I finished explaining how to gather rare oils, and I think they understood the importance of confidentiality.
Even so, I need to keep reminding them so they do not get careless.
Then Raz and Cran explained how we would secure several types of herbs and flowers from now on. Everyone was surprised by their resolve, and their expressions tightened with renewed seriousness.
Some students came from territories where agriculture was strong, and they said they would ask their parents if they could arrange something as well. It looked like everything would fall into place.
They say to use whatever stands nearby, even if it is your own parents, but when your parents are nobles the effect is tremendous.
And so, everything was progressing smoothly… until one day.
「You really came…」
「Indeed. You seem to be taking this more seriously than I expected. I am impressed」
「Well, this is my job… but why are you sitting there」
Right next to my seat. Which means she placed a chair beside the lectern as if she were receiving special treatment. Iris.
She walked in with a blank expression, put down a chair, sat like she owned the place, and said 『Pay me no mind. Go on and begin the lesson』.
Something is wrong… this academy forbids students from using their noble or royal status the moment they step through the gate.
Noble or royal should not matter here, so why is she sitting there…
「Hmm? Are you bothered because only I am being treated specially? This is part of my duty as an inspector. I am here under the pretext of observing the academy, so I am neither student nor teacher. Although it is true that once I am inside, I cannot wield any royal authority」
「Ah, I see…」
「Senseii! Which scent is better, this one or this one or this onee」
「Mine too. This one and this oneee」
「Hmm…..which one」
While I was talking with Iris, Raz and Cran held out their arms from the side and made me smell them. I moved closer and sniffed the area around their wrists.
Lately they often made me smell scents like this and asked for my thoughts.
This was also work. In fact, this was the core of my job.
「Hmm… elegant and refined. What did you use as the base」
「Umm! It’s a flower called magnoliaa. Both the right and left are magnolia baseddd」
「Senseii! These two as welll」
「Hmm, Raz, yours is a berry base」
「That’s right. Razulberries and Cranblueberries and Strongberriess」
I see, I see.
It really is a sweet and tart scent that feels very girlish.
Although, as a single note it might be a little strong.
If the middle note that appears after some time included rose or bay leaf, it might balance out nicely.
Come to think of it, there is also a flower called iris.
I can tell that her right hand is Cranblueberry and her left hand is Strongberry.
But where is the Razulberry? I wondered, and Raz and Clan grinned.
「The Razulberry is right here. You sniff heree」
「……Hey now……」
Raz pointed at the cleavage she showed by opening her uniform at the chest.
As a man, me sniffing there is a pretty bad look.
Hmm…… but perfume changes with sweat, even slightly.
And with those breasts she probably sweats easily.
If that is the reasoning, then I should accept this as part of the job.
「It can’t be helped」
「「Eh!?」」
Ah, this scent is also sweet and tart, like a little devil, and wonderful.
Although there is also a calmer note mixed in.
If I remember correctly, Riito-san said that jasmine matches Razulberry, and I told the students that as well.
So that must be the scent.
「Personally, I like this one the most. But I think mixing the Cranblueberry scent with the Razulberry would make it even more vibrant」
「Ah! Ahhhhhhh!! He sniffed itt! He sniffed without hesitationn!!」
「You told me to sniff it……?」
「I did butt! Why don’t you hesitate when sniffing an innocent maiden’s chesttt!」
「It’s my job」
「That’s not a jobb! Sniffing a girl’s chest is not a jobb!」
Even if she says that……
You were the one who told me to sniff it!
If you want to act like a little devil through scent, you still lack experience.
「Waaah! Raz’s boobs have been violated by senseiii!」
「They have nott!? Cran don’t go around spreading weird thingss!」
The two of them dashed off toward the rest of the class.
Oh, come on…… I thought, but everyone was smiling, so they must have already known or seen everything.
Ahhh, now they’re embarrassed because someone pretended to sniff their chest……
Well, at least they focus and behave seriously when they are actually making the perfumes.
「……So, Ayame-san, did you need something from me?」
I have noticed for a while now that you keep staring at me with a burning gaze.
Could it be that you feel moe for me standing at the lectern?
Do you have a teacher fetish?
If it is with you, Ayame-san, I would even consider a one-on-one lesson in the classroom after school.
「You… what did you do to them? Did you drug them? That is a crime. Shall I take your head?」
「Why…? Why would you think that and why is that your solution…?」
Huh? I thought she had become less cold compared to the old days, but did the time apart return her to how she was when we first met?
Like MP recovering on its own, could her dislike for me also recover naturally?
「Their change is strange. Girls from noble families who only wait for graduation would never be this motivated. It is natural to suspect some kind of suspicious drug.」
「No no, before suspecting suspicious drugs, shouldn’t you think of something more likely? Like maybe my skills as a teacher are just good. Something normal like that.」
「Hah? That is normal. A strange incident caused by a skilled alchemist. Anyone would think of suspicious drugs first.」
I understand what you are trying to say…..
If an alchemist is involved, of course some people will think the effect of some drug is at play. But after spending so much time together, you should know I would not do something like that….
「Hey hey heeey」
「Hm? What is it? Do you want me to smell your scent again?」
「N-no! Not thatt!」
「You know, since you walked into the classroom, everyone has been wonderingg… Sensei, are you acquainted with Iris-samaaa?」
「Ah… well, yes.」
Oh. She already came back.
And why does she need to lightly touch my arm…?
「T-that is unexpectedd. It is a huge surprisee. A shocking truthh.」
The class grows noisy as the two girls, bouncing around and pulling on my sleeve, fill the room with excited squeals.
Hey… we are still in the middle of class.
「You two are the Belsen Marquis family’s 『Twin Star Beauties』. It has been a while. Have you been well?」
「Yees, Iris-sama, we are delighted to see you in such fine spiritss.」
「We are glad to see you looking wellll.」
So, Iris and the two of them knew each other.
Well, this whole class is filled with noble daughters, so it is not strange for them to have connections.
「By the way, you two seem to like him quite a bit. Clinging to him like that… the men you have rejected until now would weep in frustration if they saw this.」
At Iris’s words, Raz and Cran checked what they were doing.
They looked at their arms, then at themselves, then up at me, and clung to me even more tightly.
「We like senseii. He is our sensei after alll.」
「Sensei is funn. There are too many surprisesss.」
「Hmm… but he belongs to me. I will not hand him over to you.」
「Eeeh!!? He belongs to Iris-samaa!?」
「You never told uss! This is a shocking truthh. Too unexpectedd. One of his six beloved lovers is Iris-samaaa!?」
「No, that is not… ah…」
Right. I am technically under Iris’s protection.
I forgot because it never affected anything.
Though maybe she has been protecting me from the shadows… but she would never say it herself.
「Eeh… that is unfair, Iris-samaa.」
「If Iris-sama has already claimed him, we cannot do anythinggg.」
「Hahaha. You have good eyes. He is excellent enough to be worthy of being your teacher. After all, even that mass of breasts who is the sister of the Imperial Emperor has taken a liking to him.」
Mass of breasts… she is talking about Sicilia-sama, isn’t she?
Calling those ultimate, perfect breasts a mass of breasts… she really said it…
「Sicilia-sama too…? I knew sensei was importantt.」
「No, I am not…. It was just coincidence.」
「That is right. There is no way this man is important. He is an unbelievable pervert who stares at a woman’s chest, butt, and legs.」
…You were trying to support me, right?
That was meant to help me be modest… right?
I will pretend the insults with closed eyes are just her being embarrassed.
…I need to stay strong.
Raz and Cran looked a little annoyed, exchanged glances, then suddenly showed anxious expressions.
「Eeeh… so we should not trust senseiii…?」
「If he is really that terrible, we have to tell Fatherr… even though we already decided to leave homee…」
「Ah, no, um. When it comes to his alchemy skills… it is worth giving him some respect…」
She must have intended to be cold to me like always, but this is the classroom, I am the teacher, and there are students here.
Ayame-san, who seems to know me, made it sound believable to students who do not know me well yet, so it made them anxious.
Alright. I should keep quiet for a bit.
「But he is the worst as a person, righttt?」
「Then that meansss…」
「…My apologies. I said too much earlier. He may be somewhat careless around women, but he values his connections with others and is a dependable man with a firm moral core. His alchemy skills are not inferior to Lord Eliodart. And he is not the type of man who would approach you with ill intent. I am sorry for causing confusion…」
Oh…
I cannot hide my shock.
Ayame-san actually praised me properly. A truly shocking fact.
「Ehehe. We know that alreadyy.」
「Sensei is not someone who can do something baddd.」
「…However, he really becomes pathetic when it comes to women. Especially your chest. Be careful. He will go after it. He will squeeze it and you will not be able to marry.」
「I will not go after it… When did I ever squeeze Ayame-san’s chest? I did not, did I?」
「For now… that is. If I said you could squeeze it, then—」
「Of course I would squ… ah!」
「…This is the kind of man he is. So do not let your guard down.」
Damn it…
I slipped up in front of the wonderful, limited-edition-sounding offer of ‘Ayame-san’s’.
My dignity as a teacher…! At this rate, my dignity is doomed!
「Ah… we know that alreadyy.」
「He sniffed my chest earlier without hesitation, and when he entered the classroom the first time, he immediately looked at Raz’s chesttt.」
「Shhh. You will hurt sensei’s feelingsss.」
「But, but… if we become apprentices, Raz might get her chest squeezed, you knoww? I am safe because mine is not biggg.」
「Hmm… so you two becoming his apprentices, eh. That could be amusing. By the way, two of his lovers have the same size as your little sister.」
Do not say unnecessary things.
Cran is now staring at Iris with an open mouth, clutching her chest protectively.
And now the whole class is whispering.
「Se-sensei? You cannot, okayy? Even if we become master and disciples and we visit your home, you cannot do whatever you want with our chests, alrightt?」
「Big ones and small ones are both off-limits, okayy? There are lines you can and cannot cross even as master and disciple. Even if you say something like This is part of training!, we will notice, you knowww?」
「I would not do that… And even if I were the kind who would, if you do not want things to go that way, then hurry up and work on your alchemy! You two, we are in class, so keep your hands moving.」
「「「「Ahahaha. Okaaay!」」」」
The students quickly returned to their alchemy work as if nothing had happened.
…So that was it. They teamed up to tease me.
Why are girls always so quick to form alliances?
There was no way they planned that ahead of time, yet their coordination was impressive.
「Hm? What troubles you? Did you actually take it seriously? Even these girls have learned to judge people since childhood. Someone as easy to read as you can be evaluated after a short conversation.」
「You know… for a moment I thought my credibility as a teacher was in danger.」
「Hah. You are one of the few men I acknowledge. You should have more confidence.」
「To me, Iris is just a child who wants ice cream.」
「You dare say that… Fufu. That may be true. These girls will not understand your worth immediately. But I saw at first glance that you were someone trustworthy. I am impressive, am I not?」
Iris laughed happily and proudly.
But claiming in front of everyone that I was hers, insisting she noticed my value first…
Could it be that she knew the Second Alchemy Class was full of noble girls and…
「Were you… jealous?」
「…Fool. That is not jealousy, it is called possessiveness. And you should not say such things aloud.」
Bingo.
Her face turned slightly red as she looked away.
Haha. She really is still a child.
「Well, I have no intention of leaving your protection so easily. I plan to rely on you from now on. I am counting on you, Iris-sama.」
「V-very well. If you insist that much, I shall continue protecting you. Ihihihi.」
Ah… her mood improved so obviously.
Even Ayame-san gave a strained smile at her master’s blatant shift but pretended not to see it.
「I want to rely on you already. Once this is finished, can you use it yourself and help spread it around?」
「Hmm… very well. I accept. An apology of one ice cream will suffice.」
See?
It always comes back to ice cream.
Still, if Iris helps, the effect will be enormous.
She is royalty, after all.
…During break, I will bring her some ice cream and let everyone enjoy it together.
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