An Apology

A perfect lackey couldn’t just rigidly follow their master’s orders; they had to learn to be proactive.

If there was no trouble, they had to go out and find some.

That was why, even before Ewan had arrived at the academy, Emon had already planned this little challenge. To viciously humiliate the Ariel that his Young Master despised, right here in front of everyone—that was the greatest gift he could possibly offer!

Young Master Ewan would surely be overjoyed! He knew his master had spent the entire last year in a state of constant frustration, being repeatedly outmaneuvered by Ariel.

If he could please the son of a duke, was there any doubt that his own future would be paved with gold?

“…” Looking at Emon’s foolish, self-satisfied grin, Ewan could guess exactly what was going through his head. If it had been the old Ewan Campbell, he probably would have been pleased.

—Assuming, of course, that Emon could actually beat Ariel.

“I see. I think I understand,” Ewan said. “You’ve done well, Emon.”

Hmph.

See? Young Master Ewan is praising me! Emon thought, his nose held so high it was a wonder he didn’t trip.

“But—” Ewan continued, his tone shifting, “—it’s unnecessary.”

“Eh?”

Emon froze.

“Young Master… what do you mean by that?”

“What I mean is…” Ewan picked up the glove from the ground, dusted it off, and pressed it back into the stunned Emon’s hand. “From now on, you don’t need to do things like this.”

“Don’t need to… but these things…”

“You do these things because of me, don’t you?” Ewan patted Emon’s shoulder. “And for that, I thank you. But, from this day forward, you don’t need to waste your time on such foolishness.”

“B-but… why?” Emon asked, completely baffled. “Isn’t this what the Young Master wants?”

“Because…”

Ewan smiled, his golden hair catching the morning sun, making him shine with a dazzling light.

“I have turned over a new leaf.”

“…Huh?”

“Wha?”

“Did I hear him right…?”

“Did the Ewan Campbell just say that?”

Ewan hadn’t lowered his voice, so everyone had heard him loud and clear.

And everyone was completely, utterly stunned.

Ariel looked as if she had been struck by lightning. She was already mentally asking a certain someone in her ring if the man before her had been possessed by an Evil God.

The answer, of course, was no.

“T-t-turned over a new leaf? What does that mean?”

Only Emon remained lost in a fog of confusion. “Young Master, are you sick?”

“Of course not. ‘Turning over a new leaf’ means…” Ewan’s gaze swept over the crowd of onlookers, as if he were deliberately speaking for their benefit. “In short, it means that from now on, I will not bully others, I will not harass young women, I will not be a scumbag, and most importantly…”

Ewan turned his head to look directly at Ariel, his expression deadly serious. “Ariel Bourgard, I will not trouble you again.”

“…Are you serious?” After a long, stunned silence, Ariel finally managed to squeeze out those few words.

“Of course I’m serious.” Ewan tilted his head, a look of genuine confusion on his face. “Do I not look serious enough right now?”

“But…” Ariel was still deeply suspicious. And after all the horrible things you’ve done to me, you think you can just say you’ve ‘turned over a new leaf’ and pretend it never happened? As if!

“As I thought, it won’t be that easy, will it?”

As if seeing right through her, Ewan gave a weary, bitter smile.

Then, he once again walked up to her, stopping about two steps away.

He stood up straight.

Took a deep breath.

And then…

He bowed a perfect, crisp ninety degrees.

“Compared to everything I’ve done to you in the past, this is insignificant. But for now, please allow me to apologize.”

Ewan kept his head bowed, his voice sincere.

“I am truly sorry for all the terrible things I have done to you, Ariel Bourgard.”

“…Ah… you…”

Ariel’s eyes went even wider, her mouth agape. You could have fit a whole egg in there.

She was starting to think this wasn’t a dream after all. This was a nightmare. She must have been cursed by some bizarre entity during her training.

The Ewan Campbell, the arrogant, insufferable Ewan Campbell who looked down on everyone… was apologizing to her? He was bowing to her?!

“Is the world ending tomorrow?” she thought, a genuine wave of fear washing over her.

“I had originally planned to prepare a proper gift and apologize to you formally, but this was rather sudden.” Ewan straightened up and patted himself down, a sheepish smile on his face. “Right now, all I have on me is the one million émile allowance I filched from Anne. But for you, giving money as a gift would be an insult, so I won’t do something so tacky.”

Ewan looked around, and finally, he pressed the half-eaten kebab he was still holding into Ariel’s hand. “The third shop on the left outside the school gate,” he said earnestly. “It’s delicious.”

“…” Ariel looked at Ewan, then at the kebab in her hand, and said nothing.

“Well then, I’ll make up for the gift when I have the chance. I’ll be going now.” Ewan prepared to leave, but just before he did, he leaned in close to Ariel and whispered, “You don’t have to decide whether or not to forgive me. It’s fine if you don’t. I’m apologizing because I was in the wrong. That’s all.”

“Goodbye, Ariel Bourgard.”

“I hope that, from now on, we can be ordinary classmates, not enemies.”

“…” Ewan walked away without a backward glance.

But even long after he was gone, the area remained deathly silent.

The crowd of onlookers, in a state of silent shock, began to silently disperse.

It was only when Ariel was completely alone that her body gave a sudden jolt, as if she had just woken up.

“Hey! Wait a minute, Ewan Campbell! A million émile would have been fine! I’m a very tacky person!”

…

The Clock Tower. The Dean’s Office.

The head of the magic department, Professor Planck, a stern-looking man with a white beard and white hair, stood by the window, gazing down at the students coming and going from the school gate.

“Well? See any promising new sprouts this year?”

A light chuckle came from behind him.

Professor Glen, also from the magic department, came to stand beside him, his gaze also fixed on the distant crowd.

“The new students don’t arrive until this afternoon,” Professor Planck said, giving him a sideways glance. “As a professor, shouldn’t you show a little more concern for your own students?”

“Haha, but I am very concerned for my dear students.”

“You can say that after you’ve raised the average grade for your subject.”

“It can’t be helped. The study of potions is so dreadfully dull, and it doesn’t directly improve one’s combat power. None of the kids these days are willing to learn it,” Glen sighed with a helpless shrug. “So, if the new students aren’t here yet, what are you looking at?”

“If I cannot observe the new, then I shall observe the old,” Professor Planck said, his expression impassive. “The first day of school is the best time to gauge a student’s spirit. Just by looking at their faces, I can generally tell whether they wasted their vacation or spent it in a meaningful way.”