?

I honestly didn’t expect her to ask about it.

I had thought Ashlyn was someone who minded her own business, but maybe... by allying with her, I had been included in her range of interest.

The wording might not have been the best to describe my thoughts about her, but it was close enough.

"What rumours had you heard?"

Though I could have answered immediately, I wanted to hear what people were discussing about me.

It was just curiosity on my part.

"Uh... They were rumours that you are the headmaster’s... hidden son."

"..."

Were the people dumb?

Did they think Castor was an idiot for not being able to recognise his own son and letting me live in the Frost mansion for so long?

Haa...

"It’s just what I had heard. I personally didn’t believe any of it."

Seeing my narrowed eyes, Ashlyn might have misunderstood it as me being offended, but that was far from what I felt at the moment.

I was just... stumped by the intelligence of the people who had made these rumours and those who had believed them to the extent of circulating these baseless chunks of information.

"What do you think?"

"Huh?"

"Do you think I am the headmaster’s son?"

"...."

Ashlyn didn’t reply, choosing to awkwardly smile at my question.

"It seems too ridiculous to be true, doesn’t it?"

As I asked the second question, Ashlyn looked at me for a second longer before slowly nodding her head in response.

"If it sounds ridiculous, then... why did you ask?"

Moving closer to Ashlyn, I looked at her the same way one would look at a fool.

If the rumour seemed to be far-fetched and hard to believe, then why would she even ask a question about it?

"It’s you who suggested being free to speak my concerns."

Hm?

Ashlyn whispered in a voice that was barely audible, though I managed to hear the words.

"I was just curious."

Huh?

Ashlyn’s second whisper made me take a closer look at the expression on her face.

Was she pouting?