Some say that if you tell too many lies, you can no longer tell truth from fiction.

But Phoenix Academy Maggie believes that anyone who says this must not have told lies often.

Those who lie frequently always know when they are lying.

So, Phoenix Academy Maggie was quite certain that she had not just told a lie.

She realized that her feelings for Aozawa seemed to be growing bit by bit.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have blurted out "I love you" while joking around and then felt disturbed by those three words for an entire half of a class.

Don't underestimate that half-class time.

For someone like Phoenix Academy Maggie, who had studied how to manage her emotions, to be disturbed for half a class was a personal record since she started learning about emotional management.

Even after regaining her composure, Phoenix Academy Maggie still didn't focus on her studies. She completely ignored what the teacher was lecturing about and instead pondered her own matters.

Should she avoid or confront such feelings? And, if she chose to confront them, what consequences would she face?

First, she had to be clear about one thing: could Aozawa accept marrying into her family?

She couldn't possibly marry out. Losing the Phoenix Academy name would mean losing her inheritance rights to the Phoenix Academy Group. That was something her mother would never tolerate.

This question flashed through her mind, and she quickly came to a conclusion. It shouldn't be a difficult issue. Marrying in basically means you skip a lifetime of struggle.

The issue she should consider more is whether her mother could accept Aozawa marrying into the family.

While marrying in implies becoming a son-in-law who lives with the bride's family, in Japan, such a son-in-law is almost like a son, with a very close relationship, and even the right to inherit the group. Given her mother's standards, she certainly wouldn't casually accept an ordinary person as her son-in-law.

Phoenix Academy Maggie tried to understand Aozawa's qualifications from her mother's perspective.

Family background? Needless to say, someone from a commoner background couldn't be expected to have any favorable conditions. Height isn't important. Phoenix Academy Maggie knew her mother's personality; as long as he wasn't too short, she wouldn't insist on a particularly tall man. Talent, however, is extremely important. Her mother firmly believed in genetic theory, holding that the union of two outstanding individuals was essentially the union of two excellent genes, thus giving birth to even better genes. She wouldn't tolerate an incompetent person as a son-in-law.

According to Phoenix Academy Maggie's observations, Aozawa's academic performance was only average at best, nowhere near the top of the class. In the Kendo club, Aozawa was diligent in his efforts. But the defeat in the national competition and last year's loss at the Jade Dragon Flag seemed to prove that his Sword Dao talent wasn't that remarkable.

But in this area, no matter how talented he was, he wouldn't be recognized by her mother. After all, managing a company isn't about wielding a bamboo sword and fighting—it requires a good head. As for his looks, Phoenix Academy Maggie had great confidence, but from her mother's perspective, a simply handsome man could be found anywhere, and in large numbers, with all sorts of personalities.

Taking everything into account, Phoenix Academy Maggie, from her mother's viewpoint, rated Aozawa thirty points. So low! He's completely unqualified! What exactly did she like about Aozawa?

After such an evaluation, a sliver of doubt also surfaced in Phoenix Academy Maggie's heart. She thought about it and figured it was probably Aozawa's thick skin. Other boys, upon seeing her, either avoided her or were eager to make a quick advance, confessing their feelings as soon as they met. Only Aozawa was neither servile nor overbearing, interacting with her as an equal. This made Phoenix Academy Maggie feel comfortable. And it led to her realization, when she came to her senses, that she had become like a frog in slowly warming water. She sorted out the situation: she was satisfied with Aozawa and willing to give dating a try. But, she couldn't find any reason for her family to approve. Phoenix Academy Maggie didn't want a romance that would end fruitlessly. In her eyes, a romantic first love should have no regrets and should last until death.

Before she could figure it out, the bell signaling the end of class interrupted her thoughts.

After sending off the teacher with her classmates, Phoenix Academy Maggie turned around. She decided to address the most important question first by indirectly checking Aozawa's thoughts.

"Aozawa, I want to ask you, what do you think about a man marrying into his wife's family?"

Aozawa was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I'm not sure about others, but I'd die before marrying into a family."

Great. Phoenix Academy Maggie found that the first obstacle to her romance wasn't her mother, but the boy in front of her. If you don't marry in, how can we even talk about this?

Phoenix Academy Maggie's eyes held a complex expression, but she said nothing, instead replying with a laugh, "You're really staunch, aren't you? If I said it was the kind of wealth where marrying in means you wouldn't have to struggle for the rest of your life, would you still refuse?"

"A true man born between heaven and earth cannot languish under others! Even if I were to live off a woman, I'd do it the hard way—standing on my own two feet!" Aozawa proclaimed with fervor, then suddenly his expression changed, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

The "I love you" before class had already made Aozawa suspect she was being sincere. Now, Phoenix Academy Maggie's attitude made him even more suspicious. Could the young lady actually have feelings for him? Even if she is a young lady, she can't make him marry into her family. Aozawa would never be a live-in son-in-law.

"Maggie, you don't seriously have feelings for me, do you?"

"BWAHAHA! Do me a favor and go wash your face, then take a good look at yourself in the mirror, okay?"

Phoenix Academy Maggie let out a light laugh, shaking her head as she said, "You really are naive. Or is it that all boys are so conceited?"

"You're annoying," Aozawa grumbled, finding girls' minds hard to understand, especially a young lady's, which was even more complex.

Not as easy to figure out as Ayatsuki Ayaka. Young ladies hardly ever show what's on their minds in their expressions. It's difficult to tell their lies from the truth.

"Goodbye, conceited little prince~ I really do like you~"

"You're so annoying."

"Haha."

Phoenix Academy Maggie laughed as she left her seat, trying to suppress her pounding heart, and walked towards her two friends.

She had been so nervous she almost needed to pee.

「Noon.」

Phoenix Academy Maggie took out the bento she had prepared and, along with Yoshikawa Sayuri and Nomura True Wave, headed to the manga club.

It felt different from the first time she had gone there. Now, when she entered the manga club, she felt a sense of homey warmth. There was a rectangular table in the center, and bookshelves on both sides filled with all sorts of manga.

The regular members of the manga club were Nomura True Wave and Yoshikawa Sayuri. The other members, several third-year seniors, were either preparing for university entrance exams or busy with part-time jobs, leaving them no time to hang out here. They had transformed into 'ghost members,' just there in name to ensure the manga club continued to exist and wouldn't be disbanded. If they couldn't recruit new members after the seniors graduated, the manga club would face the crisis of being disbanded. But that was a problem for next year.

Phoenix Academy Maggie sat down, placing her bento on the table.

Yoshikawa Sayuri opened her bento and glanced at her, saying, "Maggie, is something on your mind?"

"Not at all," Phoenix Academy Maggie answered with a smile.

Nomura True Wave, however, stared intently at Phoenix Academy Maggie's expression and declared seriously, "I really can't see anything unusual. But you're definitely lying!"

With those words, she pointed forward with her right hand, her face full of conviction.

Phoenix Academy Maggie was somewhat surprised and asked, "Makoto, why would you say that?"

"It's simple. Don't be fooled by Little Sayuri's poor academic performance and seemingly slow wit. When it comes to intuition in this area, she definitely surpasses anyone! If she feels you're hiding something, then you definitely have something on your mind that you're keeping from us!"

Nomura True Wave said this, then her face broke into an excited smile, "Doesn't that sound just like a manga plot?"

"That's a terrifying intuition." Phoenix Academy Maggie showed a hint of surprise on her face, and could only hope the people from the special task force didn't have Yoshikawa Sayuri's abilities. "I did run into some annoying matters," she admitted.

"Could it be related to romance?" Nomura True Wave slid her orange juice forward as if to say, "Take it easy, have a drink, and tell us slowly."

Phoenix Academy Maggie shook her head, "No, it's something else."

"EHHH!" Yoshikawa Sayuri crossed her arms, her eyebrows dancing with excitement, "Maggie, you can't fool my gossip antenna! You're lying!"

Nomura True Wave grew even more excited, "Maggie, tell us, which boy in class do you like?"

Looking at their almost glowing eyes, Phoenix Academy Maggie felt a surge of pressure. But beyond the pressure, there was also a little thrill, a desire to confide. Discussing matters of love with friends like this was a scene Phoenix Academy Maggie had often imagined.

Her fair face turned a slight red as she spoke softly, "I can't say I *like* him... it's just a little bit of a good feeling, and I don't know what to do."

"OHO!" Nomura True Wave shouted excitedly, clambered over the table, and sat down by Phoenix Academy Maggie's left side. "Let me guess, it has to be Aozawa, right?! Before you got to know us, you and he were always eating together in the cafeteria. The class has been full of stories about you two."

"What kind of stories?" Phoenix Academy Maggie asked, a bit curious.

Nomura True Wave chuckled, "Of course, everyone speculating about how you two fell in love."

"Makoto, I told you, it hasn't reached that stage. It's just a bit of a good feeling, and I still don't know what he thinks," Phoenix Academy Maggie replied, her cheeks still red.

Some things were awkward to discuss with Aozawa, but talking with them felt completely pressure-free.

"Indeed. The rumors of you two dating were dispelled by Ayatsuki Ayaka. Whenever someone brought up you and Aozawa, she always said you two were just ordinary friends," Nomura True Wave said, stroking her chin and spilling some of the girls' gossip.

Yoshikawa Sayuri sighed, "Iroha is a formidable rival, not to be underestimated. She's enthusiastic and outgoing. If girls in class have questions about makeup or outfits, they can go to her and get it all sorted. They also ask her to help resolve other troubles. You could say she's the godfather of Class 2-C."

"It's nothing." Phoenix Academy Maggie responded calmly. In her view, if she decided to make a move, a mere Ayatsuki Ayaka would be no match for her; she could easily crush her. The real question was whether she should make a move at all. The fact that he wouldn't marry into her family was a thorny problem. Her mother's reservations were another concern, making her unsure if she should try to change things. Ugh, what a hassle.