CH 74

From the randomly upturned drawers, I pull out a dress and it against my body in front of a full-length mirror to check my figure. But this mirror looks so small… it shouldn’t have been particularly small, but now that I’ve gotten used to the giant mirrors in Manor Carruthers and Manor Caan, it feels quite small. Well, it’s fine. When Oliver’s luggage caravan arrives, there will be a full-length mirror there. It’s just a matter of patience until then.

“Fun-fu-fuh~n…. ufufu…. I wonder if I should go with this one after all… or maybe this one, instead…”

I’m trying to find a dress, but I’m not sure which one to choose. Which~one~will~it~be~?

“You seem to be in a good mood, Miss Flora?”

“Hiuu…!” I squealed. “… Katharina, don’t startle me like that.”

I was shocked to be called out so suddenly. I thought no one was here with me, but before I knew it, Katharina was inside and beside me.

“I knocked and called out to you before I came in… I didn’t hear back for so long that I thought you were still asleep, so I came to wake you up…” Katharina said.

Oh, is that so? I didn’t hear any knocking at all… I don’t think Katharina would lie, and there’s no point in her lying, so it’s probably true. After all, when I concentrate fully on something, it seems that I can’t hear the sounds and voices around me.

“You’re in a good mood, aren’t you?” Katharina asked. “Was it that girl, Ms. Louisa? Are you looking forward to seeing her?”

She interrogates me as I put away the dress I’ve made a mess of. Something about her is scary… I wonder why Katharina is so angry…?

“It’s not because I’m going to meet Louisa?” I said.

That’s right. It’s not like I made an appointment to meet with Louisa. After that, I talked with Louisa about various things, and I saw her off to her house before returning. At that time, we made no promises to meet again. I just told her that I would visit the ranch if I had the chance. Nor did I say it would necessarily be today.

I’m also busy with something else, so I can’t change the schedule immediately by saying “Let’s go today.” There aren’t many days left before school starts, so it’s a tight schedule.

“Even if you don’t meet today, you are in such a good mood because you were able to make up Ms. Louisa, aren’t you?” Katharina said.

Well, I can’t deny that. I was able to reconcile with the person who I thought had completely angered and who hated me for life. Why wouldn’t I be so happy?

“Certainly, I am happy that I was able to reconcile with Louisa. But that’s not all I’m happy about,” I said. “I originally became close to Louisa because she was my comfort after I got so depressed after you left, Katharina. And now I’m not only happy because of Louisa, but that you’re back as well, Katharina.”

I also decided to talk frankly with Katharina, as well. I just found out about what happened with Louisa before Katharina. If we don’t talk properly with words, even if we are thinking of each other, we may not be able to meet each other. So you have to tell the other person exactly what you think. No matter how powerful your thoughts are, if you just think in your heart, you won’t be able to convey them to the other person.

“You, Katharina, were the first friend my age that I had ever had in my life,” I said. “That’s why I wanted you to be my friend, like a sister who lived with me. By the time you became so stiff towards me and left the mansion, I was already so depressed.”

I put my feelings for Katharina into words. I just wanted to be with Katharina. I didn’t mean to ask for anything more than that. However, Katharina wanted me to be her master and her to be my servant, and that’s why she left me.

I think it’s good that she studied to improve herself. It is a good thing to hone oneself without neglecting study and effort at any time.

However… I wondered if she could have done it even if she stayed with me. I think there was a mutual misunderstanding here as well. I always wanted Katharina to be by my side. If you’re leaving for some reason, or if you’re going to leave because you don’t like me, I wanted you to tell me so.

I would be at a loss for words, too. I acted too much like a princess just to avoid disappointing Katharina. That’s why I think it was bad that I didn’t tell Katharina much about my true feelings because I thought that something would come out wrong and rip her away from me. I put those thoughts into words and deliver them to Katharina.

“That’s not right…” Katharina said. “… I left you, Miss Flora, because your studies and training were insane. Compared to you desperately trying to keep up with all of them, I was just jealous and longing to be like the princesses in the stories without doing anything real myself.”

“Katharina……”

Katharina also speaks from the heart. I listened to her.

“I felt ashamed of myself. I was made to realize how ugly it was for me to just sit on my bed without making any effort and just be envious of fairy tales. I decided to leave and improve myself. All to become a person who can serve you, Miss Flora!” Katharina cried.

“Thank you, Katharina…” I said.

Katharina’s words seeped into my heart. I just hug her gently and we stay still. For some reason, it just fills my heart with contentment.

I’m not as big of a deal as Katharina thinks. But I’m frankly happy that Katharina thinks so, and that she worked hard for that.

I wanted her to spend time with me, if possible. But I understand Katharina’s point and her feelings. I’m not blaming Katharina for this. But we can’t turn back the time that has passed. Then you should think about the future.

“We also drifted from each other because we didn’t have enough of the right words to say to each other,” I said. “Rather, I’ve been in a good mood ever since you came back before I left Caanburg, Katharina. I’m happy about that… so it’s not just Louisa. Rather, I’ve been so happy ever since we left Caanburg together.”

“Miss Flora…” Katharina said.

She also tightly hugs me back. Really, these days, only unbelievably good things continue. Katharina came back and I was able to reconcile with Louisa. The two of us talked from our hearts like this and we understood each other’s thoughts. Is it okay to be happy like this?

“(Perhaps I made a mistake in my choices, too…),” Katharina mumbled. “(If I had stayed by Miss Flora’s side all the time, Miss Flora would have become my Lady Flora by now?)”

“Katharina?” I asked.

She was talking even though we were hugging each other. Have I done something wrong? Did I smell like sweat? But the temporary bath is already completed, and I took a bath yesterday, so it shouldn’t smell that bad…

“Ah, and Miss Flora,” Katharina said. “You can’t inspect the ranch until Oliver and the others arrive. If you’re going to go on an inspection, you’ll have to wear the formal attire of a knight. But it’s in the cargo wagon train he’s driving, so…”

“Ah!” I cried.

Now I’ve done it… she’s right. In order to reduce the amount of luggage I was to carry as much as possible, I thought that I would only be active as a daughter of House Carruthers, anyway, so I put the full knight’s attire in Oliver’s luggage wagons…

Since we are in puberty, I often have to order new knight’s uniforms. The size of the formal wear that fits me now can only be found in Oliver’s luggage wagon. Even if we make a new one in the royal capital, it will probably be quicker for Oliver and the others to arrive here. And the wagon is scheduled to arrive just before school starts, so it will still take some time…

“B-But, I don’t intend to go inspect the ranch, do I?” I asked.

It’s a lie. I chose this dress because I was thinking about which dress to wear to see Louisa in… ahhh… I wish I’d brought the formal attire of a knight for something like this…

After all, it turned out that the inspection of the ranch would be possible only after school started, so I immediately made a plan and sent a letter to the ranch managers. I’m sure Louisa will also know the contents of the letter, so then is when we’ll be able to meet. I always looked outside when I was traveling, wondering if I might run into her again in town, but in the end, I never ran into her again. Even Louisa doesn’t have free time all the time, so this is just right…

Even so, Oliver’s arrival is late. He’s behind schedule. After all, according to the original schedule, he should have arrived before my school started, but today is the day of the school’s entrance ceremony! That’s why I couldn’t go see Louisa!

What a pity. In this world, delays of this magnitude are commonplace and not particularly strange. In addition, since the messengers are still coming back and forth regularly, there is no need to worry about accidents or attacks. It’s just that the transport corps is moving slowly and it’s taking more time than planned. It’s just a matter of time because they’ve already reached the point where their arrival is assured.

That’s why I have my entrance ceremony today, so I have to change clothes and head to the academy. The academy in the royal capital that I will be attending from now on is called the Berne Noble’s Academy. It seems that it is a prestigious academy that only the children of high-ranking aristocrats can attend.

To be honest, I don’t like that only high-ranking aristocrats can attend, but since all the children of the House Carruthers must attend, I can’t avoid it.

The school doesn’t have uniforms, so each student wears whatever they like, and it seems that the luxury and taste of clothes are also scrutinized. It doesn’t matter to me, but I can’t crush the face of House Carruthers, so I need to be careful to some extent.

After changing into the dress that Katharina and Isabella prepared for me, I got into the carriage and headed to the academy. I don’t like the title “aristocratic academy”, so it would be fine to call it just an academy. Or rather, I only call it a school.

When I arrived in front of the school, there were already many carriages lined up. Go through the entrance gates, drop off the students, then depart. When the front goes out, the back goes in. They seem to be keeping order. Even if you don’t have to line up at the entrance, if you get off outside the fence right now, you’ll save a lot of time.

“Miss Flora, you’re definitely thinking about something stupid right now, right?” Katharina said. “Please don’t? You should get off inside the entrance gate as is proper. If you don’t, your dignity will be questioned.”

“…… Okay,” I said.

For some reason, Katharina was the first to challenge me. I think it would be quicker to get off here and walk without waiting in line, but it seems that a noble daughter is not allowed to get off here and walk. It seems that it is one of the etiquettes to get off using a raised platform.

After waiting in line for no reason, it was finally my turn and I got off using the platform that Helmut gave me. I could clearly see that the surrounding girls were blushing because of Helmut. After all, this guy is a woman killer. The enemy of women.

“Uuh…!” Helmut wheezed. “… Huh? What was that for?”

Helmut let his guard down and started looking at the surroundings, so I gave him a light gut punch to bring him back to focus. And he has a question mark on his head. Anyone would wonder what would happen if someone suddenly punched you in the stomach. But I won’t explain.

“I don’t know why…” I said as I walked on.

“Miss Flora…” Helmut says from behind me in a slightly pathetic tone.

Even so, the surrounding women were still fascinated by Helmut, so they didn’t seem to notice the earlier exchange.

It seems that it’s okay to bring only one attendant, so I ask Katharina to accompany me and walk around the school. All the female students seem to be accompanied by a young butler. All of them are good-looking men who seem to have been chosen for their looks rather than their ability to work…

I’m pretty sure I was told the same thing in a social setting. In a place like this, it’s only natural to show the power of the family, and having good butlers and maids means that the power of the family is there…

I don’t think it’s a show of power just because you’re accompanied by a sexy man or a beautiful woman. For butlers and maids, abilities are more important than appearances, and even if there are some difficulties in appearance, you should judge them by looking at their abilities. Butlers and maids who just look good and can’t do anything are meaningless.

However, I might be the only one who thinks so. No matter how much I think so if it deviates from the common sense of the world, they will say that I am wrong. I don’t want to fix it, but I’m the stranger here.

When I was walking around the school, the people in charge who were guiding the new students to where they should go were shouting and guiding them. move accordingly. First of all, it seems that there will be an entrance ceremony in a place like a large auditorium today. It’s like a large auditorium or a gymnasium. Seats are provided but there is no designated seating area.

Katharina is an attendant maid, so she can’t sit down. I’m sorry, but Katharina stood still and waited for a while before the entrance ceremony started.

Various people come out and say hello and talk about various things. But all of them are superficial or lord their noble titles… unlike the Japanese standard answer where you say, “I wish to get along, with everyone,” it’s tough to hear them talking about how they’re the noblest among the nobles, or that they will shepherd the commoners who don’t know any better or something like that.

Various staff come out and talk, such as the head of the school and the head of our grade, but there is not much difference in content. I’m worried that if I go to a school like this and mass-produce aristocrats puffed-up with hot air, the country will eventually fall.

Well, as long as my territory is under control, that’s fine. Do I even want to know about what happens in the political center? I want to go home early and develop my territory!

While thinking about such a thing, a certain female student was greeted by applause and went up to the stage. She seems to be the new student representative. I think she was forced to do troublesome things. It seems that the new student representative is chosen according to the order of the family, so it seems that this year’s new student is the child with the highest rank.

Whether a male student or a female student is chosen depends on the order of the year, so there seems to be no particular difference between men and women. There’s no such thing as not being chosen because you’re a female student, or being treated as a lower class.

“Good morning everyone. I am Helene von Bayen. Today, we come here to this academy…”

I was fascinated by the girl who went up to the stage and spoke. She has dark brown hair or blond hair and brown eyes, her dress colors were not flashy but calm, and the way she speaks makes her feel very mature and dignified. She was a beautiful girl who I could honestly say was beautiful no matter what.