Chapter 34

Released:

Morning broke and a new day began.

The incident between Estelle and Lina in the hallway yesterday had become an even bigger topic of gossip than expected.

“Lady Iris, Lady Estelle! Good morning!”

Despite the awkward atmosphere created by the rumors, Lina’s cheerful greeting was quite impressive.

As expected of a character originally meant to mediate conflicts, huh? Her mental strength was something else.

“Oh, you too, Theo.”

Moreover, the fact that she greeted me—someone she had openly ignored until now—meant she had decided to change her approach after yesterday’s events.

Well, to be honest, her greeting to me didn’t quite have the same warmth as the one directed at Iris or Estelle, so it wasn’t as though she was eager to befriend me. Still, it seemed she’d realized how much those two relied on me.

Frankly, anyone who wasn’t completely oblivious would notice that much after observing us for just a few days.

“…Yes.”

“Good morning.”

Regardless, Estelle’s response to Lina’s greeting was as lukewarm as ever, given the argument they’d had just the day before. Only Iris returned the greeting with warmth.

“Sir Theo, did you sleep well last night?”

Estelle quickly shifted her gaze away from Lina and directed her attention to me instead.

This was getting a bit tricky.

Honestly, I would have preferred to keep Lina around the other two and stay as inconspicuous as possible myself.

“Maybe it’s because I wasn’t used to the bed, but I didn’t sleep well. How about you, Estelle?”

Of course, just because I thought that didn’t mean I’d say it out loud.

Even if I tried to involve Lina who wasn’t on good terms with Estelle right now, it was obvious Estelle wouldn’t show her true feelings.

And if things went sideways, who knew how it might lead to a bad ending?

Unless I could somehow help them build a better relationship with Lina, or another mediator character showed up, it was probably better for me to stick around and keep an eye on things.

“Well, I’m not the type to be picky about sleeping arrangements, so I actually slept better than I thought.”

“So did I, Sir Theo. Since I often travel for inspections and stay in different places, I’ve gotten used to sleeping just about anywhere.”

Although the question was meant for Estelle, Iris naturally chimed in and joined the conversation.

“That’s a relief to…”

“Oh, me too. Like Mr. Theo, I’m a bit particular about my sleeping arrangements, so I didn’t sleep very well. Lady Estelle and Lady Iris are truly amazing. To think you’ve already adapted to that kind of thing as well.”

Seeing her cut me off so effortlessly and insert herself into the conversation didn’t exactly feel great.

Honestly, this whole hierarchy system they had here…. status and whatnot wasn’t something I was used to.

Sure, there were unspoken rules and structures in my world, but nothing as blatant as this.

Anyway, no matter how much I admired the character, it was hard to feel good about being treated like this all the time.

I didn’t have that kind of fetish where I would tell her, “Ignore me more!”

“Miss Lina, it’s about time for class to begin. How about returning to your seat?”

At first, I stayed quiet because she was one of my favorite characters, and honestly, I thought it might be a good idea to wedge her between Iris and Estelle, then quietly step away. But from now on, I had no intention of just letting things slide.

Judging by Estelle and Iris’s lukewarm reactions, it didn’t seem like forcing Lina into the middle was going to work out anyway. There was no point in squeezing myself into an already uncomfortable situation and making it even worse.

“Oh my, Mr. Theo. It seems I’ve made you quite uncomfortable. I wanted to get along well with you, but if you’re going to talk like this… Well, I suppose I have no choice but to leave.”

Hmm, this woman was trying to manipulate the atmosphere in her favor.

If this went poorly, it was bound to end exactly like that.

A mere commoner acting all high and mighty just because the Crown Princess and the Saintess were backing him, even when a noble lady was trying to be kind.

Having worked countless part-time jobs back in the day, I knew a thing or two about human relationships.

“No, Miss Lina, I was only concerned that if you were left standing alone when class began, it might draw unwanted attention from the teachers and negatively affect your grades.”

In moments like these, the best thing to do wasn’t to stay quiet but to speak up confidently myself.

Those who had started murmuring and spreading negative comments about me quieted down after hearing my words. Some even begrudgingly nodded in agreement, and slowly, the public sentiment began to shift.

It became clear in moments like this that the academy students were more open-minded than I had expected.

A commoner standing up to a noble? Outside the academy, such a thing would have been unthinkable.

However, the academy fundamentally emphasized that everyone—be they commoners, nobles, or royalty—was equal and judged solely based on their grades.

Given that, the people admitted here likely had a broader perspective compared to ordinary nobles.

“I-Is that… so? I must have misunderstood. Then I’ll return to my seat. Thank you for your concern.”

Her tone didn’t exactly sound grateful, but it seemed she couldn’t completely ignore public opinion. Watching her return to her seat without another word, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

***

I really can’t stand that damn commoner…!

When class started and everyone was quietly focusing on the lecture

Lina was filled with anger and was trying hard to suppress that feeling in her heart.

“Everyone here is so strange. I’m a noble, and he’s a commoner. How can they treat my opinion and that of a commoner as if they’re equal?”

Even though she understood that the academy operated on the principle of maintaining equality above all else, Lina’s aristocratic mindset still clashed with that ideal. Her inability to accept it made her seem increasingly out of place in the academy.

“Haah…”

She let out a small sigh, but the usual reactions she was accustomed to receiving were nowhere to be found.

As a member of the Maria County, she had lived a life no different from that of a princess.

Back at home, if Lina sighed, it would cause an uproar, with everyone rushing to ask what was wrong. Servants would tremble and grow worried they might have upset her in some way.

…Shouldn’t it be the same here too?!

Those moments had been deeply thrilling for Lina.

On the surface, she was known for her kind personality and exemplary behavior, but in reality, she secretly enjoyed putting subordinates in their place to relieve her stress.

A mere commoner is no better than one of my servants back at the count’s mansion. How could I possibly be considered equal to such a filthy commoner? It doesn’t make any sense.

While she tried to suppress her anger and think things through, the bell signaling the end of the class rang loudly.

“The material we covered today will be on the exam, so I hope everyone took thorough notes.”

To Lina, who had been too distracted by her anger to pay proper attention during class, the teacher’s words felt like a bolt from the blue.

“Ah, I haven’t finished my notes yet!”

Lina called out urgently to the teacher, who was already erasing the board, but the content didn’t reappear.

Since the board was enchanted with magic, it could have easily been restored. However, the teacher made no move to do so.

“In that case, I suggest you borrow notes from someone close to you. Miss Lina, I overlooked the fact that you were unfocused throughout the entire day, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone openly prove they weren’t paying attention in class. I’ll be deducting points from your participation grade.”

From the teacher’s perspective, it wasn’t as though he hadn’t noticed students not paying attention during lessons.

However, he refrained from addressing it directly, as the upcoming exams would reveal everything and such behavior would naturally be reflected in the results.

But if someone went out of their way to admit that they weren’t paying attention, there was no choice but to deduct points for their attitude.

“N-No, that’s not it…! It’s not that I wasn’t paying attention, it’s just that I’m slow at writing…!”

“No matter how slow you are, I gave you enough time to take notes and it seems you weren’t even aware of that.”

In reality, the class had already ended over ten minutes ago.

Since it was still the beginning of the semester, the academy had given students ample time to adjust and had provided plenty of time to take notes; they fully understood it might have been a while since many had last practiced such habits. However, Lina who was lost in her own thoughts didn’t hear any of this and was now effectively proving it herself.

“…Ugh, th-that’s…”

“It wouldn’t be right to keep interrupting the break time any further, so if you have complaints, feel free to visit the teacher’s office to file a formal objection. Of course, make sure you fully understand that the academy doesn’t make exceptions for noble ladies just because of their status.”

The teacher was someone who had spent many years working at the academy.

He had encountered numerous students like Lina who were steeped in an aristocratic mindset and could immediately discern her mindset.

“……”

“Well then, everyone, make sure to rest well and be ready to focus during the next lesson.”

Lina couldn’t process the humiliation or even react to it. She just stood there while the teacher calmly walked out of the classroom and into the teacher’s office.

Meanwhile, the murmurs of the students who saw all of this filled the classroom.

5 responses to “Chapter 34”

  1. F Avatar
    F

    Doesn’t feel good being proven right that she’s 100% a bit*h through and through. Makes any potential future redemption feel that much worse.

    1. asa Avatar
      asa

      do we forgo rehabilitating criminals nowadays? It seems that way every comment I read in novels now

      1. F Avatar
        F

        Why do people love redemption arcs so much? Is it that much to ask to not be a piece of sh*t to begin with? It’s not exactly difficult.

        1. asa Avatar
          asa

          yes it is much to ask to not be a piece of sh*t. I see it all over twitter.

  2. JimmyJohns05 Avatar
    JimmyJohns05

    ah, she’s deeply self interested. I don’t think she will get a redemption

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